Agreed. Good show and I really enjoyed the interplay of Ken and Dennis "The Grumpus" sparring to keep Zach's personality from floating into outer space!

Some people have to settle down. Zach is doing a good job and doing his best. It's a lot of work to organize and do all of this...and there aren't buckets of profit in this industry. Sure, he pumps his company every once in a while, but that is understandable and it is what it is.

I thought there was supposed to be a twitch channel? Searched for pinball network and got nothing.

No, there are several existing twitch channels sporting the TPN logo, but AFAIK there is not a TPN channel on Twitch.

On a technical note I couldn't get all the TPN streams to work on desktop version, so I annoyingly had to install the podbean app to listen. Obviously it isn't the worst crime in th world, just kinda lame

I see. Would be nice if there was a TPN channel that just hosted everyone.

ccbiggsoo7 - Is that a pic of Sterns new shooter rod housing for Stranger Things?

I think this is where a lot of the misunderstanding is...

It's a network run by like mined people who enjoy the hobby. Zach just happens to also be a distro. The other network founders, Ken and Dennis have zero interest in that business.

It's here. The streaming is still done under the original's channel, but they are auto-hosted here when they go live.

https://www.twitch.tv/pinballnetwork

Nice, thanks! I guess twitch search sucks because that is exactly what I looked for.

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Hi Tony

I get that for sure - I probably shouldn't have described it quite like that. Just to be clear, I like Zach. I think he's a great guy and I had the pleasure of speaking with him briefly at TPF 2018. Very down to earth and easy to get along with. I would see him through the crowds once in a while over the course of the weekend and he was working so hard, literally non-stop the entire time just to get footage for SDTM. I definitely appreciate the amount of work and sacrifice that goes into producing content like that. The original SDTM will go down as THE BEST pinball content, period, no contest...IMO. It may still be around but it'll never be the same and I guess that's what bothers me the most. Off mic and off camera I'm sure Zach is still exactly the same great guy he always was but the content he is a part of has definitely changed and I completely understand the reason why it has to. He cannot talk about games as freely as he used to, there's just no getting around it. The only issue I have is that this is now something that will possibly spread to all these other podcasters and pinball media in general. The bottom line is I enjoy listening to people talk candidly about pinball - no holds barred, unfiltered - good, bad, and everything in between. I just hope that that will be the end result of all this. Those are my thoughts on the matter. I don't really want to keep beating a dead horse. The latest episode of The Pinball Show was excellent and I hope that continues. There's not much else to say. We'll see what happens.

well said

The counter to this is that pinball gained a pretty darned good distributor. I have a great one in Wisconsin(KinPin) so I have no personal experience with Zach, but everyone that deals with him seems to have great things to say about him. Pinball is so subjective anyway, that reviews by other people have never really influenced me that much -- frankly, neutral description of code/flow/difficulty level give me a better chance of deciding the likelihood of me liking a pin than the reviewer's overall impression. It's not like SDTM was ever known for its super critical evaluations of pinball machines -- they always leaned towards the positive side (Bone's famous B+).

Anyway, get what you are saying -- it just hasn't mattered to me much and I still appreciate all the work Zach does to help facilitate pinball content.

Well if someone is skewing their "grade" one way or the other, they would/could also skew their impression of code/flow/difficulty.
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It means a lot that you took time to give this a listen and offer your honest feedback. Thank you very much.

Honestly their reviews have always been hogwash. They are too theme oriented vs. gameplay. e.g. IJ being the top reviewed game on their list. The minute they de-rated IMDN they lost me. IMDN is a friggin' classic and hits on ALL cylinders. You just have to have grown up listing to musicians that know how to pull their friggin' pants all the way up.

Not that it matters, opinions are like *ssholes, every forum has some.

True -- but I tend to put pinball reviews in the same category as movie reviews -- 95% entertainment, 5% informative. Now sometimes there is something to be gained by the consensus view but even then pinball is just crazy subjective. I do get how knowing someone is a distributor might lesson the entertainment value of their review though. For me, it just doesn't matter for some reason.

I agree. It’s a great trio... nice balance.

The STDM reviews were always entertainment and I enjoyed all of them. I will concede the reviews of the latest machines were a little silly as both guys where always so jacked over the shiny new toy. I put way more stock into the way Bone spoke about The Lost World or Zach on the Shadow. The show was at its best when they were discussing the hobby in general and not the latest from Stern. This was true long before Zach became a distributor. I'm still not seeing the hate people keep referring too. Zach is kinda becoming a caricature of himself, with the voices and over the top stuff. I just think they would have wider appeal if they eased back and just were more pinball and not the reality TV or Fox news version of pinball with all the over the top drama.

Last week, TPN had a show everyday.....Nothing since Monday including no midweek show from Zach & Co.

Tomorrow (Friday) "The Plumb with Krystle Gemnich" will air on The Pinball Network.

