Author Topic: The Tables Have Turned, Rukia Interviews Me!  (Read 10912 times)

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Offline Itchigo

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The Tables Have Turned, Rukia Interviews Me!
« on: December 21, 2012, 12:12:48 AM »
An interview with Itchigo.
(a.k.a. Tim Hoyne, Questions by Rukia).

1. What is your first memory in relation to pinball?

I used to go to Worldwide Distributors in Chicago, Illinois with my dad all the time because he is an operator (to this day). That would probably be it. I remember Bally's Bow and arrow (came out in '74) when it was new.

2. What is it about pinball that you love so much?

It's a skill game with direct effect. You do this, and the ball does this according to what you do. I remember once my mom gave my brother 5$, and me 1$ to go to the arcade. When I asked why she said "well you make it last longer". Guess I was pretty good at that point lol. Video games never did it too much for me as I was all about hands on playing. The only videos I like are the classics- Asteroids, Space Invaders, etc.

3. Take us through a typical day in the life of a young pinball playing kid?

Hmm, (Summer) wake up, go to the arcade, come home for dinner. Maybe on the next day go to the 9 hole course and play 9 or 10 times around for the all day rate ($4.50). Go with my dad the next day on his route and play while he counted quarters. Occasionally we'd have a game without a home for a few days, in the garage. I remember once we had a Spirit Of 76 in the garage when I was set to go to camp for 2 weeks. I came back after 14 days and my dad put it in a location on the 13th day. Crap.

4. What is you favorite“game” movie or video?

I don't know about favorite, I have many I like. Game- Could be anything pinball from Late Solid State era to early EM. Movie- Pink Floyd's The Wall. Video- Pink Floyd, Delicate Sound Of Thunder. I see a trend here....

5. Why virtual pinball? Why not just stick with the real pinball tables?

I dont think Rukia would let me have all those games in the house. When I make my first Million, it'll be the first thing I do. Note: This may take some time....

6. Why even bother taking this to the internet as a website?

It's the next step in my evolution. When I started with vp, I could barely work a computer. My friend Marc came over and explained the concept of subfolders. That's where I was in 2009. I thought to myself, "I know enough to make the games work, but I'll probably never know enough to create my own". Since then I have what, 10 or 11 tables, and templates? I also have friends that email me when they're stuck with coding. Having my own site was fun when I wasn't good at VP tablemaking. And yes, it can be a bit of an ego boost to be able to display your own works. But mainly it's a place to hang out and display my stuff, and have others do the same. The orignal Yolasite was done with all widgets- for dummies. I've wanted to update the Yolasite to be more like a real site for some time now. I guess I was a bit inspired by the fast growth of VPF a bit. But finding out after the fact that VPF.com was gone (before my time) people had nowhere to go to. So I guess it was an easy sell too. Given those conditions, any decent site would have sufficed.

7. What is your favorite real pinball game to play?

All of them!! Typiclly I like Late EM's, and early SS, say about 1974- 1990, give or take. I've even played some woodrails for fun. I like an uncluttered playfield. I don't want the ball spending half it's time where I can't see it. Contrary to public belief, I don't mind some ramps, and toys. High Speed 2 is a great example of how you don't need a lot of objects on a playfield to be a great game. Placement of objects is at least as important if not more important than how many there are.

8. What is your favorite virtual pinball game to play?

Essentially the same. The VP program plays great. I just like to hear all the same sounds that the originals had.

9. Which do you like better, creating original virtual pinball games, or doing virtual recreations of real games?

Originals. I hate recreations because I'll want to add this, and wait, this doesn't have that. Crap, well it should have. I hated doing Ice Fever, yet it's one of my most popular and well made games. I did that one as a favor to Wildman. If you look at my originals, most are my "what if" versions of recreations. (Flash2, Quicksilver). I hope Quicksilver turns out great because I'm actually talking to Stern about potentially making that one real.

10. How do you see the future of the pinball machine? Do you think that technology will become advanced enough for it to survive?

I'm not sure, it'll probably be about the same as now. Pinball is a hands on tangible sport. It's almost like building something with your own two hands- you made that happen. Nothing else compares to that with me, but then again I'm old, old school.

11. If you could own only one real pinball machine, what would it be and why?

Hmm, so many. Flash, Quicksilver, Flight 2001? Any one of those. I've already owned Lost World, StarTrip, Silverball Mania, Meteor, Grand Lizard, Space Invaders, and some others (separately).

