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(41 - 60 of 60)
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- Title
- Interview with Larry Wilson
- Creator
- Gonzalez, David, Curtis, Brian, Molitsky, Michael, Thai, Christopher
- Date
- 2015-10-08, 2015-10-08
- Description
-
Larry Wilson is an electromechanical repair hobbyist, and has been one for most of his life. As a seventeen-year-old, Larry came across his...
Show moreLarry Wilson is an electromechanical repair hobbyist, and has been one for most of his life. As a seventeen-year-old, Larry came across his hobby when he discovered a Coke machine at a party. Larry was captured by the sleek look of the 1950’s themed machine and, with an initial investment of $75, launched his lifelong fascination. Although his parents disproved of him smuggling and concealing the Coke machine in his room for months, Larry’s intrigue never left him. He would later enroll at Triton College in Illinois to major in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in order to learn how to fix the Coke machine that he had bought. After realizing the simplicity of repairing the Coke machine, Larry realized that he especially enjoyed working on machines and fixing them. As a result, he decided to return to college to study electrical engineering. From there, his electromechanical collection grew with the addition of a jukebox and another Coke machine. Today, Larry owns an impressive electromechanical machine collection that ranges widely from pinball cabinets to shooting galleries to vending machines that are reminiscent of the 1960s era and his childhood. The machines have a high attraction value for visitors and mainly see action when special events and holidays are hosted in Larry’s home. Many of the machines in Larry’s collection are repaired and restored by Larry himself and are also maintained by his son, Kyle. Larry often figures out how to repair his electromechanical machines by studying schematics closely. While repair times for the machines vary widely depending on the accessibility of specific parts and the complexity of the machine, Larry estimates that 100 man-hours are needed to return a broken machine to working order. Because electromechanical repair is a niche area and quite labor intensive, Larry maintains that repairing machines will remain as a hobby for him. In order to obtain machines or parts to repair his machines, Larry consults with other members of a large and supportive network that specializes in electromechanical machines. As a result, Larry regularly enjoys contact with other hobbyists and specialists from all over the United States at large conferences – some that are hosted in Chicago. While at these conferences, Larry oftentimes finds machines that are worth repairing or scrapping for parts, as well as meeting other like-minded peers who help with his electromechanical repairs. Larry will continue to repair electromechanical machines as long as it is physically possible for him to do so. He describes his hobby as almost “addictive… but I guess it’s better than heroin”. For Larry, repairing a machine that has not worked in 60 years is incredibly rewarding for him – a “natural high” as he describes it. In addition, the amount of time and work put into each machine is very personal, and as a result, Larry does not foresee an end to his work with electromechanical machines.
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- Title
- Interview with Josh Tsui: Tsui Interview Full
- Creator
- Brazauskas, A.d., Hunt, Zulema, Affenit, Rachel, Ma, Xun
- Date
- 2016-12-09, 2016-11-14
- Description
-
Josh Tsui is the president and co-founder of Robomodo, a video game development studio in Chicago focused on producing quality games for the...
Show moreJosh Tsui is the president and co-founder of Robomodo, a video game development studio in Chicago focused on producing quality games for the Xbox and PlayStation console platforms. His passion for video games began when his older brothers introduced him to the arcades they managed in California; they would leave him to play with a stack of tokens as a way to keep him out of trouble. Through this experience, he developed a fondness for the open and friendly arcade atmosphere, as well as the arcade cabinets, which were optimized for the game inside. Tsui got his formal education studying film at Columbia College in Chicago, and became a regular occupant of the computer graphics lab. Once he graduated, he began working at Northwestern in research, at which point a friend at Midway recommended him to the hiring team for his skills in digitizing people’s movements. After a drawn-out interview process as the company tried to figure out how Tsui would fit into the corporate structure, he started work at Midway in 1993, the day after he returned from his honeymoon. The first game he worked on was WWF WrestleMania The Arcade Game, for which they scheduled regular recording sessions with wrestling legends like Bret Hart. He later joined the Mortal Kombat development team, and worked on a few of the Mortal Kombat sequels. He appeared in-game as Sub-Zero in an ending cutscene of Mortal Kombat 2, and Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 4. His image was also used as a playable character in NBA Jam TE. Seeking new challenges and opportunities outside of a more structured corporate environment, Tsui and few of his colleagues left Midway in 1999 to found a new game development studio called Studio Gigante. They worked on games such as Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus and WrestleMania 21. After Studio Gigante closed its doors in 2005 due to the waning popularity of the XBox and PS2 just before their successors were released, Tsui joined EA Chicago for two years before it was shut down during the financial crisis from 2007-2008. At this point, Tsui called up many of his former colleagues from EA Chicago, Midway, and Studio Gigante to create another independent studio called Robomodo in 2008. Since, they have made games for Activision such as Tony Hawk Ride, Tony Hawk Shred and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. Tsui’s role in this studio is focused on managing and being available as a mentor for his teams at Robomodo. Tsui’s current project is a documentary called Insert Coin, which tells the stories of many of the giants in the video game development industry in the 90’s. He feels this brings his career full circle in many ways, as he finally gets to make his own film about an industry that he was an integral part of. They are currently in the process of finishing up the main interviews, and moving into the production stage.
