Triple Drain Pinball Podcast Episode 72 - This one is for Ralph!

PodcastApr 15, 2026

Triple Drain Pinball Podcast

2 hr 26 min

Listen to the episode

Summary

Triple Drain discusses design philosophy, recent machine acquisitions, and Pokemon sales post-launch.

Triple Drain Podcast Episode 72 features the hosts (Joel, Tom, Travis) discussing their two-month hiatus, recent game purchases and experiences (Beetlejuice, Winchester Mystery House, Dune), and a lengthy debate about tournament-focused vs. casual/collector-focused game design philosophy. They emphasize that pinball games serve different audiences and that non-tournament players shouldn't feel obligated to understand score balance or tournament mechanics. They also discuss Pokemon's strong sales launch and the typical pattern where code perception affects sales after the initial release window.

From the creator

Hosts: Joel Engelberth, Tom Graf and Travis Murie Hello. I know it's been a while so maybe we should reintroduce ourselves. We are Triple Drain consisting of two awesome Pinball Enthusiasts named Joel and Tom. They love their friends, their families and their friendship. A few years ago they decided to start a podcast and felt like they needed a third host. BIG MISTAKE. Here comes Travis. He is special. Now that we've reacquainted ourselves please enjoy this month's episode where we try to catch up on everything pinball related we missed in the last 2 MONTHS. We talk streaming Beetlejuice, streaming Pokemon, Pokemon sales, installing Spike 3 expression lights, Yukon Yeti, and honestly a ton of other stuff. Thanks for sticking with us and please enjoy the episode!