George Gomez is the Chief Creative Officer and Head of Product Development at Stern Pinball, with a 45+ year career spanning video games at Midway (Tron, Spy Hunter) and pinball design at Williams and Stern. He has designed 40+ pinball games including iconic titles like Lord of the Rings, Monster Bash, Deadpool, Star Wars, and Batman 66, while also leading hardware innovation strategy and establishing design philosophies that balance accessibility with depth. Known for his collaborative leadership style, technical expertise in rule design, and ability to recruit talent, Gomez has become a central figure in modern pinball through his roles in game design, product development, and community engagement.
No aliases
George Gomez told Greg that it was not a good time to join Williams at the time of his visit
Licensing is one of the most challenging aspects of George Gomez's work at Stern
George Gomez designed the 2011 Transformers pinball machine based on Michael Bay live-action films
George Gomez stated that the Transformers Optimus Prime transformer mechanism was unreliable and could not achieve production-ready status
Stern Pinball designer interviewed by Paul Melio about designing around licensor limitations and licensing deals walked away from
Pinball designer and programmer. Referenced in episode context (co-designer of Pokémon with Jack Danger, architect of Spike 3 platform).
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Lord of the Rings; mentioned as influential figure in pinball design history
Designer of Lord of the Rings; cited by J Bryan Vincent as gold standard for theme integration and cinematic immersion
Industry veteran designer; commented to Kaneda that Winchester profitability model would put him out of business; reference point for manufacturing cost awareness
Stern Pinball architect, co-designer of Pokemon (mentioned as architecture contributor)
No linked glossary terms
George Gomez was a toy designer in Italy before joining Williams in the early 1990s
George Gomez presented a detailed spreadsheet at the John Wick media event showing meticulous game development planning
An Optimus Prime transformer toy was planned to transform from truck to robot form but was removed due to technical issues
George Gomez identified Niantic as the problem preventing Pokemon Pinball's Pokedex feature from being implemented
George Gomez said Niantic was the problem with Pokémon Pinball and Insider Connected is a direct competitor to the licensing deal
Stern originally planned for Optimus Prime to transform down into truck form but couldn't get the engineering to work
George Gomez may have strategically lied to Kaneda about song licensing while telling truth about Optimus not transforming
The original Transformers pinball was designed by George Gomez approximately 25-30 years ago
Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye is now available for purchase at SternPinball.com
Optimus Prime toy on playfield is a static bash toy that does not transform or move
Stan Bush's 'You Got the Touch' will not be licensed for Transformers pinball game
Optimus Prime will not transform and will remain a static sculpture
Optimus Prime transformation was abandoned due to ball physics conflicts and component damage risks
Optimus Prime in Transformers LE does not transform; Stern couldn't get the mechanism to work reliably with ball impacts and traps.
Stern conducted operator research and polling across the country to validate Pokemon's cross-manufacturer revenue dominance claim.
George Gomez said something is coming from Stern very soon
George Gomez completed the game multiple times during testing
George Gomez personally visited TPF and fixed every Pokémon machine on the show floor
George Gomez's design signature is recognizable in Pokémon Pinball's shot layout
George Gomez had never visited Buc-ee's before attending TPF 2026
George Gomez is personally repairing Pokemon machines at the show, including lane guides
Early Pokémon machines experienced an orbit drain issue that has been resolved
The orbit issue in Pokémon Pinball has been fixed in production units.
George Gomez stated 'As soon as we found out about that, we have a fix' regarding the Pokémon Pro drain issue
Pokémon Pinball is co-designed by George Gomez and Jack Danger
George Gomez designed Pokemon Pinball's layout with Jack Danger providing Pokemon IP guidance
Pokémon playfield layout is nearly identical to Transformers with the same ramp shots, orbits, scoop, and standup bank positions
George Gomez confirmed no additional Pokemon production runs planned; will focus on Insider Connected integration
Pokemon pinball will teach both Pokemon fans about pinball and pinball players about Pokemon
Jack Danger concepted layout and toys; George Gomez refined architecture and playability
Pokemon Company designed all artwork, animations, and character details; Stern handled only toy sculpts
George Gomez modified the right-side ramps and architecture without changing the conceptual direction of Jack's layout
Pokemon Company's licensing approval process required escalation to Japan for final permission on voice acting and content approvals
The original rollover button mechanic concept was killed because it caused ball lofting and interfered with shot quality
George Gomez drew mechanical inspiration from NBA Fast Break's outer orbit ramp design for Pokemon's right side ramps
Meowth Balloon uses a spring mechanism that fires the ball back similar to the Batman crane feature
The Pokémon pinball playfield layout is nearly identical to Transformers Pro in terms of shot placement and ramp positioning
Transformers Pro is one of George Gomez's absolute favorite games by his own design work
George Gomez designed the new Pokémon pinball game for Stern
George Gomez indicated the next Stern games would be Pokémon or Transformers
George Gomez was primarily responsible for Pokemon design after Jack Danger's initial concepts
Pokemon will not be at Pinball at the Beach
Internally at Stern, everybody is digging the Pokemon game and it looks great in person
George Gomez has already filmed marketing materials and video for Pokemon
Walking Dead Remastered is experiencing mid-production licensing complications with AMC due to approval changes from new representatives who reject the rotoscoped DMD-sized display approach.
George Gomez designed sword mechanisms on Lord of the Rings and Deadpool
Terminator 2 was the first game Gomez bought with his own money
Corvette was Gomez's first design effort
Johnny Mnemonic was poorly received when released but is now viewed favorably
Gomez cannot physically play his finished games for a long time, with Deadpool as an exception
Deadpool's design focused on five great features rather than many mediocre ones
The Batman 66 turntable uses the only Geneva mechanism in a pinball machine
Stern has three upcoming games in development that Gomez is excited about
Spike 3 sound system is significantly improved and speaker kits from LE models will be available separately for Pro/Premium upgrades
Spike 3 will be the largest installed base of pinball hardware in history, exceeding WPC95
All Access program launched with home leaderboards, free shipping, and is positioned to grow with additional features over time
Design excellence requires iterating through all stages: CAD, sketching, physical building, and testing
Spike 3 backward compatibility with Spike 2 is impractical due to infrastructure requirements
Gomez worked on pinball design during weekends while maintaining a full-time job, with his sister bringing him food during garage work sessions
Lord of the Rings, The Sopranos, and Batman: The Dark Knight were all developed in Gomez's personal garage cabinet
HDMI output capability on Spike 3 enables streamers and content creators to easily broadcast gameplay
George Gomez is 73 years old and designing Pokémon under pressure to solve Stern's financial problems
Gomez joined Stern full-time as Head of Product Development in 2008 after Gary Stern secured funding and partnerships
George Gomez started his career at Midway Games on October 16th, 1978
Gomez worked on the video games Tron and Spy Hunter at Midway
Gomez designed the physical spear gun mechanic for the arcade game Blue Shark at Midway
Gomez worked as a toy inventor at a consulting firm in downtown Chicago, designing toys licensed to major toy companies
Gomez joined Williams Electronics for pinball design after his toy design period
Gomez worked on Lord of the Rings, The Sopranos, and The Dark Knight as a contractor for Stern while employed at Midway
NBA Ballers sold a million copies in the 2000s
The next Stern cornerstone is either Transformers or Pokemon
George Gomez said one of Pokemon or Transformers is the next Stern game
George Gomez confirmed next Stern game is either Pokémon or Transformers
Pokemon is Stern's next pinball machine before Transformers
Transitioning games from Spike 2 to Spike 3 requires significant architectural work and is not a simple plug-and-play process
George Gomez confirmed the next Stern machine is either Transformers or Pokemon
Dennis Nordman was seriously injured in a dirt bike accident during Bally's Elvira design and Steve Ritchie stepped in to finish
George Gomez designed the Star Wars: Fall of the Empire topper
Tanio Klyce, Josh Henderson, and Andrew Wilkening are programming the Pokémon Pinball machine
George Gomez interview by Clay Harrell is 2.5 hours long
I was the first person in a long time to reintroduce center posts on Stern machines after Williams considered them a design crutch
Steve Ritchie deliberately stepped away from James Bond design to pursue different opportunities and eventual retirement
I designed the Star Wars pinball topper because the team was overloaded and John Borg was up to his eyeballs in work
Jack Danger's current game was approximately two whitewoods deep when I joined the project
70% of Stern pinball machines go to home collectors now, representing a significant market shift
I completely scrapped the original Deadpool design after the designer's legal troubles and restarted from scratch six months into development
My design philosophy is to give five great things rather than 18 mediocre ones
I collaborated with Jack Danger on the unrevealed game while maintaining his design intent, unlike my previous approach of scrapping and restarting
The community wants innovation but resists revolutionary change to the pinball form factor, similar to how Jeep enthusiasts would reject a radically redesigned Jeep
Insider Connected was informed by my experience leading video game teams for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network
George Gomez confirmed Pokemon pinball in an interview with Kerry Hardy, choosing it over another title option
George Gomez addressed Woodgate concerns in Kerry Hardy interview and puts most concerns to rest.
Godzilla is very soon going to be the most sold pinball machine of all time, surpassing Addams Family's approximately 20,000+ units
Spike 3 cabinet will last as long as any previous cabinet design
Glued miter joint cabinets suffer from temperature-related expansion/contraction issues that cause seam separation
Stern's new Spike 3 cabinet design features 16-gauge steel braces in four locations as primary structural support
George Gomez is in his 70s and still actively working on Stern products
Previous glued cabinet construction made quality control measurement impossible without destructive testing
New cabinet design uses threaded inserts and molded pins instead of glued miter joints to improve dimensional stability
Stern has used the same MDF material since 2018 across all games including Godzilla
George Gomez claimed 70% of The Walking Dead Remastered development effort went into the game.
Godzilla is poised to become the best-selling pinball machine of all time, surpassing Addams Family's 20,260 units
George Gomez has designed over 40 coin-operated game cabinets in his career, more than anyone in history except one individual at Raw Thrills
The new Spike 3 cabinet design does not cost significantly less to produce than the old one; efficiencies are in improved quality
Williams 1995 Congo cabinet used extensive MDF in its construction, supporting Stern's material choice for new cabinets
70% of Stern's games are sold to consumers and 30% to operators
Stern remastered games require 70% of the work effort of designing a new game from scratch
The next two Stern pinball games are Transformers and Pokemon, with Pokemon likely releasing in January
Stern has grown from 9 product development staff to 55 plus 30 outside consultants, and factory from 35 to 500 employees
George Gomez stated 30% of Stern games go on location and 70% go to home buyers
Stern's cabinet design has used the same wood composition since 2018; corners are no longer rounded and glued but held together with brackets for consistency and manufacturing efficiency
The next Stern cornerstone game is either Pokémon or Transformers, most likely Pokémon, designed by Jack Danger and George Gomez together with both signing Limited Editions
The new cabinet allows field replacement of side panels, whereas the old design made this impractical.
Stern has used HDF-sandwich plywood material since 2018, not newly introduced with Spike 3
The bolted assembly with torque-controlled fasteners allows verification of structural integrity through visual and tool inspection, unlike the old glued method.
