Tim Sexton is a lead game developer and programmer at Stern Pinball who has worked on major titles including Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Deadpool, John Wick, and TMNT. Beyond his development role, he serves as a broadcast host and commentator for the Stern Pro Circuit Championship and tournament events, and is recognized as a competitive pinball player with deep rules expertise. He co-created the Shippy format and has recently transitioned to Play Mechanix/CGC, though evidence suggests ongoing involvement with Stern projects.
No aliases
Stargazer by Stern Electronics produced fewer than 1,000 units
In 1980 there were 40 unique game releases; by 1984 that number had dropped to 14
Black Knight sold 13,000 units
Space Shuttle sold 7,000 units in 1984 during the video game crash, which saved pinball
Created top-10 games list for 1980-1984 era ('Mr. Mustache'), curated montage using footage from George's collection, subject of critical game ranking debate.
Content creator and pinball analyst who authored/narrated this ranked list of 1980–1984 pinball machines; also mentioned as a modern pinball programmer
Stern employee working on Iron Maiden design team; co-organizer of New York City Pinball Championships; regular Slam Tilt co-host recently restricted from appearing due to 'bloodbath committee' decision
Former Stern Pinball designer/engineer; recently joined Tilt Amusements; created YouTube video ranking top 10 pinball games of the 1970s
Stern pinball programmer; first-time speaker at Pintastic; from Connecticut/New England area; associated with Sanctum crew.
Won recent tournament (referred to as 'Tim Balls'); runs streaming rig; set up stream at remote venue
Expert: merged definition Expert: merged definition
No linked glossary terms
Time Fantasy's time shot mechanic was copied by Lyman Sheets on The Walking Dead, Keith Elwin on Iron Maiden, and Tim Sexton on Rush
Keith Elwin taught Tim Sexton that Frontier is actually an amazing game
Keith Elwin and Escher Loff played a famous Flash Gordon tournament final where Escher defeated Keith by 6,000 points on a 1.5 to 1.49 million point game
Black Knight's gameplay did not age well because skillful players can repeatedly access multiball and never need to play the lower playfield
Flash Gordon is the best game made during the 1980–1984 time period
Sea Witch was remade by Stern Pinball as The Beatles with Dean Grover adding a special mode to play the original Sea Witch rule set
John Wick's leveling system was designed with no functional gameplay impact
Ball coming straight up and down on a drop catch tends to throw the ball toward the drain because it rolls down off the dropped flipper bat
A drop catch deadens vertical momentum but not horizontal momentum of the ball
Bounce passes work best when the ball is moving at moderate speed and going straight up and down or slightly across the playfield
The bounce pass is the fundamental move most players learn first when getting into pinball
The flipper rubber can snap rapidly back and forth between the pinball and flipper bat, killing momentum of the pinball
Over 99% of viewers live within 50 miles of a Godzilla pinball machine
Even a tiny bit of slowing the ball down through live catches can give players much more control than simply letting the ball bounce
Loop passes on Attack from Mars use the same mechanics as drop catches but work at high speed with an obtuse angle
Tim Sexton left Stern for CGC/Play Mechanics position
Brand new pinball machines cost $7,000 to $15,000
Three core skills to master in pinball are flipping, catching, and nudging
Most pinball tournaments use matchplay format where players don't choose games or groupings
Pinball has almost 100 years of history
Locations with more pinball machines are more likely to have dedicated technicians and knowledgeable staff
Playing on location is much cheaper than owning machines
Electric in Chicago is a brand new arcade with 19 pinball machines next to Salt Shed
Wonderland's $1,000 MSRP target implies existing pinball manufacturers are overcharging or unable to optimize costs, misrepresenting the actual cost structure of mechanical pinball production
The $800-$1,000 Alice price target is not economically feasible for a playable mechanical pinball machine even at 80% scale, given manufacturing, labor, and software development costs
Arcade OneUp produced 4 million home arcade games across 130 unique SKUs, enabling cost reduction to near-$1,000 price point; Alice's 600-unit run lacks equivalent scale economics
Stern's cheapest home pinball is Jurassic Park at Costco for $5,000; HomePin's Blues Brothers costs $4,600 including shipping; Arcade OneUp digital pinball near $900
200 early Kickstarter backer pledges in first 5 minutes raised ~$200K, which is insufficient to fund production salaries and infrastructure for 600-unit manufacturing run
Zizzle toy pinball machines were commercially produced, shipped in collapsible boxes, and featured real slingshots/flippers; Pinball Expo attendees initially expected Alice to be similar toy-grade, but were surprised by build quality
Tim Sexton left Stern Pinball in early April 2025 to join Play Mechanics
Tim Sexton moved from Stern Pinball to Play Mechanics
Tim Sexton has departed Stern Pinball and joined Play Mechanics
Tim Sexton departed Stern Pinball for Play Mechanics
Tim Sexton has left Stern Pinball, leaving John Wick code unfinished
Tim Sexton left Stern Pinball and is now at CGC Playmec Flippers Arcade, likely to code for Halo.
