Pinball Minority Report

In this episode of Pinball Minority Report, Erika and Manu sit down with Elizabeth Gieske, Transformers lead software developer at Stern Pinball. Elizabeth was a tournament player before she was a developer.We get into how a college Pac-Man assignment led her to pinball, what her Stern interview was really like, and why a confusing game is the game’s fault, not yours (it’s all about doors). She also takes us behind the scenes on Transformers: the Optimus vs. Megatron split-flipper mode, the new Prime Training mode that teaches real flipper skills, how version numbers actually work, and how she turned a conversation into the Scars mode on Jaws. Plus, our dev friends’ rapid-fire questions on debugging, AI, and flipper codes.We recorded this one just before Pinball Expo 2026 in Schaumburg, IL, where Elizabeth spoke on the Transformers panel and the Women in Pinball panel, moderated by Erika. Thanks to everyone who came out!🐛 Found a bug in a Stern game? Report it to [email protected] Manu and I on our socials!Drop your questions for Elizabeth in the comments, and we might send them her way!Stern Pinball – Transformers00:00 Introduction00:48 Pinball Expo Preview & Panels06:40 From Video Game Classes to Pinball11:37 Interviewing for Stern16:17 Game Design Philosophy19:20 Bad Games are like bad doors23:06 Elizabeth's life outside of pinball25:16 Code vs Rules30:26 Building the Transformers Modes32:46 Gamifying Jaws38:04 Future of Pinball Technology and Innovation47:41 Prime Training Mode55:52 Rapid Fire Dev Questions01:01:29 Flipper Codes & Easter Eggs01:04:57 Team Shoutouts and Outro#pinball #sternpinball #transformerspinball #pinballexpo #pinballminorityreport

Manu and Erika talk about a once-in-a-lifetime visit to a private pinball collection: 100+ games, pristine wood rails, 1950s and 60s electromechanical arcade pieces, and a one-of-a-kind wood rail homebrew. We also cover our plans for Pinball Expo in Schaumburg, IL, then answer listener questions on shots vs. toys, home maintenance costs, and running a Multimorphic P3 on location.⚠️ DISCLAIMER: PLEASE READ ⚠️We are NOT sponsored by, paid by, or employed by Multimorphic. We both own a P3 because we genuinely enjoy the platform, and that’s it. Every player, home owner, and operator is different. Play one first, do your own research, and think about your own skill and comfort level with repairs before you buy. Erika has a small partnership with For Amusement Only Games (Nick Baldridge) that gets buyers a free engraved tumbler, but she earns no money from it. These are just our opinions and experiences.🎯 CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and episode overview01:06 Upcoming events and community shout outs03:52 Private Pinball Collection Tour07:37 Homebrew Woodrail - Screamo10:33 Pinball Roadtrip to Pinball Expo15:23 Homebrews at Pinball Expo, Marco Booth20:49 Women in Pinball Panel moderated by Erika24:48 Viewer Questions and Shoutouts25:44 Toys Vs Shots? How Important is Flow?32:13 How much maintenance costs in a home machine?39:00 P3 Maintenance Questions52:03 Closing Remarks56:28 Pinball maintenance costs and common issues📍 SEE US ON THE ROAD & AT EXPOSaturday, Oct 10: Erika and Aaron Davis at the Electric Bat Arcade with two homebrews to play: Bootleggers and Dark ChaosPinball Expo, Schaumburg, IL: Homebrew creator interviews streamed live on Marco Pinball’s TwitchSaturday, Oct 17, 8 PM: Women in Pinball panel moderated by Erika, with Cayman Kai (CayFlips / Austin Pinball Collective), Deborah Tahlman, Elizabeth Gieske (Stern Pinball), and Krystle Gemnich (Jersey Jack Pinball). It follows the JBS Show live chat with Jamie Birchell, Retro Ralph, and Cale Hernandez.💛 SPONSOR: Rewind PinballNorthern California’s distributor for Stern and Barrels of Fun. Reach out to Adam for Fallout, Transformers, Pokémon, and more. You can also visit his arcade The Rewind Arcade in Sebastopol, CA.🔗 LINKSPinforgePinbalmFast PinballFor Amusement Only GamesElectric Bat ArcadeTitled Orbit ArcadePodcasts not mentioned but listened to in the car:Dirtypool PinballWedgehead Pinball PodcastSilverball Chronicles📬 ASK US ANYTHINGEmail: [email protected] • Comment below • Find Manu on DiscordFind us on Socials: Erika’s Pinball Journey, Mystery Pinball Theater 3000#pinball #pinballexpo #homebrewpinball #multimorphic #P3 #woodrail #pinballcollection

