Litvinov
Does anyone know what pinball is... or does anyone know where there is a definition of pinball anywhere? To me it would be very tricky to define... I challenge anyone to pin down a good definition in less than 100 words 
(Topic ID: 351823)
West Unity, OH
Quoted from pinballslave:Does anyone know what a pinball is... or does anyone know where there is a definition of a pinball anywhere? To me it would be very tricky to define... I challenge anyone to pin down a good definition in less that 100 words
That which enslaves you.
Kitchener, ON
a game in which small metal balls are shot across a sloping board and score points by striking various targets.
Or the ball that is used in said game
ForceFlow, Read each of those definitions and none of them define a pinball...
First one:
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.
Some pinballs don't score points, they just payout (or not) depending where the ball lands... Mills Tycoon for example.
2nd one:
any of various games played on a sloping, glass-topped table presenting a field of colorful
Colourful... so early games on plain wood are not pinballs... 
Sloping... so vertical pinballs aren't pinballs?
3rd one:
an amusement device in which a ball propelled by a plunger
So rolldown games aren't pinballs?
Some pinballs were just for gambling, not for amusement...
Quoted from jackd104:a game in which small metal balls are shot across a sloping board and score points by striking various targets.
Metal? So early games using ceramic balls aren't pinballs? Sloping? Vertical pinballs... points? Some games don't score points... Targets? Some games the balls just fall in holes, like the ones from the early 30s ...
Quoted from pinballslave:Metal? So early games using ceramic balls aren't pinballs? Sloping? Vertical pinballs... points? Some games don't score points... Targets? Some games the balls just fall in holes, like the ones from the early 30s ...
Correct. None of that shit is pinball.
Quoted from pinballslave:ForceFliw, Read each of those definitions and none of them define a pinball...
First one:
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.
Some pinballs don't score points, they just payout (or not) depending where the ball lands... Mills Tycoon for example.
2nd one:
any of various games played on a sloping, glass-topped table presenting a field of colorful
Colourful... so early games on plain wood are not pinballs...
Sloping... so vertical pinballs aren't pinballs?
3rd one:
an amusement device in which a ball propelled by a plunger
So rolldown games aren't pinballs?
Some pinballs were just for gambling, not for amusement...
Mills Tycoon (resized).pngIt is a term that mostly no longer applies due to the nature of today's games as they rarely if ever have pins, but it is the name that stuck.
Worse yet is when people describe the machines themselves as pins.
Pinball is the ball that rolls through and gets diverted by said pins.
Notice all the pins and balls on Ballyhoo, the highest known produced pinball machine with 50,000 units.
Pin+ball=Pinball.
Not to be confused with pinball machine or pinball table which is where the term "pinball" was first used before it became a standalone noun describing just the ball, but that is not what you asked us to define.
That is all.
Why is it called pinball.
The very first pinball games appeared in the early 1930s and did not have flippers; after launching the ball it simply proceeded down the playfield, directed by static nails (or "pins") to one of several scoring areas. (These pins gave the game its name.)
Quoted from o-din:Pinball is the ball that rolls through and gets diverted by said pins.
I'd say that's the ball in a pinball personally, not the pinball itself... but yes, what your talking about generally is the origin of the name... but I was wondering how easy it is to pin down (pun intended) the definition of a pinball game (for those who are thinking that I was just asking about the ball itself).
Here's the Wikipedia definition:
(games) A game, played on a device with a sloping base, in which the player operates a spring-loaded plunger to shoot a ball, between obstacles, and attempts to hit targets and score points.
So Medieval Madness isn't a pinball (game) according to Wiki... 
Quoted from Mundy53:Pinball is a generic term for a knockoff of a game called whiffle.
But Whiffle is also a pinball, no?
Quoted from Bublehead:A game, played against gravity and chance and combined with (in the future) electric devices to control the shots which added a factor of skill into the game making it truely a game of skill and chance
A good starting point I think... Gravity certainly has to be mentioned, but it's also important to state that a ball is involved... the snag is that before flippers: bingos and pachinkos, and later, pitch-n-bats also fit that description... I'd also say that the games before electrical devices to control shots (flippers) were added were also a combination of skill and chance...
