Zach Sharp is a multi-faceted pinball industry leader serving as Director of Marketing at Stern Pinball. The son of legendary pinball figure Roger Sharp and brother of IFPA President Josh Sharp, Zach is himself a top-ranked competitive player who achieved #1 IFPA world ranking status and has won major tournaments including Illinois State Finals and Heads Up Championship. Beyond competition and business, he actively shapes pinball culture through m
No aliases
Beetlejuice #1 unit has been received and will be available for streaming next week
Video content performs better than audio-only for The Pinball Show, with majority of audience now on YouTube
The Pinball Show reaches 6,000-7,000 combined views/listens per episode after video transition
Stern will announce a new cornerstone game by end of January 2026
Representative of Stern Pinball who appeared on Good Morning America with pinball machines.
Director of Marketing at Stern Pinball; issued official company statement regarding Trudeau situation
Stern Pinball Director of Marketing; panelist at Comic-Con presentation
Director of Marketing at Stern Pinball; Vice President of IFPA; brother of Josh Sharp; runs Stern Pro Circuit; competitive pinball enthusiast
Stern Pinball representative conducting YouTube live stream interviews promoting Jaws
Stern staff member who coordinates Stern arcade access for public testing
[Triage: Zach Sharp likely progressed from an employment role at Stern Pinball to ownership/operation of his own business, Flippin' Out Pinball distributor, representing a career advancement and transition rather than a factual conflict.]
[Triage: Zach's location changed from Chicago, Illinois (his personal base) to Evansville, Indiana (headquarters location of Flippin' Out Pinball), reflecting a business expansion or relocation of his company operations.]
No linked glossary terms
Brian Vincent's overall vision for American Pinball is significantly better than previous ownership
This James Bond machine was acquired by Zach on trade from a previous owner who heavily modded it
Zach needs to score points to catch Jack, and 110 is good but not dominant
Star Wars playfield artwork quality is poor compared to modern standards
Portal P3 platform has limited addressable market due to small installed base
Star Wars Pinball Pro version plays better than Premium due to ramp mechanics
Zach forgot about the Tuesday recording session twice despite saying Tuesday was best for him
Zach owns four Spooky machines: Alice Cooper, Scooby-Doo, Rick and Morty, and Looney Tunes
Stern's code productivity decline is due to end of COVID-era supply chain slowdown and possible staff changes
King Kong speaker acrylic insert design is the worst Stern acrylic design in recent memory
King Kong's mid-playfield target (thunk area) is inspired by Quicksilver design
King Kong LE differentiation is insufficient compared to Pro/Premium packages
King Kong home version will arrive at Costco in fall 2025
King Kong launch code at v0.81 is early and sparse compared to historical Stern standards
New Dune orders will be fulfilled by early fall 2025
Dune production will increase weekly over the next month or two
King Kong is a top five game by the end of 2025
Players assume that a broken tilt mechanism gives them permission to aggressively shake and damage machines
The overdose/Narcan final mode sequence with synced heartbeat, audio fade, and lighting effects represents 'one of the greatest moments in modern pinball'
Pulp Fiction pinball is comparable to Deadpool in terms of enjoyability and emotional appeal, but with more adult content
Zach assigns 95% probability to Metallica Remastered being superior to Evil Dead despite not playing Evil Dead extensively
X-Men code will mature and become a better game through post-release updates, following historical pattern of Bond and Stranger Things
Metallica LE was the first LE in a long time where buyers could flip it on secondary market for profit
2024 was a semi-forgettable year in pinball games except for Jaws, Metallica LE, and Ninja Eclipse
TNA (Addams Family) booth at Pinball Olympics featured double the amps and double the lights compared to previous year
Zach at Flippin' Out Pinball has not had communication with Damien Hartin for months
Zach has never had an in-person conversation with George Gomez
John Wick code 0.84 was just released with a lot of cleanup but is still far from a complete game
Zach has never had a conversation with Keith Elwin
Stomp 6 is scheduled for May 30–June 2, 2024 (weekend after Memorial Day) with $125 three-day entry fee
Zach will compete in Stomp 6 despite serving as tournament director
RPC will increase game capacity from 80 to 85 machines with expansion
Using more than two Ascone transmitters with certain batteries in RPC streaming rig causes compatibility issues
RPC hopes to complete expansion in 3 months, ready for Stomp 6
RPC expansion will add 1,300–1,500 sq ft of arcade space
