Steve Ritchie interview on "A Life Well Wasted" podcast.

[Namco]

Hey all. Just wanted to let you know about a great Steve Ritchie interview I heard on one of my favorite podcasts, A Life Well Wasted. Pick it up over at their website: http://alifewellwasted.com/2009/11/25/episode-five-help/

Robert Ashley interviews Steve Ritiche in the 3rd segment and covers his history getting started designing some of the most prolific Williams, Bally, & Stern pinball tables and some other interesting anecdotes.

If you haven't heard a life well wasted it is a smart, highly-produced podcast that blends jazzy electronic music with a gaming themed podcast. Robert Ashley was a contributing editor for EGM and CGW and now is a freelance journalist and part-time musician. It's a great podcast if you haven't heard of it already, you should check it out.

[Jeff AMN]

It's a great interview, and kind of heartbreaking at the same time. The story he tells about the Black Knight 2k unveiling is a classic.

[Pinball Wizard]

I'll give it a listen, but I think he's got kind of a nasty streak for blaming other people when things don't go well.

Atari pins a flop?  That's because of manufacturing problems.

Laid off from Williams?  Well... I can't recall the excuse on that one.

Laid off from Stern?  That's because Gary Stern just doesn't get it.

etc.

I've heard a fair bit of excuses from Steve Ritchie but at the same time I do like several of his games. He does seem to have an excuse for just about everything though so I guess it depends on whose propaganda you want to listen to.

EDIT: Understand I do think that Steve Ritchie is a good guy from talking to him but the whole story between him and the pinball industry is very back and forth.  I just see a bunch of pointing fingers and only some personal accountability. Again I still like Steve Ritchie and I don't completely understand the whole situation of who did what.

[Namco]

There are no excuses in this interview. He places the blame of the going away of the pinball industry on market forces and blames himself for staying in pinball too long and not moving into the slot machine business.

[Pinball Wizard]

There are no excuses in this interview. He places the blame of the going away of the pinball industry on market forces and blames himself for staying in pinball too long and not moving into the slot machine business.

What was said earlier doesn't refer to the interview but other things said from Steve Ritchie.

[ChadTower]

Employment stability, I'm thinking. 

[Jeff AMN]

Employment stability, I'm thinking. 

Pretty much. He's in bad shape these days financially and his physical challenges aren't helping much at all.

[Malenko]

his physical challenges aren't helping much at all.

Then he shouldnt have double dared them.

[Pinball Wizard]

... physical challenges aren't helping much at all.

He can hardly stand or even hear anymore. At Pinball Expo they had a "fireside chat" and every question was repeated into his microphone box (maybe a hearing-aid). I personally think he's a good guy but his creative view gets in the way of several things as with most any artist.

[Namco]

Saw him at California Extreme twice. Once talking about pinball design where he had his computer hooked up to the projector showing the CAD program he uses to design pinball tables. The complexity of it was pretty astounding, not just playfield elements but also plastics, ramps, toys, and the angles of all the shots mapped out. Zoomed out. With the all the layers turned on it looked like a complete mess. It was astounding how complex it all was and that he could still understand it. He also was on the Atari panel later in the day. He had less to say in the Atari panel, but he didn't seem to miss a question or appear out of it at all.