Williams gaming company, Williams gaming company - Arcade Videogaming and Solid-state Pinball, Williams gaming company - Early history, Williams gaming company - Industry Decline
ARTICLES RELATED TO Williams gaming company - Early history
In 1943, Harry Williams founded Williams Manufacturing Company at 161 West Huron Street in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The first four products were a fortune-telling machine called Superscope, a novelty called Zingo, and two pinball conversions, Flat-Top and Laura. These pinball machines were made by purchasing older pinballs made by other companies and changing artwork and other elements on the playfield. The lack of raw materials during World War II made ...
In 1973, Williams decided to enter the fledgling coin-operated arcade videogame industry. Their first arcade videogame was Paddle-Ball. Williams was moderately successful in this new arena but their big breakthrough was the release of 1980's Defender, whose space alien theme and scrolling feature made it an instant classic. Williams' other notable arcade hits were 1982's Joust and Robotron: 2084.
At the same time, Williams would enter the era of solid-state electronic pinball and come to dominate the entire pinball indus ...