Erika and Manu are back with pinball news, stories, and a recap of the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown in Denver! This week: Stern's new Fallout pinball (Pro & Premium hands-on impressions), a Pokémon code update, Zen Pinball FX, Jason Zahler's historic three-peat as IFPA World Champion, and Erika's on-the-ground report from Denver.🔗 Links mentioned:Pinballdex (by Nick Multiball)PAX WestSubstack NudgeSubstack Mayor of PinballZen Studios NewsMultimorphic 3rd Party SoftwareZahler 3rd WinZahler PinballAbe FlipsRocky Mountain Pinball ShowdownErika's Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown 360° walkthroughFast PinballMarco PinballPinforgeJohn Hancock YoutuberDon't Panic Flip👀 Follow along:Erika's Pinball JourneyMystery Pinball Theatre 3000🎁 Erika's closing in on 2,000 YouTube subs — giveaway coming soon (shoutout to 4evertheflip for the swag)!#Pinball #PinballMachine #Fallout #Stern #IFPA #RockyMountainPinballShowdownChapters00:00 Introduction to the episode and pinball scene01:00 Latest pinball news and game releases03:56 First impressions of Fallout pinball machine07:12 Pinball in different markets and demographics10:17 The relationship between Stern and Bethesda12:21 Upcoming pinball events and shows in Denver18:01 Digital pinball updates from Zen Pinball22:10 Pinball community and tournament highlights26:39 Recap of the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown35:51 Reflections on the show and community involvement39:54 Upcoming projects and giveaways in the pinball community

This week on Pinball Minority Report, Manu and Erika are joined by rules designer and industry veteran Steven Bowden (FunWithBonus) for a deep dive into CNC Dan's real-life Space Cadet Pinball build and whether the classic Windows game can actually be translated into a physical machine.Steven talks about Deeproot Pinball's unreleased Space Cadet-inspired project designed by Barry Oursler, shares the story behind designing Barry O's Barbecue Challenge as a tribute to the late Barry Oursler, and breaks down his math-brained, come-from-behind win on Twilight Zone at District 82. We also get into diversity in competitive pinball, women in the scene with Bells and Chimes, and the story behind Steven's t-shirt.Chapters:00:00 Cold Open & Show Intro00:37 Welcome to Pinball Minority Report01:42 Introducing guest Steve Bowden (Fun with Bonus)02:56 What is Space Cadet Pinball?05:50 Can CNC Dan's Physical Build Actually work?09:23 Steve's History with the Unreleased Space Cadet-inspired Machine11:34 Pinball Worlds Colliding in the Comments14:30 Time Shock Pinball15:44 Shoutout to Indie Gamer Chick17:00 Marketing Story Behind Space Cadet on Windows19:34 Steve Bowden Pinball History22:15 Who is Barry Oursler?22:39 Barry O's Barbecue Challenge Pinball Machine23:50 Barry O's Deep Dive34:05 Diversity in Pinball: Steven's Experience40:12 Women in Pinball & the Belles & Chimes League43:44 "We Don't Get Your Kind Around Here" T-Shirt Story49:44 What is District 82? IFPA Ratings Explained54:56 Steven's Insane Mathematical Comeback Win on Twilight Zone01:01:22 Lord of the Rings Rules Secret You Didn't Know01:03:22 Wrap-up & Where to Find StevenLinks:CNC Dan: https://youtu.be/BU_02HABZ4s?si=BlIbwTbtITWFmHNQIndie Gamer Chick: https://indiegamerchick.com/Space Cadet Instagram video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C92qettIJwQ/?igsi=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==Belles & Chimes: https://bellesandchimespinball.com/Foxcities: https://www.twitch.tv/foxcitiespinball👤 Guest: Steven Bowden (FunWithBonus)🔗 funwithbonus.com | @funwithbonus on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok & Twitch🎙️ Hosts:Manu — Mystery Pinball Theater 3000 (Twitch/YouTube/Facebook/Instagram)Erika — Erika's Pinball Journey (Instagram/Facebook/YouTube)#pinball #spacecadetpinball #pinballpodcast #arcade

Manu and Erika dig into the economics of the pinball hobby: what it actually costs to keep up with new releases, why the market has shifted from arcades to home collectors, and whether pinball would even survive without licensed IPs like Godzilla, Harry Potter, and Jaws (spoiler: 78 of the current Pinside Top 100 are licensed).Then, an honest look at Wonderland Amusements' budget home machine, Alice Goes to Wonderland - what it gets right, who it's actually for, and why comparing it to a $10k Stern misses the point entirely.CHAPTERS:00:00 Pinball Minority Report Intro01:19 Ai in Pinball and Erika's Extra Fingers04:14 Pinball in Vegas05:26 The Current State of the Pinball Market18:20 The Role of Licenses in Pinball's Survival28:37 Freelancing and Film Work33:44 Wonderland Amusement an Honest Review46:09 Affordable Pinball Machines53:09 Upcoming Guests and Future TopicsLINKS:Loserkid Pinball Market Videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr24Oi9HCMkzjEnHPR1mN5Pgy-hNHLv_c&si=9DHMCDZ7Tq_78oBlPinball Ranker: https://pinballranker.com/Detroit Love's Alice Goes to Wonderland review: https://youtu.be/tcACdBx-unk?is=MsKYYGorQSvdS7hZPawlowski Pinball: https://www.youtube.com/@pawlowskipinballWonderland Amusements: https://wonderlandamusements.com/Austin Pinball Collective: https://austinpinballcollective.org/Cayflip: https://www.twitch.tv/cayflipFOLLOW US:Erika's Pinball Journey: YouTube / Instagram / FacebookMPT3K (Manu): YouTube / Twitch / InstagramManu's Patreon: patreon.com/MPT3kPodcast links: https://beacons.ai/erikaspinballjourney/podcastShoutout to Rewind Arcade, Rewind Pinball, and Free Gold Watch in San Francisco.#Pinball #PinballMachine #Wonderland Amusements #PinballCommunity