Tim Sexton has left Stern Pinball and is now working at Play Mechanics
Tim Sexton has left Stern Pinball
Tim Sexton is Stern's loss and represented significant coding talent
Vine's failure was not due to competition from TikTok but from internal mismanagement
Banning TikTok is not a solution and will harm creators and users more than help
Vine's editorial picks feature was created to appeal to investors rather than serve user needs
The promise of the 2010s that good ideas plus seed money could create multi-millionaire founders is now a myth
Jack Dorsey's division of attention between Twitter and Square CEO roles was a factor in Vine's decline
Twitter's acquisition of Vine for $30 million in 2012 was based on copying Facebook's Instagram acquisition strategy
AI output is primarily useful for deception, cheating, fraud, and creating abusive content
IBM cut 60,000 jobs in early 1990s, largest layoff in US history at the time
Most cyber crime exploits human vulnerability rather than computer vulnerabilities
Watson received direct electrical signals telling it when to buzz during Jeopardy match while humans had to anticipate timing
Microsoft secured Three Mile Island nuclear reactor in September 2024 to power AI data centers
No AI program has ever passed the Turing Test despite 70+ years of attempts
Three Mile Island incident occurred in 1979
Human subjectivity and observation are irreplaceable components of all machine learning systems
Tim Sexton created a video on improving aim that teaches looking at the flipper rather than the target
The Cassian Battle mode includes synchronized effects for gunshots, throws, and falling animations
All movie clips from John Wick franchise now trigger specific physical and lighting effects
Event-driven effects system is available in the latest software update
Papa 20 was the last Papa tournament with skill-based divisions (A/B/C)
Pinburgh relocated from David L. Lawrence Convention Center to Resid Sports in 2024
A five-game qualifying ticket at Indisc took 3-5 hours with significant gaps between games
Sexton ran the NYC Pinball Championships as one of the largest tournaments in the world for 4 years
Multi-day 'pinball farm' events penalize players for extended absences and lack basic amenities
The 2018 IFPA dollar-fee was the primary structural change that led to the deterioration of competitive pinball tournaments
Match play qualifying is used in over 95% of pinball tournaments
Pinburgh 2024 venue (Resid Sports) has no walkable hotel access and requires highway crossings without sidewalks
Sexton was not permitted to compete in sports during childhood
Pinball tournaments have shifted from competitive sport focus to social club focus
The Avatar Limited Edition back glass design was unexpectedly the most popular choice among team members
John Wick Avatar Limited Edition will receive speaker light muzzle flash effects synchronized with shaker motor
John Wick Premium features shaker motor synchronization with screen-based gunshot effects and expression light integration
Tim Sexton did lead code work on Black Knight Sword of Rage and that game is a highlight of his work
Ian McShane provided custom speech for the game
John Wick Pinball includes assets from all three John Wick films
The weapon crate is a sculpted target that opens to reveal a hidden shot for weapon retrieval
The muscle car toy can be bashed from the front, door, or rear to start multiball
The dynamic video player system shows John Wick performing actions that match player gameplay (e.g., defeating enemies)
Charlie Benante composed an original soundtrack for John Wick Pinball
Tim Sexton is the programmer/coder for John Wick
Tim Sexton is working on the John Wick game
Standard pinball machines weigh 250-300 lbs
Leverage is the key to a smaller person moving a large pinball machine
Successful ball saves create indefinite future scoring opportunities that justify tilt risk
Wiggle saves require precise timing with machine's natural oscillation
High friction rubber feet make slides essentially impossible
Nudges to the lockdown bar are more effective than nudges elsewhere
Slides guarantee a tilt on games without tilt warnings
Nudging is essential for pinball players who want to improve their skills
Tim Sexton is working on John Wick
Single-finger flipping is the most common mistake Sexton sees among beginner players
Stage flipping on Godzilla can be learned systematically through the two-finger technique with middle finger lock-in
Post passing is primarily about timing rather than aiming at the slingshot
Curling fingers when pressing flipper buttons can cause carpel tunnel syndrome
Proper flipper technique uses index and middle fingers resting on the flipper button with thumbs on the glass joint
Most pinball players progress through three stance stages: curled fingers, single finger, then two fingers
Tim Sexton's first lead role was as rules programmer on Black Knight: Sword of Rage
Tim Sexton placed top-4 at Texas Pinball Festival on Game of Thrones after retiring from competitive play
Tim Sexton has a cat named Wizard
Tim Sexton scored over 200,000 points on The Wizard in qualifying
Triple scoring on first Reality Gem Quest became necessary strategy by Game 12 due to rising score expectations
Carl D'Angelo had to wait a very long time to play his first match in the ladder format
Players taking later order position in ladder finals have advantage of knowing prior scores but sacrifice game selection
Tim Sexton was lead software engineer on Rush Pinball
Tim Sexton learned to do pinball commentary by studying games, learning rules, and practicing navigation to guide viewers' attention during fast-paced gameplay.
In-person observation of players is more effective than data analytics for understanding game enjoyment and feature clarity.
Rush game design was influenced by watching the Netflix documentary 'Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage' rather than extensive deep-dive into all band catalog material.
Rush game features 16 songs with live concert footage assembled from multiple performances, with no repeating footage within a single song playthrough.
Tim Sexton and Raymond Davidson began working on Rush development around the time of Led Zeppelin 1.0 announcement, without a break between projects.
Competitive pinball experience provides programmers with a library of proven rule mechanics and design patterns that accelerates code development.
