Dirtypool Pinball - PODCAST - An Exploration Of The Pinball Industry

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 pussy 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/ySs5Wjb3Je00:00:00 - Cold open chaos, wrong screen, and welcoming Franchi to the podcast00:01:10 - Running down Franchi’s pinball art history starting with Batman 6600:02:20 - Working with Lyman Sheets and understanding his legacy in pinball00:03:20 - Losing Lyman and what that meant to the pinball ecosystem00:03:55 - Jumping into newer games and starting the conversation with Beetlejuice00:04:35 - Color theory, restraint, and why Evil Dead’s palette actually works00:05:45 - Trial and error in Photoshop and knowing when colors fail00:06:40 - Widebody playfields and why they don’t feel bigger while designing00:07:55 - Designing around lower playfields and broken-up real estate00:08:45 - Viewer question about formal art training versus being self-taught00:09:20 - High school awards, scholarships, and getting kicked out at seventeen00:11:00 - Being forced to grow up fast and losing access to formal art education00:12:55 - How that moment delayed his career but shaped his work ethic00:13:45 - Finding satisfaction in independence and choosing projects carefully00:14:05 - Touring the collectibles room and revealing the Toys R Us wall00:15:30 - Adam West Batman obsession and meeting childhood heroes00:16:50 - When meeting heroes goes wrong and awkward fan moments00:18:10 - Pre-stream bonding and discovering the infamous fart audio library00:19:30 - Playing fart recordings live and naming them with chat00:21:15 - Why dumb humor still matters in creative spaces00:22:10 - Respecting sound design and physical audio performance00:23:50 - Returning to Beetlejuice and Tim Burton’s built-in color language00:24:45 - How Beetlejuice almost happened years earlier and finally landed at Spooky00:26:10 - Easter eggs, hidden jokes, and designing for obsessive fans00:27:05 - Accidental leaks, loose lips, and pinball rumor fallout00:28:40 - Comparing reactions to Beetlejuice colors versus King Kong backlash00:30:00 - Lighting challenges on Evil Dead and visibility concerns00:31:20 - Fighting for GI placement so the art can actually be seen00:32:15 - Playfield art as visual marketing for how the game should be played00:33:20 - Designing for players who ignore callouts and play visually00:34:40 - Walking through Beetlejuice shots and explaining visual guidance00:36:10 - Balancing theme clarity with visual density on modern games00:38:05 - How collaboration with Spooky evolved into a long-term relationship00:40:35 - Transitioning from contractor work into full Spooky projects00:41:45 - Why the people at Spooky mattered as much as the projects00:43:20 - Talking pay, jokes aside, and making pinball a sustainable career00:45:10 - Looking ahead at future work without leaking anything00:47:30 - Humor, reputation, and learning when to shut up publicly00:50:10 - What makes a playfield succeed beyond looking cool00:53:00 - Art as instruction, immersion, and subconscious guidance00:56:20 - Reflecting on where pinball art still has room to grow00:59:40 - Wrapping up, final thoughts, and mutual appreciation01:02:10 - BRB gag, frozen poses, and botched timing01:03:05 - 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

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/bSbXnA38Q800:00:00 - Summoning the Great Pyramid and opening ritual00:00:15 - Episode intro and welcoming Scott Danesi00:01:05 - RGB studios, StepManiacs, and music crossing mediums00:03:25 - Why this episode is fully about Total Nuclear Annihilation00:04:05 - Starting TNA as a homebrew with no production goal00:06:00 - Reactor core concept, dystopian lore, and accidental canon00:07:30 - RGB restraint, sound dynamics, and intentional impact00:09:00 - Single-level layout and modern System 11 philosophy00:10:40 - Designing in SolidWorks and committing to physical geometry00:12:30 - Difficulty, fairness, and rejecting fake ball-save solutions00:14:05 - One-minute crash course on how TNA actually plays00:15:45 - Cut features, star rollovers, and location reliability00:18:30 - Writing the code, abusing frameworks, and making it work00:21:30 - Seeing TNA and StepManiacs on location for the first time00:24:45 - Dance game culture, bar holders, and competitive absurdity00:27:30 - Rapid-fire Q&A begins and homebrew realities00:29:45 - Code updates, tournament balance, and fixing multiball abuse00:33:30 - Letting the game fight back and physical battle stories00:36:00 - Live performance plans and modular synth rabbit holes00:39:30 - Sound design philosophy and integrating live systems00:44:00 - Community questions, shows, and creative longevity00:49:30 - Staying involved with TNA years after release00:55:00 - Pinball as an evolving system, not a finished product01:01:00 - Reflections on difficulty, mastery, and player psychology01:07:30 - Future projects, collaborations, and saying no to burnout01:14:00 - Long-tail audience questions and deep nerd tangents01:21:30 - Closing thoughts on creation, ownership, and legacy01:30:45 - Final goodbyes and Great Pyramid sign-off#DirtyPoolPodcast #DirtyPoolPinball #TotalNuclearAnnihilation #ScottDanesi #PinballPodcast #PinballDesign #PinballDevelopment #ModernPinball #IndiePinball #PinballHistory #RulesDesign #PinballAudio #ArcadeCulture #PinballCommunity #GreatPyramid #CultOfPinball

