# PINBALL EXPO 2018 - THURSDAY **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2018-10-18 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2018/10/18/pinball-expo-2018-thursday --- ## Analysis Coverage of Thursday, October 17, 2018 at Pinball Expo 2018, featuring the traditional Stern factory tour led by George Gomez and Dwight Sullivan, followed by seminars on pinball and gaming industry topics including Team Pinball's Mafia machine, The Pinball Company's business growth, and the official unveiling of American Pinball's second title, Oktoberfest: Pinball on Tap. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] The Pinball Company's top-selling machines are The Wizard of Oz (first), The Addams Family (second), Star Wars DE, AC/DC, Pirates of the Caribbean (Stern), and Star Trek (Stern) — _Nick Parks speaking at Pinball Expo 2018 seminar about his business_ - [HIGH] The Pinball Company plans to open a Chicago Pinball Hall of Fame in Schaumberg, Illinois with 150+ modern-era pinballs, EM pinballs, new arcade games, full bar, and corporate/party area by October 2019 — _Nick Parks presentation at Pinball Expo 2018_ - [HIGH] Team Pinball built ten sample machines of The Mafia before going public — _Romain Fontaine seminar presentation at Pinball Expo 2018_ - [HIGH] The Pinball Company website launched in 2006 — _Nick Parks seminar at Pinball Expo 2018_ - [HIGH] American Pinball's second title is Oktoberfest: Pinball on Tap with game designer Joe Balcer — _American Pinball seminar unveiling at Pinball Expo 2018_ ### Notable Quotes > "He stressed how they tried to keep things simple and clean inside the game." > — **Romain Fontaine (Team Pinball)**, 1:30pm seminar > _Design philosophy emphasis on Team Pinball's first machine, The Mafia_ > "Todd advised not putting the prices of games on brochures as game prices change rapidly and soon become outdated." > — **Todd Tuckey (TNT Amusements)**, 4:00pm seminar > _Business advice on marketing and pricing strategy for pinball dealers_ > "After a turf war Ed's team won and the X-Box was given approval to go ahead." > — **Ed Fries**, 5:00pm seminar > _Historical context of Microsoft's video game console development, tangentially related to pinball community interest_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | George Gomez | person | Stern Pinball designer who welcomed factory tour guests and introduced team members at Pinball Expo 2018 | | Dwight Sullivan | person | Stern Pinball Lead Programmer who led factory tour groups and explained manufacturing processes including wiring looms | | Jody Dankberg | person | Stern Pinball Senior Director of Licensing and New Business who welcomed factory tour guests | | Nick Parks | person | Owner/founder of The Pinball Company; presented business history and growth, announced Chicago Pinball Hall of Fame plans | | Brooke Parks | person | Co-presenter with Nick Parks at The Pinball Company seminar | | Romain Fontaine | person | Team Pinball representative; discussed creation of The Mafia pinball machine | | Jim Schelberg | person | Pingame Journal founder; presented pinball-related clips from popular media at seminar | | Todd Tuckey | person | Owner of TNT Amusements; provided tips on selling pinball/video games and starting a business | | Frank Lindenmuth | person | Co-presenter with Todd Tuckey on business tips for selling coin-op games | | Ed Fries | person | Former Microsoft executive; discussed X-Box creation and video game industry history | | Warren Davis | person | Q*Bert video game developer; spoke about game development and design inspiration | | David Thiel | person | Q*Bert video game developer and Gottlieb video game programmer; discussed game development challenges | | Jeff Lee | person | Q*Bert video game developer; contributed to game concept and naming | | Nirmal Vasani | person | American Pinball representative; welcomed guests to Oktoberfest unveiling seminar | | Mukesh Vasani | person | American Pinball founder; spoke about company journey and vision | | Joe Balcer | person | Game designer for American Pinball's Oktoberfest: Pinball on Tap | | Josh Kugler | person | American Pinball team member; discussed Oktoberfest development team | | Joe Schober | person | American Pinball team member; presented Oktoberfest game rules with Josh Kugler | | Roger Sharpe | person | Pinball personality; first to play Oktoberfest at Pinball Expo 2018 seminar | | Stern Pinball | company | Major pinball manufacturer hosting factory tour at Pinball Expo 2018; factory located in Elk Grove Village, IL | | American Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer presenting Oktoberfest: Pinball on Tap as their second title; based in Palatine, Illinois; successor to Aimtron | | The Pinball Company | company | Pinball retail/distribution business founded by Nick Parks; planning Chicago Pinball Hall of Fame; website launched 2006 | | Pinball Expo 2018 | event | Annual pinball industry event held October 17-20, 2018 at Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling, IL | | Oktoberfest: Pinball on Tap | product | American Pinball's second machine title; officially unveiled at Pinball Expo 2018; features Otto model, beer barrel lock, and wobbling bumper caps | | The Mafia | product | Team Pinball's first machine title; uses Raspberry Pi control system and custom hardware; playfield designed by Hungarian designer Balint | ### Topics - **Primary:** Stern Pinball factory operations and manufacturing, American Pinball new game announcement (Oktoberfest), The Pinball Company business growth and Hall of Fame expansion plans - **Secondary:** Pinball industry business and marketing practices, Homebrew and boutique pinball development (Team Pinball), Pinball in popular media and culture - **Mentioned:** Video game industry history and parallels ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.82) — Event coverage is upbeat and celebratory, focusing