Baffle Ball
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| Manufacturer | D. Gottlieb & Co. |
|---|---|
| Release date | 1931 |
| Design | David Gottlieb |
| Production run | > 50,000 |
Baffle Ball is a pinball machine created on November 19, 1931, by David Gottlieb, founder of the Gottlieb amusement company.
Gameplay
[edit]For one US cent (equivalent to 21 cents in 2024[1]) players get ten balls. These balls are fired up onto the playfield and fall into pockets and holes. Some ball targets are worth more than others, and players try to fire the ball at just the right speed. Unlike later pinball machines, Baffle Ball does not have flippers. The best target is the Baffle Ball at the top which doubles all points. The game uses no electricity, and all scoring has to be done by hand.
Description
[edit]While bagatelle-derived "marble games" had long existed previously, Baffle Ball was the first commercially successful game of its type, being affordable enough for store and tavern owners to quickly recoup the machine's cost. Up to 400 could be produced per day,[2] with over 50,000 machines made in total, jump-starting the arcade pinball field. The game was also produced by Keeney & Sons, who were the first to advertise them.[3] A home version was also released, and a version with detachable legs, called Baffle Ball Senior, released in 1932.[4]
The game sat on top of bar counters and the bartender might award prizes for high scores.[5]
Electric Baffle Ball was released in October 1935,[6] and with novel uses for its signal light was operated in locations not usually associated with gaming.[7] This was named in tribute after Baffle Ball but has a completely different design.[8]
Digital version
[edit]The table was virtually recreated in the pinball simulation video game, Microsoft Pinball Arcade, although adjustments were made to the game rules. Instead of the normal silver balls, colored balls, that correspond to the colors of the targets, are played. Extra points are awarded if the player lands the ball in the target that exactly matches the color of the ball.
See also
[edit]- Play-Boy - the follow-up game
References
[edit]- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Sharpe, Roger C. (February 1, 1984). "Gottlieb Changes Name But Legacy Endures". Play Meter. Vol. 10, no. 3. pp. 64–66.
- ^ The Billboard 1931-12-05: Vol 43 Iss 49. December 5, 1931. p. 108.
- ^ The Billboard 1932-02-06: Vol 44 Iss 6. Internet Archive. February 6, 1932. p. 67.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Williams Pinball Machines Woodrail Flipper and Arcade Games 1940s/1950s".
- ^ The Billboard 1935-10-12: Vol 47 Iss 41. Internet Archive. October 12, 1935. p. 77.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ The Billboard 1935-11-23: Vol 47 Iss 47. November 16, 1935. p. 71.
- ^ The Billboard 1935-12-07: Vol 47 Iss 49. Internet Archive. December 7, 1935. p. 65.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
External links
[edit]- Baffle Ball at the Internet Pinball Database
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