Algar is an enjoyable pinball game worth playing multiple times
Zach's Far Out pinball machine has persistent 'endless balls' mechanical issue requiring head assembly replacement
Zach created the media categories for the Twippies awards
Venom is difficult enough to kick the butt of the content creator
Stern Insider Connected integration is essential to the full game experience and progression
Pinball Brothers has major US expansion moves planned
Seven to eight pinball machines will be released or announced from now through end of year, including Stern November release, next Cornerstone, JJP game by Expo, Pinball Brothers game, Pinball Adventures Elements, mystery company game, and Spooky Scooby completion
Zach's poker homebrew machine allows dynamic card generation on individual drop-target screens simulating full poker rules
GTF magnet mechanics alone are sufficient to make the game fun
Speaker achieved high score #2 on their GTF machine with 629 million points
The game is difficult enough that speaker does not expect to reach wizard mode
Scooby-Doo is one of Zach's remaining dream themes for pinball games
Distributor Zach was offended that Mystery Castle was included in a disc tournament
Upper-playfield designs are bad for business and correlate with slower sellout times
Mandalorian topper pre-sales have exceeded Black Knight topper historical sales volume
Mandalorian game sales have softened over time; Godzilla displaced it from GOTY consideration
The pinball coder is now more important and impactful than the designer in 2022
Toy Story 4 wizard mode was achieved by Zach in approximately one hour with unlimited kickback mystery award
Zach had approximately 100 plays on Toy Story 4 before reaching wizard mode in the stream
Todd McFarlane would be taking on a learning curve doing pinball playfield artwork versus comic book art
Todd McFarlane has indicated he would never work for Marvel again due to Vision Comics competition
Pat Lawler worked on Toy Story 4 flipper engineering with a target durability goal
Carl (Michelangelo of IE Pinball) played a two-hour game on Toy Story 4 and scored $500 million
Toy Story 4 will experience secondary market saturation similar to Halloween and Ultraman LE
Zach struggles with playing newer games that have long ball times in tournament settings
Band IP is the weakest category of licensed pinball themes
John Borg is likely the designer of Rush based on his social media activity
LE pinball machines sell out regardless of theme because collectors buy for speculation/flipping
Rush Pro production will start mid-January with LE shipments late January
Stern does a shutdown the first two weeks of January for inventory
Stern's 2022 production strategy will shift to longer runs of fewer games rather than frequent line shifts
Stern should reduce their distributor network by 25% instead of expanding it
Gaijin is a ramp-heavy mode in Godzilla that requires hitting ramps to start multiball
The player achieved a final score of 537 million points on this Godzilla Pro game
Megalon is a difficult mode with 37 million points available for hitting the side loop
Godzilla is one of the funnest shooting pinball machines in pinball history
Editing pinball podcast content requires approximately 3 hours per 1 hour of recorded content
Star Wars Premium Comic Edition will sell on secondary market within 48 hours at $12,000
Godzilla's middle spinner is unusually wide compared to recent Stern games' thin spinners
Flippin' Out Pinball is upgrading their van with a makeover
Minecraft Dungeons Arcade setup took 30-45 minutes to complete
Instructions for setup were really good
The machine is approximately 10 feet tall
The machine has adjustable components for low-ceiling venues
Minecraft Dungeons Arcade is a legitimate, high-quality game
The game features collectible card scanning mechanics
Rochester Co-op is hosting a Mandalorian launch party on September 11th with a nine-hole golf qualifying tournament and 4-2-1-0 final scoring format, with $20 admission including IFPA dollar credit
Ultraman sold out completely at Allentown Expo but buyers experienced post-purchase regret after watching stream gameplay
Spooky Pinball is developing ball staging improvements for Ultraman that are being delayed by Fox licensing approval (estimated 6 months)
Zach won Rochester Pinball Co-op tournament, winning 2 of 3 finals games (Attack from Mars, Super Straight, Cheetah)
Zach plans to keep his Alien machine for 4-5 months based on prediction
Zach quit clinical psychology to focus full-time on pinball and arcade
Walking Dead code by Limey Sheets is the biggest masterpiece code in pinball
JJP games use Williams WPC flipper mechs but only engage the power winding, not the hold winding, causing mushy flipper response
Zach predicted Fathom Revisited would sell out day one
In Case of Monsters provides challenging gameplay with progressive difficulty similar to pinball wizard modes
