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Flight 2000 (pinball)
''Flight 2000'' is a 1980 Stern widebody pinball machine. It was the first table by this company with speech. The theme of the game revolves around futuristic space flight. Description The game has 3-ball multiball where each ball is launched through three separate 'Lift-Off' stages. This is placed at the upper left of the playfield inside a maze-like ball lock mechanism. The playfield contains a ball capture feature in the upper left and a spinner and drop targets in the middle. Space ships heading to the stars are depicted on the backbox. ''Flight 2000'' has a robotic synthesised speech sound that fits well to its space travel theme; the voice is the same one that was used in Stern's own Berzerk. Pinball machines with speech were still uncommon in 1980. ''Xenon'' was not released by Bally until a couple of months later. The pinball machine was well received for its combination of attractive art and Harry Williams' innovative design therefore ''Flight 2000'' sold well an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stern (game Company)
Stern is the name of two different but related arcade gaming companies. Stern Electronics, Inc. manufactured arcade video games and pinball machines from 1977 until 1985, and was best known for '' Berzerk''. Stern Pinball, Inc., founded in 1999, is a manufacturer of pinball machines in North America. Stern Electronics, Inc. Stern Electronics was formed when the Stern family bought the financially troubled Chicago Coin in 1977. Chicago Coin's assets were purchased at bankruptcy sales forming the core inventory of Stern Electronics, Inc.; however, as a separate company, they did not assume any of the debt Chicago Coin had amassed. The first two games made by Stern were ''Stampede'' and ''Rawhide'', both originally made by Chicago Coin, which only had changes made to their branding and logos. After a weak start, Stern Electronics' sales started picking up by the end of 1977. By 1978, they had switched over to fully solid-state electronics for their games. In 1979, Stern acquired ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Glossary Of Pinball Terms
A glossary of terms, commonly used in discussing pinball machines. A add-a-ball :Allows the player to add additional balls by achieving a specific task e.g. during an active ''multiball''. A feature especially popular on the latest generations of Stern machines. Earlier in pinball history, ''add-a-ball'' was actually used to describe that a player can earn extra balls. apron :The large attachment at the very bottom of the playfield, which usually holds a score and/or instruction card and which covers the ball trough. The front edges of the apron lead the ball to the drain. autosave :For a limited time, every ball that goes down the drain will be returned to the plunger. Usually only available when starting with a new ball (to compensate for "unfair" very fast drains), it will also be available during the start of multiballs on later machines. Also known as ''ball saver''. B backbox :The vertical "head" of the pinball machine, where the score is displayed. backglass :The upr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pinball Machine
Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails called 'pins' and had hollows or pockets which scored points if the ball came to rest in them. Today, pinball is most commonly an arcade game in which the ball is fired into a specially designed cabinet known as a pinball machine, hitting various lights, bumpers, ramps, and other targets depending on its design. The game's object is generally to score as many points as possible by hitting these targets and making various shots with flippers before the ball is lost. Most pinball machines use one ball per turn (except during special multi-ball phases), and the game ends when the ball(s) from the last turn are lost. The biggest pinball machine manufacturers historically include Bally Manufacturing, Gottlieb, Williams Electronics and Stern Pinbal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Speech Synthesis
Speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech. A computer system used for this purpose is called a speech synthesizer, and can be implemented in software or hardware products. A text-to-speech (TTS) system converts normal language text into speech; other systems render symbolic linguistic representations like phonetic transcriptions into speech. The reverse process is speech recognition. Synthesized speech can be created by concatenating pieces of recorded speech that are stored in a database. Systems differ in the size of the stored speech units; a system that stores phones or diphones provides the largest output range, but may lack clarity. For specific usage domains, the storage of entire words or sentences allows for high-quality output. Alternatively, a synthesizer can incorporate a model of the vocal tract and other human voice characteristics to create a completely "synthetic" voice output. The quality of a speech synthesizer is judged by its similarity ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Space Flight
Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly spacecraft into or through outer space, either with or without humans on board. Most spaceflight is uncrewed and conducted mainly with spacecraft such as satellites in orbit around Earth, but also includes space probes for flights beyond Earth orbit. Such spaceflight operates either by telerobotic or autonomous control. The more complex human spaceflight has been pursued soon after the first orbital satellites and has reached the Moon and permanent human presence in space around Earth, particularly with the use of space stations. Human spaceflight programs include the Soyuz, Shenzhou, the past Apollo Moon landing and the Space Shuttle programs, with currently the International Space Station as the main destination of human spaceflight missions while China's Tiangong Space Station is under construction. Spaceflight is used for placing in Earth's orbit communications satellites, reconnaissance ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, planetary exploration, and transportation of humans and cargo. All spacecraft except single-stage-to-orbit vehicles cannot get into space on their own, and require a launch vehicle (carrier rocket). On a sub-orbital spaceflight, a space vehicle enters space and then returns to the surface without having gained sufficient energy or velocity to make a full Earth orbit. For orbital spaceflights, spacecraft enter closed orbits around the Earth or around other celestial bodies. Spacecraft used for human spaceflight carry people on board as crew or passengers from start or on orbit (space stations) only, whereas those used for robotic space missions operate either autonomously or telerobotically. Robotic spacecraft used to support scientific re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Star
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sky, night, but their immense distances from Earth make them appear as fixed stars, fixed points of light. The most prominent stars have been categorised into constellations and asterism (astronomy), asterisms, and many of the brightest stars have proper names. Astronomers have assembled star catalogues that identify the known stars and provide standardized stellar designations. The observable universe contains an estimated to stars. Only about 4,000 of these stars are visible to the naked eye, all within the Milky Way galaxy. A star's life star formation, begins with the gravitational collapse of a gaseous nebula of material composed primarily of hydrogen, along with helium and trace amounts of heavier elements. Its stellar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be constructed to evoke human form, but most robots are task-performing machines, designed with an emphasis on stark functionality, rather than expressive aesthetics. Robots can be autonomous or semi-autonomous and range from humanoids such as Honda's ''Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility'' ( ASIMO) and TOSY's ''TOSY Ping Pong Playing Robot'' ( TOPIO) to industrial robots, medical operating robots, patient assist robots, dog therapy robots, collectively programmed ''swarm'' robots, UAV drones such as General Atomics MQ-1 Predator, and even microscopic nano robots. By mimicking a lifelike appearance or automating movements, a robot may convey a sense of intelligence or thought of its own. Autonomous things are expected to prolif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xenon (pinball)
''Xenon'' is a 1980 pinball machine designed by Greg Kmiec and released by Bally. The game was not only the first talking pinball table by Bally, but also the first with a female voice. Description The voice for the female robot theme was provided by Suzanne Ciani who also composed the music of the game. The seductive voice is for example saying "Try Xeeeeenon" in attraction mode or responds to bumper hits with some "Oooh" and "Aaah" moaning sound effects. ''Xenon'' consists of dominant blue artwork e.g. blue bumper caps, plastic posts and bluish light that gives the game a futuristic xenon theme. The tube shot is the most prominent playfield feature and transports the ball from the upper-right side of the playfield to the middle-left side of the playfield. It consists of a clear acrylic tube with a string of small lights. An episode of '' Omni: The New Frontier'' has a segment that talks about the creation of the game's audio. Digital version ''Xenon'' was among twelve ti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Pinball Arcade
''The Pinball Arcade'' is a pinball video game developed by FarSight Studios. The game is a simulated collection of real pinball tables licensed by Gottlieb, Alvin G. and Company, and Stern Pinball, a company which also owns the rights of machines from Data East and Sega Pinball. Williams and Bally games are no longer available since June 30, 2018, as FarSight had lost the license to WMS properties, which has since passed to Zen Studios. The game is available for download on a number of devices through their respective online stores, including Android (along with derivatives such as Kindle Fire and Ouya), iOS, Windows (through Steam), macOS (through the Mac App Store and Steam), PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 (through PlayStation Store), Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U in North America only, and Nintendo Switch. Tables are available for free limited demo play on Android, iOS, and other platforms. Every month, along with the release of downloadable conten ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
