Pinball Still in the Game

Pinball, it seems, is still profitable.

At a time when “Super Streetfighter 2” and sophisticated virtual reality games are all the rage at the video arcade, Sega Enterprises Ltd. said Friday that it plans to acquire Chicago-based Data East Pinball, the world’s second-largest pinball maker.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. but Sega, the $4-billion Japanese video game giant that has built a reputation as a cutting-edge interactive entertainment firm, said in a news release that pinball machines “continue to be a dominant element in the amusement arcade industry.”

Said Hayao Nakayama, Sega’s president and chief executive: “We believe the acquisition will give us a full line of amusement machines and allow us to consolidate our position of strength in that market.”