# Episde 965v2: "Beetlejuice NOT NEXT...UGH!"

**Source:** Kaneda's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2024-06-06  
**Duration:** 10m 24s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.patreon.com/posts/episde-965v2-not-105697819

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## Analysis

Kaneda issues a mea culpa after incorrectly reporting Beetlejuice as Spooky Pinball's next game, citing two conflicting sources. He discusses the competitive theme-licensing landscape, where manufacturers are aggressively acquiring major IP, predicting stronger themes over the next 3 years. He also reflects on his accuracy track record and commits to only confirming rumors when he has direct visual evidence.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Beetlejuice is coming from Spooky Pinball, but not as the next release — _Kaneda, after speaking with two sources closer to Spooky, acknowledges the game is confirmed but out of sequence_
- [MEDIUM] Spooky's next game is not Evil Dead, Goonies, Sonic, or Beetlejuice — _Kaneda cites an unnamed source who has played the next game_
- [MEDIUM] Pinball manufacturers have been 'gobbling up' major themes due to sales anxiety — _Kaneda cites an unnamed source working at a pinball company_
- [MEDIUM] The next 3 years of pinball themes will be stronger than the last 5-6 years — _Kaneda, based on industry source about theme acquisition_
- [LOW] Jersey Jack Pinball's next game after Avatar may be Harry Potter — _Kaneda speculation in conversation with Jason Knapp; questions if Mark Seiden would be given Harry Potter as his first commercial game_
- [MEDIUM] Stern Pinball has no major rumored game after Pokémon that generates excitement — _Kaneda's observation about the lack of compelling post-Pokémon announcements_
- [MEDIUM] Stern considered making a Hunger Games Pinball game — _Kaneda references this as an example of poor theme choices at Stern_
- [HIGH] Back to the Arcade Future is confirmed for Dutch Pinball — _Kaneda states he was the first to report this after viewing photographic evidence on his phone_
- [LOW] John Wick from Stern is not resonating with buyers despite marketing efforts — _Kaneda's opinion on current game performance_
- [MEDIUM] Multimorphic has two more licensed games in development — _Kaneda, citing Jerry from Multimorphic, notes delivery logistics will be challenging_

### Notable Quotes

> "I just can't believe it that my source is not accurate... now I'm hearing that not only is it not Beetlejuice which sucks because I was ready to go live at 10 o'clock and blast this all over Facebook."
> — **Kaneda**, opening
> _Kaneda's frustration about retracting a confidently-made announcement; illustrates the pressure and excitement around game announcements in the community_

> "Now I'm realizing that these companies are doing a much better job keeping these games a secret."
> — **Kaneda**, early
> _Acknowledges that manufacturers are tightening information control, making industry intel harder to obtain_

> "The most important thing I heard yesterday... everybody knows now if you don't have an amazing theme you're not selling... All of these companies have been gobbling up some of the best themes we're going to see in pinball."
> — **Kaneda**, mid
> _Key industry insight: theme licensing is now critical to sales viability, and manufacturers are consolidating access to major IP_

> "What Stern theme after Pokemon have you heard is coming out that's like gangbusters?"
> — **Kaneda**, mid
> _Critical assessment of Stern's post-Pokémon pipeline; signals concern about their competitive positioning_

> "Stern Pinball was gonna make the Hunger Games? It's like what's happening over in Stern Pinball Inc. marketing department?"
> — **Kaneda**, mid
> _Criticism of theme selection at Stern; implies questionable marketing judgment_

> "You know what happened is the artist who was working on this game, he emailed Zombie Yeti and asked him like, hey, how would you color this game in? And Zombie Yeti just like didn't even respond to the email."
> — **Kaneda**, late-mid
> _Reveals potential friction or communication gaps between developers (Deep Root/Melvin Williams) and the Zombie Yeti artist on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland re-engineering_

> "I do apologize if you're a Beetlejuice fanatic and you sold the game last night at midnight, but chances are no harm, no foul."
> — **Kaneda**, late
> _Acknowledges potential real-world impact of his misinformation on collectors/players making trading decisions_

