The Magnificent Marble Machine

[AZAndrewG]

I always had fond memories of this show, and it was such a treat to see an episiode at the TVPMM.  I was wondering -- how many of you feel that the show could work today if the format was slightly tweaked and turned into a kids show?

[parliboy]

[quote name=\'AZAndrewG\' post=\'192579\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 12:13 AM\'] I always had fond memories of this show, and it was such a treat to see an episiode at the TVPMM. I was wondering -- how many of you feel that the show could work today if the format was slightly tweaked and turned into a kids show? [/quote]

Kids don't play pinball.  If you were an exception, hats off to you; but looking at the demographics of pinball, why in blazes would it make for a kids show?

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'AZAndrewG\' post=\'192579\' date=\'Jul 28 2008, 10:13 PM\']I always had fond memories of this show, and it was such a treat to see an episiode at the TVPMM.  I was wondering -- how many of you feel that the show could work today if the format was slightly tweaked and turned into a kids show?[/quote]You'd be watching young kids (many of which might not even be familiar with pinball at all) playing a fairly boring generic pinball machine.

Pass.

[Craig Karlberg]

Believe it or not, I actually PLAYED pinball when I was 12 or 13 in the late 1970's.  Granted, MMM may've sparked an interest in pinball for me as a kid, but nowadays, I usually play computer-based pinball games.

Seriously, no producer in their right mind in this day & age wanna make MMM a kids show.  How many kids actually understand the workings of a pinball machine anyway, let alone play one?

I too will say Pass on that idea.

[davemackey]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'192582\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 01:20 AM\']
[quote name=\'AZAndrewG\' post=\'192579\' date=\'Jul 28 2008, 10:13 PM\']I always had fond memories of this show, and it was such a treat to see an episiode at the TVPMM.  I was wondering -- how many of you feel that the show could work today if the format was slightly tweaked and turned into a kids show?[/quote]You'd be watching young kids (many of which might not even be familiar with pinball at all) playing a fairly boring generic pinball machine.

Pass.
[/quote]
Wouldn't work today. Pinball machines are much more complex and sometimes even I don't understand what I need to do to get the highest score.

/I want a WOF pinball
//pleeze

[Dbacksfan12]

Kids don't play pinball. If you were an exception, hats off to you; but looking at the demographics of pinball

Where would you find such information?  I've seen kiddies play pinball quite often...

I was wondering -- how many of you feel that the show could work today if the format was slightly tweaked and turned into a kids show?

Of what little I've seen of the show, I don't think it would work at all--tweaked or not, kids or adults.[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'192591\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 06:21 AM\']
Pinball machines are much more complex and sometimes even I don't understand what I need to do to get the highest score.[/quote]Well, if you're Don Howard, all you have to do is climb a tree with Anitra Ford.

[parliboy]

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'192593\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 06:28 AM\']

Kids don't play pinball. If you were an exception, hats off to you; but looking at the demographics of pinball

Where would you find such information? I've seen kiddies play pinball quite often...[/quote]Yes, and I've also seen kids who think Megan Mullally and Fun House are the greatest things since sliced bread.  Doesn't make it true.

The typical arcade will have one or two pins, compared to upteen video games.  So yeah, the pinball machine gets a lot of play... because it's the only damn one there.

More importantly, given that arcades are basically dead, consider the home market: what percentage of kids have their own video games at home, versus those who have their own pinball machines?  Yes, pins are important to some of us (and I profess to be one of the biggest fans of pins around), but I make to allusions as to its mass marketability.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'192589\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 04:46 AM\']
Believe it or not, I actually PLAYED pinball when I was 12 or 13 in the late 1970's.  [/quote]
You sound like you think you're the only one here in his forties.  

Having played pinball is not all that remarkable an accomplishment.

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'192605\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 12:00 PM\']
[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'192589\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 04:46 AM\']
Believe it or not, I actually PLAYED pinball when I was 12 or 13 in the late 1970's.  [/quote]
You sound like you think you're the only one here in his forties.  
[/quote]
I still can't believe he's not a child.

[Sodboy13]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'192589\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 04:46 AM\']
Believe it or not, I actually PLAYED pinball when I was 12 or 13 in the late 1970's.  [/quote]

Really?  I played it at a bar in Windsor on Saturday.  How super-duper special I must be!

[PYLdude]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'192589\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 03:46 AM\']
Believe it or not, I actually PLAYED pinball when I was 12 or 13 in the late 1970's.  
[/quote]

I played pinball the last time I was in an arcade when I was 24 in 2007.

Your point?

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'Sodboy13\' post=\'192612\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 01:16 PM\']
[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'192589\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 04:46 AM\']
Believe it or not, I actually PLAYED pinball when I was 12 or 13 in the late 1970's.  [/quote]
Really?  I played it at a bar in Windsor on Saturday.  How super-duper special I must be!
[/quote]
Very special. The most special. I played at the local arcade a few weeks ago.
Racked up just over 62,000,000 points.....less than two million away from a Hal April Jackpot.
I don't think it'd work these days, Andrew. It's a fun participation sport for me but that's about it.
I'm surprised it went as long as it did during the mid-1970s.

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'192605\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 12:00 PM\']
Having played pinball is not all that remarkable an accomplishment.
[/quote]

...Unless you are Matt Ottinger who can beat Tommy at his own game without even using the flipper buttons!!!

/Ever since I was a young boy, I played the silver ball!

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'AZAndrewG\' post=\'192579\' date=\'Jul 28 2008, 10:13 PM\']how many of you feel that the show could work today if the format was slightly tweaked and turned into a kids show?[/quote]Notwithstanding the earlier points about "kids don't play pinball!" I think the question can best be answered with that old television axiom, "People have to watch this, y'know."

Granted that, I think a better format would be closer to that of Supermarket Sweep, where you build time to use in the final pinball round, but alas I was born 30 years too late.

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'192589\' date=\'Jul 29 2008, 03:46 AM\']
Believe it or not, I actually PLAYED pinball when I was 12 or 13 in the late 1970's.[/quote]
I did, too -- I was 12 and/or 13 in 1975 and 1976, when I would have had the greatest interest in this show.  And, trust me, MMM blew some serious chunks.

The biggest issue is that people don't like watching others play pinball, they like playing themselves.  Can't fix that.