War hurry-ups in Knight's Tale became significantly more valuable after code updates
Tim Sexton is now working with John Borg as the software designer for Rush, whereas he typically worked with Steve Ritchie
Expression Light System installation requires removing the playfield and should be done with a second person for safety
Installation requires a number two phillips screwdriver and a quarter inch nut driver as tools
Expression Light kit installation involves mounting a high current SPI board and interconnect board using pilot holes on the cabinet
Tim Sexton is the lead game developer for Led Zeppelin Pinball
Left flipper is preferred for hitting the Thor captive ball on Avengers Infinity Quest
The Black Widow ramp requires hitting another switch first before counting for the challenge
Grid awards on Hawkeye challenge can complete target bank to light Hawkeye combo
Tim Sexton's code for Led Zeppelin uses light changes synchronized to song progression with left-to-right combos
Tim Sexton designed a rule set where shots change based on song segments (chorus, bridge, vocals, solo)
Tim Sexton designed the code with progressive difficulty featuring basic multiballs advancing to complex concert-themed modes
Expression Lighting system with 96 RGB lights was in development for over a year and was not a response to GNR's hot rails
The Icarus X multiplier can reach 28.2x or potentially higher by holding off activation and building combos
Led Zeppelin is the first-ever pinball adaptation of the band despite long community demand
Steve Ritchie attended two Led Zeppelin live shows in the 1970s in California
Expression lighting system was conceptualized in 2019 and evolved from white lights to RGB over time
Electric Magic toy uses an optical spinner mechanism similar to the Beatles pinball machine
Dynamic song-section shot mechanics (verses, choruses) are unprecedented in pinball in this form
Keith Elwin adopted Sexton's minimum ball saver feature from Black Knight for both Avengers and Jurassic Park
Multiplier capping may be implemented before competitive tournaments resume to prevent exploitation
Tim Sexton will be on code for Led Zeppelin pinball
Tim Sexton was the lead designer on Black Knight for Stern
Tim Sexton deserved Rookie of the Year award more than other candidates due to doing real work versus podcast hosting
Tim Sexton deserved to win Rookie of the Year over other nominees
Williams and Bally closed their doors in the year 2000, leaving Stern as the only pinball manufacturer in the world for an extended period
Tim Sexton was hired at Stern Pinball starting February 2017 as a support software engineer
Tim Sexton became lead developer on Black Knight, working with designer Steve Ritchie
Pinball and video games were not enemies in the 1980s but rather friends that grew up together
Seven software developers contributed to Black Knight: Tim Sexton, Corey, Wesley Chang, Brett Rubin, Mark Vitarelli, Lyman Sheets, and Tanya Klaes
Stern Pinball hired Rick Nagle and Brett Rubin as full-time software developers in 2016, significantly expanding the software team
The Awesome Games Done Quick charity event in early 2017 raised over $2 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation
Pinball streamers have grown significantly and you can watch pinball on Twitch at any time of day
Making pinball machines is necessary for pinball to survive, but it also needs the enthusiasm of people talking about it and sharing experiences
Josh Sharp was recently hired as director of marketing at Stern Pinball when Tim met him in November 2016
Tim Sexton holds all high scores on every machine in the Stern Pinball Arcade
Tim Sexton is the lead coder for Black Knight Sword of Rage and coordinated tournament placement; Steve Ritchie has been requesting code updates
Tim Sexton ruled 'beneficial malfunction, play on' for Rolling Stones mode start switch firing
Tim Sexton prefers the title 'Lead Game Developer' over 'software engineer' because it more accurately describes the design work involved in pinball development
Tim Sexton is Lead Game Developer at Stern Pinball
Ray Day is 100% responsible for the playfield design while Tim Sexton is 100% responsible for the software
Black Knight: Sword of Rage is part of a trilogy
The original Black Knight 2000 theme was composed by Steve Ritchie, Dan Forden, and Brian W. Schmidt
Stern has the most kick-ass 3D art package ever in the history of pinball
Josh Clay was a tattoo artist in the Chicago area before joining Stern approximately 12 months ago
The game plays wicked fast and smooth, with Steve Ritchie as the King of flow ensuring every shot is perfectly smooth
This is the first game in the Black Knight series where you battle the full 3D Black Knight
Ed Robertson voices Bernie, a skeleton wielding a flamethrower character in the game
The game does not have a video mode
Tim Sexton is the lead software engineer for Black Knight: Sword of Rage
Tim Sexton is 26 years old, came from IBM, was a coder on Deadpool, and is ranked 108 competitively
Black Knight: Sword of Rage is the sequel to the 1980 Black Knight and the 1989 Black Knight 2000, designed by Steve Ritchie
The game features music by Scott Ian of Anthrax and Brendan Small of Metalocalypse, with original songs for every mode, multiball, and wizard mode
Steve Ritchie voices the Black Knight character in the game
Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies voices Bernie, a skeleton flamethrower character in the skeleton army
The game will be available in Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models
Tim Sexton has been employed at Stern for 14 months and has been working on Black Knight: Sword of Rage for approximately 9-10 months
Stern hired Keith Ellen in 2017 and Rick Nagel in 2017, among other expansion hires across multiple departments
Black Knight: Sword of Rage will have playable demos at Midwest Gaming Classic, with Pro and Premium models expected to be shown
Tim Sexton was nominated for Rookie of the Year and expressed interest in appearing on Special When Lit Podcast
Kaneda's Pinball Podcast reported that Tim Sexton is coding Black Knight Sword of Rage
Tim Sexton had hernia surgery and missed the Deadpool Premium stream event
Tim Sexton is shorter than ideal for seeing ball save indicators on Iron Man
Iron Maiden LE version is completely sold out
NYCPC sold out with 140 players and 70 on the waitlist
30 Iron Maiden machines sold at MGC show
Tim Sexton created all animations and light shows for Iron Maiden
Tim Sexton is the first person to play through the full 14-minute Rime of the Ancient Mariner song
Tim is relocating from New York to Chicago for the Stern position
Stern Pinball hired Tim Sexton as a software engineer with start date in early February 2018
There is significant untapped content demand in the pinball space, particularly for dedicated daily vlogging
Tim will effectively end pinball content production on YouTube and Twitch due to work demands