To answer your original question “what’s a pinball” in under 100 words:
—-
A pinball is a small, hard ball used in the play of pinball games, as well as in older game variants such as bingo machines and bagatelle games. The number, type, diameter, and color of the balls used differ depending upon the specific game being played.
Early pinballs were made of various materials, including wood, clay, glass, ivory, bone, reinforced plastic( Bakelite and acrylic) and ceramic, and came in a multitude of various sizes.
The modern pinballs used in current production games are 1-1/16” in diameter and are typically made of polished hardened steel.
—-
Asking the larger question of “what is pinball?” would require removing “a” from your question. This simple change in sentence structure would warrant an entirely different answer.
Semantics.
That's a very thorough definition of the balls used in pinball games... I like it... but the question was relating to the game itself rather than just the balls used in them... should have elaborated on that... my bad... even defining the question is not straight forwards... if you can come up with a similarly thorough definition of the game itself, that would be even more impressive! 
Quoted from EJS:It’s certainly different than the definition of a table
You mean a pin table...?
Quoted from pinballslave:That's a very thorough definition of the balls used in pinball games... I like it... but the question was relating to the game itself rather than just the balls used in them... should have elaborated on that... my bad... even defining the question is not straight forwards... if you can come up with a similarly thorough definition of the game itself, that would be even more impressive!
Yeah, likely while you were responding, I had edited my post to clarify
“Asking the larger question of “what is pinball?” would require removing “a” from your question. This simple change in sentence structure would warrant an entirely different answer.
Semantics. ”
Maybe I’ll give it a try…
I have since changed the title question (in a different way)
I prefer your suggestion though, much neater... so I'll change it again!
Quoted from BeachPickle:Maybe I’ll give it a try…
I'm curious what you'll come up with if you do! I will extent the number of allowable words to 200
By the way, you can add cork to that list of ball materials... there's a game called Krazy Ball that uses cork balls... 1.5" diameter to be precise...
Quoted from BeachPickle:“Asking the larger question of “what is pinball?” would require removing “a” from your question.
Simple. Pinball used in that manner is short for game or games of pinball.
Some might say "let's play pinball" or "let's play some pinball" instead of "let's play a game of pinball" or "let's play some games of pinball".
A game which uses the above described balls in a machine that rarely if ever has pins any more.
I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description “pinball”, and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it
Quoted from pinballslave:You're getting close to the Zen definition: Pinball is pinball
I am going to work on pinball today. Then drink beer and play some pinball tonight. Pretty standard.
Quoted from o-din:I am going to work on pinball today. Then drink beer and play some pinball tonight. Pretty standard.
Why not spice things up? Might I suggest drinking all the beer before working on pinball. Then switch to liquor while you play.
Quoted from Electronmagic:Why not spice things up? Might I suggest drinking all the beer before working on pinball. Then switch to liquor while you play.
How bout a compromise. I'll probably start drinking beer while working on pinball. Then liquor if I should happen to eat dinner or run out of beer.
Quoted from pinballslave:there's a game called Krazy Ball that uses cork balls
I can't believe I forgot cork. I've actually been obsessed with this game ever since seeing a flyer for it in someone's digitized ephemera collection. I've been fantasizing about building my own replica, and have even started collecting basic components in order to make an attempt. Have you actually seen a physical version of this game??? I've only seen the flyer/advert.
Quoted from BeachPickle:I can't believe I forgot cork. I've actually been obsessed with this game ever since seeing a flyer for it in someone's digitized ephemera collection. I've been fantasizing about building my own replica, and have even started collecting basic components in order to make an attempt. Have you actually seen a physical version of this game??? I've only seen the flyer/advert.
I'll assume you're being serious I actually have the flyer, but never seen or heard of the game even existing! The flyer is a bit unique, just like the game, because the back of it is blotting paper... the one I have has been made full use of in that respect, so it's soaked with 1930s ink!
Quoted from pinballslave:I'll assume you're being serious
completely serious. I'm still trying to figure out if the 400 and 300 point holes hold/trap the ball, or if they allow it to fall onto the playfield below. The scoring says to "ADDING OF BALLS TRAPPED GIVES SCORE", which leads me to believe there is something under the holes that would hold the ball there until a new coin is inserted.
I've been able to pretty well figure out how the rest of the parts would work.
That's crazy about the ink. I saw that on the back of the flyer on IPDb.
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