WMS Industries, Inc. was an American electronic gaming and amusement manufacturer in
Enterprise, Nevada. It was merged into
Scientific Games
Light & Wonder, Inc., formerly Scientific Games Corporation (SG), is an American corporation that provides gambling products and services. The company is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Light & Wonder's gaming division provides products such ...
in 2016. WMS's predecessor was the Williams Manufacturing Company, founded in 1943 by Harry E. Williams. However, the company that became WMS Industries was formally founded in 1974 as Williams Electronics, Inc.
Williams initially was a manufacturer of
pinball
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 call ...
machines. In 1964, Williams was acquired by jukebox manufacturer
Seeburg Corp. and reorganized as Williams Electronics Manufacturing Division. In 1973, the company branched out into the coin-operated
arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
market with its ''
Pong
''Pong'' is a table tennis–themed twitch arcade sports video game, featuring simple two-dimensional graphics, manufactured by Atari and originally released in 1972. It was one of the earliest arcade video games; it was created by Allan Al ...
'' clone ''Paddle Ball'', eventually creating a number of video game classics, including ''
Defender'' and ''
Robotron: 2084.'' In 1974, Williams Electronics, Inc. was incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Seeburg. Williams Electronics was sold off as an independent company during the bankruptcy of Seeburg in 1980.
In 1987, the company went public as WMS Industries, Inc. using a shortened version of its name which it also selected for its stock ticker symbol. In 1988, it acquired Bally/Midway, the amusement games division of
Bally Manufacturing
Bally Manufacturing, later renamed Bally Entertainment, was an American company that began as a pinball and slot machine manufacturer, and later expanded into casinos, video games, health clubs, and theme parks. It was acquired by Hilton Hotel ...
, which had decided to focus on its casino operating and manufacturing businesses. The video game operations were consolidated under the Midway name, while pinball machines continued to use the Williams and Bally names. After a string of arcade successes by Midway, WMS acquired
Tradewest
Tradewest was an American video game company based in Corsicana, Texas that produced numerous games in the 1980s and early 1990s. The company was the publisher of the '' Battletoads'' and '' Double Dragon'' series in North America and the PAL regi ...
in 1994 to allow the company to publish its own home ports of arcade games directly, instead of licensing them to other publishers.
Midway Games was taken public in 1996, and fully spun-off in 1998.
WMS created a subsidiary,
WMS Gaming WMS Gaming is a manufacturer of slot machines, video lottery terminals and software to help casinos manage their gaming operations. It also offers online and mobile games. WMS was originally a subsidiary of WMS Industries, which became a wholly own ...
, for manufacturing gambling equipment in 1991. Beginning with video lottery terminals, the division introduced its first slot machines in 1994 and became a major player in the business.
It closed its pinball division on October 25, 1999 after high losses with the
Pinball 2000
Pinball 2000 was the last pinball hardware and software platform developed by major pinball manufacturer Williams, and was used in the machines '' Revenge From Mars'' (under the brand name Bally) and '' Star Wars Episode I'' (under the brand nam ...
concept that integrated a PC screen into the pinball game via a semi-reflective glass.
In 2013, WMS became a wholly owned subsidiary of Scientific Games.
["WMS Annual Report for Fiscal 2013"]
(ending June 30, 2013) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 29, 2013["News release: Scientific Games Completes Acquisition of WMS"]
Scientific Games Corporation, October 18, 2013 In 2016, WMS was merged into Scientific Games, which 2022 renamed itself
Light & Wonder
Light & Wonder, Inc., formerly Scientific Games Corporation (SG), is an American corporation that provides gambling products and services. The company is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Light & Wonder's gaming division provides products such ...
.
Early history
Stanford engineering graduate Harry Williams entered the coin-operated amusement industry in 1933 and helped popularize several important pinball innovations such as the tilt mechanism, electrically-powered scoring holes, and the ability to win a free play by achieving a certain score. After working for a succession of companies including Pacific Amusement Manufacturing,
Rock-Ola
The Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation is an American developer and manufacturer of juke boxes and related machinery. It was founded in 1927 by Coin-Op pioneer David Cullen Rockola to manufacture slot machines, scales, and pinball machines. The ...
