Pinball Promo Videos

[Captain B. Zarre]

Williams / Bally came out with several promo videos from the early - late 90s to promote their pinballs. I found a whole bunch on another YouTube channel that somehow got the hands to a huge reel from Midway featuring almost all of them...

Theatre of Magic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn7r9Yvzjh8
Medieval Madness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFq2s8HuCHg
Cirqus Voltaire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-2wvvIDxIk
Monster Bash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_eSu-Mkzfk
Creature from the Black Lagoon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bneyh_DVISM
No Good Gofers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL0CN37oKmk
Scared Stiff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mzGvj38K9Q
Twilight Zone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyI0c4sRN_w
Star Trek TNG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFvAS8ltIXU
Attack From Mars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lZH8jHCzUg
Whitewater: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsioseuXYAk
Terminator 2 P1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ByKyvpw4lM
Terminator 2 P2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaQaHV-bBOE
Fish Tales: http://youtube.com/watch?v=AVKiLVVvRw8&desktop_uri=/watch?v=AVKiLVVvRw8
Black Rose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6wTc1RoVpA
Bram Stoker's Dracula: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4doA6X7Bzg
The Party Zone: https://youtube.com/watch?v=7swHNPHj9O0
The Addams Family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsnzDXXSURU
Jack*Bot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH3FKdQB1-A
Red & Ted's Road Show: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KVCU6eS5mp4
Safecracker: https://youtube.com/watch?v=HF72zHNhcfM
High Speed II: The Getaway: https://youtube.com/watch?v=LIJi0G_2VYA

 

[francis247uk]

I cannot believe the cheese of the Theatre Of Magic one, such a great pin, with such a bad promo video, probably hurt sales rather then encouraging them!

 

[ER777]

Wow you're right, that ToM video was super cheesy. Now we know why she said it was a dubious introduction at the end of the NGG video.

Getting Elvira to do the Scared Stiff video herself makes that one the best for me. Steve Ritchie doing the T2 video and really explain the ruleset was good too though. Some of the others were decent as well.

 

[netizen]

What about the other stuff that Williams made?

 

[LanceBoyle]

It would be a good idea but it might take up plenty of space, unless it's implemented into the videos menu and is available for streaming (hopefully for free, doubt they'd charge for promo videos). I also don't know if WMS has those promos in a higher quality so that they could use it here.

Getting Elvira to do the Scared Stiff video herself makes that one the best for me.

Especially since it's filled with the usual innuendo and intentional cheesiness.

The Monster Bash one is goofy too, and I like it.

 

[jaredmorgs]

As an aside, these promo videos were handed out by the pinball distributor just before a game was about to be released. I have seen a couple of them when they were first released back in the 90's. Judge Dredd (obviously, because WMS were heavily promoting DCS as a feature), and Black Rose.

The Judge Dredd video is great because they go into a little detail about DCS, and you get to see some sound engineers performing the music with guitars.

Because services such as YouTube didn't exist back in the 90's, this was the most reliable way of informing customers about how a game worked and why an operator should purchase it.

The Jack*Bot video is a classic example of WMS putting some marketing spin on the fact they thought a rehashed playfield design with a DMD and new ruleset was "what customers wanted".

 

[sotie]

Thanks for the links.

 

[Lucipher28]

Very neat, thanks.

 

[TomL]

As an aside, these promo videos were handed out by the pinball distributor just before a game was about to be released. [snip]

Because services such as YouTube didn't exist back in the 90's, this was the most reliable way of informing customers about how a game worked and why an operator should purchase it.

The Jack*Bot video is a classic example of WMS putting some marketing spin on the fact they thought a rehashed playfield design with a DMD and new ruleset was "what customers wanted".

It's so fascinating to see the business to business side of the pinball industry. I love how all the pinball flyers are written in terms of Return on Investment and Attracting New Customers and Keeping Existing Customers.

 

[Captain B. Zarre]

Just added the one for FT, because it is coming.

 

[bluenose79]

Great share, thanks

 

[gypsyshred]

I had no idea these existed. If FS can get the rights, it'd be a great sales tool. Can you imagine if it autoplayed the video on the buy screen? If it can sell a $3k pinball table, I'm sure it can sell a $5 DLC pack.

 

[francis247uk]

Black Rose https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6wTc1RoVpA

Hopefully also get Bram Stokers Dracula https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4doA6X7Bzg

This is a great thread, how about removing the blue "request" from the title and change it to "Links to Promo Videos" and stickying it?

Or even better, how about the links are added to a new column at the end of the gjarnling's "Links to Tutorial Videos and Rulesheets" (http://digitalpinballfans.com/showthread.php/1244-Links-to-Tutorial-Videos-and-Rulesheets)

 

[Captain B. Zarre]

Added promo videos for Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Party Zone, and Addams Family.

 

[Reagan Dow]

What about the other stuff that Williams made?

Holy cheesy videos batman!!!

 

[Dedpop]

Great videos.
Great thread.

 

[Captain B. Zarre]

Added promo video for The Getaway: High Speed II.

 

[Captain B. Zarre]

Added promo video for Jack*Bot. The video discusses how the game was made for people and pinball fans wishing to return to a simpler time of Playfield design but I personally think it was just made for a cheap buck. It also discusses the Vortex toy, the Keno mode & card, the poker card feature, and a large amount of emphasis on Casino Run - it deserves that emphasis though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH3FKdQB1-A

 

[Captain B. Zarre]

Added the promo video for Road Show. Judging by the promo, it sounds like they were really pushing the buy-in feature around this time. It worked really well on this game, but not too well on others. I think Data East implemented buy-ins the best as they would often give you Multiball if you haven't activated it yet.

 

[shutyertrap]

I watched a couple of these, and wow. These are commonly known as 'industrial videos', as they were never meant for the general public. These were usually developed in house by whatever company was wanting to get their product into dealer's hands. Goes to show you the difference between what an ad company would put together and what the bean counters think passes for quality. Can you imagine being a distributor and getting excited by seeing one of these come in the mail? I wanna party with that guy!

I'll have to watch the rest of these in small doses, as they are awesomely terrible. I did watch the NGG one, and had to laugh at the complete lack of enthusiasm for the dude on stage. Then again, he didn't exactly seem to want to be there either.

Of course, this all reminds me of the greatest industrial video of all time...Winnebago Man!! (very NSFW language)