Silverball Chronicles: A Pinball History Podcast

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The pinball industry is like a mirror to society. Pinball is not immune to scandal or terrible people. Case in point, John Trudeau. One of pinballs most creative and wacky designers, but also the worst person in pinball. Can you separate the art from the artist or should you?
Join us this month as we review how John was introduced to pinball, his early career, working at the shoe string budget years of Gottlieb and then the boom in Williams. We also review why John is a considered a piece of garbage and how he destroyed the legacy of his games.
Sources:
Topcast Podcast
-         Ep 10 – John Trudeau
-         Ep 17 – Roger Sharpe
-         Ep 37 – Joe Kaminkow
TNT Amusements Youtube
-         Caribbean Cruise. Here
Pinball News. John Trudeau Charges. Here

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The pinball industry does a lot to try to innovate and stimulate sales. Things like a mechanical bell, solid state boards, the wide body pinball machines, DMD screens and even stereo sound! But one of the strangest pinball machines out there was the Cocktail, a small almost round coffee table size working commercial pinball machine.
Join us this month as we chat about bad marketing ideas, Roger Sharpe's advice, John Trudeau's start in pinball, and the rise and fall... and rise and fall of Game Plan!
Sources:
Game Plan Pinball Fan Site. Here 
Game Plan Wikipedia. Here
Topcast Podcast
-         Ep 10 – John Trudeau
-         Ep 17 – Roger Sharpe
-         Ep 37 – Joe Kaminkow
Pinball News. John Trudeau Charges. Here

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Last time we spoke about where JJP came from and the rise of Jack Guarneri in Ep 44. When we left JJP they were having financial troubles or 'needed recapitalization to get off the preorder model'.  Enter the investors with the Abass family.
Let's talk changing business models, saying 'Brent' Abass instead of Brett Abass a few times (oops), changing artist and creating masterpieces, taking stuff out of games, amazing themes, criminally underrated games and the license to rule them all!
 
Sources:
Jersey Jack Pinball. Here and Here.
Jersey Jack Pinball Podcast Ep 1 – Brent Abass
2025, Dirty Pool Pinball Podcast Ep 16. Here
2011, Pinball News. New Pinball Manufacturer. Here
2013, Huffington Post. Jersey Jack Pinball CEO Explains How He's Making The Beloved Arcade Game Cool Again. Here
2013. Pinside. Early Review of Wizard of Oz. Here
2015, Pinball News – Jersey Jack  Pinball Gets New Investors. Here
2017, Modern Magazine. Nature and Nurture by Beth Dunlop. Here
Brent Abess LinkedIn. Here
Jersey Jack Pinball Game List. Here
2013, Slate Magazine. Can This Man Save Pinball? Here

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Segasa or Sega S.A. Sonic (or was it just Sonic?) Pinball was Spain's major contribution to the golden age of pinball. Its products evolved from licensed electro-mechanical arcade designs to original solid-state pinball machines under the "Sonic" brand.
Established 1968, Segasa (later Sega S.A. SONIC) initially, imported and distributed American amusement machines before transitioning to local manufacturing due to import restrictions.
Production ceased in 1986, marking the end of Spain's efforts for world domination and it's pinball adventure…
Sources:
SEGA-SONIC, una historia entre el éxito y la nostalgia (Spanish) - Here
1937 Hollywood movie Way Out West. Here
Segasa/Sonic Games list. Here and Here
Easy Paella Recipe. Here

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Check out Flip N Out Pinball for all your pinball needs!
Topic begins at 12:28
 
Episode Summary:
 
Pinball has had a dramatic change since the end of the modern DMD era at Stern. The designers we all know and love from the 80s and 90s have begun to retire, slow down, or leave the industry. A new wave of designers has started to slide in and learn from the masters… The first major new designer to come along was the tournament player Keith Elwin.
 
Some say Keith Elwin is the second coming of our lord and saviour Steve Ritchie. Others say 'in Elwin we trust'… but is that all hype? Has Keith Elwin changed the pinball designer game as much as some believe?
 
Join us this month as we chat about the second coming golden age of pinball, Keith's dominance of tournament pinball, his deep understanding of repair, play, code, and design, his first pin, and his second smash hit follow-up!
 
Sources:
Kineticist Keith Elwin Profile
Head2Head Pinball Podcast Ep. 45 - Iron Maiden
Head2Head Pinball Podcast Ep. 106 - Jurassic Park
Just Another Pinball Podcast - Godzilla
 Flip N Out Podcast with Joel E - Jaws
Loser Kid Podcast - King Kong
Pinside Keith Elwin Designer Profile