Pinball Manufacturers: Midway

Midway Manufacturing was founded in 1958 as an amusement game company, initially producing mechanical arcade games and later expanding into electro-mechanical entertainment. While the company became best known for its role in the video game industry, particularly with hits like Pac-Man and Mortal Kombat, Midway also played a significant role in pinball history. In the early years, Midway focused primarily on arcade amusements rather than pinball, but in the 1970s, the company entered the pinball market by acquiring assets from Chicago Coin and later forming a stronger connection with Bally Manufacturing.

By the late 1970s, Midway had fully integrated with Bally, becoming the pinball division for Bally/Midway. During this time, the company released several notable pinball machines under the Bally brand, such as Eight Ball Deluxe (1981) and Black Pyramid (1984). Many of these games featured classic Bally engineering and design elements, incorporating deeper rule sets and more engaging playfields. In the 1980s, as Bally/Midway struggled with changing market conditions and the decline of pinball’s popularity, the company’s pinball assets were eventually sold to Williams Electronics in 1988. Midway remained a key brand name under Williams throughout the 1990s, with the Midway logo appearing on some of Williams’ most iconic pinball releases, including The Addams Family (1992) and Twilight Zone (1993). However, after Williams ceased pinball production in 1999, Midway’s connection to pinball effectively ended. Despite this, Midway’s legacy in pinball remains strong due to its impact on both game design and its role in shaping the competitive landscape of the industry.