# Stern Pinball: Making of Guardians of the Galaxy Pinball **Source:** Stern Pinball **Type:** video **Published:** 2018-03-22 **Duration:** 5m 29s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkUwqSIvEYk --- ## Analysis Stern Pinball's behind-the-scenes documentary on the design and manufacturing of Guardians of the Galaxy pinball. John Borg discusses the creative vision—eight character-themed modes with integrated storytelling via LCD screens and custom voice acting from nine actors. The video showcases mechanical innovations (Groot toy with motorized jaw, optical kickback sensor), manufacturing processes (CAD to production line), and global distribution, positioning the game as a major success. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] John Borg designed Guardians with eight character-specific modes, each with unique rules and shots tied to story progression. — _John Borg, game designer, speaking directly about design approach_ - [HIGH] Stern recorded custom voice acting with nine actors from the Guardians film cast. — _Stern employee in manufacturing/design segment describing voice recording sessions_ - [HIGH] The Groot toy mechanism uses a motorized jaw to grab, affect ball direction, and shoot balls back into play. — _Technical walkthrough by Stern engineer describing mechanical components_ - [HIGH] The kickback feature uses two optical sensors (transmitter/receiver) to detect ball interruption and fire a coil response. — _Technical walkthrough of kickback mechanism in Guardians Pro_ - [HIGH] Limited Edition Guardians units feature unique art packages, motorized Groot arms, moving orb, and are individually signed by John Borg. — _Product showcase segment showing LE unit with signed designer nameplate_ - [HIGH] Guardians is being shipped globally to markets including France, Australia, and Poland. — _Manufacturing/logistics segment showing machines on shipping pallets_ - [HIGH] The design integrates storytelling through LCD screens, music, sound effects, speech events, and display choreography. — _John Borg and Stern designer discussing design philosophy and technical integration_ ### Notable Quotes > "In the beginning, they had asked me if I wanted to do a game about intergalactic criminals fighting a crazed warrior along with a gun-toting raccoon and a muscle-bound tree. And I'm like, yeah, I'm in for that." > — **John Borg**, opening > _Establishes Borg's initial pitch and enthusiasm; shows his casual, accessible design philosophy_ > "I wanted to make Groot eat balls and shoot them out and back down the play field." > — **John Borg**, early design segment > _Core mechanical vision—the Groot toy became iconic; reveals how character IP inspired physical game features_ > "When you pick one of these modes it begets the rules. It begets the shots that are happening in the playfield. You controlling the character and you really feel like you in that pod chase." > — **John Borg**, mode design discussion > _Describes player immersion strategy—modes as character vehicles tied to specific shots and rules_ > "Lonnie really wanted to try to tell each little segment of the story. Like, you gotta make that shot, or you don't see the story progress. And it's kind of like you're interacting with the movie." > — **Stern designer**, storytelling philosophy > _Reveals design constraint: shot completion gates story advancement—novel narrative approach for pinball_ > "The other thing that's cool is we've had custom speech sessions with nine actors. Alright listen up mouth breathers!" > — **Stern designer**, voice acting segment > _Confirms nine cast members recorded original dialogue; Rocket voice acting example_ > "This is a home run. I mean, this is a grand slam. This is like, oh, oh, ho, ho, ho." > — **Stern employee (manufacturing)**, closing > _Internal validation of product success; genuine enthusiasm for the finished game_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | John Borg | person | Lead game designer for Guardians of the Galaxy; speaks to design philosophy, character modes, Groot toy concept, and signs all LE units | | Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer and distributor; produces Guardians in Pro, Premium, and LE configurations; ships globally | | Guardians of the Galaxy | game | Licensed Marvel pinball title by Stern; features eight character modes, custom voice acting, motorized Groot toy, optical kickback, and integrated storytelling | | Groot | product | Motorized toy mechanism on Guardians playfield; uses jaw to grab/shoot balls; central to game concept | | Lonnie | person | Stern designer credited with story integration approach and Groot/Rocket toy innovation concept (full name not provided in content) | | Rocket | product | Character mode and voice actor role in Guardians; custom speech recording with comedic