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Rob

person14 mentionsFirst seen Oct 12, 2022Last seen Feb 8, 2026

Profile

Rob is a multifaceted pinball industry professional with diverse expertise spanning engineering, arcade operations, restoration, and business ownership. He is co-founder/co-owner of The Electric Playground (a pinball content and manufacturing platform), co-owner of Pinball Medics (technical rebuild services), and operator of a pinball moving service. Rob has been involved in machine ownership/customization, Stern manufacturing work, and serves as a community figure who contributes to pinball media and events across multiple roles.

Aliases

No aliases

Relationships

  • foundedThe Electric PlaygroundCo-founder and co-owner; handles business operations and manufacturingmedium
  • works_atStern Pinball Inc.Engineer handling mechanics and electronics assembly on Jurassic Park Home Editionmedium
  • affiliated_withAmerican PinballMaintained contact for software development feedback on Galactic Tank Forcemedium
  • works_atElectric Bat ArcadeRepresentative reporting from Pinball at the Beach eventmedium
  • ownsDipsy DoodleCollector who owns Dipsy Doodlemedium

Facts

  • achievementCreates and prints custom cup holders for pinball machineshigh
  • affiliationCo-founder and co-owner of Electric Playgroundhigh
  • affiliationCanal Street Arcade ownerhigh
  • affiliationOwner of extensively customized Galactic Tank Force machinehigh
  • affiliationChicago Pinball Expo management representativehighfrom 2024
  • affiliationOwner of Tales of the Arabian Nights pinball machinehigh
  • affiliationCo-owner of Pinball Medicshigh

Claims (38)

  • factualhigh

    Rob (Pinball Medics) is a retired certified electrician and electrical contractor who previously ran a race car performance shop

    Source: Mike Dimus describing Rob's backgroundTour of Ottawa Pinball Arcade / Ontario Provincial Championships 2026
  • factualhigh

    Rob has had constant contact with American Pinball and helped develop post-release software updates

    Source: Gonzo (host)Pinball Machine Review | The Most Highly Tuned Pimped Game I've Ever Played | Galactic Tank Force
  • opinionhigh

    The reviewed Galactic Tank Force has had everything done to it in terms of mods and tuning

    Source: Gonzo (host)Pinball Machine Review | The Most Highly Tuned Pimped Game I've Ever Played | Galactic Tank Force
  • factualhigh

Recent Mentions (14)

  • Canal Street Arcade owner; reached out to Nancy to start league back up post-pandemic

    Episode 360: Nancy Marsh, Gem City PinballMay 2, 2023
  • Pinball community supporter ('Rob Panther') who sent holiday gifts and sponsors Happy Hour Hangout

    The Pinball Show Ep 186: The Best Pinball Of 2025, Holiday Giveaways, & Other Pindustry NewsDec 16, 2025
  • Co-founder/co-owner of Electric Playground; business operations and manufacturing lead; responsible for technical platform development

    Ep 148: Attack From Mars Topper from The Electric Playground!Oct 9, 2024
  • Pinball moving service operator (Hall & Oates Moving/northeastpinballmoving.com); confirmed as next month's podcast guest host with top-ten list planned

    BDYETP 97: Goren’s Here! Winchester Mystery House, TWD Remastered, Star Wars Impressions +Bonus TronNov 10, 2025
  • Electric Bat Arcade representative; reporting from Pinball at the Beach event on Beetlejuice, Winchester, and other machines

    Episode 51: Pinball at the Beach FOMO 🌊 Pokémon Is Almost Here?! + Major Pinball BuzzFeb 8, 2026
  • Co-owner of Pinball Medics, former certified electrician and performance car shop operator, handles technical rebuilds

Contradictions

  • Existing: Rob is co-founder/co-owner of The Electric Playground (mention 11)vsConflicting: Rob is described as 'host of The Electric Playground' (mention 5), suggesting potential role ambiguity or evolution
    Unresolved
  • Existing: Rob is co-founder/co-owner of The Electric Playground (mentions 5, 11)vsConflicting: Rob is described as owner/operator of Canal Street Arcade (mention 13)
    Unresolved

Related Glossary Terms

No linked glossary terms

  • affiliationElectric Bat Arcade representativehigh
  • attributeFormer certified electrician and performance car shop operatorhigh
  • roleStern engineer handling mechanics and electronics assemblyhigh
  • roleHost of The Electric Playgroundhigh
  • roleLead designer and project manager for Harlem Globetrotters machine restorationhigh
  • roleOperator of pinball moving service (Hall & Oates Moving/northeastpinballmoving.com)high
  • statusPinball community supporter and sponsorhighfrom 2025
  • Royal Mail has successfully implemented a tariff payment system, but European postal services have not and cannot ship to the US currently

