Dirtypool Pinball - PODCAST - An Exploration Of The Pinball Industry

Dirtypoolpinball
  • 3.6 (8)
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A somewhat grounded look at the people who actually make pinball happen. From game designers and tournament organizers to top players and studio heads, the D...

  1. 5D AGO

    Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep26 - Ron Richards of Scorbit The Online Pinball Ecosystem

    🎧 Dirty Pool Podcast - Full Episode Archive youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS9lWVjGsygallsiz2_TJ_oxIlhl29fLC Ron Richards joins to talk about the origin of Scorbit, the platform that lets pinball machines report their own scores. What started as a way to automatically capture game results became a hardware system that does much more. The Scorbitron reads score data from the game and sends it to the cloud, letting players track scores, compete on leaderboards, and check in with the app. The platform is now expanding into venue tools like digital payments and operator dashboards for arcades. 🔵 Scorbit Links: 📱 iOS App apps.apple.com/us/app/scorbit/id1505831174 🤖 Android App play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.scorbit 🌐 Website scorbit.io 🏟 Operator Platform scorbit.io/operators ✉️ Contact contact@scorbit.io 💬 Discord discord.gg/vySdvXXbrh 📷 Instagram instagram.com/scorbitpinball 📘 Facebook facebook.com/scorbitpinball 🧵 Threads threads.com/@scorbitpinball 🦋 BlueSky bsky.app/profile/scorbit.io 🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid: 📡 Twitch twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball 📺 YouTube youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball 📷 Instagram instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball 📘 Facebook facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball 00:00:00 - Cold open and meeting Ron in person in LA 00:02:30 - First impressions of early Scorbit streams and real time scoring 00:04:45 - What Scorbit actually does inside a pinball machine 00:07:30 - Traveling pinball players and using Scorbit on location 00:10:15 - Choosing favorite machines and the data side of pinball 00:13:40 - Evolution of the Scorbit app and new features 00:16:20 - Selfie leagues and social pinball competition 00:19:10 - Operator tools and location integration 00:22:30 - The business model behind connected pinball 00:25:15 - Tournaments, prizes, and competitive play potential 00:28:05 - Future integrations and expanding the ecosystem 00:31:00 - Connecting older machines like System 11 and Gorgar 00:34:00 - Real world tournament testing and operator feedback 00:37:00 - What the future of online pinball connectivity looks like 00:39:35 - Final thoughts on Scorbit and the connected pinball ecosystem #pinball #scorbit #pinballpodcast #pinballmachine #pinballcommunity #arcade #arcadegames #barcade #pinballlife #pinballculture #pinballwizard #retroarcade #arcadeculture #sternpinball #jerseyjackpinball #spookypinball #turnerpinball #dutchpinball #modernpinball #connectedarcade #pinballtechnology #pinballstream #pinballstreamer #pinballtournament #arcadelife #dirtypoolpinball #pinballhistory #pinballinnovation

    41 min

  2. MAR 1

    Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep25 - DJ Warlock aka Cliff Albert on Pinball Culture

    ▶ Full Dirty Pool Podcast Playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS9lWVjGsygallsiz2_TJ_oxIlhl29fLC&si=iLC8oBnZfl_U7pJj ▶ Previous Episode https://youtu.be/3yPvvL4yUYs?si=pw4ls-3WfSKiAJba This one isn’t about defining pinball culture. It’s about exploring what it means to different groups and why those meanings don’t always line up. Episode 25 of the Dirty Pool Podcast features Cliff Albert aka DJ Warlock, pinball DJ, punk rock lifer, location advocate, and longtime culture participant, for a wide-angle look at how different corners of the hobby see themselves. We talk about bar league regulars, tournament grinders, home collectors, operators, content creators, and casual players. What feels like “real pinball” to each group? Where do those perspectives overlap, and where do they quietly clash? Instead of criticizing, we step back and analyze the layers, the economics, the nostalgia, the accessibility, the DIY spirit, the streaming era, and the shift from quarters on glass to private game rooms. Cliff brings decades of experience from arcades and music scenes, and we approach the topic with curiosity rather than judgment. If you’ve ever wondered why pinball feels different depending on where you’re standing, this conversation will resonate. 🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid: 📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball 📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball 📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball 📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball 🔊 Discord – discord.gg/ySs5Wjb3Je 00:00 Intro and guest welcome 01:02 Framing the pinball culture conversation 02:01 Discovering pinball through touring life 03:10 Tournament era and Whopper chasing 04:22 Early streaming and broken location games 05:48 Punk identity meets pinball mythology 07:07 Philly scene and diverse pinball community 08:20 Inclusivity and Bells and Chimes discussion 10:14 Lockdown streaming growth 11:27 First major raid and community realization 12:06 Streaming changes the culture 13:02 Authenticity versus clout debate 16:18 Defining authentic pinball content 18:02 Podcasts then versus media day now 20:21 Skill versus vibe discussion 22:02 Expo stories and tournament energy 24:47 Location magic and lost punk spaces 26:36 Class tension and collection optics 29:29 Does streaming grow the hobby 31:32 Theme versus gameplay debate 33:26 Pinball is personal 34:02 Raven origin story 36:04 Harlem Globetrotters fundamentals 39:31 Collection stories and nostalgia 43:12 Manufacturers players and responsibility 49:40 Growing the hobby debate 58:44 What authenticity really means 01:02:15 Frustration versus love for pinball 01:10:48 Different lanes in pinball culture 01:20:18 Final reflections #DirtyPoolPodcast #DirtyPoolPinball #DJWarlock #CliffAlbert #PinballPodcast #PinballCulture #PinballCommunity #ArcadeCulture #LocationPinball #HomeArcade #CompetitivePinball #BarLeague #IFPA #PinballStreaming #PinballCollectors #SternPinball #JerseyJackPinball #SpookyPinball #DutchPinball #TurnerPinball #ArcadeHistory #ModernPinball #PinballEvents #PinballIndustry #PunkRock #FlipperLife #ArcadeScene #PinballDiscussion

    1h 27m

  3. FEB 5

    Dirty Pool Podcast – Ep24 – Christopher Franchi (Spooky Pinball Art)

    Pinball artist Christopher Franchi joins the show to talk about designing art for fast-moving, physical games where nothing stays still and everything has to read instantly. We get into how pinball’s mechanical constraints shape composition, how Spooky Pinball’s visual identity comes together, and why horror themes only work when restraint is part of the design. Franchi breaks down collaboration with designers and programmers, what gets lost between concept and production, and the small visual decisions most players never consciously notice—but always feel. @ZombieYetiStudios if you watch this you're so obviously not a p***y and I just really want you on my podcast!!!!!! 🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid: 📡 Twitch twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball 📺 YouTube youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball 📷 Instagram instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball 📘 Facebook facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball 🔊 Discord discord.gg/ySs5Wjb3Je 00:00:00 - Cold open chaos, wrong screen, and welcoming Franchi to the podcast 00:01:10 - Running down Franchi’s pinball art history starting with Batman 66 00:02:20 - Working with Lyman Sheets and understanding his legacy in pinball 00:03:20 - Losing Lyman and what that meant to the pinball ecosystem 00:03:55 - Jumping into newer games and starting the conversation with Beetlejuice 00:04:35 - Color theory, restraint, and why Evil Dead’s palette actually works 00:05:45 - Trial and error in Photoshop and knowing when colors fail 00:06:40 - Widebody playfields and why they don’t feel bigger while designing 00:07:55 - Designing around lower playfields and broken-up real estate 00:08:45 - Viewer question about formal art training versus being self-taught 00:09:20 - High school awards, scholarships, and getting kicked out at seventeen 00:11:00 - Being forced to grow up fast and losing access to formal art education 00:12:55 - How that moment delayed his career but shaped his work ethic 00:13:45 - Finding satisfaction in independence and choosing projects carefully 00:14:05 - Touring the collectibles room and revealing the Toys R Us wall 00:15:30 - Adam West Batman obsession and meeting childhood heroes 00:16:50 - When meeting heroes goes wrong and awkward fan moments 00:18:10 - Pre-stream bonding and discovering the infamous fart audio library 00:19:30 - Playing fart recordings live and naming them with chat 00:21:15 - Why dumb humor still matters in creative spaces 00:22:10 - Respecting sound design and physical audio performance 00:23:50 - Returning to Beetlejuice and Tim Burton’s built-in color language 00:24:45 - How Beetlejuice almost happened years earlier and finally landed at Spooky 00:26:10 - Easter eggs, hidden jokes, and designing for obsessive fans 00:27:05 - Accidental leaks, loose lips, and pinball rumor fallout 00:28:40 - Comparing reactions to Beetlejuice colors versus King Kong backlash 00:30:00 - Lighting challenges on Evil Dead and visibility concerns 00:31:20 - Fighting for GI placement so the art can actually be seen 00:32:15 - Playfield art as visual marketing for how the game should be played 00:33:20 - Designing for players who ignore callouts and play visually 00:34:40 - Walking through Beetlejuice shots and explaining visual guidance 00:36:10 - Balancing theme clarity with visual density on modern games 00:38:05 - How collaboration with Spooky evolved into a long-term relationship 00:40:35 - Transitioning from contractor work into full Spooky projects 00:41:45 - Why the people at Spooky mattered as much as the projects 00:43:20 - Talking pay, jokes aside, and making pinball a sustainable career 00:45:10 - Looking ahead at future work without leaking anything 00:47:30 - Humor, reputation, and learning when to shut up publicly 00:50:10 - What makes a playfield succeed beyond looking cool 00:53:00 - Art as instruction, immersion, and subconscious guidance 00:56:20 - Reflecting on where pinball art still has room to grow 00:59:40 - Wrapping up, final thoughts, and mutual appreciation 01:02:10 - BRB gag, frozen poses, and botched timing 01:03:05 - Final sign-off, pyramid praise, and raid send-off #DirtyPoolPodcast #DirtyPoolPinball #ChristopherFranchi #SpookyPinball #PinballArt #PinballArtist #PlayfieldArt #CabinetArt #BackglassArt #PinballDesign #GameArt #Illustration #IndiePinball #ArcadeCulture #PinballCommunity #PinballIndustry #CultOfPinball #GreatPyramid

    1h 3m

  4. JAN 7

    Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep23 - Scott Danesi and Building Total Nuclear Annihilation Pinball

    This episode traces Total Nuclear Annihilation from its earliest idea through to a finished production game. Scott Danesi walks through how TNA started as a very specific reaction to modern pinball, how the layout, rules, sound, and scoring all evolved together, and what had to change once it moved from a personal project into a real commercial product. We talk early prototypes, design compromises and manufacturing realities. It’s a full look at how one of the most influential modern games actually got made!a 🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid: 📡 Twitch – http://twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball 📺 YouTube – http://youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball 📷 Instagram – http://instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball 📘 Facebook – http://facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball 🔊 Discord – http://discord.gg/bSbXnA38Q8 00:00:00 - Summoning the Great Pyramid and opening ritual 00:00:15 - Episode intro and welcoming Scott Danesi 00:01:05 - RGB studios, StepManiacs, and music crossing mediums 00:03:25 - Why this episode is fully about Total Nuclear Annihilation 00:04:05 - Starting TNA as a homebrew with no production goal 00:06:00 - Reactor core concept, dystopian lore, and accidental canon 00:07:30 - RGB restraint, sound dynamics, and intentional impact 00:09:00 - Single-level layout and modern System 11 philosophy 00:10:40 - Designing in SolidWorks and committing to physical geometry 00:12:30 - Difficulty, fairness, and rejecting fake ball-save solutions 00:14:05 - One-minute crash course on how TNA actually plays 00:15:45 - Cut features, star rollovers, and location reliability 00:18:30 - Writing the code, abusing frameworks, and making it work 00:21:30 - Seeing TNA and StepManiacs on location for the first time 00:24:45 - Dance game culture, bar holders, and competitive absurdity 00:27:30 - Rapid-fire Q&A begins and homebrew realities 00:29:45 - Code updates, tournament balance, and fixing multiball abuse 00:33:30 - Letting the game fight back and physical battle stories 00:36:00 - Live performance plans and modular synth rabbit holes 00:39:30 - Sound design philosophy and integrating live systems 00:44:00 - Community questions, shows, and creative longevity 00:49:30 - Staying involved with TNA years after release 00:55:00 - Pinball as an evolving system, not a finished product 01:01:00 - Reflections on difficulty, mastery, and player psychology 01:07:30 - Future projects, collaborations, and saying no to burnout 01:14:00 - Long-tail audience questions and deep nerd tangents 01:21:30 - Closing thoughts on creation, ownership, and legacy 01:30:45 - Final goodbyes and Great Pyramid sign-off #DirtyPoolPodcast #DirtyPoolPinball #TotalNuclearAnnihilation #ScottDanesi #PinballPodcast #PinballDesign #PinballDevelopment #ModernPinball #IndiePinball #PinballHistory #RulesDesign #PinballAudio #ArcadeCulture #PinballCommunity #GreatPyramid #CultOfPinball