> "I need to stop confirming something unless I seen it with my own eyes... When I confirmed Guns and Roses, I had it in my phone. When I was confirming Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, I was looking at photos."
> — **Kaneda**, late
> _Kaneda commits to higher standards for confirmation, establishing a personal credibility benchmark: direct visual evidence only_

> "The only thing that makes us go OMG is when a new game comes out that's built on a theme we love, and it does something new and innovative that shocks us."
> — **Kaneda**, late
> _Defines what drives community excitement: thematic appeal + mechanical/design innovation_

> "I think this might be a little bit of a holding pattern month. And I think the dam is going to break starting in July as we get new moves from Stern Pinball."
> — **Kaneda**, closing
> _Market timing prediction: expects announcement/release surge in July_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Kaneda | person | Host of Kaneda's Pinball Podcast; industry insider and rumor source; issuing mea culpa for false Beetlejuice confirmation |
| Jason Knapp | person | Pinball media figure; was in discussion with Kaneda about JJP's next game; appears to be editor/operator of Knapp Arcade or related platform |
| Mark Seiden | person | Jersey Jack Pinball designer; designed Avatar; Kaneda questions if Harry Potter would be his first commercial game |
| Melvin Williams | person | Re-engineering Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Deep Root's Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland) on arcade hardware |
| Zombie Yeti | person | Artist associated with Deep Root Pinball games; did not respond to email about coloring Alice's game; known for distinctive artwork |
| Franchi | person | Artist working on Beetlejuice game art package for Spooky Pinball |
| Jerry | person | Representative or contact at Multimorphic; has two more licensed games in development |
| Spooky Pinball | company | Manufacturer; Beetlejuice is confirmed but not next release; actual next game identity unknown; tightening information control |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Manufacturer; Mark Seiden's employer; Kaneda speculates about next title after Avatar (possibly Harry Potter); expected to announce next major game |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer; Pokémon confirmed; post-Pokémon pipeline lacks exciting themes per Kaneda; potential reissue of Metallica on Spike 3; lost Indiana Jones license |
| Dutch Pinball | company | Manufacturer; confirmed to be making Back to the Arcade Future (per Kaneda's early reporting with photo evidence) |
| Deep Root Pinball | company | Original developer of Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland (John Papaduke design); game being re-engineered by Melvin Williams on arcade hardware with Zombie Yeti art |
| Multimorphic | company | Manufacturer; has two more licensed games in development per Jerry |
| American Pinball | company | Manufacturer; context suggests competitive landscape and theme licensing environment |
| Beetlejuice | game | Spooky Pinball title; confirmed but not next release; Kaneda incorrectly reported as imminent; Franchi working on art |
| Back to the Arcade Future | game | Dutch Pinball game; confirmed by Kaneda with photo evidence; upcoming release |
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | game | Dutch Pinball game; priced $14,000-$15,000; Kaneda questions sales viability; concerns about Zombie Yeti non-response; timing with other releases uncertain |
| Pokémon | game | Stern Pinball title; confirmed (30th anniversary); co-designed by Jack Danger and George Gomez; major release expected; rumored variants (Charizard, Pikachu) |
| Harry Potter | game | Rumored Jersey Jack Pinball title; Kaneda speculates this may be Mark Seiden's first commercial game but expresses doubt |
| John Wick | game | Stern Pinball title; Kaneda criticizes as not resonating with buyers despite marketing effort |
| Funhaus | game | Stern Pinball title with 2.0 conversion kit; priced ~$10,000; Kaneda criticizes poor Rudy voice acting and mixed reception; originally $4,000-$6,000 |
| Guns and Roses | game | Past Stern release; Kaneda previously confirmed with photo evidence on his phone |
| Jack Danger | person | Co-designer of Stern Pokémon game |
| George Gomez | person | Co-designer of Stern Pokémon game |
| Avatar | game | Jersey Jack Pinball flagship title designed by Mark Seiden; released 2024 |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Game announcement accuracy and rumor sourcing, IP licensing strategy and theme consolidation by manufacturers, Spooky Pinball's next unreleased title, Jersey Jack Pinball's next game after Avatar, Stern Pinball's post-Pokémon pipeline and theme selection
- **Secondary:** Information control and secrecy at manufacturers, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland commercial viability, Current market lull and anticipation for summer announcements

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.45) — Kaneda expresses frustration and embarrassment about the false Beetlejuice claim, but also enthusiasm about theme quality improvements and upcoming games. He's critical of Stern's choices (John Wick, Funhaus, Hunger Games) but optimistic about the broader industry landscape. There's underlying anxiety about market conditions (sales anxiety mentioned) balanced by excitement about 'the dam breaking in July.'

