Pipeline
Description
Pipeline was produced by Atari in 1978.
Atari released 139 machines in our database under this trade name, starting in 1972. Atari was based in United States.
Other machines made by Atari during the time period Pipeline was produced include: Airborne Avenger, Destroyer, Boxing, Dominos, Canyon Bomber, Orbit, Fire Truck, Sky Raider, Avalanche, and Skydiver
Game Introduction
The precurser to the Atari Space Riders pinball game, Pipeline was canceled in 1978 when Atari marketing said they wanted a futuristic outer space theme like Star Wars. Atari reskinned Pipeline with a new Space Riders theme. Playfield layout is nearly identical between Pipeline and Space Riders.
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Images
Trivia
There are 3 D cell batteries used to power NVRAM. There was no artwork found for center top playfield plastic. Currently using a Space Riders piece as place saver.
Cabinet Information
Original Atari Pipeline artwork used for main cabinet. Backbox artwork is new design. Cabinet designed and constructed by Wade Krause. Original bottom cabinet was a Time 2000. Stencils created from two pieces of stencil artwork. One marked red and one marked blue. Plastics artwork was found in Atari archives stored at Strong Museum of Play.
Conversion
This game was constructed from Pipeline parts collected over a 25 year period. The CPU boards and most wiring harnesses are original Pipeline. The playfield for the game at CAX 2024 is a converted Space Riders playfield. The transformer is from a Superman game. An original playfield was scanned and printed on to photo paper that was cut and glued to space riders playfield. Playfield plastics shapes are identical to Space Riders. \
Miscellaneous
Released as Space Riders after creating new artwork, converting software to use Generation 1 Atari hardware, and some minor changes to playfield,.
VAPS Arcade/Coin-Op Pipeline Census
There are 15,264 members of the Vintage Arcade Preservation Society, 9,669 whom participate in our arcade census project of games owned, wanted, or for sale. Census data currently includes 166,973 machines (7,000 unique titles).
Owned - There is one known instance of this machine owned by an active member Pipeline collector. It is a conversion in which game circuit boards (and possibly cabinet graphics) have been placed in (and on) another game cabinet.
Wanted - No active members have added this machine to their wish list.
Rarity and Popularity independently are not necessarily indications of value. [More Information]
Technical
The Pipeline main board is the prototype for Gen 2 Atari pinball boards. This board had several new features including battery backed up ram, pin and socket instead of edge connectors, audio amplifier on board, and finally direct control of LED score displays. The board is mounted in the head where the score displays are also located.
Legacy
- Pipeline
- Space Riders
Additional References (logged in members often see more)
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