Tetsuo Fukuda founded the Data East pinball company in 1976. The company’s U.S. presence came in 1979. Data East’s pinball machine phase spanned between 1987 to 1994. During the late 80s, the company produced multiple machines, such as Laser War. The pinball corporation started coming out with licensed games after 1990. Some of them included The Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Batman. A couple of Data East’s most notable designers included Joe Kamnkow and Ed Cebula. One of the company’s milestones was its production of the DECO Cassette System in 1980. It was the first cartridge-based arcade system.
- Pinball games:27
- Years active:1986-1994
- Status:Not Active
- Location:San Jose, California
- Website:Data East USA Inc.
About Data East USA Inc.
Data East Pinball was established in 1986 as the pinball division of Japan-based Data East Corporation, led by Gary Stern, who had purchased the assets of the defunct Stern Electronics factory in Chicago, Illinois. Under Stern’s leadership, Data East Pinball quickly rose to prominence by embracing popular licenses from films, television, comics, and music, introducing players to titles such as The Simpsons (1990), Back to the Future (1990), Star Wars (1992), Jurassic Park (1993), and Guns N’ Roses (1994). These machines captured a significant share of the pinball market, garnering fans through engaging gameplay tied to widely recognized themes.
Throughout its existence, Data East Pinball pushed technological and design boundaries. Laser War (1987) was reputedly the first pinball machine to incorporate stereo sound, and Checkpoint (1991) introduced the industry’s first dot-matrix display, which later became standard across manufacturers. The company’s Jurassic Park machine showcased a motorized Tyrannosaurus rex toy capable of snatching balls from the playfield, reflecting Data East’s penchant for dynamic and imaginative features. However, the considerable costs of licensing, paired with an overall decline in the pinball market, led Data East’s parent company to sell the pinball division to Sega in 1994. The subsequent iteration, Sega Pinball Inc., was ultimately acquired by Gary Stern, who transformed it into Stern Pinball, thereby preserving the legacy and design expertise pioneered by Data East Pinball.
