D. Gottlieb & Co. was one of the first major American pinball manufacturers. Active for roughly 70 years, Gottlieb was instrumental in the development of pinball in the United States. Prolific during the E.M. era, they ultimately could not keep pace with modern advancements in pinball technology, ultimately closing their doors amid a broader industry downturn in the late 1990s.
- Pinball games:358
- Years active:1927-1996
- Status:Not Active
- Location:Chicago, IL, USA
- Website:D. Gottlieb & Co.
About D. Gottlieb & Co.
The company sold mechanical pinball machines like Baffle Ball during its early development. Gottlieb was the first company to bring flipper bats in its pinball machines in 1947.
The player-controlled two-inch bats shot the ball back into the game, so the player gains more points. Flipper bats made their first appearance in the game, Humpty Dumpty.
The company hired several notable designers, such as Wayne Neyes, Ed Krynski, and Harry Mabs.
In 1931, Gottlieb introduced mechanical-powered pinball machines. Four years later, the company began producing electro-mechanical pinball machines.
In 1976, Colombia Pictures acquired Gottlieb. The first game released after the buyout was Q*bert in 1982. A year after the game’s release, Coca-Cola bought Colombia. The owners renamed Gottlieb to Mylstar Electronics. The latter company shut down in 1984.
The company’s management decided to buy the assets and create a new pinball company called Premier Technology. Gilbert Pollock founded the corporation. That said, some of the prototypes crafted by Mylstar remained unsold and unreleased.
Premier Technology ended up selling pinball machines under Gottlieb until 1996.