Tim believes his role at Stern will allow greater impact on growing the pinball hobby among millennials and younger audiences
Tim Sexton has accepted a position at Stern Pinball as a software engineer, starting Monday
Dialed In has a hole routing bug similar to Twilight Zone
Sim cards are the #1 priority in Dialed In, followed by modes, then multiball
Dialed In is a really great game from Jersey Jack
Phone calls can be cancelled by double-flipping to reject them
Big Bang shot can complete most modes in a single shot
Armageddon is reached by completing all six modes
Maximum sim card multiplier in Dialed In is 9x (corresponding to the 8 letters in 'DIALED IN' plus base 2x)
EMP strike is the only mode in Dialed In worth timing out rather than playing
The correct aiming technique is to keep eyes on the flipper throughout the entire flip, not on the target
Looking at the target before flipping causes reduced aiming accuracy
The human eye cannot track a ball mid-flip and instead holds a picture of where you looked
A two-stage aiming process (wait for target flash, look at ball, flip when at rest) is effective for mode setup requiring drop target locks
All pinball drains result from either player skill deficit (player drain) or machine randomness/luck (machine drain)
No one has ever played a perfect (infinite-duration) pinball game in recorded history
Pinball is fundamentally a game combining both skill and luck; perfect infinite play is impossible due to human limitation in focus, reaction speed, and decision-making
Zach Sharpe holds the longest known pinball game record with 986 million points on Scared Stiff lasting several hours, including a sleep break to cool the crate coil
Lightsaber duel may be bugged or not fully implemented in code v0.85
Character selection in Star Wars is not as drastically different in value/ranking as Game of Thrones
The ideal skill shot is plunging into the three-bank force targets followed by hitting force targets, not a full plunge into force targets
The Death Star orbit shot is the most valuable shot on the playfield
It is very difficult to build multiplier value high (20x+) without being in multiball
Having a multiball going makes it much easier to build multiplier value with less risk
The game is very button-heavy compared to other Stern games
Pop bumpers do not provide significant value in the game
Tim recommends dialing back Star Wars multiplier difficulty to restore balance between rule knowledge and fundamental skills
Without using Star Wars multiplier, scores are 100-200M; with multiplier management, scores exceed 1 billion
Star Wars multiplier goes up to 40x (20x base with 2x doubler) and requires constant button management to be effective
Tim Sexton is restricted to A division for Pinburgh 2017 due to B division finals finish and top 50 IFPA ranking
Past Stern code updates have addressed Tim Sexton's rule complexity complaints, suggesting potential future adjustments to Star Wars
Game of Thrones exhibits extreme score variance (8M to 500M+) based on rule knowledge rather than skill
Modern Stern games have reached a point where metagame knowledge dominates over fundamental pinball skills
Tim Sexton is ranked fifth seed in PAPA circuit finals after Keith Elwin withdrew
This is Tim Sexton's first circuit finals appearance
This is Tim Sexton's first year in A Division at PAPA
Tim Sexton qualified for state finals in 10 different states in 2016 except New York, despite New York being his home state and the state where he accumulated the most points
Batman 66 code is not at version 1.0 and has incomplete ball search functionality, particularly in multiplayer.
$8,000 is too much to spend on a new premium pinball machine given current financial priorities.
Pinball Done Quick raised $14,000 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
Austin Mackert scored $1.9 billion on Star Trek Premium at factory settings.
PAPA 2014 tournament expenses were $137,149 for Pinberg and $146,543 for PAPA 17
Tim Sexton correctly predicted Batman 66 Super LE pricing before official announcement
Tim Sexton is currently ranked 86th in IFPA rankings and is the highest-ranked player to have appeared on Slam Tilt Podcast
Ghostbusters' skill shot is 'probably more valuable than we've ever seen' in a pinball game
Good pinball games require a combination of safe and dangerous shots with software that forces balanced play between both types
Walking Dead evolved from 'a really awful game when it first came out' to 'a really great game now' through code updates
Tim started playing pinball in mid-2013 at Downingtown Pinball Gallery in southeastern Pennsylvania
Upstate New York pinball player; competitor Ron faced in Round 3
Content creator with Twitch and YouTube channels, mentioned as Friend of Podcast
Pinball player and tutorial content creator; hired by Stern Pinball as software engineer starting Monday of recording; known as 'Darth Balls' in episode; former podcast participant who can no longer appear without approval
Competitive pinball player, #2 seed in NY state championships, plays Pinball Done Quick (PDQ), referenced as knowledgeable about Batman 66
Associated with pinball code design; mentioned in context of D&D code direction, contrasted with Dwight Sullivan
Stern Pinball team member; participated in official John Wick livestream gameplay
Tournament director who made ruling on Rolling Stones malfunction during semifinals
Mentioned as source of Black Knight: Sword of Rage strategy information on podcast
Pinball code designer for Black Knight Sword of Rage; known as skilled competitive player
Stern developer; demonstrated preliminary John Wick code including expression lights and shaker motor integration
Stern Pinball developer working on John Wick pinball
Stern employee; Kaneda claims Sexton is 100% on code for John Wick; described as reliable insider source
Professional pinball player from New York, two-time TTI invitee, made honorary TTI committee member
Programmer; helped with Deadpool code; former Slam Crew member; described as 'young stud' hired by Stern
Stern designer; confirmed involved in John Wick project; worked on Black Knight Sword of Rage with guitarist Scott Ian/Ian Scott from Anthrax
Lead programmer/designer on Led Zeppelin, interviewed by Jeff Teolis for Pinball Profile, described code mechanics and concert modes
Upstate New York pinball player who made A division at Pinberg
Community member known as 'Timmy'; used Replay Foundation's published financial records to analyze format sustainability
Streamed Deadpool demonstration for Stern; manually demonstrated shots and modes
Competitor eliminated from Classics tournament through similar circumstances to Ron's experience
Code support lead for John Wick; committed to ongoing code evolution per Retro Ralph
Pinball code designer; reportedly coding Black Knight Sword of Rage per Kaneda's Pinball Podcast; nominated for Rookie of the Year
Programmer on Black Knight: Sword of Rage
Code designer/programmer at Stern; led Black Knight Sword of Rage team to version 1.0 update.