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- Title
- Interview with Rich Huff: unedited_Rich_Huff
- Creator
- Rubio, Douglas, Atkins, James, Sipprell, Shawn, Viramontes, Daniel
- Date
- 2016-12-09, 2016-11-09
- Description
-
Midwest Pinball is privately owned and operated by Rich Huff. Rich does repair and cleaning work for pinball machines in the Chicago area....
Show moreMidwest Pinball is privately owned and operated by Rich Huff. Rich does repair and cleaning work for pinball machines in the Chicago area. Midwest Pinball does not do work on commercial units, as the company is structured to help residential customers who own pinball machines keep their machines like new. Midwest pinball has been in operation since 2001 when Rich worked part time as a pinball repairman and also worked full time as a business consultant. Rich eventually switched to working Midwest full time around 2008. Midwest services pinball machines of all types from a range of production dates. Rich has experience working on some of the earliest models of pinball machines all the way up to more modern units. Rich’s expertise in the industry and willingness to get the ball rolling will have you playing your games in no time at all.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Rich Huff: Photos_Rich_Huff
- Creator
- Rubio, Douglas, Atkins, James, Sipprell, Shawn, Viramontes, Daniel
- Date
- 2016-12-09, 2016-11-09
- Description
-
Midwest Pinball is privately owned and operated by Rich Huff. Rich does repair and cleaning work for pinball machines in the Chicago area....
Show moreMidwest Pinball is privately owned and operated by Rich Huff. Rich does repair and cleaning work for pinball machines in the Chicago area. Midwest Pinball does not do work on commercial units, as the company is structured to help residential customers who own pinball machines keep their machines like new. Midwest pinball has been in operation since 2001 when Rich worked part time as a pinball repairman and also worked full time as a business consultant. Rich eventually switched to working Midwest full time around 2008. Midwest services pinball machines of all types from a range of production dates. Rich has experience working on some of the earliest models of pinball machines all the way up to more modern units. Rich’s expertise in the industry and willingness to get the ball rolling will have you playing your games in no time at all.
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- Title
- Interview with Josh Tsui: 1_Tsui Transcription
- Creator
- Brazauskas, A.d., Hunt, Zulema, Affenit, Rachel, Ma, Xun
- Date
- 2016-12-09, 2016-11-14
- Description
-
Josh Tsui is the president and co-founder of Robomodo, a video game development studio in Chicago focused on producing quality games for the...
Show moreJosh Tsui is the president and co-founder of Robomodo, a video game development studio in Chicago focused on producing quality games for the Xbox and PlayStation console platforms. His passion for video games began when his older brothers introduced him to the arcades they managed in California; they would leave him to play with a stack of tokens as a way to keep him out of trouble. Through this experience, he developed a fondness for the open and friendly arcade atmosphere, as well as the arcade cabinets, which were optimized for the game inside. Tsui got his formal education studying film at Columbia College in Chicago, and became a regular occupant of the computer graphics lab. Once he graduated, he began working at Northwestern in research, at which point a friend at Midway recommended him to the hiring team for his skills in digitizing people’s movements. After a drawn-out interview process as the company tried to figure out how Tsui would fit into the corporate structure, he started work at Midway in 1993, the day after he returned from his honeymoon. The first game he worked on was WWF WrestleMania The Arcade Game, for which they scheduled regular recording sessions with wrestling legends like Bret Hart. He later joined the Mortal Kombat development team, and worked on a few of the Mortal Kombat sequels. He appeared in-game as Sub-Zero in an ending cutscene of Mortal Kombat 2, and Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 4. His image was also used as a playable character in NBA Jam TE. Seeking new challenges and opportunities outside of a more structured corporate environment, Tsui and few of his colleagues left Midway in 1999 to found a new game development studio called Studio Gigante. They worked on games such as Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus and WrestleMania 21. After Studio Gigante closed its doors in 2005 due to the waning popularity of the XBox and PS2 just before their successors were released, Tsui joined EA Chicago for two years before it was shut down during the financial crisis from 2007-2008. At this point, Tsui called up many of his former colleagues from EA Chicago, Midway, and Studio Gigante to create another independent studio called Robomodo in 2008. Since, they have made games for Activision such as Tony Hawk Ride, Tony Hawk Shred and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. Tsui’s role in this studio is focused on managing and being available as a mentor for his teams at Robomodo. Tsui’s current project is a documentary called Insert Coin, which tells the stories of many of the giants in the video game development industry in the 90’s. He feels this brings his career full circle in many ways, as he finally gets to make his own film about an industry that he was an integral part of. They are currently in the process of finishing up the main interviews, and moving into the production stage.
