XOR'easter (talk | contribs) →Reception and further developments: good grief: no, people still say "bowling alley", and an offhand remark about a rebranding effort in 1983 doesn't change that Tag: Visual edit |
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Automatic equipment is considered a cornerstone of the modern bowling center. The traditional bowling center of the early 20th century was advanced in automation when the [[pinsetter]] person ("pin boy"), who set back up by hand the bowled down pins,<ref name=PinsetterDetection/> was replaced by a machine that automatically replaced the pins in their proper play positions. This machine came out in the 1950s.<ref name=Pinsetter>{{cite news |title= Bowling Scoring Now Automatic |work= Herald and Review |page= 31 |location= Decatur, Illinois|date=November 9, 1967 | agency=The New York Times | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118325422/ |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> A detection system was developed from the pinsetter mechanism in the 1960s that could tell which pins had been knocked down, and that information could be transferred to a digital computer.<ref name=PinsetterDetection>{{cite news |title= Electronic Scorer Ready |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55273335/ |work= The San Francisco Examiner |page= 31 |location= San Francisco, California|date=November 11, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref><ref name=DownTheAlley>{{cite news |author= Gil Craker |title= Opinion Divided on Automatic Scorer|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55273814/ |work= Herald and Review |page= 19 |location= Decatur, Illinois|date=November 16, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> |
Automatic equipment is considered a cornerstone of the modern bowling center. The traditional bowling center of the early 20th century was advanced in automation when the [[pinsetter]] person ("pin boy"), who set back up by hand the bowled down pins,<ref name=PinsetterDetection/> was replaced by a machine that automatically replaced the pins in their proper play positions. This machine came out in the 1950s.<ref name=Pinsetter>{{cite news |title= Bowling Scoring Now Automatic |work= Herald and Review |page= 31 |location= Decatur, Illinois|date=November 9, 1967 | agency=The New York Times | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118325422/ |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> A detection system was developed from the pinsetter mechanism in the 1960s that could tell which pins had been knocked down, and that information could be transferred to a digital computer.<ref name=PinsetterDetection>{{cite news |title= Electronic Scorer Ready |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55273335/ |work= The San Francisco Examiner |page= 31 |location= San Francisco, California|date=November 11, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref><ref name=DownTheAlley>{{cite news |author= Gil Craker |title= Opinion Divided on Automatic Scorer|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55273814/ |work= Herald and Review |page= 19 |location= Decatur, Illinois|date=November 16, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> |
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Automatic electronic scoring was first conceived by Robert Reynolds, who had expertise in modern electronics and their use in calculations.<ref name=RobertReynolds>{{cite news |title= Brunswick Markets Automatic Scorer |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55210290/ |work= Democrat and Chronicle|page= 42 |location= Rochester, New York|date=November 9, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> He worked with the technical staff of [[Brunswick Bowling & Billiards|Brunswick Bowling]] to develop it.<ref name=RobertReynolds/> The goal was realized in the late 1960s when a specialized computer was designed for the purpose of automatic scorekeeping for bowling.<ref name=FWST11_9_1967>{{cite news |title= Company Notes |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59167755/ |work= Fort Worth Star-Telegram|page= 27 |location= Fort Worth, Texas|date=November 9, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> The introduction of this device increased the popularity of the sport.<ref name=TT6_18_1977>{{cite news |title= New Scoring Machines right up their alley |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60383347/ |work= The Times|page= 13 |location= San Mateo, California|date=June 18, 1977 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> The automatic scorer was first field tested at Village Lanes bowling center, Chicago in 1967.<ref name=ScoringMachine>{{cite news |author=Chuck Pezzano |title= Scoring Machine Wins Approval of Reporter |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55746317/ |work= The Record |page= 56 |location= Hackensack, New Jersey|date=November 10, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref><ref name=VillageLanes>{{cite news |author=Gil Craker |title= Unit Now Being Field Tested |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55203954/ |work= Herald and Review|page= 19 |location= Decatur, Illinois|date=November 16, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> The scoring machine received approval for official use by the [[American Bowling Congress]] in August of that year.<ref name=ABC_approved>{{cite news |author= Thomas Rogers |title= Bowling eyes big $ score |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55211166/ |work= The Morning News |page= 43 |location= Wilmington, Delaware|date=November 9, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> They were first used in [[United States Bowling Congress|national official league gaming]] on October 10, 1967.<ref name=Anzovin>{{cite book|last2= Anzovin |first2= Steven |first1=Joseph Nathan |last1=Kane |first3=Janet |last3=Podell |edition=5th, revised |title=Famous First Facts |series=Famous First Facts |isbn=0824209303 | url= https://archive.org/details/famousfirstfacts00kane_0 |url-access=registration|date=1997|page=547|location=New York|publisher=The [[H. W. Wilson Company]] }} Item 7230.</ref> In November Brunswick announced that they were accepting orders for the new digital computer, which cost around $3,000 per bowling lane.<ref name=Cost$3000Lane>{{cite news |title= Automatic scorer comes for bowlers / At almost $3,000 per lane |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55212314/ |work= Southern Illinoisan|page= 10 |location= Carbondale, Illinois|date=November 13, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> Bowling centers that installed these new automatic scoring devices in the 1970s charged a ten cents extra per line of scoring for the convenience.<ref name=CostDime>{{cite news |title= Bowling gets Auto-Scorer |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55213545/ |work= Wisconsin State Journal |page= 29 |location= Madison, Wisconsin|date=November 9, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> California was considered a good prospect for making early sales since there bowlers were obliged to pay for human scorekeepers during league competitions.<ref name=ScorekeeperPerson>{{cite news | |
Automatic electronic scoring was first conceived by Robert Reynolds, who had expertise in modern electronics and their use in calculations.<ref name=RobertReynolds>{{cite news |title= Brunswick Markets Automatic Scorer |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55210290/ |work= Democrat and Chronicle|page= 42 |location= Rochester, New York|date=November 9, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> He worked with the technical staff of [[Brunswick Bowling & Billiards|Brunswick Bowling]] to develop it.<ref name=RobertReynolds/> The goal was realized in the late 1960s when a specialized computer was designed for the purpose of automatic scorekeeping for bowling.<ref name=FWST11_9_1967>{{cite news |title= Company Notes |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59167755/ |work= Fort Worth Star-Telegram|page= 27 |location= Fort Worth, Texas|date=November 9, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> The introduction of this device increased the popularity of the sport.<ref name=TT6_18_1977>{{cite news |title= New Scoring Machines right up their alley |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60383347/ |work= The Times|page= 13 |location= San Mateo, California|date=June 18, 1977 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> The automatic scorer was first field tested at Village Lanes bowling center, Chicago in 1967.<ref name=ScoringMachine>{{cite news |author=Chuck Pezzano |title= Scoring Machine Wins Approval of Reporter |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55746317/ |work= The Record |page= 56 |location= Hackensack, New Jersey|date=November 10, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref><ref name=VillageLanes>{{cite news |author=Gil Craker |title= Unit Now Being Field Tested |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55203954/ |work= Herald and Review|page= 19 |location= Decatur, Illinois|date=November 16, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> The scoring machine received approval for official use by the [[American Bowling Congress]] in August of that year.<ref name=ABC_approved>{{cite news |author= Thomas Rogers |title= Bowling eyes big $ score |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55211166/ |work= The Morning News |page= 43 |location= Wilmington, Delaware|date=November 9, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> They were first used in [[United States Bowling Congress|national official league gaming]] on October 10, 1967.<ref name=Anzovin>{{cite book|last2= Anzovin |first2= Steven |first1=Joseph Nathan |last1=Kane |first3=Janet |last3=Podell |edition=5th, revised |title=Famous First Facts |series=Famous First Facts |isbn=0824209303 | url= https://archive.org/details/famousfirstfacts00kane_0 |url-access=registration|date=1997|page=547|location=New York|publisher=The [[H. W. Wilson Company]] }} Item 7230.</ref> In November Brunswick announced that they were accepting orders for the new digital computer, which cost around $3,000 per bowling lane.<ref name=Cost$3000Lane>{{cite news |title= Automatic scorer comes for bowlers / At almost $3,000 per lane |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55212314/ |work= Southern Illinoisan|page= 10 |location= Carbondale, Illinois|date=November 13, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> Bowling centers that installed these new automatic scoring devices in the 1970s charged a ten cents extra per line of scoring for the convenience.<ref name=CostDime>{{cite news |title= Bowling gets Auto-Scorer |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55213545/ |work= Wisconsin State Journal |page= 29 |location= Madison, Wisconsin|date=November 9, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> California was considered a good prospect for making early sales since there bowlers were obliged to pay for human scorekeepers during league competitions.<ref name=ScorekeeperPerson>{{cite news |first= Chuck |last= Pezzano|title= Our Chuck Pezzano Converted |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55273065/ |work= The Morning Call|page=22|location= Paterson, New Jersey|date=November 10, 1967 |via =[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> |
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== Description == |
== Description == |
Revision as of 22:58, 1 March 2023
An automatic scorer is the computerized scoring system to keep track of scoring in ten-pin bowling. It was introduced en masse in bowlings in the 1970s and combined with mechanical pinsetters to detect overturned pins.
