Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep32 - Gerry Stellenberg and the Multimorphic / P3 Platform

▶ Full Dirty Pool Podcast Playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS9lWVjGsygallsiz2_TJ_oxIlhl29fLC&si=iLC8oBnZfl_U7pJj The 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.com 00:00:00 - Multimorphic, P3, and the strange corner of modern pinball 00:01:21 - Gerry’s tech background before pinball 00:02:42 - P-ROC starts as a way to mess with existing machines 00:03:24 - Tracking a bouncing pinball in real time 00:04:48 - Infrared grids, multiple balls, and what the system actually sees 00:05:50 - P-ROC becomes the brain inside the P3 00:06:38 - Choosing modules and LCD playfields over a normal pinball machine 00:07:40 - Building new pinball tech when Stern was almost alone 00:08:41 - Fighting the “that’s not real pinball” reaction 00:10:35 - Roguelike pinball and software-only game ideas 00:11:23 - Asking players to trust an $11k unfamiliar platform 00:13:37 - Portal, first impressions, and the flipper feel debate 00:16:55 - How much of “different” is mechanical and how much is psychology 00:17:49 - Why operators are nervous about putting P3s on location 00:20:03 - Old hardware criticisms and the problem of lasting first impressions 00:22:11 - The LCD gets judged before people actually play the game 00:22:55 - Princess Bride, physical mechs, and not hiding behind the screen 00:24:41 - Final Resistance and Scott Danesi’s traditional P3 approach 00:25:45 - The spaceship cannon and P3’s back trough system 00:26:40 - Lexy Lightspeed as the overlooked early module 00:27:39 - Full modules, add-on games, and how the P3 library works 00:28:55 - Cosmic Cart Racing and online multiplayer pinball 00:31:05 - Third-party developers building directly on the platform 00:31:51 - Original themes, licensed IP, and keeping games available 00:33:47 - Weird Al, Portal, and why recognizable licenses changed things 00:35:04 - Scorbit, APIs, and community integrations 00:35:57 - What it actually costs to buy into P3 00:36:40 - Shipping modules through UPS and swapping cabinet art 00:37:36 - Why the P3 is heavier than people expect 00:39:00 - Module seams, alignment, and the transition between playfields 00:42:00 - Upgrades, backboxes, scoop changes, and replacing older parts 00:43:31 - Backward compatibility and the fear of a future P3 generation 00:45:01 - Customer trust when people buy into an ecosystem 00:48:00 - International shipping and getting P3s outside the US 00:49:03 - Portal as Gerry’s favorite Multimorphic experience 00:49:53 - Eighteen balls in Portal and Heist taking the multiball crown 00:52:08 - What tracked balls let designers do differently 00:54:00 - Texas pinball, other manufacturers, and the hard part of building games 00:57:01 - Cabinet materials, plywood, and build quality questions 00:59:59 - Server checks, ownership, and whether games keep working offline 01:03:00 - Virtual targets, screen-based scoring, and every pixel becoming gameplay 01:05:59 - Publishing original P3 games as a third-party developer 01:07:34 - Filling the lower screen without making it feel empty 01:09:00 - Portal as the current high-water mark and what comes next 01:12:00 - Future mechs reaching farther into the lower playfield 01:14:59 - Where people can find and play a P3 in person 01:16:49 - Final plugs, Buffalo Pinball, and finding the P3 for yourself #DirtyPoolPinball #DirtyPoolPodcast #Multimorphic #P3Pinball #Pinball #PinballMachine #PinballPodcast #Arcade #ArcadeGames #PinballCommunity #ModularPinball #PinballDesign #GameDesign #PinballTech #LCDPlayfield #PhysicalPinball #InteractivePinball #PinballIndustry #PinballStream #PinballCollectors #Silverball #ArcadeCulture #PinballLife #PinballAddict #PinballEnthusiast #GamingPodcast #RetroGaming #PraiseTheGreatPyramid