, and Exhibit Supply, he went into business with Lyndon Durant in 1942 under the name United Manufacturing. After a break with Durant, Williams founded the Williams Manufacturing Company in 1943 at 161 West Huron Street in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. The first seven products were a fortune-telling machine called ''Selector Scope'' (1944), two electro-mechanical (EM) games, ''Periscope'' (1944) and ''Liberator'' (1944), a novelty called ''Zingo'' (1944), a pinball conversion called ''Flat-Top'' (1945), another EM arcade game, ''Circus Romance'' (1945) and a second pinball conversion called ''Laura'' (1945). The two pinball conversions (Flat-Top & Laura) were built by purchasing older pinball machines made by other companies and changing artwork and other elements on the playfield. The lack of raw materials during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
made the manufacture of new machines difficult and expensive.
["Williams-Bally-Midway the 'Roman Empire' of Gaming"]
Gamester81 Enterprises, January 6, 2012 The first all original amusement device made by Williams was a flipperless pinball machine called ''Suspense'' (1946). During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Williams continued to make pinball machines and the occasional bat-and-ball game. In 1950, Williams produced ''Lucky Inning'', their first pinball machine to have its bottom flippers facing inward in the modern manner.
[
In 1948, Williams sold 49% of his company to a Philadelphia distributor named Sam Stern, who became a vice president and took over much of the day-to-day running of the company. In 1959, Stern orchestrated a buyout of Williams by Consolidated Sun Ray, a New York retail conglomerate that operated drug stores and discount houses, which renamed the company the Williams Electronic Manufacturing Corporation. Harry Williams left after the buyout, though did occasional work for the company. The last game he designed for Williams was also one of the last electromechanical games, ''Rancho'' (1977).]
In 1961, Stern bought Williams back from Consolidated Sun Ray. Three years later, the company was acquired by the Seeburg Corporation
Seeburg was an American design and manufacturing company of automated musical equipment, such as orchestrions, jukeboxes, and vending equipment.
Prior to manufacturing their signature jukebox suite of products, Seeburg was considered to be one of ...
, which also purchased United Manufacturing. The two amusement companies were consolidated under the Williams name, but moved into the United factory. Sam Stern continued to run the amusement business, which was renamed Williams Electronics in 1967.
In 1962, ''3 Coin'' became the best selling Williams machine with 1,100 units sold. One year later, ''Skill Pool'' sold 2,250 units. In 1964 Williams was purchased by the Seeburg Corporation
Seeburg was an American design and manufacturing company of automated musical equipment, such as orchestrions, jukeboxes, and vending equipment.
Prior to manufacturing their signature jukebox suite of products, Seeburg was considered to be one of ...
.[WMS Industries, Inc. - Company History](_blank)
/ref> Its 1966 pinball machine ''A-Go-Go'', with its avant-garde 60s theme, sold a record 5,100 units. Early Williams pinball machines often included innovative features and pinball firsts, such as mechanical reel scoring and the "add-a-ball" feature for locations that didn't allow game replays. By 1967, pinball was in the middle of its so-called "golden age", and the number of pinball units that sold began to increase dramatically. Popular Williams pinballs included ''Shangri-La'' (1967), ''Apollo'' (1967), ''Beat Time'' (1967), ''Smart Set'' (1969), ''Gold Rush'' (1971), and ''Space Mission'' (1976).
Golden age of arcade games
Taking note of Atari's success with ''Pong
''Pong'' is a table tennis–themed twitch arcade sports video game, featuring simple two-dimensional graphics, manufactured by Atari and originally released in 1972. It was one of the earliest arcade video games; it was created by Allan Al ...
'' in 1972, Williams decided to enter the fledgling coin-operated arcade video game industry. After preliminary negotiations with Magnavox
Magnavox (Latin for "great voice", stylized as MAGNAVOX) is an American electronics company that since 1974 has been a subsidiary of the Dutch electronics corporation Philips.
The predecessor to Magnavox was founded in 1911 by Edwin Pridham and ...
