Once written off as a fading hobby of a bygone era, pinball is seeing a mini-renaissance of sorts among Millennials whose sense of nostalgia has been accelerated by the digital age. Driving the movement is a group of old school gaming innovators who, while few in number, are demonstrating that leveraging fandom is becoming increasingly key to engaging younger generations en masse.
Jersey Jack: Jack Guarnieri, better known to pinball enthusiasts as “Jersey Jack,” is one of two remaining pinball manufacturers in the U.S. making headlines for breathing new life into the once-popular pastime. A longtime devotee of the game, he founded his eponymous company four years ago to meet what he saw as a need in the marketplace for premium machines for contemporary audiences – and also to break the monopoly held by longtime industry leader, Stern Pinball (see below). Jack’s games draw inspiration from film: his debut offering is based on The Wizard of Oz, and a follow-up project inspired by The Hobbit is scheduled for release soon.
Stern Pinball: Stern Pinball founder Gary Stern is a second-generation pinball pioneer whose Chicago-based company traces back to the early 1930s and the founding of modern pinball. Though public interest has ebbed and flowed over the years, today Stern is busy meeting demand for both classic and modern machines made newly popular by the multitude of “barcades” popping up in urban enclaves around the country. Recent Stern games include modern titles like The Walking Dead, sci-fi and superhero crowdpleasers like Star Trek, The Avengers, X-Men, Iron Man, Batman and Spiderman, and the upcoming KISS game announced earlier this month.
EightyTwo: EightyTwo, a watering hole located in the Arts District of Downtown LA, has become a hub of the modern pinball scene. Founded by Scott Davids and Noah Sutcliffe, childhood friends-turned-nightlife entrepreneurs who first bonded in first grade over a love of Nintendo, the barcade features a rotating collection of more than 40 arcade and pinball machines from the 1970s through the 1990s, complete with a tree-covered outdoor patio, nightly DJs, and a craft cocktail program. Since opening last year, it’s become increasingly popular among Millennials who want to play old school games with a drink in hand, much like at New York’s pioneering Barcade.
