Scorbit FAQs

General

Players

Operators

Collectors

General

What is Scorbit?

Scorbit unlocks new ways to play, socialize and manage pinball. It allows game information to be broadcasted in real-time to the Internet from pinball machines, ranging from solid state to modern era machines. The Scorbit platform consists of easily installed backbox hardware and an app that unlocks features, as well as a service in the cloud to connect it all together.

Why do this?

When you can connect the enormous inventory of pinball machines to the Internet, you unlock a universe of possibilities. Not only can you keep track of scores, but now you can also compete against your friends, family and league mates, socially and effortlessly. Imagine getting a notification when a friend beats your score on your favorite machine, or unlocking never seen before achievements, including ones that transcend across multiple games. How about building asynchronous tournaments with anyone, anywhere, anytime? Or maybe displaying beautiful, real-time visualizations of your games and leaderboards for your game rooms or venue(s)? Want to process digital payments? Get more people playing, and coming back for more? The Scorbit platform allows you to do all of these things and more.

What is a Scorbitron?

A Scorbitron turns almost any pinball machine into an Internet- and cloud-connected device. When a Scorbitron is installed in the backbox of a pinball machine, it enables that machine to take data (like location, scores, earnings and more) and share it to the Scorbit platform in the cloud. Designed to be easily installed and not interfere with the inner workings of a pinball machine, a Scorbitron is custom-designed hardware that works with hundreds of pinball machines, ranging from solid state machines released in the 1970s to modern DMD and LCD display machines released just this year.

How does it work?

The Scorbit platform can get game information from a variety of sources within the pinball machine, like the game’s display, CPU, memory, or directly from the software. Scorbit has designed special electronics, called Scorbit Probes, that connect to all these different sources across any time period. These Probes are able to monitor game data and send it to the Scorbitron, where it is converted to common score information before being passed along to the Scorbit service API. Applications on the phone or other platforms, web sites, and other software, can all see this game data in real time. After years of research and development, Scorbit created patented hardware and software specifically designed to speak to both vintage and modern machines.

What kind of wireless system do you use?

Our devices are wifi enabled and connect to a local SSID that you provide through the app. The phone or device running the app does not talk directly to the pinball machine!

Players

How much does it cost me to use the Scorbit platform?

Use of the Scorbit app is free.

Can I use the Scorbit app on a pinball machine that doesn’t have a Scorbitron?

Absolutely! You can manually enter information, along with a selfie photo, for any game — with or without an installed Scorbitron. It’s just so much cooler when there is one!

Who can see my scores? Who can see me play live?

Anyone you want to. You can choose which scores to save and which to post. Also, people can watch your score live via the app or a scoreboard, or review scores you choose to save on permanent leaderboards for every machine you play on.

Since two pinball machines of the same game title are never exactly the same (different settings, different conditions, different tilt, different pitch, different speed, etc.), what’s the point of competing on two games of the same title?

All leaderboards and scoreboards are specific to a unique machine. While the same game can be played in different locations, that is a choice individuals players can make.

Can people cheat by uploading scores they didn’t get or taking the glass off the machine to manipulate their scores?

Sure they could. But no one likes a cheater and, from our experience, pinball players have pride in their scores and play with high dignity and honor. We trust you to make the right decision. That said, we are on the lookout for suspect entries and have developed behind-the-scenes methods to verify scores.

Operators

What kind of pinball machines does the Scorbitron work with?

You can use a Scorbitron with any electronic machines made from the late ’70s until the present, ranging from solid states to DMDs to modern machines. We will initially release kits for early Bally and Stern machines, and all DMD-era and modern machines. Over time, we’ll release kits for all the remaining solid states.

Does Scorbit work with electro-magnetic pinball machines made from the 1930s through the 1970s?

At this time we do not support electro-magnetic (EM) pinball machines. But, we have ideas on how we could — so stay tuned!

Why should I monitor a pinball machine remotely via the Scorbit app?

If a game is turned off outside of your normal business hours, that costs you money. Knowing when a machine is on or off, how much it is earning and at what time, can be a major boost in plays and revenue. For example, wouldn’t it be great to know how often a bartender turns off a game because a ball is stuck? How about when a coin slot is jammed? Knowing when machines stop working — when it happens — can make a huge difference in your time and bottom line.

When will your payment system be ready and how much of a percentage are you going to take of each game played?

Payments is a feature designed to decrease friction with players and increase revenue to operators. Since our business model is to make money through subscriptions, we will charge nothing for this. We will begin beta-testing our payment system soon.

How much does it cost?

Scorbit is a SaaS/tiered model with two account types: Operators and Collectors, both of whom pay less per unit with an increased volume of units (volume discounts). Operators pay per machine/per month, and Collectors pay per household/per month. Subscriptions are also tiered based on volume. For current pricing, click here.

Collectors

Why do I want “connected pinball” at home?

Beautifully display all your live scores and leaderboards in your game room. Engage in tournaments with friends and family. Share your experiences. Unlock achievements in your existing games. Stream live scores simply and elegantly from the Scorbit platform, integrating with common streaming software. You’ll breathe new life into your games, and get your friends and family hooked on them like they were brand new.

How much does it cost?

Scorbit is a SaaS/tiered model with two account types: Operators and Collectors, both of whom pay less per unit with an increased volume of units (volume discounts). Operators pay per machine/per month, and Collectors pay per household/per month. Subscriptions are also tiered based on volume. For current pricing, click here.