The Panorama model comes with a Terminator topper
Big Buck Hunter Reloaded Hard Mode is significantly more difficult than standard mode with headshot-only requirements
The game's voiceover work is a standout feature worth experiencing
Big Buck Hunter Reloaded is an appropriate game for serious game room collectors alongside pinball machines
A 55-inch Samsung 4K high refresh rate monitor for the Panorama model costs approximately $300
Flippin' Out Pinball's Panorama model allows customers to choose their own monitor
Zach has never achieved a perfect three-buck round using headshot/heart shot kills
The game is addictive and appeals to arcade enthusiasts and home game room collectors
Led Zeppelin's wizard mode rules resemble Encore from AC/DC in structure
Jersey Jack could increase Dialed In's sales significantly by remaking it cosmetically using existing design and parts
TMNT community sentiment has cooled/declined from its initial reception
I predict the next Jersey Jack pinball will sell more collector's editions than any of the previous collector's editions made
Zach contributed the most code modification suggestions for Scott's Flight 2000 project
I'm pitching an idea to home builders to place new pinball machines in model homes
Macho Pinball donates merchandise proceeds to charity
Stranger Things LE backboard telekinesis multiball lock is unreliable
Jurassic Park Premium is the best-selling Stern game
Stern has locked down Pinball Browser preventing code access until codec is broken
Demidog mode can now be completed with 25 targets in the new code
The new Stranger Things code overhauls Demidog modes but deleted personal Cleland callout customization
Ken Cromwell is now working for Jersey Jack Pinball
Deadpool, Jurassic Park Premium, and Elvira in any model are the three games Zach cannot keep in stock
The community applies inconsistent standards to different manufacturers regarding licensed assets
Jurassic Park Premium is the best-selling Stern game since I became a dealer, outselling Pro and LE combined
I sold more Jurassic Park Premiums than all Pirates and Wonka units combined in approximately 1.5 years
Stern is not happy with Cleveland and his audio mods
Ken Cromwell has a damn good job now in the industry
I receive emails intended for Zach Sharp at Stern Pinball due to email autofill errors
Jurassic Park is missing film call-outs that Wonka includes as part of the licensed package
Jeff and I have different communication patterns that are 180 degrees opposite
There's a big market opportunity for upscale, expensive interactive mods that change game dynamics
Zach purchased three machines (Stargate, Surf and Safari, OXO) and has already sold two of them
Zach immediately replaced Stargate's Gottlieb System 3 flippers with Williams flipper mechs
Williams flipper mech replacement in Gottlieb machines costs approximately $100+ compared to $30 for a rebuild kit
Rick and Morty sold out in four hours
Punny Factory will sell approximately 25,000 units
An unlicensed pinball theme must have a major name to be commercially viable
Punny Factory will do better than Mafia
Scott Denise put everything he wanted into TNA's single-level playfield and won't design another single-level game
Rick and Morty rules are not very far along in development
Rob Zombie's 300-unit cap sold out quickly due to secondary market speculation from America's Most Haunted price appreciation
TNA was Spooky's most-produced game until Rick and Morty
Dialed In is Jersey Jack's best game but probably their worst seller
Rick and Morty has strong potential to be Spooky Pinball's best theme ever
Loose post issue on Jurassic Park Pro above right flipper resolved with Loctite
Jurassic Park LE units are completely sold out
Stern's production sequence: first round pros → LEs → premiums → second round pros
Gottlieb System 1 boards were designed with only three coil drivers, forcing use of lamp driver transistors and additional PNP transistors for games requiring more drop target banks.
Single-inline-pin (SIP) sockets are difficult to install correctly and prone to bent pins compared to standard dual-row sockets.
A World Cup Soccer machine's weak flipper was fixed by cleaning flipper optos, not requiring board replacement.
Zach is installing a LISY 1 (Linux System 1) Raspberry Pi adapter board into a Genie machine for approximately $70 shipped.
It took Gottlieb approximately 5+ years from System 1 (launched Dec 1977) to System ADA to implement socketed CPU chips.
The PIA chip U10 diagnostic test only checks one address line, so it can pass even if peripheral I/O lines are bad.
Gottlieb soldered operating system code directly to CPU chips instead of using sockets, making OS upgrades impossible.
Chicago Gaming Company should consider remaking Cactus Canyon with the Continued code included as a Limited Edition feature
Steve Ritchie has approximately a 50% success rate on game designs, with Flash being great and Star Wars being terrible.
The Spanish Eyes scoring failure was caused by dirty relay switch contacts, not electronic component failure.
EM machines cost approximately 25% of the price of modern solid-state pinball games.
Williams Flash required complete switch replacement due to factory-assembly error where rivets were installed backwards.
Prospector's gameplay lacks depth due to repetitive spinner shots without meaningful feature buildup
Zach owns approximately 30 pinball machines
Zach won first place in A Division at Buffalo Pinball Finals with a 12-0 points record
Dialed In wastes display space with 3D city graphics instead of game information
The Wizard of Oz playfield is too dark despite colorful artwork, affecting visibility
Stern Pinball staff; hosts enjoy seeing him at media day events
Stern Pinball staff who reached out to Don and facilitated factory visit
Stern employee who hosted Don for factory tour and media party; credited for tour logistics
Stern Pinball head of marketing; competed in Heads Up Invitational despite being Stern employee
Stern Pinball employee who personally invited hosts to factory tour; works at Raw Thrills; brother of Josh Sharp
Stern employee conducting interviews and events at media day; brother of Josh Sharp
Son of Roger Sharpe; received a copy of Roger's pinball book as a birthday gift from his father
Stern Pinball employee, hired more recently than 2010, lunches with Brad to discuss marketing ideas
Third host of Slam Tilt Podcast (non-paid position); attended Jersey Jack Media Day on short notice; primary player of Avatar machines; observed mini wizard mode non-functionality.
Director of Marketing at Stern Pinball; University of Illinois alumnus; supervises new marketing manager
Pinball community member with newborn, mentioned alongside Josh Sharp and John/AJ as parents missing tournaments
IFPA organizational leadership; Stern Pinball employee; brother of Josh Sharp; first to propose event suspension; works with Women's Advisory Board on policy
Stern Pinball staff member; World Tour sponsor liaison; provided factory support and prizes
Josh Sharp's brother; competitive pinball player at Deadflip tournament
Competitive pinball player, mentioned in family context with Josh Sharp
Competitive pinball player who won Pinburgh in 2015
Josh Sharp's brother; IFPA co-administrator handling Canadian operations and payment systems; involved in World Championship planning.
Co-founder of modern IFPA ranking system (rebooted 2006)
Stern Pinball employee; extended invitation to Pinball at the Beach; promised early Pokemon access for hosts; facilitated media engagement
Stern Pinball marketing/community figure; Kaneda criticizes him for focusing on tournament players and operators rather than home collectors; questions his market understanding.
Tournament participant; Stern Pinball employee; brother of Josh Sharp; designer of pinball games
Participant in vault celebration stream; plays Iron Maiden on stream
Stern Pinball staff member responsible for creator event invitations and media outreach; email: zach.sharp@sternpinball.com
Competitive pinball player; participates in split-flipper gameplay with Jack Danger
Stern Pinball contact for sponsorships and special events like world record attempts
Stern Pinball marketing/PR head, top-ranked IFPA competitive player (#1 ranking), hired August (8 months prior to recording). Provides insider development perspective on Iron Maiden and broader Stern direction.
Elite pinball player who competed in Colin's final grouping at 2017 Pinburgh
Head of PR at Stern Pinball; returns guest; discusses 2018 strategy and leaked 2019 titles
Regular host of The Pinball Show; absent this episode on cruise vacation; described as 'the face of the pinball show'
Host of The Pinball Show and Straight Down the Middle; Stern Pinball employee and marketing figure; competitive player and industry personality.
Co-host of The Pinball Show; defends Guns N' Roses layout and flow; also co-owner of Flippin' Out Pinball distributor; praises reveal execution
Stern Pinball management; Jack Danger texted him during stream about adapter controversy
Host of The Pinball Show podcast; Stern Pinball employee and co-owner of Flippin' Out Pinball; interviewer conducting Deep Root investigation episode
Host of The Pinball Show, founder/owner of Flippin' Out Pinball distributor, recently quit clinical psychology to focus full-time on pinball/arcade business. Mentioned as holding multiple Stern LE machines.
Stern Pinball Director of Marketing; competitive pinball player; discussed production lines and 30 man-hour build time in Loser Kid interview
Stern Pinball marketing/management employee; co-owner Flippin' Out Pinball; created 30-hour sizzle reel for Cactus Canyon in rapid turnaround; spent post-launch day taking orders from hotel room
Competitive player who attended Free Play Florida; co-owner of Flippin' Out Pinball with Golden Tee cabinets in stock
Works at Stern Pinball; provided conference room for Triple Drain interviews; lent his LE King Kong to Joel
Mentioned as huge Dwight Sullivan fan; loves Star Wars pinball for its story moments rather than tournament optimization; positioned as narrative-focused player
Josh Sharp's brother; competitive pinball player; Stern Pinball employee; co-owner of Flippin' Out Pinball; competes in tournaments.
Son of Roger Sharp; competitive pinball player who won Pinberg tournament (year unspecified); currently employed at Stern Pinball in marketing/management role; collaborates with Nate on Stern podcast projects; mentioned as someone Nate maintains regular contact with.
Stern Pinball employee; owns four Spooky machines (Alice Cooper, Rick and Morty, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo); Scooby attempting to sell; participates in Pinberg tournaments; mentioned as potential housing for touring tournament players
Referenced as 'Zach from Flippin' Out' who sent Ron a cotter pin; mentioned in context of show sponsorship/products
Stern family member; hosts factory tours and invites media; involved in IFPA; likely decision-maker for Stern event invitations.
Owns Foo Fighters Pro machine; Stern Pinball employee mentioned for expertise on machine specifications
Operator; selling his Rush machine to fund Scooby-Doo purchase; associated with Rochester Pinball Collective; location at 349 West Commercial Street, East Rochester, NY suite 2965
Owner/operator of Flippin' Out Pinball distributor, coordinated Ron's Godzilla delivery and FedEx refund process
Competitive pinball player; son of Roger Sharp; made Pentastic finals but lost due to TNA technical issues; brought homebrew called 'Poker' to Pintastic
Guest on episode; operates or manages 'the coop' venue with Bruce; played Legends of Valhalla extensively at Expo; involved in tournament organization; experienced with P-Rock platform
Won first Rochester Pinball Co-op tournament dominantly; will bring two games (Far Out) to Allentown Classics; Stern Pinball employee
Third host/co-host of Slam Tilt; competitive pinball player; recently purchased Pinball Brothers Alien; organizes Death Ball tournament
Co-organizer of Stern Pro Circuit tournaments; provided guidance to RPC hosts
Mentioned in context of Epstein Cup (Ryder Cup-style international competition); Josh Sharp's brother mentioned in governance context
Guest/co-host of Slam Tilt; Stern Pinball employee; co-owner of Flippin' Out Pinball; partial tournament director for Stomp 6; tournament organizer and technical equipment manager for RPC
Guest on Slam Tilt episode; attended Allentown show; co-organizer of Rochester co-op September 11th launch party; Stern Pinball employee perspective; technical knowledge of flipper mechanics
Stern Pinball representative who sent media day invitation; associated with factory tours and media relations.
Stern Pinball employee; sent tour guide notes to Jonathan Houston
Stern Pinball's Director of Marketing; appeared on 'I Don't Know About That with Jim Jeffries' podcast episode 172
Stern representative; explained media tour exclusion as domestic-only first attempt
Stern spokesperson who confirmed Sebastian Napoli's departure and contracting arrangement
Top-ranked player working at Stern Pinball; part of elite player hiring trend.
Stern Pinball representative; provided statement to This Week in Pinball questionnaire
Stern Pinball manager overseeing Michael Grant's marketing role for Stern Army initiative
Competitive pinball player who played against Kaylee and Jack Tadman on Rescue 911 for nearly two hours
Competitive pinball player who played in group with Derek Price at Pinberg, commented on Price's playing style
One of Roger and Ellen's sons; competitive pinball player; described as even-tempered and level-headed; IFPA-involved.
Stern Pinball employee; top competitive player; brother of Josh Sharp (IFPA organization); noted as elite player among Stern staff
Co-host of Straight Down The Middle pinball podcast; frequently purchases and flips new pinball machines (sometimes at losses); runs Flippin' Out Pinball distributor; produces entertainment content; works 30-40+ hours weekly while raising four children.
Stern Pinball employee; brother of Josh Sharp; works with Nate Shivers to provide new machines for Stern Insiders podcast; supports tournament player development as 'Coach'
Josh Sharp's brother; involved in IFPA leadership; attended Women's World Championship in Denver and expressed regret about holding the event
Illinois state champion, defeated Keith Elwin in finals
Josh Sharp's brother; left humorous birthday message joking about Josh's tournament placings; apparently works with Josh on SPC Final logistics.
