Episode 78 - Sopranos Pinball w/ George Gomez

George Gomez discusses Sopranos design philosophy, theme integration, and casual player accessibility.

Synopsis

George Gomez, legendary pinball designer and current EVP/CCO at Stern Pinball, discusses the design of The Sopranos pinball machine (released 2005) in depth, covering its massive popularity in Portland 20 years later, his collaborative design approach with programmer Lyman Sheets, theme integration philosophy, mechanical engineering principles, and the importance of accessibility for both casual and experienced players.

Highlights

• George Gomez became EVP/Chief Creative Officer of Stern Pinball in summer 2011, taking over a studio of 9 people which has grown to 50 with 30 additional external consultants
• The Sopranos pinball machine was designed as a contractor to Stern, alongside four other games: Playboy, Dark Knight, and Lord of the Rings
• Both George Gomez and Lyman Sheets were fans of The Sopranos TV show and the game design came together easily during brainstorming
• The Sopranos pinball has earned consistently well for 20 years in Portland, with 25 machines in the metro area and it earning as well as brand new releases
• George Gomez's design philosophy prioritizes 'easy to learn, hard to master' gameplay that works for both novice and experienced players

Entities

• Marvin Glass and Associates· company
• Stern Pinball· company
• Portland· event
• The Sopranos· game
• Alan· person
• Alex· person
• Chris Granner· person
• Dwight Sullivan· person
• Gary Stern· person
• George Gomez· person
• John Borg· person
• Lonnie Rapp· person
• Lyman Sheets· person
• Pat Lawlor· person
• Steve Ritchie· person