Steve Ritchie is a legendary pinball designer with a 47+ year career spanning Atari, Williams, Stern, and currently Jersey Jack Pinball. Known as the 'King of Flow,' he is credited with pioneering innovative design principles including modern ball saves, interactive toppers, and flow-focused gameplay across 40+ iconic games (High Speed, Terminator 2, Black Knight series, Star Wars, Elton John, and Sonic the Hedgehog). He joined Jersey Jack Pinball in August 2024 after 16 years at Stern, where he negotiated to design original-theme games as a condition of continued employment.
Steve Ritchie was hired at Atari in 1974 as an electromechanical technician at $4.50/hour
Of the first 100 Atarians shipped to CA Robinson in Los Angeles, only 25 could be opened and inspected; only 12 could be made operational in 24 hours
Jeff Herup ordered Ritchie and Corona not to share the defect documentation; they escalated to Nolan Bushnell instead, resulting in Herup's termination four days later
Designer credited with legendary pinball legacy; Kaneda believes Sonic will be his greatest game ever
Designer at Stern, recent work on Elton John, upcoming Stern title rumored to be Sonic
Jersey Jack designer, known for High Speed and Star Wars work, designing Sonic
Legendary pinball designer who played Tiki Tapu and provided design feedback about lighting
Legendary pinball designer whose game design philosophy influenced Nick Moran; played early whitewood version of Turbo Time at Expo
Legendary Williams pinball designer cited as inspiration for The 3 Musketeers' cannon mechanic
No linked glossary terms
Steve Ritchie attended an Atari focus group in 1976 where operators urged Atari not to make unconventional design choices.
Flash sold approximately 19,000 units, just short of 20,000
Stellar Wars sold 7,000 units despite Ritchie's personal hatred of the game
Paramount Studios' licensing executives prohibited violence, phasers, and photon torpedoes in the Star Trek: The Next Generation pinball game
Atari's rotary solenoids, repurposed from ship radio channel changers, were inadequate and unreliable for pinball applications
Stellar Wars sold 7,000 machines despite poor design.
Ritchie hates Stellar Wars more than any other game he designed.
Flash sold 19,000 units and Williams deliberately capped production to avoid reaching 20,000 units.
Game Time 2000 is possibly the worst pinball machine ever made.
Jeff Herup was terminated at Atari within four days after Ritchie and Corona reported quality issues directly to Nolan Bushnell.
Of 100 Atarians machines sent to a distributor show, only 12 could be made operational within 24 hours.
Atari conducted a focus group with operators circa 1976 where operators explicitly requested standard playfield slope, flipper buttons, and positioning to avoid Allied Leisure-style innovations
Nolan Bushnell designed Atari pinball machines to be ergonomically uncomfortable to justify California manufacturing costs.
Steve Ritchie's Sonic pinball represents a return to form drawing on all his accumulated knowledge and experience
Sonic pinball gameplay is reminiscent of F14 Tomcat in terms of fast flow and ramp design
Steve Ritchie is at the end of his career peak with maximum experience brought to Sonic the Hedgehog design
Ritchie designed pinball games for 54 years (career span referenced at expo).
Black Knight 2000 was the first pinball game to make $1,000 per week at Broadway Arcade in New York on 50-cent play.
Ritchie and colleagues spent three hours with James Cameron at Lightstorm Studios discussing the Terminator film.
Terminator pinball machines were placed in U.S. theaters on the same day (July 4) that Terminator 2 was released.
Firepower sold approximately 17,000 units during a pinball industry downturn.
Ritchie invented the word 'multiball' and obtained a trademark on it during Firepower development.
Flash sold almost 20,000 machines (19,755 final count) and was Ritchie's best-selling game.
Williams Electronics lost $17 million on the Star Rider video disc game.
Elton John pinball costs $15,000 in America and $18,000 in the Netherlands
Williams lost approximately $18 million when a disc-based video game failed
Flash was Ritchie's best-selling game, selling approximately 19,000-20,000 machines
IGT stole Ritchie's Vault slot machine concept with no legal recourse
Jersey Jack Pinball fixed flipper quality issues at Ritchie's request in 2021
Ritchie was unemployed for 28 months following the 2008 financial crisis
Firepower was the first solid-state multiball game
Ritchie invented the word 'multiball' and obtained a trademark on it
Lyman Sheets was probably the best pinball programmer that ever lived
A degree in industrial design is not necessary to be a pinball designer
Gary Stern asked Steve Ritchie if the Dutch could be 'number two' in pinball manufacturing
The Dutch Pinball Museum is the best pinball museum Steve Ritchie has ever seen
Larry DeMar told Steve Ritchie that Williams was 'stealing' the game name Banzai Run that Ritchie had planned to use
Steve Ritchie left Williams in 1997 because he believed the company was declining
Williams acquired Atari, and when Ritchie returned to Williams after visiting Atari, Ken Fedzynna told him 'we bought them yesterday'
Steve Ritchie was the first person to play Pac-Man in North America
Pinball games credited to a single designer are actually collaborative efforts involving many contributors
A pinball game about science fiction inspired Steve Ritchie to create multiball mechanics
Steve Ritchie designed Rush and influenced Jersey Jack's play style direction
Steve Ritchie's Star Wars (2016-18, Spike 2) has convoluted rules and geometry issues with plunge reliability
Steve Ritchie composed the main melody for F-14 Tomcat, which Chris Granner transcribed for the synthesizer
Steve Ritchie's Star Wars pinball game lacked iconic mechanical representations like lightsabers, AT-AT walkers, X-Wings, Millennium Falcon, or Force powers
Steve Ritchie is making Sonic the Hedgehog pinball for Stern
Steve Ritchie's Sonic the Hedgehog is his greatest game ever designed (GOAT)
Steve Ritchie's next game for Jersey Jack is Sonic the Hedgehog
Steve Ritchie's Star Wars pinball uses poor scene-stacking methodology that undermines narrative coherence and Star Wars thematic integrity
Steve Ritchie designed the previous Stern Star Wars pinball game approximately 7-8 years ago (circa 2017)
Steve Ritchie was limited to $3,000 bill of materials for Led Zeppelin design at Stern and became angry about the constraint
Steve Ritchie has an upcoming game that will be a hit
The Harry Potter playfield is inspired by Steve Ritchie's shot geometry design philosophy
Steve Ritchie's next game will not release in 2026
Steve Ritchie wanted magnetic 'Force' save mechanic on original Star Wars but Stern cost concerns prevented it
Steve Ritchie's next game is neither a nostalgic 1980s-90s theme nor a music pin.
Steve Ritchie's Halo pinball game will underperform because the theme is culturally outdated
Steve Ritchie is likely designing either Sonic the Hedgehog or Beastie Boys for Jersey Jack.
Steve Ritchie was a late hire at Jersey Jack Pinball rather than present from founding
Steve Ritchie invented the fan layout design archetype
Terminator 2 (1991) is the first universally acknowledged fan layout game that established the template
Steve Ritchie invented the upper playfield but is not good at designing them
Steve Ritchie provided the male voice for Earthshaker
Steve Ritchie performed guitar at the VIP party
Steve Ritchie departed Williams in 1995 primarily due to his parents' health and financial opportunities in video game home rights at Atari, not due to foreseeing the pinball industry collapse
Steve Ritchie fundamentally redefined pinball by introducing fluidity and smooth flow to shot sequences, creating a design paradigm that became the foundation for all modern pinball
Steve Ritchie provided voice work for Mortal Kombat, specifically the 'Finish Him' phrase
Steve Ritchie left the pinball industry in 1995, with No Fear likely being his final game
Steve Ritchie's brainstorming approach involves immediate rejection of ideas until one finally resonates enough to earn 'I can't hate that' response
Steve Ritchie designed the Elton John pinball machine
Steve Ritchie produced Lord of the Rings (2003)
Steve Ritchie went to Williams in 1978 and created the game Flash with programmer Randy Pfeiffer, which defined the future of pinball through advanced sound synthesis
Steve Ritchie designed Airborne Avenger, which was Atari's first game
Steve Ritchie's first game at Williams was Flash
Steve Ritchie left Atari before full production of Superman to join Williams
The Tiny Dancer sculpture prototype was repeatedly damaged during development when 3D printed versions were broken by Steve Ritchie
Steve Ritchie stated Mark Seiden has more talent than Elwin and is running circles around him
Steve Ritchie's name is not big enough to sell 4,000 Elton John games
Ritchie designed significant portions of his new JJP game in 3D CAD before physical whitewood build
Steve Ritchie's new game will include speech elements but not the phrase 'play better'
Steve Ritchie is Mark Ritchie's brother and currently works at Jersey Jack Pinball.
Steve Ritchie designed Black Knight: Sword of Rage
Flash (1978) was Steve Ritchie's first game with Williams
Steve Ritchie worked at Atari before joining Williams, releasing Airborne Avengers and developing Superman
Dynamic background sound where music speeds up during play was an innovation Ritchie developed at Atari
Steve Ritchie makes some of the flowiest flow games of all time
Steve Ritchie is iconic and legendary throughout the pinball industry and has designed some of the greatest pinball machines in pinball history
Steve Ritchie has designed some of the greatest pinball machines in all of pinball history
Steve Ritchie is an iconic and legendary pinball designer who has created some of the greatest pinball machines in all of pinball history
Steve Ritchie didn't design another pinball game for 8 years after No Fear until Terminator 3 (2003)
No Fear is Steve Ritchie's last Williams design after ~20 years with the company
No Fear is one of Steve Ritchie's top 5 games
Steve Ritchie designed Elton John to showcase his creative vision without manufacturer budget constraints
F-14 Tomcat was the very first game with a ball save feature
Steve Ritchie designed Elton John and the game represents quality design work
Steve Ritchie designed Elton John for Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie designed Black Knight and performed the voice work for the game
Steve Ritchie voiced Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat arcade game
Steve Ritchie wanted to make a race car/spaceship game but was assigned Elton John instead
Steve Ritchie achieved improved flipper feel and power in Elton John that represents JJP's first success in this area
Steve Ritchie's design philosophy emphasizes constant player engagement and avoiding passive play
Steve Ritchie is credited with introducing locks to pinball machines, enabling multi-ball gameplay
Steve Ritchie's first game was Superman (1978-1979) for Atari
Steve Ritchie is designing his first title for Jersey Jack Pinball based on Elton John
Jersey Jack's Steve Ritchie joined the company with explicit stipulation that he needed to fix flipper feel
Steve Ritchie designed Elton John for Jersey Jack Pinball with improved flipper feel as design priority
Steve Ritchie successfully fixed flipper feel at Jersey Jack Pinball per his stipulation joining the company
Steve Ritchie personally approached Don at Pinball Expo and asked how he was liking the Elton John game
Steve Ritchie should retire from pinball design; Elton John is his final game.