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- Title
- Interview with Josh Tsui: Tsui Transcription
- Creator
- Brazauskas, A.d., Hunt, Zulema, Affenit, Rachel, Ma, Xun
- Date
- 2016-12-09, 2016-11-14
- Description
-
Josh Tsui is the president and co-founder of Robomodo, a video game development studio in Chicago focused on producing quality games for the...
Show moreJosh Tsui is the president and co-founder of Robomodo, a video game development studio in Chicago focused on producing quality games for the Xbox and PlayStation console platforms. His passion for video games began when his older brothers introduced him to the arcades they managed in California; they would leave him to play with a stack of tokens as a way to keep him out of trouble. Through this experience, he developed a fondness for the open and friendly arcade atmosphere, as well as the arcade cabinets, which were optimized for the game inside. Tsui got his formal education studying film at Columbia College in Chicago, and became a regular occupant of the computer graphics lab. Once he graduated, he began working at Northwestern in research, at which point a friend at Midway recommended him to the hiring team for his skills in digitizing people’s movements. After a drawn-out interview process as the company tried to figure out how Tsui would fit into the corporate structure, he started work at Midway in 1993, the day after he returned from his honeymoon. The first game he worked on was WWF WrestleMania The Arcade Game, for which they scheduled regular recording sessions with wrestling legends like Bret Hart. He later joined the Mortal Kombat development team, and worked on a few of the Mortal Kombat sequels. He appeared in-game as Sub-Zero in an ending cutscene of Mortal Kombat 2, and Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 4. His image was also used as a playable character in NBA Jam TE. Seeking new challenges and opportunities outside of a more structured corporate environment, Tsui and few of his colleagues left Midway in 1999 to found a new game development studio called Studio Gigante. They worked on games such as Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus and WrestleMania 21. After Studio Gigante closed its doors in 2005 due to the waning popularity of the XBox and PS2 just before their successors were released, Tsui joined EA Chicago for two years before it was shut down during the financial crisis from 2007-2008. At this point, Tsui called up many of his former colleagues from EA Chicago, Midway, and Studio Gigante to create another independent studio called Robomodo in 2008. Since, they have made games for Activision such as Tony Hawk Ride, Tony Hawk Shred and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. Tsui’s role in this studio is focused on managing and being available as a mentor for his teams at Robomodo. Tsui’s current project is a documentary called Insert Coin, which tells the stories of many of the giants in the video game development industry in the 90’s. He feels this brings his career full circle in many ways, as he finally gets to make his own film about an industry that he was an integral part of. They are currently in the process of finishing up the main interviews, and moving into the production stage.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Josh Tsui
- Creator
- Brazauskas, A.d., Hunt, Zulema, Affenit, Rachel, Ma, Xun
- Date
- 2016-12-09, 2016-11-14
- Description
-
Josh Tsui is the president and co-founder of Robomodo, a video game development studio in Chicago focused on producing quality games for the...
Show moreJosh Tsui is the president and co-founder of Robomodo, a video game development studio in Chicago focused on producing quality games for the Xbox and PlayStation console platforms. His passion for video games began when his older brothers introduced him to the arcades they managed in California; they would leave him to play with a stack of tokens as a way to keep him out of trouble. Through this experience, he developed a fondness for the open and friendly arcade atmosphere, as well as the arcade cabinets, which were optimized for the game inside. Tsui got his formal education studying film at Columbia College in Chicago, and became a regular occupant of the computer graphics lab. Once he graduated, he began working at Northwestern in research, at which point a friend at Midway recommended him to the hiring team for his skills in digitizing people’s movements. After a drawn-out interview process as the company tried to figure out how Tsui would fit into the corporate structure, he started work at Midway in 1993, the day after he returned from his honeymoon. The first game he worked on was WWF WrestleMania The Arcade Game, for which they scheduled regular recording sessions with wrestling legends like Bret Hart. He later joined the Mortal Kombat development team, and worked on a few of the Mortal Kombat sequels. He appeared in-game as Sub-Zero in an ending cutscene of Mortal Kombat 2, and Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 4. His image was also used as a playable character in NBA Jam TE. Seeking new challenges and opportunities outside of a more structured corporate environment, Tsui and few of his colleagues left Midway in 1999 to found a new game development studio called Studio Gigante. They worked on games such as Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus and WrestleMania 21. After Studio Gigante closed its doors in 2005 due to the waning popularity of the XBox and PS2 just before their successors were released, Tsui joined EA Chicago for two years before it was shut down during the financial crisis from 2007-2008. At this point, Tsui called up many of his former colleagues from EA Chicago, Midway, and Studio Gigante to create another independent studio called Robomodo in 2008. Since, they have made games for Activision such as Tony Hawk Ride, Tony Hawk Shred and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. Tsui’s role in this studio is focused on managing and being available as a mentor for his teams at Robomodo. Tsui’s current project is a documentary called Insert Coin, which tells the stories of many of the giants in the video game development industry in the 90’s. He feels this brings his career full circle in many ways, as he finally gets to make his own film about an industry that he was an integral part of. They are currently in the process of finishing up the main interviews, and moving into the production stage.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Rich Huff: Transcription_Rich_Huff
- Creator
- Rubio, Douglas, Atkins, James, Sipprell, Shawn, Viramontes, Daniel
- Date
- 2016-12-09, 2016-11-09
- Description
-
Midwest Pinball is privately owned and operated by Rich Huff. Rich does repair and cleaning work for pinball machines in the Chicago area....