Tom Kopera, now at Jersey Jack Pinball, built the first Spike 3 cabinet prototypes for Stern in early 2023.
The new cabinet design prevents the 'tight glass' problem where wood expansion/contraction caused glass to seize in the cabinet.
Early Spike 3 cabinet prototypes were built in early 2023 and have been tested extensively without structural failure.
The old glued-and-stapled cabinet joints are invisible to quality inspection — builders' glue application consistency cannot be verified without destructive testing.
Gomez has designed around 20 pinball machines and more than twice that many coin-operated arcade cabinets.
The new Spike 3 cabinet uses bolted assembly with steel brackets instead of glued-and-stapled joints, improving quality control and structural consistency.
The Spike 3 cabinet material is 18mm plywood core with HDF sandwich, not MDF, and has been standard since 2018.
Past cabinet quality issues included inconsistent glue application, seams separating, and tight-glass problems from wood movement
Edge banding on cabinet edges improves moisture protection by sealing wood surfaces
First Spike 3 prototypes were built in early 2023 and have been durability tested extensively
The old glued/stapled miter joint construction made it impossible to verify joint integrity without destructive testing
Bolts in the new cabinet are torqued to 60 inch-pounds with lock washers and nylon patches
George Gomez has designed approximately 20+ pinball machine cabinets and at least twice that many (40+) coin-operated arcade cabinets
The new cabinet uses 16-gauge steel brackets in four locations as primary structural support
George Gomez teased a Transformers pinball concept 14 years ago
George Gomez designed Lord of the Rings pinball game
Dungeons & Dragons is selling really well to first-time pinball buyers
Stern has a perception/PR issue with collectors rather than a fundamental sales crisis
Stern does not view boutique manufacturers as a threat despite community perception
X-Men Limited Edition topper features three rotations with UV lighting system
King Kong creative decision to exclude movie assets was intentional, not budget-driven
Star Wars is selling really well to new-to-pinball customers
George Gomez's game designs sometimes have a 'clunky' feel compared to designer like John Popaduke
George Gomez is the greatest individual in the history of pinball
George Gomez confirmed nobody at Stern originally wanted to make Beetlejuice.
George Gomez stated that nobody at Stern wanted to make Beetlejuice.
The original Walking Dead introduced a mode structure and risk-reward elements that have stood the test of time
The remaster includes a new modular cabinet lighting system with internal and external expression lighting on all versions
Spike 3 features an 18.5-inch full HD display with true color depth
The Walking Dead is one of the most beloved pinball games of all time
George Gomez designed Monster Bash
George Gomez had original design plans for buildings and sculptures in the back corners of the Revenge from Mars playfield that were not implemented in the final production
George Gomez is Stern Pinball's Executive VP and Chief Creative Officer
Drop targets are far more expensive to implement than stand targets
George Gomez is the current chief creative officer at Stern Pinball
George Gomez designed Monster Bash in the 1990s
The prior Transformers pinball (Gomez design) featured poor 'bricked shots' and 'dirty dots' aesthetic.
George Gomez's original Transformers pinball game was designed as a 'brick fest' with problematic shot design
Deadpool's Katana ramps were the core design concept that George Gomez conceptualized and directed Jeremy Packer to execute, which then drove the entire playfield layout
George Gomez adopted Deadpool mid-development with a fixed ship date and very short development timeline
The short development timeline forced the team to cut multiple planned modes that were later drawn in the backglass instead
Spike 3 has 2x the memory of Spike 2
Spike 3 screen is 18.5 inches (35% larger than Spike 2) with significantly more color depth
George Gomez negotiated with Disney to allow use of the non-canon title 'Fall of the Empire' instead of an official film title
SPIKE 3 uses improved video codecs enabling crisp display without artifacting visible on SPIKE 2 games
Stern Pinball actively monitors all content creator output across social media platforms to identify and correct misinformation
SPIKE 3 platform includes new power supply with sleep mode to reduce home user power consumption during idle periods
New cabinet design coming in next Stern game release that allows expression light kit installation without removing playfield
Spike 3 screen is 18.5 inches, 35% larger than Spike 2, with tens of thousands more colors
Spike 3 systems are essentially silent compared to loud Spike 2 fans
Star Wars: Fall of the Empire back glass art was created by four different hand-drawing artists with no AI
Porting existing Spike 2 games to Spike 3 would require rebuilding all the code and would depend on 'mega demand' for the title
Spike 3 has at least 2x the processing power of Spike 2
Additional Spike 3 platform features will be rolled out over the next year to enhance performance and usability
Game assets include John Williams' iconic Star Wars score on new audio system
Star Wars: Fall of the Empire features vibrant hand-drawn artwork
Star Wars redefined pop culture in 1977 and remains one of the most iconic and influential themes
Spike 3 features a robust enhanced CPU allowing seamless integration of high-quality film assets and custom animations
George Gomez appeared on Loser Kid podcast and shared technical details about Spike 3
Star Wars will be the next Stern release using Spike 3 platform
Spike 3 will include proprietary WiFi-based headphone audio, not Bluetooth
The game after Star Wars will finalize the Spike 3 cabinet redesign
John Wick pinball's missing guns are due to licensing issues, not Stern being 'too woke'
John Wick pinball code is not finished, which is worse than missing the guns
George Gomez explained that Stern ships games with early code versions (.7/.8) and uses Insider Connect player feedback to drive future code updates
George Gomez just turned 70 years old
George Gomez stated Stern doesn't release full code at launch and uses Insider Connected data to perfect games over time
George Gomez stated Costco Star Wars sales were strong enough to justify repeating the partnership
Spike 3 cabinet will have bigger LCD, better processor, better expression lights, and improved sound system
George Gomez confirmed on Loser Kids Pinball Podcast that Spike 3 is now here
Wireless audio connectivity will be featured on Spike 3 machines, more sophisticated than a simple headphone jack
Spike 3 will be implemented starting on the next Stern game (Star Wars) with screen size, speakers, and audio connectivity upgrades
Stern currently has 500 employees at the factory and had the same number six months ago
Spike 3 will feature wireless headphone connectivity and a significantly improved sound system compared to Spike 2
Home editions at Costco are designed as gateway products to introduce new audiences to pinball before transitioning them to commercial machines
White Star remastering presents bigger technical challenges than Spike 2 game remastering due to legacy technology translation
Metallica Remaster represents 75% of the work required for a full cornerstone game
Spike 3 processor is substantially more powerful than Spike 2 processor, enabling improved graphics and performance
New home edition themes will be released next fall after the Star Wars edition
Star Wars Home Edition uses the same TIE Fighter toy as commercial games to leverage design effort efficiency
Spike 3 components are already being incorporated into current production games, with full system launch expected in the next game release
Stern previously made a Transformers game designed by George Gomez
Game development takes 24-48 months from concept to finished product
George Gomez stated that lead programmers have roughly equal creative influence to lead designers on pinball machines.
Stern will only manufacture Jaws 50th during the 50th anniversary year of Jaws (2025), with no production in 2026
Jaws 50th Anniversary will only be available for orders through the end of calendar year
Corvette (1993) was George Gomez's only three-flipper game before Bond
George Gomez stated 'The customer I have isn't the customer I want' in multiple interviews
The Stern showroom brick wall was designed by George Gomez
Godzilla is George Gomez's best layout ever designed
Deadpool is probably the funniest game of the last 20 years
Spooky has 5 games in active development with estimated November reveal
Kong feels like an evolution of existing Stern design patterns rather than revolutionary design
King Kong first appeared in 1932
King Kong: Myth of Terror Island comes from the creators of Godzilla, Jaws, and Jurassic Park
Player perception of a 'smooth shot' in pinball depends on audio, visual, and mechanical feedback elements combining together
Gomez worked as a toy inventor early in his career and later worked on video game titles for Xbox and PlayStation
George Gomez became EVP/Chief Creative Officer of Stern Pinball in July 2011
Stern Pinball's development team grew from 9 people to 50 full-time employees plus approximately 30 external consultants under Gomez's leadership
George Gomez and Pat Lawlor partnered on the Pinball 2000 platform in the late 1990s
Design philosophy priority: ensure operators can set games at 7.5 degrees out of the box and have them perform well commercially without modification
The designer and lead software developer lay out the grand creative vision while mechanical engineer, artist, electrical engineer, and others contribute collaborative ideas
Discovery and mechanical reveal are core design elements that should appear in well-designed pinball machines
George Gomez stated that Jeremy Packer continues to provide the best artwork in the industry
George Gomez will travel with Don to the Barrels media day in Houston
Stern Pinball has no layoffs and is actively hiring.
George Gomez has discussed Spike 3 platform development in interviews
George Gomez included Defender sounds in Deadpool pinball
Dungeons & Dragons topper will feature motion element
George Gomez stated Stern may not design shooters this complex in the future
George Gomez indicated Stern may not design complex shooter lanes like X-Men in future games
George Gomez contacted Brian Eddy and recruited him to Stern after the industry decline
George Gomez described the D&D dragon as 'the coolest automated dragon' or similar superlative
George Gomez executes fan layouts well and designs them with meaningful variation
George Gomez previously worked in toy design before pinball machines
Lord of the Rings licensing for pinball is difficult to secure due to licensing constraints
George Gomez designed the snow dome technology on the sleigh
Professional pinball artists should ask permission from Stern before publicly discussing their participation in games
All artwork created for licensed pinball games is owned by the licensor, not Stern or the artist
Gomez accidentally revealed Deadpool game announcement at Texas Pinball Festival while praising Jeremy's portfolio work
Major licensors (Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Lucas) actively monitor pinball community forums and social media, and have made complaint calls to Stern
Stern shipped X-Men at code version 0.88 due to rushed production timeline
George Gomez stated X-Men was rushed in production
George Gomez and other Stern staff initiated the building facelift project that led to the sphere installation
George Gomez advocates for all pinball manufacturers to succeed and views them as friends rather than competitors
Deadpool is one of George Gomez's best games and should be purchased in Premium tier for best current value
George Gomez presented at Pinball Expo 1999 on Saturday about the excitement of the new technology, and Williams closed two days later
George Gomez stated that pinball manufacturers do not view each other as competitors and maintain collaborative industry relationships
George Gomez designed the original Monster Bash in 1998
Stern has made significant technological improvements since introducing the Spike 2 electronic system
Ree Cooper created the artwork for Metallica Remastered and collaborates regularly with the band
Over 20 songs are featured in the game with 8 of them being new
The game includes concert footage selected by the band
Metallica Remastered features a full color LCD display with new original animations
The original Metallica pinball was created 12 years ago (2012)
George Gomez regularly makes introductory videos starting with 'Hey everybody, it's George Gomez at Stern Pinball'
Johnny Mnemonic is one of George Gomez's flowiest games
Johnny Mnemonic is one of George Gomez's flowiest games and among the flowiest 90s Williams games
George Gomez wanted to design The Matrix but Gary Stern pushed him toward Lord of the Rings instead
X-Men music, sound, background UI, code, and general animation are not yet complete despite the game shipping
Spike 3 will maintain backwards compatibility with Spike 2 node architecture allowing older boards to be replaced with newer ones
Nobody at Stern raised their hand to make Back to the Future despite Joe Kaminkow pushing the license
70% of Stern games are going into homes versus 30% to commercial locations
A pinball competitor has inked a DC licensing deal for Superman/Batman games
Jack Danger was forced into a 12-month accelerated schedule for Uncanny X-Men because a prior game got in trouble and was pulled or bumped back
George Gomez took over Deadpool design because the original designer was arrested
Metallica Remastered will be released before Pinball Expo and is not a Spike 3 cornerstone game
Stern Pinball passed on Back to the Arcade Future license
Spike 3 will have a larger LCD screen taking up speaker grill area
70% of Stern game playtime occurs at locations despite 70% of sales being residential, based on Insider Connected data
X-Men's music and animation will be addressed in future code updates as George Gomez confirmed they are not finished
Spike 3 will have a different screen size than Spike 2 but preserve cabinet lineup visual consistency
Standard pinball game development cycle is 14-16 months; accelerated schedules like Cornerstone are 12 months
Stern Pinball facility is just under 200,000 square feet with additional 80,000 square foot CNC manufacturing building
Stern has not raised prices for approximately two to two and a half years
Stern will likely not pursue another call-for-price dealer pricing model after James Bond backlash
Keith Elwin was hired based on success of Archer game with no guarantee he would succeed beyond one project
Batman limited editions were made in 240 LE and 80 SLE production runs
Costco pinball games are expected to sell out by Christmas
James Bond 60th Anniversary's premium pricing strategy was requested by the licensor, not initiated by Stern
No Stern design team member raised their hand to design Back to the Future despite licensing opportunities
X-Men was released for public showing earlier than intended due to incomplete code (0.76 state)
Playfield overlay/protective covers change ball physics and compromise gameplay despite solving durability issues
George Gomez has stated that acrylic playfield overlays protect the game but change the behavior and characteristics of the ball in ways that alter gameplay
Days of Future Past is the X-Men comic storyline chosen as the basis for The Uncanny X-Men machine
Zombie Yeti's artwork is intentionally styled as a homage to classic Marvel X-Men illustrations
George Gomez personally read X-Men comics including Juggernaut story in fifth grade, influencing his approach to the game
George Gomez told Kaneda that Stern is making fewer than 1,000 X-Men based on listening to Kaneda's Pinball Podcast.
