Tim Arnold from The Pinball Hall of Fame agreed to answer some questions about the arcade/museum.
Written by Retrogamingpappa.
The Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas is a unique destination where visitors can immerse themselves in the nostalgia of over 364 different pinball games. With a collection of approximately 700 machines (including arcades), the venue offers a rare opportunity to explore a wide variety of vintage and modern pinball games. Supported by the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club, the Pinball Hall of Fame operates as a non-profit organization and gladly accepts donations to help preserve these iconic machines. Tim Arnold is the manger of the place, and we asked him a few questions about this place.
Is The Pinball Hall of Fame an arcade or a museum?
Pinball Hall of Fame is both! For those who want the history and lots of old machines, there are the rows of pinballs off to the sides. For those who want the latest Stern machines, there is the center row. For the kiddies there is Skee-ball. For the video game players there are ORIGINAL arcade versions all around. The advantage of having this much space is that is allows us to feature many product lines, not just one!
From what I’ve gathered, you have 364 games. How many of them are currently in working condition?
The older they get the more of them are broken. This is because of the economic need to keep the newest games fixed first and fastest. During peak times, the dead game bank grows, and during slow times it shrinks. There is an unlimited need for repair, but a limited supply of mechanics.
You charge 25 cents per play and don’t have additional income from things like admission or beverage sales. How do you manage to stay open?
ALL games take only 25 cents coins. Americans call them «Corders». Only the older machines can be played with one Quarter. The newer the machine, the more coins it takes. Newest pinball machines are four coins, one Dollar.
What is your least favorite pinball game?
As a manager I am NOT allowed to have an opinion on my product. I have to look at income and expenses and make rational decisons based on only the facts. In my personal life i like to wrestle with my dog, but I do not like to wrestle with aligators. I leave that to the professionals.
Do you have a ‘white whale’—a game you’ve been chasing but haven’t managed to secure yet?
My problem is that I have too many machines and not enough time in the day to get them all fixed. The «white whale» would be more time!
Thank you so much Tim for taking the time to answer our questions.
Previous «Q&As with:»
- Atari founder: Nolan Bushnell
- Creator of Counter-Stike: Minh «Gooseman» Le
- CEO at Funcom Rui Casais
Top picture and Pinball Parking lot are borrowed from Vital Vegas, and used with permission.
Picture of Tim Arnold is provided by Tim Arnold.