### Signals

- **[rumor_hype]** Kaneda retracts confident Beetlejuice confirmation after consulting with two sources, one closer to Spooky. Acknowledges the game is real but not next in sequence. Reflects broader challenge of information accuracy in fast-moving pinball landscape. (confidence: high) — Direct statement: 'I just can't believe it that my source is not accurate... I got hit up by another source who's even more close to Spooky Pinball'
- **[machine_intel]** Spooky's next unreleased game is not Evil Dead, Goonies, Sonic, or Beetlejuice. Identity unknown but has been playtested. Manufacturers tightening information control. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'someone who's played the next game that it is not Evil Dead, it is not Goonies, it is not Sonic, and it is not Beetlejuice... these companies are doing a much better job keeping these games a secret'
- **[licensing_signal]** Manufacturers aggressively acquiring major IP themes due to sales anxiety. Industry source indicates strong themes are now critical to viability; 3-year outlook for theme quality significantly improved over last 5-6 years. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'if you don't have an amazing theme you're not selling... All of these companies have been gobbling up some of the best themes... next three years of pinball, the themes we're gonna get are better than the last arcade like five to six years'
- **[market_signal]** Pinball game viability now heavily dependent on IP/theme quality. Mediocre themes face uphill sales battle despite high prices ($7,000-$15,000+). (confidence: medium) — Industry source via Kaneda: 'if you don't have an amazing theme you're not selling'
- **[product_concern]** Alice's Adventures in Wonderland re-engineering by Melvin Williams: artist requested Zombie Yeti's involvement/feedback but received no response. Kaneda expresses concern about code quality, animations, and overall viability. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'The artist who was working on this game, he emailed Zombie Yeti and asked him like, hey, how would you color this game in? And Zombie Yeti just like didn't even respond to the email... what's the code gonna be what are the animations gonna be is this game gonna be worth it?'
- **[machine_intel]** Jersey Jack Pinball's next game after Avatar potentially Harry Potter. Kaneda and Jason Knapp speculating, but Kaneda questions whether Mark Seiden (first commercial game) would be given such a major IP. (confidence: low) — Kaneda: 'Are they gonna give Mark Seiden in his first commercial game, they're gonna give him Harry Potter when he's never made a commercial game before? I don't know, maybe'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Community enthusiasm for Stern's post-Pokémon pipeline appears weak. Kaneda questions what Stern theme after Pokémon generates excitement; notes lack of 'gangbusters' announcements. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'is there any Stern rumored game after Pokemon that people are even excited about... what Stern theme after Pokemon have you heard is coming out that's like gangbusters'
- **[product_concern]** John Wick (Stern) failing to gain traction despite marketing. Funhaus 2.0 at $10,000 seen as poor value with mixed reception (voice acting issues). Junin Pinball described as terrible. (confidence: low) — Kaneda: 'John Wick... it's never gonna catch on... Funhaus... there's a reason they're not showing you any gameplay... Rudy's voice is all weird... people don't love it'
- **[market_signal]** Kaneda predicts June-July announcement surge ('dam is going to break starting in July') after current 'holding pattern month.' Expects Stern new moves and Alice AWL interest reignition. (confidence: low) — Kaneda: 'I think this might be a little bit of a holding pattern month. And I think the dam is going to break starting in July as we get new moves from Stern Pinball'
- **[personnel_signal]** Mark Seiden's first commercial game at Jersey Jack (Avatar) was successful; speculation about what major IP he might receive next raises questions about JJP's strategy and faith in him. (confidence: low) — Kaneda's question: 'Are they gonna give Mark Seiden in his first commercial game... Harry Potter when he's never made a commercial game before?'
- **[content_signal]** Kaneda publicly commits to higher confirmation standards: only announce games when he has direct visual evidence in hand. Reflects on 10-year track record and establishes new personal threshold (photo/in-hand proof required). (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'I need to stop confirming something unless I seen it with my own eyes... When I confirmed Guns and Roses, I had it in my phone. When I was confirming Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, I was looking at photos'
- **[business_signal]** Implied consolidation of major IP themes among manufacturers driven by sales pressure. Suggests elevated competitive tension and finite pool of blockbuster IP available. (confidence: medium) — Industry source via Kaneda: 'all the anxiety around finding sales... everybody knows now if you don't have an amazing theme you're not selling... companies have been gobbling up some of the best themes'