Stern Pinball marketing/management; facilitating ESPN broadcast of Stern Pro Circuit finals; son of Roger Sharp; co-host of Straight Down The Middle podcast
Josh Sharp's brother; Stern Pinball employee; mentioned as being in car en route to District 82 tournament. Also involved in IFPA organization
Sharp family member competing in tournament; beat Josh Sharp and advanced to Nationals; Roger mentions him as a competitive player
Pinball player who made InDisc playoffs with consistent mid-tier scores (highest ranking 35th) demonstrating the value of consistency over individual high scores in the card format tournament.
Competitive player who competed against Acciari in finals; played in 2013 Papa Circuit
Co-organizer of Pinball Super League at Hentarium with Josh Sharp; part of PAPA 21 organization
Josh Sharp's brother; competitive pinball player and Stern employee
Stern Pinball employee; participated in Stern Pro Circuit tournament at Expo 2024; conducts factory tours
IFPA Vice President, #1-ranked pinball player, works in marketing/PR for IFPA, son of Roger Sharp, brother of Josh Sharp, competitive tournament player
Top player; finalist in semifinals tiebreaker; mentioned as advancing via strong gameplay
Stern Pinball representative who confirmed Batman 66 code development is underway
Josh's brother, achieved $400 million on Simpsons Pinball Party in league play, playing Maiden wizard mode
Stern Pinball marketing director; son of Roger Sharp; brother of Josh Sharp (IFPA president); competitive pinball player; co-host of Straight Down The Middle podcast
Josh Sharp's brother, Stern Pinball employee, competitive pinball player, ranked 21st in Stern Pro Circuit standings.
Won the Heads Up Championship defeating Bowen Cairns, brother of Josh Sharp, also competed in Stern Pro Circuit Finals
Pinball community member; expecting a child; mentioned in context of parenting perspective on Path of Play's mission
Previous Pinburgh winner (implied); mentioned as someone whose favorite game will be at 2024 event
Josh's brother, co-organizer of IFPA tournaments, competitive pinball player and Stern Pinball employee
Stern Pinball director of marketing; competed at IFPA 15; mentioned first time at championship and possible last; wife expecting child in August
Co-host of Straight Down The Middle pinball podcast/stream; helped support Ryan Kuiper's streaming setup
Director of Marketing at Stern Pinball; ranked #1 pinball player in 2017; competitive player who won a heads-up challenge in 2018; son of Roger Sharp; brother of Josh Sharp; recently became father to Benson
Stern Pinball marketing/management employee, competitive player, former IFPA number-one, competing in Thrilla in Sternilla; recently became a father to Benson
Josh's brother; works at Stern Pinball; likely involved with IFPA organization; mentioned as now having a child
Director of Marketing at Stern Pinball, organizer of Stern Pro Circuit events, exited tournament in first round both years
Stern Pinball staff member who gave Jeff factory tour showing boxed machines by country; declined photo of Australian Munsters LE per Jeff's request
Josh Sharp's brother, co-runs Pin Masters tournament setup with Josh, works with Stern Pinball
Remains in IFPA operations after Jeff's departure; will work with incoming president Josh; son of Roger Sharp
Son of Roger Sharpe; head of marketing at Stern Pinball; ranked #1 in world competitive pinball rankings (WPPR); competitive player and tournament mentor; co-owner of Flippin' Out Pinball; allegedly involved in altercation with Jeff Teolis at Buffalo Pinball Summer Open.
Illinois competitive pinball player and Jack's mentor, referred to as 'coach.' Defeated Jack in Illinois State Finals. Competing in Illinois circuit alongside Jack.
Owner of Flippin' Out Pinball; represents pinball positivity and good customer service according to Genghis; became target of Kaneda's criticism when Genghis publicly supported his business
Stern representative who invited hosts to Kong release event; managed VIP access and exclusive play opportunities
Stern Pinball staff; invited host to factory for X-Men pre-release play experience
Stern Pinball marketing; invited Don to factory media event; organizer of ~25-person journalist/influencer tour
Son of Roger Sharpe; director of marketing at Stern Pinball; involved in license theme acquisition and strategic business development
Stern representative who builds trust with Loser Kid; coordinates interviews; messaged Josh to redact Jack Danger footage after learning of employment
Stern Pinball employee; sent cold emails to content creators Erica and Retro Ralph inviting them to factory tour
Stern Pinball employee who invited Erika to John Wick media day event
Pinburgh champion, cited as expert player across all machine eras
Josh Sharp's brother; played 45-minute Batman game that precipitated discussion of multi-match play format issues; called 'stupid brother' jokingly by Jeff
Competitive pinball player at Stern; mentioned as part of new wave of elite players in development roles
Stern employee, approved customer event proposal, discussed licensing strategy with engineers
Co-founder of Flippin' Out Pinball; early sponsor and mentor to Loser Kid Podcast; facilitated Pinball Network founding
Son of Roger Sharp; brother of Josh; competitive pinball player; worked as co-worker with Lyman at Stern for several years; cites Walking Dead and Metallica as favorite Lyman games
Stern marketing/tournament representative; initiated content creator outreach program; had wanted to do factory tours for years before pandemic.