    Source: Rob discussing tariff impactsEpisode 29: 20+ Pinball Mods Reviewed
  • factualhigh

    Stern Star Wars machine will not be released in Europe

    Source: Rob confirming European licensing blockEpisode 29: 20+ Pinball Mods Reviewed
  • opinionmedium

    Back Alley is among the highest-volume mod manufacturers by production

    Source: Rob noting Back Alley's volumetric outputEpisode 29: 20+ Pinball Mods Reviewed
  • factualmedium

    Cactus Canyon mod is not shipping to Europe

    Source: Rob mentioning Cactus Canyon regional restrictionsEpisode 29: 20+ Pinball Mods Reviewed
  • factualhigh

    All 25 Alice units shipped to the US had reversed spinner wiring that caused saves to drain instead of save

    Source: Alice ownership experience and owners thread postIBTL Episode 28: Pinball Around the Horn + Alice First Impressions, Guests Dirty Pool and Hans
  • factualhigh

    Alice is shipping finally after delays with first 25 US units arriving

    Source: Direct experience receiving AliceIBTL Episode 28: Pinball Around the Horn + Alice First Impressions, Guests Dirty Pool and Hans
  • factualhigh

    Alice's layout was designed to match John Papaduk's original design from a storage locker archive purchased from Chris Turner

    Source: Explaining Alice genesis and design philosophyIBTL Episode 28: Pinball Around the Horn + Alice First Impressions, Guests Dirty Pool and Hans
  • factualhigh

    Melvin Williams stated he wants five topper expansions for Alice to give to friends

    Source: Paraphrasing Melvin's reaction to topper prototypeIBTL Episode 28: Pinball Around the Horn + Alice First Impressions, Guests Dirty Pool and Hans
  • opinionhigh

    Alice is not suitable as someone's only game in their collection but valuable for variety

    Source: Paraphrasing Melvin Williams' design positioningIBTL Episode 28: Pinball Around the Horn + Alice First Impressions, Guests Dirty Pool and Hans
  • rumorlow

    The Harry Potter topper was supposed to be made by Leor but fell through at the last minute

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 27Harry v. Harry - Harry Potter Pinball, is it packed? - In Before the Lock Episode 27
  • factualhigh

    Harry Potter should be priced around $10,000 across all tiers

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 27Harry v. Harry - Harry Potter Pinball, is it packed? - In Before the Lock Episode 27
  • opinionmedium

    Dune's interactive mech is more visually compelling than Harry Potter's staircase for casual audiences

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 27Harry v. Harry - Harry Potter Pinball, is it packed? - In Before the Lock Episode 27
  • predictionhigh

    In Before the Lock will announce an Alice's Adventures in Wonderland topper expansion in 2-4 weeks

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 27Harry v. Harry - Harry Potter Pinball, is it packed? - In Before the Lock Episode 27
  • factualhigh

    The river diverter mechanic prevents ball trapping indefinitely by dropping after a time limit

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 26King Kong: Mod Breakdown - In Before the Lock Episode 26
  • factualhigh

    Kong's gameplay differs significantly between Pro and Premium versions, particularly with the gong

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 26King Kong: Mod Breakdown - In Before the Lock Episode 26
  • prediction/opinionmedium

    Stern intentionally equalized Premium and Pro art packages to reduce FOMO compared to past releases like Jaws

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 26King Kong: Mod Breakdown - In Before the Lock Episode 26
  • factualhigh

    Travis Murie scored 700 million on Kong Pro on his first game

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 26King Kong: Mod Breakdown - In Before the Lock Episode 26
  • factualhigh

    The center tower system is always building regardless of other gameplay

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 26King Kong: Mod Breakdown - In Before the Lock Episode 26
  • rumormedium

    Keith Elwin is rumored to be the designer of Kong

    Source: Community speculation and rumorsIn Before the Lock Episode 25 - Tariffs, Harry Potter, TPF Reactions and more
  • factualhigh

    Stern Kong game reveal is scheduled for April 17th in Chicago with factory tour and gameplay

    Source: Personal invite confirmationIn Before the Lock Episode 25 - Tariffs, Harry Potter, TPF Reactions and more
  • personal_opinionhigh

    Attack from Mars is the game that first made me love pinball; my dad put me on a bar stool at his band gigs to play it and that's when pinball finally clicked for me

    Source: The Electric Playground co-founderEp 148: Attack From Mars Topper from The Electric Playground!
  • factualhigh

    The Godzilla topper has shipped approximately 10 units since release about a month ago

    Source: The Electric Playground co-founderEp 148: Attack From Mars Topper from The Electric Playground!
  • factualhigh

