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Steve Kirk

personactive25 mentionsFirst seen May 9, 2018Last seen Mar 31, 2026

Profile

Steve Kirk is a person mentioned in 1 episode(s).

Aliases

No aliases

Relationships

  • designedGamatronSteve Kirk was one of the designers of Gamatronmedium
  • designedNine BallNine Ball was designed by Steve Kirkmedium

Facts

No facts recorded

Claims (8)

  • factualmedium

    Steve Kirk was frustrated that Stern released Nine Ball without completing it due to cash flow pressures.

    Source: Dave (citing interview)#138 What a fool believes - The Classic Pinball Podcast
  • factualhigh

    Steve Kirk placed sequential design numbers (SK1-SK13) on backglass of games he designed

    Source: Duncan Brown via Internet Pinball DatabasePart 2: 1985 Pinstar Gamatron Project! WTF is Gamatron anyways?
  • factualhigh

    Steve Kirk only worked in pinball design for approximately one year

    Source: KineticistReview: Williams Pinball Volume 7 on Pinball FX
  • factualhigh

    Steve Kirk designed only three games that came to commercial fruition for Stern: Stars (SK-1), Nineball (SK-3), and Meteor (SK-5)

Recent Mentions (28)

  • Designer of Nine Ball, was frustrated that Stern released game incomplete without adequate cash flow, interviewed about design constraints.

    #138 What a fool believes - The Classic Pinball PodcastMar 31, 2026
  • Designer of Nineball (SK-3), Stars (SK-1), Meteor (SK-5); founder and president of Pinball Association of America; known for wide flipper design and 'Kirk Post' mechanism

    #122 Nineball - The Classic Pinball PodcastDec 12, 2024
  • Designer of Stern Stars and other classic pinball games, known for center post geometry enabling 'Kirk pass' technique

    IRON PINBALL Battle - Stern StarsOct 22, 2021
  • Pinball designer, created Meteor, Stars, and other solid state games

    Episode 404 - Brackets foundMar 17, 2025
  • Major collector who later became a designer for Stern, co-author of pinball book

    Episode 457 - Interview with Edward Trapunski 09-30-19Oct 4, 2019
  • Designer who redesigned Flight 2000 as GammaTron conversion with custom SK-numbered board system

    Episode 90 – Up With The Horns

Contradictions

No contradictions detected

Related Glossary Terms

No linked glossary terms

Source: Dave#122 Nineball - The Classic Pinball Podcast
  • factualhigh

    Steve Kirk founded and served as president of the Pinball Association of America and organized major tournaments since the 1970s

    Source: Dave#122 Nineball - The Classic Pinball Podcast
  • factualhigh

    A decent V-Pin costs approximately $4,000 to build

    Source: Guest speakerThe Barry Oursler Trio: Comet, Cyclone & Hurricane (Virtual Pinball)
  • factualhigh

    A fully-featured V-Pin with most bells and whistles costs $5,500

    Source: Guest speakerThe Barry Oursler Trio: Comet, Cyclone & Hurricane (Virtual Pinball)
  • opinionhigh

    Creative people in the pinball industry are structurally prevented from implementing their ideas by upper management that doesn't play games on location

    Source: Steve Kirk (quoted from Playmeter magazine, May 1985)80s Cheese Done Right – Gottlieb 80b
  • May 9, 2018
  • Historic pinball designer; namesake for the Kirk post mechanic on X-Men; known for designing Meteor and other games with difficult playfield design

    PNP 589- 10 Fast (&DRUNK) Thoughts After Seeing The Uncanny X-Men LivestreamSep 11, 2024
  • Pinball designer of Swords of Fury (System 11); previously designed Stars, Meteor, and Nineball; noted as talented but difficult to work with.

    Episode 53 - Pinball Metamorphosis: The System 11 Era Pt.1Oct 21, 2024
  • One of the players in the multi-player Batman '66 session

    Batman '66 (Stern 2016)Mar 2, 2020
  • Chat participant who contributes observations about chat engagement at scale and streaming preparation (mentions beer checklist)

    SSS Ep: 6 Why Stream Pinball?Aug 18, 2020
  • Guest co-host on Mystery Pinball Theater 3000 stream; V-Pin builder and software developer; owns mister arcade systems

    The Barry Oursler Trio: Comet, Cyclone & Hurricane (Virtual Pinball)Feb 16, 2022
  • Pinball player with pinball name 'KGB'; plays multiple rounds at Outer Orbit

    Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle (Spooky 2017)Jan 20, 2020
  • Game designer who worked with Gary Stern on conversion kit for Bally games (Gametron, narrow-body Flight 2000 variant)

    Stern Pinball - Dutch Pinball Open Expo 2024 - Pinball NewsNov 5, 2024
  • Famous naturalist and TV presenter; died September 19, 2006, after being struck by stingray barb; was the subject of The Pinball Factory's first game project

    Steve Irwin DiesSep 19, 2006
  • Australian wildlife expert and TV personality; game licensed to his Australia Zoo and Animal Planet series

    On a FlyerNov 6, 2005
  • Naturalist and conservationist; death in September 2006 halted The Pinball Factory's Crocodile Hunter game development

    Farewell to 2006Dec 30, 2006
  • Pinball designer; designed Swords of Fury for Williams, brief tenure in industry

    Review: Williams Pinball Volume 7 on Pinball FXMay 21, 2025
  • Industry figure who predicted home pinball market would be key to hobby longevity

    Episode 4: Pinball Longevity with Jeff RiveraFeb 22, 2019
  • Gamatron co-designer; placed personal design number (SK prefix) on backglass of games he designed; SK1-SK13 sequence tracked

    Part 2: 1985 Pinstar Gamatron Project! WTF is Gamatron anyways?Aug 22, 2025
  • Co-designer of Gamatron; known for preference for placing posts between flippers, resulting in term 'Kirk post' in pinball terminology

    Part 3: 1985 Pinstar Gamatron Project! Cabinet & Playfield progress!Aug 27, 2025
  • Prolific pinball designer (200+ machines including Meteor, Scars, Singalong); the Kirk Post on pinball machines named after him

    PNP 661- Christmas Wishes: Roger Sharpe, Jamie Burchell, Todd Tukey, Rachel Ristow, & Glenn The sk8boarder+ MORE!Dec 24, 2025
  • Prolific Stern Pinball designer from early era; adopted 'Kirk' surname inspired by Captain Kirk; lived in car with double-digit number of cats; designed multiple games including Flight 2000

    Dutch Pinball Museum, An evening with... Gary SternSep 29, 2024
  • Deceased designer of Stars pinball; referenced as genius now recognized by modern community

    Episode 249.5 – NormMay 22, 2025
  • Co-founder of Pinstar with Gary Stern; game designer who created Stars and Meteor Nine Ball for Stern Electronics. Described as 'great game designer' and 'unusual individual.'

    Gary Stern 75th Birthday Interview - Part 2Jun 14, 2020
  • Contractor designer for Stern; designed Stars, Meteor, and Nine Ball; worked from home on EEPROM basis

    Meet The Gottliebs Part 2: Alvin G. & Co.Jun 25, 2025
  • Pinball designer credited on Gamitron; worked on refining Flight 2000 into Gamitron layout

    Data East – Fake It Til Ya Make ItJun 19, 2022
  • Pinball designer who lobbied manufacturers to innovate; discussed networked gaming concepts with Gottlieb; quoted critiquing management's disconnect from arcade play

    80s Cheese Done Right – Gottlieb 80bDec 2, 2021
  • Designer of Swords of Fury (1988) alongside Tony Kramer

    Swords, Monsters, and Cab ModeMay 29, 2022