Bally SS prototype - UPDATE
Dr. Moze
Your "adventure" is Neat Stuff and an extra bonus for reading rgp! I'm sure
other folks feel the same, and I just wanted to make sure *someone*
acknowledged it directly.
Let us know when you find a Brain! $^)
Andre Needham
>
[totally cool story snipped]
>This is all very exciting...
>
>Alexis
>
I don't usually ramble on here, but I wanted to say this is the coolest
thread I've seen on r.g.p. in a long time. Thank you Alexis and Pat Lawlor,
and (indirectly) Dave Nutting, for all this information!
If you do manage to get the thing running again, and you have some spare
time and money, it would be awesome if you are able bring this to the next
Pinball Fantasy. (I know, there are quite a few ifs there, but I bet a lot
of people would love to see this machine in action!)
('75 is in the same time frame as Micro Games' "Spirit of '76", the first
commercial solid-state pinball machine. Does anyone know if the Bally
prototype came out before or after this?)
Thanks,
Andre
Alexis Tzannes
I would like to thank Pat Lawlor and Tony Miller who helped with
information that eventually led to me locating both Dave Nutting
who designed this machine, along with Jeff Frederiksen, who was
his associate. Dave Nutting was very helpful, and sounded quite
nostalgic about it all. He couldnt believe that the game still
existed. He wasnt sure if there was something missing on the
board or not, he couldnt remember. It was the proof of concept
prototype for their patent, the one they originally showed to
Bally management to show that SS was not impossible. He remembers
putting two Flickers in a room, one a normal EM one and this one,
and showing them work side by side to Bally management, whose jaws
dropped to the floor. Noone could believe that the small board
could replace all those relays. He also remembers testifying in
the court case between Bally and Williams with this machine as
an exhibit, in the courtroom. He said the machine worked great.
He also gave me Jeff Fredriksens latest whereabouts, so I was
able to locate him as well. They designed the game together and
filed a patent on it back in the early 70s. He knew much more
about the electronics of the machine, recalled even the number
of transistors, etc. Amazing. He said that I am missing a "Bally
Brain", which is a small board that clips into the one I have,
that has all the microprocessors on it. It was based on a Intel
4004 4-bit chip. His wife said that she has schematics and all
the documentation about the machine in the basement, she will
retrieve it and send me copies of it.
She also said she saw a "Brain" lying around somewhere, and that
she definitely can find one. Apparently there were several built.
He was sure that the machine will work again once I get the brain.
Anyway, that is the story, I will now wait and see if the Frederiksens
can find me a "brain" and with that along with the schematic,
I should be able to get the thing up and running again.
Alexis Tzannes
: time and money, it would be awesome if you are able bring this to the next
: Pinball Fantasy. (I know, there are quite a few ifs there, but I bet a lot
: of people would love to see this machine in action!)
I would consider it, if there was truly a lot of interest.
: ('75 is in the same time frame as Micro Games' "Spirit of '76", the first
: commercial solid-state pinball machine. Does anyone know if the Bally
: prototype came out before or after this?)
Both of the designers believe that it is the first solid-state game
ever built. Once I get all the documentation on it, I will try to
verify this by checking dates, etc. Apparently there are pictures
of it when it was first built, and documents that should verify the
dates. According to the patent, (which you can see on the patent office
page at: http://www.uspto.gov/, search for patent number 4,093,232,)
it was filed on May 13, 1975. Ofcourse the game itself was probably
built well before that, I would think.
Anyone know when other Solid State prototype games were built?
Thanks,
Alexis
Kendrick
wrote:
These would have been very exciting times indeed. Intel developed the
first processor in 1972 and yes- it was the 4004. this went on to
become the 8008 then the 8080, 8086, 8088, 286 and so on.
I am glad to hear that you now finally look like getting this machine
working - it should be an interesting experience playing it.
Kendrick Reed
ken...@geocities.com
My homepage is :
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/9739/
ICQ - email me for number !
shado...@my-dejanews.com
but seriously- this is a great find!
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
CONCRETEBO
how about taking it to Chicago for Expo '99 ??
Great detective work on this one Alexis. BTW, has anyone ever written the
complete Bally history ?? My main interest in pinball is Bally from '73 to
'81 and I would love to read more about Kmiec, Christensen, Faris, Patla and
everyone else involved with Bally during that time and how machine were
developed. Bally was the undisputed King at this time so there should be a
wealth of info.
Darrin