# Past Times Pinball History Ep 16: Gigi

**Source:** Past Times Arcade  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2024-03-14  
**Duration:** 2m 50s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuCJWfeEmU0

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## Analysis

Past Times Arcade presents a detailed historical examination of the 1963 Gottlieb Gigi pinball machine, highlighting its significance as the first game to feature end-of-game bonus mechanics. The episode covers the game's design by Wayne Neyens, its artwork based on the 1958 Gigi film (featuring a Marilyn Monroe likeness used after her 1962 death), and explains the tilt mechanisms and bonus system that incentivized players to complete all five balls rather than shaking machines aggressively.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Gigi (1963) was the first pinball game with end-of-game bonus mechanics — _Host explicitly states this is why the game is historic and explains the bonus system in detail_
- [HIGH] 3,575 units of Gigi were produced — _Host provides specific production number early in episode_
- [HIGH] Gigi was designed by Wayne Neyens with artwork by Roy Parker — _Host credits both designer and artist at episode start_
- [HIGH] The game used a Marilyn Monroe likeness on the backglass because she died a year before (1962) — _Host explains licensing decision and timing of Monroe's death_
- [HIGH] Gigi was not officially licensed; Bally Wizard (1975) was the first officially licensed pinball game — _Host explicitly compares Gigi's unlicensed status to Wizard's licensed status_
- [HIGH] End-of-game bonus became a popular mechanic that persists in games even today — _Host states this mechanic is 'very popular in a lot of games even still today'_
- [HIGH] The end-of-game bonus was designed to prevent players from violently shaking machines on ball five when there was no incentive to continue — _Host explains Wayne Neyens' motivation: 'if there's no incentive to continue the game to game over, people were shaking the game and being very violent on it'_

### Notable Quotes

> "This was the very first game with end of game bonus. In order to give an incentive to the player to continue all five balls and complete the game rather than tilting or shaking the game, primarily on ball five, if there's no incentive to continue the game to game over..."
> — **Past Times Arcade host**, ~0:40-1:20
> _Core explanation of Gigi's historical significance and design innovation_

> "They decided to use a likeness of Marilyn Monroe in the backglass because she passed away a year before."
> — **Past Times Arcade host**, ~0:20
> _Explains the creative/practical decision behind the backglass artwork despite unlicensed status_

> "The very first licensed game is Bally Wizard, which was 1975."
> — **Past Times Arcade host**, ~0:35
> _Establishes Gigi's place in pinball licensing history and clarifies unlicensed status_

> "Wayne Neyens decided to award the player by completing a game. So mainly what would happen is on a game that didn't have this end of game or ball bonus on ball five, if you're about to lose the ball and there's no incentive, people were shaking the game and being very violent on it."
> — **Past Times Arcade host**, ~3:00-3:30
> _Direct causal explanation linking design innovation to real-world arcade behavior problem_

> "So the end of ball bonus, end of game bonus, is very popular in a lot of games even still today. That very first origination of that was in 1963 Gottlieb Gigi."
> — **Past Times Arcade host**, ~4:20
> _Concludes with statement of lasting impact and legacy of Gigi's innovation_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Gigi | game | 1963 Gottlieb electromechanical pinball machine; first game with end-of-game bonus mechanic; 3,575 units produced |
| Wayne Neyens | person | Designer of Gigi (1963); innovated end-of-game bonus mechanic to address machine shaking problem |
| Roy Parker | person | Artwork designer for Gigi (1963); created backglass artwork based on 1958 Gigi film |
| D. Gottlieb & Company | company | Manufacturer of Gigi (1963); major historical pinball manufacturer |
| Bally | company | Pinball manufacturer; produced Wizard (1975), cited as first officially licensed pinball game |
| Bally Wizard | game | 1975 Bally game; noted as first officially licensed pinball game |
| Marilyn Monroe | person | Hollywood actress; likeness used on Gigi backglass; died in 1962, one year before game release |
| Past Times Arcade | organization | Arcade operator/museum producing this historical pinball documentary series |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Pinball history and origins, Game design innovation: end-of-game bonus mechanics, Gottlieb manufacturing and legacy games
- **Secondary:** IP licensing in early pinball, Electromechanical pinball technology and tilt mechanisms, Arcade operator behavior and machine abuse prevention

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Host demonstrates clear admiration for Gigi's historical significance and design innovation. Educational and celebratory tone throughout. No criticism or negative sentiment expressed.

### Signals

- **[design_philosophy]** End-of-game bonus mechanic design solved real-world arcade problem of machine abuse (violent shaking) by providing player incentive to complete all five balls (confidence: high) — Wayne Neyens intentionally designed bonus system to address player behavior issue on ball five when no incentive existed to continue playing
- **[licensing_signal]** Gigi used Marilyn Monroe likeness on backglass without official license, predating the first officially licensed pinball game (Bally Wizard, 1975) by 12 years (confidence: high) — Host states 'this game is not officially licensed' and contrasts it with Wizard being 'the very first licensed game' in 1975
- **[product_strategy]** Gigi (1963) established end-of-game bonus as foundational game design pattern that persists across modern pinball games (confidence: high) — Host explicitly states this mechanic became 'very popular in a lot of games even still today' and traces it directly to Gigi's 1963 implementation

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## Transcript

for today's episode of Pas times pinball history we're going to feature this 1963 got Le GG this was released in 1963 3,575 units were created this was designed by Wayne nyan's artwork by Roy Parker the artwork on this is model after the 1958 movie Gigi they decided to use a likeness of Maryland Row in the back glass because she passed away a year before now this game is not officially licensed the very first licensed game is Bal wizard which was 1975 now why this game is historic is because this is the very first game with end of game bonus in order to give an incentive to the player to continue all five balls and complete the game rather than tilting or shaking the game primarily on ball five if there's no incentive to continue the game to game over so on this game how you earn in ADV Advance is if you score all of the bumpers of the same color you see we have one Advance here and we have the opportunity to earn a special now once I've locked those in I can't change the bumpers but what ends up happening is if I drain my ball it'll reset the bumpers so you have the opportunity through five balls to score five advances and these are awarded at the end of the game so if I were to drain all five balls these see I have 10 points here on the game and I earned 200 points now mainly what would happen is on a game that didn't have this end of game or ball bonus on ball five if you're about to lose the ball and there's no incentive people were shaking the game and being very violent on it so Wayne Neyens decided to award the player by completing a game so let's look at the Tilt mechanisms here so there's two main tilts in a game we have a tilt Bob which is a pendulum you can see it's in a cone shape so the operator could actually adjust the sensitivity by increasing or uh raising or lowering the Tilt Bob we also have this one right here which is a ball tilt so there's actually a ball in here that will roll and also tilt and that was in order to prevent players from either putting coasters under the feet or also to put it on their shoes which is a very common practice so the end of ball bonus end of game bonus is very popular in a lot of games even still today that very first origination of that was in 1963 got Le G so come on in check out this historic game at pastimes [Music] arcade

_(Acquisition: youtube_auto_sub, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 58bb30d0-af38-43e4-806a-46cc0b61a143*