| 1909 |
Skee-Ball invented and patented by J.D. Estes of Philadelphia. |
1914 |
First Skee-Ball Alleys sold and distributed to the outdoor amusement industry market by Maurice Piesen. Measuring 36 feet long, the alleys were quite large. As a result, the potential playing market was restricted since the game required some strength to play. |
| 1928 |
Size of the Alley reduced by more than half – to 14 feet. Tremendous popularity achieved as the shortened version widened the range of appeal. Now the game was accessible to women, children and the elderly. |
| 1932 |
First national Skee-Ball tournament held in Atlantic City, New Jersey arcade. |
| 1935 |
Wurlitzer Company acquired Skee-Ball rights from Piesen. |
| 1945 |
Philadelphia Toboggan Company acquired the copyright, patents, and all rights for the exclusive manufacturing of Skee-Ball Alleys from Wurlitzer. |
| 1974 |
Skee-Ball moved to “state-of-the-art” as electronic alleys are introduced to the market. |
| 1977 |
Philadelphia Toboggan Company forms Skee-Ball, Inc. Applying meticulous care, Skee-Ball, Inc. manufactures four different models with various options from the no frills Alley to the top-of-the-line digital, solid state machine. |
| 1985 |
Skee-Ball, Inc. updates Alleys. Additions such as sound effects, musical selections, new electronic componentry are added which allows the operator the ability to reprogram all game settings at their location. This increases profitability of the game. |
| 1990 |
As the new year unfolded, the games industry faced a battle to capture market share of the consumers discretionary income. Skee-Ball’s two new product introductions and the move to larger, more efficient facilities are the strategies designed to address this challenge. |
| 1992 |
Skee-Ball purchases Michigan based Vari-Tech, Inc, adding a complete line of custom midway game fixtures to Skee-Ball's already expanding line of products. |
| 1994 |
Skee-Ball, Inc. purchases National Sports Games located in Phoenix, Arizona. This adds an exciting new spin to their already expansive product line by combining it with a quality top of line of sports related redemption games. |
| 1998 |
Four new versions of the Alleys are introduced to the market, increasing the popularity in Skee-Ball and worldwide interest in the new varieties. |
| 1999 |
Skee-Ball, Inc. celebrates 90 years of growth and commitment to manufacturing popular and reliable family-oriented redemption and coin-operated games. |
| 2000 |
With the addition of many new sports and novelty games to Skee-Ball’s already diverse line of redemption products, Skee-Ball decides to take amusement a step further. In doing so, Skee-Ball created their one-of-a-kind Sports Attractions. These Sports Attractions were designed for the sports enthusiast wanting to be challenged in a simulation sporting event. |
| 2001 |
Skee-Ball Inc. announces the advent of a new business relationship with Elaut N.V. from Belgium. The business relationship results in the formation of the new company, Skee Ball/Elaut Amusements Games. The primary product that arises from this collaboration is the Optimum Crane. |
| 2002 |
Skee-Ball Inc., in a partnership with Belgium crane maker Elaut N.V., join forces to bring the Big One Crane to the US market. The game was an overwhelming success for operators and it started the trend of large foot print redemption games that produce enormous revenues.
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| 2003 |
In response to the popularity of the arcade version of the Big One Crane, Skee-Ball introduces a midway version of the Big One Crane. This version of the gigantic crane finds itself in great demand by amusement parks all around the world. The midway Big One Crane was awarded 1st Place for the Best New Product in the Games category at the 2004 IAAPA Trade Show in Orlando, FL. |
| 2004 |
Following the success of the Big One Crane, Skee-Ball introduces Spin n Win. With its impressive size and bright lights the game becomes a staple in all Family Entertainment Centers. |
| 2005 |
Skee-Ball continues to thrust itself into customer service and new product development. Only the future knows what is in store for Skee-Ball, Inc. The possibilities for Skee-Ball in the Amusement Industry are endless. |
| 2007 |
Skee-Ball releases an updated version of the original Super Shot Basketball. The new version of the game includes new black and red color scheme, brighter lighting, and the ability to link up to 12 units. |
| 2008 |
Super 21 released and becomes an arcade hit. A casino-themed game, Skee-Ball’s new Super 21 players must time their coin drop to reach 21/BlackJack. With a progressive jackpot, the closer players get to 21 without going over, the more tickets they win. |
| 2009 |
Skee-Ball celebrates its centennial with several new versions of the classic alley bowler: a retro edition for avid collectors, a newly updated model of the commercial arcade game that will be a must-have for all operators, and
Skee-Daddle - a mini alley bowler great for the youngest Skee-Ballers.
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