LLoyd’s World: The tech support stud reveals ALL

Nudge Magazine (website feed)·article·analyzed·Apr 10, 2025

Analysis

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TL;DR

Lloyd Olsen, pinball's tech support legend, reveals 50 years of industry wisdom and why he stays loyal to manufacturers.

Summary

Lloyd Olsen, the legendary tech support figure behind SS Billiards in Hopkins, Minnesota, discusses his 50+ year career serving as primary technical support for Jersey Jack Pinball, Chicago Gaming Company, and American Pinball. The interview covers his entry into pinball support in the mid-2000s, his role in the company transitions including JJP's relocation from New Jersey to Chicago, and his philosophy on surviving industry cycles and maintaining discretion with manufacturers.

Key Claims

Lloyd has been the primary tech support for Jersey Jack Pinball, Chicago Gaming Company, and American Pinball over several decades
high confidence · Lloyd Olsen, self-identification in article; verified by his role at these companies
The 2000-2010 decade was the worst decade ever in pinball; Gary Stern kept pinball alive when others couldn't
high confidence · Lloyd Olsen's direct quote and opinion based on his experience witnessing the industry decline
Lloyd joined Jersey Jack Pinball on May 13, 2013, after Jack Buttery posted about needing tech support
high confidence · Lloyd Olsen provides specific date and account of how he was hired
Jersey Jack Pinball moved from New Jersey to Chicago because their key personnel were already there; Lloyd was let go about six months after they moved accounting to Miami
high confidence · Lloyd Olsen's first-hand account of the relocation and his departure from JJP
Pinball has a good 20-30 year run left in the hobby, comparable to the Lionel train collector market
medium confidence · Lloyd Olsen's prediction and opinion based on hobby longevity comparison
SS Billiards has been in operation since September 20, 1973, and Lloyd has run it since that date
high confidence · Article introduction with specific founding date
Lloyd met with Rick Bartlett, Matt Cristiano, and Doug Duba at an Expo event where they pitched Chicago Gaming Company's Medieval Madness project
high confidence · Lloyd Olsen's account of joining CGC
Lloyd was once prohibited from entering the Stern Pinball factory and accepts this restriction
high confidence · Lloyd Olsen's statement about Stern factory access

Notable Quotes

“That 2000 to 2010 decade — worst decade ever in pinball. Gary Stern is a hero. He kept pinball alive.”
Lloyd Olsen — Reflects on industry decline and Gary Stern's pivotal role in keeping Stern Pinball viable during the darkest period
“I said, 'Wait a second, I'm still with Planetary Pinball. If that's a problem, we need to talk now.' Because I wasn't going to dump somebody I'm loyal to.”
Lloyd Olsen — Demonstrates Lloyd's loyalty principle when joining Jersey Jack Pinball
“Once they moved accounting to Miami, I knew the clock was running.”
Lloyd Olsen — Insider perspective on Jersey Jack's organizational restructuring before relocation and staff changes
“I don't ask questions I don't need answers to. If something leaks, it wasn't me — I wasn't there.”
Lloyd Olsen — Reveals his philosophy on maintaining manufacturer trust and discretion about unreleased products
“I think pinball's got a good 20 or 30 year run left. Look at the Lionel train guys — their average age is high 60s, and they're still dropping big money.”
Lloyd Olsen — Optimistic outlook on pinball hobby longevity based on hobby collectible comparisons

Entities

Lloyd OlsenpersonSS BilliardsvenueJersey Jack Pinballcompany Chicago Gaming Companycompany American PinballcompanyStern PinballcompanyGary SternpersonRick Bartlettperson

Signals

?
industry_signal: Jersey Jack Pinball's strategic relocation from New Jersey to Chicago, with accounting moved to Miami, reflects consolidation of key personnel and operational efficiency.
high · Lloyd's account: 'Once they moved accounting to Miami, I knew the clock was running... All their important people were in Chicago. Ted E., Keith Johnson, Eric Jr., electrical — the guys you can't live without were already there.'
?
business_signal: Jersey Jack Pinball laid off Lloyd Olsen approximately six months after relocating to Chicago, indicating staff rationalization post-move.
high · Lloyd states: 'They got rid of Butch, then about a half year later, me. But it made sense.'
?
historical_signal: 2000-2010 identified as the worst decade in pinball history; Gary Stern credited with keeping the industry alive through this period.
high · Lloyd: 'That 2000 to 2010 decade — worst decade ever in pinball. Gary Stern is a hero. He kept pinball alive.'
?
community_signal: Online pinball community (Pinside, Facebook) experiences significant drama and hostile behavior; Lloyd practices blocking and conflict avoidance.
high · Lloyd: 'Some people just want to see the world burn. It's normal to block six or seven people on some of those threads.'
?
operational_signal: Pool tables have been critical to SS Billiards' long-term financial survival; pinball tournaments and leagues did not achieve the same sustained revenue.
high · Lloyd: 'I've always had the pool tables too. Pool is a big part of keeping me going... pool just never caught on like that.'

Topics

Tech support and manufacturing relationshipsprimaryIndustry history and survival through market cyclesprimaryJersey Jack Pinball relocation and organizational changesprimaryPinball hobby longevity and future outlookprimaryOnline community drama and social media conductsecondaryChicago Gaming Company and classic game remakessecondaryArcade venue operations and business sustainabilitysecondaryManufacturer discretion and insider knowledge managementsecondary

Sentiment

mixed(0.55)— Lloyd is optimistic about pinball's long-term future but cynical about online community behavior and industry drama. He's candid and direct, offering both praise (for Gary Stern) and criticism (of problematic community members). Overall tone is pragmatic, experienced, and somewhat gruff but fundamentally pro-pinball.