Steve Ritchie left Stern Pinball to join Jersey Jack Pinball
Olaf Grimmie's animations exceed quality of any game Ritchie has previously seen
The Elton John team experienced unusually harmonious collaboration compared to industry norm
The Elton John machine features an innovative upper-right flipper design
Steve Ritchie left Stern Pinball because he was unhappy with company decisions and cost-cutting
Steve Ritchie joined Jersey Jack Pinball two years ago
Steve Ritchie's games are characterized by satisfying ramp shots and 'flow'
Terminator 2 made 10,000+ units but are difficult to find in good condition and are expensive
Steve Ritchie prioritizes designing games that generate strong operator revenue over minimizing production costs
Two World Poker Tour sold only 1,700 units
Stairway to Heaven was removed from the Led Zeppelin pinball game
Jersey Jack recently strengthened its mechanical engineering department
Toy Story is the number one game on location
Jersey Jack's software team (three people including Keith Johnson and Joe Katz) is the best Ritchie has ever worked with
Jersey Jack Pinball recruited Steve Ritchie after failing to attract Keith Elwin, not the reverse
Barry Oursler was the game designer; Python created the theme but is not a game designer
Wide-body pinball formats are harder to design than standard-width due to longer ball transit times to targets
The standard 20.25-inch x 46-inch playfield is Ritchie's favorite size to design for
Popeye's theme had no appeal in European markets, which were Williams' second through fourth largest markets
Leadership knew Popeye was a failure before release but proceeded due to political and business pressure
Distributors made threats of lawsuits and dropping Williams as a manufacturer over Popeye minimum requirements
Williams cancelled the distributor minimum purchase clause in contracts as a result of Popeye backlash
Popeye Saves the Earth lost money for Williams—something that hadn't happened for many years prior
Steve Ritchie has a string of hit titles from his five decades in the industry
Steve Ritchie has a game in development for Jersey Jack Pinball that will release before Harry Potter
Licensing approval required removal of Butch and Mia characters from the original five-character roster
Pulp Fiction development took approximately 5 years from initial concept to launch
Quentin Tarantino rejected the initial wide-body design and specifically requested no ramps or displays
Chicago Gaming Company partnership originated when Doug discovered Raw Thrills' activities and volunteered involvement
Steve Ritchie had not worked on pinball since Capcom's Kingpin and Indiana Jones Pinball Adventure
Steve Ritchie has public stance that designers jack up their games too much and make them easier
Steve Ritchie is currently working at Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie recently signed a Terminator 2 pinball machine available for $5,500 through Eau Claire Games
Steve Ritchie's next game is a music-themed pinball machine
Steve Ritchie had completed the Bond playfield before leaving Stern, but George Gomez scrapped it and created his own version
Steve Ritchie's next music game is Elton John, not Billy Joel
Steve Ritchie created an initial design for James Bond that was scrapped after he joined Jersey Jack Pinball
Led Zeppelin is Steve Ritchie's final design for Stern Pinball before joining Jersey Jack
Steve Ritchie contributed code to Riverboat Gambler and performs a Louis Armstrong impression in the sound design
Steve Ritchie designed F-14 Tomcat for Williams Pinball in 1987
Steve Ritchie purchased a restored Williams F-14 Tomcat at Pintastic New England and shipped it to Chicago
Steve Ritchie's first Jersey Jack Pinball game will be announced around late 2023
Steve Ritchie has joined Jersey Jack Pinball and is designing his first game for the company
Steve Ritchie hates widebody pinball machines
John Youssi is working on artwork for Steve Ritchie's JJP game
The three toys in Ritchie's game are 'new things to pinball'
Jersey Jack Pinball provides superior creative autonomy compared to previous manufacturers; designers can 'make the game you want to make'
Steve Ritchie's work on an upcoming Stern Pinball machine was scrapped when he left for Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie explicitly asked Andrew not to read a roast poem about him publicly at a pinball event
Steve Ritchie influenced the design by advocating that skill shots should be actual skill-based challenges
Led Zeppelin licensing prevented Ritchie from including 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Heartbreaker'
Lyman Sheets was the most influential programmer in modern pinball, with his rule sets adopted by other designers
Modern pinball games require strong IP licenses to achieve commercial success
Ritchie typically achieves 85% yield on first playfield drawings
Jersey Jack Pinball is the best company Ritchie has ever worked for
Jersey Jack obtains 'incredibly complete' licenses unlike Stern's later approach
AC/DC, Star Trek, and Metallica were three games critical to Stern's business expansion
Ritchie left two whitewoods (Pro and Premium LE) at Stern before departing
Jersey Jack Pinball offers greater creative freedom and larger bill of materials than Stern
Ritchie was fired from Stern in October 2008 and remained unemployed for 28 months
Steve Ritchie (Master Flow) was hired by Jersey Jack Pinball as a designer
Steve Ritchie publicly criticized Stern's creative constraints during TPF seminar
Steve Ritchie just cut his first whitewood for Jersey Jack Pinball
Ritchie's first JJP game will be fast-paced
Steve Ritchie has just cut his first whitewood for Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie designed the Black Knight series, including Black Knight 2000 and Black Knight Sword of Rage
Steve Ritchie left Stern for Jersey Jack Pinball
Led Zeppelin licensing was restrictive and the band was difficult to work with, limiting features the developers wanted to include
Steve Ritchie left Stern Pinball and joined Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie wanted 'Stairway to Heaven' implemented in Led Zeppelin but Stern refused to pay licensing costs
Steve Ritchie joined Jersey Jack Pinball after leaving Stern
Steve Ritchie's typical Stern game takes 15 months to develop
Led Zeppelin is Steve Ritchie's last game at Stern
Steve Ritchie decided he wasn't having fun at Stern in March, then negotiated with Jersey Jack for approximately four months before resigning July 26th
Steve Ritchie started working at Jersey Jack Pinball approximately two weeks before this episode was recorded
Steve Ritchie's recent designs have been constrained by Stern's budget limitations
Steve Ritchie is leaving Stern Pinball for Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie is actively recruiting a new design team at Jersey Jack Pinball but keeping it low-key
Steve Ritchie has left Stern Pinball
Ritchie and Jack Abbas have known each other for close to 40 years
Ritchie's next game at Jersey Jack will include drop targets
Ritchie's typical game development turnaround from start to finish is 15 months
Jack Abbas contacted Ritchie offering a job without prior agreement
Ritchie left Stern due to unhappiness with his working situation in March 2021
Steve Ritchie worked at Stern Pinball for 16 years before departing
Jack Abbas has known Steve Ritchie for more than 30 years
Steve Ritchie is now employed at Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie's recent games have not been as universally popular as AC/DC and Star Trek
Steve Ritchie has left Stern Pinball and joined Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie has moved from Stern Pinball to Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie is 71 years old
Steve Ritchie left Stern Pinball on July 26, 2021 without severance notice required
Steve Ritchie's contract with Stern had no non-compete clause
Steve Ritchie would prefer to work at a company that 'would enable him to make really great games'
Steve Ritchie's move to JJP may not result in faster game output given JJP's slower release cycle than Stern
Steve Ritchie has officially left Stern Pinball and is employed by Jersey Jack Pinball effective immediately
Steve Ritchie's recent games at Stern have not sold as well compared to other designers' games
Flash revitalized Williams' fortunes and sold more than the preceding three titles combined.
Steve Ritchie has a 47-year career in the gaming industry starting in 1974 with Atari Inc.
Steve Ritchie left Stern Pinball and joined Jersey Jack Pinball on August 2, 2021.
Steve Ritchie's first design at JJP could take up to two years to reach production due to Guns N' Roses backlog and Toy Story being next.
Jack Guarnieri has known Steve Ritchie for more than 30 years.
Steve Ritchie is rumored to be joining Jersey Jack Pinball
Led Zeppelin was Steve Ritchie's dream theme for a pinball machine
The two previous licensors before Black Knight Sword of Rage were very hard to work with
High Speed sold close to 16,000 units
Led Zeppelin Premium/LE features expression lights that sync with music and affect scoring
Steve Ritchie worked at Williams for 20 years
Steve Ritchie designed Black Knight Sword of Rage partly to escape frustrating licensing negotiations
Steve Ritchie has been at Stern for 16-17 years
Black Knight Sword of Rage is the most intense pinball machine ever made
Steve Ritchie has designed approximately 30-40 games across pinball and other game types
Steve Ritchie named Mortal Kombat with a 'K' and performed voice acting for Shao Kahn
Flash Games (Steve Ritchie's first Williams game) sold 19,250 units in one year
Steve Ritchie helped Jeremy load a malfunctioning Getaway into his vehicle at MGC around 2016-2017
Steve Ritchie designed Star Trek Pinball
Steve Ritchie designed Game of Thrones pinball
High Speed (designed by Steve Ritchie) was influential to multiple people entering pinball in the mid-to-late 1980s
Steve Ritchie had no creative flexibility on Led Zeppelin due to licensing constraints requiring use of album artwork
The Pro model's loop shot removal represents compromise from designer Steve Ritchie's intended flow-focused design
Steve Ritchie designed Led Zeppelin and is known as the 'King of Flow'
Steve Ritchie's last major design release was Black Knight (March 2019), representing ~21 months of development time before Led Zeppelin
Steve Ritchie is the speculated designer of Led Zeppelin Pinball
Steve Ritchie designed the game with an unusual upper flipper layout that doesn't shoot directly at a side ramp on the Pro model
Steve Ritchie is the designer for Led Zeppelin pinball
Steve Ritchie is the designer of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin pinball machine designed by Steve Ritchie rumored to be in development at Stern
Steve Ritchie's own voice is featured in Black Knight with software effects
Steve Ritchie insisted on jeweled inserts for the first time on a pinball game with Black Knight
Steve Ritchie started his pinball career at Atari
High Speed brought pinball back from the dead during the 1980s video game crisis.
High Speed was the first pinball machine to play a complete song.
Clear shot marking on playfields is a desirable design attribute that enhances gameplay
The backglass includes artwork of Jeremy McGrath on Honda CR250, NASCAR, motorcycles, skydiving, and rock climber imagery
Clear visual marking of every shot and strong graphics packages are essential design elements
The game features ramp mechanics that achieve extreme ball speeds and pass by flippers quickly to punish inattention
Pinball machines should be masculine-themed, challenging, and antagonistic to appeal to players who enjoy competitive 'love to hate' gameplay
Ramp acceleration mechanics that move the ball at extreme speeds create challenge by requiring player attention to avoid overshooting flippers
The jump shot video mode features ball catch-and-feed mechanics allowing repeated flipper shots in sequence
The jump shot feature with ball caught by catcher ramp and fed back to flipper is unforgettable and addictive
Pinball machines should be masculine-themed, challenging, and antagonistic because players enjoy games they 'love to hate'
F-14 Tomcat is designed by Steve Ritchie
Steve Ritchie's favorite Gottlieb game is Hollywood Heat
Steve Ritchie was told by a service technician at age 10 in a bowling alley that Gottlieb was 'the Cadillac of the industry'
Steve Ritchie approached Nolan Bushnell in a hallway with his Airborne Avenger design and was immediately approved to build it and given a cubicle next to Gary Slater
Steve Ritchie was the first employee in Atari's pinball division and employee number 50 overall at the company
Steve Ritchie's hearing aids were already worn by 2004 due to Meniere's disease
Steve Ritchie's first pinball experience was at age 7 at Seabowl bowling alley in Pacifica, California, playing 10-cent games with a dollar his parents gave him
Steve Ritchie pioneered the 'flow' style of pinball design and has maintained a standard Italian bottom flipper layout throughout his entire career
Steve Ritchie insisted all his post-Bally acquisition games be branded Williams, never Bally
Steve Ritchie was the top seed and picked Iron Maiden
Dimpling on Stern playfields is normal and will even out over time.
Steve Ritchie was interviewed at Stern Pinball offices on Episode 11
Steve Ritchie intentionally maintains consistent Italian bottom designs across games to provide player familiarity
Steve Ritchie attended Pintastic 2020 and played attendee-designed games
Black Knight Sword of Rage was Stern Pinball's first quasi-unlicensed game since 2001's High Roller Casino.
Steve Ritchie's next game after Black Knight will feature a licensed IP that is 'very important' and 'special' to him.
Black Knight: Sword of Rage features unprecedented LCD animation and character design in pinball created by Stern's art and animation team.
Steve Ritchie decided to design Black Knight: Sword of Rage approximately 1.5 years prior to this interview due to burnout from working with licensors on consecutive licensed games.
Steve Ritchie can no longer direct audio production due to hearing loss and inability to perceive pitch.
Steve Ritchie contributes approximately 20% of programming input to Black Knight: Sword of Rage.
Steve Ritchie deliberately maintains uniform flipper placement across all his games to ensure players can transfer skills between titles.
The Pro version of Black Knight could not include an upper right flipper due to cost constraints and price point objectives.
Steve Ritchie experienced bronchitis for 3.5 weeks after returning from Australia in 2019, exacerbated by vaping/smoking history.
A chest X-ray showed no lung damage despite decades of smoking and vaping, attributed by Ritchie to 'lucky genes.'
Steve Ritchie has not retired and intends to continue designing pinball games; he may be fired but will not voluntarily quit.
Steve Ritchie designed AC/DC and Star Trek pinball machines
Steve Ritchie is confirmed to appear on the Black Knight Sword of Rage farewell stream next Monday
Steve Ritchie designed High Speed based on being chased by police on Pacific Coast Highway
Steve Ritchie has designed 42-43 pinball games (42 confirmed plus Black Knight for 43 total)
Black Knight: Sword of Rage is the third iteration of Black Knight and the best one
Stern Pinball implements iterative playfield design requiring typically 2-3 or more drawing iterations to achieve proper shot connectivity and flow
Stern Pinball factory is currently very busy and experiencing strong demand driven by enthusiasts wanting to own pinball machines
Black Knight: Sword of Rage development team consisted of approximately 20 people at peak
The flail mechanism went through three complete iterations and four material changes before achieving final design
Licensed games like Star Wars and Game of Thrones involve stressful approval processes compared to unlicensed games
Anthrax members Matt Scott Ian and Brendon Small produced music for Black Knight: Sword of Rage
Steve Ritchie's hearing problems prevented him from continuing to compose pinball game music due to inability to hear pitch
Planetary Pinball (Matt Cristiano and Rick Bartlett) gave Stern minimal creative restrictions on Black Knight: Sword of Rage compared to other IP holders
Production issues with shield/target assembly screws loosening led to implementation of mandatory Loctite training for all new Stern employees
George Gomez mentored Steve Ritchie in the fundamentals of pinball machine design when Gomez first joined Williams
No new post-hole drilling required for enhancement installation; plastic replaces existing upper playfield component
Steve Ritchie cancelled guest appearance due to illness (on antibiotics, absent 8 days from work)
Stern will not produce another sports-themed pinball game because sports themes have never commercially succeeded
Steve Ritchie attends approximately six pinball shows per year without Stern compensation
Stern has 17 million parts in inventory at 26 cents per part, totaling approximately 4.2 million dollars
Steve Ritchie is 69 years old and still actively designing pinball machines
The left playfield design on Black Knight was stolen through industrial espionage and is based on Flash Gordon
Steve Ritchie's design methodology starts with the Licensed Edition (LE) version and scales features back for Pro models
Steve Ritchie was the easiest guest to secure and agreed immediately when contacted
Steve Ritchie recommends Black Knight: Sword of Rage be set at 6.5-7% incline; steeper angles reduce side-to-side action and paradoxically make the game easier
Black Knight Sword of Rage plays fundamentally differently from Steve Ritchie's typical games, with no repeatable flow shots
Steve Ritchie committed to signing memorabilia including prototype machines at Brisbane Royal Show event
Steve Ritchie describes the BKSOR project as offering 'total freedom of creativity' and being 'a labor of love'
Black Knight: Sword of Rage features a motorized knight toy in the middle with a motorized flail that guards the left ramp
Steve Ritchie composed the initial Black Knight 2000 theme before handing it off to someone else
Steve Ritchie said the Black Knight: Sword of Rage topper will be the best topper ever in pinball history, featuring full animatronic head with side-to-side movement and laughing motion
Steve Ritchie's signature laughter is unmistakable and iconic
Black Knight Sword of Rage teaser video was released and shows CGI of knight's armor with flames and heavy metal music
Black Knight Sword of Rage is Steve Ritchie's next game after his move to Jersey Jack Pinball
Steve Ritchie is not retiring immediately after his next game
The upcoming Stern game will have at least two flippers and six balls, with significantly higher percentage of plastics suggesting possible multiple playfields
Steve Ritchie denied retirement rumors and stated he has no intention of retiring
Steve Ritchie's Star Wars was originally supposed to be his final game before retirement
Steve Ritchie is a legendary Stern Pinball designer
Steve Ritchie's next game is next in line for Stern after Star Wars
Steve Ritchie will announce a new Stern game at Texas Pinball Festival seminar
Spider-Man Vault's combo system with multiple lit shots creates superior flow compared to typical Steve Ritchie designs despite more mechanical stops
Greg Fraris designed Star Trek The Next Generation and worked extensively with Steve Ritchie
Steve Ritchie and Dwight Sullivan collaborated on approximately 50,000 games together
Elliot Eisman is a Purdue graduate and mechanical engineer at Stern Pinball
Ken Fedesna's leadership enabled creative freedom for designers while maintaining company direction
Tim Sexton is a new programmer at Stern working on Steve Ritchie's projects
Wide body pinball machines have worse ball flow and make outside shots hit-or-miss rather than skillful compared to 20.25-inch narrow machines
Core design philosophy: shots should be 'sequentially fun' rather than scattered across the playfield, emphasizing flow over difficulty
Flash sold approximately 19,700 units and was the best-selling pinball machine of Steve Ritchie's career
Terminator 2 sold 15,252 units and was completed within exactly one year to match the film's theatrical release date
Firepower sold approximately 17,000 units
James Cameron personally collaborated on Terminator 2 pinball, providing daily production footage, loaned props, and creative guidance
Williams operated as a fully integrated manufacturer with in-house stamping, welding, and forming capabilities in the 1970s-80s
Steve Ritchie was speeding at 146 mph in a Porsche 928 on I-5 and received a $250 fine and reckless driving charge
Flash introduced flasher lamps as a major innovation in pinball, influenced by 4 Million BC and Captain Fantastic
High Speed was the first game to integrate all of Ritchie's previous innovations successfully
The new Stern building is 130,000 square feet and we're only using about half of it
Flash was my largest selling game ever
It took about a year to make and sell all the Flash machines
I have never opened up a pinball machine and had it working perfect except once
We are behind in production right now due to supplier problems
There are 4,000 parts in a pinball machine
Claude Fernandez stole half of Black Knight when I was making it
Wyman Sheets is probably the best programmer there is right now
Atari's rotary solenoid flippers were made from lead X's used as channel changers in shortwave radios
Steve Kordek didn't give me a Christmas present because I outsold him with Flash
Steve Ritchie has designed more games and sold more than any other pinball designer
Steve Ritchie is giving a talk at 9pm at the festival
Steve Ritchie's next game after Star Wars is reportedly unlicensed and his last, possibly Black Knight trilogy seal
Star Wars Pro production beginning in approximately one week
Stern won the Star Wars licence by offering more money than competitors
The game includes nine multiball modes
Players select from four starting characters: Luke, Leia, Han, or R2-D2
Lucasfilm approval process was difficult, particularly for artwork design
Steve Ritchie designed Star Wars pinball
Steve Ritchie designed Star Trek to emphasize combo-based gameplay rewarding shot chaining
Star Trek (2013) was designed by Steve Ritchie
Ritchie collaborates with Lyman and Dwight on programming and voice callouts for his games