George Gomez used Insider Connected data to determine Venom is the most popular game on Stern arcade sites
George Gomez said the market he wants for pinball is not the market he has, reflecting broader disagreement with current pricing and buyer demographics.
Steel ball is always harder than wood on pinball playfields, causing inevitable dimpling
George Gomez intentionally included Johnny Mnemonic-inspired triangle aesthetic in John Wick's ramp design
Deadpool would continue receiving new code and factory production in 2024, six years after initial release
Deadpool team-up mechanics were designed six years ago, before corresponding MCU storyline developments
Godzilla 70th Anniversary will have unlimited production numbers based on customer demand
George Gomez has not used foil cabinet finishes since Iron Man
Godzilla 60th will be code-complete and available in a couple weeks, with no FOMO since Stern plans multi-year production
Stern will continue producing Godzilla B&W 'as long as there's demand'
Stern will produce Anniversary Edition premiums that are not limited editions
Godzilla Black and White Premium looks even better in person than in photos
Stern will make Premium versions of Anniversary Editions and new game reruns as non-limited editions
George Gomez said the Godzilla Premium 'looks even better in person' than in photos
George Gomez emphasized the phrase 'Premium Edition' approximately 18 times in the Godzilla 70th reveal video
George Gomez's promotional video for Godzilla 70th Anniversary was effective and superior marketing to designer appearance alone
George Gomez stated Godzilla will remain in production as long as there is interest
Godzilla was born in black and white, justifying the 70th Anniversary variant's black-and-white styling
A new 'King of the Monsters' challenge mode will be released and available to all Godzilla machines
The 70th Anniversary premium will remain in production as long as there is customer demand
Custom gray versions of Godzilla plastics and decals match the black-and-white playfield theme
Brushed metallic foil cabinet decal material was first used on Iron Man Vault
The 70th Anniversary premium and original full-color premium are priced identically at standard premium pricing
No hip-hop or R&B pinball machines currently exist; this gap was mentioned by George Gomez at Stern
George Gomez designed NBA Fast Break
George Gomez wanted to create a Mortal Kombat pinball game instead of Johnny Mnemonic
George Gomez designed Johnny Mnemonic, Lord of the Rings, and Corvette
George Gomez designed Tron arcade game for Williams before his pinball career
George Gomez has designed all of Matt's favorite pinball games
George Gomez is currently running the production line at Stern Pinball
George Gomez wanted to design a Mortal Kombat pinball machine instead of Johnny Mnemonic
Every millisecond of John Wick movie footage required licensing approval from the licensor
Licensing department changes at movie studios mid-development have caused scrapped artwork worth approximately $1 million
Custom injection mold parts cost between $30,000 and $50,000 each
George Gomez stated Jack Danger is the next cornerstone title designer after current pipeline
The 007 Aston Martin mech required redesign to add a roof to match the car's design
License holders must approve every detail of a pinball machine design
George Gomez specifically requested that licensing details not be shared publicly to avoid upsetting potential licensers
IP development from concept to release takes approximately 24 months
George Gomez redesigned Sea Witch into The Beatles, simplifying shot difficulty and making the game more intuitive
George Gomez stated Stern will never make additional LEs of games that already had limited editions
Stern uses two separate manufacturing companies for each part to ensure redundancy
Stern's production timeline from acquiring a license to final product is roughly two years
The standard game production process includes 111 checkpoints
Stern recorded approximately 50 million plays through Insider Connected and aims for over 100 million
The Beatles pinball is limited to 1,964 units as requested by The Beatles estate
Stern's team culture emphasizes cooperation rather than competition between designers
Stern's licensing approval process involves 111-step flowsheet with 24-month target timeline
Stern's licensing approval process includes 111 documented steps and requires approximately 24 months per title from conception to release
100% of all content in Stern games requires licensor approval before release
Stern walked away from a Hunger Games licensing deal due to demands made by the IP author
Stern walked away from Hunger Games licensing due to author demands
100% of game assets require licensor approval before release
George Gomez clarified that John Wick pinball's design constraints came from IP licensing, not manufacturing choice
Spike 3 system will feature new CPU board, cabinet redesign, and 4K LED screen while maintaining Spike 2's node board architecture
Lionsgate and individual actors licensed for John Wick imposed gun imagery restrictions on the pinball machine
Stern abandoned Hunger Games pinball development due to overly restrictive licensing
Venom is Stern's highest-earning location game and most-played home game based on location data
Lionsgate imposed specific restrictions on gun/weapon imagery in the John Wick machine, and individual actors' contracts further prohibited their likenesses with guns despite guns being central to the film.
Stern abandoned Hunger Games pinball development because licensing restrictions from the licensor were too onerous.
Venom and Stranger Things are among Stern's highest-earning location games and most-played home games, contradicting negative community sentiment.
Stern will make John Wick accessories available within a couple of weeks (as of episode recording).
Stern's Spike 3 system will enable easier vaulting of older Stern games like The Lord of the Rings and Tron, though no development on these titles is currently underway.
George Gomez revealed Hunger Games was abandoned due to licensing deal not performing well
Lord of the Rings pinball licensing is unlikely or impossible
Stern has turned down licenses before, with Hunger Games as an example
Stern receives licensing inquiries from multiple license holders every day
Lionsgate, not Stern, made the decision to exclude guns from John Wick cabinet artwork due to ESRB rating constraints
Stern acknowledged they are failing at accessory delivery timelines and are trying to fix it
George Gomez has been in the pinball industry for approximately 46 years
Lionsgate's all-ages restriction was unexpected and came as a surprise to the design team
The gun controversy surrounding John Wick was not a political statement by Stern Pinball but purely a licensing requirement
Lionsgate required John Wick to conform to all-ages category because pinball lacks a rating system and games appear in commercial venues accessible to all ages
John Wick features complete gunplay from all four films in the gameplay but no gun illustrations on exterior cabinet art
Marvel required all Deadpool weapons to be fantasy blasters rather than realistic weapons in the pinball game
Stern abandoned Hunger Games license because the team determined they couldn't execute the game properly given franchise constraints
The weapons crate plastic with guns is included in the cash box and can be installed by removing four screws
Stern's design studio purchases more games from the company than any other department
John Wick's adaptive AI system makes the game feel different on each play by reacting to player behavior and adjusting enemy presentation
Humor is a key factor in George Gomez's most successful games
Most of George Gomez's successful and breakout games have featured humor as a core design element
Stern's product development studio buys more games from the company than any other department
John Wick retains all gunplay in gameplay and film footage, with restrictions only on exterior 2D art
The gun imagery restriction in John Wick is not a political statement by Stern Pinball
Stern walked away from Hunger Games pinball project mid-development due to licensing restrictions that made quality game impossible.
John Wick licensing requires 'all ages' classification, prohibiting gun imagery on cabinet and playfield art but allowing guns in video content due to distinction between static art and active gameplay.
Stern has highest earning games and most played games in operator market; will have largest footprint of games in near future.
Keith Elwin made conscious design choice for Jaws shark not to eat the ball; the decision was intentional not mechanical constraint.
James Bond pinball was prohibited from having Walter PPK physical feature and any drawn guns pointing at humans despite film having weapons.
Deadpool (2017) required all guns to be illustrated as 'fantasy blasters' rather than realistic weapons per Marvel restrictions.
John Wick includes alternative decal/plastic in cash box with guns for operators/owners who want to install it.
Expression Lights will become standard on all future Stern LE games moving forward.
Spike 3 platform is in development and will include cabinet redesign while maintaining NodeBus architecture.
Elliott Eisman is the lead designer of John Wick pinball and it is his first game as lead designer.
George Gomez was surprised by the negative community reaction to the gun restriction
Lionsgate imposed the restriction on gun imagery in John Wick artwork, not Stern Pinball
Expression Lighting system is standard on Limited Edition and available as accessory for Pro and Premium editions
Insider Connected provides faction contracts and Wick rank progression as game-specific features
George Gomez is guiding the John Wick designer
George Gomez designed James Bond 007 pinball machine
George Gomez stated that Attack from Mars was underserved in production relative to demand
Patents are only good for 17 years and must be renewed after that
The prototype for Gomez's mirror-and-video Pinball 2000 concept was built over three weeks (weekends only) in Pat Lawlor's garage workshop in Marengo.
Williams/Midway had a standing policy that the designer who pioneered a new technology got to design the first game using that technology.
Neil Nicastro, the CEO, told the design team in a mandatory meeting that the company's future depended on supporting Pinball 2000.
Gomez's mirror-and-video prototype immediately convinced leadership to abandon Papaduke's design and commit to the alternative approach.
Gomez's experience with 1970s arcade cabinet design (using mirror optics to combine physical set pieces with video elements) directly inspired the Pinball 2000 concept.
John Papaduke's original Pinball 2000 concept used a 25-26 inch CRT mounted in the backbox with a Nintendo 64 connected to it.
Gomez obtained a patent on the virtual-to-real object interaction mechanic (ball switches triggering video transformations), which has since expired.
Gomez built a foam core prototype using an Amiga 1000, a 35mm Johnny Mnemonic slide, smoked acrylic, and a flashlight to demonstrate the mirror-and-video concept.
The pinball market was contracting in 1996-1997, creating pressure for Williams to innovate and reinvent.
Internal product development teams had little faith in John Papaduke's Pinball 2000 design and were skeptical of the project before Gomez/Lawlor's prototype was shown.
George Gomez scheduled for multi-part Pinball 2000 podcast series
George Gomez has an extensive history designing video games like Spy Hunter
George Gomez deleted official statements about Stern LE and Anniversary Edition policies
George Gomez clarified Stern will make unlimited premium-tier anniversary editions, not numbered LE variants
Insider Connected introduces a new career system allowing bounty hunter rank progression through gameplay events
Jaws features film clips from all Jaws films
Richard Dreyfuss provided custom speech dialogue for the game
Jaws uses John Williams' award-winning Jaws film soundtrack
Players can unlock the ability to play as the Great White shark
The game includes a secret 3D video mode
The shark animatronic is the biggest monster Stern has made, larger than Jurassic Park and Godzilla
The person who convinced Capcom to enter pinball didn't understand the business and the manufacturing challenges involved
George Gomez expressed that NBA Fast Break's innovative design and basketball scoring system were rejected by the market initially, but the game now earns extremely well at location venues like Wedgehead
George Gomez directed the team to incorporate crisscross helix ramp concepts similar to Avengers based on positive reception
George Gomez stated that drop targets are expensive to produce, contributing to their decline in modern games
George Gomez is in full support of Stern's multiple limited edition releases for Elvira
George Gomez's Deadpool works as a brilliant machine because the whole package comes together
George Gomez recently said they might remake more Stranger Things games
George's Mandalorian machine requires flipper fan cooling coil kits installation
The Premium Edition of Mandalorian has better trapping capabilities than the Pro Edition
Jeremy Packer created the artwork for Foo Fighters pinball machine
The upper playfield on Mandalorian needs to be flat for optimal shot execution
Foo Fighters game features a robotic character called 'Foo Bot' with brass knuckles
The right ramp on Mandalorian is very difficult to hit consistently
Foo Fighters is a better playing experience than George initially expected based on non-interest in the band
Cutwater pre-mixed cocktails are high quality products worth trying
George Gomez designed Deadpool, Corvette, original Avengers, Batman 66, and new 007 layout
George Gomez pioneered the linked cabinet concept that later became Stern's Insider Connected
NBA Fastbreak was designed by George Gomez in 1996-1997
George Gomez's James Bond code version 1.0 will be fantastic
George Gomez redesigned Deadpool after John Trudeau started it
George Gomez is the smartest man in pinball and no other manufacturer has an equivalent executive leader.
The game features ball interactions around the rocket mechanism that are new to pinball
The DB5 toy includes an escape hatch mechanism that ejects the ball through the roof
The scuba diver sculpture modeled to look 'just like Sean Connery'
Content was pulled from six James Bond/Sean Connery films throughout the game
The game currently has over 100 achievements with more planned including secret missions
James Bond 007 was the first Stern game designed with Insider Connected achievements integrated from the ground up
The final wizard mode is titled 'Her Majesty's Secret Service'
James Bond 007 pinball features 24 main modes plus four wizard modes
George Gomez has been a James Bond fan since age 10, specifically influenced by Goldfinger in 1964
The playfield includes a rocket bash toy with three drop targets that must be lowered before hitting the rocket
George Gomez heads up the game design team at Stern Pinball
George Gomez stated that Rush sold better than expected upon release
Stranger Things Pinball is one of the best earning Stern machines on location
Stern Pinball will likely produce another run of Stranger Things Pinball
The timeline for future Stranger Things Pinball production is not yet determined
George Gomez mentioned 'Foo Fighters' on the Bond 60th Anniversary stream while inebriated, effectively leaking the game
George Gomez had not played Fish Tales in over 20 years before the Dead Flip reveal stream
Bond 60th Anniversary features party-game design philosophy with equal ball times across skill levels to prevent dominant players from monopolizing gameplay
Bond 60th Anniversary is being manufactured in a limited run of 500 units
Bond 60th Anniversary features mechanical reels with lighting and sound that exceeds historical reel implementations
The Bond license holder specifically requested a retro mechanical version of the game with reels as a differentiator from the Cornerstone digital variant
Bond 60th Anniversary will ship with code at version 1.0
George Gomez stated that Stern Pinball is indefinitely delaying the next run of Elvira and it's not a priority.
Multiball stacking will be available in a new James Bond code update next week
James Bond will have approximately 20 total modes after the Dr. No addition
Early versions of James Bond code automatically terminated modes when multiball started
A new Dr. No mode will be added in next week's James Bond update
In 1982, Midway division was a $500 million company, larger than the parent company, yet parent company held purse strings
New GE management squandered Midway's video game war chest on acquisitions including Lancer yachts, Six Flags, and health clubs
George Gomez revealed the two 2023 cornerstone design teams in advance (Dwight Sullivan + Brian Eddy; Jack Danger + Tanya Kleiss)
Zombie Yeti is creating the art package for both cornerstone games
The design teams are Dwight Sullivan & Brian Eddy, and Jack Danger & Tanya Klyce
George Gomez stated Stern has two new cornerstone games in development—one from Brian Eddy and one from Jack Danger
George Gomez considers Deadpool Premium the game he would take to a desert island
New CFO starting in January 2023
James Bond pinball uses three-flipper layout similar to Corvette (Gomez's first game design)
Bond's pop bumpers are tied together mechanically due to Spike node board driver limitations, not cost-cutting
Foam pad on side rail of Bond scoop is critical; removing it will cause repeated ball rejection
Additional James Bond video content drops planned before Christmas 2022
Video content approval process for Bond is more complex than typical Stern games
Gomez has designed approximately 20 pinball games total
Seth Davis has been President of Stern Pinball for approximately one year
Michael O'Donnell has been CFO since Data East days and is retiring but remaining as consultant
Seth Davis was always planned to transition to CEO role once vetted as fit; Gary Stern always intended to move to Chairman
Jack Danger's game will be thematically a move in a different direction for Stern
Jack Danger's game is thematically a move in a different direction for Stern
Stern will release only two cornerstone games in 2023
Brian Eddy designed the first 2023 cornerstone with Dwight Sullivan on code and Zombie Yeti on art
Insider Connected Home Leaderboards will probably be available in 2023
Stern may produce Stranger Things Premium again in the future
Jack Danger designed the second 2023 cornerstone with Tanio Klyce on code and Zombie Yeti on art
Spike 3 uses a modular node-based architecture where custom nodes can be designed once and reused across multiple games
James Bond is George Gomez's first three-flipper design since his debut game Corvette
Bond Premium Edition has two pop bumpers tied together due to driver constraints, which Gomez says perform as well as any three-bumper array he's designed
Bond's secondary scoop required a foam pad fix to prevent the ball from continuously entering the scoop during play
George Gomez has approximately 20 pinball designs under his belt
Bond code updates are delayed due to extensive video content requiring approvals
George Gomez promised a James Bond reveal a month ago that has not materialized
George Gomez worked on toy design before transitioning to pinball machine design.
George Gomez has a background designing toys before designing pinball machines
James Bond 60th Anniversary will probably be revealed in mid-December
Stern still has product plans spanning years into the future, already discussing 2025 releases
Side armor has 007 laser-cut on one side and SPECTRE symbol on other
James Bond topper contains multi-color LEDs that respond to in-game mode colors
Art blade designs differ between Pro/Premium and Limited Edition James Bond machines
Art blades incompatible with Keith Elwin Bond 60th Anniversary Edition
James Bond topper less extravagant and likely less expensive than Mandalorian topper
Bond shooter rod features Union Jack flag and Bond 60th logo and adds color to machine
Dedicated Insider Connected app will launch in January
Chief Creative Officer and Head of Product Development at Stern Pinball; discusses licensing strategy and game design philosophy
Stern Pinball's Chief Creative Officer; featured in Drinks with Jack content
Stern Pinball creative lead; allegedly advised shot difficulty adjustments for Iron Maiden playfield to compensate for custom larger cabinet
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; collaborated with Jerry Thompson on Batman; interviewed previously by Head2Head Pinball
Stern pinball designer; referenced humorously regarding patent licensing by DeepRoot Pinball
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; interested in producing TNA; reached out to Scott Danesi about manufacturing the game; communicated playfield grain orientation feedback
Pinball designer credited on Pokemon machine (architecture), known for complex games like Lord of the Rings
Stern Pinball Chief Creative Officer. Custom Transformers-themed machine existed based on one of his designs; Enzo initially planned to re-theme it. Limited Edition Transformers features homage to Gomez's 'tooth tone' artwork style. Knights of Unicron soundtrack features in game.
Stern Pinball designer referenced as comparison for Transformers' challenging gameplay elements
Stern leadership referenced in personnel context; involved in Transformers game positioning
Senior designer at Stern Pinball; confirmed Beetlejuice artwork was submitted to Stern; stated he had not seen Superman 78 artwork before its public release; discussed ramp design principles on Deadpool
Modern Stern Pinball designer; David Dennis and Ron Hallett hypothetically contrast his work style with Steve Ritchie's willingness to scrap three months of development
Creative leader at Stern Pinball; represents constraint-driven creative philosophy ('here's your budget, play within the box') contrasted with JJP's unlimited-budget approach in episode discussion
Designer of 2011 Transformers pinball machine based on Michael Bay films; mentored Eisman on John Wick
Mentioned as part of Stern's Pokémon launch gathering/celebration that created in-person momentum lacking at Sonic launch
Stern designer. Public statement on Transformers Optimus Prime transformer: unreliable, couldn't achieve production-ready status.
