Arkon

Arkon, officially Arkon Automaten GmbH, was a Frankfurt-based pinball company founded by Reinhard Deutsch in the early 1980s that specialized in conversion kits and is credited with inventing the projector-based "Picture Pin" concept which integrated changing still-image projections into gameplay as an operator-focused multimedia novelty. The Picture Pin system used a film-cartridge projector to display pin-up and themed images on the playfield as earned features, providing a way to refresh existing Bally donor machines and attract players and operators alike. Arkon’s best-known products included the adult-themed Sexy Girl (1980), the toned-down Magic Picture Pin (1982), and Sexy Girl (Deluxe) (1983), all marketed as conversion kits for Bally cabinets such as Playboy and Silverball Mania and notable today as rare, sought-after collector items. Despite technical creativity and a unique niche in projector-equipped conversion kits, Arkon struggled against larger manufacturers and market shifts and ceased operations by the mid-1980s, leaving a small but influential legacy in pinball history.