Pinball designer Steve Kordek passes away

According to Gamasutra, Steve Kordek, one of the pioneers of the pinball industry, passed away on Sunday, February 19, at the age of 100. He designed over 100 different tables for various manufacturers, and was notable for having standardized the basic “two flipper” design common to most pinball machines.

Although pinball is not directly related to video games, they share a common culture in that they often appeared side-by-side in venues like arcades and bars. I quite enjoy pinball myself, and their history is every bit as interesting as their digital cousins. The news of Kordek’s passing only serves to remind me once again how relatively young these industries are, and it’s easy to take for granted that many of the men and women who had profound influences in them, and thus on my life, are still around. It’s sad to hear about when one of them passes away, yet it’s fortunate that Mr. Kordek lived long enough to witness the profound effect he had on the industry. My sincerest respects go out to his family and friends.

Source: Gamasutra