Ritchie is interested in creating original theme games like Black Knight but finds it risky compared to licensed IP
Steve Ritchie has designed approximately 27 games
Ritchie's first pinball experience was at age 10 in a bowling alley around 1960 playing Gottlieb machines
Theme-first design approach is essential to Ritchie's process
ACDC is the best demographic pinball game Ritchie has designed due to cross-generational appeal (ages 7-70+)
Licensed IP provides inherent marketing advantages and fan base awareness
Good pinball games will eventually sell regardless of theme or IP recognition
Most players want to experience a game before purchasing based on theme alone
Steve Ritchie publicly acknowledged Stern's production delays during Pintastic seminar
Steve Ritchie leads a team including mechanical engineers, software programmers, artists, and model makers in pinball design
Steve Ritchie was present at the event doing autographs
Targaryen is not selectable as a playable house because the character is too powerful with massive army, resources, and three dragons
Game of Thrones features RPG-style mechanics where players collect gold, purchase items, collect swords and houses, and progress toward the iron throne
Gold currency accumulates and carries over between balls
Video mode is entirely optional and players can choose to skip it and play the full game
Game of Thrones does not have an after-dark or home mode
Game of Thrones has at least three multiballs, possibly four
Steve Ritchie performed voice acting for Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat
Firepower is also a Steve Ritchie design
Radical was designed by Steve Ritchie in 1980
Spider-Man is designed by Steve Ritchie
Spider-Man has a very similar layout to Star Trek pinball
Steve Ritchie designed Fish Tales
Steve Ritchie designed High Speed, The Getaway, No Fear, Stern AC/DC Premium, and Terminator 2
Steve Ritchie's pinball designs encourage on-the-fly shooting
Steve Ritchie voiced Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat games
The playfield design process involved painstaking refinement of every ball path to enable smooth, continuous combo shots
The ramp design with no flat surfaces and multiple elevation levels is unlike anything Ritchie has done before
The warp ramp orbit shot is the best rush in the game
Ritchie and Ferris collaborated on a Star Trek pinball game approximately 18 years ago
Star Trek and J.J. Abrams' interpretation go together naturally because of action, lasers, aliens, and starships content
Steve Ritchie designed AC/DC following the period covered by Special When Lit
Steve Ritchie is currently working at Stern Pinball
Flight 2000 is Steve Ritchie's favorite Stern game of the last 25 years
Ritchie was the first designer to incorporate multiball gameplay, ball lane change, transparent playing fields, and multi-level pinball machines
Steve Ritchie has 30 years of design and game experience
Steve Ritchie's game 24 was released over two years before March 2011
Steve Ritchie's interview was pivotal in determining the documentary's final direction and thesis
Pinball is no longer a viable commercial product in the 21st century
Designers should prioritize earnings and location operator income over collector appeal
Keith Johnson designed innovative rules for World Poker Tour
Hyperball sold 5,000 units and earned substantial revenue
Steve Ritchie started his game design career at Atari Games in 1974 after US Coast Guard service
Steve Ritchie considers himself only slightly better than average at pinball
The Getaway: High Speed II sold well commercially
Spider-Man Black limited edition was Steve Ritchie's idea, approved by Gary Stern
Mike Straw offered Ritchie more than double his Atari salary plus moving expenses to join Williams
Gottlieb's decline was due to management not listening to market trends and competition, not due to designer quality
Eugene Jarvis and Ritchie had the most fun working together compared to other programmers like Larry DeMar
Black Knight was the first multi-level pinball machine
Lane change was invented by Ritchie on Firepower after asking Eugene Jarvis if it was technically possible
Flash invented the flash lamp technology using 24-25 volt preheated bulbs instead of standard 12 volt
Flash sold 20,000 machines and set a new Williams all-time sales record
Steve Ritchie was employee number 50 at Atari
Ball flow and shot integration (rather than disconnected shots) was the key differentiator in Ritchie's game designs
Nolan Bushnell approved Airborne Avenger for production after Ritchie's boss initially rejected it
Co-designer of Black Knight and High Speed with Larry DeMar
Classic pinball designer whose The Next Generation (TNG) game inspired the Pokemon Pinball design, particularly the three-flipper layout and Picard maneuver shot
Legendary pinball designer; played Turbo Time at Expo years ago in whitewood form; influenced Nick's game design philosophy
Designer; hosts express fandom for his work on Black Knight
Legendary pinball designer at Williams/Bally/Midway; left pinball in 1995; contributed voice work to Mortal Kombat ('Finish Him' scene); final game likely No Fear
Pinball designer, characterized George as 'barking' (assertive/opinionated), referenced in conversation about designer personalities.
Classic Stern designer; designed original Star Wars pinball machine, which hosts compared favorably to new Star Wars Empire.
Pinball designer; observed at TPF with Jack Guarnieri; no mention of new JJP design announcements
Legendary pinball designer, designing Sonic for JJP; known for fast, well-designed games
Legendary pinball designer; upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda predicts his game will dominate 2026
Designer of the 2017 Stern Star Wars pinball game that Fall of the Empire is compared against
Pinball designer credited with No Fear: Dangerous Sports; known for creating games with unmistakable flow and repeatable shots
Provided design support on Elvira and the Party Monsters
Legendary Stern designer; designed Led Zeppelin pinball; mentioned as upcoming guest speaker; known for fast-moving shot designs
Legendary pinball designer; primary speaker. Career spans Atari (1974-1978), Williams (1978+). Designed Superman, Flash, Stellar Wars, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and other classics. Central figure in transition from widebody to narrow body pinball design.
Legendary pinball designer; speaker at this event. Career spans Atari (mid-1970s) and Williams (1978+). Designer of Superman, Flash, Stellar Wars, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and other seminal titles. Known for advocating narrowbody designs over widebody machines.
Legendary Stern designer; designed Led Zeppelin pinball game; mentioned as having upcoming appearance at event
Pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; designing upcoming Sonic title
Legendary pinball designer reportedly involved with Elton John to improve Jersey Jack's flipper engineering
Pinball industry figure, present at Pintastic 2025 seminar, joking/ribbing with Jack Guarneri at podium
Legendary pinball designer; rumored to be working on Sonic the Hedgehog with Jersey Jack
Designer of rumored Sonic the Hedgehog game for Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer; referenced for Flash design and previous podcast interview (episode 127); known as 'King of Flow'
Legendary pinball designer; Orbital Albert compares Elton John shot layout to his design philosophy
Pinball designer/industry figure encountered at Pinball at the Beach; referenced in Don's anecdote about casual atmosphere
Legendary pinball designer; designing Sonic for JJP; known for 'flow' design philosophy (Star Trek: The Next Generation, No Fear, etc.)
Legendary Stern designer; Sonic reported to borrow gameplay elements from his past games including F-14 Tomcat and Star Trek
Pinball designer, designed Led Zeppelin, Black Knight, Star Trek, known for flow-based gameplay; historically Jeff's favorite designer
Stern Pinball designer; audio clip played where he expressed lukewarm reaction to Toy Story; Kaneda criticizes him for designing games for home collectors, not operators; references past hype before Toy Story 4 and Godfather releases
Legendary pinball designer; Kaneda suggests his upcoming music pin will launch before Pinball Brothers completes 1,000 Queen units
Designer associated with Jersey Jack Pinball's Elton John game; featured in promotional material; plays guitar
Pinball designer at Stern; will be speaking at Pintastic about new game releases.
Williams designer known for high royalty earnings; example of designer compensation disparity; referenced driving Porsche 944 not 911
Pinball designer who worked on Star Wars game and felt constrained by licensing restrictions; also created American Gladiators game that Roger Sharpe passed on.
Departed from Stern Pinball; previously head engineer or senior designer; his office became available at Stern after departure
Legendary pinball designer who designed Superman at Atari (1979), worked approximately one year on the game, then left to join Williams where he designed Flash. Noted for insisting on proper engineering standards and fighting Atari management over design decisions.
Legendary pinball designer; designed the original Star Wars Pro version being reviewed
Designer now at Jersey Jack Pinball; moved from Stern with promise of increased budget; Kaneda frames Elton John as his critical moment
Pinball designer (historical context: Williams designer); George is restoring Superman game for him to be delivered by Thanksgiving
Legendary pinball designer; Alan compares Dennis Nordman's flow understanding favorably to Ritchie's; Ritchie did Mortal Kombat fatality voiceovers
Renowned pinball designer; had seminar at Texas Pinball Festival scheduled after Coin-Op Carnival presentation
Pinball designer, designed Star Trek LE (praised by Martin as best design), designed American Gladiators, described as disappointed with AG's cancelled show license
Stern Pinball designer scheduled to announce new game at Texas Pinball Festival
Legendary pinball designer, insisted all his post-Bally acquisition designs be branded Williams, never Bally
Legendary Stern designer; flipper design incorporated into Avatar by JJP; Don and Enzo speculate he should be consulted on new JJP games
Voice actor for Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat 2 and 3; voiced Black Knight in Black Knight Sword of Rage pinball; Don has met him multiple times
Legendary pinball designer; recently launched Elton John with Jersey Jack Pinball in 2023; continuing to develop additional games for JJP beyond Elton John
Pinball designer known for ramp-focused games; designing Rocketman for JJP at larger budget than Stern equivalents
Classic pinball designer, created Star Trek which Orbital Albert references as exemplar of flow design
Legendary Stern pinball designer; designed previous Star Wars pinball (vaulted); Neil McRae critical of that design despite its commercial success
Legendary pinball designer whose next game for Jersey Jack is subject of Kaneda's investigation
Designer of original Star Wars pinball (Stern); his version sold ~8,000 units; referenced as precedent for next Star Wars release