Competitive pinball player, participated in Classics Target Match Play, played Nine Ball in featured match
Lead coder at Stern Pinball; works with Keith Elwyn on game design implementation
Code designer for John Wick pinball and co-designer of Rush rules alongside Raymond Davidson
Code designer for John Wick and Rush pinball at Stern, known for deep rule implementation
Pinball player/streamer and designer; featured in Shoopy invitational; co-creator of Rush code with Raymond Davidson
Stern factory representative who discussed John Wick design and Spike 2 hardware limitations with hosts during factory visit
Participated in streaming session; arrived late from Brooklyn tournament (3am); struggled with tutorial gameplay under pressure; creating Dragon Fist tutorial content
Stern Pinball's 'face of Stern,' had hernia surgery, missed Deadpool Premium stream.
Guest on previous Slam Tilt episode; tournament organizer at Rock Fantasy; accurately predicted Batman 66 Super LE pricing
Stern Pinball staff member credited for work on John Wick code updates and event-driven effect system
Code contributor at Stern Pinball; worked on Rush code V.89 alongside Raymond Davidson
Stern staff member, tournament player near Chicago
Stern Pinball coder; working on Rush; likely unavailable for new projects
Competitive pinball player, ranked 16th in Upstate New York standings, participated in Buffalo Pinball Summer Open
Content creator streaming from Rock Fantasy Game Room on Twitch, ID: TimBalls, broadcasts weekly on Sundays
Guest on Slam Tilt Podcast, pinball player with extensive rules knowledge, competing in A division at Pinburgh, known for rule tutorials
Stern Pinball staff and tournament commentator; provides technical gameplay analysis and color commentary alongside Jack Danger
Co-host and commentator for the tournament; pinball player and tutorial content creator
Stern Pinball code developer assigned to work on John Wick updates through end of year
Rule set programmer for Led Zeppelin pinball, participated in Facebook reveal livestream.
Stern code designer, recently hired, created code for Led Zeppelin
Stern representative whose voice was used in John Wick promotional material; Kaneda noted his unusually high-pitched vocal delivery during presentation
Programmer/coder working on John Wick pinball, described as a major John Wick film fanboy
Noted as designer ruled out for John Wick.
Streamed John Wick gameplay for approximately one hour; Kaneda watched and critiqued the presentation, finding it repetitive and mechanically lacking.
Expression Lighting designer; worked on Led Zeppelin and Rush expression lighting; rumored to be working on Stern's John Wick
Tournament player (Tim Balls on Twitch); streamed Rob Zombie tournament portion; played in Rock Fantasy finals
Pinball player who lost to Steve Bowden in Pittsburgh Pinball Open quarterfinals on Avatar
Designer/team lead who achieved Timmy's 1.0 code milestone; previously appeared on Slam Tilt Podcast
Former Stern designer; joined Play Mechanics to code Halo; left Stern for this opportunity
Reportedly left Stern Pinball; previously associated with code development; his departure rumored to leave John Wick incomplete
Programmer who left Stern Pinball; now at CGC Playmec Flippers Arcade, likely coding for Halo pinball. Associated with John Wick code issues.
Returning guest on Slam Tilt Podcast, programmer with expertise in pinball code, streamer (Tim Balls on Twitch), pinball player and analyst.
Pinball content creator; posted Twitch stream of Aerosmith at Rock Fantasy location
Code designer; Scott appreciates his approach to code and game design (mentioned in context of John Wick)
Stern Software Engineer, lead programmer for Black Knight: Sword of Rage; frequent Slam Tilt Podcast guest with most appearances on the show; known for pinball tutorial content
Code developer for John Wick pinball machine praised for incremental improvements
Video game background designer at Stern; mentioned as influence on pinball design with fresh video game perspectives
Lead designer of Rush at Stern Pinball; third lead design role, eighth total contribution to Stern; competitive pinball player and code designer with deep understanding of rule integration and licensing constraints.
Programmer at Stern Pinball; worked with Steve Ritchie on Black Knight Sword of Rage and other recent titles; noted for rule breadth and complexity
Tournament organizer who kicked Kaneda out of a pinball tournament where Kaneda was rooting for Penny
Young Stern Pinball designer, same age as co-hosts (late 20s/early 30s); represents fresh talent direction at Stern.
Player featured in the Rush Pinball stream that Kaneda watched
Programmer/code designer for Rush pinball, known for modern rule set sensibility, studied band lore extensively
Competitive pinball player ranked 86th in IFPA, guest on episode 10, known for detailed game analysis and Facebook rants about ruleset design
Pinball designer whose rule sets are praised in podcast discussions and featured in Rush
Submitted worst games list for episode; software mathematician; born early 1990s; knowledgeable about modern games but criticized for lack of understanding of classic 70s IP
Pinball enthusiast whose top-10 list of 1970s machines was referenced multiple times by hosts and listeners
Sound credited on Deadpool
Rules programmer for Black Knight: Sword of Rage; appears to be his first lead role on rules
Rumored code programmer for upcoming John Wick pinball game from Stern
Pinball instructor and content creator producing instructional videos on pinball techniques and skill development
Tournament director and Never Beef Productions partner; organizer of New York City Pinball Championships.
