Steve Kordek, the creator of pinball as we know it, has died at the ripe old age of 100. Now, technically pinball, known then as “pin-games”, existed before Kordek, but the machines were very simple — basically you launched your ball then had to rely on luck, or physically tilting the machine to score points. Yes, at one time tilting the table was actually encouraged — history is a crazy place people.
In 1947 Kordek added flippers to a machine he dubbed “Triple Trouble” and transformed what had essentially been a game of chance, into an addictive game of skill. He would go on to create over 100 pinball machines throughout his career, introducing other innovations such as drop targets, and multi-ball mode along the way.
So yeah, good work Steve — your spot at the top of the pinball designers high-score list is pretty much safe until the end of time (or until someone unplugs the machine).
via Time Techland