    1h 33m

  5. 12/12/2025

    Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep22 - Mapping It Out - Pinball Map with Ryan

    Ryan Gratzer from Pinball Map drops by to untangle how the world’s most obsessive pinball location tracker actually works and how your favorite arcades lineup changes the second you visit. This one digs into Ryan's pinball origins, community reporting, app evolution, and the odd psychology of people who will happily move a mountain to report a broken slingshot but won’t like, comment and subscribe. Also there's a lot of dog barking. Special shout out to the entire team that keeps Pinball Map running, Scott and Beth here in spirit. 🔻 Pinball Map Links: 🧭 Pinball Map – pinballmap.com 🎧 Pinball Map Podcast – pod.pinballmap.com 🛒 Store – pinballmap.com/store 💖 Donate – pinballmap.com/donate 🕊️ Bluesky – @pinballmap.com 🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid: 📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball 📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball 📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball 📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball 🔊 Discord – https://discord.gg/bSbXnA38Q8 Pinball images from www.pinside.com 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:13 - In-person Dirty Pool Pinball intro (with dogs) 00:00:31 - Meeting Ryan Gratzer and the Mapping Around podcast 00:00:48 - What Pinball Map is and how the app and site work 00:02:19 - Home locations, privacy, and “please don’t list your house” 00:03:04 - Which locations have the most pinball machines 00:03:34 - Ryan’s Paragon origin story and pinball at home 00:04:54 - Moving to Portland and discovering a city full of pinball 00:05:42 - Crazy Flipper Fingers and early Portland league days 00:07:15 - Tracking games with custom Google Maps before Pinball Map 00:08:06 - How the on-location pinball landscape has changed over 17 years 00:09:21 - Why modern games are taking over older Williams and Stern titles 00:10:34 - Remote locations, Maldives, Hawaii oddities, and under-mapped regions 00:11:53 - Admins, bad actors, and keeping the map neutral and fair 00:13:33 - From separate regional maps to one unified global Pinball Map 00:14:50 - Tech history: Pearl Mason to Ruby on Rails and why it stuck 00:18:02 - Gratification, community obsession, and why Pinball Map matters 00:19:34 - Costs, donations, and keeping the project non-monetized 00:21:41 - 8,500 edits a month and what that says about activity 00:22:37 - Operator tools, comments, and spotting well-maintained locations 00:23:32 - Filters, “number of machines” search, and operator-focused features 00:24:26 - How many operators are tagged and how comment digests work 00:25:16 - Broken games, first impressions, and shouting out good operators 00:26:40 - Pinball people getting salty and channel-level sarcasm 00:26:53 - Winding down the platform questions and interview main arc 00:27:17 - Future app update: viewing all 12,000+ locations at once 00:28:03 - Mapping Around podcast and what they cover in episodes 00:28:27 - Coin pouches, tiny merch, and where to find the store 00:28:55 - Praising the Great Pyramid with improvised hand pyramids 00:29:25 - Call to action: update your local locations and help the map 00:29:56 - League rivalry, finals nerves, and “top of B is where I belong” #DirtyPoolPinball #PinballPodcast #PinballMap #RyanGratzer #PinballCommunity #LocationPinball #ArcadeHunting #PinballTalk #PinballLife #PinballCulture #PinballNews #DataNerds #BehindTheScenesPinball #PinballPlayers #PinballJourney #ModernPinball #PinballStories #DirtyPoolPodcast #ArcadeLocator #PinballApps #PinballHistory #PinballChat #PinballObsessed #TechInPinball #OpenSourceProjects #PinballFinds #BarcadeLife #PinballEverywhere

