Some of the biggest names in rock are transforming their songs and personas into popular pinball games.
And while rock-themed pinball machines are nothing new, there has been an increase in the number of bands getting their own dedicated games.
In the past 10 years alone, Illinois-based gaming company Stern Pinball has released titles based on the Beatles, Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin and Rush. Another game themed around Metallica also recently got a massive update and re-released by Stern as a “remastered” version.
The relationship between pinball and music makes a lot of sense on multiple levels when you think about it.
On one hand, companies are able to tap into an iconic band’s well-established fanbase and potentially get them interested in pinball. Think about a Metallica fan who has never played pinball wanting to hear what songs are on the game or maybe even being compelled to buy a machine, which can cost upwards of $10,000.
The benefit goes the other way, too. Since all of the machines feature the bands’ music, they are also able to potentially reach a new audience.
“This machine inspired me to listen to some Alice Cooper songs, and find that I enjoyed them more than I thought I would,” one player said in a review for the Cooper-themed machine posted on the popular pinball website Pinside.com.
Here is a look at rock acts with their own officially licensed pinball machines and what players think of them.
20 Rock Bands With Their Own Licensed Pinball Machines
Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll
