Time Fantasy

This game used excess backboxes from the production run of Williams' 1981 'Hyperball'. Programmer Ed Suchocki provided us the following information about this game:Time Fantasy was developed to hit a market demand for a low cost pin game that would limit the play time. Our distributors were requesting a pin design where play time can be better managed and for the game to be cost reduced.. Time Fantasy was designed as a two-player unit and had most of the coils removed. Plasma displays and coils were the most costly items on the playfield so they were limited. We also had a need to get a game ready for the factory in less than three weeks time, otherwise the factory was looking at being shutdown. Williams did not like shutting down the line and wanted to keep people working. We were placing our emphasis on the development of video games at that time and we had limited programmers available. Besides Larry Demar, I was probably the most familiar with the pinball operating system at that time. The design team was able to complete the game in two weeks which gave us some leeway in getting playfields, artwork, and testing in before production. Testing was interesting and showed us something we didn't expect. The game was played by an older audience. We were told that parents were playing the game while their children played all the ticket vending machines. It tested well in the family centers but it didn't do so well in the locations for hardcore gamers. I do remember there was an earnings report showing the game made over $500 for a week in one location. However, it just wasn't mainstream and didn't perform well in all locations.