12. A pinball machine is built based on you; what's the name/title of the machine?

Didn't Bally already make Wizard?? lol.

13. Do you have a philosophy by which you live?

Follow your dreams, you can reach your goals, (Squinting eyes) BEEFCAKE, BEEFCAKE!!

14. What would you say is your life's defining moment?

I'm not really sure. Everything seems to go on as an extension of the last thing that happened.

15. If you had only one wish, what would it be?

To have enough money to live the rest of my life on MY terms. I don't need to be rich, just comfortable.

16. What would you like the epitaph on your tombstone to read?

Highscore: Tim Tim Tim.

17. What 'super power' ability would you like to have?

Well, I used to have super strength, but time took that away lol. Really, I used to lift cars until about age 41. Since I got into VP I've become much weaker though, guess I need to get out more lol.

In the television show “Inside the Actors Studio with James Lipton”, Mr. Lipton asked questions of the celebrities that he interviews based on a questionnaire that his mentor Bernard Pivot, (a french celebrity interviewer) used. The following 10 questions are from Mr. Lipton's show.

18. What is your favorite word?

Bonus. Heh.

19. What is your least favorite word?

Work.

20. What turns you on?

A nyphomaniac who owns a liquor store! (jk). Seeing a row of pins!

21. What turns you off?

Having to constantly work.

22. What noise or sound do you love?

Free game solenoid (Knocker).

23. What noise or sound do you hate?

Anything shrill, like squealing.

24. What is your favorite curse word?

Shit. There are so many uses for it. Literally and figuratively.

25. What profession (besides your own) would you like to attempt?

Designer at Stern Pinball.

26. What profession would you not like to do?

Cop.

27. If there is a heaven, what would you like to hear God say when you reach the pearly gates?

Everything is on Free Play.

A final question:
28. Do you have any words of wisdom for us before we end the interview?

Hmm. If you really want to do something, then chances are it's inside you to do it. Even if others think it's impossible. You have to really believe you can do it no matter what. Sheer will is a powerful thing. The minute you think you can't- Game over.
« Last Edit: December 21, 2012, 12:18:05 AM by Itchigo »
Tremble in fear! Behold my Bankai!


Offline faralos

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Re: The Tables Have Turned, Rukia Interviews Me!
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2012, 08:17:25 AM »
nice interview but you left out a few things
like does your significant other approve of your hobby/obsession
when did you two meet and was it pinball related? like at an arcade?
what do you do for a living and does it pertain to pins in any way
(I.T. techie,  programmer, etc.)
and what is your golf handicap since it seems you LOVE to hit the ol' ball around for a while
I am never wrong Once I thought I was
 but I was merely mistaken

Offline Itchigo

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Re: The Tables Have Turned, Rukia Interviews Me!
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2012, 02:11:11 PM »
Do they ever? She's so happy I've come into the 21st century with computers, lol. I believe Hell officially froze over in about 2010 when I stopped asking her questions and she started asking me questions. She plays the cab occasionally, but knows nothing of the coding.

When/where we met has nothing to do with pinball, but I will say I'll never live down that I played pinball on our honeymoon.

My handicap is that I PLAY GOLF. I was never officially handicapped, but my best for 18 holes is 81 on a tough course. Typically, I was around 85 when I was at my best. My swing was not the best (it was much more fluid when I was younger), but it is consistent. If you look at my swing it seems I'm trying to hit it as hard as I can. That's not the case, I have more power than this. But, like this I could literlly hit the ball on the same ballmark on the club at 130 mph. My swingspeed was usually 125-135 mph, but I could exceed 150 if I  was shall we say, not happy.... For comparison Tiger's is a consistent 135 mph. But then he's 10 years younger than me too. He's also taller and has more reach, which gives him that speed ( more clublength= more clubspeed). Generally 1 inch longer clublength = 5 more mph. I should know, I had a clubmaking sidebuisness for a while. All my clubs are handmade, by me. :)

Tremble in fear! Behold my Bankai!


Offline Itchigo

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Re: The Tables Have Turned, Rukia Interviews Me!
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2013, 07:01:02 PM »
Coming soon: An interview with Herweh, creator of the b2s editor!!
Tremble in fear! Behold my Bankai!


Offline Druadic

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Re: The Tables Have Turned, Rukia Interviews Me!
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2014, 09:20:53 PM »
Tim,

You're hilarious  :Yahoo:
RETIRED from VP on 2014.
UNRETIRED from VP as of 07/12/2019.

20+ YEARS as a Visual Pinball author. Wow, how time flies.