I sometimes get a hankering for playing pinball. I don't own any machines, but I frequent a couple of places with good collections. After having gone through years of culture wars in video games, and over a decade in tabletop RPGs, it's remarkable how the pinball hobby has dodged the whole problem. Pinball machine art with sexy women, and risqué jokes in some of the callouts are still pretty common (see e.g. Oktoberfest pinball machine). On a pinball forum I'm on, one member popped in to call everyone sexist, was throughly downvoted, and then ignored. That's how it's done.

Here's a fun and hilarious one that I have just started playing. Cactus Canyon. Originally made in a small number in the 90s it was recently remade with a few tweaks.

Quote from: Trond on February 11, 2023, 12:12:09 PMAfter having gone through years of culture wars in video games, and over a decade in tabletop RPGs, it's remarkable how the pinball hobby has dodged the whole problem.

Please don't Jinx pinball. This isn't a sure thing. A couple years ago, a company called Zen Studios bought the rights to make digital versions of classic Williams pinball tables for their Pinball FX3 video game. And in the process, they started censoring older pinball tables, most notably by changing artwork to add extra clothing to women on the backglass and table. So the fight is ongoing.

On the plus side, they relented and will have more accurate digital versions in their most recent game just called Pinball FX which is releasing in two days. Their business model is to give the game for free and the users either buy the tables in packs or they subscribe to all the tables for a monthly fee. While they have a decent selection of digitized classic tables (including Addam's Family and Indiana Jones) they also make their own tables. It's worth the download even if it is just to plink around with it.

Finally, if you are anywhere near North Texas, the Texas Pinball Festival is coming up on March 24 which is a giant room full to the rim with old and new pinball tables that are all set to free play. My kids and I go there every year.

https://texaspinball.com/

But I will agree that Pinball is one of the few hobbies left that still reveres the men who created the hobby in the first place.

The buggy whip and telegraph communities are probably going under their radar also

Quote from: hedgehobbit on February 14, 2023, 09:39:17 AM

Quote from: Trond on February 11, 2023, 12:12:09 PMAfter having gone through years of culture wars in video games, and over a decade in tabletop RPGs, it's remarkable how the pinball hobby has dodged the whole problem.

Please don't Jinx pinball. This isn't a sure thing. A couple years ago, a company called Zen Studios bought the rights to make digital versions of classic Williams pinball tables for their Pinball FX3 video game. And in the process, they started censoring older pinball tables, most notably by changing artwork to add extra clothing to women on the backglass and table. So the fight is ongoing.

On the plus side, they relented and will have more accurate digital versions in their most recent game just called Pinball FX which is releasing in two days. Their business model is to give the game for free and the users either buy the tables in packs or they subscribe to all the tables for a monthly fee. While they have a decent selection of digitized classic tables (including Addam's Family and Indiana Jones) they also make their own tables. It's worth the download even if it is just to plink around with it.

Finally, if you are anywhere near North Texas, the Texas Pinball Festival is coming up on March 24 which is a giant room full to the rim with old and new pinball tables that are all set to free play. My kids and I go there every year.

https://texaspinball.com/

But I will agree that Pinball is one of the few hobbies left that still reveres the men who created the hobby in the first place.

Dang, I actually downloaded Pinball FX3 just the other day. I had no clue. Anyway, it could sort of, ish, prove the point. The moment they make it into videogames they start meddling with it. I don't know what the hell is wrong with people these days. The Texas Pinball Festival sounds awesome. Feel free to share photos or whatever.

To be honest, I actually think we're in a small "golden age" of pinball. Not as huge market as the late 70s-early 80s (or the old flipperless pinballs from the 30s), but there's quite a bit of interest both in going to pinball arcades / barcades (some dedicated to pinball only), and also a growing home market. Some arcade owners are amazing at keeping old machines in good working order. And some new machines I tried, like Godzilla and James Bond, are great fun. Particularly Godzilla is ranking very high on many people's lists of all time best pins.

Quote from: Trond on February 17, 2023, 11:58:18 PMDang, I actually downloaded Pinball FX3 just the other day. I had no clue.

If you downloaded it for the PC, I'm 90% sure they added an option in the settings to turn off the censorship.

I miss the days of yore when the local 7-11 had a pinball machine. Used to play everyday. Got my highest score ever on the Corvette machine there. Better times.

Pinball is great fun! I remember playing Terminator 100s of times at the local bowling alley.

The art can also be pretty amazing, in the same class as metal albums and old school fantasy book covers.

Quote from: rytrasmi on February 23, 2023, 11:15:29 AM
Pinball is great fun! I remember playing Terminator 100s of times at the local bowling alley.

The art can also be pretty amazing, in the same class as metal albums and old school fantasy book covers.

Oh yes, one of my favorites in this regard is the Phantom of the Opera. The machine is just full of intricate designs.



Some also have a theme that is very well integrated with how the pinball machine works. Like Theatre of Magic, where your different shots are centered around doing "magic tricks" with the ball, getting it stuck on magnets, disappearing down hatches etc.

Quote from: Trond on February 24, 2023, 12:08:29 PM

Quote from: rytrasmi on February 23, 2023, 11:15:29 AM
Pinball is great fun! I remember playing Terminator 100s of times at the local bowling alley.

The art can also be pretty amazing, in the same class as metal albums and old school fantasy book covers.

Oh yes, one of my favorites in this regard is the Phantom of the Opera. The machine is just full of intricate designs.



Some also have a theme that is very well integrated with how the pinball machine works. Like Theatre of Magic, where your different shots are centered around doing "magic tricks" with the ball, getting it stuck on magnets, disappearing down hatches etc.

Wow, blast from the past! Phantom was a fun and the sound was so good on that one.

Here's the new backglass art for Theatre of Magic. They have this pin with new art in a local magic/illusionist store (Magic Apple, LA). Awesome machine and awesome art

Went to the Texas Pinball Festival last weekend. I was talking to the guy at the ticket counter and this was the biggest year ever. Not only the highest attendance, but the convention room wasn't big enough and some games had to be place outside in the halls. There was the usual collection of new tables released this year; two James Bond tables, Queen & Foo Fighters (the bands), one for Pulp Fiction, and a new Skooby Doo table (pre-Velma version thankfully). There was also a new company with a 50's inspired sci-fi table called the Galactic Tank Force which I wasn't able to play.

So, despite what Grognard GM says, the hobby is going strong.

Here's my daughter playing a custom made Quidditch table. Pretty nice for a hobby project.

Quote from: hedgehobbit on March 28, 2023, 03:34:56 PM
Went to the Texas Pinball Festival last weekend. I was talking to the guy at the ticket counter and this was the biggest year ever. Not only the highest attendance, but the convention room wasn't big enough and some games had to be place outside in the halls. There was the usual collection of new tables released this year; two James Bond tables, Queen & Foo Fighters (the bands), one for Pulp Fiction, and a new Skooby Doo table (pre-Velma version thankfully). There was also a new company with a 50's inspired sci-fi table called the Galactic Tank Force which I wasn't able to play.

So, despite what Grognard GM says, the hobby is going strong.

Here's my daughter playing a custom made Quidditch table. Pretty nice for a hobby project.

Great! I have played most of those, and I really like James Bond. But what was Pulp Fiction like?

Quote from: Ron Maiden on February 22, 2023, 11:25:00 AM
I miss the days of yore when the local 7-11 had a pinball machine. Used to play everyday. Got my highest score ever on the Corvette machine there. Better times.

I remember video games but not pinball games at 7-11's