Ep 108: This is a Call with Raymond Davidson

Raymond Davidson on designing Foo Fighters: balancing depth, collaboration, and avoiding exploitable rules.

Synopsis

Raymond Davidson, lead code designer at Stern Pinball and 2014 IFPA World Champion, discusses his work on Foo Fighters pinball: his fourth major title after Rush, Led Zeppelin, and Metallica Remastered. He explains his design philosophy balancing accessible gameplay with strategic depth, his collaborative process with designer Jack Danger and programmer Tanya, and how he avoids exploitative rule patterns. He also reflects on the game's strong reception, the differences between Pro/Premium/LE versions, and lessons learned from previous projects about score scaling and mode design.

Entities

• Flip N Out Pinball· company
• Stern Pinball· company
• IFPA World Championship· event
• North American Pinball Championships· event
• Black Flag Pinball· game
• Foo Fighters· game
• Jurassic Park· game
• Led Zeppelin· game
• Metallica Remastered· game
• Rush· game
• LoserKid Pinball Podcast· organization
• Brian Eddy· person
• Dennis Kriesel· person
• Escher· person
• Jack Danger· person
• Josh Roop· person
• Nicole Mini· person
• Raymond Davidson· person
• Scott Larson· person
• Tanya· person
• Zach Sharpe· person
• District 82· venue
• Winchester Mystery House· venue