The Inception and History of Air Hockey and How it Matters for Full Sized Arcades

Throughout the history of arcades, there have been many different games that enthusiasts have enjoyed throughout the years, and the air-hockey table is no exception. Indeed, it’s a favorite amongst the comers and goers of full sized arcades, and for a good reason! It’s managed to stand the test of time quite well regarding how long it’s been able to give people fun for decades. With that said, how exactly did it manage to accomplish this? How did it manage to stay so fun and popular for so long? Let’s find out, shall we?

The Men Behind the Concept

To understand its conception, we need to rewind the clock to 1969. The three individuals that were behind this idea were Brad Baldwin, Bob Kendrick, and Phil Crossman. What these three men had in common was the fact that they were huge hockey fans. They were such type of hockey fans that they wanted to master a concept in which you could play hockey on a smaller scale, in a quicker and faster-paced game that almost anyone could enjoy. They had the idea. What they needed was to put it into effect.

The Inception

Teaming up with Brunswick billiards, Bob Lemieux managed to create the team’s project in 1972 by creating the first air hockey table. The game was a riveting success, but investors and manufacturers were hoping that the game would be seen on the same professional level as the pool was. That said, just because it couldn’t reach that level of fame didn’t mean that they couldn’t use air hockey tables for other purposes such as just straight up having fun. That’s the reason why most air hockey tables in pizza parlors or arcade rooms are placed. 

Decline

Unfortunately for air hockey, the game’s popularity took a bit of a nosedive with the surge of another concept growing sharply in the 80s: Video Games. With the introduction of games like pong, Pacman, and so many others. Air hockey seemed outdated compared to other popular games cementing their legacy around this time. If nothing was done, then there might be a chance that air hockey became obsolete altogether, but history had other plans.

Revival

For those wondering how air hockey has managed long as it has, it is no further than the efforts of a man named Mark Robbins. This incident happened because he managed to dig deep with his charismatic skills and enlist with the help of both US Billiards and Dynamo Corporation. With the help of these two companies, he managed to get together as many air hockey tables that many people weren’t using and rebrand and remake them into more modern products that could live up to the era during the early 90s. After years of preparation, the new and improved air hockey tables were shipped out and sold incredibly well. This event signifies that they just needed a tune-up to stay relevant in changing times for the arcade games industry. 

Evolution

From there, air hockey became a classic that would dominate American arcades and even certain parts of the world. It even became so popular that it was used for tournaments. This means it managed to fulfill the goal that it was initially set out to do. However, this wouldn’t have been the first time concerning the modern age. Air hockey tables managed to be used for tournaments in the mid-to-late 70s when early fan enthusiasm was in its zenith. Now it has cemented itself as a mainstay for arcades everywhere. 

Conclusion

As you can see, there is a wealth of history related to the creation and the progression of air hockey. Especially looking back at how far it has come in terms of what it has turned into an arcade game. So the next time you have an air hockey table nearby along with full sized arcades, remember how far such a game has come to be enjoyed now while bouncing around a puck with your friends or foes.

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