Many of the shows that aired during the first week are not weekly shows. Some are every other week or even once per month. There are additional shows that are in the works and will be added to the rotation when ready. We will be able to provide an updated calendar/schedule in the coming weeks that will make it easy to know when each show is scheduled to air.

The flagship podcast "The Pinball Show" will be airing every Monday with Zach Meny and Ken Cromwell. Dennis Kriesel joins The Pinball Show every other week when not recording for Eclectic Gamers Podcast.

Good news...Thank you!

I wonder if she will still be all butthurt and crying about the monkey on the back glass of Oktoberfest like she used to be?

Tune in and find out.

Let us know if you do listen and that's the topic. I'll tune in and listen to a butthurt woman crying about a molesting monkey.

What about Whoa Nellie and her juicy melons?

I wont be listening. I'd rather stick my d*ck in a meat grinder.

OHHHHH THE HORROR!!

And that game doesn't even use electricity or take quarters to play!

Oh yeah I almost forgot, that Elvira back glass is disgusting and degrading to all women!! I think I'm going to call Stern and make them take that off of there, maybe make them dress her up like a nun or something. I think everyone should boycott Stern until they cover up Elviras boobs!

Finally got to listen to episode 2 of The Pinball Show. I liked it and will tune in again. Nice gambit of opinions about several different games and manufacturers...

Is this your not so subtle way Who-Dey, of informally announcing that you're joining TPN?

I love monkeys too Zach and I think they are funny as hell. That's why nobody should be "offended" by them. Some people take life way too serious.

"Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out alive. Write that down." -Van Wilder

I know I'm late, but I just started watching! This is absolutely awesome and thank you guys for doing this. I'm only in episode 2 right now but I'll catch up to the live ones eventually!

No I'm too old school and not PC enough for TPN. I would make Kenada look like Mr. Roger's. Lol

Whodey makes the incrediable hulk look like lamb chop!

You and I should start a new youtube channel, RDTS (right down the side).

We would kick that shit.

Mr. Roger's ..... what???

Don't leave us hanging man!

I think it's amazing the time people are putting into providing FREE pinball content for people. If you don't like a show don't listen to it, it's really that f'ing easy.

Where does this mentality come from, maybe they actually want a little feedback on what people like and dislike. I guess some of them really enjoy just sitting in a room talking to the walls but I suspect the vast majority prefer to hear from the audience. Why else would they post it online for people to listen too? This whole shower them with praise or fuck off thing is just so bizarre.

It's not showering with praise or Fuck off, it's just realizing there are a lot of styles of content provider. To see people complaining all the time about what they don't like gets to be a drone that really just turns people off from spending their time to do this stuff.

It's not like this is a sacrifice for people sans possible gain. Ego boosts are pretty valuable in life. Makes you feel good, valued, like daily life has some meaning.

I never understand the "selfless" argument. There is definitely, ideally, gain. Networking, being recognized at shows for....talking, being known in a community you seem to value.

It's not an empty time vacuum for the podcaster. And it's not effortless either.

I did a podcast with a friend years ago, did about 30 or so episodes. We put work into it. It had personality, flow, thought...and a handful of listens. This on the other hand, definite "mass" exposure and a readymade target market. Bingo! Hence...the Network.

ssshhhhh it's free. Can't say anything.

Oh wait - is it free or does Zach use it as a platform to advertise, shill and sell you pinball machines? How people who use this defense of being "free" can't see that amazes me but more importantly......

Folks bring up a good point about focusing on a solution. Great point. Here is mine and it's so easy.

If Zach was upfront and said what's going on, that he will be the company guy (stern, JJP, etc) b/c shit, how can he not be, he's a freaking distributor, I know I wouldn't even think about commenting b/c then it's just out there. No BS. He's being transparent and I would respect him for it. It's his business - I can understand that.

It's the I'm a helpless distributor just trying to contribute to the community shtick that rubs folks the wrong way. Just say I'm going to use TPN to also sell and therefore if I express my opinion it will likely be bias. I know he doesn't want to b/c he so desperately wants to have it both ways but he would come off SOOOO much more genuine if he did.

Well maybe you should be encouraging people to be positive instead of telling them how easy it is to not fucking listen. Also maybe suggest people give it a chance. We have had one or two episodes from a fraction of the content and already people are being told they are basically not welcome and stop listening. Is that your idea of helpful?

Yikes. Every time I come to Pinside I have forgotten that it's mostly keyboard warriors. It reminds me why I don't visit the forums much.

I'll stick to podcasts to get my news.

Peace and love, peace and love.

x

I listened to most of the second episode of the main show this week, and Krystle's today, didn't hear any advertising at all today, and I can't say I remember any on the other show.

Yes I don't think everyone on the network does this. That's a great point and if that wasn't clear, appreciate you calling that out. My comment is very specific to Zach. Unfortunately he does so much blitz marketing for TPN, that he comes off as the owner/leader of it which is confusing to some.