Referenced regarding cabinet joinery issues with Aerosmith and technical knowledge about Stern cabinets
Pinball architect; co-designer of Pokemon Pinball (architecture) with Jack Danger; legendary Stern designer
Stern's James Bond designer; example of how transparent pre-launch marketing could have been handled better
Designer/engineer, appeared in James Bond stream Q&A that hosts recommend watching
Stern designer credited with upcoming Deadpool game, expected August announcement
Stern Pinball design leader cited as source for philosophy that design teams must be enthusiastic about themes to create great games
Stern CCO/Head of Product Development; referenced for reluctance about taking on new design roles due to team management demands
Stern Pinball CCO mentioned as notable personality in pinball community
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball, contrasted with Dave Fix as example of executive restraint and professionalism in interviews
Designer of original Williams Monster Bash; referenced as A-list Williams designer
Legendary pinball designer, referenced as example of talent choosing pinball out of love
Stern designer; Monster Bash remake excluded from Twerpies because he wasn't involved in original design
Designer of Deadpool; noted for experimental non-fan-layout designs
Pinball designer who created linking board/code (Cove) allowing two NBA Fast Break machines to be networked together for head-to-head competitive play
Stern Pinball designer; mentioned as contributor to Jurassic Park design (spinning Jeep concept)
Designer credited with Avengers and NBA Fast Break pinball games discussed in mailbag segment
Designer of original Avengers game mentioned in broader Marvel gaming history
Guest on Super Awesome Pinball Show (not yet listened to by Orbital Lobber)
Pinball designer/industry figure present at Pinball at the Beach
Co-designer of Pokémon (architecture); observed smiling during Insider Connected questions at TPF seminar
Legendary pinball designer, previously a toy maker in Italy, interviewed for Stern Dungeons & Dragons launch, worked on Star Wars, described as former toy designer
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; designed 40+ games including Monster Bash, Batman 66; known for audio/video production issues in interviews despite professional launch videos
Stern Chief Creative Officer; Kaneda claims friendship; mentioned as always being in conversation
Stern designer, previously designed Transformers (circa 2011), presented design documentation at John Wick reveal
Stern designer; presented detailed bill-of-material spreadsheet at John Wick reveal; referenced for production planning methodology
Stern pinball designer; blamed by Kaneda for removing Optimus Prime transforming mech from Transformers
Pinball designer/architect on Pokémon Pinball; appeared in Stern promotional video discussing the game
Stern Pinball employee; accused of prioritizing quantity over quality; sarcastically referenced regarding Pokemon code development
Co-designer of Pokémon Pinball; handles architecture; described as 'amazing' engineer
Referenced indirectly as designer (co-designer of Pokemon Pinball with Jack Danger per KB)
Stern Pinball CCO; acknowledged in chat as having commented on Pokemon Pokedex licensing issues
Stern Pinball executive, commented on Pokémon Pinball licensing issues with Niantic and Insider Connected
Chief Creative Officer at Stern; typically presents new games at preview events but was absent from Transformers preview (replaced by Seth Davis); reportedly confirmed Optimus Prime transform toy was removed for technical reasons
Stern architect/lead designer; likely made final call on removing Optimus Prime transformation mechanic; mentioned as having experience with similar design decisions.
Stern executive/designer, mentioned in chat as having explained Pokemon licensing issues with Niantic
Designer of earlier 2011 Transformers pinball machine based on Michael Bay films; Eismin drew some inspiration from this design
Stern's Chief Creative Officer (CCO); cited as source for information about abandoned Optimus transformation feature
CEO of Stern Pinball, presenter of official announcement
Executive/spokesperson at Stern Pinball who appears in the official announcement video
Stern designer; provided overview video of Transformers with visual anomalies noted by This Week in Pinball
Stern staff member; signed host's tilty bobblehead at media event
Designer of the original 2011 Transformers pinball game by Stern
Stern CCO and product development lead; designer behind Transformers game; featured in promotional video evidence showing original Optimus transformation design
Designer of original 2011 Transformers pinball; mentioned as design reference and inspiration (what to do vs. what not to do)
Designer of original Stern Transformers pinball machine (2011) built around Michael Bay live-action films
Designer of original Transformers pinball; allegedly provided information to Kaneda about song licensing
Legendary Stern designer; reportedly consulted on Transformers; Optimus Prime static toy design attributed to conversations with him per Chris from Kinase Pinball Podcast
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; provided detailed explanation to host about Optimus Prime transformation abandonment
Pinball designer used as stylistic reference point for Transformers design analysis (~25% influence estimate).
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; directly messaged Kaneda during live show to correct misinformation about Optimus Prime transformation capability, explaining reliability/ball impact issues prevented implementation.
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; mentioned as part of design team presentation at Media Day
Stern designer known as 'toy guy'; attended TPF event to fix Pokemon machines; associated with game design philosophy
Designer of 2022 James Bond pinball game for Stern
Legendary pinball designer at Stern; rejected original Batman 66 art package and requested replacement
Referenced as legendary pinball designer figure; used as comparison point for level of creative leadership Jersey Jack should develop
Stern Pinball representative featured in promotional video introducing The Walking Dead Remastered
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; recognized Randy Martinez during factory tour at Pinball Expo and invited him to tour despite scheduling conflicts.
Architecture designer on Pokemon, refined Jack Danger's layout with ramp designs and pop bumper placement, legendary Stern designer
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; publicly validated Pokemon's cross-manufacturer revenue dominance claim based on operator research polling; commented on social media defending Stern's Pokemon claims
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; made special gesture for Kaneda's son's first pinball machine; known to Kaneda personally
Stern executive/designer; cited as source for Godzilla sales information and production trajectory
Stern Pinball designer; co-designer of Pokémon; confirmed sales statistics to author; hinted at upcoming announcement
Co-designer of Pokémon by Stern (per KB context).
Co-designer of Pokémon Pinball with Jack Danger; referenced as making 'right decision' on game design
Chief Creative Officer at Stern; mentioned for making design tweaks to games including Beatles (based on Sea Witch design); potential source for remaster design decisions
Stern Pinball chief architect and senior designer; co-designer of Pokémon (architecture); runs much of Stern's design pipeline; one of industry's most prolific modern designers
Lead architect on Pokemon pinball machine; mentioned as receiving Pokemon LE early; legendary Stern designer.
Stern designer/engineer; confirmed Pokemon topper pricing and imminent release to Kaneda
Designer at Stern who claims high production output; representative of Stern's scale-focused manufacturing approach
Stern Pinball CCO; indirectly referenced via 'Ray Day' mishearing/nickname in Fall of the Empire discussion
Co-designer of Pokémon pinball (architecture)
Referenced in KB as co-designer of Pokémon pinball (architecture)
Stern Pinball executive/designer who personally reviewed Pokémon before release
Designer/engineer at Stern who personally visited TPF to fix production issues on Pokémon machines; acknowledged a center ramp bug
Co-designer of Pokemon Pinball; credited for smooth playfield design and architecture; praised by Kaneda for accessibility-focused design philosophy
Legendary pinball designer; Ernie cites his design philosophy about multiple outcomes from single shots
Autograph visible in Pokemon LE packaging; co-designer of Pokemon game (per KB)
Williams/Bally/Midway pinball designer; colleague of LJ Greene in 1990s; recently had lunch with LJ in Chicago
Referenced as designer of previous Transformers game with split LE variants
Stern Pinball designer, mentioned as visiting homebrew booth at Expo with Jack Danger to check out games including Pokemon
Stern Pinball architect/designer, co-designer of Pokemon, had positive interaction with Kaneda regarding Pokemon delivery for his son Killian
Stern designer; informed Daniel Spolar that Dean Grover had coded Spider-Man Home
Stern designer involved in Pokemon architecture; discussed packaging decisions with Kaneda
Stern designer/leadership; Kaneda criticizes for denying responsibility for James Bond 60th $20k pricing
Stern designer of Pokémon Pinball; signature design patterns recognized by players in gameplay
Stern Pinball architect/designer, personally repairing Pokemon pinball machines at Texas Pinball Festival with a drill
Stern Pinball's Chief Creative Officer, guest on podcast at TPF 2026, visiting Buc-ee's for first time
Stern Pinball Chief Creative Officer observed personally repairing Pokemon machines at TPF 2026 show
Legendary Stern Pinball designer serving as co-designer on Don Garrison's homebrew game project
Member of Stern Pinball leadership team; Seth Davis mentions consulting with 'George and the team' on creative decisions
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball who negotiated with Disney for the non-canon 'Fall of the Empire' title
Designer of Monster Bash (mentioned in knowledge base context as game designer)
Stern Pinball Chief Creative Officer and Head of Product Development; stepped in to carry forward Pokemon design after Jack Danger transitioned to Head of Community role
Co-designer of Pokémon Pinball with Jack Danger
Pinball designer; co-designed Pokémon Pinball with Jack Danger
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; discussed by Kaneda regarding Pokemon manufacturing defect and fix
Stern designer featured in Batman pinball factory stream
Stern Pinball designer/engineer; confirmed orbit drain issue resolution for Pokémon on Facebook
Stern pinball designer; publicly addressed Pokémon Pro Bulbasaur lane ball guide issue
Stern designer for Pokémon; contacted by Kaneda to address orbit defect; available via Pinside and direct messaging
Co-designer of Pokémon Pinball, legendary pinball designer
Stern designer, confirmed fix for Pokémon Pinball orbit issue in production units.
Legendary pinball designer; met by Emoto at TPF 2016 during Ghostbusters launch; featured at Pinball Expo museum; doing seminars at TPF 2025 for Pokemon machine
Stern Pinball designer; responded directly to community concerns about Pokémon Pro ball drain issue
Stern designer, participated in Triple Drain 3-hour interview about King Kong
Renowned pinball designer; created James Bond and other games including Avengers and Deadpool
Legendary pinball designer; quoted by Ed Robertson as saying he worked equally hard on Johnny Mnemonic and Lord of the Rings
Legendary Williams pinball designer; source on Capcom's lack of business understanding; commentary on Williams' aggressive legal retaliation; values loyalty to Williams
Game designer at Stern; designed James Bond machine; known for toy-heavy designs with flop flippers
Stern Pinball executive/designer, conducted virtual factory tour and announced Spike 3 development
Referenced as potential co-designer or architect on Stern games; context of Spike 3 platform designs.
Stern designer of Elvira series; criticized for releasing multiple premium variants (40th Anniversary, Blood Kiss) that cannibalized secondary market values
Stern designer; reported to have recently mentioned possibility of remaking more Stranger Things games
Designer/lead on Pokémon; referenced as having credibility on game quality
Legendary pinball designer, approached about Big Trouble in Little China theme but reportedly rejected it
Pinball designer; referenced for enhancements made to Supreme Spider-Man machine
Acclaimed pinball designer; discussed by venue operator as creating popular, beginner-friendly games
Pinball designer currently working at Stern.