Flippin' Out Pinball owner; mentioned for toppers and new game sales; shipped Josh's TMNT to Utah
Stern Pinball representative who appeared in costume at Munsters CES reveal
Mentioned in context of referring Josh Sharp as guest; noted for energetic personality and gracious demeanor; pinball community figure
Top 100 competitive player who played X-Men during Stern staff stream; wore Wolverine mask during gameplay
Mentioned as contact within Stern Pinball ecosystem; quickly coordinated Lyman Sheets episode with Sharp family and Penny
Owner of Flippin' Out Pinball; provides favorable trade-in deals and shipping services; mentioned alongside Nicole Minney
Owner of Flippin' Out Pinball; reported Pokémon selling 'really well' with unprecedented demand
Operator of Flippin' Out Pinball; reported 2025 as best business year; source for market trend analysis regarding secondary market health
Stern Pinball staff; sent media day invitations; coordinates event logistics
Competitive pinball player and Big Brother fan mentioned as sharing pinball and reality TV interests with Jamie and Melissa.
Co-host of separate Pinball Show; gave Dennis barbecue gift and reportedly got him sick
Stern representative who maintained information confidentiality with Ralph despite friendly relationship; addressed as potential source for Transformers details
Stern staff member who hosted RetroRalph for early access to Star Wars Fall of the Empire
Tournament player; did not accomplish much on first ball
Player in tournament; set initial score of 66,960 on ball 2 with everything lit; described as potentially high-bar setter
Tournament player; first place on Game 2 with 220,000 points; has timer for practice
Commentator/co-host for stream
Player and commentator in Finals Game 3
Player in tournament, co-host mentioned, in contention but behind Jack
Tournament player competing in quarterfinals; position affects Kang's tiebreaker scenarios
Tournament competitor in finals; reaches score above $400 during game 4
Competitive pinball player also known as 'Coach Zach'; ranked 12th with 609M on Iron Maiden; previously mentioned as Jack's mentor in tournament play
Competitive player referenced for Q mode gameplay at Northwest tournament, scoring over 1 billion in that mode
Referenced as having created a related video; Joel mentions not showing certain Sally mode lock mechanics that Zach covered
Co-host of Flip n Out, picked up the LE game on trade
Owner/operator who provided the Munsters machine for tutorial; conducts game trades
Had Winchester relic #1 at Chicago Pinball Expo; allowed Joel and team to borrow game for streaming and tutorial content
Contact for Flipping Out Pinball, manages inventory and sales
Co-owner of Flipping Out; lent the Medieval Madness Merlin Edition for tutorial video
Operator of Flip N Out; point of contact for obtaining Cactus Canyon upgrade kit; manages CGC orders with kit pre-installed
Co-host of Flip n Out Pinball; obtained Foo Fighters LE on trade; participated in streams
Host of Flipping Out Pinball video demonstrating topper installation
Working on Beetlejuice reveal trailer; waiting on Warner Bros approvals
Director of Beetlejuice reveal featurette; praised for lengthy, comprehensive presentation methodology pairing movie scenes with game mechanics
Tournament player and pinball mentor; trained Jack Danger in competitive pinball; taught one-handed technique; participated in Dead Flip development; father Roger also plays competitively
Stern Pinball staff member; confirmed to Don that NDAs won't prevent plus-ones from attending media day
Co-host of The Pinball Show; owner of Flippin' Out Pinball distributor; discusses experience as business partner with American Pinball
Co-host of Straight Down The Middle/Pinball Show; distributor at Flippin' Out; provides sales data analysis
Host of Straight Down the Middle Pinball Show; distributor for Flipping Out Pinball; provides production and pricing transparency; clarifies Pinball Brothers misrepresentation by media
Operator at Flippin' Out Pinball distributor; handled Ralph's Walking Dead Remastered purchase and support coordination with Stern
Stern contact; facilitated Ralph's Fall of the Empire preview during tight scheduling window after media day was missed.
