# TILT PINBALL OPEN **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2019-06-05 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2019/06/05/tilt-exhibition-2 --- ## Analysis The Tilt Pinball Open 2019 was held May 10-12 in Oslo, Norway, featuring four TGP-sanctioned tournaments across a weekend at the Tilt barcade with 32 pinball machines and 60+ players from Scandinavia. The venue hosted progressive-strikes, side, main qualifying/finals, and consolation tournaments, with winners receiving hotel packages and 'Ball of Fame' recognition, all streamed live on Twitch with professional production. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Tilt barcade normally hosts 15 pinball machines but expanded to 30+ for the tournament weekend with additional machines from a collection of hundreds — _Article states venue has 'a collection of hundreds of machines' and 'additional machines were brought in for the tournament'_ - [HIGH] Willy Wonka and Black Knight: Sword of Rage LE were arriving at Tilt shortly after the tournament — _Direct statement in tournament overview: 'with Willy Wonka and a Black Knight: Sword of Rage LE arriving shortly'_ - [HIGH] Friday evening progressive-strikes tournament had 63 players in attendance — _Article explicitly states: 'Friday evening saw a progressive-strikes tournament with 63 players in attendance'_ - [HIGH] Main event qualifying ran continuously from Friday evening through Saturday until 3am closing time — _Article notes: 'Qualifying then continued through Saturday until closing (3am!)'_ - [HIGH] Tournament cost was 500kr ($57/€51/£45) for all tournaments or 200kr ($23/€20/£18) per individual tournament — _Pricing explicitly stated in article's closing section_ ### Notable Quotes > "This was a fun warm-up tournament and it was a great chance to see how popular Tilt actually is, with 'normal' people playing arcade games, shuffleboard and pinball alongside the tournament players." > — **Article author (Pinball News)**, Friday evening section > _Illustrates the venue's dual function as both casual entertainment destination and serious tournament host_ > "Even though Jimmie Johansson had a huge 800 million point comeback on White Water to win the game, he ended up in fourth place while the other three players tied for first." > — **Article author**, Sunday final description > _Demonstrates dramatic final round dynamics where individual game performance didn't determine overall placement_ > "The winner in each tournament received a certificate for a free hotel weekend for two in Oslo and tournament entry for next year's Tilt Pinball Open tournament. This is a great way to ensure that the top players return next year." > — **Article author**, Consolation tournament section > _Shows tournament organizer strategy for building loyalty and ensuring high-quality repeat participation_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Tilt | organization | Barcade venue in central Oslo, Norway; hosts 15+ pinball machines normally, expanded to 30+ for tournament; location of Tilt Pinball Open | | Tilt Pinball Open | event | Annual tournament held in Oslo, Norway (second annual in 2019); features multiple TGP-sanctioned tournaments across one weekend | | Peter Andersen | person | Danish pinball player; placed 2nd in Friday progressive-strikes tournament, 2nd in Saturday side tournament, won main tournament | | Reidar Spets | person | Swedish pinball player; placed 2nd in Friday tournament, won Saturday side tournament | | Bo Mertins | person | Danish pinball player; won Friday progressive-strikes tournament, placed 3rd in Saturday side tournament | | Johan Genberg | person | Swedish pinball player; placed 2nd in main tournament final | | Emil Dreiborg | person | Danish pinball player; placed 3rd in main tournament final | | Jimmie Johansson | person | Swedish pinball player; placed 4th in main tournament final despite scoring 800 million point comeback on White Water | | Oslo | organization | Capital city of Norway; hosts Tilt barcade and Tilt Pinball Open; described as 'lovely, clean place to visit' | | Badstugata 6, 0183 Oslo, Norway | organization | Physical address of Tilt barcade; located in central Oslo near train/bus stations and hundreds of shops/restaurants | | Willy Wonka | game | Pinball machine arriving at Tilt shortly after May 2019 tournament (manufacturer not specified in article) | | Black Knight: Sword of Rage | game | Stern pinball machine; Pro and LE versions present at tournament; used in main tournament qualifying and finals | | Spider-Man Vault Edition | game | Stern pinball machine; featured in main tournament Group 1 qualifying | | Deadpool LE | game | Stern Limited Edition pinball machine; featured in main tournament Group 1 qualifying | | Star Wars LE | game | Stern Limited Edition pinball machine; featured in main tournament Group 2 qualifying | | Guardians of the Galaxy LE | game | Stern Limited Edition pinball machine; featured in main tournament Group 2 qualifying and final | | The Munsters LE | game | Stern Limited Edition pinball machine; featured in main tournament Group 2 qualifying and final | | White Water | game | Pinball machine from main tournament; site of Jimmie Johansson's 800 million point comeback in finals | | IFPA | organization | International Flipper Pinball Association; sanctioning body for TGP tournaments at Tilt Pinball Open | ### Topics - **Primary:** Tournament Format and Structure, Competitive Pinball, Venue and Location, Tournament Results and Winners - **Secondary:** Streaming and Production, Pinball Machine Selection, Tournament Prizes and Incentives ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.92) — Article is enthusiastically positive about the tournament, venue, and overall experience. Writer expresses satisfaction with organization, venue quality, and player experience. Uses phrases like 'jam-packed, well-run weekend' and 'I look forward to next year's event' to convey approval. ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Tournament organizers implementing player loyalty program through 'Ball of Fame' wall recognition and free hotel/entry packages for tournament winners (confidence: high) — Article states: 'The winner in each tournament received a certificate for a free hotel weekend for two in Oslo and tournament entry for next year's Tilt Pinball Open tournament. This is a great way to ensure that the top players return next year.' - **[community_signal]** Scandinavian pinball community demonstrated as active and robust, with players from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway competing at significant tournament (60+ players, multiple TGP events) (confidence: high) — Tournament attracted 63 players in Friday event alone with representation from multiple Scandinavian countries; described as 'packed weekend' with strong local participation - **[event_signal]** Tilt Pinball Open established as recurring annual tournament with strong infrastructure (professional streaming, multiple tournament formats, prize incentives, and international participation) (confidence: high) — Article describes 'second-annual' event, mentions winners receive packages to encourage repeat attendance, and notes professional Twitch streaming with three camera rigs - **[announcement]** Willy Wonka and Black Knight: Sword of Rage LE arriving at Tilt venue post-tournament (May 2019 timeframe) (confidence: high) — Article explicitly states: 'with Willy Wonka and a Black Knight: Sword of Rage LE arriving shortly' --- ## Transcript Date: 10th-12th May, 2019 Location: Badstugata 6, 0183 Oslo, Norway Over the weekend of May 10th-12th, the Tilt barcade in central Oslo welcomed pinball players from all over Scandinavia for their second-annual Tilt Pinball Open. It was a packed weekend of pinball with four full-fat, 100% TGP tournaments! Tilt is located right in the centre of Oslo, off one of the main squares with hundreds of restaurants, stores and hotels within just a couple of minutes’ walk. It is also located within a ten-minute walk of the central train and bus stations. ![Tilt in the centre of Oslo](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/01-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) Tilt in the centre of Oslo The location sports three bars across two-and-a-half floors. In addition to thirty-plus pinball machines, there were also dozens of classic and modern arcade machines, pool, bubble hockey and several shuffleboards. ![The calm before the storm](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/02-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) The calm before the storm Normally, the location hosts about fifteen pinball machines, but additional machines were brought in for the tournament. The machines are drawn from a collection of hundreds of machines and what a collection it is! All of the recent Sterns and JJP machines were accounted for, with Willy Wonka and a Black Knight: Sword of Rage LE arriving shortly. Here are the thirty-two pinballs at Tilt for the tournament weekend: | | | | --- | --- | | Addams Family, The | Harley Davidson (Bally) | | Attack from Mars | Hobbit, The | | Banzai Run | Incredible Hulk, The | | Batman: The Dark Knight | Monster Bash | | Black Knight | Motordome | | Black Knight: Sword of Rage Pro | Mousin Around | | Creature from the Black Lagoon | Munsters, The LE | | Deadpool LE | Pirates of the Caribbean (JJP) | | Demolition Man | Road Show | | Dialed In! | Shadow, The | | Dirty Harry | Spider-Man Vault Edition | | Family Guy | Star Wars LE | | Fish Tales | Theatre of Magic | | Getaway, The: High Speed II | Time Machine (Data East) | | Gilligan’s Island | TriZone | | Guardians of the Galaxy LE | White Water | ![Signs posted around the venue for 'normal' bar patrons to explain why so many of the machines were taken up by the tournament](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/07-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) Signs posted around the venue for ‘normal’ tournament Friday evening saw a progressive-strikes tournament with 63 players in attendance. Players were seeded into four-player groups and went off and played a machine. The winner received zero strikes while second received one, third received two and fourth received three. This continued for seven rounds until eight players remained. These eight were put into two four-player groups and played three machines, with the top two going on to the four-player final. The top four were as follows: 1. Bo Mertins (Denmark) 2. Reidar Spets (Sweden) 3. Bjørn Holter (Norway) 4. Peter Andersen (Denmark) Full results can be found here: https://www.ifpapinball.com/tournaments/view.php?t=30896# This was a fun warm-up tournament and it was a great chance to see how popular Tilt actually is, with ‘normal’ people playing arcade games, shuffleboard and pinball alongside the tournament players. Saturday saw players seeded into two groups. The first group qualified for the side tournament from noon to 4pm while the other group did its main qualifying. Then, the roles were reversed from 4pm to 8pm. ![Qualifying](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/03-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) Qualifying ![Qualifying](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/04-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) Qualifying ![Qualifying](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/05-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) Qualifying The side tournament consisted of seeded four-player groups. Each group went off and played two machines with 7-5-3-1 scoring. After that, groups were re-seeded for another two machines. ![Qualifying on two of the many Limited Edition machines](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/06-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) Qualifying on two of the many Limited Edition machines This went on for four rounds. Then, at 9pm, the top twelve from each group went into six, four-player groups that played three machines and the top two in each group moved on to the next round. This continued for two rounds, after which six players remained. Unusually, these six then went off in two three-player groups on three machines where the top two in each group went through to the four-player final. The final four ended up as follows: 1. Reidar Spets (Sweden) 2. Peter Andersen (Denmark) 3. Bo Mertins (Denmark) 4. Tormod Pettersen (Norway) The full results are here: The main event started qualifying on Friday evening, even though most players were busy with the pre-tournament. Qualifying then continued through Saturday until closing (3am!). Each player was seeded into one of two groups. ![More qualifying](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/09-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) More qualifying The first group’s machines were: • Spider-Man Vault Edition • Harley Davidson (Bally) • Deadpool LE • White Water • Black Knight: Sword of Rage Pro ![More qualifying](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/10-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) More qualifying The second group’s machines were: • The Munsters LE • Star Wars LE • Fish Tales • Guardians of the Galaxy LE • Time Machine (Data East) ![More qualifying](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/08-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) More qualifying Each player got two attempts on each machine with both scores counting. The top 12 in each group went through, with 1st-4th earning a bye for the first round on Sunday morning. Sunday morning at 9:30am saw the first round for 9th-24th place overall. Again, it was four-player groups, but now on four machines per round where the top two went through to the next round. This continued until only four players remained for the four-game final. Until this point the games were assigned, but for the final each player got to choose one machine. They played Guardians of the Galaxy LE, White Water, The Munsters LE and Black Knight: Sword of Rage Pro. Even though Jimmie Johansson had a huge 800 million point comeback on White Water to win the game, he ended up in fourth place while the other three players tied for first. So, a tie breaker was played on the Black Knight Pro with the final four ending up as follows: 1. Peter Andersen (Denmark) 2. Johan Genberg (Sweden) 3. Emil Dreiborg (Denmark) 4. Jimmie Johansson (Sweden) ![The final four in the main tournament playing Black Knight Pro in the final](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/15-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) The final The full results can be found here: The entire weekend was streamed live on Twitch using three camera rigs, with the semi-final and the final in particular offering some riveting pinball, with a “was-it-or-wasn’t-it?” death save and some monster scores. ![The stream was up on a big projector screen all weekend](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/13-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) The weekend ![The streaming crew disassembling one of the three camera rigs](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/12-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) The rigs Here is the Twitch link: www.twitch.tv/inkandmos And the YouTube link to the channel where the edited archive will be: ![The bottom floor with the streaming setup and the TD desk in the foreground](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/11-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) The foreground The consolation tournament was played at 11am on Sunday and was open to anyone not through to the second round in main on Sunday (this round also started at 11am). Thirty-seven players played a seven-strikes progressive strikes tournament with the top eight going through to four-player matches. The winner in each tournament received a certificate for a free hotel weekend for two in Oslo and tournament entry for next year’s Tilt Pinball Open tournament. This is a great way to ensure that the top players return next year. Each person who made the top four in any of the tournaments will also get his/her name on a ‘Ball of Fame’ wall at the venue. Overall, Tilt is a great place to visit and this was a jam-packed, well-run weekend of pinball. The cost of the tournament weekend was 500kr ($57/€51/£45) to compete in all of the tournaments, or 200kr ($23/€20/£18) per tournament for those who didn’t want to play in all of them. All of the games were on free play for the tournaments, but normally they are set to accept tokens. Oslo is a lovely, clean place to visit and I would particularly recommend the opera house roof, the resistance museum, the film museum, the spectacular Holmenkollen ski jump and many other sights, alongside a visit to Tilt, of course. ![The Tilt logo](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/tilt-pinball-open-2019/14-tilt-pinball-open-2019.jpg) The Tilt logo I look forward to next year’s event! _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: de9ef542-aa9a-4316-98fc-1451b0deeb7a*