on industry growth, innovation, and community engagement. American Pinball's unveiling and The Pinball Company's expansion plans represent optimism about market expansion. Factory tour and seminars demonstrate healthy industry activity and knowledge sharing. ### Signals - **[business_signal]** The Pinball Company announces plans for Chicago Pinball Hall of Fame expansion in Schaumberg with 150+ machines (confidence: high) — Nick Parks presentation detailing specific venue plans, timeline (by October 2019), and facility specifications - **[community_signal]** Stern Pinball conducting factory tours and seminars; continued investment in community education and transparency (confidence: high) — Organized factory tours with school buses, George Gomez and Dwight Sullivan leading tours, multiple seminars - **[event_signal]** Pinball Expo 2018 ongoing with major seminars, factory tours, and game announcements (confidence: high) — Documented event dates October 17-20, 2018; multiple seminars and factory tour confirmed - **[personnel_signal]** Stern Pinball leadership visible and engaged in community events; George Gomez actively presenting to enthusiasts (confidence: high) — George Gomez welcomed tour groups and introduced Stern team members at factory - **[announcement]** American Pinball officially unveils Oktoberfest: Pinball on Tap as their second game title (confidence: high) — Machine unveiled at 8:30pm seminar with full team presentation and playfield details - **[technology_signal]** Team Pinball using Raspberry Pi control system for homebrew machines, demonstrating accessibility of modern pinball design (confidence: high) — Romain Fontaine explained Team Pinball's custom hardware using Raspberry Pi for The Mafia --- ## Transcript **Date:** 17th - 20th October, 2018 **Location:** Westin Chicago North Shore, 601 North Milwaukee Avenue, Wheeling, IL 60090, USA Thursday at Pinball Expo began as it always does with the Stern Pinball factory tour. At 9am the bright yellow school buses arrived and show guests who had purchased the tour as part of their package or as a standalone purchase boarded the buses for the ride to the Stern factory around 25 minutes away. [![The school buses arrive](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/032-pinball-expo-2018-1024x683.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/032-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) The school buses arrive [![Stern Pinball factory tour guests board the bus for the trip to Elk Grove Village](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/033-pinball-expo-2018-1024x683.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/033-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Stern Pinball factory tour guests board the bus for the trip to Elk Grove Village When they arrived, guests entered the Stern building to congregate in the area usually reserved for staff dining.  Here they were welcomed to the factory by Jody Dankberg, Stern’s Senior Director of Licensing and New Business. [![Jody greets tour guests in the lobby area](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/034-pinball-expo-2018-1024x683.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/034-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Jody greets tour guests in the lobby area Jody then passed the microphone to George Gomez who introduced several members of the Stern Pinball team. [![George also welcomes guests alongside a cardboard Gary Stern](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/036-pinball-expo-2018-1024x683.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/036-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) George also welcomes guests alongside a cardboard Gary Stern [![George and 'Gary'](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/035-pinball-expo-2018-1024x676.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/035-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) George and ‘Gary’ Then the tour began, with guests being shown around the factory in groups of ten. [![The tour begins](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/037-pinball-expo-2018-1024x683.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/037-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) The tour begins While we returned to the hotel to prepare for the seminars, M.G. Brown. took these pictures of the tour. [![The first guests on the tour](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/051-pinball-expo-2018-740x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/051-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) The first guests on the tour [![Lead programmer Dwight Sullivan leads this tour group](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/052-pinball-expo-2018-683x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/052-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Lead programmer Dwight Sullivan leads this tour group [![Dwight explains how the wiring looms are made](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/054-pinball-expo-2018-589x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/054-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Dwight explains how the wiring looms are made [![The bare black cabinets come in and have their game-specific decals applied](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/055-pinball-expo-2018-1024x645.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/055-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) The bare black cabinets come in and have their game-specific decals applied [![Machine assemblies are built ready for addition to the playfield](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/058-pinball-expo-2018-1024x668.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/058-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Machine assemblies are built ready for addition to the playfield [![Completed machines are tested](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/057-pinball-expo-2018-1024x652.