Lead designer of James Bond pinball machine; discussed Bond on the Wand feature and upcoming code/music updates; established pinball industry figure
Stern designer; referenced for intelligence and expertise in game design and licensing strategy decisions
Stern designer; cited by Enzo for sharing Insider Connected data about Venom's popularity
Stern Pinball team member/legend; participated in official John Wick livestream gameplay
Stern Pinball designer; criticized by Kaneda for lack of market research, FOMO destruction strategy, and arrogant demand assumptions
Co-designer of Pokemon; veteran Stern engineer with 40 years industry experience
Notable pinball figure; featured on Wedgehead Podcast episode discussing The Sopranos game
Stern representative/designer; appeared on Loser Kid Pinball Podcast with Spike 3 platform details
Legendary pinball designer; referenced in episode context (implied involvement in major Stern releases)
Pinball designer; designer of James Bond 007 (Stern)
Designer of Transformers pinball machine (Stern)
Pinball designer; first game was Corvette (1994, 5,001 units)
Pinball designer/programmer; mentioned as ideal team member for Star Wars dream theme
Senior designer at Stern Pinball; designed Batman 66, Lord of the Rings, James Bond; known for games that improve significantly with code updates
Stern Pinball's design lead; cited by Kaneda as industry's best designer
Stern seminar host about Deadpool; covered theme music, team introductions
Stern Pinball senior designer; delivered 90+ minute licensing masterclass detailing approval process
Legendary pinball designer at Stern Pinball; recently gave interview to Australian pinball media discussing design philosophy, Deadpool takeover, and X-Men development
Designer of Pokemon Pinball; appeared in gameplay stream; company backing ensures resource allocation
Industry figure; teased Keith Elwin as 'king of the monsters' suggesting King Kong project
Stern's legendary designer; criticized for not understanding why LE owners become upset when Stern makes anniversary/special editions that replace the original LE's uniqueness
Stern Pinball design/product lead; gave recent interview stating Elvira production is indefinitely delayed
Lead designer of Deadpool pinball machine; interviewed on Coast to Coast Podcast; discussed comic book vs movie licensing advantages
Mentioned as designer associated with Stern's James Bond
Pinball designer who worked with Lyman Sheets on Monster Bash at Williams
Stern Pinball designer, referenced as part of elite design team
Mentioned as NOT the designer of John Wick; legendary pinball designer
Legendary Stern designer; mentioned as classic pillar of Stern design alongside John Borg
Stern designer, presented Batman 66 Super LE during seminar, explained software incompleteness preventing gameplay at Expo
Legendary pinball designer; referenced for his design philosophy on fun (three shootable elements that are inherently fun); used as benchmark for design excellence
Established legacy designer; Kaneda questions his current hunger/motivation compared to younger generation
Stern designer; quality-checking Pokemon Pro units on production line; original designer of Transformers (2011)
Hall of Famer designer of Batman 66
CCO at Stern Pinball; discussed on podcast regarding ramp apex design philosophy and satisfaction mechanics in Lord of the Rings and Monster Bash
Stern Pinball designer; interviewed about Stern's decision to pass on Back to the Future
Pinball designer; credited with Deadpool design and classic titles like Monster Bash
Stern designer who appeared on James Bond stream discussing passion for property; mentioned as removing odd job hat from Keith Elwin machine
Legendary pinball designer at Stern; designer of Deadpool. Known for innovative mechanical elements and code. Signs LE units with blocky autograph style.
Pinball designer recently interviewed by Head2Head Pinball (Ryan and Marty), praised for insightful perspectives
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; posted about Deadpool LE shipment status on Facebook; signed playfield for Transformers restoration
Designer credited on Deadpool pinball machine
Stern Pinball leader who recruited Greg Freres and conducted final interview; offered Freres full-time position
Senior designer/engineer at Stern Pinball; recruited Chuck Ernst; instrumental in Stern's LCD display philosophy; known for hands-on design approach
Legendary pinball designer at Stern Pinball; designed Monster Bash; led product development team; discussed design philosophy, code quality, and upcoming releases on Flippin' Out Pinball stream
Stern designer; discussed on prior episode stream about Star Wars The Pin; mentioned Stern's consideration of Stern Classics line
Legendary pinball designer; referenced for comment about playfield quality standards
Stern Pinball designer overseeing Star Wars comic edition and artist selection
Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; legendary pinball designer with extensive portfolio; lead designer on Star Wars Home Edition
Legendary pinball designer, appeared on Special When Lit holiday special, mentioned as desired guest
Pinball designer mentioned for work on Beatles remake; discussed refreshing design flaws on Sea Witch; considering Stern Classics line of remakes
Designer of Monster Bash, Lord of the Rings, and The Sopranos
Designer/industry figure; previously discussed online connectivity capabilities for Spike 2 systems on Star Wars The Pin
Pinball designer; gave presentation on game development timeline and process for John Wick
Notable pinball designer; appeared on Pinball Profile; referenced as example of collaborative design process
Stern Pinball executive/designer; appears in Jaws 50th announcement trailer
Stern Pinball designer/representative referenced for selective language around Jaws 50th availability and FOMO creation
Designer of prior Transformers pinball game; criticized for 'dirty dots' design and 'bricked shots' approach.
Architecture/design contributor to Pokémon, participates in gameplay demonstration
Stern designer/executive mentioned; host dismisses his explanation (nobody was passionate) about missing IP licenses
Stern pinball designer; created Deadpool (#4 Stern) and Lord of the Rings; discussed as still having strong layout design capability
Legendary pinball designer who designed NBA Fastbreak (1997) and pioneered linked cabinet technology; created concept that became Stern's Insider Connected feature
Pinball designer; designed Deadpool and Jaws
Stern Pinball Chief Creative Officer who recruited Keith Elwin and requested King Kong theme
Stern designer; rumored to co-design Pokémon with Jack Danger; mentioned in context of potential Batman 66 anniversary edition.
Pinball industry figure interviewed for Coast to Coast Pinball podcast episode 221; present at Texas Pinball Festival
Stern Pinball executive/designer; hosted Retro Ralph on facility tour; discussed licensing and gap in hip-hop/R&B themed machines
Designer of Corvette, Adam's first pinball dot matrix game
Executive at Stern Pinball, influenced by distributor feedback to reverse Anniversary Edition plans
Pinball machine designer; designed both Johnny Mnemonic and Corvette
Industry figure who made flippant comments suggesting Stranger Things re-release 'is something we could probably do,' contributing to vault speculation
Stern Pinball designer/engineer; featured in CoinReturn factory tour video
Designer at Stern Pinball; discussed as having massive scale advantage over boutique manufacturers
Banquet speaker for 2018 Pinball Expo
Stern designer discussed on Super Awesome Pinball Show regarding Stranger Things UV kit requirements
Stern designer/executive interviewed by Joel Engelberth; discussed licensing (Lord of the Rings, Tron Vault), game releases, and content creator outreach
Senior designer/figure at Stern; allegedly texted Kaneda confirming Stern listened to his advocacy and set X-Men LE at 811 units specifically (referencing X-Men universe)
Stern executive, discussed Bond game on Insider podcast, corrected April Pro availability information on Facebook
Lead designer of James Bond 007; praised for thoughtfulness and detail
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; gave interviews on Flip N Out Pinball and Loser Kids Pinball podcasts discussing John Wick licensing, Stern's production roadmap, Spike 3 system, and historical licensing challenges.
Stern Pinball designer/executive who presented on licensing and manufacturing challenges during the tour
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; discussed production plans, back orders, and vault edition possibilities in interview
Stern Pinball designer and operator; credited as primary designer of James Bond, described as overseeing entire James Bond project
Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; recently interviewed by Super Awesome Pinball Show with extensive industry insights
Legendary pinball designer, recorded congratulations message for Dennis's Deadpool Premium gift
Referenced designer principle: 'three major toys' rule applied to D&D evaluation
Legendary Stern pinball designer; designed Deadpool and Lord of the Rings
Legendary pinball designer interviewed by Kaneda on Canada's Pinball Podcast; described as confident, well-spoken, educated expert on pinball design
Legendary pinball designer; appeared on Bond 60th Dead Flip reveal stream; hadn't played Fish Tales in 20+ years; demonstrated double-hit inline drop shot
Chief Technical Officer at Stern, revealed 2025 design team compositions in interview with Joel
Stern Pinball designer; rumored to be designing James Bond themed game, taking over from Steve Ritchie
Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; has taken over James Bond license; developing new three-flipper 007 layout
Associated with Stern Pinball; recent Insider Connected video mentioned by chat
Stern lead designer; targets of Kaneda's criticism for game design direction and corporate justifications
Pinball designer at Stern; Kaneda had a conversation with him about marketing/strategy
CEO/leader of Stern Pinball; allegedly responsible for passing on Back to the Future; Kaneda interviewed him recently
Stern designer; host suggests he has positive relationship with Christopher Franchi despite staff conflicts
Mechanical designer credited for the 'not a Jeep' vehicle element on Jurassic Park
Designer/executive at Stern Pinball; spoke directly with Kaneda about Godzilla Premium and anniversary edition strategy
Boss at Stern Pinball; Godzilla fan who provided toy reference and directed ramp design direction based on Avengers success
Legendary pinball designer; lead designer on Batman 66 for Stern Pinball's 30th anniversary game; previously designed Batman: The Dark Knight.
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; spoke at press day about Mustang design philosophy; Head of Product Development at Stern
Pinball designer (likely designer of Star Wars or referenced for rule design philosophy); Tim sarcastically addressed him regarding rule complexity
Stern Pinball executive/designer who recently interviewed Christopher Franchi about his departure
Current Stern CCO/Head of Product; formerly at Williams/Data East; designed Batman 66 playfield with Kaminkow; now employed by Stern
Senior figure at Stern Pinball credited with driving the building facelift project and sphere installation concept
Pinball designer who worked on alternative James Bond version alongside Keith Elwin
Referenced as having recent conversation with Kaneda about Dead Flip streams and industry direction; appears to have knowledge of Stern's upcoming pipeline
Legendary pinball designer known for artistic and mechanical design; referenced as master of playfield flow; designer of Star Trek mechanism
Pinball designer/industry figure; mentioned as part of Stern factory tour experience
Designer of Pokémon Pinball (architecture), veteran Stern designer
Legendary pinball designer; appeared on Franchise Fireside podcast episode
Legendary Stern designer credited for James Bond's original randomness design
Stern Pinball staff; discussed production timeline and parts availability with Don
Pinball designer; observed examining Pokemon homebrew machine at Expo with other industry figures
Stern designer/engineer mentioned by Kaneda; implicitly called to publicly justify the $20,000 price point.
Stern Pinball representative; discusses James Bond development challenges and licensing complications
Designer of the main James Bond pinball game (Pro/Premium/LE versions), publicly alluded to a mystery surprise
Designer/lead on James Bond 007 project; head of product development at Stern
Head of Product Development at Stern; credited as lead designer for James Bond; Kaneda expresses respect for his work
Designer of the primary (leaked) James Bond game for Stern Pinball; interviewed previously showing scuba diver mech.
Stern designer/engineer; confirmed in interview that James Bond code not ready, 2-week delay before gameplay reveal
Stern designer credited on James Bond; promised game reveal a month ago with no follow-up
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; legendary designer with 46 years in pinball industry; designed iconic titles like Monster Bash and Lord of the Rings; discussed John Wick design philosophy and licensing constraints
Stern Pinball designer; mentioned as possible designer for John Wick (competing theory with Keith Elwin)
Stern decision-maker; stated policy on not re-issuing LE versions; made call against powder-coated armor for B&W Godzilla
Designer/industry figure; noted Venom as most-played game on location
Stern Pinball executive; allegedly on 'damage control tour' for John Wick; claims pricing is demand-based
Implied as Stern leadership figure overseeing game pricing and designer budget allocation (implied, not explicitly named)
Stern Pinball leadership; criticized for damage control attempts on Facebook; involved in media tour decisions that excluded pinball creators
Iconic pinball designer; credited as designer of James Bond. Referenced to highlight design pedigree doesn't guarantee secondary market value retention.
Stern Pinball designer/executive; cited for the statement 'as long as there's demand, we will make the game'; host references his current 'panic attack tour' and past strategy to remake vaulted high-value games.
