Editing Pinball (section)

===1947: Flippers introduced===

Gottlieb's ''[[Humpty Dumpty (pinball)|Humpty Dumpty]]'', introduced in 1947, was the first game to add player-controlled flippers to keep the ball in play longer.<ref name="bk-pinball-portfolio">{{cite book|last=McKeown|first=Harry|year=1976|title=Pinball Portfolio|page=27|publisher=New English Library |url=https://archive.org/details/pinballportfolio0000harr/page/26/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name="bk-pinball">{{cite book|last=Sharpe|first=Roger|year=1977|title=Pinball!|isbn=0-525-47481-1|url=https://archive.org/details/pinball-roger-c.-sharpe-1977/Pinball%21%20%5BRoger%20C.%20Sharpe%5D%20%281977%29/}}</ref>{{rp|54–55}}<ref name="bk-tilt">{{cite book|last1=Tolbert|first1=Candace|last2=Tolbert|first2=Jim|year=1978|title=Tilt: The Pinball Book|page=94|isbn=0-916870-14-6|url=https://archive.org/details/tiltpinballbook00tolb/page/94/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name="bk-pinball-lure">{{cite book|last1=Flower|first1=Gary|last2=Kurtz|first2=Bill|year=1988|title=Pinball: The Lure of the Silver Ball|pages=36–39|publisher=Chartwell Books |isbn=1-55521-322-7|url=https://archive.org/details/pinball0000gary/page/36/mode/2up}}</ref> The low-power flippers required three pairs around the playfield to get the ball to the top.

''Triple Action'' was the first game to feature just two flippers at the bottom of the playfield. Unlike in modern machines, the flippers faced outwards. These flippers were made more powerful by the addition of a [[direct current|DC]] (direct current) power supply. These innovations were some of many by designer [[Steve Kordek]].

The first game to feature the familiar dual-inward-facing-flipper design was Gottlieb's ''Just 21'' released in January 1950. However, the flippers were rather far apart to allow for a turret ball shooter at the bottom center of the playfield. Another 1950 Gottlieb game, ''Spot Bowler'', was the first with inward-facing flippers placed close together.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bmigaming.com/pinballhistory.htm |title=The History of Pinball Machines |publisher=Bmigaming.com |access-date=October 27, 2012}}</ref>

The post-war era was dominated by [[Gottlieb]]. Game designers Wayne Neyens and [[Ed Krynski]], with artist Leroy Parker, produced games that collectors consider some of the best classic pinball machines.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}