Stern pinball streamer and rule demonstrator; now official face of Stern, presenting Deadpool game content
Knight's Tale code programmer credited with recent updates that increased war hurry-up values and mode scoring
Game programmer associated with Black Knight: Sword of Rage code implementation
Lead developer on John Wick Pinball rules
Known as Tim Balls; formerly on Twitch before working for Stern; placed top-4 at Texas Pinball Festival on Game of Thrones after retiring from competitive play
Tournament organizer running Fantasy Summer Bash with Mr. Keeler and Greg Pavarelli
Pinball content creator; referenced for opinions on Caddyshack film and competitive skee-ball
Won Rookie of the Year at Twippies Awards; described as doing real work versus podcast hosts
Co-host of Tee'd Off Pinball Podcast; casual/social competitive player who attended Pittsburgh tournament, Helicon Brewing event, and appeared in Stern Pinball mini-documentary
Number one qualifier in Mystic with 592,000+ points; wearing Rush shirt; main coder on Rush pinball machine
Stern Pinball employee, broadcast commentator, projections website operator, competitive pinball player from Chicago
Tournament competitor; rolled The Wizard over 200,000 points in qualifying; has cat named Wizard
Stern programmer and pinball rules expert providing commentary; competed in IFPA 2018, lost to Raymond Davidson in earlier match
26-year-old coder on Deadpool team; came from IBM; ranked 108 competitively; influences rule sets from 1990s video games; discussed on Coast to Coast Pinball Podcast
Elite pinball player competing in INDISC 2023; known for map strategy on Congo and skill fire expertise
Stern Pinball team member (likely developer/designer) announcing Pintastic 2019 attendance; known for arcade scoring prowess
Pinball player, content creator, and Stern Pinball software developer since February 2017; lead developer on Black Knight; presenter at Pintastic New England
Young (26 years old) programmer/designer at Stern, collaborates closely with Steve Ritchie; won tournament during presentation day
Guest co-host; competitive pinball player ranked in top world rankings; IFPA points expert; instrumental in creating upstate NY ranking sheet to counter Super League dominance; qualified for 10 state finals in 2016 except his home state
Guest on Slam Tilt Podcast; first-year A Division player at PAPA; ranked fifth seed in circuit finals; will play in qualifying and finals
Coder for Black Knight: Sword of Rage; Zach describes code as 'damn good'
NYC Pinball Championships co-organizer; Stern Pinball developer and tournament commentator
Pinball community figure who gave Benjamin advice about doing projects authentically when NYC Pin Pod was first launched; quoted as inspirational guidance
Code designer on Shane Black Knight
Co-programmer on Rush code alongside Raymond Davidson; known for technical depth in Stern games
Code designer/programmer at Stern Pinball; provided John Wick code breakdown and shared story about Avatar Limited Edition back glass design approval
Shared Deadpool Megalodon exploit strategy with Raymond Davidson; pinball code/rules expert
Player on stream, previously of New York, grew up in greater Philadelphia area, multiple-time participant in Dead Flip streams
Lead developer and lead software engineer on BKSOR, responsible for 100% of software and gameplay logic
Lead software engineer on Rush (Premium); primary developer speaker explaining features and mechanics
Stern Pinball Lead Game Developer; competitive pinball player; participant in undercard match against Mike Vinacore
Pinball community member; currently injured/laid up; received community dedication during gameplay
Stern Pinball staff present at reveal; assists with gameplay demonstration
Stern Pinball artist/animator credited with all animations, light shows, call-out voice work, and impersonations for Iron Maiden. First player to complete full Rime of the Ancient Mariner song.
Lead game developer for Led Zeppelin Pinball, primary speaker and guide for installation walkthrough
Appears to be event judge/referee assisting with match officiating and objective selection
Guest or visitor referenced during streaming session
Programmer on Deadpool pinball at Stern; led the primary rules walkthrough and gameplay demonstration during the factory stream.
Software/code designer for Rush pinball; typically works with Steve Ritchie
Pinball code designer for Black Knight Sword of Rage
Stern Pinball team member discussing Rush on Marco Specialties livestream
Software/code rules designer for Led Zeppelin; previously worked with Ritchie on Black Knight Sword of Rage
Pinball player who won Rookie of the Year at Twippy Awards
New programmer at Stern working on Steve Ritchie's projects; introduced as key to making 'the pinball business rock'
Tournament-grade pinball player hired by Stern for product development role on Deadpool team
Involved in Led Zeppelin wizard mode design alongside Raymond Davidson
Tournament background rules designer; worked on Black Knight rules; host expects him to avoid forced-flip multiball mechanics on Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin rule set designer who created innovative system where shots change based on song segments (chorus, bridge, vocals, solo)
Stern Pinball team member who confirmed expression lighting system development timeline on Pinball Profile podcast
Commentator for Stern Heads-Up Invitational; praised for excellent commentary quality
Stern team member discussing Led Zeppelin pinball at Expo Saturday 3 p.m.