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/057-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Completed machines are tested [![Finished games are boxed, ready to ship](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/059-pinball-expo-2018-1024x683.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/059-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Finished games are boxed, ready to ship [![Boxed games awaiting shipping](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/056-pinball-expo-2018-683x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/056-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Boxed games awaiting shipping [![Naomi & Tim - partners in pinball taking the tour](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/081-pinball-expo-2018-665x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/081-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Naomi & Tim – partners in pinball taking the tour At 1:30pm, the seminar schedule began. The first seminar featured Romain Fontaine from Team Pinball talking about the making of the company’s first title, *The Mafia*. [![Romain Fontaine](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/050-pinball-expo-2018-1024x685.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/050-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Romain Fontaine He explained how the conceived the idea of building their own machine and how they went about it, designing their own hardware, getting the playfield design from a designer in Hungary, Balint, the control system they created using a Raspberry Pi, the wiring under the playfield and the testing procedure they use once the playfield is complete.  He stressed how they tried to keep things simple and clean inside the game. Romain explained how they got the sound and music and then built ten sample machines before going public, inviting Pinball News to help launch the project. VIDEO Next up was Jim Schelberg from the Pingame Journal who played assorted pinball-related clips from popular media, which he collects and publishes in a DVD set. [![Jim Schelberg](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/061-pinball-expo-2018-1024x710.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/061-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Jim Schelberg Clips included Drunk History, CSI, Jeopardy, Back to the Future, NFL promotional clips and assorted TV commercials. VIDEO Nick Parks from The Pinball Company then took to the stage with his wife Brooke to talk about how the business began and has grown. [![Nick and Brooke Parks](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/062-pinball-expo-2018-1024x654.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/062-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Nick and Brooke Parks He said the business was very dependent on the website which he launched in 2006.  He told stories of how he bought and sold various machines, often without even touching them, and knew at that point that the business would work.  Then he bought a large inventory of pinball machines so he could open a showroom. Nick described how the company has grown since then, the people the company has employed and the impact they have had on the business.  He also listed their top selling machines, with The Wizard of Oz in first place, The Addams Family in second, followed by Star Wars (DE), AC/DC, Pirates of the Caribbean (Stern) and Star Trek (Stern). Nick concluded by detailing his plans for a Chicago Pinball Hall of Fame in Schaumberg, Illinois with 150+ modern-era pinballs, a selection of EM pinballs, new arcade games, a full bar and a corporate/party area.  He said if all goes to plan the business should be open by this time next year. VIDEO Next, at 4pm, Todd Tuckey and Matt Frank Lindenmuth passed on their tips for selling pinball and video games, and starting a business. [![Todd Tuckey](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/063-pinball-expo-2018-1024x719.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/063-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Todd Tuckey Todd is the owner of TNT Amusements which buys and sells many coin-op games, and he is a popular internet video maker, describing particular games or covering more general coin-op topics. [![Todd and Matt Frank](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/064-pinball-expo-2018-1024x664.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/064-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Todd and Matt Frank They covered how to choose a company name, get a website, how to advertise and promote your business on social media, but also not to forget about traditional advertising channels such as newspapers and classified ads.  Todd advised not putting the prices of games on brochures as game prices change rapidly and soon become outdated. VIDEO After a short break, Ed Fries was the next seminar speaker, talking about the creation of the X-Box. [![Ed Fries](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/065-pinball-expo-2018-1024x676.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/065-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Ed Fries Ed talked about how he got into video games, writing them at home and eventually getting hired by Microsoft in Redmond to work on the first version of Excel for Windows. After being tracked to work on Word next, he persuaded the Microsoft management to take over the flight simulator team and work on developing video games for the company.  