By eliminating the need for manual score-keeping, these systems have introduced new bowlers into the game who otherwise would not participate because they had to count the score themselves, as many do not understand the mathematical formula involved in bowler scoring. At first, people were skeptical about whether a computer could keep an accurate score. In the twenty-first century, they are used in most bowling centers around the world. The three manufacturers of these specialty computers are Brunswick Bowling, AMF Bowling and RCA.
History
Automatic equipment is considered a cornerstone of the modern bowling center. The traditional bowling center of the early 20th century was advanced in automation when the pinsetter person ("pin boy"), who set back up by hand the bowled down pins,[1] was replaced by a machine that automatically replaced the pins in their proper play positions. This machine came out in the 1950s.[2] A detection system was developed from the pinsetter mechanism in the 1960s that could tell which pins had been knocked down, and that information could be transferred to a digital computer.[1][3]
Automatic electronic scoring was first conceived by Robert Reynolds, who had expertise in modern electronics and their use in calculations.[4] He worked with the technical staff of Brunswick Bowling to develop it.[4] The goal was realized in the late 1960s when a specialized computer was designed for the purpose of automatic scorekeeping for bowling.[5] The introduction of this device increased the popularity of the sport.[6] The automatic scorer was first field tested at Village Lanes bowling center, Chicago in 1967.[7][8] The scoring machine received approval for official use by the American Bowling Congress in August of that year.[9] They were first used in national official league gaming on October 10, 1967.[10] In November Brunswick announced that they were accepting orders for the new digital computer, which cost around $3,000 per bowling lane.[11] Bowling centers that installed these new automatic scoring devices in the 1970s charged a ten cents extra per line of scoring for the convenience.[12] California was considered a good prospect for making early sales since there bowlers were obliged to pay for human scorekeepers during league competitions.[13]
Description
Each Automatic Scorer computer unit kept score for four lanes. It had two bowler identification panels serving two lanes each.[2] The bowler pushed it into his named position when his turn came up so the computer knew who was bowling and score accordingly. After the bowler rolled the bowling ball down the lane and knocked down pins, the pinsetter detected which pins were down and relayed this information back to the computer for scoring. The result was then printed on a scoresheet and projected overhead onto a large screen for all to see.[14]
The Automatic Scorer digital computer was mathematically accurate, however the detection system at the pinsetter mechanism sometimes reported the wrong number of pins knocked down. The computer could be corrected manually for any errors in the system;[15] similarly, human errors, such as neglecting to move the bowler identification mechanism, could be corrected for by manual action.[6] The scorer could take into account bowlers' handicaps and could adjust for late-arriving bowlers.[3] The automatic scorer is directly connected to the foul detection unit. As a result, foul line violations are automatically scored.[3]
Brunswick had put ten years of research and development into the Automatic Scorer, and by 1972 there were over 500 of these computers installed in bowling centers around the world.[15] AMF Bowling, competitor to Brunswick, entered into the automatic scorer computer field during the 1970s and their systems were installed into their brand of bowling centers.[16][17] By 1974, RCA was also making these computers for automatic scoring.[18][19][20]
Reception and further developments
The purposes of the computerized scoring were to avoid errors by human scorers and to prevent cheating.[16] It had the side benefit of speeding up the progress of the game and introducing new bowlers to the game. Score-keeping for bowling is based on a formula that many new to bowling were not familiar with and thought difficult to learn.[21] These casual bowlers unfamiliar with the formula thought the scores given by the computers were confusing.[22][23] Some bowlers were not comfortable with automatic scorers when they were introduced in the 1970s, so kept score using the traditional method on paper score sheets.[24]
Automatic scorers came to be considered a normal part of modern bowling installations worldwide, with owners and managers saying that bowlers expect such equipment to be present in bowling establishments and that business increased following their introduction.[25] Bowling center owners could use these style automatic scorers for advertising, management, videos, and live television.[26][27]
By the 2010s, these type of electronic visual displays could show bowler avatars and social media connections to publicize the bowlers' scores.[28] Some are capable of being extended entertainment systems of games for children and adults.[29] Some scoring systems support variations on traditional bowling, such as different kinds of bingo games where certain pins have to be knocked down at certain times or practice regimes where certain spares have to be accomplished.[30]
