Ian Jacoby is the founder, owner, editor-in-chief, and publisher of Nudge Magazine, a pinball industry publication and media brand. He is a multi-talented creative professional with a background in music (as a songwriter and singer in indie rock band Larks) and fiction writing (Master's degree), who has transitioned into pinball journalism and cultural commentary. Beyond his editorial role, Jacoby serves as co-host of the NudgeCast podcast and is an accomplished photographer whose film camera work has shaped the magazine's visual identity. He has become a prominent voice in pinball culture, known for substantive commentary on games and the community.
No aliases
No relationships
Harry Potter is the 2025 game of the year despite AI art controversy
Dune code was broken at launch with non-functional scoring and unintended ball saves
Winchester Mystery House code was polished at launch without the issues present in Dune
Carl D'Angelo is the designer of Winchester Mystery House
Photographer at Nudge Magazine whose film photography work inspired Kineticist's use of disposable cameras at the mixer
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine, co-host of Nudgecast; visited Stern Pinball media day and played early version of D&D
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine; co-host of Nudgecast; pinball community journalist and media figure
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine; co-host of Nudgecast; played Pokemon, Winchester Mystery House, and Beetlejuice
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine, co-host of NudgeCast podcast (Doc Monday)
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine; co-host of Nudgecast; has signed NDA about Barrels of Fun game
No linked glossary terms
Evil Dead will likely be the frontrunner for 2025 GOTY in Twippies voting
Jeff Dodson kept Winchester Mystery House secret despite staying at Ian's house
Boutique manufacturers prioritize game flow and uniqueness over rapid production, avoiding Stern's high-volume criticism
Star Wars Episode I is a beautiful piece of art aesthetically and represents the twilight of the Williams era as a 'capstone'
George Gomez confirmed computer keyboard switches were used in Pinball 2000 action buttons for reliability over traditional leaf/opto switches
The entire situation represents a 'series of failures' in oversight, QA, and accountability rather than a single malicious act
We are living in a very good time for pinball creatively
Mad Pinball provides exceptional customer service including rapid problem resolution and replacement procedures
Johnny Pinball Crapman's apron art on Dune integrates Arabic/Sanskrit-inspired sandworm mural from the film
Dune's punch-glass replay feature and day/night cycle mechanic represent novel innovations in pinball design
Keith Elwin is the greatest pinball player of all time
Evil Dead is Spooky Pinball's best game overall, despite Bug favoring TCM personally.
Turner Pinball's Chris Turner acquired Deep Root Pinball assets during their financial collapse and auction.
Ian Jacoby chooses to play Evil Dead approximately twice as often as D&D at Lit Pinball Bar.
Godzilla's popularity as IP has increased because the pinball game is so good
Barrels of Fun will likely be King Kong as its theme
Cuphead is the most vibrant and coolest game American Pinball has ever produced
American Pinball staff are working on Cuphead essentially unpaid
Game leaks may be intentional marketing strategies by manufacturers
LCD screens have limited playfield creativity in modern pinball design and make games screen-dependent rather than mechanical-focused
Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest Stern machines with exemplary use of film audio and IP integration
Chicago's pinball league tournament had 105 players and averages 70-90 players
A giant mallet prop was observed in restricted areas at Stern HQ, potentially indicating Donkey Kong game in development
D&D scoring was unbalanced during media day with players hitting 5-6 billion points casually
The D&D shield mechanic auto-aims shots when the ball rests against it and flippers are slapped
Ian would rank D&D as Brian Eddy's 3rd best game, behind The Shadow (#1) and Medieval Madness (#2)
D&D is the most home-buyer focused game Stern has ever made due to its code update features and character progression
Ian visited Stern Pinball HQ for a media day to preview Dungeons & Dragons
D&D features an 8-ball multi-ball mode that can escalate to 6-7 balls flying around
Ian Jacoby currently owns seven pinball machines and is out of space in his game room
Nudge Magazine contributors are compensated minimally or not at all and work primarily for love of pinball
Pinball machines are artistic expressions equivalent to books or movies
MGC (Midwest Gaming Classic) attracts over 30,000 people across four days
Elizabeth Weinberg is a photographer who shoots for Vogue and LA Times and is a tournament director in LA
Metallica pinball has uninspired artwork that looks like eighth grade notebook drawings
All Nudge photography is shot on film rather than digital
Ian's primary inspiration for Nudge's aesthetic was 1990s skateboarding magazine Big Brother
Nudge Magazine was founded during COVID as an outlet for pinball thinking while moving to Detroit
Women contributors and participants in pinball culture are underserved by manufacturers who treat pinball as 1970s-era male space
Nudge's Twippy Awards timeline article was their biggest public reaction piece and was recognized as journalism
Co-host of NudgeCast, editor-in-chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine; knowledgeable about pinball culture and competitive play.
Editor-in-Chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine; co-host of Nudgecast; also known as DocMonday
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine; co-host of NudgeCast; owns 7 pinball machines including Metallica Remastered LE
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine; co-host of Nudgecast; attended MGC 2024 and played The Portal, obtained exclusive King Kong rumor
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine; co-host of Nudgecast; attended Twippies; spoke extensively with Barrels of Fun team; provided emotional support to Kaneda post-meltdown.
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine; co-host of Nudgecast; location pinball player; creator of 'Budge the Nudge' concept
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Nudge Magazine, co-host of NudgeCast, passionate game analyst and industry observer
Contributor to Nudge magazine; recommended Avatar video for reaction segment but recommendation was vague and unhelpful; hosts jokingly question his judgment.
Associated with Nudge Magazine; served as man-on-the-street interviewer at Twippies; praised for performance
Founder/editor of Nudge Magazine; attended factory event
Co-host/producer at Twippies event; involved in post-event debrief planning for improvements
Founder and editor of Nudge Magazine; pinball player and content creator; photographer and writer
Sideline reporter for the 2024 Pinball Community Awards, editor/content creator at Nudge Magazine
Editor-in-chief of Nudge Magazine, guest defender of SW:E1, author of controversial article comparing Data East and Stern Star Wars games
Nudge Magazine founder; co-hosting new Nudge Cast podcast with Shane (Silverstein lead singer); five episodes released
Nudge Magazine photographer whose film camera work inspired the disposable camera concept; credited for photos at the first Media Mixer and current event
Editor-in-chief and publisher of Nudge Magazine; NudgeCast co-host; pinball journalist and cultural commentator
Introduced Retro Ralph and Jamie Burchill at 2024 Expo
Co-host of Nudgecast/Nudge Magazine podcast; attending media day event
Owner and creator of Nudge Magazine. Previously songwriter and singer in indie rock band Larks. Master's degree in fiction writing. Uses persona 'Doc Monday' in early issues.