Legendary pinball designer, referenced as influencing Eric Minier's shot geometry design; known for prioritizing gameplay over aesthetics
Designer of original Star Wars Pro; host praises his 'flow' design philosophy
Designer of previous (2017) Stern Star Wars pinball machine; compared to new John Borg version
Legendary pinball designer known from Bally Williams era (1990s); designer of Spider-Man machine that introduced Ian to pinball
Legendary pinball designer; designed Black Knight 2000 for Williams
Pinball designer, created High Speed based on his personal driving experience
Legendary pinball designer of Black Knight Sword of Rage
Pinball designer; designed Elton John for Jersey Jack; reportedly on call with Jersey Jack ownership to thank location operators
Williams designer; panelist on multiple Expo seminars including Star Wars and Williams legacy discussion
Legendary pinball designer; first game was Airborne Avenger at Atari (1977); later designed Flash at Williams; collaborated with Eugene Jarvis
Pinball designer/industry figure mentioned by Franchi as 'rock star'
Pinball designer credited with Black Knight 2000 and other titles, referenced for design quality
Notable pinball designer; Don cited meeting him as example of accessibility in pinball industry vs other hobbies
Designer of upcoming Elton John pinball; Kaneda expects Godfather to dominate market for 6-8 months before Elton John launch
Pinball designer at Stern; credited with likely arranging Star Wars Episode VIII for Stern
Game designer at Jersey Jack; mandated flipper improvements to eliminate 'jelly flippers'; designed Elton John; Stern game designer (Led Zeppelin, Star Trek, Spider-Man); personal friend of Neil McRae
Designer known for minimal scoop usage and strong flow; design philosophy contrasted with Beetlejuice
Pinball designer; scheduled speaker at Pintastic 2022; George playfully references bringing a megaphone
Designer of both Firepower (1980) and Flash (1978), two landmark Williams pinball machines discussed throughout the episode
Designer of Elton John pinball (Jersey Jack)
Legendary Stern designer expected to return as seminar speaker; mentioned as 1970s designer; games being collected for potential Best in Show category
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; designing Elton John; given 'blank check' budget by JJP owner Jack Winaur to produce loaded game
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage for Stern Pinball
Legendary Stern pinball designer; designed Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Black Knight: Sword of Rage, Aerosmith, Star Wars
Designer of Elton John, Star Trek, and other games; host notes design similarity across his titles
Stern designer; designed Elton John; worked with Anthrax guitarist on Black Knight Sword of Rage
Legendary pinball designer; Kaneda speculates on his next game announcement
Renowned pinball designer known for faster games; designed Elton John for JJP; speculated as designer for potential Sonic the Hedgehog title
Legendary Williams pinball designer; DeMar's mentor and collaborator on Black Knight and High Speed; perfectionist; guitar player
Designer of Led Zeppelin, known for clear shot flow philosophy, referenced for design consistency across his games
Legacy designer; Kaneda explicitly states he would prefer Jack Danger over Ritchie
Legendary pinball designer; designed Elton John for JJP; personal connection mentioned with Craft Brew Sally
Legendary designer; game announcements typically known a year in advance by community
Legendary pinball designer; designed Black Knight 2000, Roller Games, and co-contributed to Elvira. Associated with Williams/Bally merger era
Legendary Stern designer known for flow and speed; Kaneda speculates he is designing either Sonic the Hedgehog or Beastie Boys for Jersey Jack
Legendary pinball designer; scheduled for interview with Special When Lit podcast on Thursday (from episode air date); will autograph playfields for Bill's Getaway restoration
Next JJP game designer; release delayed due to Potter's production demands, likely pushed to late 2026
Pinball designer; known for 'hot dog insert' design preference across multiple games including Firepower, High Speed, Star Trek
Legendary pinball designer ('King of Flow'); Stern designer; subject of upcoming Special When Lit interview
Classic pinball designer; claims Claude Fernandez borrowed design ideas when transitioning from Williams to Bally
Legendary pinball designer at Williams; designer of High Speed; worked on game across hallway from Dwight Sullivan; collaborated with him on Getaway
Legendary pinball designer; described by hosts as 'arguably the best pinball designer of all time'; known for game flow design
Legendary pinball designer with 47+ year career; currently at Stern; designer of Flash, Black Knight, High Speed, Terminator 2, and other iconic games
Stern Pinball designer, recently interviewed by Special When Lit, will autograph Batman 66 Translite sweepstakes prize
Legendary pinball designer cited by Bill Webb as example of creator impacted by negative pre-release public sentiment
Stern pinball designer, expected to release a game in 2025 (possibly Getaway 3 or Black Knight 3000)
Renowned pinball designer; known for flowy game design style; provided feedback on TNA scoop speed during MGC event.
Stern designer who signed AC/DC trans light for Ken Cromwell
Legendary pinball designer whose design style is referenced as distinct from Keith Elwin's approach
Legendary Williams pinball designer; major influence on Brian Eddy's design philosophy; known as 'master of flow'; designed F-14, Black Knight, Black Knight 2000, The Getaway
Designer at Stern Pinball (Episode 11 guest); known as 'master of flow' and 'king of pinball'; interviewed at Stern offices
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage for Stern, competing against Pat Lawler's JJP release
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; actively answering player questions on Facebook about machine issues and tweaks
Pinball designer creating Black Knight Sword of Rage; signature laughter featured in teaser video
Legendary Stern designer; reportedly working on new game for 2024; speculation about High-Speed 3 or Black Knight 3000 sequels
Stern Pinball designer; was scheduled to appear on Flippin' Out stream but cancelled due to illness; out of work for a week
Legendary pinball designer who released Black Knight Sword of Rage at Midwest Gaming Classic
Legendary pinball designer; designed Black Knight: Sword of Rage for Stern Pinball
Legendary pinball designer at Stern Pinball; guest on Special When Lit; known for classic games T2, Getaway
Pinball designer, hypothetical designer of Getaway 3 in quality vs quantity discussion
Legendary pinball designer ('King of Flow'), formerly at Stern Pinball, now working at Jersey Jack Pinball; designed High Speed and Terminator 2
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; discussed Black Knight Sword of Rage development and upcoming unannounced game for 2020
Legendary pinball designer, subject of episode; born Feb 13, 1950 in San Francisco; known as 'King of Flow'; best-selling pinball designer of all time; designed Airborne Avenger at Atari; has Meniere's disease
Legendary pinball designer; designed new Black Knight Sword of Rage premium machine; attended Pintastic
Originally assigned James Bond designer; no longer at Stern; moved to Jersey Jack; community fatigue over his 'sameness' in Star Wars, Star Trek, Black Knight, Led Zeppelin
Legendary pinball designer, designer of Black Knight Sword of Rage, known for flow-based gameplay and repeatable shots
Designer of Elton John (Jersey Jack); legendary designer whose pedigree helped Jersey Jack establish manufacturing credibility
Classic pinball designer; designed Getaway and other games
Pinball designer; Minney speculates his next game for JJP will release before Harry Potter
Jersey Jack designer; appeared at TPF seminar discussing timelines; no new game announcements; declined to discuss Merco playfield issues
Legendary pinball designer; present at TPF 2024, approached Dennis for conversations; designer of Elton John (JJP).
Williams designer who complained about Johnny Mnemonic's lane change lag issue
Legendary pinball designer; designed Elton John Pinball for Jersey Jack Pinball; praised for shot design and flipper mechanics
Participated in interview regarding Godfather and other topics (interview referenced but not aired on main show)
Designer referenced regarding Black Knight Sword of Rage game philosophy ('just get better')
Designer; Star Trek is referenced as his design with 'flow' emphasis rather than trap-up gameplay
Designer of Elton John at Jersey Jack Pinball; formerly at Stern; host argues he's the superior geometric layout designer versus Pat Lawler
Designer of Elton John at Jersey Jack; Craig credits him with executing well on the theme and putting concerns to bed with game quality
Pinball designer; designed Stern Star Trek with acclaimed flow layout
Pinball designer known for fast, action-oriented games like Star Trek Premium and Black Knight
Game designer at Williams; described as 'pretty demanding'; designed Black Knight 2000; wrote multiball riff for that game
Pinball designer at Williams; co-designer of High Speed with Larry DeMar; part of management group that reviewed Wrecking Ball prototype
Designer at Williams known for reputation and quality games; designed Terminator which competed with Ward's Riverboat Gambler
Mark's older brother; legendary Williams pinball designer; worked in pinball engineering at Atari before moving to Williams; designed games including High Speed and Terminator; currently works at Jersey Jack Pinball according to KB. Close relationship with Mark; Mark views Steve as superior designer.
Game designer at Williams who wrote music for Road Kings on guitar
Designer Python considers one of his two heroes (alongside Eugene Jarvis); praised as a true innovator, though Python notes he doesn't discuss his work publicly
Game designer who started as prototype lab technician at Atari; collaborated with Jarvis on multiple games; later became renowned designer for Williams pinball
Williams designer; created macho-themed games like Black Knight and High Speed; contrasted with Barry's inclusive design philosophy
Chicago Gaming founder/designer; predicted to design his last game in 2026; rumored interested in Top Gun as swan song.
Designer of Elton John; described as having had 'bill of materials handcuffs' removed, allowed more mechanics than before
Designer potentially working on Jersey Jack's Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine
Legendary pinball designer recently acquired by Jersey Jack Pinball.
Legendary pinball designer rumored to be designing Jersey Jack's Elton John machine
Legendary pinball designer at JJP, designer of Elton John, Star Trek, AC/DC, Getaway; met by Colin at TPF
Legendary pinball designer; Don speculates on involvement in Fast and Furious for ramp and magnetic launch design
Legendary pinball designer; designed upcoming JJP game; appeared on Pinball Profile interview with Jack Guarnieri; known for designing games balancing operator ROI, casual accessibility, and competitive depth
Pinball designer mentioned as frequently collaborating with Dwight Sullivan on monster-seller games.
