# Stern Pinball: Making of Star Wars **Source:** Stern Pinball **Type:** video **Published:** 2017-12-04 **Duration:** 4m 51s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xof3c6jsnGQ --- ## Analysis Official Stern Pinball video featuring designer commentary on the Star Wars pinball machine. The designer discusses their personal connection to Star Wars, the game's design philosophy emphasizing player choice (16 missions, 400+ movie scenes), key mechanical features like the Death Star and Hyperspace Accelerator, and the manufacturing process. The game is positioned as epic and fast-paced with sensory-rich gameplay. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Star Wars pinball features 16 missions and over 400 scenes from Episodes IV-VI — _Designer directly discussing game design features_ - [HIGH] The Hyperspace Accelerator uses four magnet coils with software-controlled delays to accelerate balls progressively faster — _Designer explaining mechanical innovation in detail_ - [HIGH] The designer states 'This is my 30th something game' indicating extensive portfolio — _Designer self-reference during manufacturing tour_ - [HIGH] The designer is 'more connected to Star Wars than any other project' they've worked on — _Direct designer statement about personal investment_ - [HIGH] The game features a 16-character selection system ('When you push start, you choose your character') — _Designer describing core gameplay mechanic_ ### Notable Quotes > "Star Wars is very important to me. I'm more connected to Star Wars than any other project I've worked on. And I'm trying to pour the kitchen sink into this game." > — **Star Wars Pinball Designer (John Borg)**, early segment > _Establishes designer's emotional investment and design ambition for the project_ > "I design the play field, how the ball moves, what it does, the devices. It's my concept. My role in this game is everything that's not physical. So all video, all sounds, all rules, all scoring, all lamp effects, that's me." > — **Star Wars Pinball Designer (John Borg)**, opening > _Clarifies designer's scope of responsibility and creative control_ > "When I'm done playing it, my heart's racing. I'm happy, and I think that I could have done more, and I want to play it again." > — **Star Wars Pinball Designer (John Borg)**, mid-segment > _Designer's personal play experience reflecting intended emotional impact_ > "It's badass. It's almost kind of scary. It's like, you know, it shakes the whole game. It's cool." > — **Star Wars Pinball Designer (John Borg)**, Hyperspace Accelerator description > _Designer's visceral reaction to signature mechanical feature_ > "I love playing on the line because you can cheat so terribly. It's awesome." > — **Star Wars Pinball Designer (John Borg)**, gameplay demonstration > _Reveals designer's playtest philosophy and embrace of player skill expression_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | John Borg | person | Star Wars pinball designer; responsible for playfield design, rules, video, sounds, scoring, and lamp effects; claims ~30+ game design portfolio | | Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Star Wars pinball machine; video shows manufacturing floor and production line | | Star Wars | game | Licensed pinball machine by Stern based on Episodes IV-VI of Star Wars; features 16 missions, 400+ movie scenes, Death Star toy, Hyperspace Accelerator, character selection, fast ball speed, video displays | | Death Star | product | Key mechanical toy/feature in Star Wars pinball; destruction of Death Star leads to victory multiball; described as 'difficult challenge' | | Hyperspace Accelerator | product | Major toy in Star Wars pinball using four magnet coils with software-controlled delays; progresses from 1 to 2 to 3 balls in accelerating loop; signature mechanical feature | | TIE fighter | product | Mechanical/sculptural target element in Star Wars pinball; represents X-Wing vs TIE fighter battle concept | | Tatooine | product | Mission/mode option in Star Wars pinball; example of Episode-specific gameplay | ### Topics - **Primary:** Design Philosophy & Player Agency, Mechanical Innovation (Hyperspace Accelerator), Gameplay Depth (16 Missions, 400+ Scenes) - **Secondary:** Manufacturing & Production, Designer's Personal Connection to IP, Playfield Geometry & Ball Physics - **Mentioned:** Scoring & Rules Complexity ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.92) — Designer expresses deep enthusiasm, pride in work, and emotional connection to the project. Language is energetic and celebratory throughout ('badass,' 'cool,' 'epic'). Manufacturing team appears engaged and supportive. No criticism or concerns raised. ### Signals - **[design_philosophy]** Designer emphasizes giving 'as many choices as possible' to players through 16 missions, character selection, and non-linear progression through three movies (confidence: high) — Direct designer statement: 'When I try to design a game I try to design it with giving the player as many choices as I can' - **[design_innovation]** Hyperspace Accelerator uses four magnet coils with software-controlled delays to create progressive ball acceleration and multi-ball management mechanic (confidence: high) — Designer detailed explanation of technical implementation and team