    30 min

  6. 12/02/2025

    Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep21 - Beetlejuice Brains & Spooky Pinball Logic from Bug

    Bug from Spooky Pinball joins to break down the creative chaos behind Beetlejuice, from shaping the theme into a playable world to the collaboration across design, code, art, and sound that gives the game its personality. We talk problem-solving during development, how rules evolve once players get their hands on the machine, and what it takes for a boutique studio to ship something this ambitious. It’s a grounded look at Spooky’s workflow, Bug’s role in steering the vision, and how Beetlejuice came together from early pitch to final polish. 🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid: 📡 Twitch – www.twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball 📺 YouTube – www.youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball 📷 Instagram – www.instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball 📘 Facebook – www.facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball 🔊 Discord – www.discord.gg/KcwKeejb 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:06 - Spooky Pinball’s Beginnings as a Podcast 00:03:01 - Early Pinball Media and Community Roots 00:05:00 - Shifting From Podcast to Pinball Manufacturer 00:06:34 - Pinball Zombies and The Walking Dead Conflict 00:07:52 - Choosing America’s Most Haunted as the First Title 00:09:01 - Building AMH With Friends and Family Voices 00:12:03 - Texas Pinball Festival Weekend That Changed Everything 00:13:39 - Growing the Factory and Life as a Family Business 00:16:00 - How Bug and Spooky Luke Split Game Design 00:18:52 - Bug’s Approach to Rules and Theme Integration 00:20:10 - Working With Licensors and Protecting Creative Vision 00:22:03 - Tournament Settings and Player Feedback 00:23:39 - Moving Spooky to Unity and Standardized Hardware 00:25:31 - Beetlejuice Trailer Breakdown and Art Direction 00:28:06 - Sandworm Design and Under Flipper Magnet Saves 00:31:14 - Evolving the Waiting Room and Rising Mech Concepts 00:34:10 - Upper Playfield Flow and Nontraditional Shot Paths 00:36:00 - Prototyping, Metalwork and Fast Mechanical Iteration 00:39:00 - What Makes a Modern Game Successful for Spooky 00:43:00 - Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a Design Benchmark 00:47:30 - Beetlejuice Code Depth and Update Philosophy 00:50:00 - Dreams of Army of Darkness and Future Themes 00:54:00 - Quality of Life Tech Like Voice-Controlled Service 00:56:00 - Beetlejuice Launch Party and Community Energy 00:58:00 - Toppers, Butter Cabinets and Long Term Support 01:01:00 - Horror Inspirations and Movie Recommendations 01:03:30 - Theme Integration and Dark Ride Style Design 01:06:00 - Managing Demand and Production Expectations 01:08:30 - Community Shoutouts and Tournament Players 01:11:00 - Dream Licenses and Wild Theme Ideas 01:14:00 - Internships, Learning and Life Inside Spooky 01:17:00 - Long Term Updates for Spooky Titles 01:20:00 - Big Player Scores and Gameplay Shoutouts 01:23:00 - Home Collections, Wish List Games and Spooky Alley 01:25:20 - Hardbody Callback and Final Thanks to Bug 01:25:25 - The Raven Gag 01:26:21 - Episode Outro #DirtyPoolPinball #PinballPodcast #SpookyPinball #BeetlejuicePinball #BugSpooky #PinballInterview #PinballDesign #PinballRules #PinballProduction #ModernPinball #BoutiquePinball #PinballCommunity #PinballTalk #ArcadeScene #BehindTheMachines #PinballCreators #PinballObsessed #Beetlejuice #PinballFans #PinballNerd #PinballCulture #RuleDesign #GameDevelopment #GreatPyramidApproved #PinballChat #ArcadeLife #DesignProcess #PinballDeepDive