Senior figure at Stern Pinball (likely VP or design leadership based on authority to discuss licensing and marketing strategy); spoke directly with Kaneda about John Wick gun restriction and his surprise at negative reaction
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; Kaneda expresses desire for direct conversation with him on American Pinball topper costs
Long-time Stern Pinball designer; Kaneda discusses his eventual retirement and succession planning implications for Stern's future
Stern executive/designer engaged in social media arguments during John Wick launch fallout; criticized for public conflict with community
Legendary pinball designer at Stern; cited as not requiring damage control tour for Jaws, implying it succeeded on merit; accused of collusion on pricing
Chief Creative Officer or senior designer at Stern Pinball; interviewed by Kaneda; had to conduct damage control regarding Gun Gate; stated Stern did not anticipate the reaction to gunless artwork.
Co-designer of Stern Pokémon game
Legendary Stern designer mentioned as leadership who should refocus on core audience
Legendary Stern designer; referenced conversation about Stern's strategy to target 'different market' through premium pricing and licensing
Pinball designer; provided direct information to Kaneda about Godzilla 60th production timeline
Legendary Stern pinball designer; quoted by Kaneda criticizing current market state and buyer demographics.
Head of Product Development at Stern Pinball; Chris had hour-long conversation with him about market strategy, innovation, and company direction; confirmed Godzilla LE plans
Senior designer at Stern Pinball; gave extensive interview to Kaneda revealing Spike 3 specs, Metallica Remastered timing, and Back to the Arcade Future rejection
Chief Creative Officer at Stern (CIS); frequent public-facing representative; criticized for low-energy launch presentations; praised for making Kaneda feel respected
Stern Pinball figure who speaks publicly and generates positive community response. Cited as example of transparency working well.
Designer/figure at Stern Pinball; admitted Stern passed on Beetlejuice license because no one wanted to work on it
Chief Creative Officer and Head of Product Development at Stern Pinball; legendary designer being interviewed on episode 1000
Stern Pinball designer; provided confirmation to Kaneda about 811 unit limitation and Earth-811 comic reference
Industry veteran quoted by Kaneda regarding IP enforcement challenges; characterizes legal battles against IP infringement as 'whack-a-mole'
Associated with Jersey Jack Pinball; reportedly did not want spinning hat feature in a game (implied James Bond 60th context)
Renowned pinball designer who created the new James Bond machine for Stern. Demonstrated enthusiasm for Scadero's Bakery on the Deadflip stream.
Stern designer/leader; directly called out by host regarding QC issues; has messaged with host about past Elvira problems; host requests phone call to discuss pattern of QC failures
Stern Pinball designer, appeared on Stern panel, addressed Batman 66 code update delays and false promises
Stern game designer; provided live narration for virtual factory tour; known for presentation skills and knowledge; met for autograph
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; source of confirmation about no layoffs, new CMO hire, and open positions at Stern
Legendary Stern designer; reportedly regrets not securing Back to the Arcade Future license; alluded to larger screen in Spike 3 (per Kaneda interview)
Presented Batman 66 at Expo, designer/developer involved with the game, indicated code was not ready for public play.
Stern designer; unveiled Batman 66 Super LE at Stern Expo; made comment about Lyman limiting game access
Legendary Stern pinball designer; Chief Creative Officer at Stern; featured in D&D announcement trailer
Legendary Stern designer; mentioned in historical designer comparison for first three releases
Pinball designer interviewed on Loser Kid podcast; discussed topper pricing, manufacturing costs, and order quantities
Legendary pinball designer; explicitly ruled out as the identity of Macho by the speaker
Stern Pinball designer; present at Uncanny X-Men play session; known for Deadpool design
Legendary pinball designer; Don suggests Road Trip needs outside design oversight from someone of his caliber
Stern leadership/designer; cited by Kaneda regarding licensing decisions and long-term industry growth strategy
Stern Pinball designer; criticized for clunky game flow and unimpressive mechanical toys; James Bond cited as example of tight, flow-poor design
Stern designer who discussed cabinet aesthetics and design philosophy in podcast interviews
Chief executive and strategic leader at Stern Pinball; described as 'the smartest man in pinball'
Mentioned as Godzilla licensing contact and as designer who favors state-changing shots; referenced in relation to wire form design philosophy
Stern Pinball's head designer; referenced as exemplar of visionary designer/leader necessary for pinball company success
Stern Pinball designer/engineer; issued official clarification on Stern's future anniversary edition and LE strategy via Facebook
Stern Pinball executive; appeared in promotional video introducing Jaws; credited with pride in Stern's development studio
Stern Pinball designer; called Jeremy on behalf of Marvel to request Avengers artwork when other candidates were rejected.
Legendary pinball designer; Kaneda notes Multimorphic is not 'the new George Gomez'
Stern designer rumored to be co-designer on John Wick with John Borg
Referenced in context of giving 'green lights to just go all the way in' on Jaws design. Appears to be Stern authority figure (likely VP/engineer). Released official video showing game mechanics.
Stern designer; Kaneda suggests potential collaboration with John Borg on Back to the Future Arcade
Pinball designer; Mike considers him over Borg for Karate Kid dream game due to ramp design style (Deadpool, Bond)
Stern designer; mentioned as talent that could potentially move to other manufacturers in hypothetical scenario
Designer/coder for Stern Pinball; part of Stern's elite design talent roster
Stern CCO and designer; handles company leadership alongside occasional game design (James Bond, Deadpool, Beatles)
Designer at Stern, filling vacancy left by departing designer, designing Deadpool
Legendary Stern designer; designed original Cactus Canyon which Chicago Gaming is now remaking
Stern designer whom Kaneda credits with creative passion; distinguished from financial/executive leadership
Stern designer who deleted Facebook comments about future anniversary editions; clarified strategy to Kaneda
Fast Pinball designer; praised for James Bond innovation and contrasted favorably with Ritchie's repetitive approach
Stern Pinball designer; defended limited edition strategy and John Buscaglia's pricing approach; involved in Elvira re-releases
Stern Pinball designer/representative; deleted official statements about LE/Anniversary Edition policies (powder-coat, numbering, pricing); Kaneda interprets deletion as red flag
Stern Pinball designer; created the main James Bond game; claims to have designed a never-before-seen shot mechanic for the 60th Anniversary version
Stern leadership/engineering; designed Batman 66 SLE; also designed James Bond George Gomez variant that was shown at UK expo but withheld from full comparison
Stern Pinball legendary designer; available as mentor to newer designers at Stern like Jack Danger
Referenced as designer authority Don wants to contact about Star Wars Home Edition playfield dimensions
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball, interviewed as part of Super Awesome Pinball Show's 2023 year-end review
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; senior designer with decades of experience; speculated to potentially oversee Steve Ritchie's unfinished whitewood; known for taking over projects when designers depart.
Referenced by chat viewer in context of Borg designing Tron comparison; designer at Stern
Industry figure at Stern Pinball; maintains positive rapport with Kaneda despite tensions in broader community
Mentioned in context of Spooky's growth story — allegedly wanted to buy the original TNA design before Spooky brought it to production
Legendary Stern designer; was working on Deadpool during The Beatles development
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; featured in reveal video for Godzilla 70th, emphasized Premium Edition production and unlimited run messaging
Legendary Stern Pinball designer working on James Bond; known for design depth but occasional mechanical clunkiness
Stern Pinball Chief Creative Officer and designer; described as 'legendary' Stern designer; called out by Kaneda as key talent at Stern
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; designer who completely redesigned Deadpool after John Trudeau's involvement; known for extensive industry history in video games (Spy Hunter) and pinball
Legendary pinball designer at Stern, guest on episode, touring facilities with Don
Stern Pinball creative director/designer; approved Thompson for Ghostbusters sound role; known for game design leadership
Legendary Stern designer of Deadpool; Matt suggests he design Deadpool/Wolverine sequel
Legendary Stern Pinball designer, designer/lead on Bond machine
President of Play Mechanics and pinball programmer, instrumental in facilitating Raw Thrills/Chicago Gaming partnership
Executive at Stern; supported Packer's opportunities and gave him 'enough rope to prove' himself
Stern Pinball designer; revealed Bond L1 tier details on Stern Insider podcast including mechanical reels, Oddjob toy, 10 drop targets, and mini LCD
Historical pinball designer quoted as counter-example to Stern's approach; advocated for serving existing customers
Designer at Stern Pinball; occasionally produces special edition games beyond core three
Legendary Stern designer, referenced for James Bond pinball
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball, featured in recent interview on Straight Down the Middle discussing pinball market and business
Stern Pinball CCO; mentioned regarding succession planning and next-in-line leadership consideration
Legendary Stern designer, credited as part of Lord of the Rings design team alongside Dwight Sullivan, Jim Sullivan, Keith P., Jeff Johnson
Stern designer; hypothetically would vote for Stern machines in quality comparison; designed Deadpool
Legendary Stern designer; rumored to be designing James Bond, potentially competing in August release slot
Described as legendary Stern designer; had licensing struggles with James Bond license holder
Senior designer at Stern; expected designer of James Bond; criticized as part of narrow leadership demographic influencing theme selection
Allegedly insinuated existence of Goldfinger SLE version of James Bond; role at Stern
Designer/leader at Stern Pinball; part of leadership team Chris credits with factory efficiency and quality management
Pinball designer credited with James Bond game; historical industry figure
Stern Pinball CCO; will interview Christopher Franchi about his departure from Stern
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; referenced as potentially not knowing timeline of next Stern release
Pinball designer credited with designing both Deadpool and Mortal Kombat, influencing similar rule structure and gameplay philosophy
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; Don plans to travel with him to Houston for Barrels media day
Veteran pinball designer, co-designer of Pokémon Pinball; previously designed Deadpool and numerous other titles
Senior figure at Stern Pinball (likely CCO/Head of Product based on KB); reported by Kaneda as having told him that Stern is reducing X-Men production based on Kaneda's Podcast feedback.
Stern designer rumored to be designing James Bond; Kaneda hopes he will return after prior Stern hiatus
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball, legendary pinball designer, designer of James Bond and Deadpool
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball, previously streamed with Flippin' Out Pinball, acquired autograph from Jon host
Legendary pinball designer; referenced as hypothetical custom game creator for Stern charity event proposal
Legendary Stern Pinball designer, Chief Creative Officer, co-designer of Pokémon Pinball (architecture)
Legendary Stern designer; referenced regarding salary/production scale comparison to Spooky
Chief Creative Officer and Head of Product Development at Stern Pinball; 45+ year career spanning video games at Midway (Tron, Spy Hunter) and pinball design; designed 40+ pinball games
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; approved Franchi's Batman artwork, established philosophy on game greenlight requiring internal team buy-in
Pinball designer; announced as upcoming guest for following week's stream; will discuss Star Wars
Legendary Stern designer; Jason referenced copying him on complaint email about Jaws quality issues
Stern designer; promised vaulting of popular titles (Tron, Lord of the Rings) that hasn't materialized; used as example of non-refundable commitment accountability distinction
Stern Pinball designer, part of 'old guard' mentioned as potentially repetitive by Kaneda
Designer at Stern; predicted to design James Bond pinball machine releasing end of 2022
Deadpool machine designer; mentioned in reference to design philosophy about game difficulty preferences
Legendary pinball designer, subject of recent interview on This Week in Pinball discussing wide bodies, licensing, and design philosophy
Legendary Stern pinball designer; referenced in discussion of Whitewater designer
Legendary Stern designer, appeared at Pinball Expo to sign autographs and meet fans
Mentioned as Stern leadership (implied: head of design/creative); Drew proposed writing a letter to explain the ban rationale
Legendary Stern designer; designed the bash toy car mechanic for John Wick
Designer/representative who clarified John Wick pinball licensing constraints regarding gun imagery on playfield
Stern Pinball designer jokingly credited by Drew as having 'turned the last screw' on his Jurassic Park machine.
