Welsh wizards of pinball
A WELSH start-up firm has launched its own version of the iconic amusement arcade game, the pinball machine.
After two years in the development phase, Cardiff-based Team Pinball has now started trading, with its first batch of pinball machines already winning orders with distributors globally.
Team Pinball has been self-funded by co-founders Otilia Paserti, Romain Fontaine and Janos Kiss.
Its first pinball machine is a 1930s Mafia-inspired game, which retails for £6,750. Nine out of the initial batch of 10 games have already been sold to distributors in Sweden, Austria, America, Canada and France. Further machines will be made to order, with production of the Mafia version being limited to 100.
The pinball machines are a truly Welsh affair, with the controlling software coming from the Raspberry Pi computers, which are built at Bridgend.
Mafia Pinball takes players back in time to the east coast of America during the prohibition period of the 1930s.
Mr Fontaine said: “My colleagues and I have been enchanted by pinball since our childhood and it has always been a dream to be around pinball and actually design our own. We all have experience of having worked in the industry and we are passionate about helping people discover pinball.”
Team Pinball is the trading name of JOR Games. The Welsh Government’s business support body Business Wales has supported the business since its inception.
Ms Pasareti said: “We established Team Pinball in 2016 and Business Wales... has helped us understand the opportunities that exist and how best to maximise them.”