Ep 77: Earning Wings with Tim Sexton and Raymond Davidson

Tim Sexton (lead designer) and Raymond Davidson (co-designer/lead code engineer at Stern) discuss the development of Rush, Stern's music-themed pinball machine. They explore how their competitive pinball backgrounds inform code design, the challenge of balancing complexity with fun, the licensing and creative process for a deep-catalog artist, and specific design decisions about shot sequences, multiball mechanics, and rule integration. The conversation also covers the evolution of their roles across multiple Stern projects and the importance of playtesting and in-person observation for gathering feedback.