Episode 266: Keith Johnson keeping us busy
Jersey Jack Pinball's Keith Johnson knows how to go deep with code, which is perfect for owners and for killing time during COVID-19. Lots of talk of updates, the past, present and future for "Keefer".
Kineticist’s take
Keith Johnson discusses JJP design philosophy, Pirates updates, and confirms planned co-op mode for future releases.
Synopsis
Keith Johnson, head of software at Jersey Jack Pinball, discusses his career trajectory from online pinball forums in 1992 to designing complex rule sets for games like Pirates of the Caribbean, Wizard of Oz, and Avatar. He details the collaborative design process, balancing gameplay mechanics, the evolution of video modes, and confirms co-op functionality is planned for the JJP system, though timing remains unclear. Johnson emphasizes the importance of playtesting, community feedback, and historical pinball knowledge in modern game design.
Entities
- Jersey Jack Pinball· company
- Spooky Pinball· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Papa Tournament· event
- Avatar· game
- Battle for the Kraken· game
- Counterforce· game
- Elvis· game
- Family Guy Pinball (Chicken Fight)· game
- Indiana Jones· game
- Innovation· game
- Pirates of the Caribbean· game
- Star Wars Pinball· game
- Time Shock· game
- Wizard of Oz· game
- RackDotGames.Pinball· organization
- Carl D'Angelo· person
- Eric· person
- Jeff Teolis· person
- Joe Katz· person
- Keith Johnson· person
- Kevin Martin· person
- Scott Denisey· person