Show moreMidwest Pinball is privately owned and operated by Rich Huff. Rich does repair and cleaning work for pinball machines in the Chicago area. Midwest Pinball does not do work on commercial units, as the company is structured to help residential customers who own pinball machines keep their machines like new. Midwest pinball has been in operation since 2001 when Rich worked part time as a pinball repairman and also worked full time as a business consultant. Rich eventually switched to working Midwest full time around 2008. Midwest services pinball machines of all types from a range of production dates. Rich has experience working on some of the earliest models of pinball machines all the way up to more modern units. Rich’s expertise in the industry and willingness to get the ball rolling will have you playing your games in no time at all.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Rich Huff
- Creator
- Rubio, Douglas, Atkins, James, Sipprell, Shawn, Viramontes, Daniel
- Date
- 2016-12-09, 2016-11-09
- Description
-
Midwest Pinball is privately owned and operated by Rich Huff. Rich does repair and cleaning work for pinball machines in the Chicago area....
Show moreMidwest Pinball is privately owned and operated by Rich Huff. Rich does repair and cleaning work for pinball machines in the Chicago area. Midwest Pinball does not do work on commercial units, as the company is structured to help residential customers who own pinball machines keep their machines like new. Midwest pinball has been in operation since 2001 when Rich worked part time as a pinball repairman and also worked full time as a business consultant. Rich eventually switched to working Midwest full time around 2008. Midwest services pinball machines of all types from a range of production dates. Rich has experience working on some of the earliest models of pinball machines all the way up to more modern units. Rich’s expertise in the industry and willingness to get the ball rolling will have you playing your games in no time at all.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Andrew Breyer: DSC_1758-2
- Creator
- De La Cerda, Edgar, Debose, Deion, Jiao, Larry, Rigg, Scott, Sutula, Oksana
- Date
- 2015-10, 2015-10
- Description
-
In the early days of home video game systems, Atari hosted tournaments where the best players competed to be the world champion for different...
Show moreIn the early days of home video game systems, Atari hosted tournaments where the best players competed to be the world champion for different games on its systems. One such player, Andrew “Andy” Breyer, competed in the world championship for Asteroids on the Atari 2600 in 1981. Breyer went on to win the world championship in the competition in Washington D.C. With such a great feat, he would serve as a monumental person in the history of Coin-Op in Chicago. Breyer’s interest in gaming began with Pong, one of the very first arcade games produced and developed by Atari in 1972. He enjoyed playing games that allowed for twitch reaction and skill. Games, such as Phoenix, Space Invaders, and Galaga, all caught his attention. Gaming grew into a passion for Breyer, which worked well for his competitive nature. He usually attended an arcade located in the mall about one and a half miles away from his home. This allowed for easy access to the arcade for long hours without much interruption. Soon after the release of the Atari 2600, Breyer obtained the popular gaming consoles and indulged in many of the first games. One such game being the infamous Asteroids. Soon after the release of Asteroids, Atari hosted a world competition for the game. Breyer attended the regional competition for his area. The game was played on several Atari 2600s available at the competition center. Participants stood in long lines to wait for a chance to attempt to get the high score. Each participant had several chances to get the highest score before time ran out. In the regional competition, Breyer faced many fierce competitors. Breyer sought to obtain at least an Asteroids t-shirt which was rewarded for a certain score. He tried several times before reaching the highest score in the competition which he obtained by a very small margin. This success rewarded Breyer not only with a Asteroids Deluxe, but also a chance to fly to Washington D.C. to compete in the world championship. After winning the regional competition, Breyer practiced Asteroids as often as possible before making the flight to D.C. After arriving, Breyer even opted out of free lunch to practice for the final competition. Participants in this competition received two chances to place a high score. The scores would be added together to determine the world champion. Breyer led the first round with the highest points. The other participants did not come close to his score. The second round was more troubling, as he lost many of his ships very early on and used his final ship to place a decently high score. With the completion of this competition, Breyer was named world champion. The competition did not mark the end of Breyers fame. About a year later, Breyer would be asked to participate in a commercial to popularize some Atari products and be reasonably compensated for his work. Today, Breyer is an IT manager, participates in a band, and delves into arcade games now and then. He is very much into the old arcade games and not interested in the newer video game industry. His experience as a world champion and competing in arcade game competitions makes him a valuable member in the history of Coin-Op. The insights he provides are very interesting and give a unique view on the industry. Learn more about Andrew “Andy” Breyer and his world championship experience in the provided interview.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Andrew Breyer: DSC_2441-2
- Creator
- De La Cerda, Edgar, Debose, Deion, Jiao, Larry, Rigg, Scott, Sutula, Oksana
- Date
- 2015-10, 2015-10
- Description
-
In the early days of home video game systems, Atari hosted tournaments where the best players competed to be the world champion for different...
