In the Tilt movie, George Gomez tells the story of the inquisitive marketing guy who asked him:
George, I'm confused. When I play pinball, am I the ball?
This apparently stupid question is in fact pretty deep.
Which machines you think are designed such that you are the ball?
How about Premier Wipeout? The balls goes on a ski lift and slides down the slope in a slalom.
Am I the ball?
- cap
- MAACA Mega Contributor
- Posts: 1215
- Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:19 pm
- Location: Laval
- Been liked: 30 times
Re: Am I the ball?
I think I'm also the ball in Stargate. I go in the pyramid, in the sarcophagus and in the transporter.
This does not work for all pinballs. For example, WFT is the ball for Bullwinkle?
This does not work for all pinballs. For example, WFT is the ball for Bullwinkle?
Judge Dredd, Road Show, Last Action Hero, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Stargate, F14 Tomcat
- cait001
- MAACA Mega Contributor
- Posts: 4900
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2012 3:42 pm
- Location: Centretown, Ottawa, ON
- Has liked: 481 times
- Been liked: 225 times
Re: Am I the ball?
Have you ever, like, REALLY looked at your hands? They are so deeply fascinating.
They call them fingers, but I've never seen them fing...
They call them fingers, but I've never seen them fing...
backglasses wanted: Star-Jet, Fairy, Star Trek (1971 Gottlieb)
marquees wanted: Roller Aces, Quiz Dragon, Strider, Varkon, Dark Planet, R-Type (w/ship), Quantum, Ninja (Sega)
blog -- collection -- want list -- Pinball Women Ottawa -- Ottawa Pinball Map -- ratings
marquees wanted: Roller Aces, Quiz Dragon, Strider, Varkon, Dark Planet, R-Type (w/ship), Quantum, Ninja (Sega)
blog -- collection -- want list -- Pinball Women Ottawa -- Ottawa Pinball Map -- ratings
- cap
- MAACA Mega Contributor
- Posts: 1215
- Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:19 pm
- Location: Laval
- Been liked: 30 times
Re: Am I the ball?
Ici c'est ailleurs disait le voyageur.
Alright, I get it, you don't want to die when the ball drains...
On a similar note, I read somewhere the habitrails in the F14 machine represent the plane in a dogfight. That's pretty cool.
Alright, I get it, you don't want to die when the ball drains...
On a similar note, I read somewhere the habitrails in the F14 machine represent the plane in a dogfight. That's pretty cool.
Judge Dredd, Road Show, Last Action Hero, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Stargate, F14 Tomcat
-
- MAACA New Contributor
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2015 12:51 pm
- Location: Charlottetown, PEI
Re: Am I the ball?
That's actually an interesting question.
Some of the more popular fiction writing is immersive and popular for a similar reason - they never actually describe the main character, so you become the main character and view the story through their eyes, rather than from a third person view. Maybe this can be applied to pinball design too? Eg: CV, which pits you in a battle vs the ringmaster. You attack him. He calls you out. Or funhouse, where you are squaring off with Rudy. Both very popular games. But then like Cap said, Rocky and Bullwinkle, you're making shots, but it's not as interactive. The ball is a tool to score points, but it's not immersive. Not such a popular game.
Some of the more popular fiction writing is immersive and popular for a similar reason - they never actually describe the main character, so you become the main character and view the story through their eyes, rather than from a third person view. Maybe this can be applied to pinball design too? Eg: CV, which pits you in a battle vs the ringmaster. You attack him. He calls you out. Or funhouse, where you are squaring off with Rudy. Both very popular games. But then like Cap said, Rocky and Bullwinkle, you're making shots, but it's not as interactive. The ball is a tool to score points, but it's not immersive. Not such a popular game.
- cap
- MAACA Mega Contributor
- Posts: 1215
- Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:19 pm
- Location: Laval
- Been liked: 30 times
Re: Am I the ball?
On closer inspection, you can become the ball on Bullwinkle, for example when you save Nell by untying her from the log or when you enter the WABAC machine to go back in time. These cases are too few and not obvious enough so the net effect is lost in the player's mind on that machine.EvanDickson wrote:Rocky and Bullwinkle, you're making shots, but it's not as interactive. The ball is a tool to score points, but it's not immersive.
I like your CV example. That's exactly what I'm talking about.
Judge Dredd, Road Show, Last Action Hero, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Stargate, F14 Tomcat
- Drano
- MAACA Mega Contributor
- Posts: 1207
- Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:58 pm
- Location: Toronto
- Been liked: 5 times
Re: Am I the ball?
TAF is a good example. You're the ball... touring the mansion, trying to get into the vault, visiting the cemetery etc....