Sources
OPDB and IPDB and Flipcommons Catalog contributed to this record.
Conflicts resolved (4 fields)
- month
- OPDB 1 IPDB 10 Flipcommons Catalog 1 used
- year
- OPDB 1979 IPDB 1978 Flipcommons Catalog 1979 used
- gameplay_feature
- IPDB Star Rollovers ×5 used IPDB Kick-Out Holes used IPDB Spinning Targets used IPDB Standup Targets ×2 used IPDB 3-Bank Drop Targets used IPDB 5-Bank Drop Targets used IPDB Slingshots ×2 used IPDB Pop Bumpers ×3 used IPDB Flippers ×3 used
- credit
- IPDB Randy Pfeiffer — Software IPDB Randy Pfeiffer — Sound IPDB John Jung — Mechanics IPDB Jeanine Mitchell — Art IPDB Constantino Mitchell — Art IPDB Steve Ritchie — Design Flipcommons Catalog Randy Pfeiffer — Sound used Flipcommons Catalog Randy Pfeiffer — Software used Flipcommons Catalog John Jung — Mechanics used Flipcommons Catalog Steve Ritchie — Design used Flipcommons Catalog Jeanine Mitchell — Art used Flipcommons Catalog Constantino Mitchell — Art used
Sources agree (9 fields)
- display_type
- alphanumeric OPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
- technology_generation
- solid-state OPDB, IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
- player_count
- 4 OPDB, IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
- opdb_id
- Grypn-MQdbe OPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
- name
- Flash OPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
- theme
- Fantasy IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
- system
- williams-system-4 IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
- production_quantity
- 19505 IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
- ipdb_id
- 871 IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
Single source (11 fields)
- opdb.images
- OPDB [{"type":"backglass","urls":{"large":"https://img.opdb.org/f7b21cc8-41a9-4250-a0b2-bc13dc0423b4-large.jpg","small":"https://img.opdb.org/f7b21cc8-41a9-4250-a0b2-bc13dc0423b4-small.jpg","medium":"https://img.opdb.org/f7b21cc8-41a9-4250-a0b2-bc13dc0423b4-medium.jpg"},"sizes":{"large":{"width":767,"height":600},"small":{"width":250,"height":196},"medium":{"width":640,"height":501}},"title":"Backglass","primary":true}] used
- ipdb.manufacturer_trade_name
- IPDB Williams used
- ipdb.corporate_entity_name
- IPDB Williams Electronics, Incorporated used
- ipdb.image_urls
- IPDB ["https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/871f1.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/871f2.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/871f3.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/871f4.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-1.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-2.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-4.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-5.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-7.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-8.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-9.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-10.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-11.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-12.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-13.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-14.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-15.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-16.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-17.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-18.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-19.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-20.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-21.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-22.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-23.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-24.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-25.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-26.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-27.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-28.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-29.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-30.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-31.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-32.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-6.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-33.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-34.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-35.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-3.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-36.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-38.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-37.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-41.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-40.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-39.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-42.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-43.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-48.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-44.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-49.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-47.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-45.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-46.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/871/image-50.jpg"] used
- ipdb.model_number
- IPDB 486 used
- ipdb.notes
- IPDB 'Flash' was the first game from any manufacturer to have a dynamic background sound during gameplay. It is also the first game from any manufacturer to use Flash Lamps, which provide a temporary burst of flashing light intended primarily for the sake of its visual effect, in contrast to the usual playfield lamps that either provide constant general illumination or turn on and off only as indicators of specific playfield objectives or their point values. Designer Steve Ritchie comments:I "invented" background sound at Atari, but management wouldn't have it, so I asked Randy Pfeiffer to create a continuously cycling complex sound that increased in pitch and speed of cycling, and he did both. That changing background added a tension and excitement that was never present in earlier games. That sound also broadcasted how well the player was doing. If you heard the only game that made a background sound in an arcade at high pitch and a fast cycle, all eyes were on you, sometimes gathering a small crowd in those days. The production run of this game was far higher than previous Williams games. Steve Ritchie comments:Towards the end of the run of Flash, I asked Jack Mittel, then-VP of sales, why we wouldn't try to push past the 20,000 unit mark. He replied, "We want to leave the market wanting." Steve also tells us about the prototype backglass shown in this listing:We printed two backglasses in a blue background because management was scared that the black background wouldn't be accepted. We also printed two red ones. I owned them all, but both reds and one blue disintegrated as I unwrapped them after being in storage for 34 years. The ink was in a pile at the bottom of the package! No games were sent out with any color other than black background, which was widely accepted and dramatic when lit "back in the day." Reportedly, later production units had System 6 CPU boards. Steve tells us that a subsequent game "Super Flash" was contemplated in 1986 as a 'sequel' but never made it as far as the drawing board. ***** Production Run Records for Flash: 19505 total Sample run: 400 Production Start Date: Oct-27-1978 / Production End Date: Dec-18-1978 First ship date: Nov-7-1978 / Last ship date: Unknown, 1 game remained in inventory on Dec-28-1978 after which Daily Production Log records are missing. It likely shipped out with production games. Production Run: 19105 Production Start Date: Jan-29-1979 / Production End Date: Jul-30-1979 First ship date: Unknown / Last ship date: Unknown Product History Record for Flash: Quantity produced for USA/Canada: 10073* Quantity produced for export: 9432* Total quantity produced: 19505* Price to Distributor: $1277.00 *These quantities may be sales estimates. used
- ipdb.notable_features
- IPDB Flippers (3), Pop bumpers (3), Slingshots (2), 5-bank drop targets (1), 3-bank drop targets (1), Standup targets (2), Spinning target (1), Kick-out hole (1), Star rollovers (5). Ball shot into play crosses the playfield to get to the top. Flash Lamps under playfield. Maximum displayed point score is 999,990 points per player. used
- ipdb_rating
- IPDB 7.7 used
- corporate_entity
- Flipcommons Catalog williams-electronics-incorporated used
- title
- Flipcommons Catalog flash used
- slug
- Flipcommons Catalog flash-2 used