Story: Arcade, computer and video games

Early pinball machines (1st of 2)

Early pinball machines

These pinball machines were owned by a Wellington collector. The machine on the left is a Mills Official pinball, a model first produced in the United States in 1932. Mills was the first company to use the name ‘pinball’. The machine on the right was made in New Zealand and pre-dates the Mills Official. Both are coin-operated. The coin slots and ball spring-launcher are visible at the front. Neither of the machines has flippers to control the ball once it has been launched, as this innovation was not devised until 1947.

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Private collection

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How to cite this page:

Kerryn Pollock, 'Arcade, computer and video games - Arcade games: 19th century to 1960s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/39308/early-pinball-machines (accessed 28 April 2024)

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 5 Sep 2013