It's October in the Midwest, which means it's time for the pinball world to descend on a convention center in Chicagoland for the annual Pinball Expo. Once thought to be an entertainment sector slowly bleeding out, pinball has come back in a big way in recent years.
Hundreds gathered on a brisk fall Friday morning outside Stern Pinball's headquarters in Elk Grove, Illinois, waiting to enter a Wonka-like wonder factory where piles of raw parts become licensed creations from Jaws to the brand-new Fallout. Stern invited me to tour its offices and factory floor before heading off to the convention in nearby Schaumburg, Illinois.
According to George Gomez, "at any given time, Stern controls 90 percent of the current pinball market, and everybody else splits the rest." While the industry may be expanding toward something more reminiscent of its glory days, there's no doubt who still rules the market.
What I saw on the expo floor showed me that the remaining 10 percent of the market is doing some really interesting things. From modular home setups to open development kits, hobbyist projects are booming. It's a very exciting time to be a pinball fan.
Several companies showed off their latest attempts to bring pinball into virtual reality without abandoning physical controls. But if the lines at the expo were any indication, most people still prefer walking up to a physical machine and enjoying the tactile controls, visuals, and sounds that come with it.
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing