SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The familiar sounds of bells, whistles, and flippers fill the air at the Renaissance Convention Center, located at 1551 Thoreau Drive.
"We have more than 400 pinball games on site with more to come," smiled Rob Berk, Founder, Chairman, Pinball Expo, a three-day event that's been going on for 37 years.
"I started this convention in 1985. I decided to look deeper into the history of pinball, I found out more about the designers and the artists, and I said, wouldn't it be nice to recognize these guys in some kind of venue."
Berk's love affair with the game began when he played with his father.
"Back then, pinball machines were in bowling alleys and bars. That's where I got mesmerized with the sounds and the playability and the themes of the pinball machines," he said.
Berk is even a collector and has 80 in his home.
The 37th annual Pinball Expo has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running pinball exposition in the world. The event runs through Saturday. Single day tickets range from $30-35 per day and are available at the door or online at pinballexpo.com.WBBM Newsradio/Lisa Fielding
In the 80's, arcade games like Pac Man and Atari pushed pinball games aside.
"Pinballs took a big dive back then, because people were enamored by the new video games. But pinballs game back in the 90's and now they're so hot, people just can't get enough of them," Berk said.
The 37th annual Pinball Expo has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running pinball exposition in the world. The event runs through Saturday. Single day tickets range from $30-35 per day and are available at the door or online at pinballexpo.com.WBBM Newsradio/Lisa Fielding
Now, with the help of technology, the traditional pinball game is a much more sophisticated machine, complete with touch screens, computers, sound effects, and rock music.
"You go to arcades now and the kids don't really care unless there's flashy lights and big screens so that's part of this, to reinvigorate the younger generation with the idea of what is pinball? There's a physical element and some skill to it," said Alex Campbell, Marketing, Multimorphic, Inc., that produces a new game called P3.
"Home use only is a big part of it. People have huge collections. This game has a giant LCD screen on the bottom and the back. It has laser tracking which creates a whole grid that tracks the ball in real time. This is the Nintendo of Pinball."
Now, with the help of technology, the traditional pinball game is a much more sophisticated machine, complete with touch screens, computers, sound effects, and rock music.WBBM Newsradio/Lisa Fielding
Berk said every pinball game is designed with a theme in mind. He said now, the new generation is discovering the joy of the game.
"You have a new breed of people that are playing them. Kids that are normally on their phone playing games are getting introduced and they are finding out how much fun it is. Manufacturers are theming their games off TV shows or movies so there's an instant connection and the connection has just really helped them reach a new pinnacle. There's no end in sight," Berk said.
Now, with the help of technology, the traditional pinball game is a much more sophisticated machine, complete with touch screens, computers, sound effects, and rock music.WBBM Newsradio/Lisa Fielding
The Pinball Expo also features retro games and a tournament for men and women.
"We're finding that people are playing these tournaments from all over the world. Typically we have attendees from Japan, Germany, and all over the world. People have pinball friends from all over the world," Berk said.
Chicago is home of the number one pinball retailer in the United States: Stern Pinball.
"There's no better show on the planet to showcase all things Stern Pinball than Chicago's Pinball Expo!" said Zachary Sharpe, Director of Marketing for Stern Pinball. "We have many exciting things in store for not only those in attendance at this year's show, but for anyone who has access to Stern pinball machines in their home or at a location nearby."
The 37th annual Pinball Expo has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running pinball exposition in the world. The event runs through Saturday. Single day tickets range from $30-35 per day and are available at the door or online at pinballexpo.com.WBBM Newsradio/Lisa Fielding
Berk said Stern Pinball put Chicago on the map..."Chicago is where Pinball was born."
The 37th annual Pinball Expo has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running pinball exposition in the world. The event runs through Saturday. Single day tickets range from $30-35 per day and are available at the door or online at pinballexpo.com.