, it subcontracted the Magnetic Corporation of America to create its first arcade video game ''Paddle-Ball''.[VintageComputer.net - Williams 1973 Paddle Ball](_blank)
/ref> In 1974, the company was reincorporated as Williams Electronics, Inc. In 1980, Seeburg, facing bankruptcy, sold Williams to Louis Nicastro, who, with his son Neil, would take the company public and run it for over two decades.
Williams developed its own breakthrough hit with the release of 1981's '' Defender'', whose gameplay, horizontal scrolling, and dynamic color influenced many subsequent games. It was followed by a sequel in the same year, '' Stargate'', and a group of popular and influential titles: ''Joust
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying to strike the opponen ...
'', '' Robotron: 2084'', ''Sinistar
''Sinistar'' is a 1983 multidirectional shooter arcade game developed and manufactured by Williams Electronics. It was created by Sam Dicker, Jack Haeger, Noah Falstein, RJ Mical, Python Anghelo, and Richard Witt. Players control a spacecraft ...
'', and the licensed ''Moon Patrol
is a 1982 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 ...
''. With the exception of ''Sinistar'', these were widely ported to home systems by external developers and publishers including Atari.
After ''Dragon's Lair
''Dragon's Lair'' is a video game franchise created by Rick Dyer and Don Bluth. The series is famous for its Western animation-style graphics and complex decades-long history of being ported to many platforms and being remade into television a ...
'' popularized LaserDisc
The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as DiscoVision, MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diam ...
video games in 1983, Williams created the LaserDisc/computer graphics hybrid racing game '' Star Rider'' which lost, or contributed to a loss of, $50 million for the company.
In 1988, Williams acquired Bally/Midway, the consolidated amusement games subsidiary of longtime competitor Bally Manufacturing
Bally Manufacturing, later renamed Bally Entertainment, was an American company that began as a pinball and slot machine manufacturer, and later expanded into casinos, video games, health clubs, and theme parks. It was acquired by Hilton Hotel ...
, which left the business to concentrate on casinos. Midway saw strong sales in the early 1990s with a number of successful arcade games, including '' Mortal Kombat'' and ''NBA Jam
''NBA Jam'' (sometimes "Jam" for short) is a long-running List of basketball video games, basketball video game series based on the National Basketball Association (NBA). Initially developed as arcade games by Midway Games, Midway, the game foun ...
''.
Solid state pinball
Williams' first solid-state machines produced in 1976 were prototype runs based on electromechanical games; ''Aztec'' (1976) and ''Grand Prix''. Williams continued to release new electromechanical pinball machines through October 1977, when they released their last, ''Wild Card''. From November 1977, Williams released solid-state pinball games exclusively, beginning with their first solid state production model ''Hot Tip'' (1977), which sold 4,903 units (the electromechanical version previously released in June sold 1,300 units). From the late 1970s through the 1980s, Williams released numerous innovative pinball games, such as ''Gorgar
''Gorgar'' is a 1979 pinball machine designed by Barry Oursler and released by Williams Electronics. It was the first speech-synthesized ("talking") pinball machine, containing a vocabulary of seven words ("Gorgar", "speaks", "beat", "you", "me ...
'' (1979, the first pinball featuring a synthetic voice), ''Firepower
Firepower is the military capability to direct force at an enemy. (It is not to be confused with the concept of rate of fire, which describes the cycling of the firing mechanism in a weapon system.) Firepower involves the whole range of potenti ...
'' (1980), ''Black Knight
The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...
'' (1980, the first featuring multiple levels), '' Jungle Lord'' (1981), ''Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...
'' (1984), ''Comet'' (1985), '' High Speed'' (1986), ''Pin*Bot
''Pin-Bot'' (styled ''PIN•BOT'') is a pinball machine released by Williams in October 1986. It was designed by Python Anghelo and Barry Oursler.
Rules
The main objective of ''Pin-Bot'' is to advance through the planets of the Solar System, ...
'' (1986), ''F-14 Tomcat'' (1987), '' Cyclone'' (1988), and ''Taxi
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...
'' (1988).
From 1989 through the mid 1990s, a resurgence of pinball during which machines transitioned to dot-matrix displays, Williams had a string of hits including ''Black Knight 2000
''Black Knight 2000'' is a 1989 pinball game designed by Steve Ritchie (who also provides the Knight's voice) and released by Williams Electronics. The game is the sequel to the 1980 pinball machine ''Black Knight''. It was advertised with the ...
'', ''FunHouse
A funhouse or fun house is an amusement facility found on amusement park and funfair midways and is where patrons encounter and interact with various devices designed to surprise, challenge, and amuse them. Unlike thrill rides or dark rides, f ...
'', '' The Machine: Bride of Pin-Bot'', ''Terminator 2
''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' is a 1991 American science-fiction action film directed by James Cameron, who co-wrote the script with William Wisher. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong, it is ...
'', '' Fish Tales'', and '' The Getaway: High Speed II''.
In 1992, the company produced the licensed ''The Addams Family
''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...
'' pinball game based on ''The Addams Family'' movie (1991) under the Bally label. ''The Addams Family'' sold 20,270 units, a record that still stands today. In 1993, the company produced '' Twilight Zone'', which sold 15,235 units. After 1993, though still the market leader, Williams never came close to matching these sales numbers. Williams won the American Amusement Machine Association
An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade ...
's 1995 Manufacturer of the Year award. Medieval Madness
''Medieval Madness'' is a Williams pinball machine released in June 1997. Designed by Brian Eddy and programmed by Lyman Sheats, it had a production run of 4,016 units. As of April 3, 2022, the Pinside pinball community lists it as the #2 hi ...
, produced in 1997, often tops the list as the greatest pinball machine of all time.
In 1999, Williams made one last attempt to revitalize pinball sales with its ''Pinball 2000
Pinball 2000 was the last pinball hardware and software platform developed by major pinball manufacturer Williams, and was used in the machines '' Revenge From Mars'' (under the brand name Bally) and '' Star Wars Episode I'' (under the brand nam ...
'' machines that integrated pinball with computer graphics
Computer graphics deals with generating images with the aid of computers. Today, computer graphics is a core technology in digital photography, film, video games, cell phone and computer displays, and many specialized applications. A great de ...
on embedded raster-scan displays. The innovation did not pay off, as the manufacturing expenses exceeded the prices that the market would bear, and that same year, WMS left pinball to focus on slot machine
A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English) or poker machine (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. Slot machines are also known pejoratively a ...
development.
Focus on gambling machines
As the pinball industry declined, WMS invested in the hotel industry, successfully taking public and then spinning off its hotel subsidiary, WHG Resorts, in 1996 (which was later taken private and acquired by Wyndham International
Wyndham International, previously Patriot American Hospitality, was an American hotel company based in Dallas, Texas.
History
Patriot American Hospitality was formed in April 1995 as a real estate investment trust (REIT) and made its initial publi ...
).
First slot machines
WMS entered the reel-spinning slot machine market in 1994, and its products have helped to move the industry trend away from generic mechanical slot machines and toward games that incorporate familiar intellectual properties
Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...
. For more than a century beginning in the late 1800s, mechanical slot machine reels employed limited themes: card suits, horseshoes, bells and stars, varieties of fruit, black bars and the Liberty Bell. WMS's video gaming roots would prove to be its strength when, in 1996, it introduced its first hit casino slot machine, ''Reel 'em In'', a "multi-line, multi-coin secondary bonus" video slot machine. WMS followed this with a number of similar successful games like ''Jackpot Party'', ''Boom'' and ''Filthy Rich''. Meanwhile, by 1996, WMS had transferred all of the copyrights and trademarks in its video game library to Midway, including '' Defender'', '' Stargate'', '' Robotron: 2084'', ''Joust
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying to strike the opponen ...
'' and ''Smash TV
''Smash TV'' is a 1990 arcade video game created by Eugene Jarvis and Mark Turmell for Williams Electronics Games. It is a dual-stick shooter (one for moving and the other for firing) in the same vein as 1982's ''Robotron: 2084'' (co-created b ...
'', as it took Midway public and finally spun it off in 1998. With the closing of its pinball division in 1999, WMS focused entirely on the gaming machine industry. During the 1990s, that industry grew as additional states permitted casino gambling and video lottery games and as Native American tribes built gaming casinos.
By 2001, WMS introduced its very successful ''Monopoly''-themed series of "participation" slots, which the company licenses or leases to casinos, instead of selling the games to the casinos. The company's participation games have included machines based on such well-known entertainment-related brands as ''Men in Black
In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi- government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesse ...
'', ''The Price Is Right
''The Price Is Right'' is a television game show franchise created by Bob Stewart, originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; currently it is produced and owned by Fremantle. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also inc ...
'', ''Match Game
''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelis ...
'', ''Hollywood Squares
''Hollywood Squares'' (originally ''The Hollywood Squares'') is an American game show in which two contestants compete in a game of tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show Television pilot, piloted on NBC in 1965 and the regular series debut ...
'', Clint Eastwood, ''Powerball
Powerball is an American lottery game offered by 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). From its inaugural drawing on April 19, 1992, unti ...
'', '' Green Acres'', ''The Dukes of Hazzard
''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television serie ...
'', '' Top Gun'', '' The Wizard of Oz'', ''Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'', ''The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' and ''Clue
Clue may refer to:
People with the name
* DJ Clue (born 1975), mixtape DJ
* Arthur Clues (1924–1998), Australian rugby league footballer
* Ivan Clues
* Tim Cluess
Arts, entertainment, and media ''Clue'' entertainment franchise
* ''Cluedo ...
''. Some of these games are networked within casinos and even between multiple casinos so that players have a chance to win large jackpots based on the total amount of play received by all of the machines in the network. These branded games proved popular with players and profitable for WMS, as the net licensing revenues and lease fees generated by each game have exceeded the profit margins of its games for sale. Other recent games include ''Brazilian Beauty'' and ''Hot Hot Super Jackpot''. WMS Industries acquired a second subsidiary, Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
-based gaming company Orion Financement Company B.V., in July 2006.
From fiscal year 2006 to 2011 the company's revenues grew from $451 million to $783 million, respectively, and its net income reached $113 million in 2010.[WMS Annual Report for Fiscal 2010]
(ending June 30, 2010) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 26, 2010[Annual Report for Fiscal 2011]
WMS Annual Reports, WMS Investor Relations pages, September 29, 2011 The company's revenues decreased to $690 million in 2012.
Later products, technology, business
WMS continued to produce video gaming machines and, to a smaller extent, reel-spinning slots, for sale and for lease to casinos in the U.S., selected foreign markets and state lotteries. Some of WMS's product designs reflected the changing demographics of its industry. Younger players raised on video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
often seek more challenging experiences, both physical and mental, than do women age 55 to 65 – the traditional audience for slot machines. Accordingly, some of the company's machines incorporate surround sound, flat-panel display screens and animated, full-color images.
WMS also manufactured the G+ series of video reel slots, the Community Gaming family of interconnected slots, as well as mechanical reels, poker games
The card game of poker has many variations, most of which were created in the United States in the mid-1800s through the early 1900s. The standard order of play applies to most of these games, but to fully specify a poker game requires details ...
, and video lottery terminals
A video lottery terminal (VLT), also sometimes known as a video gaming terminal (VGT), video slots, or the video lottery, is a type of electronic gambling machine. They are typically operated by a region's lottery, and situated at licensed establi ...
.[ WMS began to offer online gaming in 2010 to persons over 18 years old in the UK and in 2011 in the US at www.jackpotparty.com.][ In 2012, WMS partnered with ]Large Animal Games
Large Animal Games was an independent casual game developer, known for their game ''Color Zen''. The company was founded in New York City, New York during 2001 by Wade Tinney and Josh Welber, and Large Animal Games released over 100 games for a va ...
to incorporate several of WMS's slot machine games into a cruise ship-themed Facebook game application titled "Lucky Cruise". By playing games and enlisting Facebook friends' help, players can accumulate "lucky charms" (instead of money). The game play is similar to playing a slot machine but includes a "light strategy component".[Green, Marian]
"A matter of persistence…"
Casino Journal.com, June 1, 2012 In 2012, the company introduced gaming on mobile devices and focused its efforts on expanding its online game offerings. For casinos, it introduced ''My Poker'' video poker games.[
WMS technologies included:
* Transmissive Reels gaming platform, which employs video animation that is displayed around, over and seemingly interactively with mechanical reels. The technology is based on the CPU-NXT2 operating platform.
* Operating Platforms: CPU-NXT2 incorporates an Intel Pentium IV class processor, up to 2 gigabytes of random access memory, an ]ATI
Ati or ATI may refer to:
* Ati people, a Negrito ethnic group in the Philippines
**Ati language (Philippines), the language spoken by this people group
** Ati-Atihan festival, an annual celebration held in the Philippines
*Ati language (China), a ...
3-D graphics chip-set, and a 40 gigabyte hard disk drive
A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magne ...
.[ The CPU-NXT3 operating platform was introduced in 2012 for participation games and new cabinets.][
* Cabinets: The Bluebird2 gaming cabinet, which includes a dual 22-inch ]wide screen
Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than t ...
, high-definition displays, Bose
Bose may refer to:
* Bose (crater), a lunar crater
* ''Bose'' (film), a 2004 Indian Tamil film starring Srikanth and Sneha
* Bose (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name)
* Bose, Italy, a ''frazioni'' in Magnano, Province of Biella ...
speakers, and an illuminated printer and bill acceptor
A currency detector or currency validator is a device that determines whether notes or coins are genuine or counterfeit. These devices are used in a wide range of automated machines, such as retail kiosks, supermarket self checkout machines, ...
, was introduced in 2008. The Blade and Gamefield xD cabinets were introduced in 2013.[
Approximately 70% of WMS's revenues in 2010 were derived from U.S. customers.][ Its design facilities at the time were Chicago, Illinois. It had other facilities and offices across the United States and international development and distribution facilities located in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom][ and an online gaming center in Belgium.][
]
Williams Interactive
In 2012, WMS acquired Sweden-based Jadestone Group AB and then Iowa-based Phantom EFX, which, later that year, became part of a new subsidiary, Williams Interactive. The subsidiary was formed to serve the online gaming industry. At the same time, the company launched its Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
social casino game Jackpot Party Casino. Later that year, Betsson and Unibet online casinos entered multi-year agreements with Williams Interactive to provide "premium video slot games as Jackpot Party, Zeus or Reel 'Em In ... to their registered players (more than 12 million customers)". In 2014 EveryMatrix
EveryMatrix Ltd is a B2B iGaming software provider company founded in 2008 with its headquarters in Malta. EveryMatrix supplies online gambling platforms, products, and software to online casinos, sportsbook operators, and state-owned or private ...
, partnered with Williams Interactive to offer online slot content from Williams Interactive.
Acquisition by Scientific Games
WMS merged with Scientific Games in October 2013, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Scientific Games. Scientific Games paid $1.5 billion for WMS, and WMS shareholders received $26.00 per share.[ The following year, Scientific Games also acquired ]Bally Technologies
Bally Technologies, Inc. is an American manufacturer of slot machines and other gambling technology based in Enterprise, Nevada. It is owned by Light & Wonder.
The company was founded in 1968 as Advanced Patent Technology. It eventually changed ...
, the successor to the original Bally Manufacturing's slot machine operations. In 2016, WMS was reorganized and fully merged into Scientific Games. In 2022, Scientific Games spun off its namesake lottery terminal operations and took the name Light & Wonder
Light & Wonder, Inc., formerly Scientific Games Corporation (SG), is an American corporation that provides gambling products and services. The company is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Light & Wonder's gaming division provides products such ...
. WMS is retained as a brand of L&W, along with Bally and Shuffle Master
SHFL entertainment, Inc. (previously named Shuffle Master) was a manufacturer of shuffling machines, table games, slot machines, and other casino products, based in Paradise, Nevada. Founded in 1983, it was acquired by Bally Technologies in 2013 ...
.[http://www.scientificgames.com/media/67619/giqgavin.pdf ]
References
External links
Official website
The Pinball Factory; current licensors to the Williams/Bally pinball games
Internet Pinball Database showing complete listing of Williams pinball games
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wms Industries
Gambling companies of the United States
Pinball manufacturers
Slot machine manufacturers
Video game companies of the United States
Video game development companies
Video game publishers
Companies based in Enterprise, Nevada
Companies based in Lake County, Illinois
Entertainment companies established in 1974
1974 establishments in Illinois
Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange
2013 mergers and acquisitions