Roger Sharpe is one of the most idolized people in pinball history. He is the Babe Ruth of pinball when he called his shot in 1976 to help legalize pinball. Roger was considered one of the top players in the world and now his sons are among the top in the world also. He has worked in game licensing and marketing for over 35 years.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:18:55 — 90.3MB)
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [0:24] Jeremy’s introduction of Roger Sharpe, pinball businessman and legend.
- [1:40] Why Roger gets emotional talking about his life and career.
- [4:15] When Roger’s sons began to beat him at pinball.
- [9:30] How a person trains for a pinball tournament.
- [10:35] The proudest or most successful licensing deal Roger has done.
- [13:00] The difficult, long process of completing a licensing deal.
- [22:51] Why Roger’s success was not about having a track record.
- [26:23] The mechanics of setting up a licensing deal.
- [50:12] Roger’s lowest and highest moments.
- [56:30] Getting in touch with difficult people to find.
- [1:05:40] Giving advice and confidentiality with clients.
In this episode…
This conversation with Roger Sharpe, pinball legend and successful licenser of pinball games is a treasure trove of insights about the backstory of licensing products and the outlook one has to have in order to get the deals made.
Roger’s career has spanned quite a stretch of history when all kinds of things changed, and he’s endured them all, pivoting to adapt his skills and knowledge to help license video games and other entertainment systems for his entire career.
On this episode of Inspired Insider, Roger shares how he did what he did for the sake of his belief in his cause, and how he believes that if anything in life is worth it, then you work to make it worth it. Roger gives everything he has to everything he gets involved with. Find out how you can adopt that attitude on this episode.
Roger also shares his lowest moment, the loss of his father, and the impact that had on him and the direction his life took. His highest moments revolve around the birth and growth of his sons and the amazing things he’s been able to accomplish in his career.
Resources Mentioned on this episode
- Steve Larson
- www.IFPApinball.com
- GQ Magazine
- Roger’s book.
Drunk History resource mentioned: