Tech-Gaming Technology, Gaming, and Culture

No doubt aficionados of all things pinball are already shaking their heads. “Pinball FX 2? You’re reviewing a three-year-old game!” To that I say: “Ah, but it hasn’t been released on Steam yet. When I played that preview version, the ...

When 2007’s Pinball FX was released for the Xbox 360, critics had a common stickling point: the steel-ball simulation failed to recreate actual machines. Although Zen Studios has yet to fulfill that wish, over the years the developer has offered ...

Although actual tables are becoming increasingly rare across the recreational landscape, pinball’s zeitgeist has been sustained thanks to the efforts of Zen Studios. Since the developer’s inaugural console release- 2009’s Pinball FX, the team has spearheaded a resurgence in simulating ...

Preceding the launch of Pinball FX 2 onto Xbox Live, developer Zen Studios referred to their steel ball simulation as a “platform”, rather than use a more orthodox descriptor such as “game”. For some critics, a bit of healthy skepticism ...

In the real world, the future of mechanical pinball is balanced on a precarious precipice, steadied by the contributions of two audacious manufacturers: Jersey Jack and Stern. However, in the realm of simulation, the recreation remains poised, thanks to the ...

What is the concept? Whereas Zen Studios’ line of pinball titles have delivered enjoyable, albeit fabricated tables, FarSight Studios ambitions are found in the meticulous simulation of real-world machines. The recent release of The Pinball Arcade for the PS Vita ...

What is the concept? Sadly, the production of physical pinball machines has shrunk down into a niche industry. Whereas dozens of tables were produced during the amusement’s heyday, only two imminent entries dot the horizon:  Stern’s AC/DC and The Pinball ...