Designer/lead at Jersey Jack Pinball; hosted Elton John introduction seminar
Legendary pinball designer; joined Jersey Jack Pinball to design Elton John and fix flipper feel; designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage, Star Wars, Star Trek, High Speed
Legendary pinball designer; rumored to be next JJP title after Elton John (possibly confirmed for future project)
Legendary pinball designer (Black Knight, Shao Kahn); rumored designer of Elton John pinball
Pinball designer; rumored designer of Elton John (JJP #9); designed Mortal Kombat and Black Knight titles
Legendary pinball designer; signed Terminator 3 translite that Chris Bucci received as thank you from Jersey Jack
Legendary pinball designer observed playing Cactus Canyon at the expo; tilted and jokingly blamed streamer
Legendary pinball designer being documented for a Mark Helms documentary part 2; will attend Pintastic 2023; designed Firepower
Legendary pinball designer, encountered by George at the bar during Tentastic
Legendary pinball designer, encountered by George at Pintastic 22 lobby
Stern Pinball designer; mentioned as potentially ill during stream, referenced for design philosophy ('play better')
Pinball designer; Kaneda reports having 'more confirmation' on his upcoming game theme, withheld pending Club membership goal
Designer of Game of Thrones pinball
Legendary pinball designer; hired by Jersey Jack Pinball in 2021; previously at Stern where recent games underperformed relative to Keith Elwin's titles
Legendary pinball designer; known for F-14 game and Black Knight series; mentioned as ideal designer for potential Top Gun license or other high-flow games
Former long-time Stern designer; rumored to be designing The Matrix pinball for JJP
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Led Zeppelin LE; known for flow and speed in game design; regarded as 'king of flow'
Designer of Stern Star Wars; legendary pinball designer known for System 11 games like Star Trek
Pinball designer; originally worked on James Bond before Gomez; designed Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Led Zeppelin
Designer who left Stern for Jersey Jack Pinball; his unreleased Stern title was scrapped and will be redesigned by George Gomez as a three-flipper machine
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; designer of Game of Thrones; mentioned as unlikely candidate for Harry Potter
Pinball designer featured on Silver Ball Chronicles; designed The Getaway, T2: Terminator 2
Pinball designer; encountered at MGC floor, described as 'cool uncle' type, approachable to fans
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack; mentioned as potential Harry Potter designer candidate
Designer/audio contributor to Elton John and Pulp Fiction; mentioned for design approach
Senior Stern Pinball designer; his design position reportedly being transitioned to newer designers
Former Stern Pinball designer who left for Jersey Jack Pinball; was working on James Bond game that Gomez has now taken over
Legendary pinball designer; subject of Andrew Moskos' roast poem; rejected public reading of the poem; designer at Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary Williams pinball designer; designed T2, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and other classic games; known for conceptual depth and humor in game design
Pinball designer; Kaneda speculates he is designing Matrix for Jersey Jack
Jersey Jack designer; cited alongside Keith Elwin and Pat Lawler as exemplar of mechanical and shooting design; host questions why modern designers struggle to replicate proven approach
Legendary Stern designer; expected by hosts to release next Stern game following recent releases from Keith L. and John Borg; known for original designs including Spider-Man and Star Trek
Legendary pinball designer; next game reportedly delayed or progressing slowly; his Star Wars LE criticized as inferior
Legendary pinball designer; created High Speed, Getaway, Black Knight series, known for signature right flipper loop shots
Mentioned in chat as upcoming designer at Jersey Jack Pinball
Game designer referenced for design philosophy on Wizard and other games
Designer of Elton John; Manu calls it one of his best games; noted as possibly not having choice in theme selection
Designer of Black Knight pinball; referenced as creator of punishing gameplay mechanics
Quoted as saying 'never pick floaty as a mascot name doesn't sound good at all'
Designer of Game of Thrones pinball machine; participated in gameplay and tournament at launch party
Legendary pinball designer credited with Black Knight Sword of Rage topper design; referenced for design excellence
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage (referenced in KB)
Pinball designer; designed Spider-Man original run and Black Knight Sword of Rage; respected despite not being Tommy's preferred designer
Designer of Led Zeppelin Pro; Stern veteran designer with more hits than misses in career
Legendary pinball designer known as 'king of flow'; joined Jersey Jack Pinball, improved ball shooting mechanics
Pinball designer whose work at Jersey Jack community is watching closely to assess design direction
Legendary pinball designer; designed AC/DC and Metallica; referenced as industry veteran alongside Lawler and Mark Ritchie
Referenced as 'King of Flow' in pinball design; George Gomez's design idol
Designer of original Star Wars pinball game; criticized for poor game design and code decisions; subject of potential competitive burn if remake happens
Referenced humorously as potential future confrontation figure with Papa Duke if he joins JJP
Legendary Stern game designer, rumored to be designing next Stern release (Black Knight 3000), performs voice work for games, co-designed original Elvira games
Legendary Stern designer; designed Led Zeppelin; known for fast, flow-based gameplay
Pinball industry legend; played Mark Seiden's Metroid custom game at Pintastic; provided feedback on game darkness
Legendary pinball designer of Black Knight (1980) and many other classics; known as 'King of Flow'; his voice is featured in the game
Pinball designer who designed Elton John. Reportedly wanted to make a race car/spaceship game but was assigned Elton John theme instead.
Jersey Jack designer who brought Stern-style game design to Elton John
Legendary pinball designer; subject of discussion regarding Flash vs Star Wars game quality
Former Stern lead designer; no longer with Stern (implied departure)
Legendary pinball designer; Kaneda expects upcoming Jersey Jack game from him
Original designer on James Bond project who transferred to Stern; has made critical public statements about Stern
Jersey Jack Pinball leadership; brother of Mark Ritchie; described as angry at Stern; wants to prove capabilities beyond Star Wars/Led Zeppelin
Legendary Stern designer; Kaneda mentions upcoming Elton John pinball from him as possible 2023 release
Pinball designer; rumored to be working on Elton John music game for Jersey Jack Pinball (not Billy Joel)
Legendary pinball designer rumored to be designing Billy Joel game for Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer at Stern, known for machines like Star Trek and Spider-Man
Stern pinball designer; designed the Star Wars machine that Kaneda criticizes as 'a huge miss'
Pinball designer; Kaneda notes he reskinned Star Trek into Elton John at late stage
Jersey Jack designer; created Elton John (praised for safety/execution); next Mark Seiden game seen as new chapter post-Ritchie
Designer; spoke at TPF seminar about Elton John production (mentioned using leftover Toy Story 4 screens); Kaneda suggests he needs media training
Jersey Jack designer; Kaneda waiting for his next game instead of buying Elton John; speculates it could be Top Gun or Harry Potter
Legendary pinball designer; allegedly made comparative comment about Mark Seiden vs. Elwin
Designer at JJP; worked with Joe Cat on Elton John; credited with creating game chemistry; X Factor with Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer at Stern; designed Elton John game; discussed as example of designer reputation insufficient to drive sales
Legendary pinball designer; creator of Spider-Man, referenced as benchmark for quality design
Legendary pinball designer; associated with fanbase following; Avatar noted as lacking comparable designer prestige/fanbase
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; designed Star Wars pinball game; heavily criticized by Kaneda for poor scene-stacking code and lack of understanding of Star Wars universe
Pinball designer credited for Elton John; Kaneda notes fans of his work will love the shooting mechanics
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; confirmed to design The Matrix releasing end of year
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; next game rumored to be Beastie Boys or The Matrix; recently completed Elton John
Pinball designer with impact on Avatar's playfield layout
Designer of both Spider-Man and Star Trek; subject of debate over game quality comparison
Legendary pinball designer; appears to have provided guidance to Mark Seiden on Avatar design
Jersey Jack designer; Kaneda criticizes Elton John design as 'playing it safe' and calls for more ambitious future games
Designer at Stern; created Black Knight: Sword of Rage; featured in head-to-head comparison with Pat Lawler; appeared on Jack Danger's stream to discuss Black Knight enhancements
Stern Pinball designer, led factory tour at Expo, shared Lucasfilm licensing insights
Legendary pinball designer credited in AC/DC Pinball Arcade promotional materials as 'king of the designers'
Designer; The Matrix game in development at Jersey Jack, expected spring 2025, wide body with slingshot guns
Legendary Stern designer; Kaneda asserts he is NOT working on Sonic the Hedgehog pinball despite Jersey Jack licensing it
Stern designer whose recent licensed game artwork is criticized by Ron and Bruce (Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Star Trek, etc.)
Stern designer; featured in Stern's Kickstarter video campaign
Pinball designer; Ron previously owned 99% Steve Ritchie games; had 'Growing Up Ritchie' seminar with Mark Ritchie
Legendary pinball designer; designed Elton John for Jersey Jack; Kaneda praises his work on this game
Classic pinball designer, associated with Stern ACDC design criticized for playfield aesthetics
Legendary pinball designer at Stern; designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; voice of the Black Knight character; classic designer credits include Black Knight (1980), Black Knight 2000 (1989), and others
Legendary modern pinball designer; mentioned in comparative analysis of great designers' first three releases
Legendary pinball designer credited with concept and design of High Speed; known as the 'Steven Spielberg of Pinball.' Currently works at Jersey Jack Pinball.
Legendary Williams designer; designer of Black Knight 2000, original Black Knight, High Speed; provided voice for Black Knight character
Referenced as 'King of Flow' and previous podcast guest who discussed game design evolution
Legendary pinball designer; sighted at TPF interacting with Luke from Spooky, representing generational bridge between established and emerging designers.
Spooky Pinball designer; criticized for Led Zeppelin (no interesting play with blimp) and Star Wars reskin; expected to produce new game by end of year
Designer of Jersey Jack's rumored Elton John pinball machine
Legendary pinball designer; recently joined Jersey Jack Pinball; interviewed discussing his game design philosophy and current project at JJP
Legendary pinball designer speaking at Pinball Expo
Pinball designer; alluded in recent interview to challenges of Disney/Star Wars artwork constraints
Legendary designer; Elton John game designer at Jersey Jack; Chicago Gaming designer of upcoming sci-fi themed game
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda questions whether Ritchie can deliver on his 'trash talking' about former Stern colleagues with Elton John game
Designer allegedly in budget negotiations with Jersey Jack over his upcoming game
Pinball designer; created Stern's Star Wars game, which Kaneda calls 'an abomination' given source material
Lead designer of Led Zeppelin; legendary Stern designer; known for flow-focused game mechanics
Designer who moved from Stern to Jersey Jack Pinball; has publicly criticized Stern's constraints and now has opportunity to design for JJP
Legacy designer; created Elton John for Stern; Kaneda cites poor sales as proof legacy names don't equal modern sales
Legendary pinball designer with 47+ year career; currently at Stern Pinball/Jersey Jack; designer of High Speed, Black Knight series, Star Wars, Terminator 2, and recent music-themed games
Pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda expresses hope he will deliver successful game
Stern Pinball designer/leadership; expected to present at TPF alongside Jack Guarnari
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; mentioned as potential competitor to Lawlor's design legacy at JJP.
Legendary pinball designer; Elton John credited to him; referenced for shot design excellence
Jersey Jack designer rumored to design either Beastie Boys or Top Gun; praised for Elton John game mechanics
Designer of Elton John for Jersey Jack; Kaneda sympathizes that he was forced to make undesirable theme after legendary Stern work (Black Knight, AC/DC, Star Wars, Led Zeppelin).
Legendary pinball designer; departed from Stern to Jersey Jack; at 'crossroads' with Elton John reveal; labeled 'king of pinball'
Legendary pinball designer; recently left Stern Pinball; joined JJP to design Elton John; Kaneda expects this game to demonstrate his capabilities after Stern cost-cutting constraints
Stern designer; criticized for fumbling major themes like Game of Thrones and Star Wars; Kaneda suggests he should not be assigned Back to the Future Arcade
Designer of Stern Star Trek with strong gameplay but criticized artwork; John Borg updated design for Metallica remaster
Legendary pinball designer; coded AC/DC Let There Be Rock
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; subject of speculation about his next game (Elton John or Top Gun)
Legendary pinball designer who designed High Speed and F-14 Tomcat during the System 11 era; hosts reference him as 'Steven Spielberg of Pinball.'
