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Mike Vinikour (MXV) has had one of the more unusual careers in pinball. From testing games at Williams/Bally Midway during the arcade era, to competitive Mortal Kombat, to helping shape modern Stern Pinball software and rules, he's been involved with games from several different angles.
In Episode 35 of the Dirty Pool Podcast, we'll be talking about Mike's path through the game industry, how rule design has evolved, balancing depth with accessibility, software testing, field testing, working with designers, the realities of developing modern Stern machines, and plenty of stories from both the arcade and pinball worlds. We'll also get into his photography, massive vinyl collection, and whatever unexpected rabbit holes the conversation decides to find.
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00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:12 - Mike’s Record Collection
00:02:50 - Why Vinyl Matters
00:06:45 - Guessing the Record Count
00:08:44 - 16,000 Records
00:09:32 - Choosing What to Play
00:13:28 - Mortal Kombat Begins
00:16:36 - 105 Wins in MK2
00:18:10 - Meeting Midway at a Punk Show
00:20:16 - Revolution X and Game Testing
00:21:20 - Helping Build Midway QA
00:22:50 - The Punk Vault
00:23:40 - Photography and Punk Zines
00:26:53 - Favorite and Worst Shows to Shoot
00:29:18 - Getting to Stern
00:30:00 - Growing Up With Pinball
00:31:14 - Lyman Sheets Pushed for Mike
00:32:30 - George Gomez and Stern
00:34:08 - Working With Lyman on Batman 66
00:37:18 - James Bond and John Wick
00:38:26 - The “Saved the Game” Misunderstanding
00:40:48 - Rule Design Without Programming
00:42:10 - Earning Trust at Stern
00:43:18 - Working With Dwight Sullivan
00:46:00 - The MXV Skill Shot
00:48:23 - Secret Skill Shots and Mortal Kombat
00:49:40 - NDAs and Keeping Secrets
00:52:00 - Keith Elwin Made It a Thing
00:52:33 - Godzilla as Mike’s Favorite Game
00:54:10 - When a Rule Fails
00:55:28 - The Game Tells You
00:56:45 - Working With Lonnie Ropp
00:59:10 - Are Modern Rules Too Complex?
01:00:16 - Designing for New and Expert Players
01:01:10 - Risk and Reward
01:03:31 - Multiple Ways to Blow Up a Game
01:04:42 - Shot Difficulty in Rule Design
01:06:08 - Music Pins Without Being a Jukebox
01:08:32 - Dream Theme: Skinny Puppy
01:09:48 - Designing Around the Toy
01:10:42 - George Gomez’s Creative Brain
01:13:07 - Mike’s Basement Collection
01:15:08 - Work-Life Balance With Pinball
01:15:48 - The Raven Question
01:18:10 - Expo, Portland, and Shows
01:20:32 - Top Punk Albums
01:21:35 - Punk Rock Pinball Shoutout
01:24:00 - Raid and Praise the Great Pyramid
01:25:10 - Outro
#pinball #sternpinball #dirtypoolpodcast #podcast #arcade