lines | | Star-Lord | product | Character mode in Guardians titled 'Legendary Outlaw' | | The Orb | product | Motorized toy element on Guardians playfield; opens and closes on LE edition | | Pod Chase | product | Game mode in Guardians that creates immersion through character control and shot sequencing | | France | organization | Export destination for Guardians units shown in manufacturing segment | | Australia | organization | Export destination for Guardians Premium units shown in manufacturing segment | | Poland | organization | Major export destination with multiple Guardians units shown in manufacturing segment | ### Topics - **Primary:** Game Design Philosophy, Character-Driven Storytelling Integration, Mechanical Innovation (Toys, Kickbacks, Sensors), Manufacturing Process (CAD to Production) - **Secondary:** Voice Acting and Audio Design, Global Distribution and Logistics, Limited Edition Product Differentiation - **Mentioned:** IP Licensing and Character Integration ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.92) — Uniformly promotional tone from Stern employees; genuine enthusiasm for design execution and manufacturing quality; no criticism or negative feedback present; closing 'grand slam' comment confirms internal satisfaction ### Signals - **[design_philosophy]** Novel approach where eight character modes each define unique rules and shots; story progression gated by shot completion rather than typical mode flow (confidence: high) — John Borg: 'When you pick one of these modes it begets the rules. It begets the shots that are happening in the playfield.' Lonnie's vision to 'tell each little segment of the story' through shot requirements. - **[design_innovation]** Groot toy mechanism uses motorized jaw to grab, affect ball trajectory, and shoot balls back—core mechanical innovation beyond standard ramps/bumpers (confidence: high) — Technical walkthrough: 'This is the motor that drives the jaw up and down on Groot.' Borg: 'I wanted to make Groot eat balls and shoot them out.' - **[design_innovation]** Kickback feature uses transmitter/receiver optical sensors to detect ball and trigger coil response—technical enhancement for reliability (confidence: high) — Engineer: 'There are two optical sensors, transmitter and receiver. The ball interrupts that path, the kickback coil fires the ball back at you.' - **[content_signal]** Nine custom voice recording sessions with cast members; specific comedic lines recorded (Rocket emphasis); integrated into rule announcement and event triggering (confidence: high) — Designer: 'We've had custom speech sessions with nine actors.' Examples: 'Don't eat the pinball!' (Rocket); 'I love when a plan comes together.' - **[manufacturing_signal]** Documented workflow: CAD design → string layout for obstacle avoidance → schematic creation → board CAD import → production line assembly (confidence: high) — Technical segment: 'We'll get a CAD drawing from the game designer. We take that board shape and we import that into our CAD package to create the actual physical board.' - **[product_strategy]** LE configuration features unique art package, motorized Groot arms, moving orb mechanism, and individual designer signatures; positioning as premium collector variant (confidence: high) — Product showcase: 'It got a unique art package. It got the arms and the orb opens and closes. Every one of these is signed by the game designer John Borg.' - **[business_signal]** Stern shipping Guardians units to France, Australia, Poland, and other international markets; demonstrates production scale and export capability (confidence: high) — Logistics segment: 'Here's the Guardians going to France and a Guardians premium going to Australia. This entire row of Guardians is going to Poland.' - **[personnel_signal]** John Borg (lead designer) and Lonnie (co-designer/storyteller) credited with collaborative innovation on modes and toy mechanics; team-based approach (confidence: high) — Reference to 'Lonnie really wanted to try to tell each little segment of the story' and 'Lonnie and John came up with a really cool thing' regarding electromagnet/ball direction control - **[product_concern]** Closing remarks emphasize internal satisfaction with finished product quality and manufacturing execution; 'home run' / 'grand slam' language suggests confidence in game stability and appeal (confidence: medium) — Employee: 'This is a home run. I mean, this is a grand slam.' Emphasis on 'American manufacturer' and global shipping as quality signal. - **[technology_signal]** Guardians marks expanded use of LCD screens for storytelling integration; Stern actively experimenting with screen-based narrative mechanics in pinball (confidence: medium) — Designer: 'It's definitely something we haven't tried before and obviously now with LCD screen we're