Novelties aside, with these many machines in one place, there’s probably a little bit of something for any type of gamer. His repertoire consists of over 350 machines of different shapes, styles, and sizes, and even includes the largest pinball machine ever made, as well as other interesting and unique models.Īmong Berk’s collection of machines we can find interesting standout models like flipperless cabinets from the 1930s, as well as the first ever flipper-based pinball machine originally released in 1947, the Humpty Dumpty.
Berk has been an avid pinball machine collector, with over 50 years in the trade. This new locale is going to be opened in the old IGA grocery store building, down in 419 N State St, which is a suitably large place for an equally-as-large collection of arcade games and amusements. The project is named “Past Times”, and is spearheaded by long-time pinball machine collector and owner of Warren’s Berk Enterprises, Rob Berk. Even if the Sharks pass, I’ll bet they end up with a virtual pinball machine in their gamerooms.The relatively small town of Girard in Ohio, with a population of just under 10,000, is going to get a heaping helping of arcade gaming goodness, as one of the largest buildings in its downtown area is being repurposed to function as a brand new pinball arcade. If Baker has a solid valuation the Sharks can live with, he’ll field a few offers. With no debt and apparently growing sales, the business ought to appeal to the Sharks, too. It shouldn’t be a surprise – the Sharks fit the VPCABS demographic: they remember old-school pinball, possibly nostalgically so, and they have disposable income to purchase a machine for their homes. Do Sharks Play Pinball?Īs you can see from the photo at the beginning of this post, Mark Cuban seems enthralled with the VPCABS machine. I’d love to have a pinball machine in my house again someday, for that reason – I am IN.
Factor in the near zero maintenance involved, and I can see why he can’t keep up with his orders. At $3495 to $7995 apiece, his high-end, full-sized models cost what one, mint condition, classic game costs. He has many classic pinball games loaded in each of his machines and the cabinetry and game-play experience effectively mimic the old-school machines. Baker’s virtual pinball machines solve the problem. There’s a big market for old pinball machines, but getting them maintained and finding parts is more difficult with each passing year. People of a certain age want a pinball machine in their homes to remind them of simpler times and to help them pass some time. The reflections I present here are why pinball, virtual or otherwise, is still popular. We spent many hours banging away on that machine. One of my college roommates had a pinball machine which was a fixture in the living room of our apartment.
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Pinball was a favorite and you could almost always find a machine in a pizza place, bowling alley, hotel, airport, or movie theater lobby to suck away a few spare quarters.
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With a pocket full of quarters and a bike ride to my local arcade, I could entertain myself for hours. My Take on Virtual Pinball Machinesīefore the dawn of the video game era, arcades were a way for kids to pass some time. He may need a Shark to expand production capabilities to keep up with the demand of his machines, which he sells as fast as he can make them. He sells machines on his website and through a network of dealers and home entertainment retailers. Another benefit of a virtual pinball machine is it has 200+ games stored in each unit, which allows the player more choice.īaker’s business makes everything in the greater Cincinnati area and carries no debt. Everything is displayed on an HD screen – making maintenance very easy. Unlike old-school pinball machines, there are no moving parts in a VPCABS machine.
He hopes a Shark can help him grow the business when he pitches VPCABS in episode 722. Within a year, Baker was in his own production facility, cranking out virtual pinball machines as fast as he could make them. Baker started VPCABS, his business that manufactures virtual pinball machines, back in 2013 when his brother asked him to create a machine for one of the arcades he owns. Virtual reality is on everyone’s lips when they talk about the future of gaming, but Brad Baker thinks virtual pinball could find a big niche while giving a nod to gaming’s past.
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