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/bSbXnA38Q8Pinball images from www.pinside.com00:00:00 - Intro00:00:13 - In-person Dirty Pool Pinball intro (with dogs)00:00:31 - Meeting Ryan Gratzer and the Mapping Around podcast00:00:48 - What Pinball Map is and how the app and site work00:02:19 - Home locations, privacy, and “please don’t list your house”00:03:04 - Which locations have the most pinball machines00:03:34 - Ryan’s Paragon origin story and pinball at home00:04:54 - Moving to Portland and discovering a city full of pinball00:05:42 - Crazy Flipper Fingers and early Portland league days00:07:15 - Tracking games with custom Google Maps before Pinball Map00:08:06 - How the on-location pinball landscape has changed over 17 years00:09:21 - Why modern games are taking over older Williams and Stern titles00:10:34 - Remote locations, Maldives, Hawaii oddities, and under-mapped regions00:11:53 - Admins, bad actors, and keeping the map neutral and fair00:13:33 - From separate regional maps to one unified global Pinball Map00:14:50 - Tech history: Pearl Mason to Ruby on Rails and why it stuck00:18:02 - Gratification, community obsession, and why Pinball Map matters00:19:34 - Costs, donations, and keeping the project non-monetized00:21:41 - 8,500 edits a month and what that says about activity00:22:37 - Operator tools, comments, and spotting well-maintained locations00:23:32 - Filters, “number of machines” search, and operator-focused features00:24:26 - How many operators are tagged and how comment digests work00:25:16 - Broken games, first impressions, and shouting out good operators00:26:40 - Pinball people getting salty and channel-level sarcasm00:26:53 - Winding down the platform questions and interview main arc00:27:17 - Future app update: viewing all 12,000+ locations at once00:28:03 - Mapping Around podcast and what they cover in episodes00:28:27 - Coin pouches, tiny merch, and where to find the store00:28:55 - Praising the Great Pyramid with improvised hand pyramids00:29:25 - Call to action: update your local locations and help the map00:29:56 - 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

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/KcwKeejb00:00:00 - Intro00:01:06 - Spooky Pinball’s Beginnings as a Podcast00:03:01 - Early Pinball Media and Community Roots00:05:00 - Shifting From Podcast to Pinball Manufacturer00:06:34 - Pinball Zombies and The Walking Dead Conflict00:07:52 - Choosing America’s Most Haunted as the First Title00:09:01 - Building AMH With Friends and Family Voices00:12:03 - Texas Pinball Festival Weekend That Changed Everything00:13:39 - Growing the Factory and Life as a Family Business00:16:00 - How Bug and Spooky Luke Split Game Design00:18:52 - Bug’s Approach to Rules and Theme Integration00:20:10 - Working With Licensors and Protecting Creative Vision00:22:03 - Tournament Settings and Player Feedback00:23:39 - Moving Spooky to Unity and Standardized Hardware00:25:31 - Beetlejuice Trailer Breakdown and Art Direction00:28:06 - Sandworm Design and Under Flipper Magnet Saves00:31:14 - Evolving the Waiting Room and Rising Mech Concepts00:34:10 - Upper Playfield Flow and Nontraditional Shot Paths00:36:00 - Prototyping, Metalwork and Fast Mechanical Iteration00:39:00 - What Makes a Modern Game Successful for Spooky00:43:00 - Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a Design Benchmark00:47:30 - Beetlejuice Code Depth and Update Philosophy00:50:00 - Dreams of Army of Darkness and Future Themes00:54:00 - Quality of Life Tech Like Voice-Controlled Service00:56:00 - Beetlejuice Launch Party and Community Energy00:58:00 - Toppers, Butter Cabinets and Long Term Support01:01:00 - Horror Inspirations and Movie Recommendations01:03:30 - Theme Integration and Dark Ride Style Design01:06:00 - Managing Demand and Production Expectations01:08:30 - Community Shoutouts and Tournament Players01:11:00 - Dream Licenses and Wild Theme Ideas01:14:00 - Internships, Learning and Life Inside Spooky01:17:00 - Long Term Updates for Spooky Titles01:20:00 - Big Player Scores and Gameplay Shoutouts01:23:00 - Home Collections, Wish List Games and Spooky Alley01:25:20 - Hardbody Callback and Final Thanks to Bug01:25:25 - The Raven Gag01:26:21 - 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

