Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep32 - Gerry Stellenberg and the Multimorphic / P3 Platform
Dirtypool Pinball - PODCAST - An Exploration Of The Pinball IndustryShow Notes
▶ Full Dirty Pool Podcast Playlisthttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS9lWVjGsygallsiz2_TJ_oxIlhl29fLC&si=iLC8oBnZfl_U7pJjThe P3 has carved out a very different lane in modern pinball. Swappable modules, a ball tracked LCD playfield, physical mechs, and a platform that approaches game design from a completely different angle than most traditional machines. Gerry joins the Dirty Pool Podcast to talk about the origins of the Multimorphic platform, designing games around modular hardware, how different modules take advantage of the system in unique ways, and how the P3 has evolved over the years.We also get into the balance between physical and digital integration in pinball, the realities of building a platform meant to support multiple experiences in one cabinet, and how players have responded to pinball that experiments outside the standard format.🧬 Multimorphic / P3 Pinball https://www.multimorphic.com/If you had a P3 cabinet, which module would you want to try first?🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch http://www.twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube http://www.youtube.com/@dirtypoolpinball📷 Instagram http://www.instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook http://www.facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball🔊 Discord – http://discord.gg/ySs5Wjb3Je👕 Apparel http://www.dirtypoolpinball.com00:00:00 - Multimorphic, P3, and the strange corner of modern pinball00:01:21 - Gerry’s tech background before pinball00:02:42 - P-ROC starts as a way to mess with existing machines00:03:24 - Tracking a bouncing pinball in real time00:04:48 - Infrared grids, multiple balls, and what the system actually sees00:05:50 - P-ROC becomes the brain inside the P300:06:38 - Choosing modules and LCD playfields over a normal pinball machine00:07:40 - Building new pinball tech when Stern was almost alone00:08:41 - Fighting the “that’s not real pinball” reaction00:10:35 - Roguelike pinball and software-only game ideas00:11:23 - Asking players to trust an $11k unfamiliar platform00:13:37 - Portal, first impressions, and the flipper feel debate00:16:55 - How much of “different” is mechanical and how much is psychology00:17:49 - Why operators are nervous about putting P3s on location00:20:03 - Old hardware criticisms and the problem of lasting first impressions00:22:11 - The LCD gets judged before people actually play the game00:22:55 - Princess Bride, physical mechs, and not hiding behind the screen00:24:41 - Final Resistance and Scott Danesi’s traditional P3 approach00:25:45 - The spaceship cannon and P3’s back trough system00:26:40 - Lexy Lightspeed as the overlooked early module00:27:39 - Full modules, add-on games, and how the P3 library works00:28:55 - Cosmic Cart Racing and online multiplayer pinball00:31:05 - Third-party developers building directly on the platform00:31:51 - Original themes, licensed IP, and keeping games available00:33:47 - Weird Al, Portal, and why recognizable licenses changed things00:35:04 - Scorbit, APIs, and community integrations00:35:57 - What it actually costs to buy into P300:36:40 - Shipping modules through UPS and swapping cabinet art00:37:36 - Why the P3 is heavier than people expect00:39:00 - Module seams, alignment, and the transition between playfields00:42:00 - Upgrades, backboxes, scoop changes, and replacing older parts00:43:31 - Backward compatibility and the fear of a future P3 generation00:45:01 - Customer trust when people buy into an ecosystem00:48:00 - International shipping and getting P3s outside the US00:49:03 - Portal as Gerry’s favorite Multimorphic experience00:49:53 - Eighteen balls in Portal and Heist taking the multiball crown00:52:08 - What tracked balls let designers do differently00:54:00 - Texas pinball, other manufacturers, and the hard part of building games00:57:01 - Cabinet materials, plywood, and build quality questions00:59:59 - Server checks, ownership, and whether games keep working offline01:03:00 - Virtual targets, screen-based scoring, and every pixel becoming gameplay01:05:59 - Publishin
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