By this point, QubicaAMF Worldwide, an outgrowth of AMF, was one of the leading providers of bowling scoring equipment.[31]
Footnotes
- ^ a b "Electronic Scorer Ready". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. November 11, 1967. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b "Bowling Scoring Now Automatic". Herald and Review. Decatur, Illinois. The New York Times. November 9, 1967. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b c Gil Craker (November 16, 1967). "Opinion Divided on Automatic Scorer". Herald and Review. Decatur, Illinois. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b "Brunswick Markets Automatic Scorer". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. November 9, 1967. p. 42 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Company Notes". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. November 9, 1967. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b "New Scoring Machines right up their alley". The Times. San Mateo, California. June 18, 1977. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Chuck Pezzano (November 10, 1967). "Scoring Machine Wins Approval of Reporter". The Record. Hackensack, New Jersey. p. 56 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Gil Craker (November 16, 1967). "Unit Now Being Field Tested". Herald and Review. Decatur, Illinois. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Thomas Rogers (November 9, 1967). "Bowling eyes big $ score". The Morning News. Wilmington, Delaware. p. 43 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Kane, Joseph Nathan; Anzovin, Steven; Podell, Janet (1997). Famous First Facts. Famous First Facts (5th, revised ed.). New York: The H. W. Wilson Company. p. 547. ISBN 0824209303. Item 7230.
- ^ "Automatic scorer comes for bowlers / At almost $3,000 per lane". Southern Illinoisan. Carbondale, Illinois. November 13, 1967. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Bowling gets Auto-Scorer". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. November 9, 1967. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Pezzano, Chuck (November 10, 1967). "Our Chuck Pezzano Converted". The Morning Call. Paterson, New Jersey. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Dave Harfst (November 9, 1967). "New Bowling Service: Computerized Scoring". Lansing State Journal. Lansing, Michigan. p. 53 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b "Bowling enters the electronic age". Independent Press Telegram. Long Beach, California. February 27, 1972. p. 125 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b "No more pencils for keeping score, computer does it". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. December 12, 1982. p. 103 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "AMF computer systems technician". News-Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. April 14, 1978. p. 32 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "City and area bowlers start rolling this week". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. September 1, 1974. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Super bowling in New York". Daily News. New York, New York. November 2, 1975. pp. 381, 388 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "M-66 Bowl". Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, Michigan. April 5, 1974. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Don Schilling (August 7, 1977). "Bowling". The Leaf-Chronicle. Clarksville, Tennessee. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Jef Goodger (November 4, 2019). "Bowling Scoring". LiveAbout. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
- ^ Dustin (February 12, 2017). "How to Score Bowling". The Bowling Universe. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
- ^ Sid Boardman (March 7, 1970). "Scoring has Automatic Twist". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com .
Scoring sounds simple to those that know how.
- ^ Sharon L. Bass (August 21, 1988). "Some Alleys Can Now Do Everything but Bowl". The New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ "Brunswick". The Journal News. White Plains, New York. July 9, 1988. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "QubicaAMF /Scoring, Entertainment and Central Management System". AMF. 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ "Pulsating / Bowling center installs new scoring system". The Republic. Columbus, Indiana. July 20, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ Brian Kleinknecht (2020). "Sunn Valley Lanes Installs QubicaAMF's BES-X Entertainment System". Sun Valley Lanes and Games. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ Wiedman, Doug (2015). Bowling: Steps to Success (Second ed.). Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics. pp. 199–200, 234–236.
- ^ "New state-of-the-art bowling scoring system installed at Stars & Strikes Bowling Center". Command Post. Scott Air Force Base. August 31, 2017. p. 7B – via Newspapers.com.