Stern Pinball employee and competitive pinball player; confirmed to attend
Code developer for Deadpool (Premium)
Software developer at Stern Pinball; created instructional video on aiming technique three years ago
Code developer for John Wick, discussed Spike 2 system capabilities at Stern tour
Coder on John Wick pinball; featured prominently in promotional video despite not being the designer
Featured in Stern Shoopy invitational; code designer for Rush pinball machine
Rules designer on Rush Pinball alongside Ray Day
Stern Pinball coder working with Steve Ritchie, described as top competitive player now doing code work
Competitive pinball player who changed state tournament affiliation; referenced as precedent for Travis's decision to switch from Oklahoma to Missouri/Illinois
Programmer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; formerly known for top-level competitive play before joining Stern as programmer
Lead programmer on Black Knight: Sword of Rage, first lead coding position at Stern
Lead code designer for John Wick pinball; worked on Black Knight Sword of Rage
Pinball code designer; rumored to be on code for Led Zeppelin; previously coded Black Knight Sword of Rage
Tournament-experienced code designer at Stern Pinball
Former Stern Pinball coder who has departed the company; responsible for code on John Wick and other Stern titles; his departure raises questions about completion of unfinished games
Programmer/programming lead for Rush pinball
Pinball industry figure; participated in panel discussion at MGC 2019 on Williams' 1980 Black Knight launch in France and design of Stern's new Black Knight
Stern Pinball code designer; reads community animation suggestions; working on Black Knight releases/updates
Pioneering developer of Expression Lights technology for Stern; created light control algorithms tied to music for Zeppelin.
Lead software engineer on Rush Pinball
Designer credited for Black Knight: Sword of Rage alongside Steve Ritchie and Stern crew
Younger Stern design talent part of initiative to inject youthful voices into organization
Former Stern Pinball programmer and competitive player; departed for Play Mechanics arcade company
Lead developer for John Wick rules/code; reportedly aware of early positive reception to rule complexity from players; likely involved in ongoing code development.
Video creator/host; pinball community media figure
Content creator producing Aerosmith pinball tutorial
World-famous pinball enthusiast, tournament player, and content creator providing in-depth Star Wars Pinball tutorial; known for competitive play and detailed game analysis
Video creator; performs gameplay demonstrations and philosophical analysis of perfect pinball games
Pinball content creator and tutorial instructor; presents aiming methodology based on flipper focus
Content creator and pinball enthusiast demonstrating tutorial gameplay of Dialed In at Level Zero Arcade
YouTube pinball content creator and Twitch streamer; newly hired software engineer at Stern Pinball starting February 2018
Pinball instructional content creator, specializing in flipper technique and skill development
Pinball educator and content creator providing instructional video on nudging and tilt mechanics
Competitive pinball player, tournament organizer (NYC Pinball Championships), game developer; retired from competitive tournaments in summer 2023
Video creator and analyst; produced this documentary-style video examining Lo Dong's behavior, audience, and impact; attempted to contact Lo Dong for interview
Content creator and video host delivering philosophical critique of AI
Content creator and analyst; professional software developer for commercial pinball machines (7 years); skeptical of Wonderland's manufacturing claims and pricing target
Content creator and pinball enthusiast producing educational pinball tutorial video
Content creator/pinball analyst discussing 1970s pinball history and design critique
Pinball tournament commentator whose discussion of competition pinball issues Bug references regarding tournament length and player queue fatigue
Rules coder for Led Zeppelin; lead rules designer on Black Knight Sword of the Rage (first lead role); contributed to Deadpool rules
Lead programmer on Rush; previously worked on Led Zeppelin with Raymond Davidson
Designer/programmer at Stern; participated in interview with Don about John Wick code updates; confirmed commitment to completing game despite delays
Stern Pinball coder; participated in factory tour
Former Stern designer; worked on John Wick; now at Play Mechanics working on Pulp Fiction and Halo
Stern Pinball programmer; scheduled guest on upcoming Slam Tilt podcast episode
Previous Oklahoma State champion who retired from Oklahoma State tournament circuit; Travis is following his precedent by switching to Missouri/Illinois.
Former lead code designer for John Wick and X-Men; no longer involved in updates
Rock Fantasy venue personality who got Cliff into tournament pinball in 2017; credited as key mentor
Pinball player; appreciated the 'cheese factor' in Heads Up tournament challenges removed in recent version
Stern programmer who owned a Time Warp for several years; validates banana flipper design criticisms
Host and commentator for the 2020 Stern Pro Circuit Championship finals
Host and commentator for the 2020 Stern Pro Circuit Championship broadcast
Lead game developer for John Wick Pinball, provided technical feature walkthrough
Presented rules during Black Knight reveal stream; provided explanation of game mechanics during live reveal
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; Stephanie (participant) is biased toward his work; described as being from her hometown.
Host and narrator; pinball expert and YouTuber who has worked for Steve Richie and Eugene Jarvis; provides detailed analysis of 1970s pinball machines.
Software engineer on John Wick pinball
Stern code programmer; co-programmed Rush with additional team members
Rumored code designer for next Stern game announcement; previously worked on Black Knight Sword of Rage code
Lead coder on John Wick; prior code work on Rush, Led Zeppelin, Black Knight SoR, Deadpool
Credited with responsibility for code update quality on John Wick (mentioned alongside 'whoever else')
Former Stern Pinball programmer and competitive player; departed for Play Mechanics; expected to contribute complex rules design
Former Stern Pinball employee (departed); departure potentially impacting code development staffing alongside multiple major 2025 releases
Stern Pinball code lead; assumed code designer on Led Zeppelin pinball
Lead coder nominee for Twippies Rookie of the Year; hosts indicate he deserved the award.
Suspected programmer for Rush pinball; hosts speculate but uncertain
Lead software designer for Led Zeppelin; interviewed by Jeff Teolis on Pinball Profile about rules design
Stern pinball software engineer, top-ranked competitive player, commentator for TMNT Heads Up Invitational
Led Zeppelin code designer; praised for rule set quality; highlighted as emerging top-tier coder by Travis
Chicago-based player who competed at District 82 after one-year break, placed in top group, played well in tournament
Stern Pinball staff; competitive player; participates in District 82 tournaments.
