# On the line w. John Borg & Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

**Source:** Stern Pinball  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2020-07-31  
**Duration:** 1m 1s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSMqRaMXwKc

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## Analysis

John Borg discusses his design philosophy for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball, emphasizing mechanical reliability, repairability, and the engineering challenges of creating durable playfield toys that withstand ball abuse over time. He expresses satisfaction with the team effort on the project.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] John Borg started as a mechanical engineer working with designers before becoming a designer himself — _Direct statement about his career progression in the industry_
- [HIGH] Borg prioritizes making games that are easy for others to disassemble and reassemble — _Explicit design philosophy statement_
- [HIGH] Creating durable playfield toys that function reliably under ball impact is harder than most people think — _Direct opinion on mechanical design challenge_
- [HIGH] The entire TMNT team achieved exceptional effort on the project — _Borg states 'everybody did 110 on this one'_

### Notable Quotes

> "i started out working with designers and making their stuff work and then i became a designer so i still get into a lot of the mechanics of the game"
> — **John Borg**, early
> _Explains his dual expertise in mechanical engineering and design, shaping his design philosophy_

> "i like to make a game that when i build it i know other people can take it apart and put it back together"
> — **John Borg**, mid
> _Core design principle prioritizing operator/technician repairability and long-term maintainability_

> "you got to make your toys work try to keep it simple it's difficult making this thing you know function and work with the ball bashing it and beating it up"
> — **John Borg**, mid
> _Candid acknowledgment of mechanical durability challenges under gameplay stress_

> "it's harder than most people think"
> — **John Borg**, late
> _Industry insight: mechanical design complexity underestimated by casual observers_

> "we're really happy with it everybody did 110 on this one and it shows"
> — **John Borg**, end
> _Expresses team satisfaction and exceptional effort on TMNT, suggesting quality outcome_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| John Borg | person | Legendary Stern Pinball designer with 37+ year career; designer of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball; speaking in official Stern video about design philosophy |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | game | Stern Pinball machine; recent/current release; subject of this design discussion with John Borg |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball; producing this official video featuring designer John Borg |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Mechanical design philosophy and durability, Playfield toy engineering and ball impact tolerance, Operator/technician repairability and serviceability, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball development
- **Secondary:** John Borg's design approach and background

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Borg expresses satisfaction with the TMNT project outcome and team effort. Tone is reflective and confident about design decisions, though acknowledges inherent challenges. No criticism or negativity present.

### Signals

- **[community_signal]** Stern Pinball official video featuring designer commentary on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; demonstrates ongoing commitment to sharing design philosophy and team insights with community (confidence: high) — Official Stern Pinball video titled 'On the line w. John Borg & Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!' with John Borg discussing design approach
- **[design_philosophy]** John Borg prioritizes mechanical simplicity, reliability, and repairability in playfield design; emphasizes durability under gameplay stress and ease of maintenance for operators (confidence: high) — Borg: 'i like to make a game that when i build it i know other people can take it apart and put it back together' and 'try to keep it simple'

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## Transcript

i grew up in this industry as a mechanical engineer you know so i started out working with designers and making their stuff work and then i became a designer so i still get into a lot of the mechanics of the game i like to make a game that when i build it i know other people can take it apart and put it back together you got to make your toys work try to keep it simple it's difficult making this thing you know function and work with the ball bashing it and beating it up and you know the torture that it takes and it's gotta work for a long time it's harder than most people think we're really happy with it everybody did 110 on this one and it shows

_(Acquisition: youtube_auto_sub, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 8a96c2a5-bcb2-4b41-97c9-233952a5e73f*