We’ve heard some concerns from people who think we are plundering sites like IPDB or Pintips etc., but that’s not the case. We’re also working on some other plans like a competition, but first we need to have our database complete and correct. We thought out a way of bringing those machines to the attention of the people – by making them aware or interest them in the great history pinball has to offer and to honor the designers and manufacturers who made them. The playing tips are not complete manuals but short guides that tell you what you have to do to settle a nice score or to be a little bit more aware of what you’re doing besides shooting at everything that blinks or keeping the ball on the field.Īnd finally, there’s your personal area inside the app where you can keep your high scores, your personal ratings and comments – and in the future share them with your friends.Īlso, a lot of older and special machines are stacked away in databases, never to be seen again. The third part consists of playing tips and fun tips – like secret modes. Our goal is that when you stand in front of a pinball machine and read about it on our app, you think: “Whoa, that’s really something!” There are (little) stories to most machines. What we want is to give basic need-to-know facts about any machine: name, manufacturer, year of release, and what kind of machine it is – like SS or EM.īesides that we will briefly inform you what’s special about the respective pinball machine. Although not all the data on IPDB is correct, most of the time it’s a very reliable and extensive source of information. First of all we don’t want to be an encyclopedia. I’m happy with this question because I’ve noticed some misunderstandings about what we do and want and what IPDB does. Still, what is the main difference between your app and something like the Internet Pinball Database? So Gerard and you came up with the idea of the “Pinball Assistant” app that should serve as an information companion more than just a dry encyclopedia. We’re like the Laurel & Hardy of pinball … although I’m not sure who is who.īeing or stepping in a community with a good friend is a great thing because you usually talk about your shared experiences more often and reflect on the dynamics of the respective scene. Since then I play whenever and wherever I can … always with Gerard. At the moment I stepped in, I became a member. The Dutch Pinball Association was housed in a former chicken barn. He went there and summoned (!) me to come with him. He read an article in a newspaper about a pinball association. I think about five years ago I got a call from my friend and business partner Gerard. After that, I forgot about the game for a long time. In the mid and late 80ies I played pinball in arcade halls and pubs. As a kid I played some pinball on vacation in Spain or France. I think my story is like with most people my age (45). How long are the two of you playing pinball and what fired your enthusiasm for it? Hi Richard! First off, tell me a little bit about yourselves. The Ball is Wild took the opportunity to talk to Richard van Zijll de Jong via e-mail about some details of the project. Recently, they started a Kickstarter campaign to raise money that should help them design “The Pinball Assistant”. Gerard Vos and Richard van Zijll de Jong, two dutch friends with a background in graphic design, consulting and publishing, now want to make this app a reality. “The Pinball Assistant” is targeted to interested beginners who are enthusiastic about pinball but are still in the early phase of gathering skill and information about the field. It’s supposed to be an entertaining and informative support for people approaching pinball machines who have not yet thoroughly studied the information on sites of the likes of Pinball News, IPDB or dedicated pinball web forums. In a year or so, one of those things might be a special pinball companion app called “The Pinball Assistant”. Sometimes, for instance, it’s interesting what pinball related things you find when you search through smartphones and tablet app stores. Pinheads on the other hand can learn something about not taking oneself to seriously and keeping an open mind by trying out new things. This is a situation that doesn’t need to be that way though: It’s great to get people outside the scene excited to try real playing pinball because it’s easy for them to understand and something physical that people tend to love in a more and more digitally connected world. There is still few exchange between the dedicated pinball community that focusses on physical tables and casually interested people who know pinball primarily through software of the likes of “Pinball Arcade”, “ZEN Pinball” or older video pins.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |