# Past Times Pinball History Ep 5: Humpty Dumpty **Source:** Past Times Arcade **Type:** video **Published:** 2023-12-06 **Duration:** 2m 53s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckDu-xT6iQA --- ## Analysis Past Times Arcade showcases the 1947 Alvin Gottlieb Humpty Dumpty, the first pinball machine ever made with flippers. The video details its historical significance in transforming pinball from a game of chance to a game of skill, explains its unique side-mounted six-flipper layout controlled by a single solenoid, and covers the backstory of designer Harry Mabbs' departure to Harry Williams after a salary dispute with Gottlieb. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Humpty Dumpty (1947) is the very first pinball game ever made with flippers — _Past Times Arcade host, opening statement of the video_ - [HIGH] Prior to flippers, pinball games were considered gambling devices because they were games of chance; flippers transformed the genre into a game of skill — _Past Times Arcade host, historical context segment_ - [HIGH] Humpty Dumpty features six flippers mounted on the sides of the playfield, not the bottom, all controlled by a single solenoid — _Past Times Arcade host, playfield design and underside mechanical explanation_ - [HIGH] Harry Mabbs designed Humpty Dumpty; Roy Parker created the artwork — _Past Times Arcade host, credits segment_ - [MEDIUM] Harry Mabbs requested a raise from David Alvin Gottlieb after the success of Humpty Dumpty, but Gottlieb believed game design was part of his job and refused; Mabbs subsequently joined Harry Williams — _Past Times Arcade host, historical anecdote about personnel move_ - [HIGH] Lady Robin Hood is the second Alvin Gottlieb game with flippers — _Past Times Arcade host, closing remarks_ ### Notable Quotes > "this game is historically significant because it is the very first game with flippers" > — **Past Times Arcade host**, opening > _Establishes the core historical claim of the video_ > "this drastically transformed pinball forever because now it became a game of skill" > — **Past Times Arcade host**, mid-video > _Explains the paradigm shift flippers created in the industry_ > "The flippers are weak because of a lot of the pivots that are happening, but it's all controlled by one solenoid" > — **Past Times Arcade host**, mechanical explanation segment > _Technical insight into why Humpty Dumpty's flippers function differently than modern machines_ > "David Alvin Gottlieb felt that designing the games was part of his job" > — **Past Times Arcade host**, Harry Mabbs anecdote > _Explains Gottlieb's reasoning for refusing Mabbs' salary request_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Humpty Dumpty | game | 1947 Alvin Gottlieb pinball machine, first game with flippers, features six side-mounted flippers controlled by single solenoid | | Alvin Gottlieb | person | Founder/owner of Gottlieb pinball company; refused Harry Mabbs' salary request after Humpty Dumpty's success | | Harry Mabbs | person | Designer of Humpty Dumpty; left Gottlieb after salary dispute and joined Harry Williams | | Roy Parker | person | Artist who created artwork for Humpty Dumpty | | Harry Williams | company | Competitor pinball company that hired Harry Mabbs after his departure from Gottlieb | | Gottlieb | company | Pinball manufacturer that produced Humpty Dumpty and Lady Robin Hood | | Lady Robin Hood | game | Second Alvin Gottlieb game with flippers; housed at Past Times Arcade | | Past Times Arcade | organization | Arcade venue featuring Humpty Dumpty and Lady Robin Hood for public play | ### Topics - **Primary:** Pinball history and origins, Flipper technology innovation, Game of skill vs. game of chance transition - **Secondary:** Mechanical design and solenoid systems, Personnel and industry relations (Mabbs departure) ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Content is celebratory and reverential toward Humpty Dumpty's historical significance; host expresses enthusiasm for the machine's role in pinball evolution and invites viewers to experience it at the arcade ### Signals - **[personnel_signal]** Harry Mabbs' departure from Gottlieb to Harry Williams following salary dispute after Humpty Dumpty's success (confidence: medium) — Host recounts: 'Harry went to David Alvin Gottlieb and asked for a little bit of a raise...they did not reach an agreement...Harry Mabbs actually joined Harry Williams' - **[historical_signal]** Documentation and celebration of Humpty Dumpty as the first flippered pinball machine and its role in transforming the industry from chance-based to skill-based gameplay (confidence: high) — Video explicitly positions Humpty Dumpty as revolutionary: 'this game is historically significant because it is the very first game with flippers' and 'this drastically transformed pinball forever because now it became a game of skill' - **[technology_signal]** Introduction of flipper technology that fundamentally changed pinball mechanics and player agency (confidence: high) — Host explains flippers transformed the game from 'a game of chance' where players could only 'shake and nudge a little bit' to 'a game of skill' --- ## Transcript Today we're featuring a 1947 Gottlieb Humpty Dumpty and this game is historically significant because it is the very first game with flippers. Now looking at the play field here you notice the flippers are not in the bottom of the play field where you'd normally expect them and in fact they're on the side and there are six of them. So hitting the flipper buttons moves all of the flippers on that side. We'll show you here shortly how that works. So prior to this, games did not have flippers. They were considered to be a gambling device a lot of times because they were considered to be a game of chance. You could shake and nudge a little bit, but this drastically transformed pinball forever because now it became a game of skill. So let's get some gameplay here and see if we can hit the flippers here. There we go. You notice that they hit the ball back into play. And they aren't very powerful either. There we go. See, we lose multiple balls. You notice here, we have Mr. Humpty Dumpty in the back. And as we score 10,000 points, we have a little bit of a bat glass animation that happens. He fell. And then we go up to 100,000. We'll see if we can and pop up here again at the top. There we go 10 So there a little bit of an animation happening there So underneath the play field let show real quick how this works because it not your traditional flipper arrangement either Look at this In traditional games now each flipper would have its own solenoid, which are these down here. It's an electromagnet controlled by the flippers. Flipper switches are indeed up here. And And as we hit it, you can see that this whole rail moves to make all three flippers. So the flippers are weak because of a lot of the pivots that are happening, but it's all controlled by one solenoid. So this was developed by Harry Mabs, artwork by the famous Roy Parker. And the story is told that soon after this was created, Harry went to David Gottlieb and asked for a little bit of a raise. Based on the success and significance of this game, David Gottlieb felt that designing games was part of his job. So they did not reach an agreement in order to get a raise. So soon after, Harry Mabs actually joined Williams, the Confederators company. We have this here to play on the floor at Past Times Arcade. It's right next to Lady Robin Hood, which is in fact the second Gottlieb game with slippers. Both beautiful games, both historically significant. Hope you can come on in and check those out. _(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: a005b9f5-7f72-426f-9620-a47aa774d17d*