# #10 - AVENGERS IS HERE

**Source:** A Pinball Podcast  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2020-08-29  
**Duration:** 6m 18s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://apinballpodcast.podbean.com/e/a-pinball-podcast-10-avengers-is-here/

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## Analysis

Host announces the official reveal of a new Marvel-themed Stern Pinball game based on Infinity War/Infinity Gauntlet with an 18-second teaser. Host has known about the game since March and is extremely enthusiastic, confirming the Black Order as villains and speculating about designer (preferring Keith Elwin over Steve Ritchie), tone (MCU vs. comics blend), and whether to purchase the LE despite past TMNT LE issues.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] The announced game is based on Infinity War theme, though Stern may call it something different like 'Infinity Gauntlet' — _Host states 'I can confirm without a doubt...this is indeed Infinity War' and discusses possible naming alternatives_
- [HIGH] The game includes the Black Order as villains (Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, Corvus Glaive mentioned) — _Host explicitly confirms 'it does have the black order in it i can confirm that'_
- [HIGH] Host has known about this game since March (approximately 6+ months before announcement) — _Host states 'I've been aware of since about March. And I've been waiting and waiting'_
- [MEDIUM] Host discussed the game's possibility with 'a massive designer' who was coy about confirmation — _Host recalls 'a few months ago I did talk to somebody that a massive designer...they wouldn't confirm or not if it was them'_
- [LOW] Host speculates the game may follow comics more closely than MCU films, possibly involving Silver Surfer — _Speculation: 'if they do that that's going to be really interesting because then that means...involving the silver surfer'_

### Notable Quotes

> "This is a theme in which I was so happy to hear about...this is my dream theme"
> — **Host (A Pinball Podcast)**, early in episode
> _Establishes host's personal excitement and thematic preference for Marvel/Infinity War IP_

> "I can confirm without a doubt, I don't know if they'll call it this, but I can confirm this is indeed Infinity War"
> — **Host**, mid-episode
> _Direct confirmation of game identity, suggesting insider knowledge_

> "I did talk to somebody that a massive designer and I told them straight up I was like if you do this theme you're the one doing this theme it is an automatic buy for me"
> — **Host**, mid-to-late episode
> _Suggests host may have had designer-level conversations about the game's development_

> "I hope it's Elwin for me personally, just because I love his designs...he thinks like a tournament player because he is a tournament player"
> — **Host**, late episode
> _Reveals host's designer preference and design philosophy appreciation_

> "I've had so many issues with the le with tmnt and other things that i'm just like crap what do i do i don't think i'll ever get another le again but then as soon as i see this i'm like ah ma to flame"
> — **Host**, late episode
> _Demonstrates past LE buyer remorse but willingness to reconsider for desired IP_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer announcing the new Marvel Infinity War pinball game |
| Keith Elwin | person | Designer; host hopes he is designing this game, praising his tournament-player perspective and design approach |
| Steve Ritchie | person | Designer; alternative possibility host considers but less preferred than Elwin |
| Infinity War | game | Marvel IP theme; official or working title of announced Stern Pinball game |
| Infinity Gauntlet | product | Possible alternative name Stern may use for the game; also host's replica collectible |
| Black Order | product | Villain group confirmed for the pinball game (Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, Corvus Glaive) |
| TMNT | game | Previous Stern pinball game; host had negative LE experience with this title |
| MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) | organization | Host references full MCU viewing (6+ times) as context for enthusiasm; game may draw from MCU films |
| Marveloco | person | Host's YouTube channel name where detailed trailer breakdown video will be posted |

### Topics

- **Primary:** New game announcement - Infinity War/Infinity Gauntlet, Designer speculation (Keith Elwin vs Steve Ritchie), LE purchasing decisions and past LE buyer remorse
- **Secondary:** Game design philosophy - tournament-focused vs casual, Marvel IP licensing and comic vs MCU tone, Host's Marvel fandom and collecting habits, Insider knowledge and early game information access

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.92) — Host is extremely enthusiastic about the announcement, calling it their 'dream theme' and expressing excitement throughout. Only minor concern is ambivalence about LE purchase due to past TMNT experience. No criticism of Stern or the announcement itself.

### Signals

- **[sentiment_shift]** Strong collector enthusiasm for Marvel IP despite past LE quality issues; FOMO driving reconsideration of LE purchases (confidence: high) — Host admits doubts about future LE purchases but immediately reverses position upon Infinity War announcement: 'i don't think i'll ever get another le again but then as soon as i see this i'm like ah ma to flame'
- **[event_signal]** Official announcement of Infinity War pinball with 18-second teaser released on Stern Pinball YouTube/Facebook channels (confidence: high) — Host confirms 'the announcement has came today' and references teaser on Stern's official channels
- **[licensing_signal]** Marvel/MCU licensing confirmed for pinball; game may draw from both comic and MCU source material (confidence: high) — Host discusses Black Order and potential Silver Surfer inclusion, indicating licensing scope across multiple Marvel properties
- **[market_signal]** Stern prioritizing Marvel IP announcements; timing suggests competition with other manufacturer releases (confidence: medium) — Host notes 'I was thinking that they might wait a couple of weeks just because other people are releasing, but I knew that this was going to be a monster theme'
- **[personnel_signal]** Uncertainty about designer identity between Keith Elwin and Steve Ritchie; host has insider conversation with 'massive designer' but no confirmation (confidence: medium) — Host states 'I don't know if this is a Steve Ritchie pin. I don't know if it's a Keith Elwin pin' and mentions coy designer conversation months prior
- **[rumor_hype]** Game may feature MCU, comics, or hybrid approach to Infinity War story; possible inclusion of Silver Surfer if comics-focused (confidence: medium) — Host speculates 'they might lean more towards the MCU than it does towards the actual comics...or maybe it's a mix'