This largely involved taking over game development companies and creating many of the title which would become known worldwide. Then a team from DirectX came into his office and said they wanted to make a DirectX box, which would be a PC running Windows underneath but with the appearance of a console. Another group were also planning to make a console, so after a turf war Ed’s team won and the X-Box was given approval to go ahead. After coming up with plans, a stormy crisis meeting on 14th February 2000 almost cancelled the project, the prospect of Sony beating them to market turned the minds of Bill Gates and Steve Balmer, and they got the go ahead.  He then had just over 18 months to get a bunch of game developers on-board and creating games for this new console, including the team who were to make Halo. VIDEO The 7pm seminar was all about the development of the video game Q\*Bert, featuring Warren Davis, David Thiel and Jeff Lee. [![Warren Davis, David Thiel and Jeff Lee](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/066-pinball-expo-2018-1024x682.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/066-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Warren Davis, David Thiel and Jeff Lee The trio spoke about how Q\*Bert came into existence.  Warren and Jeff both loved M.C. Escher art and when Jeff came up with an idea for using a cubic platform, Jeff programmed how items falling onto the cube world could behave.  Jeff had a range of characters which could appear in the game, one of which was the Q\*Bert character. The character didn’t have a name at this point, but the team decided that the name of the character should be the name of the game.  After lots of suggestions, the eventual name was derived from the name *Hubert*, which became *Cubert* (based on the cubes), which then became *Q-Bert* and then, thanks to Jeff, *Q\*Bert*. David Thiel then told his story of getting employed at Gottlieb working on video games and the games he worked on there, the technological challenges, and the hardware limitations. VIDEO At 8:30pm, the team from American Pinball held their seminar to present their second title, Oktoberfest: Pinball on Tap. [![Nirmal Vasani welcomes guests to the American Pinball seminar](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/067-pinball-expo-2018-636x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/067-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Nirmal Vasani welcomes guests to the American Pinball seminar Nirmal Vasani welcomed everyone to the American Pinball presentation before introducing the Mayor of Palatine who spoke about having Aimtron as such a successful member of the Palatine business community and looked forward to American Pinball joining them at the end of the year. [![The mayor of Palentine](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/068-pinball-expo-2018-738x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/068-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) The mayor of Palentine Then Mukesh Vasani spoke about his journey from a small village in India to founding API, and thanked the team who created this new game. Then Josh Kugler spoke about the team who worked on Oktoberfest: Pinball on Tap, from the artists, sound designer and programmers to the game designer, Joe Balcer. Joe Schober joined Josh to talk about the game’s rules. [![Joe and Josh talk rules](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/069-pinball-expo-2018-1024x710.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/069-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Joe and Josh talk rules The two Oktoberfest machines were then unveiled. [![Members of the American Pinball team unveil the game](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/070-pinball-expo-2018-1024x682.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/070-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Members of the American Pinball team unveil the game [![Nirmal is covered by the sheet](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/071-pinball-expo-2018-1024x683.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/071-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Nirmal is covered by the sheet [![One of two Oktoberfest games at the seminar](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/072-pinball-expo-2018-649x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/072-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) One of two Oktoberfest games at the seminar [![Roger Sharpe is first to play the game](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/073-pinball-expo-2018-1024x778.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/073-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) Roger Sharpe is first to play the game [![The cabinet artwork](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/074-pinball-expo-2018-1024x683.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/074-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) The cabinet artwork [![The lower part of the playfield](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/076-pinball-expo-2018-1024x683.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/076-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) The lower part of the playfield [![The Otto model and the beer barrel lock](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/075-pinball-expo-2018-1024x683.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/075-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) The Otto model and the beer barrel lock [![The wobbling bumper caps](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/077-pinball-expo-2018-683x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2018/077-pinball-expo-2018.jpg) The bumper caps VIDEO That concludes our coverage of the first day of seminars.  We’ll be back with the opening of the Games and Vendor halls and be adding more recordings of the seminars, including videos for all of today’s, and also audio recordings.  So check back here at Pinball News for all the latest news from Pinball Expo 2018. _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 370d30a8-1ec5-47fb-a5ff-22c8ecb6cdea*