Ep 87: Virtual Fun
Ryan and Jeff discuss: – last few weeks – IFPA 20 in Austria – making pinball competitions more exciting for the general public – virtual pinball explosion – AI – concerts – Jaws 50th – pinball in the media – mail ball bag & repairs
Kineticist’s take
Final Round explores virtual pinball rankings, tournament pacing issues, and World Championships results.
Synopsis
Geoff Teolis and Ryan C discuss their recent travels (Indonesia, Austria), the IFPA World Championships 20 in Austria won by Jason Zoller, and debate competitive pinball tournament formats and pacing. They discover the IFPA's virtual pinball rankings system (1000+ players across platforms like AtGames and Zen Studios) and discuss its potential for mainstream growth, with particular focus on top virtual players like Mad Ben Hand from New Jersey. The episode touches on timing complaints at major tournaments, the challenge of making pinball spectator-friendly, and virtual pinball's accessibility as a gateway to physical play.
Entities
- AtGames· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Zen Studios· company
- Brisbane Masters· event
- IFPA 20 World Championships· event
- Texas Pinball Festival (TPF)· event
- The Beast· event
- Attack from Mars· game
- Medieval Madness· game
- Final Round Pinball Podcast· organization
- Flipper Friends· organization
- IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association)· organization
- Escher Lefkoff· person
- Galvin Morgan· person
- Geoff Teolis· person
- Greg Kennedy· person
- Jason Zoller· person
- Josh Sharp· person
- Kate Martin· person
- Keith Elwin· person
- Mad Ben Hand (MBH)· person
- Ryan C· person
- Pinball Arcade· product