Stern Pinball Chief Creative Officer, appeared on James Bond livestream, played co-op mode
Co-designer of Pokémon Pinball; hosts credit him alongside Danger for accessibility-focused design philosophy.
Designer credited with creating the top hat spinner mechanism for Bond 60th
Legendary Stern pinball designer mentioned as hypothetical group member at nationals if larger player groups were allowed
Designer credited for Deadpool's bash toy placement and game design
Legendary Stern pinball designer mentioned as a dinner contact at Pinball Expo. Franchi plans to invite podcast host Orby to dinners with him.
Pinball designer; Corvette is his first game
Legendary designer associated with Stern, mentioned in context of Addams Family design discussion
Stern engineer and playfield designer credited with designing the Nata Jeep toy for Jurassic Park Pro to work around licensing constraints
Legendary pinball designer at Stern Pinball with 45+ year career; discussed in designer preference debate
Legendary pinball designer; George (host) expressed admiration for his layout design work
Designer credited by hosts for The Lord of the Rings pinball machine.
Designer at Stern Pinball; gave recent interview on Super Awesome Pinball Show discussing business strategy and licensing challenges
Speculated to have made post-design tweaks to Elvira playfield layout, adding inserts after initial design phase
Renowned pinball designer; Mike Harry Williams cites Corvette as favorite game and appreciates his ramp design style in context of Bond expectations
Mentioned in sponsor context; associated with Stern Pinball design/video content
Legendary Stern designer; responded via Facebook Messenger to Poor Man's Pinball hosts with breakdown of Star Wars Home Edition strategy and distributor relationships
Legendary Stern designer; speculated to potentially have game in pipeline; has other responsibilities at Stern
Legendary pinball designer; encountered at JJ's suite party during MGC 2022; spent time conversing with host
Design lead at Stern Pinball; credited with command of design direction; presumed Bond designer
Pinball designer, designed The Beatles pinball machine with Christopher Franchi
Pinball industry figure cited as source for claim that 50% of pinball machines sold to collectors vs. 50% to locations
Former/longstanding Stern colleague; Borg expresses missing him
Legendary pinball designer, Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; known for DMD-era games including Lord of the Rings, Batman (Stern), Corvette, NBA Fastbreak; worked at Williams on Pinball2000 before transitioning to Stern
Pinball designer referenced for his design philosophy of placing hidden targets in unusual locations
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; thanked by Banfield for supporting archival research and providing industry perspective
Legendary Stern designer who collaborated with Kevin O'Connor on Monster Bash; notes on sketches requesting design changes
Legendary Stern Pinball designer who championed Big Juicy Melons for production and ensured design integrity was maintained
Pinball designer; watched by Sarah/Dr. Pin at Texas Pinball Festival; mentioned as notable industry figure
Tim Sexton's boss at Stern Pinball; initiated hiring call for young passionate software developers
Legendary Stern Pinball designer introducing Paul Faris; hosts presentation at Pintastic New England event
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; team lead/supervisor role on Insider Connected (Grant uncertain of exact title)
Designer at Williams Pinball; gave cautionary talk at Pinball Expo 99 warning about Pinball 2000 platform limitations; represented the industry's pre-closure uncertainty
Legendary Stern designer who collaborated with Ritchie on Black Knight sculpt and other games
Pinball designer at Stern; cited as Gonzo's favorite designer; designed Bond 007, Batman 66, The Lord of the Rings, Deadpool Stern, Monster Bash. Praised for code quality and design philosophy
Stern designer credited with creating the Lord of the Rings playfield layout that inspired Eric Meunier; legendary pinball designer
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; consulted on X-Men design decisions; mentioned in context of Bond discussion
Legendary pinball designer; created Monster Bash, Attack from Mars, and other acclaimed titles featured prominently in Gonzo's top rankings
Stern Pinball leadership who joined the media day presentation about King Kong design.
Lead designer at Stern Pinball; comparison point for Melvin's creative director role at American Pinball
Designer of The Avengers (2013) pinball machine
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball, legendary designer; mentioned for design philosophy and stream tips shared with host
Pinball designer referenced by Skylar as his favorite; designed NBA Fast Break (basketball-themed pinball machine)
Pinball designer credited with multiple Stern games including Batman, Deadpool, and Playboy
Legendary Stern designer referenced in comparison of Deadpool versus Elvira's House of Horrors game design
Referenced as designer; 'Just the way George Gomez wanted it' comment regarding shot mechanics
Greeted in stream chat; likely Stern Pinball designer
Legendary Stern designer who designed the NADA Jeep mechanic as a workaround due to licensing limitations on Jurassic Park
Famous pinball designer; designer of Corvette machine George is renting
Designer credited for Batman '66
Legendary Stern designer, took over Batman 66 design during theme shifts
Pinball designer who redesigned Deadpool playfield after John Trudeau's removal
Legendary pinball designer; designer of Corvette
Host of Don't Panic Flip, streaming Jurassic Park Pro speedrun challenges; confirmed as pinball content creator and player
Pinball designer, creator of Corvette; known for efficient playfield design and making shots from all spaces
Pinball designer, streamer on Don't Panic Flip channel, designed Deadpool Pro playfield
Designer of Batman 66 for Stern; attended Pinball Expo to demonstrate the machine; known for consistent layout design philosophy
Designer of Johnny Mnemonic pinball machine; praised for game design despite noted mechanical quirks
Appears to be involved with Batman 66 game; hosts reference him negatively regarding design priorities
Legendary Stern designer; mentioned discussing internet connectivity features for Stern games; credible insider source
Developer/host of Don't Panic Flip stream; creator of Flippers league management app and Roboctopus audience participation app; former system administrator turned software developer
Legendary Stern designer; George discusses his design philosophy and games (Deadpool, Corvette, original Avengers, Batman 66, 007)
Designer of Johnny Mnemonic; known for ramp design with 90-degree bends; hosts discuss his design philosophy regarding punishing layouts
Host of Don's Pinball Podcast (Collectors Edition), streaming gameplay of Star Wars Mandalorian Premium and reviewing Foo Fighters pinball machine
Legendary Stern designer; mentioned in context of ramp and playfield design expertise
Legendary Stern pinball designer; vision for maintaining backglass art while embracing technology
Game designer referenced humorously as likely recipient of critical comments about Johnny Pinball mechanical harshness
Pinball designer/artist competing in TNA duel; senior figure in pinball industry known for design work at Stern
Stern pinball designer; referenced in chat regarding 'shark person perspective mode' in longer video
Stern Pinball designer; stated strategy of three cornerstones, vault, and boutique machines at Texas Pinball Festival
Assisted with TRX truck/Nauti-Jeep toy design for Jurassic Park; known for tight ramps and hard-hitting game feel
Legendary Stern designer referenced during praise for Deadpool's satisfying shot mechanic
Designer credited on James Bond 007; legacy Stern designer; reputation for maintaining code quality standards
Stern Pinball executive who disclosed cornerstone lineup in Flippin' Out Pinball interview
Pinball designer whose style is compared to Elwin's Avengers; hosts note Gomez games have characteristic clunkiness and use of metal components
Stern Pinball designer/executive; designed custom truck for Jurassic Park due to licensing constraints; known for transparent communication with community
Stern Pinball representative presenting Kong in official launch day video
Pinball designer; referenced by Gary Stern as originator of term 'randomizer' for pinball's ball physics concept
Legendary Stern pinball designer; credited with designing Sopranos, Lord of the Rings, and Monster Bash; identified as player's favorite designer
Referenced as Stern's design benchmark; Jersey Jack lacks equivalent talent
Lead designer at Stern Pinball; Kaneda references him as standard of excellence for feature implementation vs Jersey Jack Pinball's failures
Stern Pinball executive; known to be in contact with Joe Kamikau
Lead designer at Stern Pinball; criticized by Kaneda for inadequate mechanical engineering in James Bond game
Senior figure at Stern Pinball; Kaneda references his public statements about Limited Edition policy to verify Metallica Remastered news validity.
Stern designer/personality; Kaneda explicitly refuses to interview him, rejecting his perspective on company decisions
Stern Pinball designer; recently argued on The Super Awesome Pinball Show that budget constraints drive creativity; directly contradicted by Kaneda
Stern Pinball leadership (CEO implied); referenced as unwilling to be transparent with industry or media
Stern designer; mechanical designer of main James Bond game; potential competitive tension with Keith Elwin if rumor true
Legendary Stern Pinball designer referenced by Kaneda as having extensive archived design files worth exploring
Stern Pinball designer; referenced in context of Batman 66 game development
Stern designer personally overseeing X-Men code fixes with three-person team
Stern Pinball CCO; featured in official Jaws reveal video with Keith Elwin
Stern designer; rumored to potentially take over John Wick if Borg's project was shelved
Stern Pinball leadership; made statements about not burning Avatar LE owners through remakes
Stern Pinball design leadership; same as Seth Davis—witness to industry price-value crisis and post-COVID market contraction.
Stern executive; Kaneda criticizes his role in hiring Gen Z market research company that rejected Back to the Future
Senior design figure (likely Stern); attended Pinball at the Beach; noted for industry credibility.
Mentioned as making statements at Stern about bringing back vaulted games; currently appears to be leadership figure at Stern
Stern Pinball leadership (implied Chief Creative Officer or similar role); identified as strategic decision-maker regarding game release timing
Stern Pinball designer; reported to be working on James Bond (Kapow title); quoted on importance of three satisfying shots and three toys per game
Designer of James Bond pinball; Kaneda claims he designed game from scratch after rejecting Steve Ritchie's original design; CCO at Stern Pinball
Stern Pinball executive/designer; mentioned regarding potential Keith Elwin game reveal timing
Chief Creative Officer at Stern Pinball; cited as authority on manufacturing policy regarding Limited Editions; mentioned as standard of creative excellence
Legendary Stern designer referenced multiple times regarding playfield overlay technology and how plastic covers change ball physics/gameplay characteristics
Stern Pinball designer mentioned for recent appearance on Kerry Hardy's show discussing Godzilla sales approaching all-time record (~20,000+ units)
Stern pinball designer; briefly discussed in context of Lord of the Rings design
Legendary Stern Pinball designer credited with designing Monster Bash
Legendary Stern Pinball designer; designer of Deadpool playfield layout; known for clunky but unique designs
Designer of Deadpool pinball playfield; hosts debate whether layout represents original Gomez design or repurposed earlier design; known for unique playfield geometry and sword/ramp elements
Pinball designer known for ramp work; appears multiple times in top 10; hosts note slingshot ramp on Lord of the Rings