Legendary designer; 'king of flow' but criticized for weak artistic direction and lack of soul; joined Jersey Jack Pinball
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; mentioned speculatively regarding potential Elton John or Matrix themes and personal taste alignment
Williams designer known for fast-paced, speed-focused themes; primarily designed Williams-branded games
Industry figure speaking at Texas Pinball Festival with Jack Rennery; known for outspoken commentary
Noted as 'the same team on the field' at Jersey Jack; Kaneda skeptical of his ability to bring spark back to company
Legendary designer; Black Knight is his game being re-released by Stern while he promotes new Jersey Jack game—potential conflict noted by Kaneda
Legendary pinball designer; subject of extensive criticism in this episode for Elton John design philosophy
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; Kaneda credits him with designing Elton John as a 'juggernaut'
Legendary Stern designer; rumored to be designing Matrix pinball; historical reference to Star Wars LE (800 units)
Pinball designer; reportedly arrived at Jersey Jack after JJP #7 (Godfather) was already complete
Legendary designer; JJP's next game designer; Kaneda positions his next title as critical to determining JJP's future direction
Legendary pinball designer; currently at Jersey Jack Pinball; criticized Stern publicly at TPF seminar; has next game in JJP pipeline after Eric Minier
Designer credited on Star Trek TNG backglass; signed the autographed backglass on Don's road game
Appearing with Jersey Jack Pinball at Texas Pinball Festival Friday 8 PM; will discuss future of JJP
Legendary Stern Pinball designer who has confirmed move to Jersey Jack Pinball; age 71; known for pioneering game design principles and 40+ iconic games; had whitewood in progress at Stern.
Legendary pinball designer, speculated as potential designer as he is 'due' for a new release
Legendary pinball designer; credited as game design and software lead on Star Trek (2013)
Classic pinball designer; designed Star Wars game that host prefers over X-Men
Legendary pinball designer; Star Trek mentioned as example of excellent warp ramp shot feel in comparison to other games
Designer of original Costco Star Wars game; credited with better design than Stern's Fall of the Empire
Pinball designer; Kaneda states he will buy his next game (unspecified title)
Stern designer; expected to release 'Music Pin' (title TBD) after Godfather from JJP
Legendary pinball designer; reportedly tasked by Gary Stern to create AC/DC (Premium) with 'everything and the kitchen sink'
Veteran Stern designer; was working on his own original theme game during The Beatles development
Renowned pinball designer, created Spider-Man and Star Trek pinball games discussed favorably by hosts
Legendary pinball designer; designing upcoming Foo Fighters game for Jersey Jack Pinball; mentioned as preferred designer by Kaneda
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; confirmed to be mentoring Eric Minier and Mark Seiden; expected to continue contributing to JJP's future designs
Designer with strong imprint on sound and programming; collaborated with Thiel on Star Trek; communicated clear design intent regarding music licensing
Legendary pinball designer known for flow-focused game design; currently designing for Jersey Jack Pinball
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; legendary pinball designer known as 'King of Flow'
Pinball designer, rumored to be working on Jersey Jack Pinball's Avatar game layout
Legendary pinball designer; first speaker at Thompson's Seattle pinball show in 2008; met Thompson in Texas in 2002 and Chicago in 2004
Original designer of Bond machine concept before George Gomez took over
Legendary pinball designer with 30+ year career at Williams/Capcom, returning to pinball after decades to design Pulp Fiction for Raw Thrills/Play Mechanics partnership
Legendary pinball designer ('King of Flow'); joined Jersey Jack Pinball August 2023; designed Elton John machine; previously at Stern; known for high-speed, flow-focused games
Pinball designer rumored by Kaneda to be designing The Matrix as Jersey Jack Pinball's next title
Designer; rumored to be designing single-level Pulp Fiction for Chicago Gaming Company
Pinball designer, noted for F-14 Tomcat, potential designer for Top Gun at JJP
Legendary pinball designer, featured in recent interview on Straight Down the Middle
Established pinball designer known for flow-focused gameplay; designed multiple titles including Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Led Zeppelin, Black Knight; example of designer with consistent stylistic signature
Jersey Jack Pinball designer with unreleased next game featuring praised layout; subject of confidentiality agreement regarding game details
Produced Lord of the Rings (2003); worked as independent contractor for Stern during this period
Attended Texas Pinball Festival drinking event with Geoff Teolas and others
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; unclear current contributions to product pipeline; may be working on upcoming titles; previously at Stern (departed before recent designs)
Legendary designer referenced as potential creator for Transformers pinball
Legendary pinball designer mentioned at episode end; Kaneda hints at unrevealed project if channel hits 500 subscribers
Original designer of Black Knight for Williams; Hamill's recoded version preserves original code as fallback option
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; rumored to be designing The Matrix; known for recycling design elements
Designed 2017 Star Wars Stern machine; reputation for complex code criticized by host
Designer of 2017 Star Wars pinball game; current game positioned as more approachable alternative to his version
Legendary pinball designer, award named after him (Most Complex Play Award)
Legendary pinball designer, known as 'King of Flow,' visited Dutch Pinball Museum; designed Black Knight 2000, High Speed, and other classic Williams games
Classic pinball designer, cited as Rolando's idol; designed Black Knight 2000
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; claimed to be working on a music-themed pin based on solo performer (artist unconfirmed)
Former Stern designer rumored to have started Three White Woods project; George Gomez potentially finishing his work on James Bond
Designer who recently joined Jersey Jack Pinball to help improve quality and production; Todd believes his involvement will help them expand capacity
Mentioned as potential collaborator for 'Cooking with Mark and Steve Ritchie' panel idea
Original designer of James Bond whitewood that George Gomez took over and redesigned as a three-flipper game
Renowned pinball designer known as 'King of Flow'; designed games from Atari roots through current Jersey Jack Pinball titles; speaking at Pinball Expo 2025
Mentioned as possible guest at Expo (confirmed later joined Jersey Jack Pinball, though KB shows August 2024 timing)
Legendary pinball designer, mentioned as not yet having appeared on the show
Designer of Elton John pinball game, met Don at Expo and had personal interaction
Legendary Stern designer; Beetlejuice features characteristic 'Steve Richie Bank' target layout element
Legendary pinball designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; rumored next game is a music-themed machine based on an individual musician; Kaneda suggests this could be JJP's most successful game ever
Pinball designer; expected guest for Black Knight: Sword of Rage showcase; has Meniere's disease affecting hearing
Top seed at INDISC 2019, picked Iron Maiden as first game, known for ramp/loop play
Pinball designer credited as co-designer of Star Wars (Stern) alongside Dwight Sullivan; also designed Game of Thrones
Pinball designer; Kaneda claims knowledge of his upcoming game and promises to reveal details before Knapp's Arcade; likely to be first JJP game with new playfield supplier
Stern Pinball designer, recently delivered Star Trek (skinned as Elton John), part of 'old guard'
Classic pinball designer; cited as reference for good playfield design that modern Spooky designers should study
Referenced as designer (implied historical context given discussion of post catch mechanics and game design philosophy)
Pinball designer; designed Led Zeppelin Stern, which is believed to be his last game at Stern
Legendary pinball designer; famous for 'Play better' quote; held seminar at Texas Pinball Festival
Referenced humorously as saying 'Hello, my name is Steve Richie. Play better' regarding difficult Houdini Master of Mystery shots
Legendary pinball designer; present at Pin Brew show
Iconic pinball designer, appeared at MGC, helped Jeremy load Getaway; vied with Gomez for Mortal Kombat license
Pinball designer; recently moved to Jersey Jack Pinball (announced but details not fully discussed in episode)
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; subject of rumor about potentially leaving Stern for Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer; referenced as high-tier designer not involved with Scooby-Doo
Legendary pinball designer encountered by Steven Martin at Free Play Florida; initially not recognized
Legendary pinball designer; Dennis recalls personal meeting at Texas Pinball Festival where Richie discussed his Star Trek design.
Pinball designer/Stern representative; guest speaker at Pintastic New England who publicly acknowledged Stern's production delays
Legendary pinball designer, discussed as alternative to George Gomez in hypothetical designer elimination question
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; praised for game design quality
Legendary pinball designer present at festival signing autographs
Designer of Elton John pinball game at Jersey Jack Pinball, referred to as 'King of Flow'; responsible for game's flow mechanics
Legendary pinball designer referenced as influential figure
Stern designer; said to have game 'in the hopper' for 2024; legendary pinball designer
Legendary pinball designer; designed F-14 Tomcat and associated with Road Kings design
Designer involved with Black Knight: Sword of Rage; appeared on Coast to Coast Pinball Podcast discussing game mechanics, topper design, and Lexan playfield implementation
Designer promoted from unknown technician at Atari to pinball design; later hired by Williams; Kmiec notes his significant industry impact
Designer of F-14 Tomcat pinball machine
Designer who started layout for game to follow Game 24 at Stern; license status unclear; has since moved on from pinball
Pinball designer; anecdote mentions he refused to autograph his brother's games when visiting PHOF
Veteran pinball designer; selected as guest speaker for 2009 UK Pinball Show over Bryan Kelly
Legendary pinball designer; visited Germany in 2007 for German Pinball Open in Bremen; personal friend of Martin Wiest; designed games from 1970s through recent era including Firepower and Spider-Man
Williams designer whom Popadiuk greatly admired and met after moving to Williams from Bally
Associated with Jersey Jack Pinball; announced comeback to pinball on Spooky Pinball Podcast
Legendary pinball designer; attended Pintastic 2020 and played attendee-designed games, representing major industry draw
Williams designer who moved to California to work on video games; Sharpe hoped to retain for pinball work
Stern Pinball designer and leader announcing Pintastic 2019 attendance; appears to be hosting/narrating the video
Legendary Stern pinball designer who worked with Greg Ferris on Star Trek: The Next Generation and other titles; known for straightforward game action
Stern pinball designer; met by Jeff Teolis at 2016 World Series in Chicago; speaking at seminar during Pintastic New England
Legendary pinball designer presenting career retrospective at Pintastic New England; designer of Flash, Superman, Star Trek and other major titles
Pinball designer; described as close friend of Guarnieri; seen at events together
Legendary pinball designer; designed games Thiel worked on; Thiel humorously suggests Ritchie's World Poker Tour inspired Chris Granner to retire
Legendary pinball designer now at Jersey Jack Pinball; praised company autonomy; working on new game; previously at unnamed manufacturer (implied Stern)
Legendary pinball designer; Tim Sexton's collaborator on Black Knight
Jersey Jack Pinball game designer on staff
Prominent pinball designer; collaborated with Chris Granner on Terminator 2; described as great guitarist and collaborator
Referenced as designer known for 'flow' design philosophy (flowing shots from one to next), distinct from psychological flow state being discussed.
