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LoserKid Pinball Podcast
LoserKid Pinball Podcast
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Ep 53: PInball Speed Dating with Chris Meyers

PodcastAnalysis updated 2d ago1 hr 8 min listen
From the creator

We sit down with Chris Meyers in episode 53 to talk about location pinball from past to present and some of the things he has seen from the operator's side over the years.

Listen on LoserKid Pinball Podcast

Highlights

  • Chris Myers has been a coin-operated vendor since 2003 and has paid Pittsburgh city licenses for 18 years
  • Modern pinball machines have significantly less wiring and complexity than Williams/Bally era games, making repairs more straightforward (find and replace logic vs. board-level troubleshooting)
  • LED arcade screens last 100,000+ hours vs. CRT monitors at ~6,000 hours, making modern arcade repair significantly simpler and more cost-effective
  • Pinball machines historically are not strong earning games but create a unique physical, experiential value that other arcade games do not
  • Major manufacturers (Jersey Jack, Stern, American Pinball) actively support their products with good parts availability and service backing
  • Modern arcade appeal requires well-lit, open floor plans that allow multi-generational play rather than dark, cramped cabinet arrangements of the 1980s
  • Many new arcade visitors (especially younger/international) do not understand basic pinball mechanics like flipper buttons and require on-site instruction
  • Customers sometimes request refunds at locations like Helicon Brewing for games that worked properly because they didn't know how to start them
  • Keith Elwin game designs are particularly effective at attracting and engaging newer/casual players through physical features and intuitive objectives
  • Medieval Madness (Remake) represents a significant upgrade to the original game with improved lighting, displays, and screen, making it competitive with its legacy

Notable quotes

“I've been a coin-operated vendor since 2003. I've paid city of Pittsburgh licenses for 18 years now. This is my 18th year, guys... I've been around this industry probably, I would say, 80% of my life. So maybe around 30 years total.”
Chris Myers
“The logic repairs are more like find and replace... now we're getting to the point where we can repair some of the issues on the modern stuff we have today.”
Chris Myers
“Pinball machines aren't historically the best earning games, but they do create something that some of the other games do not create, and that's an experience. It's physical.”
Chris Myers
“Now in the world we live in, it's like you need to have a well-lit location. You need to be able to see everything. You need an open floor plan. Not like – you were closed in by cabinets in the 80s.”
Chris Myers
“This is how good of a relationship we end up having... he didn't even realize the flippers flipped... he's a 19 year old transfer student from Korea... he literally has five games at his house.”
Chris Myers
“We've had to actually give refunds to games that worked properly and took their money. They just didn't know how to start the game.”
Chris Myers
“Jersey Jack, Stern Pinball, American Pinball – they all really support their products really well... they want their games to be represented well on location.”
Chris Myers
“We're not actually competing as much with even home consoles as we are their phones... How do you get kids away from their phones and onto the arcade machines?”
“If the machines can keep somebody there for one more beer or one more meal... multiply that weekly by 52 weeks... you sold a thousand more beers this year because you have machines sitting there.”
Chris Myers
“If you really, truly want to promote an atmosphere... there has to be some cohesion between you and the location owner and your technicians.”
Chris Myers

Entities

  • American Pinball· company
  • Helicon Brewing· company
  • Jersey Jack Pinball· company
  • Namco· company
  • Raw Thrills· company
  • Starport Arcade and Pub· company
  • Stern Pinball· company
  • AMOA Trade Shows· event
  • IAAPA Trade Show· event
  • Cruisin' Blast· game
  • Jurassic Park (pinball machine)· game
  • Medieval Madness (Remake)· game
  • Robotron· game
  • X-Men (pinball machine)· game
  • LoserKid Pinball Podcast· organization
  • Pittsburgh· organization
  • Chris Brunetti· person
  • Chris Myers· person
  • Dave Hicks· person
  • Keith Elwin· person
  • Korean transfer student· person
  • Scott Larson· person
  • Tim Lee· person
  • Tim Purcell· person
  • PPP loans· product

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