    Godzilla topper features four 3.2-inch LCD screens with five interactive modes

    Source: The Electric Playground co-founderEp 148: Attack From Mars Topper from The Electric Playground!
  • factualhigh

    Attack from Mars topper uses only six light sensors for game state detection, simpler than Godzilla's twelve sensors

    Source: The Electric Playground co-founderEp 148: Attack From Mars Topper from The Electric Playground!
  • factualhigh

    The Attack from Mars topper installation takes approximately 45 minutes without requiring soldering or cutting

    Source: The Electric Playground co-founderEp 148: Attack From Mars Topper from The Electric Playground!
  • opinionhigh

    Rob believes X-Men premium tier is a 'must' due to articulating hand features, first such endorsement in recent years

    Source: RobPinball Mod Talk Episode 19 - EXPO excitement is UNCANNY + Stumblor Partners with DPX
  • predictionlow

    LED lighting technology emergence may have driven the development and growth of the pinball modding scene

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 1Pinball Mod Talk Episode 1 (Click on "LIVE" to see all episodes)
  • opinionhigh

    Barnyard (Elton John) is Jersey Jack Pinball's best-suited match for their 'more is more' LED design philosophy

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 1Pinball Mod Talk Episode 1 (Click on "LIVE" to see all episodes)
  • factualmedium

    Labyrinth's LED wraparound panel design using high-density minute 1mil LEDs on flexible PCB has never been done before in pinball

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 1Pinball Mod Talk Episode 1 (Click on "LIVE" to see all episodes)
  • opinionhigh

    8 Ball Beyond deserves commercial manufacture based on innovative design and trick shot mechanics

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 1Pinball Mod Talk Episode 1 (Click on "LIVE" to see all episodes)
  • opinionhigh

    Pinball modding community comprises creative people across music, graphics, coding, and physical electronics who are transitioning from other professional fields

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 1Pinball Mod Talk Episode 1 (Click on "LIVE" to see all episodes)
  • factualmedium

    Pinball Brothers' Alien re-release licensing deal for Sigourney Weaver footage is still subject to final approval

    Source: In Before the Lock Episode 1Pinball Mod Talk Episode 1 (Click on "LIVE" to see all episodes)
  • factualhigh

    The T-Rex jaw mechanism was engineered by Rob to open when a scoop shot is made, remaining closed until the ball is ready to be released

    Source: Rob (describing T-Rex mechanism)The Making Of Jurassic Park Home Edition
  • factualhigh

    Rob placed fourth in both B Classics and Amateur Classic divisions at Northwest Pinball Championship

    Source: CommentatorJurassic Park Pinball Heads-Up Launch Tournament
  • factualhigh

    Rob has been a regular guest on Don't Panic Flip stream for over a year

    Source: GeorgeS223: Tron Legacy Pro (Stern)
  • Tour of Ottawa Pinball Arcade / Ontario Provincial Championships 2026Jan 30, 2026
  • Lead designer/project manager for Harlem Globetrotters restoration; created custom aesthetic elements; attending Globetrotters game to get backglass signed

    The Grasley Garage! Combat is done! HG is mint! Flash Gordon has no sound!Feb 5, 2026
  • Helper; removes back door; inspects for sparks/smoke during power-on test

    Unboxing of a 1973 Computer Baseball Arcade Game by MCIDec 10, 2025
  • Host of The Electric Playground, attended Stern media day with Dustin for hands-on Star Wars review, provides primary detailed game analysis and personal recommendation

    Star Wars: Fall of the Empire Pinball: Detailed Review + Pro/Prem/LE ReactionsSep 12, 2025
  • Owner of the reviewed Galactic Tank Force; extensively customized machine with 3D-printed mods; maintained contact with American Pinball for software development feedback

    Pinball Machine Review | The Most Highly Tuned Pimped Game I've Ever Played | Galactic Tank ForceOct 1, 2025
  • Owner of the Tales of the Arabian Nights machine being reviewed; creates/prints custom cup holders

    Tales of the Arabian Nights Pinball Machine "I Love it" | Classic Williams Review & GameplayAug 24, 2025
  • Author's friend accompanying on arcade road trip; visiting locations including Church Arcade grand opening in Pittsburgh

    Update on Stern Pinball's Next Game; Jersey Jack Pinball Augmented Reality; Last Call for LabyrinthJan 31, 2026
  • Chicago Pinball Expo management representative who briefly questioned Kaneda's presence before allowing him to continue coverage

    Kaneda @ Expo!Oct 19, 2024
  • Stern engineer who handled mechanics and electronics assembly on Jurassic Park Home Edition, including the T-Rex jaw mechanism

    The Making Of Jurassic Park Home EditionOct 12, 2022