The background in video games proved very helpful in launching their own reel slots as they replaced the physical reels of classic slots with graphical video slot reels. The spread of video games saw a sharp decline in the market for pinball machines and led WMS to the decision to enter the slot machine industry. and publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange, which designated WMS as their ticker symbol.
The abbreviation WMS goes back to the year 1987 when the company was renamed into Williams Industries Inc. Most of the people growing up in the late 70s will remember them fondly as they could be found in virtually every major games arcade and where also ported onto the first home video game systems.
They produced some great classics of the early video games such as Paddle Ball, Defender, Stargate and Robotron: 2084. Williams and went on to become on of the major suppliers in the industry. The company was founded as early as 1943 by Harry E. Just as many other gaming providers, WMS initially main product were pinball machines from where they branched out to supply a whole variety of arcade video games.