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.comEnjoy the subtle pyramid signal throughout. (by that I mean the battery pack noise... oops)00:00:00 - Intro00:00:02 - Settling into the in person setup and getting started00:01:15 - Opening the talk with Counterflip shirts on the table00:03:35 - Shea explaining early art roots and first encouragement00:04:40 - py▒ ΔΔ ▒d.join: “hol d st i l l”00:05:05 - Chicago basement shows and learning design through bands00:06:55 - J cards tapes and the cassette layout grind00:08:35 - Moving to LA and shifting from music into film00:10:15 - Whole Foods sign artist years and the Amazon wipeout00:12:05 - Making early bootleg movie shirts starting with The Lighthouse00:13:55 - The Fog vs The Mist and arguing coastal horror loyalty00:15:30 - Building the first small run of shirts and early experiments00:17:00 - How Counterflip designs are rebuilt pieces not traced assets00:18:20 - Digging through manuals flyers and archives to stay accurate00:20:00 - Discovering pinball through Revenge Of and falling in fast00:21:10 - Zoning out on world under glass and aesthetic obsession00:22:20 - Describing Revenge Of as a sci fi comic book bodega00:23:55 - Seeing branding blown up on walls booths and full spaces00:25:50 - Revenge Of keeping a mixed lineup not just Stern games00:27:20 - Indie vs major manufacturers and how variety helps pinball00:28:50 - Revenge Of championing boutique games and weirder designs00:30:05 - Building the Revenge Of identity with trust and loose direction00:31:55 - Opening the coffee shop and overlap with players and creatives00:32:34 - ╣ted… frame_Δ▒▒ d all.praise.00:33:05 - Games Shea would own someday and not forcing a collection00:34:30 - Vintage game picks turning into full Raven enthusiasm00:36:10 - The future of Counterflip balancing shirts films and freelance00:37:20 - Choosing which games become shirts and what artwork works00:38:50 - Xenon talk and wanting maximum tube energy on a shirt00:40:20 - Best sellers and why Counterflip Fishtails keeps moving00:41:55 - Holiday market plans and Counterflip showing up with both booths00:43:00 - Shirt sizes shipping and grabbing designs in person00:43:55 - 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

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 #PinballTales00:00:00 - 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.

Meet The Team... Brad Albright - Winchester Mystery House - 2D Layered Art & Illustration