reaction ('When this first came online... we were like, yes, everyone came in and looked at it') - **[gameplay_signal]** Designer prioritizes smooth, fluid ball movement and 'combo' shots where balls return to flipper for continued play (confidence: high) — Designer statement: 'I like to get a player. I like every shot to be smooth and fluid. Once you make a shot, it comes back to the flipper and you can make another shot.' - **[content_signal]** Stern released official behind-the-scenes video featuring lead designer discussing Star Wars development, design philosophy, and manufacturing process (confidence: high) — Video source directly from Stern Pinball official channel - **[product_launch]** Star Wars pinball in manufacturing/production phase with multiple units on assembly line visible in video (confidence: high) — Video shows 'These are all Star Wars going down the line here' with visible production floor activity - **[design_philosophy]** Designer aims for 'epic' experience attacking 'all your senses' through audio (John Williams music, sound effects), video (400+ scenes), mechanical action, and fast gameplay (confidence: high) — Designer statements: 'You hear the John Williams music,' 'Star Wars attacks your senses in virtually everything that it does' --- ## Transcript Star Wars in 1977 when the movie happened, I grabbed my wife and my two-year-old son, and we all went to the drive-in, okay? Everything looked so much better than any other sci-fi movie. I went to a theater to see it again the next day. I'm a game designer. My job is to make a pinball machine to make the best one I can possibly make. I design the play field, how the ball moves, what it does, the devices. It's my concept. My role in this game is everything that's not physical. So all video, all sounds, all rules, all scoring, all lamp effects, that's me. Star Wars is very important to me. I'm more connected to Star Wars than any other project I've worked on. And I'm trying to pour the kitchen sink into this game. There aspects of the three movies that we working from episodes four five six When I try to design a game I try to design it with giving the player as many choices as I can When you push start, you choose your character. There are 16 missions. All while you're playing these missions, scenes from the three movies are playing, over 400 scenes. It's working your way through the movies the way you want to. The game is epic. You want to be a hero, you want to make the correct shot, destroy evil. You have to have a TIE fighter you can shoot at. It's not every person's dream to be to get in the next wing fighter and go have a major battle with TIE fighters. I mean, if you're an adventurous soul, that's what you want to do. You have to have an exploding Death Star. So destroying the Death Star is pretty fun because it's kind of a difficult challenge. And along that path, you know, you hear the John Williams music and, you know, the sound effects of spaceships flying by. And then eventually, if you succeed, you blow up the Death Star and you go into victory multiball. When I'm done playing it, my heart's racing. I'm happy, and I think that I could have done more, and I want to play it again. I deal with the entire geometry of this game. So I developed the Death Star and the Hyper Space Accelerator So the Accelerator is a major toy in the game There a shot that feeds balls into this loop A ball is going around and around and around and around in the accelerator and then another ball comes out. So you're flipping one ball, but your main goal is to put the second ball into the accelerator. If you succeed, then you've got two balls going around and around and around, and it kicks out a third ball. It's badass. It's almost kind of scary. It's like, you know, it shakes the whole game. It's cool. When this first came online and going around, we were like, yes, and everyone came in and looked at it. We were like, oh my god, this is going to be so cool. Like people are just going to go nuts. The way it works is there are four magnet coils. There's a certain delay that is in software, and so by the time it reaches from the first magnet to the last, it is going much faster. So we're going to go out to the line here and check out Star Wars. I think this is my 30th something game. I don know but still very exciting These are all Star Wars going down the line here These ladies are the solder ladies Hi ladies It's fun to work at Stern. The game has a nice little display here which I love because the game is really fast, The ball speeds are incredible. You get a lot of information that you need to. If you look up, you know, oh, what am I supposed to do that? It'll tell you. Let's start. I like to get a player. I'm going to play Han. I'm going to like Tatooine missions. I love playing on the line because you can cheat so terribly. It's awesome. I get into how the ball moves. I make smooth playing games. I like every shot to be smooth and fluid. Once you make a shot, it comes back to the flipper and you can make another shot. We call them combos. I think the game is a fight. It's a battle. It's a hell of a lot of fun. Star Wars attacks your senses in virtually everything that it does. _(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: b01ea825-9093-459b-b345-ecd1172ffce4*