experimenting with a lot of different things.' - **[design_philosophy]** Design intent is to place player in character role (e.g., Pod Chase mode); shot sequences and rules reinforce character identity and narrative moment (confidence: high) — Borg: 'You controlling the character and you really feel like you in that pod chase.' Designer: 'It's kind of like you're interacting with the movie. It's keeping you in the moment.' --- ## Transcript In the beginning, they had asked me if I wanted to do a game about intergalactic criminals fighting a crazed warrior along with a gun-toting raccoon and a muscle-bound tree. And I'm like, yeah, I'm in for that. Guardians for the movie itself, it's awesome on so many levels. The characters, the story that's written, just the ebb and flow. I've seen the movie 20 times. When I got the title, the first thing I thought of was Groot, Rocket, and the Orb. And those are the three toys. I wanted to make Groot eat balls and shoot them out and back down the play field. I just loved it. I am Groot! When you start your game, you're going to have a series of eight modes to pick from. Each one of those modes pertains to a specific character on the game. Star-Lord, man. And Legendary Outlaw. I said to myself okay let the game tell the story When you pick one of these modes it begets the rules It begets the shots that are happening in the playfield You controlling the character and you really feel like you in that pod chase Lonnie really wanted to try to tell each little segment of the story. Like, you gotta make that shot, or you don't see the story progress. And it's kind of like you're interacting with the movie. It's keeping you in the moment. That's the new thing that we haven't done before. It's definitely something we haven't tried before and obviously now with LCD screen we're experimenting with a lot of different things. The other thing that's cool is we've had custom speech sessions with nine actors. Alright listen up mouth breathers! There were so many funny events in the movie. I had a lot of fun with the custom speech for Rocket. You idiot! Don't eat the pinball! I love when a plan comes together. together. When we start doing the development of a game from the electronic side of things, we'll get a CAD drawing from the game designer and mechanical person. We'll start going through those and determining where particular lights are located. And we'll just take a string and we'll start going around the board Then we realize that we have an obstacle that we have to avoid and end up with a shape on the play field We draw out the schematic and we take that board shape and we import that into our CAD package to create the actual physical board that will eventually be put into the game on the production line. What you're looking at is the guts of a Guardians Pro. This is the lamp board, and then you've got the electromagnet here. Lonnie and John came up with a really cool thing that this does. They grab the ball, they affect the direction of the ball. And then of course the mech. This is the motor that drives the jaw up and down on Groot. And this is the trough that fire holds the balls to create the multiball and then fires them out. One of the fun things in this game is this kickback. Now when you shoot the ball in here, there are two optical sensors, transmitter and receiver. The ball interrupts that path, the kickback coil fires the ball back at you, what seems like 600 miles an hour. This is our little toy. There's a huge amount of satisfaction seeing our products come out of our heads and eventually rolling down an assembly line. Let's see if we can find some more Guardian stuff. There's a box full of orbs. All the power in the universe right here. All right so here a pair of Groot hands Makes a good back scratcher too Really works So you looking at a Guardians of the Galaxy Limited Edition It got a unique art package It got the arms and the orb opens and closes. Every one of these is signed by the game designer John Borg. Really a beautiful game. One of the things that we're very proud of here at Stern is that we're an American manufacturer and we're shipping product all over the world. Here's the Guardians going to France and a Guardians premium going to Australia. This entire row of Guardians is going to Poland. There's music, video, there's sound effect, there's display effect, there's speech events, and when you choreograph all of that together, that single thing is bigger than the individual parts. This is a home run. I mean, this is a grand slam. This is like, oh, oh, ho, ho, ho. Give me a second. I got to go inside and see if you guys can see this, and we'll see. Nope, sorry, can't show you today. Too much of the next game in there. _(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: f4e06fff-e32e-40be-9911-40016c1d3d70*