Transcript

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LLoyd’s World: The tech support stud reveals ALL For over 50 years SS Billiards has been the epicenter of pinball tech support. That’s because of Lloyd Olsen “Have I blocked you on Facebook yet?” That’s the first thing Lloyd says when I walk in with my camera. LLoyd Olsen sits behind the counter at SS Billiards, the Hopkins, Minnesota-based Billiard hall and arcade he’s run since September 20th, 1973. Lloyd’s dog, one in a series of identical-looking pups, is there with him. The little guy flinches when my camera goes off. I don’t catch his name, but it’s clear Lloyd is most concerned with the dog’s opinion and wellbeing above everything else. If you’ve ever owned a JJP, American, or CGC game – chances are Lloyd has helped keep your game running. As the main tech support for those three companies over the last few decades, he’s amassed more pinball knowledge than you or I will ever learn. But he’s also something of a firebrand, routinely getting in fights on Facebook and Pinside, which I guess sorta explains the greeting. He’ll help anyone, but he’ll also call anyone an asshole too. It’s that candor, mixed with decades of pinball knowledge, that makes him such a unique character in the pinball community. We sat down with Lloyd (and his beautiful dog) to talk about a lifetime in the arcades, working in the big leagues, and why he doesn’t worry about a downturn in the pinball market. How did you first get involved with pinball manufacturers? “Back when it was Bay Area Amusements — Rick Chris Bartlett approached me. What year is this? Oh, man... I don't write these things down and I should, but it's probably 20 years ago. The Mid-2000s. Rick had his Bay Area Amusements and the forum on there, and he asked me if I'd help out on that. He wanted to pay me. I said, well, why don't we just start out and see where it goes? Because it might lead to something. And if not, we're grown men. If it gets to be a job, we can talk money then. That’s kind of how the pinball community was then, right? Small. It’s not built up like it is now. That 2000 to 2010 decade — worst decade ever in pinball. Gary Stern is a hero. He kept pinball alive. People think when Williams shut down you could get every part for every game. No. Once the 13% overrun of custom parts was gone, it was gone. Stern kept things going when nobody else could. Eventually Rick and Matt Cristiano took what they had and started Planetary Pinball Supply. And then when they unveiled the Medieval Madness project at Expo — I was already doing a seminar. Rick wanted me there. That night, I met with him and Doug Duba. They told me they wanted me. So that’s how CGC started for you? “Yeah, they were showing off some stuff — holograms from Creature from the Black Lagoon, and then Medieval Madness. I was there anyway, and Rick wanted me around. That night, they told me they wanted me for support. Been with them ever since.” How did Jersey Jack come into the picture? “That was 2013. May 13. I wrote it down because I kept forgetting the date. Jack had started a Wizard of Oz forum on Google, and he put me in there to help keep an eye on it. One night, he posted that they needed a guy for tech support. Within a few seconds, I posted — ‘me, me, me, me, me.’ But then I realized — oh, sweetie — he wanted someone in the factory. And by then, the ball was rolling. A bunch of other people were responding. So I posted again and said, ‘Sorry I butted in, Jack wants someone there.’ Jack told me, ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to be helping anyway.’ Then the next day, Jack did hire me.” Were you ever in conflict with your other pinball work at the time? “Yeah, I told him — I said, ‘Wait a second, I’m still with Planetary Pinball. If that’s a problem, we need to talk now.’ Because I wasn’t going to dump somebody I’m loyal to. Jack was okay with that.” How did it feel when JJP moved from New Jersey to Chicago? “Once they moved accounting to Miami, I knew the clock was running. They got rid of Butch, then about a half year later, me. But it made sense. All their important people were in Chicago. Ted E., Keith P. Johnson, Eric Jr., electrical — the guys you can’t live without were already there. When the lease was up in New Jersey, they moved. That way, if something came up, they could walk onto the floor and deal with it.” And now American Pinball? “David Fix at American Pinball has been great to me for 20 years.” Do you still like playing pinball? “I suck at pinball.” How have you seen the hobby change? “Pinball never had a fad. Video games had a fad. Pinball rode along. Arcades opened up in ’79, ’81, and guys would buy a pinball machine or two just to fill space. But I think pinball's got a good 20 or 30 year run left. Look at the Lionel train guys — their average age is high 60s, and they’re still dropping big money. It ain’t uncommon at those shows for someone to drop $20,000 cash on the floor. Pinball is like that.” How did you survive all the up-and-down cycles? “During the video fad, I was on quarters — not tokens. Everyone else had token wars — 5 for $1, 10 for $1, 20 for $1 — they were already going broke, and then they jumped off a cliff. I've always had the pool tables too. Pool is a big part of keeping me going. You know, my 30th anniversary party had a free tournament — nobody entered. Pinball and stuff, I’ve had tournaments, had leagues, all kinds of stuff. But pool just never caught on like that. I’ve seen these seven-year arcade cycles over and over. In the mid-’90s we actually never came out of the last one. But somehow I stuck around. Even during that time I was always helping people online too. That’s how people know me these days — pinside, Google, whatever. You search for pinball help, you're gonna find me. How do you feel about all the online drama in the hobby today? “Some people just want to see the world burn. It’s normal to block six or seven people on some of those threads. I look at it like, you can have your say once and I’ll let it go. But you don’t have to be an asshole. Some of these guys don’t even own games. They don’t even intend to buy. They just want to be assholes.” You’ve worked with so many manufacturers over the years. What’s your secret to staying in their good graces? “I don’t ask questions I don’t need answers to. If something leaks, it wasn’t me — I wasn’t there. I’m not allowed in the Stern factory anymore. I’m fine with it. Their building, their rules.”