LLoyd’s World: The tech support stud reveals ALL
For over 50 years SS Billiards has been the epicenter of pinball tech support. That’s because of Lloyd Olsen
“Have I blocked you on Facebook yet?”
That’s the first thing Lloyd says when I walk in with my camera. LLoyd Olsen sits behind the counter at SS Billiards, the Hopkins, Minnesota-based Billiard hall and arcade he’s run since September 20th, 1973. Lloyd’s dog, one in a series of identical-looking pups, is there with him. The little guy flinches when my camera goes off. I don’t catch his name, but it’s clear Lloyd is most concerned with the dog’s opinion and wellbeing above everything else.
If you’ve ever owned a JJP, American, or CGC game – chances are Lloyd has helped keep your game running. As the main tech support for those three companies over the last few decades, he’s amassed more pinball knowledge than you or I will ever learn.
But he’s also something of a firebrand, routinely getting in fights on Facebook and Pinside, which I guess sorta explains the greeting. He’ll help anyone, but he’ll also call anyone an asshole too. It’s that candor, mixed with decades of pinball knowledge, that makes him such a unique character in the pinball community.
We sat down with Lloyd (and his beautiful dog) to talk about a lifetime in the arcades, working in the big leagues, and why he doesn’t worry about a downturn in the pinball market.
How did you first get involved with pinball manufacturers?
“Back when it was Bay Area Amusements — Rick Bartlett approached me. What year is this? Oh, man... I don't write these things down and I should, but it's probably 20 years ago. The Mid-2000s.
Rick had his Bay Area Amusements and the forum on there, and he asked me if I'd help out on that. He wanted to pay me. I said, well, why don't we just start out and see where it goes? Because it might lead to something. And if not, we're grown men. If it gets to be a job, we can talk money then.
That’s kind of how the pinball community was then, right? Small. It’s not built up like it is now. That 2000 to 2010 decade — worst decade ever in pinball. Gary Stern is a hero. He kept pinball alive. People think when Williams shut down you could get every part for every game. No. Once the 13% overrun of custom parts was gone, it was gone. Stern kept things going when nobody else could.
Eventually Rick and Matt Cristiano took what they had and started Planetary Pinball Supply. And then when they unveiled the Medieval Madness project at Expo — I was already doing a seminar. Rick wanted me there. That night, I met with him and Doug Duba. They told me they wanted me.
So that’s how CGC started for you?
“Yeah, they were showing off some stuff — holograms from Creature from the Black Lagoon, and then Medieval Madness. I was there anyway, and Rick wanted me around. That night, they told me they wanted me for support. Been with them ever since.”
How did Jersey Jack come into the picture?
“That was 2013. May 13. I wrote it down because I kept forgetting the date.
Jack had started a Wizard of Oz forum on Google, and he put me in there to help keep an eye on it. One night, he posted that they needed a guy for tech support. Within a few seconds, I posted — ‘me, me, me, me, me.’
But then I realized — oh, sweetie — he wanted someone in the factory. And by then, the ball was rolling. A bunch of other people were responding. So I posted again and said, ‘Sorry I butted in, Jack wants someone there.’ Jack told me, ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to be helping anyway.’ Then the next day, Jack did hire me.”
Were you ever in conflict with your other pinball work at the time?
“Yeah, I told him — I said, ‘Wait a second, I’m still with Planetary Pinball. If that’s a problem, we need to talk now.’ Because I wasn’t going to dump somebody I’m loyal to. Jack was okay with that.”
How did it feel when JJP moved from New Jersey to Chicago?
“Once they moved accounting to Miami, I knew the clock was running. They got rid of Butch, then about a half year later, me.
But it made sense. All their important people were in Chicago. Ted E., Keith Johnson, Eric Jr., electrical — the guys you can’t live without were already there. When the lease was up in New Jersey, they moved. That way, if something came up, they could walk onto the floor and deal with it.”
And now American Pinball?
“David Fix at American Pinball has been great to me for 20 years.”
Do you still like playing pinball?
“I suck at pinball.”
How have you seen the hobby change?
“Pinball never had a fad. Video games had a fad. Pinball rode along. Arcades opened up in ’79, ’81, and guys would buy a pinball machine or two just to fill space.
But I think pinball's got a good 20 or 30 year run left. Look at the Lionel train guys — their average age is high 60s, and they’re still dropping big money. It ain’t uncommon at those shows for someone to drop $20,000 cash on the floor. Pinball is like that.”
How did you survive all the up-and-down cycles?
“During the video fad, I was on quarters — not tokens. Everyone else had token wars — 5 for $1, 10 for $1, 20 for $1 — they were already going broke, and then they jumped off a cliff.
I've always had the pool tables too. Pool is a big part of keeping me going. You know, my 30th anniversary party had a free tournament — nobody entered. Pinball and stuff, I’ve had tournaments, had leagues, all kinds of stuff. But pool just never caught on like that.
I’ve seen these seven-year arcade cycles over and over. In the mid-’90s we actually never came out of the last one. But somehow I stuck around. Even during that time I was always helping people online too. That’s how people know me these days — pinside, Google, whatever. You search for pinball help, you're gonna find me.
How do you feel about all the online drama in the hobby today?
“Some people just want to see the world burn. It’s normal to block six or seven people on some of those threads. I look at it like, you can have your say once and I’ll let it go. But you don’t have to be an asshole. Some of these guys don’t even own games. They don’t even intend to buy. They just want to be assholes.”
You’ve worked with so many manufacturers over the years. What’s your secret to staying in their good graces?
“I don’t ask questions I don’t need answers to. If something leaks, it wasn’t me — I wasn’t there. I’m not allowed in the Stern factory anymore. I’m fine with it. Their building, their rules.”
