Journalist Tool

Kineticist

  • HDashboard
  • IItems
  • ↓Ingest
  • SSources
  • KBeats
  • BBriefs
  • RIntel
  • QSearch
  • AActivity
  • +Health
  • ?Guide

v0.1.0

← All beats

Pinball

/pinball

DashboardKnowledge Base2772IntelligenceTools1SettingsChangelog
← Back to KB

Ward Pemberton

personactive18 mentionsFirst seen Apr 2, 2008Last seen Oct 31, 2025

Profile

Ward Pemberton is a person mentioned in 1 episode(s).

Aliases

No aliases

Relationships

  • designedFathomWard Pemberton was the designer of Fathom at Bally in 1981, his first game as a designermedium
  • designedBMXBMX was designed by Ward Pembertonmedium
  • affiliated_withNorm ClarkMentored Ward Pemberton at Ballymedium
  • designedHardbodyWard Pemberton designed Hardbodymedium

Facts

No facts recorded

Claims (15)

  • factualhigh

    Bally Dungeons & Dragons was designed by Ward Pemberton and released in 1987

    Source: Kineticist articleHostile Dragons - Can You Survive? Learn to Play Bally's Dungeons & Dragons Pinball
  • factualhigh

    Ward Pemberton was fired from Capcom due to conflict with John Papadiuk and alliance with Mark Ritchie

    Source: Direct quote by Ward PembertonThe Capcom Debacle Part 1
  • factualhigh

    Ward Pemberton was laid off before BMX even went into production because he wasn't a full-time employee

    Source: Ward Pemberton (via TopCast interview)Pinball Is Dying Part 3 – Bally-Midway
  • factualhigh

    Ward Pemberton tried out with the Chicago White Sox in spring training 1983 after being laid off and was released after about three weeks

Recent Mentions (18)

  • Pinball designer, co-designer of Gilligan's Island

    Learn Bally’s Gilligan’s Island in 10 Minutes!Sep 19, 2025
  • Legendary Williams pinball designer (BMX, Dungeons and Dragons, Fathom, GoldenEye); worked at GameStar on ticket redemption games; brought to Capcom; fired after conflict with Papadiuk and Ritchie; was working on Mission Impossible pinball at Capcom

    The Capcom Debacle Part 1Dec 26, 2023
  • Playfield designer on Riverboat Gambler at Williams

    Episode 3 - Dwight Sullivan (Lead Game Developer - STERN Pinball) InterviewJul 2, 2018
  • Pinball game designer who worked at Bally, Williams, and Data East; designed games including Fathom, BMX, Hardbody, Dungeons & Dragons, Mouse in Around, Riverboat Gambler, Gilligan's Island, and Golden Eye

    TOPCast 56: Ward PembertonApr 2, 2008
  • Pinball designer credited with GoldenEye (Sega, 1996), likely his last game. Also known for designs including Fathom, Dungeons & Dragons, Riverboat Gambler, Hardbody.

    The Pinball Show Episode 178 BONUS: Dennis' Top 5 Greatest Pinball Machines Of All Time From Each Company Part 2 (Data East & Sega)Jul 12, 2025
  • Original designer of 1981 Bally Fathom (first design as Bally designer)

Contradictions

No contradictions detected

Related Glossary Terms

No linked glossary terms

Source: Ward Pemberton (via TopCast interview)Pinball Is Dying Part 3 – Bally-Midway
  • factualmedium

    Ward Pemberton designed Dungeons & Dragons (Bally 1987)

    Source: Chat viewer (Lord Howard Hurts or similar)Dungeons and Dragons (Bally 1987)
  • factualhigh

    Ward started at Bally in 1978/1979 as a lab tech and transitioned to designer after 2-3 years

    Source: Direct interview statementTOPCast 56: Ward Pemberton
  • factualhigh

    Fathom sold approximately 3,500 units

    Source: Direct interview statementTOPCast 56: Ward Pemberton
  • factualhigh

    BMX sold only 350-400 units and was Ward's first two-level playfield

    Source: Direct interview statementTOPCast 56: Ward Pemberton
  • factualhigh

    Ward tried out for the Chicago White Sox in spring training 1983 and threw approximately 90 mph

    Source: Direct interview statementTOPCast 56: Ward Pemberton
  • factualhigh

    Ward's father worked for Bally for over 26 years and headed the mechanical engineering department

    Source: Direct interview statementTOPCast 56: Ward Pemberton
  • factualhigh

    Hardbody sold approximately 2,000 units

    Source: Direct interview statementTOPCast 56: Ward Pemberton
  • factualhigh

    Riverboat Gambler sold over 3,200 units while Fun House sold approximately 10,000 units

    Source: Direct interview statementTOPCast 56: Ward Pemberton
  • factualhigh

    Drop target mechanisms were frequently removed from designs due to cost constraints despite designer preference for them

    Source: Direct interview statementTOPCast 56: Ward Pemberton
  • opinionhigh

    The competitive dynamic between Bally and Williams designer teams persisted even after Williams acquisition, with teams deliberately releasing games to compete against each other

    Source: Direct interview statementTOPCast 56: Ward Pemberton
  • factualhigh

    Jim Pettler called Ward back to Bally in 1986 to return as a game designer

    Source: Direct interview statementTOPCast 56: Ward Pemberton
  • Episode 109: Ahh YesApr 28, 2021
  • Bally designer; part of post-1988 merger design team that never directly collaborated with Williams designers

    Ep 32.2: Past, Present and Future with Roger SharpeApr 22, 2020
  • Bally legend in engineering division

    Pinball Heroes: John PopadiukJul 4, 2009
  • Designer credited with Dungeons & Dragons (1987); chat member identified him, though music credit uncertain

    Dungeons and Dragons (Bally 1987)Aug 21, 2019
  • Pinball designer; designed Bally D&D during his first year back at the company; also designed Fathom and Hardbody

    Hostile Dragons - Can You Survive? Learn to Play Bally's Dungeons & Dragons PinballJun 24, 2025
  • Co-designer of Gilligan's Island pinball machine

    Learn Bally’s Gilligan’s Island in 10 Minutes!Sep 19, 2025
  • Designer of BMX and other games; not widely known but respected in community

    Rare Game Roundup | Harry Potter | Pinball Expo Recap!Oct 31, 2025
  • Original Fathom designer; credited in Haggis Fathom remake; demonstrates Haggis's approach to acknowledging original creators (contrasted with Chicago Gaming's lack of original designer credit).

    Episode 166 – Counting RampsMay 6, 2021
  • Junior designer of BMX (Bally's final pinball game, 1983); not under contract so easily laid off before production. Known from Fathom. Attempted professional baseball career with Chicago White Sox after pinball layoff.

    Pinball Is Dying Part 3 – Bally-MidwayJan 16, 2023
  • Designer of Riverboat Gambler; previously designed Fathom for Bally; worked with Sullivan on early projects

    Dwight Sullivan – The Creation Of ComplexityJan 31, 2021
  • Designer of Bally D&D (1987)

    Episode 77 - Die on this Hill: Bally Dungeons & DragonsApr 7, 2025
  • Co-designer of Gilligan's Island; former Bally designer; also designed Fathom, Dungeons and Dragons, Hardbody, Mousing Around.

    Episode 7 - Die on this Hill: Gilligan's IslandDec 4, 2023
  • Designer who rethemed Dan Langlois's 'The Brain' to Gilligan's Island after Langlois's death; also designer of Heavy Metal Meltdown

    Episode 10 - Die on this Hill: Popeye Saves the EarthDec 25, 2023