Stern Pinball designer typically paired with Steve Ritchie; now needs new coding partner due to Ritchie's departure
Content creator who produced discussion video about tournament participation, whopper farming, and tournament design philosophy. Referenced by Jamie as recent discussion topic.
Stern employee and competitive pinball player known as 'Timmy' or 'Tim Balls'; announced semi-retirement from competitive play except certain circumstances
Stern code designer; responsible for Rush code updates; changed scoring mechanics requiring percentage buildup before mode start; jokingly blamed by hosts for complicating Rush strategy.
Stern employee; previously appeared on Slam Tilt Podcast multiple times before being hired by Stern.
Former Stern Pinball employee; joined Play Mechanics; originally third host of Slam Tilt Podcast
Software programmer on Rush; mentioned as part of engineering team; Stern podcast participant.
YouTube content creator who posted criticism of IFPA tournaments regarding $1 fees, lack of facilities/bathrooms, break structure, and venue location quality; argues tournaments need urban locations
Former Stern code designer for John Wick; quit weeks ago; lack of recent code updates attributed to his departure.
Software lead for John Wick; top Stern code developer
Senior programmer at Stern; left April 2025 to join Play Mechanics (Raw Thrills); was lead software developer for John Wick pinball
Code programmer; working with Steve Ritchie on Led Zeppelin; previously collaborated on Black Knight
Stern Pinball developer; lead designer on Black Knight; initiated recruitment of Raymond Davidson; approximately fifth on Stern's competitive depth chart
Commentator for Stern Invitational who provided analysis on playing styles and strategy differences in tournament coverage
Co-founder of Never Beef Productions; works at Stern Pinball; mentioned for possible beat poetry contribution
Former Rock Fantasy staff member who left to work at Stern; participated in Star Wars tutorial filming and community content; tournament organizer at Rock Fantasy
New York player; won tiebreaker against DJ on Dialed In; advanced to semifinals
Stern Pinball employee/player who helped test Deadpool Premium during development
Competitive pinball player; mentioned as having moved to pinball company in recent years
Lead coder on Black Knight Sword of Rage at Stern; attended NYCPC 2019 to showcase game in tournament
Software developer for Black Knight pinball; appearing at Pintastic to discuss technical development
Coder/designer for Black Knight Sword of Rage; presenting seminar at Pintastic about new code features
Pinball designer, conducted Black Knight Sword of Rage seminar at Clee Pin
Stern code designer on John Wick; demonstrated preliminary code features including screen-synced gunshot effects with speaker lights
Incorrectly publicly credited for John Wick at launch; actual design was Elliot Eisman's; represents credit attribution issues
New Stern Pinball hire; competitive player and code developer representing trend of skilled tournament players joining Stern
Code designer for Led Zeppelin pinball at Stern; also known as Timmy Page Sexton. Long-time Stern employee who previously worked on Black Knight. Radio background (college DJ at 'Red Zeppelin' show).
Stern designer/programmer; led designer group during John Wick hands-on sessions; discussed code and upcoming directions.
Stern Pinball designer/programmer; consulted by Sullivan for tournament play-testing and rule balancing on TMNT
Programmer/designer who departed Stern Pinball for Play Mechanics; worked on John Wick; host concerns about code development continuity
Former Stern Pinball programmer; left to work with CGC/Play Mechanics; had been working on John Wick code updates
Content creator and video essayist providing year-in-review analysis of 2025 pinball industry
Rumored code developer for Halo at Play Mechanix; described as new employee
Stern designer of John Wick; confirmed meaningless progression system design
Played Space Hunt with Ron at Expo; attempted to challenge for upper playfield access
Mentioned in context of alleged behind-the-scenes conflict with Kaneda
Host of the Stern Pro Circuit Championship broadcast
Host of the Stern Pro Circuit Championship broadcast
Host/commentator for the 2020 Stern Pro Circuit Championship broadcast
Host and commentator for the 2020 Stern Pro Circuit Championship broadcast
Stern Pinball programmer; possibly lead rules coder on Iron Maiden (speculation); recently joined Stern
Co-creator of Shippy format, serves as commentator, competitive pinball player with rules expertise
Lead game developer for Led Zeppelin Pinball at Stern Pinball
Former Stern Pinball personnel; noted as having departed; referenced as recipient of significant criticism in past
Lead Game Developer at Stern Pinball, presenter of the demonstration
Tournament host and commentator for Stern Pro Circuit Championship Game 11
Tournament host and commentator for Stern Pro Circuit Championship
Recently hired by Stern Pinball, competitive pinball player, part of Stern's talent recruitment strategy
Host and commentator for the Stern Pro Circuit Championship broadcast
Broadcast host for the 2020 Stern Pro Circuit Championship
Tournament director and broadcast host/commentator for the championship
Host of Stern Pro Circuit Championship coverage
Stern Pinball representative and tournament commentator/analyst
Historical reference; Kaneda jokingly references not wanting to throw vodka in his face anymore
Broadcast host for Stern Pro Circuit Championship
Programmer working on Deadpool, host/narrator for the factory walkthrough
Host and announcer of the 2020 Stern Pro Circuit Championship broadcast
Had a medical issue that became the basis for 'Try Ball Timmy' office joke, inspiring Jurassic Park's 'Try Ball' feature name
Host and commentator for Stern Pro Circuit Championship broadcasts
Tournament organizer mentioned in Kaneda's account of being ejected from tournament for cheering; incident resulted in drink thrown in his face
Host of the 2020 Stern Pro Circuit Championship coverage
Host/commentator for the Stern Pro Circuit Championship broadcast
Host and play-by-play commentator for the Stern Pro Circuit Championship broadcast
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