Flippin' Out Pinball owner; loaning Star Wars Premium unit to Jamie before personal purchase arrives; working with hosts; sponsors the podcast
Ralph's pinball mentor referred to as 'Coach'; urged by Ralph to release Star Wars trailer content
Stern contact who arranged media event; accommodated Retro Ralph's mid-trip visit from NYC with Chicago connection; present during gameplay session
Stern representative who invited Bash Podcast to media day with two weeks notice
Associated with Flippin' Out distributor; confirmed Winchester sellout to hosts morning after launch
Host of Straight Down The Middle Pinball Show; operates Flippin' Out Pinball used game sales; involved in pinball podcast coordination with Ken/Greg
Stern Pinball team member credited with managing release timelines consistently
Co-founder/owner of Flippin' Out Pinball and Straight Down The Middle Pinball Show; manages without micromanaging; hosts Ken and Greg at headquarters for filming projects
Producer/editor of Beetlejuice teaser; worked day/night contacting guarantee list recipients; praised for editing quality
Third co-host/team member at Flippin' Out; participated in Spooky filming/documentary work; employer who allows podcast recording as work time
Host at Flippin' Out Pinball headquarters in Evansville, Indiana; dislikes cold weather; toured hosts through historic Evansville
Employer of Ken and Greg at Flippin' Out Pinball; gifted Greg a restored Terminator 2; collector with mint condition Bally era games including Whitewater
Ken's contact mentioned regarding original Pro purchase hesitation; context unclear but possibly distributor staff or show coordinator
Co-host of SDTM (Straight Down The Middle) podcast; based in Evansville, Indiana; organized trip to Spooky Pinball with booked Airbnb; regular collaborator with Flippin' Out hosts
Co-host of Slam Tilt Podcast; frequently forgets recording dates; playfield designer and game collector; occasionally foster cats
Referenced for Beetlejuice gameplay video commentary and analysis
Owner of Flipping Out Pinball distributor; hosts Straight Down The Middle pinball show
Stern Pinball employee who sent Foghorn Leghorn a Star Wars Fall of the Empire Pro translite as gift
Runs Flipping Out Pinball (distro/sales operation with Nicole and Manny); maintains interest lists for upcoming games; provides exceptional customer service
Invited Albert to Pokemon media day; mentioned as tournament mentor figure
Mentioned as attendee at media day; given oversized t-shirt as gift; known to competitive pinball community
Creator of promotional trailer for Beetlejuice; praised for video production quality
Associated with Flipping Out; uses Turner Pinball shipping crates for trade operations
Stern marketing representative; interviewed about marketing strategy at media day
Trailer creator; praised for integrating film mechanics with visual explanation in trailer
Stern representative; invited WAP hosts to Star Wars launch party on September 10; explained European licensing restriction
Co-host from Straight Down The Middle Pinball Show, introducing the presentation
Distributor with Beetlejuice allocation and secondary market demand
One of three hosts of Head2Head Pinball podcast
Dealer/operator who lists games on secondary market; referenced for trade-in practices
Distributor/dealer referenced as holding back inventory allocations for speculative market testing
Player from Chicago, Illinois; competing in this match
Stern Pinball marketing person; Kaneda criticizes approach as limited to tournament/operator audience rather than home collectors
Player 2, from Chicago Illinois, described as 'calm cool and collected'
Competitive pinball player ranked #3 in the world; family member of Roger Sharp; represents modern competitive pinball scene
Competitive pinball player and Jack's mentor ('Coach') who trained him in tournament pinball
Competitor from Chicago, Illinois; played in all games of the championship
Player from Chicago, Illinois; seed 17; winner of Game 1 with ~225 million points
Stern marketing guy; described as focused on tournament/league players rather than home collectors
Returning circuit player from Chicago, Illinois; strong performer in Game 4 with dominant first ball
Co-host of Head2Head Pinball / Straight Down the Middle show
One of two elite competitors in the head-to-head match; former IFPA world champion
Designer who worked on levels and quests for Deadpool
Stern corporate contact mentioned as potential bridge to coordinate Stern Army expansion through AMD distributor in Australia
Referenced as possible reason for Steve Bowden's presence at Stern event