Brad Albright is the creative force behind the 2D layered art of Winchester Mystery House, bringing the entire cabinet, playfield, and backglass to life with his signature dimensional style. His work bridges vintage illustration and modern surrealism—capturing the mansion’s eerie beauty while still keeping it fun and tactile.In this episode, Brad talks about how his multi-layered approach evolved into the game's distinct look, the artistic choices behind key imagery, and the challenge of turning real-world architecture into pinball storytelling.🔺 More from Brad Albright:📷 instagram.com/bradalbright🛒 shop.albrightillustration.com coupon: EXPO25🌐 AlbrightIllustration.com🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball00:00 – Intro01:10 – Brad’s path from corporate design to pinball art03:00 – Discovering pinball again and creative freedom04:30 – Early poster work and nostalgia in his style06:00 – First homebrew projects and lessons learned07:20 – Transition to Winchester and first art challenges09:00 – Using real photos and Google Earth of the mansion10:40 – Forced perspective tricks and player angle tests12:30 – Finding the right color tone for the playfield14:10 – The ghost wisps concept and spirit color design16:00 – Integrating the floor plan as a visual blueprint17:40 – No AI used and keeping the art fully human18:40 – Working closely with Karl DeAngelo on feedback20:00 – Code names and the evolving playfield style21:40 – Brad’s changing process and constant reinvention23:00 – Using Clip Studio Paint and 3D references25:00 – Designing Sarah Winchester for the backglass27:00 – Victorian themes and authentic stained glass29:00 – Easter eggs and historical callouts on the playfield31:00 – Keeping cabinet and plastics visually unified33:00 – Scaling cabinet art to banners and shows35:00 – Collaboration with Joshua Clay on interior lighting37:00 – Sound design and matching tones with gameplay39:00 – Ghost box visibility and player height testing41:00 – Apron redesign and printed numbering choice43:00 – Integrating sculptures with flat plastics45:00 – Logo design and Blake’s contribution47:00 – Wooden layered artwork and Hitchcock piece49:00 – How pinball collaboration changed Brad’s approach51:00 – Jeff explains the origin of the Great Pyramid53:00 – Brad plugs his store and social handles55:00 – Audience Q&A and Barrels of Fun transparency57:00 – Complimenting the game’s UI and darker screen art59:00 – Final thanks and discussion of Brad’s machines61:00 – New Texas arcade shoutout and closing raid#DirtyPoolPinball #WinchesterMysteryHouse #BarrelsOfFun #BradAlbright #PinballArt #PinballDesign #PinballMachine #PinballPodcast #DirtyPoolPodcast #ArtOfPinball #ArcadeCulture #RetroGaming #ClassicGaming #PinballCollectors #IndiePinball #PinballAddict #PinballLife #GamingCommunity #ArcadeLife #GamingCulture #PinballHistory #BehindTheScenes #CollectiblePinball #ArcadeCollectors #PinballWizard #PinballInterview #GameArt #Illustration #2DArt #PinballPassion

Meet The Team... Eric Priepke - Winchester Mystery House - Software Engineering & Programming

The next stop in our Winchester Mystery House series introduces Eric Priepke — the software engineer and programmer behind the house’s mind-bending code. From scripting the complex logic that ties every haunted room together to balancing the chaotic layers of light, sound, and animation, Eric helped the house come alive in ways that only a true programmer could appreciate. His precision work is what makes each mode flow seamlessly into the next, turning chaos into a ghostly symphony of logic.🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@dirtypoolpinball📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball00:00:00 – Introducing Eric Priepke and the brains behind Winchester’s code00:01:07 – Falling into pinball from early computer life and ISP work00:03:22 – Color DMD days and the puzzle-solving mindset that shaped him00:05:50 – From Cactus Canyon rewrite to meeting Scott Danesi at Expo00:07:29 – How Spooky Pinball led to Barrels of Fun and Rick and Morty00:08:41 – Keeping passion alive when creative work becomes a job00:09:52 – Transitioning from Dune to Winchester and tackling room logic00:12:21 – Inside the Mission Pinball Framework and its pros and limits00:14:52 – Making complex lighting and display code work efficiently00:16:55 – Open-source curiosity vs. licensed reality – why code stays closed00:18:44 – Lighting design teamwork with Trent and crafting attract modes00:20:08 – Power efficiency tricks using RGBW LEDs and white channels00:21:22 – Texture memory juggling for dual displays and transparency limits00:24:10 – Taming the turntable – how to spin safely without chaos00:26:49 – First seeing Winchester fully dressed at Expo and initial awe00:28:24 – Balancing updates across Labyrinth, Dune, and Winchester00:29:58 – How good is Eric at pinball? (And Jeff’s scale of doom)00:31:00 – Tall people, low doorways, and genetic pinball theories00:33:06 – Why both hate video modes and love mechanical mini-games00:35:10 – Handling airballs and impossible switch orders in real pinball00:38:09 – Lighting philosophy – purposeful, not constant spectacle00:39:39 – Spirit Energy mode – turning a multiplier into a sensory moment00:45:00 – How audio collaboration reshaped Barrels’ internal workflow00:46:20 – Learning the audio side – Eric on trusting Jeff’s instincts00:47:24 – David Van Es drops in – team gratitude and Expo reflections00:48:19 – Coding empathy – making early gameplay rewarding for everyone00:50:05 – Advice for coders who want to cross into pinball00:51:04 – Hidden features still to come – yes, more flashers are coming00:53:13 – 3 000 plays later – feedback loops and show-floor lessons00:54:23 – Dune’s quiet comeback – how word of mouth changed minds00:56:02 – Running down Eric’s 12-game collection in 30 seconds flat00:59:35 – The Raven thing...01:00:46 – Would he rather own Raven or Bone Busters? The answer burns bridges01:01:35 – Closing thoughts – why he codes, creates, and keeps building worlds#DirtyPoolPinball #WinchesterMysteryHouse #BarrelsOfFun #PinballProgramming #GameCode #EricPriepke #PinballDesign #HauntedPinball #PinballCommunity #PinballMachine #CodeLogic #PinballLife #ArcadeCulture #PinballWizard #GamingCulture #RetroGaming #PinballAddict #PinballSoftware #DirtyPoolPodcast #HauntedHousePinball #CodedByEric #PinballDev #ArcadeGaming #PinballMinds #BehindTheCode #MeetTheTeam #PinballEnthusiast #GameLogic