Show moreIn the early days of home video game systems, Atari hosted tournaments where the best players competed to be the world champion for different games on its systems. One such player, Andrew “Andy” Breyer, competed in the world championship for Asteroids on the Atari 2600 in 1981. Breyer went on to win the world championship in the competition in Washington D.C. With such a great feat, he would serve as a monumental person in the history of Coin-Op in Chicago. Breyer’s interest in gaming began with Pong, one of the very first arcade games produced and developed by Atari in 1972. He enjoyed playing games that allowed for twitch reaction and skill. Games, such as Phoenix, Space Invaders, and Galaga, all caught his attention. Gaming grew into a passion for Breyer, which worked well for his competitive nature. He usually attended an arcade located in the mall about one and a half miles away from his home. This allowed for easy access to the arcade for long hours without much interruption. Soon after the release of the Atari 2600, Breyer obtained the popular gaming consoles and indulged in many of the first games. One such game being the infamous Asteroids. Soon after the release of Asteroids, Atari hosted a world competition for the game. Breyer attended the regional competition for his area. The game was played on several Atari 2600s available at the competition center. Participants stood in long lines to wait for a chance to attempt to get the high score. Each participant had several chances to get the highest score before time ran out. In the regional competition, Breyer faced many fierce competitors. Breyer sought to obtain at least an Asteroids t-shirt which was rewarded for a certain score. He tried several times before reaching the highest score in the competition which he obtained by a very small margin. This success rewarded Breyer not only with a Asteroids Deluxe, but also a chance to fly to Washington D.C. to compete in the world championship. After winning the regional competition, Breyer practiced Asteroids as often as possible before making the flight to D.C. After arriving, Breyer even opted out of free lunch to practice for the final competition. Participants in this competition received two chances to place a high score. The scores would be added together to determine the world champion. Breyer led the first round with the highest points. The other participants did not come close to his score. The second round was more troubling, as he lost many of his ships very early on and used his final ship to place a decently high score. With the completion of this competition, Breyer was named world champion. The competition did not mark the end of Breyers fame. About a year later, Breyer would be asked to participate in a commercial to popularize some Atari products and be reasonably compensated for his work. Today, Breyer is an IT manager, participates in a band, and delves into arcade games now and then. He is very much into the old arcade games and not interested in the newer video game industry. His experience as a world champion and competing in arcade game competitions makes him a valuable member in the history of Coin-Op. The insights he provides are very interesting and give a unique view on the industry. Learn more about Andrew “Andy” Breyer and his world championship experience in the provided interview.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Andrew Breyer: Transcription
- Creator
- De La Cerda, Edgar, Debose, Deion, Jiao, Larry, Rigg, Scott, Sutula, Oksana
- Date
- 2015-10, 2015-10
- Description
-
In the early days of home video game systems, Atari hosted tournaments where the best players competed to be the world champion for different...
Show moreIn the early days of home video game systems, Atari hosted tournaments where the best players competed to be the world champion for different games on its systems. One such player, Andrew “Andy” Breyer, competed in the world championship for Asteroids on the Atari 2600 in 1981. Breyer went on to win the world championship in the competition in Washington D.C. With such a great feat, he would serve as a monumental person in the history of Coin-Op in Chicago. Breyer’s interest in gaming began with Pong, one of the very first arcade games produced and developed by Atari in 1972. He enjoyed playing games that allowed for twitch reaction and skill. Games, such as Phoenix, Space Invaders, and Galaga, all caught his attention. Gaming grew into a passion for Breyer, which worked well for his competitive nature. He usually attended an arcade located in the mall about one and a half miles away from his home. This allowed for easy access to the arcade for long hours without much interruption. Soon after the release of the Atari 2600, Breyer obtained the popular gaming consoles and indulged in many of the first games. One such game being the infamous Asteroids. Soon after the release of Asteroids, Atari hosted a world competition for the game. Breyer attended the regional competition for his area. The game was played on several Atari 2600s available at the competition center. Participants stood in long lines to wait for a chance to attempt to get the high score. Each participant had several chances to get the highest score before time ran out. In the regional competition, Breyer faced many fierce competitors. Breyer sought to obtain at least an Asteroids t-shirt which was rewarded for a certain score. He tried several times before reaching the highest score in the competition which he obtained by a very small margin. This success rewarded Breyer not only with a Asteroids Deluxe, but also a chance to fly to Washington D.C. to compete in the world championship. After winning the regional competition, Breyer practiced Asteroids as often as possible before making the flight to D.C. After arriving, Breyer even opted out of free lunch to practice for the final competition. Participants in this competition received two chances to place a high score. The scores would be added together to determine the world champion. Breyer led the first round with the highest points. The other participants did not come close to his score. The second round was more troubling, as he lost many of his ships very early on and used his final ship to place a decently high score. With the completion of this competition, Breyer was named world champion. The competition did not mark the end of Breyers fame. About a year later, Breyer would be asked to participate in a commercial to popularize some Atari products and be reasonably compensated for his work. Today, Breyer is an IT manager, participates in a band, and delves into arcade games now and then. He is very much into the old arcade games and not interested in the newer video game industry. His experience as a world champion and competing in arcade game competitions makes him a valuable member in the history of Coin-Op. The insights he provides are very interesting and give a unique view on the industry. Learn more about Andrew “Andy” Breyer and his world championship experience in the provided interview.