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## Transcript

 Some people call me Maurice. No, Kaneda was wrong. What is going on here with these rumors? I'm so upset right now. I was so excited about my Beetlejuice confirmation. And ladies and gentlemen, if you heard who I heard this from, you would realize why I was ready to stamp this confirmed. It's coming out next. It made total sense. We know that Franchi's been working on the art package. They're working on this game and it's coming, but I just can't believe it that my source is not accurate. And the reason why I know it's not happening next is then I got hit up by another source who's even more close to spooky pinball. And now I'm hearing that not only is it not Beetlejuice which sucks because I was ready to go live at 10 o'clock and blast this all over Facebook. What sucks is, I'm also hearing from someone who's played the next game that it is not Evil Dead, it is not Goonies, it is not Sonic the Hedgehog, and it is not Beetlejuice, then what the heck is it? And now I'm realizing that these companies are doing a much better job keeping these games a secret. You know, I used to be much more spot on with these damn rumors, but man, now I'm even more excited because it could be anything. In the meantime, I'd like to thank all of the viewers who have supported me throughout this podcast. I'm so happy to be back with you all, but I'm also so excited to be back with you all again on the podcast. I was talking about Alice in Wonderland, and now Kaneda has to do a Mia Coppa podcast. I took the other podcast down because it's not accurate. And so you know I'm talking with Jason Knapp back and forth this morning and we're talking about what we think is gonna be JJP's next. I think it might be Harry Potter, but then you think about it. Are they gonna give Mark Seiden in his first commercial game, they're gonna kick him Harry Potter when he's never made a commercial game before? I don't know, maybe. It's just getting crazy. All I know is this, each and every one of us, we're hungry. We are hungry. The most important thing I heard yesterday, and this is more important than even me messing up the order of when you're gonna get Beetlejuice. Now look you gonna get Beetlejuice from Spooky Pinball but here what the most interesting thing I heard yesterday was and this is from someone who working at a company that making pinball machines and they said Chris what is happening now because of all the anxiety around finding sales is that everybody knows now if you don have an amazing theme you not selling like you not going to sell anything And so all of these companies have been gobbling up. That's the word I heard. They've been gobbling up some of the best themes we're going to see in pinball. And so what I'm hearing now is that the next three years of pinball, the themes we're gonna get are better than the last like five to six years of pinball themes. And heck, they better be better because we've been having such mediocrity and the prices have been through the roof. And we're hearing all these rumors right back to the future. We know that's for certain. We know Harry Potter is for certain. Pokemon maybe, I'm about to get more information today about how Pokemon turned into Foo Fighters so maybe on Pokemon we know that someone has the Sonic the Hedgehog license, we know that Beetlejuice is coming, we know that Alice in Wonderland is coming, do people care? We'll talk about that in a second. We know that maybe Beastie Boys, Top Gun, The Matrix, you know Stern Pinball is the one that after Pokemon I was thinking about this, is there any Stern rumored game After Pokemon that people are even excited about because remember for years we knew jaws was in the rumor mill and at Stern pinball it doesn't feel like they've got something coming next that we've all been waiting for right think about it what stern theme after Pokemon have you heard is coming out that's like gangbusters they lost the Indiana Jones license we're not hearing stuff like die hard and then when you hear stuff like Stern Pinball was gonna make the Hunger Games? It's like what's happening over in the Stern marketing department? The fact that they even thought that Hunger Games Pinball would be successful is absolutely mind-boggling. So people, I've been thrown for a loop. It's been a weird nine hours for Kaneda. I'm not happy. I hate taking down shows. You know me, I hate being wrong. And that's why I'm gonna do another show right now. We talked yesterday about Alice in Wonderland. Is this game gonna sell? The game is available for $14,000 to $15,000 for a John Papadiuk re-engineered game by Melvinwilliams with a Zombietti art package. And I told people yesterday, you know what happened is the artist who was working on this game, he emailed Zombietti and asked him like, hey, how would you color this game in? And Zombietti just like didn even respond to the email And it just got me a little bit nervous because you know if you taking Zombie Yeti artwork and that was always the best part of every J game and then you're gonna just re-engineer a game on top of a foam core game and I know it's gonna have like a magnetic upper flip area but man it's like what's the code gonna be what are the animations gonna be is this game gonna be worth the The game is about to start and by the time this game comes out, it might be running into Spooky Pinball's next game. It might be running into Stern Pinball's next cornerstone. So there's a lot happening. There's just not anything happening right now. Junin Pinball is terrible. It's like all we've got right now is John Wick. No matter how much Stern desperately tries to sell this game, it's never gonna catch on. We've got Funhaus which is not selling. No one's gonna buy this Funhaus for freaking $10,000 because trust me people, there's a reason they're not showing you any gameplay or are confidently standing behind this Funhaus 2.0 kit because it's not that great. Like Rudy's voice is all weird, like people don't love it, it's a mixed bag and now a Funhaus that used to be like $4,000 to $5,000 to $6,000, you're gonna spend $10,000 on one? urglesome dialoguesy-buэgj 의미니 정도믹 앞 construction 뉴스 finals if they call up the standards questionnairelettewe advancedthis and theathewaythaththe massive urgencyinjeuly." I think now would have been a good time to come out with Alice in Wonderland cuz it's a little bit of a lull and then we're waiting like we are in a holding pattern like what's the next big move from freakin JJP I think that's gonna be the big one until we get to Back to the Future I don't think there's gonna be anything from Stern that really blows us away if it's Spike 3 and a rerun of Metallica on Spike 3 I don't think it's gonna be that exciting I'll explain why because it's still It's still gonna be a game we've seen for so long. And even though they polish it or enhance it a little bit, it's not gonna be like OMG, because the only thing that makes us go OMG is when a new game comes out that's built on a theme we love, and it does something new and innovative that shocks us And I think everyone just waiting And I mean it When I said Beetlejuice from Spooky was next I know a lot of you were excited and trust me it is coming it is coming now I don know exactly what next and in the future I got to get better at this man I got to get better I still a work in progress or I been doing this for 10 years my problem is I need to stop confirming something unless I seen it with my own eyes like right it just a rumor until I seen it like when I confirmed Guns and Roses, I had it in my phone. When I was confirming Alice in Wonderland, I was looking at photos of Alice in Wonderland in my phone. When I confirmed that Dutch Pinball before anybody else, I was the first one to tell you Dutch Pinball had Back to the Future. That's because I was looking at something in my phone. And so I do apologize if you're a Beetlejuice fanatic and you sold the game last night at midnight, but chances are no harm, no foul, and we're going to keep doing this. And I'm just going to get a little bit I don't need to get a lot better. You know, there's not much competition in the pinball podcasting space. Everybody else is making like $400 a month and we're crushing it and we're going to get better. And I'm going to have more rumors and scoops and news for you guys throughout the week. And maybe I can just like make the excuse for baby brain because I'm up every few hours during the day, you know, doing diapers and milk and babies, but it's okay. It's okay. Everybody, more to come, more to come. I think for all of us, I think this might be a little bit of a holding pattern month. And I think the dam is going to break starting in July as we get new moves from Stern Pinball. I think we might finally get Pulp Fiction LE. I think Alice in Wonderland is going to have to start showing something to get people interested in that game. And you know, a lot's coming again. All these major properties have been gobbled up by these pinball manufacturers. I know that Jerry over at Multimorphic has two more licensed games I'm not even gonna be able to unbox it because the guy delivering it has to take it out of the box to put it in the box.arshop NA PorkAANIAX, I'm Aatoou, I'm D� från

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 03530e46-a9d2-4bc5-9e2e-a69dc145a99e*