The Video Pinball
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
is a series of
first-generation single-player
A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. A single-player game is usually a game that can only be played by one person, while "single-player mode" is usuall ...
dedicated home video game consoles
A home video game console is a video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. Home consoles are generally less powerful and customizable than ...
manufactured, released and marketed by
Atari, Inc.
Atari, Inc. was an American video game developer and home computer company founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. Atari was a key player in the formation of the video arcade and video game industry.
Based primarily around the Sunny ...
starting in
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...
. Bumper
controllers on the sides or a
dial on the front are used to control the
games
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...
depending on the game selected. There are three game types in the first model of the Video Pinball series: ''Pinball'', ''Basketball'', and ''Breakout''.
The first model is based on the single chip 011500-11/C011512-05 ("Pong-on-a-chip") produced by Atari.
Gameplay
Video Pinball allows 7 games—4 pinball variations, a basketball game, and two versions of ''Breakout'' (''Breakout'' and a variant called ''Break Away'') -- for one to two players. The unit provides digital on-screen scoring, automatic
serves, and color graphics.
Video Pinball uses a micro-controller and a small amount of RAM rather than the "Pong on a chip" IC's that had been used in the slew of pong machines Atari Inc. had been releasing. Pinball was played primarily with the side bumper buttons, and Breakout and Basketball with the dial and top buttons.
Models
There were three different models of Video Pinball released over its lifetime. Atari released both woodgrain and cream colored versions as "Atari Video Pinball". An
OEM
An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is generally perceived as a company that produces non-aftermarket parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. It is a common industry term recognized and used by many professional or ...
version whose name was changed to "Pinball Breakaway" was also produced by Sears under the
Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
' Tele-Games label.
[Winter, David.]
Atari PONG: The Home Systems
. Pong-Story.com. 2013.
Arcade
An
arcade video game
An arcade video game takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. Most arcade video games are coin-operated, housed in an arca ...
version, called ''Video Pinball'', was released by Atari in February 1979. It sold a total of 1,505
arcade cabinet
An arcade cabinet, also known as an arcade machine or a coin-op cabinet or coin-op machine, is the housing within which an arcade game's electronic hardware resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the Japanese Amusement Ma ...
s.
References
External links
Atari Video Pinball (Model C-380)at old-computers.com
{{Dedicated consoles
Arcade video games
Dedicated consoles
Pinball video games
Paddle-and-ball video games
First-generation video game consoles
1970s toys
1977 in video gaming
Products introduced in 1977
Video games developed in the United States
1977 video games