Legendary Williams/Stern pinball designer present at this interview; worked with Jim Patla after Harry Williams acquired the Bally Pinball Division in 1988; discussed quality control and design standardization issues.
Legendary pinball designer at Stern Pinball, presenter of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; age 69 during presentation
Legendary Williams pinball designer who designed Black Knight and performed voice work for the game
Legendary Stern designer of original Star Wars pinball; Gonzo respects his work but questions geometry decisions on Star Wars
Legendary pinball designer; agreed to be guest speaker at UK Pinball Show in 2009; worked with Trudeau at Williams as work friends after competing at rival companies
Legendary pinball designer with 40+ year career; designer of High Speed, Hyperball, World Poker Tour, Spider-Man Black, and numerous other iconic titles; transitioning to video game development
Designer of Black Knight (1980); referenced by Paul Daniel as favorite classic designer
Pinball designer; designed F-14 Tomcat; also performed voice/call-outs alongside his brother Mark
Next game designer in queue at Jersey Jack Pinball; host mentions his next game may be 3+ years away
Prominent game designer; known as 'King of flow'; currently working on unrevealed game for JJP (next after Harry Potter); described as friend and competitor of Eric Mounier
Pinball designer; created Stern Star Trek referenced in Gonzo's technical shot timing discussion
Pinball designer; created Elton John for Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer credited with code work on Riverboat Gambler; known for Louis Armstrong impression featured in game sound design
Legendary pinball designer; influenced Blood Machines design philosophy regarding skill shot mechanics; advocated for actual skill-based shots
Designer of Led Zeppelin pinball; reportedly unhappy about Stairway to Heaven licensing, no longer at Stern
Legendary pinball designer credited with Elton John; recognized as 'back' with renewed energy
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; known for aggressive callouts in the game that Manu comments on
Famous pinball designer referenced as brother of Mark Ritchie; known for designs like Mortal Kombat and Black Knight
Legendary pinball designer of High Speed (1986), known for establishing 'flow' design philosophy with spinner and orbit mechanics
Referenced as making fun of players (implied legendary pinball designer/personality)
Pinball designer credited with creating 'amazing games' but criticized for phoning in design work on Black Knight: Sword of Rage
Designer of Stern Star Trek; emphasized combo-focused gameplay philosophy in game design
Stern Pinball designer publicly criticized for calling Pinside 'a disease'; cited as alienating core enthusiast community
Stern designer known for competitive/challenging design approach referenced in context of AC/DC Premium
Historical Stern pinball designer; noted as receiving less budget/creative autonomy compared to contemporary designer Keith Elwin
Rumored designer of Star Wars pinball machine
Game designer who left Stern Pinball, rumored to be designing Elton John for Jersey Jack Pinball
Legendary pinball designer whose flow and speed design philosophy is compared to Stranger Things
Legendary pinball designer; known for fast, flowy games that can become flat/stale over time per hosts
Designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; known for creating original Black Knight and Black Knight 2000
Prominent pinball designer; criticized by Greg for formulaic design approach; subject of multiple comparisons with Terminator 2/3 and other titles
Jersey Jack designer; must face post-launch sales realities internally
Jersey Jack Pinball designer, two-year tenure like Mark Seiden, upcoming game release expected within 3 months
Legendary pinball designer; rumored to be designing Jersey Jack's next game (Elton John) instead of Matrix
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; rumored next game to be reached by end of summer as Godfather production winds down
Pinball designer; next game after Willy Wonka at JJP is rumored to be Steve Ritchie design (possibly The Matrix)
Designer; has worked with Jersey Jack Pinball on Harry Potter for two years; Kaneda credits him with superior layout talents vs. Eric Minier; assists on Potter development
Designer credited for Elton John; described as 'the King' by Kaneda; legendary designer now at JJP
Designer of Elton John pinball machine for Jersey Jack Pinball, known for 'flow' design philosophy
Designer of Elton John pinball machine for Jersey Jack Pinball
Stern designer; Kaneda questions if he has hit game in long time, skeptical of Jersey Jack claims about his upcoming games
Legendary pinball designer; currently at Jersey Jack Pinball; subject of Matrix game rumor; Kaneda criticizes his recent work at Stern (Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Led Zeppelin) as theme-dependent rather than mechanically innovative
Legendary designer; Stern marketing department used his popularity to justify Black Knight remake greenlight
Legendary pinball designer; designed Elton John for JJP; Kaneda speculates he's advising on recent game layouts
Designer credited with Elton John layout; praised for flowing game design now applied in JJP trim
Designer of Elton John at Jersey Jack Pinball; legendary pinball designer
Legendary pinball designer; reported to be designing Star Wars for Stern with new LCD screen
Legendary pinball designer mentioned as possibly appearing in Special When Lit documentary discussing pinball's supposed decline, recently designed Elton John game for Jersey Jack
Designer of original Spider-Man pinball game; referenced in context of hypothetical Stern Spider-Man remake decision
Designer recently hired by Jersey Jack; Kaneda expresses hope for great game design but skepticism given Toy Story outcome
Designer of Elton John at Jersey Jack Pinball; previously worked at Stern; Kaneda compares his JJP work to his Stern-style approach
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; Kaneda expresses hope he can return JJP to 'halcyon days' with content-packed games; mixed confidence in Elton John execution
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball working on next game after Elton John
Originally worked on James Bond design at Stern but was replaced by Gomez; Kaneda speculates Ritchie was 'ejected' to Jersey Jack Pinball months ago
Designer of 2025 Star Wars pinball; criticized for game quality vs. pricing
Designer at Jersey Jack Pinball; host mentions anticipation for 'Steve Rich's game' but indicates uncertainty requiring more confirmation
Legendary designer mentioned in context of consistent design styles across designer portfolios
Legendary pinball designer, socialized with hosts at 2017 Chicago Expo, referenced as someone the hosts enjoy hanging out with
Designer credited with Star Trek warp ramp (#4 ranked); hosts praise execution and geometry
Legendary pinball designer; Star Wars and Iron Maiden designer referenced for shooting mechanics and game philosophy
Legendary pinball designer; credited with Star Trek and other classic designs; multiple games in top 10
Legend designer mentioned in tangential conversation about Pinball Expo interaction
Legendary Stern designer; presented Best Twitch Streamer award
Renowned pinball designer praised for smooth orbit design on Star Wars and other machines
Legendary pinball designer; designed Spider-Man Vault playfield layout with third flipper mechanic
Designer of Shane Black Knight
Designer known for speed and complex shot sequences; alternative reference to 'Shredder'
Referenced as designer of No Fear: Dangerous Sports; noted for signature horseshoe loop mechanic
Legendary pinball designer; referenced in comparison of classic games (High Speed)
Jersey Jack designer; confirmed to design Sonic the Hedgehog for JJP, expected mid-2026 release
Legendary pinball designer, currently at Jersey Jack Pinball; brother of Mark Ritchie
Mentioned as providing topper concept and photoshop renderings for Pulp Fiction; appears to be collaborator or advisor on project
Designer of Star Trek (Position 10); characterized as 'King of flow' with greatest shots in pinball history
Jersey Jack Pinball designer; designed Elton John; discussed as potential Top Gun designer
Legendary pinball designer credited with creating Elton John; described as iconic designer of greatest pinball machines in history
Legendary pinball designer of Elton John for Jersey Jack Pinball; described as iconic designer of greatest pinball machines in history
Referenced as influential designer, known for smooth shot gameplay and 'wait in the truck' anecdote
Designer of Game of Thrones Pro; Stern Pinball legend; appeared on stream to discuss game mechanics and design decisions
Designer of AC/DC pinball; worked with Sheets on code with loose parameters and tight schedule (4 months from whitewood to production in January 2012)
Legendary pinball designer; mentioned as planning to create original-theme game rather than licensed IP
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; held seminar revealing new game details (64 plastics, motor); denied retirement rumors
Legendary pinball designer credited with designing High Speed, The Getaway, No Fear, Stern AC/DC Premium, and Terminator 2
Referenced as designer who encourages on-the-fly shooting in his pinball game designs
Pinball designer/figure mentioned as attendee at Chicago Pinball Expo
Stern designer credited with voice acting on AC/DC. Jon and Nick identify him as one of two main 'professors' alongside Lyman Sheets overseeing AC/DC's design.
Stern Pinball designer; present at festival; scheduled to give talk at 9pm (described as 'goofy')
Designer of AC/DC Premium; provides all voice acting for the game; also did voice work on Mortal Kombat (Shao Kahn fatality voice)
Pinball designer; known as 'King of speed' for fast game design; designed Game of Thrones
Pinball designer credited with designing Fish Tales
Legendary pinball designer; also did voice acting work for Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat according to Midway documentary; known for frosted tips hairstyle
Legendary designer of Black Knight: Sword of Rage; described as 'The King of flow' for his shot design philosophy
Pinball designer; designed Harry Williams Firepower (1980-81)
Legendary Stern pinball designer; met Jack Danger in Stern parking lot during factory visit
Designer of Star Trek pinball machine; cited as creator of clean playfield shots and game mechanics
Game of Thrones pinball designer; referenced positively by Jack for game design quality
Stern Pinball designer/engineer demonstrating playfield enhancements and installation procedures; appears to be lead designer on Black Knight
Legendary pinball designer, created both Radical (1990) and Firepower (1980)
Designer of Spider-Man (2006) and Star Trek pinball machines
Designer of KISS Pinball machine; known for fast game designs
Legendary pinball game designer; Mark Ritchie's brother, referenced as having made 'a lot of great games'
Legendary pinball designer referenced as inspiration for 'flow' design philosophy on the Domino's machine.
Pinball designer; provided input on Jurassic Park design and CAD template assistance
Star Wars pinball designer; plays in stream to demonstrate game mechanics
Pinball designer; mentioned as having signed a Dick White body Superman machine that Chuck Jackson owns
Pinball designer; designed World Cup Soccer (1994); appeared on Jack's GOT Premium gameplay stream
Stern Pinball designer; mentioned as working on unannounced title during factory visit
Legendary pinball designer referenced during exhibition matches as having designed more games and sold more than any other designer
Designer of Game of Thrones Stern pinball, providing live rules and gameplay commentary during stream
Pinball designer present at Chicago Expo 2015 doing autographs