# PinBall Machines **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2001, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinball-machines/54066 "2001-02-11T21:14:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jeffism15](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/53a042/32.png) [@Jeffism15](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeffism15)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinball-machines/54066/1 "2001-02-11T21:14:26Z")
I am not a big fan of pinball games, but recently i bought a new computer and it has a pinball game on it–so of course i had to play it. To my astonishment it has tilt option on it, which i cannot understand why… I can see why the tilt option is on ACTUAL pinball machines because you can tamper with a machine numerous ways. But it’s not like i’m gona tilt my OWN computer upside down to keep a ball in place–because that would asinine… If anyone can solve my completely inane question it would be appreciative. ---
**Author:** ![mdf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@mdf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mdf)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinball-machines/54066/2 "2001-02-11T21:21:07Z")
I have seen a couple of PB games that allow a virtual bump using some key combo. A virtual tilt would make for a realistic bump - useful but risky. -mdf ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinball-machines/54066/3 "2001-02-11T22:23:17Z")
I had a pinball game available on my work computer (til we got it overhauled and it ‘disappeared’). Believe it or not, sometimes the ball would sometimes get stuck in an odd position (in a corner or perfectly balanced on a pin or bumper. The ‘X’ key would allow you to ‘nudge’ the machine to get the ball unstuck, all the while, the screen is admonishing you with ‘CAREFUL!’. [If you hit the ‘X’ key too many times (the screen would shake with each nudge), the game would tilt until the ball disappeared and the game reset for the next player.] It’s that realistic feel for those of us who played real pinball, back before PONG was out… ---
**Author:** ![Major\_Feelgud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@Major\_Feelgud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Feelgud)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2001, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinball-machines/54066/4 "2001-02-12T03:28:46Z")
I am a skilled real and PC pinball player. You need a tilt button because sometimes you need to nudge the ball to prevent it from going out of play to get a scoring combination. It’s second nature to nudge the ball on the PC if you’re a skilled real pinball player. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2001, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinball-machines/54066/5 "2001-02-12T17:39:50Z")
On a _real_ pinball machine, you tilt if you bump it too hard, not too often, or too many times. A skilled pinball player (i.e. not me) would be able to bump the machine during his whole round, once he got a feel for the machine. Unless your PC has an accellerometer, tilting isn’t the same as on the real thing.