Meet The Team... Joshua Clay - Winchester Mystery House - UI & 3D Design

The first in a new series diving into the artists, engineers, and mad scientists behind Winchester Mystery House. We sit down with UI artist, 3D modeller, and graphic designer Joshua Clay to talk about what it takes to shape the look and feel of Barrels of Fun’s most ambitious game yet. From haunting interface layouts to the subtle textures that bring the mansion’s ghostly charm to life — this episode opens the door to the minds that built the house.🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@dirtypoolpinball📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball00:00:00 - Cold open and the idea behind “Meet the Team…”00:01:02 - Introducing Joshua Clay and his creative role00:02:11 - Why the Winchester Mystery House fits pinball perfectly00:03:05 - From Dune’s desert to Winchester’s hallways: shifting tone00:04:09 - Building rooms from reference photos and architectural plans00:05:02 - How to give each room personality through 3D lighting00:06:17 - Modeling tricks learned from gaming UI projects00:07:25 - Adapting mobile design instincts to pinball readability00:08:13 - The rotating turntable—what it adds to the gameplay experience00:09:04 - Getting motion and texture right on the spinning floor00:10:27 - Collaboration between 3D art and mechanical design00:11:18 - Music, sound, and visuals syncing across modes00:12:35 - Ghost shader experiments and the “spectral fog” look00:14:10 - The eerie charm of the planchette animation00:15:39 - Why Winchester’s visual tone avoids clichés of “haunted” games00:16:53 - Giving players orientation through UI glow and camera framing00:18:05 - Why the team went pre-rendered instead of real-time00:19:12 - Tools of the trade—Blender pipelines, lighting templates, and asset reuse00:20:26 - Voice-over direction and the concept of a haunted tour guide00:22:01 - Early concepts that didn’t make the cut (and why)00:23:15 - Using color cues for different areas of the mansion00:25:07 - The challenge of layering UI over a busy playfield00:27:14 - When readability trumps realism in pinball design00:29:46 - Working with Karl DeAngelo to balance clarity and mystery00:32:02 - Ghost animations that behave differently per room00:34:10 - Special effects inspired by old horror films00:36:20 - How shadows became storytelling devices00:39:33 - Scene transitions that match game rhythm and music beats00:42:18 - The evolution of the match sequence on the planchette00:45:41 - Fine-tuning glow intensity for llighting00:47:50 - Making each mode feel like its own short film00:50:11 - Expo debut and reactions from players seeing the visuals live00:53:06 - Last-minute bug hunts and shader optimizations00:55:39 - Lessons learned moving from still renders to gameplay integration00:58:12 - The emotional payoff: when the house feels alive01:00:27 - What Joshua’s most proud of in the final build01:03:19 - Looking ahead01:05:46 - Closing reflections and the philosophy behind good pinball design01:07:20 - Credits, laughter, and post-show wrap-up#DirtyPoolPinball #WinchesterMysteryHouse #BarrelsOfFun #Pinball #PinballMachine #PinballCommunity #PinballPodcast #PinballInterview #GameDesign #3DModeling #UIArt #GameArt #HauntedHouse #RetroGaming #Arcade #PinballLife #PinballTalk #ArcadeCulture #GamingCommunity #PinballDesigner #GamingArt #HauntedPinball #GameGraphics #BehindTheScenes #PinballAddict #ArtOfPinball #PinballHistory #PinballWorld #PinballStory