Show less
- Title
- Interview with Larry Wilson: Transcription
- Creator
- Gonzalez, David, Curtis, Brian, Molitsky, Michael, Thai, Christopher
- Date
- 2015-10-08, 2015-10-08
- Description
-
Larry Wilson is an electromechanical repair hobbyist, and has been one for most of his life. As a seventeen-year-old, Larry came across his...
Show moreLarry Wilson is an electromechanical repair hobbyist, and has been one for most of his life. As a seventeen-year-old, Larry came across his hobby when he discovered a Coke machine at a party. Larry was captured by the sleek look of the 1950’s themed machine and, with an initial investment of $75, launched his lifelong fascination. Although his parents disproved of him smuggling and concealing the Coke machine in his room for months, Larry’s intrigue never left him. He would later enroll at Triton College in Illinois to major in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in order to learn how to fix the Coke machine that he had bought. After realizing the simplicity of repairing the Coke machine, Larry realized that he especially enjoyed working on machines and fixing them. As a result, he decided to return to college to study electrical engineering. From there, his electromechanical collection grew with the addition of a jukebox and another Coke machine. Today, Larry owns an impressive electromechanical machine collection that ranges widely from pinball cabinets to shooting galleries to vending machines that are reminiscent of the 1960s era and his childhood. The machines have a high attraction value for visitors and mainly see action when special events and holidays are hosted in Larry’s home. Many of the machines in Larry’s collection are repaired and restored by Larry himself and are also maintained by his son, Kyle. Larry often figures out how to repair his electromechanical machines by studying schematics closely. While repair times for the machines vary widely depending on the accessibility of specific parts and the complexity of the machine, Larry estimates that 100 man-hours are needed to return a broken machine to working order. Because electromechanical repair is a niche area and quite labor intensive, Larry maintains that repairing machines will remain as a hobby for him. In order to obtain machines or parts to repair his machines, Larry consults with other members of a large and supportive network that specializes in electromechanical machines. As a result, Larry regularly enjoys contact with other hobbyists and specialists from all over the United States at large conferences – some that are hosted in Chicago. While at these conferences, Larry oftentimes finds machines that are worth repairing or scrapping for parts, as well as meeting other like-minded peers who help with his electromechanical repairs. Larry will continue to repair electromechanical machines as long as it is physically possible for him to do so. He describes his hobby as almost “addictive… but I guess it’s better than heroin”. For Larry, repairing a machine that has not worked in 60 years is incredibly rewarding for him – a “natural high” as he describes it. In addition, the amount of time and work put into each machine is very personal, and as a result, Larry does not foresee an end to his work with electromechanical machines.
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- Title
- Interview with Andrew Breyer: 1_DSC_1758-2
- Creator
- De La Cerda, Edgar, Debose, Deion, Jiao, Larry, Rigg, Scott, Sutula, Oksana
- Date
- 2015-10, 2015-10
- Description
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In the early days of home video game systems, Atari hosted tournaments where the best players competed to be the world champion for different...
Show moreIn the early days of home video game systems, Atari hosted tournaments where the best players competed to be the world champion for different games on its systems. One such player, Andrew “Andy” Breyer, competed in the world championship for Asteroids on the Atari 2600 in 1981. Breyer went on to win the world championship in the competition in Washington D.C. With such a great feat, he would serve as a monumental person in the history of Coin-Op in Chicago. Breyer’s interest in gaming began with Pong, one of the very first arcade games produced and developed by Atari in 1972. He enjoyed playing games that allowed for twitch reaction and skill. Games, such as Phoenix, Space Invaders, and Galaga, all caught his attention. Gaming grew into a passion for Breyer, which worked well for his competitive nature. He usually attended an arcade located in the mall about one and a half miles away from his home. This allowed for easy access to the arcade for long hours without much interruption. Soon after the release of the Atari 2600, Breyer obtained the popular gaming consoles and indulged in many of the first games. One such game being the infamous Asteroids. Soon after the release of Asteroids, Atari hosted a world competition for the game. Breyer attended the regional competition for his area. The game was played on several Atari 2600s available at the competition center. Participants stood in long lines to wait for a chance to attempt to get the high score. Each participant had several chances to get the highest score before time ran out. In the regional competition, Breyer faced many fierce competitors. Breyer sought to obtain at least an Asteroids t-shirt which was rewarded for a certain score. He tried several times before reaching the highest score in the competition which he obtained by a very small margin. This success rewarded Breyer not only with a Asteroids Deluxe, but also a chance to fly to Washington D.C. to compete in the world championship. After winning the regional competition, Breyer practiced Asteroids as often as possible before making the flight to D.C. After arriving, Breyer even opted out of free lunch to practice for the final competition. Participants in this competition received two chances to place a high score. The scores would be added together to determine the world champion. Breyer led the first round with the highest points. The other participants did not come close to his score. The second round was more troubling, as he lost many of his ships very early on and used his final ship to place a decently high score. With the completion of this competition, Breyer was named world champion. The competition did not mark the end of Breyers fame. About a year later, Breyer would be asked to participate in a commercial to popularize some Atari products and be reasonably compensated for his work. Today, Breyer is an IT manager, participates in a band, and delves into arcade games now and then. He is very much into the old arcade games and not interested in the newer video game industry. His experience as a world champion and competing in arcade game competitions makes him a valuable member in the history of Coin-Op. The insights he provides are very interesting and give a unique view on the industry. Learn more about Andrew “Andy” Breyer and his world championship experience in the provided interview.
