Explore Jersey Jack Pinball Machines
Wizard of Oz wasn’t just JJP’s debut release, in late 2013, founder Jack Guarnieri revealed it had also become the first pinball machine awarded New Jersey’s status for skill-based prize redemption, under a patented system called Pindemption. The technology gave operators three ways to run it: virtual tickets on-screen, swipe-card integration with FEC loyalty systems, or a physical triple-ticket dispenser, plus configurable game timers Guarnieri said could make pinball more competitive for skilled and casual players alike. That same engineering ambition still drives JJP’s pinball machines for sale today, built for collectors and operators alike, more than a decade later.
Pindemption offers three choices for operators, making it suitable for use in establishments with card-based payment and redemption architecture, online loyalty programs and the classic ticket-dispensing approach.
Guarnieri observed that "pinball is a game of skill, and in many jurisdictions games of skill are more in demand." Pindemption represents a new way to operate pinball machines commercially, he said.
The first Pindemption option enables patrons to view their virtual tickets on a pinball machine's screen; those virtual tickets represent the player's score. The second option accepts swipe cards used in FEC revenue management systems; the virtual tickets are written to the player's card. The third alternative involves a triple ticket dispenser mounted beneath the game, for locations with redemption counters.
"A huge part of Pindemption is the option for timed play," Guarnieri added. "The game can be set for two-, two-and-a-half- or three-minute games." The advantage to this choice is that expert players can complete a game in three minutes, while less skilled contestants may not get to play three to five balls. "This gets the expert player off the game in three minutes, and makes it more competitive between great and not-so-great players," he explained. Moreover, Pindemption has "collapsed" rules and easily achievable objectives.
The technology described in the new patent will take pinball anywhere, Guarnieri emphasized, and will be especially valuable in street locations by turning classic flippers into skill-based redemption games ideally suited for today's mobile gamers.
The concept brings true games of skill and redemption to street locations in which the operator does not have a redemption counter. "You take a mobile device and connect to a Jersey Jack Pinball machine," the industry veteran instanced. "You can pay for a game through the device, then play the game and collect virtual tickets and virtual cards into a free JJP app on your mobile device. You will save them and exchange them at the 'redemption center in the cloud' that will be loaded with prizes that no physical redemption center could ever have."
Pindemption has proven successful in a prolonged test at two sites, and last February, the State of New Jersey granted Wizard of Oz the status of the first pinball game that awards tickets for prize redemption.
"This will take pinball forward to a place of prominence and increased earnings on location," Guarnieri predicted. "My personal opinion as a technician and operator of 40 years is that once we implement just a few of these features under this patent, pinball as the world knew it will change dramatically."
The company also plans to partner with its distributors to host open-house demonstrations for operators.
Jersey Jack will also exhibit Pindemption at the upcoming International IAAPA Attactions Expo in Orlando, FL.
Jersey Jack Pinball Offers Three Redemption Play Modes For Wizard Of Oz | Vending Times