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Bingo Pinballs
In the Don Hooker interview
the guys asked Don how did they test out the machines, did they have someone
play them before shipping or what.
Don started talking about how he designed automated test equipment so they
could check out the modules, cable harnesses, and backboxes while they were
being built. He thinks they were the first to use automated test equipment,
even beating the Japanese.
He talked about how it was really the only way to build these things and stay
in business, the only way to ensure the odds. How a machine could easily make
or break a company if it didn't payoff correctly. One mistake, one wire
mis-placed, wouldn't necessarily cause a machine to not operate, but it could
easily change the odds and allow the machine to payout to much.
How this was one of the keys to their success at Bally, and may have hurt the
others since he was pretty sure they were the only ones doing this.
He also mentioned that they never could build them properly, that no backbox
ever went together and was found problem free. That they were simply to
complex.
He said the real trick was finding and correcting the errors. That the guys,
techs, that did this were the real artists. That finding the problems could
be difficult and that he wasn't to sure if he could do it, that they had some
pretty "good" guys who did this :)
He briefly mentioned to test out the popularity of the games they send
samples down to New Orleans and watch them played…
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