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- Title
- Interview with Andrew Breyer
- Creator
- De La Cerda, Edgar, Debose, Deion, Jiao, Larry, Rigg, Scott, Sutula, Oksana
- Date
- 2015-10, 2015-10
- Description
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In the early days of home video game systems, Atari hosted tournaments where the best players competed to be the world champion for different...
Show moreIn the early days of home video game systems, Atari hosted tournaments where the best players competed to be the world champion for different games on its systems. One such player, Andrew “Andy” Breyer, competed in the world championship for Asteroids on the Atari 2600 in 1981. Breyer went on to win the world championship in the competition in Washington D.C. With such a great feat, he would serve as a monumental person in the history of Coin-Op in Chicago. Breyer’s interest in gaming began with Pong, one of the very first arcade games produced and developed by Atari in 1972. He enjoyed playing games that allowed for twitch reaction and skill. Games, such as Phoenix, Space Invaders, and Galaga, all caught his attention. Gaming grew into a passion for Breyer, which worked well for his competitive nature. He usually attended an arcade located in the mall about one and a half miles away from his home. This allowed for easy access to the arcade for long hours without much interruption. Soon after the release of the Atari 2600, Breyer obtained the popular gaming consoles and indulged in many of the first games. One such game being the infamous Asteroids. Soon after the release of Asteroids, Atari hosted a world competition for the game. Breyer attended the regional competition for his area. The game was played on several Atari 2600s available at the competition center. Participants stood in long lines to wait for a chance to attempt to get the high score. Each participant had several chances to get the highest score before time ran out. In the regional competition, Breyer faced many fierce competitors. Breyer sought to obtain at least an Asteroids t-shirt which was rewarded for a certain score. He tried several times before reaching the highest score in the competition which he obtained by a very small margin. This success rewarded Breyer not only with a Asteroids Deluxe, but also a chance to fly to Washington D.C. to compete in the world championship. After winning the regional competition, Breyer practiced Asteroids as often as possible before making the flight to D.C. After arriving, Breyer even opted out of free lunch to practice for the final competition. Participants in this competition received two chances to place a high score. The scores would be added together to determine the world champion. Breyer led the first round with the highest points. The other participants did not come close to his score. The second round was more troubling, as he lost many of his ships very early on and used his final ship to place a decently high score. With the completion of this competition, Breyer was named world champion. The competition did not mark the end of Breyers fame. About a year later, Breyer would be asked to participate in a commercial to popularize some Atari products and be reasonably compensated for his work. Today, Breyer is an IT manager, participates in a band, and delves into arcade games now and then. He is very much into the old arcade games and not interested in the newer video game industry. His experience as a world champion and competing in arcade game competitions makes him a valuable member in the history of Coin-Op. The insights he provides are very interesting and give a unique view on the industry. Learn more about Andrew “Andy” Breyer and his world championship experience in the provided interview.
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- Title
- Interview with Sean Davis: photos
- Creator
- Nguyen, Ricky, Chionglo, Jeremy, Otgontulga, Khashkhuu, Brekke, Eric, Castellanos, Christopher
- Date
- 2016-12-09, 2016-11-03
- Description
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Lucky Strike FTW (For the Win) arcade is a bowling alley and arcade located in downtown Chicago. With 130 games that give prizes every time, a...
