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LoserKid Pinball Podcast
LoserKid Pinball Podcast
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Ep 128: Jaws is Here!

PodcastAnalysis updated 3d ago1 hr 11 min listen
From the creator

Elwin's next game is here and it looks great! We talk first impressions of Jaws and 5 fast thoughts of the news from the last 3 weeks

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Highlights

  • Keith Elwin was wearing a Jaws hat at Pinburgh in 2018, six years before the game's release, essentially trolling the community about the game's development.
  • The original shark-eating-ball mechanic was abandoned because it looked 'really dumb' and had technical issues with ball routing and the lack of a subway system in the playfield design.
  • The shark fin drop target was originally designed as an actual shark fin, but tests showed the ball launching unpredictably due to shark fins being 'nature's natural ramps,' forcing a design change to the drop target.
  • The upper playfield was designed to prevent players from staying up there indefinitely, with two exit shots (steering wheel and horseshoe loop) that route the ball back to main play.
  • Richard Dreyfuss provided vocal recordings for the game, though his voice is noticeably different after 50 years compared to the original 1975 film.
  • Chief Brody's face is not prominent on the playfield despite being a major character, with licensing constraints from the movie estate being tighter than expected.
  • The leaked teaser trailer caused initial negative sentiment by showing grainy, unflattering photos that made the playfield appear empty, which was reversed by the official Gomez-Elwin full trailer.
  • Michael Bernard created three different art packages (Pro, Premium, LE) with the Pro and LE using the iconic Jaws movie poster, while the Premium features original artwork of Quint being eaten by the shark.
  • Godzilla currently ranks #1 on Pinside ratings, surpassing Medieval Madness, and Jaws is being positioned to potentially follow as Keith Elwin's 'masterpiece' project.
  • Flippin' Out Pinball (Zach and Nicole Minney) is taking orders for Jaws and has been 'hit up pretty hard' with strong demand immediately following the announcement.

Notable quotes

“It's like an explosion of news. I've got these notes that are just a mile long.”
Josh Roop
“Keith, you played with a Star Wars toy back in the 80s. You were totally trolling us.”
Scott Larson
“They said it looked really dumb. It wasn't working, right.”
Scott Larson
“Because you think of the T-Rex head on Jack Danger's game too. It just sits there and it opens. You've got like Gene Simmons Kiss. Like you've just got this big ugly head sitting there that's just essentially a scoop.”
Josh Roop
“That is the most brutal metal thing you've ever seen?”
Scott Larson
“Is it not Richard Dreyfuss? They got vocals from Richard Dreyfuss, which is awesome.”
Josh Roop
“When I first saw Jaws from the photos, I was a little disappointed. I was like, what?”
Josh Roop
“This is what turned people around. I was talking to a handful of people across this industry...they said that they saw an instant turnaround because Steam died really quick.”
Scott Larson
“Everything in your body can get sick, including your mind. And the best thing you can do is reach out and get help that targets the organ that is hurting.”
Scott Larson
“I feel like this is like maybe like a Groot. Well, not a Groot. What am I looking for? Sparky off of Metallica...The Well Walker.”
Josh Roop

Entities

  • Flippin' Out Pinball· company
  • Stern Pinball· company
  • Godzilla· game
  • Jaws· game
  • Jurassic Park· game
  • Medieval Madness· game
  • Metallica· game
  • Star Wars Pinball· game
  • Venom· game
  • Whitewater· game
  • Loser Kid Pinball Podcast· organization
  • Pinside· organization
  • Stern Insider Podcast· organization
  • Jack Danger· person
  • Jerry Thompson· person
  • Josh Roop· person
  • Keith Elwin· person
  • Michael Bernard· person
  • Richard Dreyfuss· person
  • Scott Larson· person

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