Passion for Pinball: Interview with Hamish Guthrey, Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe

“Ever since I was a young boy
I've played the silver ball.
From Soho down to Bond St *
I must have played 'em all”  

Wait! Where? Bond Street?  (*Apologies to The Who)

Yes, Wellington’s pinhead community already know there’s a new game venue in town and now word is getting out that Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe (YOPS) has opened in Bond St in Wellington’s CBD.

Hamish Guthrey, a self-described AV integration geek, has turned a long-time passion for pinball into one of Wellington’s newest niche businesses. YOPS is both a pinball arcade and a showroom for Multimorphic machines for which Hamish holds the NZ distributorship. He is also able to help enthusiasts source and import machines produced by other companies and provides an installation and maintenance service as well.

When I dropped by in early January the windows were covered in newspaper and what appeared to be a very random selection of words – bumpers, gobble hole, draining. My first exposure to the international language of the pinball afficionado. Since then, the fit out has been completed, the front doors opened for business and regular monthly pinball tournaments are being hosted.

Fun fact #1
A precursor to pinball evolved in France in the late 17th century and eventually became known as bagatelle.  The game continued to evolve with the first coin-operated gaming machines being invented in the USA in the 1930s.

The day Wellington City Library visited Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe a diverse clientele popped in for a quick couple of games, including a preschooler unable to see the tabletop but who seemed to know what the buttons were all for.

From design to implementation and installation Hamish has been hands-on all the way through undertaking much of the work himself with the help of likeminded friends. The result is a 21st century tech meets 1970s vibe and is welcoming to all.

Fun fact #2
In America pinball was viewed by some as a game of chance (like gambling) and was therefore banned in many cities. New York didn’t lift its ban until 1976.

Wellington City Libraries sat down with Hamish and asked what led him to make the leap from being an enthusiast to setting up a business based on his long-held passion.

This is a two-part interview! Part one will focus on the business side of setting up a business from scratch.  Part two will look more at the pinball side of the business.

Related library resources

• It starts with passion : do what you love and love what you do by Abraham, Keith
• Passion, purpose, profit : sidestep the #hustle and build a business you love by Killackey, Fiona
• Crush it! : why now is the time to cash in on your passion by Vaynerchuk, Gary
• Launch your dream : a 30-day plan for turning your passion into your profession by Partridge, Dale
• Pinball : a graphic history of the silver ball by Chad, Jon

Fun fact #3
There are pinball museums to be found across America, throughout Europe and in Australia

If film is more your thing, you can access this documentary on Kanopy through Wellington City Libraries. It's free but you do need a library card to register.

Wizard Mode: An Autistic Teenager's Quest to Become World Pinball Champion

In the game of pinball, there is no greater reward than Wizard Mode – a hidden level that is only unlocked when a player completes a series of lightning-speed challenges. Robert Gagno has dedicated most of his life to mastering Wizard Mode and is now one of the top pinball players in the world. He also happens to have autism.