Episode 3: Do Pinball Influencers Influence You?
In this episode, we discuss the niche hobby of pinball and explore whether influencers have enough sway to steer the direction of the hobby and determine the success or failure of a game. What impact do some of the loudest voices in our hobby have on you, me, and the industry as a whole?
Kineticist’s take
Retro Ralph examines influencer negativity's impact on pinball game perception.
Synopsis
Retro Ralph discusses his recent tournament experience at Player One Games in Surprise, Arizona, where he placed 22nd out of 42 competitors and won on Pulp Fiction. He explores his passion for pinball modding, updates his collection (now including Venom LE, Godzilla Premium, Bond Pro, and John Wick LE), and dedicates the main segment to analyzing whether influencers negatively impact community perception of new pinball games through early criticism without hands-on experience.
Highlights
- Ralph placed 22nd out of 42 in his first official pinball tournament at Player One Games in Surprise, Arizona
- Ralph's WPPR ranking is approximately 42,000th in the world
- The pinball market has gotten 'a little soft', allowing Ralph to potentially acquire a Venom LE at Premium pricing
- Ralph's Venom LE is serial number approximately 345 of 1000
- People in the pinball community often express negative opinions about new games based on trailers without playing them
- Jersey Jack Pinball's next game is rumored to be Harry Potter
- The Atomic Godzilla mod enhances gameplay experience and responds to in-game events
- The Flipside podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and one other platform Ralph cannot recall
Entities
- Pinball Expo· event
- Don's Pinball Podcast· organization
- Dutch Pinball· organization
- Jersey Jack Pinball· organization
- Player One Games· organization
- Ready Player One Games· organization
- Stern Pinball· organization
- Brian Eddie· person
- Jack Danger· person
- Retro Ralph· person
- Rudy· person