    1h 27m

  7. 11/21/2025

    Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep20 - Counterflip Apparel

    Counterflip absolutely makes the best pinball t-shirts... Shea sits down with us and we get into everything from his pinball favorites to why making a genuinely good T-shirt feels like a boss battle. We talk about how printing goes wrong, how his first business attempt at 15 tanked spectacularly, and how he rebuilt it into Counterflip by focusing on real quality instead of the disposable stuff most people print on. We dig into what it takes to find reliable sources, good blanks, and partners who don’t cut corners when you’re trying to build a brand identity through design. Shea also shares how working at Revenge Of shaped his love of pinball, how his history in bands and music artwork fed into his style, and why the pinball scene ended up being the perfect place to bring all of that together. A full mix of creative process, merch reality, and general pinball chaos. Join Us. 🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid: 📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball 📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@dirtypoolpinball 📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball 📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball 🔺 Counterflip / Shea: 🛒 counterflip.bigcartel.com 📷 instagram.com/counterflip_apparel 🛒 dispersehomemedia.bigcartel.com 📷 instagram.com/disperse_homemedia 🌐 revengeof.com Enjoy the subtle pyramid signal throughout. (by that I mean the battery pack noise... oops) 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:02 - Settling into the in person setup and getting started 00:01:15 - Opening the talk with Counterflip shirts on the table 00:03:35 - Shea explaining early art roots and first encouragement 00:04:40 - py▒ ΔΔ ▒d.join: “hol d st i l l” 00:05:05 - Chicago basement shows and learning design through bands 00:06:55 - J cards tapes and the cassette layout grind 00:08:35 - Moving to LA and shifting from music into film 00:10:15 - Whole Foods sign artist years and the Amazon wipeout 00:12:05 - Making early bootleg movie shirts starting with The Lighthouse 00:13:55 - The Fog vs The Mist and arguing coastal horror loyalty 00:15:30 - Building the first small run of shirts and early experiments 00:17:00 - How Counterflip designs are rebuilt pieces not traced assets 00:18:20 - Digging through manuals flyers and archives to stay accurate 00:20:00 - Discovering pinball through Revenge Of and falling in fast 00:21:10 - Zoning out on world under glass and aesthetic obsession 00:22:20 - Describing Revenge Of as a sci fi comic book bodega 00:23:55 - Seeing branding blown up on walls booths and full spaces 00:25:50 - Revenge Of keeping a mixed lineup not just Stern games 00:27:20 - Indie vs major manufacturers and how variety helps pinball 00:28:50 - Revenge Of championing boutique games and weirder designs 00:30:05 - Building the Revenge Of identity with trust and loose direction 00:31:55 - Opening the coffee shop and overlap with players and creatives 00:32:34 - ╣ted… frame_Δ▒▒ d all.praise. 00:33:05 - Games Shea would own someday and not forcing a collection 00:34:30 - Vintage game picks turning into full Raven enthusiasm 00:36:10 - The future of Counterflip balancing shirts films and freelance 00:37:20 - Choosing which games become shirts and what artwork works 00:38:50 - Xenon talk and wanting maximum tube energy on a shirt 00:40:20 - Best sellers and why Counterflip Fishtails keeps moving 00:41:55 - Holiday market plans and Counterflip showing up with both booths 00:43:00 - Shirt sizes shipping and grabbing designs in person 00:43:55 - Least played games and closing with praise of the pyramid #dirtypoolpinball #pinballpodcast #counterflip #pinballapparel #pinballcommunity #pinballfavorites #arcadeculture #pinballlifestyle #merchdesign #qualityapparel #indiedesigners #silverball #retrogaminglife #arcadestyle #creativecommunity #pinfam #pinballscene #designerlife #makercommunity #pinballart #bandartwork #musicdesign #independentcreators #pinballmerch #pinturnaments #behindtheflippers #arcadelife #podcastlife

