Machine Description

Released by Williams Electronics in 1980, 'Blackout' emerged during a pivotal transition period in pinball history when solid-state electronics were becoming the industry standard. The machine's theme cleverly played on the widespread concerns about energy crises and power grid failures that dominated news headlines in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The gameplay design of Blackout featured innovative elements for its era, including a unique scoring system that simulated a power grid under stress. Players worked to prevent a complete system failure while building multipliers and bonus scores. The playfield layout included traditional elements like pop bumpers and drop targets, but arranged them in a way that created dynamic shot combinations representing different sections of the power grid.

As one of Williams' early solid-state machines, Blackout helped establish some of the fundamental features that would become standard in modern pinball design. While not as widely remembered as some other Williams classics from the same period like Gorgar or Firepower, it represents an important step in the evolution of pinball technology and thematic design. Production numbers were moderate for the era, though exact figures aren't widely documented.