Show moreLucky Strike FTW (For the Win) arcade is a bowling alley and arcade located in downtown Chicago. With 130 games that give prizes every time, a mini golf course, pool tables, and bowling, it has something for everyone. Featuring fresh made food developed by an in-house chef, private suites overlooking the Chicago skyline, and a variety of party options, it’s a great experience. In charge of all of this is Sean Davis, the Director of Operations at Lucky Strike FTW. Mr. Davis has meddled in all areas of the entertainment business throughout his career, including working as a cook, waiter, bartender, manager, and general manager. He first discovered that he loved working in the entertainment industry when working as a local Massachusetts pizza maker, whose venue housed several bar games like billiards and its own mini golf course. He studied business at Northeastern University, and went on to work at Jillian’s arcade around 1993 in Boston, which featured 52 pool tables, 200 games, and 70,000 square feet of restaurant space. Then, in 2011 he started working at FTW in Chicago. As Director of Operations, Mr. Davis checks on things like making sure the arcade is staffed, ensuring each department has what they need, ordering, scheduling, and generally makes sure that everything in his arcade runs smoothly from day to day. However, as he’ll tell you, “There’s always something going on, there’s always a catastrophe... It’s never ‘Hey everything’s great,’” citing a time when a nearby pipe burst and caused the entire floor to flood, as one extreme case. Mr. Davis plays the games in his arcade as often as possible (his favorite game being Silent Scope), and loves watching other people enjoy themselves. He has said that some of his best days at work are when they bring in groups of less fortunate or handicapped children and let them play and have fun to their heart’s desire. Davis says that FTW is really a place for everyone. The arcade uses large cabinets and displays so that even adults can feel like a kid again when standing in front of the big games, part of the appeal to going to the arcade. “We serve great food, great beer. It really is like the total package. And it’s geared more towards adults than it is kids, because we do have a lot of adults saying, ‘Hey we’re going to bring our kids here,’ and they have their birthday parties here and kids love it. Typically the bigger arcades are more designed for kids and they have to bring their parents, and so we said well why don’t we make it for the parents, and they have to bring their kids. It seems to be working out.”
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- Creator
- Rao, Xi, Houlihan, Jodi
- Title
- Interview with Jessica Kent: photos
- Creator
- Wojtowicz, Daniel, Vadakumchery, Tony, Polk, Tamia, Toppel, Dennis
- Date
- 2015-10-01, 2015-10-01
- Description
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Before video games were invented, people initially played coin-op games like skeeball. The most prominent coin-op game was pinball, and its...
Show moreBefore video games were invented, people initially played coin-op games like skeeball. The most prominent coin-op game was pinball, and its appeal endures to this day. However, the arcade and coin-op scene, including pinball, has a relative lack of women players. This is why Jessica Kent, one of the founders of Down to Flip, has such an interesting story. Her push for diversity and encouragement for female players is making significant changes to the pinball and coin-op community, and her work will continue to make these changes. Jessica Kent is the creator of the Down to Flip pinball group, an all women pinball group. Down to Flip started as a Facebook page but has now grown into a group with over 100 members, and over twenty-five active pinball players. Her inspiration for the group came from observing women groups like LA Bell and Chimes in Los Angeles. From a young age, she was involved in the arcade scene, and she rediscovered her love for arcade gaming during college. Jessica has been an avid gamer for most of her life; before rediscovering her love of arcade games and coin-op games, she was a big at-home gamer. She started playing pinball regularly about two-and-a-half years ago, initially on a laundry room pinball table. She prefers the feel of real life tables over digital ones due to her love of other hands-on arcade games like skeeball. Currently, Jessica plays pinball one night a week, but she travels extensively checking out different arcades and other places with coin-op games. Jessica has done a substantial amount of research on pinball and arcade games. Currently, her favorite pinball table is Attack from Mars. Her favorite arcade is Logan Arcade, and her Down to Flip meetings take place there. Jessica’s favorite parts of pinball is that she can track her progress regularly, the randomness of the game, competing against her personal best scores, and the level of hand-eye coordination required. Additionally, Jessica gets a sense of nostalgia from playing pinball and other arcade games. One of Jessica’s goals for Down To Flip is to promote pinball and arcade games to the younger generation and others who aren’t big gamers themselves. She also feels that Down to Flip as a group promotes pinball and coin-op games to people of all backgrounds, especially women, and wishes to use the reach of the group and her own interests to promote causes she believes in to others. Down to Flip and pinball ties into coin-op and video gaming as a whole since it shows a revival in the coin-op and arcade scene that is especially prominent amongst young adult in their twenties and thirties. Recently, numerous arcades and bars such as Galloping Ghost, Logan Arcade, Headquarters, and Level 257 have opened up and are thriving. Coin-op and arcade gaming can be considered to be the true beginning of the gaming community, and these sort of games have been around since the 1930s. However, in the subculture, there has been a relatively lack in diversity; female players were not very prominent, for instance. Jessica Kent’s group Down to Flip encourages greater player diversity by promoting pinball and arcade gaming for women and attempts to encourage younger children of all sexes and demographics to play pinball and other arcade games, thus promoting a more diverse and varied pinball and gaming community. During the interview, Jessica mentions one interaction in the pinball community where she was competing and one of the male pinball players ridiculed female pinball players. According to Jessica, upon getting a very good high score, the person ridiculing her stopped his actions. Groups and people like this break the stereotypes of gamers, and allow females and minorities as a whole to gain equal respect and opportunity.
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