If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, it’s likely that pinball carries a special memory. The click of the plunger, the bright lights, the designs, and the willingness to try and beat your friend’s score.
However, since the early 2000s, well, they’ve disappeared. Something that used to be littered in arcades, seaside, and amusement parks has been removed or are just collecting dust.
These times, though, are changing. They’re slowly making a comeback. A community has started to develop around them again, the collector market is booming, and the barcade industry is happily reintroducing them.
Why Pinball May Be Back
A big driver is the barcade businesses. NQ64, Four Quarters, and Pixel Bar have started adding them to their adult-only venues.
The increased commercial demand has somewhat reintroduced adults to pinball machines. This, without question, has helped boost the comeback we’re seeing today.
Adding to this, the collectors market is growing YoY. Original Williams, Bally, and Stern pinball tables now sell for thousands of pounds. Restored Twilight Zone, Medieval Madness, and Addams Family tables sell for £8,000-£15,000 at auction. A one-off pinball machine even sold for £68,000.
You then have community. The Scottish Pinball Association is a good example of this. They’ve been running since 2016, and they’re now on their 19th season. Other events include the Midlands Pinball League, UK Pinfest, Play Expo Glasgow, and more.
Online slots may be pushing a lot of this interest as well. Games like Big Bass Splash offer the same sensory hooks, like flashing lights, audio, quick-loop rewards, etc., and it could be restoring some of that nostalgic feeling that’s driving the interest in pinball machines.
Where to Play in the UK
The barcade revival has made pinball more accessible across the UK.
You can now play pinball machines at:
- NQ64: Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London
- Four Quarters: Peckham, Hackney Wick (London)
- Pixel Bar: Newcastle, Cardiff, Liverpool
- The Thieves: Battersea, London
- Penny Lane: Nottingham
- Las Vegas Arcade and Funland-style venues: Blackpool, Yarmouth, Brighton seafronts
It’s a good idea to check out social media pages for groups, like the Scottish Pinball Association, as well. Groups like this often meet up in locations.
Is the Comeback Sustainable?
For now, yes. But how long will it last? Well, that’s a question for another day.
What we do know, however, is that it has three strong pillars. It has a community, a collectors market, and now a network of venues that offer them.
Stern Pinball, which is the only major pinball manufacturer still producing tables, has even reported its first strong YoY sales since 2020. This could be a strong indication that pinball machines may actually make a comeback.
The barcade model looks positive for the arcade game as well. You see a few of these in each city across the country. Therefore, if these continue to expand, the accessibility of pinball machines will increase.
Plus, active leagues and events are also pulling more eyes to these retro games, so it may be sustainable; we’ll just have to wait and see.