    46 min

  8. 11/07/2025

    Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep19 - Aaron Davis of FAST Pinball

    What does it take to build the brain behind modern pinball? Aaron Davis, founder of FAST Pinball, joins the show to talk about designing the hardware that powers homebrews, boutique manufacturers, and the next generation of game coders. We dig into the origins of the FAST platform, how open hardware changed the indie landscape, and what it really means to make a control system reliable enough for production but flexible enough for experimentation. From garage prototypes to global adoption, Aaron walks through the philosophy that keeps FAST on the cutting edge — community-driven innovation, open documentation, and a steady respect for pinball’s analog soul. 🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid 📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball 📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball 📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball 📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball #DirtyPoolPodcast #FASTPinball #PinballHardware #PinballCommunity #PinballLife #PinballMachine #HomebrewPinball #ArcadeLife #RetroGaming #PinballAddict #GamingCommunity #PinballEnthusiast #ArcadeCulture #PinballWizard #ArcadeGames #GamingLovers #PinballDesign #TechTalk #GamingHistory #PinballInnovation #Electromechanical #PinballEngineering #MakerCommunity #GameDevelopment #PinballRestoration #BoutiquePinball #OpenSourcePinball #PinballTales 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:10 - Surprise Thursday episode, Homebrew Week, and the free sound effects kit with Imoto at Marco; chat might glitch. 00:01:17 - Guest intro: Aaron Davis of FAST Pinball. 00:02:23 - Why FAST started—platform-builder mindset and maker movement spark. 00:03:31 - Pinball as “STEM in a box,” learning by building with partner Dave Beecher (totally not a robot). 00:04:45 - Programming as creative choreography—logic tied to experience. 00:06:45 - Homebrew freedom: no licensors, weird ideas that push the platform. 00:08:50 - Early FAST nights soldering with Dave, the first boards coming alive. 00:10:59 - Gen-one form factor stays similar; modular IO boards shown on camera. 00:12:10 - Latency handled in hardware on the nodes—switches to coils without round-trips. 00:13:30 - ARM choice and hardware abstraction—swap chips later but keep behavior. 00:15:05 - Future-proofing for collectors, reliability focus, “Is Dave a robot?” gag. 00:18:10 - Family tavern Royal Flush memory; Dad becomes a replacement ramp maker. 00:20:00 - Quick shop tour setup, lineup includes Predator, Dune, and Labyrinth. 00:23:30 - Three programming bays; friends and kids help with QC, ESD trays on baker’s racks. 00:26:20 - Running from home spaces with low overhead, always on video calls. 00:27:56 - What’s next: inductive switches, end-of-line test fixtures to save OEMs time. 00:28:56 - Spooky question, door open to anyone; Pinball Brothers Predator port story. 00:31:24 - Documentation philosophy: additive, not breaking; FAST serial is easy to target. 00:32:58 - Favorite homebrew is the one in front of you. 00:33:58 - Tariffs and parts availability, multi-site manufacturing to avoid blockers. 00:36:50 - Stateside runs and the end-of-line “fort,” programming at the factory. 00:38:10 - Fuse question: smart power filter board plus on-board polyfuses and keyed connectors. 00:40:55 - Assembly mix: US, China, Italy. Tips for new homebrewers—make friends and add accountability. 00:41:56 - Predator road trip route to Expo via Electric Bat. 00:42:48 - RJ45 carries power and data, not standard PoE but similar expectations. 00:43:59 - FAST origins timeline: side project turns serious pre-COVID. 00:45:40 - IP and homebrew—market confusion risk, depends on the license holder. 00:49:35 - Indie film analogy for smaller makers, “invention marketing” over time. 00:52:40 - Future: smaller, interesting runs; friendly one-upmanship inspires better games. 00:53:45 - Wiring kits and cable making, crimp/strip machines to ease new builders.

    1h 23m
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Ratings & Reviews

3.6
out of 5
8 Ratings

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A somewhat grounded look at the people who actually make pinball happen. From game designers and tournament organizers to top players and studio heads, the D...

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