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## Transcript

 All right, everybody, welcome back to another episode of a pinball podcast, throwing out a quick podcast today because the announcement has came today. And it's funny, I actually just recorded a podcast with a special guest that's coming up here in just a couple of days. And we actually discussed the possibility of this pin and we discussed whether or not Stern would actually announce something or not right now. Now, that being said, this is a theme in which I was so happy to hear about. If you don't realize what I'm talking about right now, it's Infinity War, for sure. And this is a theme that is my dream theme. This is a theme that I've been aware of since about March. And I've been waiting and waiting and waiting. And I just, I didn't want to tell hardly anybody. I probably talked to maybe three people total about this, including my wife pretty much. You know, just talking about it back and forth, what I'd love to see in the pin, what I'm hoping to see in it. And it was definitely on my top. And I did admittedly drop some hints on Facebook different times when people were speculating with my GIFs. If John Youssi it, you might notice an endgame GIF with Thor if you find it on one of the Facebook groups. but anyway so I'm so freaking excited about this pin it's uh I'm a huge huge absolutely massive Marvel fan you know I have the Stern pinball machine with the MCU soundtrack I have over here I have an actual huge like one ratio replica of the Infinity Gauntlet like a statue that I bought a couple of years ago actually now And then I even have a nano gauntlet is what it's called, the Iron Man gauntlet. So I'm just, I am a massive fan. I've read these comics all my life. I've been fully into it. And then once I saw that they did the movies on it, I mean, I was all in. I've watched the full MCU at least six times. The full. Like, I'm talking everything. The only thing I probably haven't watched six times is Captain Marvel. That's about it. I've seen that only three times. So, admittedly. But everything else I've watched, I love it. I love the whole theme. I love the lore of it. And this is excellent. and I can confirm without a doubt, I don't know if they'll call it this, but I can confirm this is indeed Infinity War. And I'll actually have a video coming out very shortly over on YouTube. If you're listening to this on pod, it'll be up on my YouTube at Marveloco. But I will have another video coming out shortly about just dissecting the quick 18 second teaser. Like this is excellent. You know, I'm a little surprised they went ahead and released it now. I was thinking that they might wait a couple of weeks just because other people are releasing, but I knew that this was going to be a monster theme. I kept chuckling to myself every time I saw people speculating on what it was and the rumors going around I like it not right That not right so I I so excited to see this and I did I will fully admit a few months ago I did talk to somebody that a massive designer and I told them straight up I was like if you do this theme you're the one doing this theme it is an automatic buy for me and they wouldn't confirm or not if it was them they wouldn't confirm that it was an actual theme that they were doing. Very coy, but I'm hoping, I hope, I don't know if this is a Steve Ritchie pin. I don't know if it's a Keith Elwin pin. I hope it's Elwin for me personally, just because I love his designs. Obviously I have a Steve Ritchie pin, but Elwin, he just, he thinks like a tournament player because he is a tournament player. He is able to have his pin be approached from different angles. And I could just see this be a massive and it's just yeah it's so tough i've had so many issues with the le with tmnt and other things that i'm just like crap what do i do i don't think i'll ever get another le again but then as soon as i see this i'm like ah ma to flame i don't know i i don't know if i'm going to get an le i know for a fact that i'm on the list but i don't know if i'm going to follow up yet i just i don't know but it is an automatic theme that i am extremely drawn to this is my dream Dream theme, and I'm excited about it. And again, it is Infinity War. It's definitely following in that footsteps. I don't know if they're gonna call it Infinity War. That I'm not sure about, but it's definitely, let just call it what it is It Infinity War It all the same characters They might call it something they might just call it infinity gauntlet you know because there tons of different series uh that has all these particular characters in it it does have the black order in it i can confirm that which is which is very exciting those are great villains to have you know with proximate midnight ebony maw corvus glaive i mean you got all kinds and i i assume that they're going to follow the comics more closer than what they do the movies that's my assumption so if they do that that's going to be really interesting because then that means that there's going to be slight differences in how the story plays out if they're following the infinity war story which is very interesting because then you start involving the silver surfer and everything but a lot of people don't realize that so i think it might be just kind of like a mix of both. It might lean more towards the MCU than it does towards the actual comics. But I don't know. Maybe it is fully MCU. We'll find out. We'll see. I mean, just from looking at it firsthand, I don't know. I think it's going to be a mix. I think it's going to be a mix, but this looks excellent. I will break down the trailer a lot more in the future and we'll figure this out. And if you guys are listening to this right now and you don't, you're for whatever reason, you're not even aware of it, just hop on over to Stern Pinball's YouTube page or their Facebook page and you'll see the teaser up on there. And I will be coming out with another video pretty soon to basically break down what we know and what we can see. Otherwise, you guys take care and this is going to be a fun weekend speculating.

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 63bd7053-7012-4d96-8778-68c156abf559*