Exploring the Winchester Mystery House – A Haunted Pinball Machine from Barrels of Fun

For months, we’ve been quietly building something inside the walls of Barrels of Fun. The doors are finally open.Introducing Winchester Mystery House Pinball, the next major release from Barrels of Fun, designed by Karl DeAngelo in his debut as a pinball designer. This behind-the-scenes feature pulls back the curtain on the months of development that went into the game’s haunting atmosphere, from the music and sound design I created to directing the voice-over sessions that bring the house’s ghostly history to life.Karl and I sit down Talking Heads style to share how the project came together, with exclusive footage, production notes, and some of the surprises we built into the final game.This game is a true labor of love from the entire team at Barrels of Fun — artists, programmers, and engineers all pushing to create something that isn’t safe or formulaic. It’s a bold step into a world that doesn’t rely on a major IP, and instead builds its own haunted legend from the ground up. People have been asking for a non-IP based pinball game, and this one delivers. Winchester Mystery House is everything we love about the genre — strange, atmospheric, unpredictable — and proof of what can happen when a small license gives us the room to get weird and make something special.The machine will make its public debut at Pinball Expo on October 16, and this is your first look inside.00:00 - Intro00:22 - Barrels of Fun Game 3 - The Winchester Mystery House01:00 - My role as the composer and sound designer01:17 - Minchester01:25 - Why did you make this IP instead of *insert rumored game*.02:11 - Karl DeAngelo made a seriously fun game.02:34 - Karl loves haunted houses. 03:34 - Brief overview of the 2 main mechs.03:58 - Rotating Halls turntable (Mech 1)04:36 - Cool Sound04:40 - Dirty Pool likes inline drops.04:52 - Dirty Pool also can't remember Flash Gordon (The Red One).05:25 - Pepper's Ghost Hologram Display (Mech 2)06:25 - How exploring the game works / building room values through travel.08:11 - Not a safe game, filled with character. 08:35 - Yamaha YM2151... not 2024.08:47 - Brief history of FM synthesis in games, and how it shaped the sound of WMH.09:11 - Helping new players... Room color codes / in game tutorial10:11 - Bash podcast plug.10:27 - Apron is a fully interactive part of the experience.10:51 - Karl's approach to designing his first pinball machine.12:11 - Karl's giant design document.12:31 - Not being afraid to make changes to modes to maximize fun.13:41 - Come see us at Expo and play the game!13:51 - Making pinball have personality again. 14:28 - Secret / Not So Secret Things15:02 - "Unintentional Marketing ploy" - I guess it is marketing if I'm talking about it. 15:22 - What is in the game at launch! 16:50 - Crash course list of features in the game. 17:50 - The team has been busting ass to find bugs and polish WMH.18:20 - Eric's a !#?@% / "David Van Es gives Eric a raise."18:45 - Thank you for trusting us to make this game.19:01 - Bad launch coverage, and our approach of a transparent talking heads video.19:21 - That's it Karl?!19:30 - We'll have 4 games at Expo. COME PLAY.19:51 - Peppers Ghost looks weak in filmed footage, looks way cooler in person.20:09 - Karl sucks at Praising the Great Pyramid.20:29 - Bye.🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@dirtypoolpinball📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball#DirtyPoolPinball #BarrelsOfFun #WinchesterMysteryHouse #PinballExpo #KarlDeAngelo #PinballDesign #BehindTheScenes #PinballMachine #PinballReveal #SoundDesign #VoiceActing #PinballCommunity #HauntedHouse #PinballMusic #MakingOf #RetroGaming #Arcade #PinballLife #GameReveal #PinballAddict #PinballTales #ArcadeCulture #PinballArt #PinballCollectors #PinballProduction #GamingHistory #ArcadeScene #DirtyPoolPodcast #PinballEnthusiast