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

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 ...

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