# 60% Complete **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2006-03-21 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/reruns3.html --- ## Analysis The Pinball Factory's Medieval Madness remake project has received 612 pre-orders out of a required 1,000 threshold by March 21, 2006, with 40 days remaining until the April 31 deadline. The project faces headwinds from limited distributor participation and upcoming EU RoHS regulations that may require replacing lead-based dot-matrix displays with LED equivalents for European-bound machines. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] The Pinball Factory received 612 pre-orders in first three weeks — _Direct reporting of pre-order numbers as of March 21, 2006_ - [HIGH] 1,000 pre-orders required for Medieval Madness remake project to proceed to production — _Explicit threshold stated in article_ - [HIGH] Pinball Heaven offering lowest deposit terms among distributors — _Direct comparison of distributor offerings; noted as potential barrier to US sales_ - [HIGH] EU RoHS regulations effective July 1, 2006 will impact pinball manufacturing — _Regulatory framework confirmed; dot-matrix display lead content cited as specific concern_ - [MEDIUM] Lead-based dot-matrix display tubes may need LED replacement for EU compliance — _Article states 'may have to be replaced' indicating uncertainty about implementation_ ### Notable Quotes > "Following our story on The Pinball Factory's plans to re-make the Medieval Madness game, over 600 orders have been received in the first three weeks." > — **Pinball News**, March 21, 2006 > _Establishes rapid pre-order velocity and market interest in Medieval Madness remake_ > "So far, though, no other distributors have matched the deal offered by Pinball Heaven of a low deposit and this is thought to be holding back a number of potential buyers, especially in the US." > — **Pinball News**, March 21, 2006 > _Identifies competitive pricing/terms as potential bottleneck to reaching 1,000 pre-order target_ > "As it will be made after 1st July 2006, any games imported into the European Union will be subject to the new Requirements of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations requiring the use of lead-free parts, including solder." > — **Pinball News**, March 21, 2006 > _Explains regulatory constraint on Medieval Madness remake production timeline and technical requirements_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | The Pinball Factory | company | Developer/producer of Medieval Madness remake project requiring 1,000 pre-orders | | Medieval Madness | game | Classic pinball game being remade by The Pinball Factory; remake project tracking pre-orders | | Pinball Heaven | company | Distributor offering lowest deposit terms for Medieval Madness remake pre-orders | | Pinball News | organization | News outlet reporting on Medieval Madness remake project progress | | European Union | organization | RoHS regulations jurisdiction affecting post-July 1, 2006 pinball machine imports | ### Topics - **Primary:** Pre-order campaign and crowdfunding model, RoHS regulatory compliance and manufacturing impact, Medieval Madness remake project status - **Secondary:** Distributor competition and pricing terms, Dot-matrix display technology and LED conversion ### Sentiment **Neutral** (0.45) — Factual reporting on project progress with acknowledgment of obstacles (distributor participation, regulatory compliance) but no editorial commentary expressing positive or negative judgment ### Signals - **[business_signal]** Distributor participation limitations and competitive pricing barriers impacting pre-order conversion, particularly affecting US market (confidence: high) — Article explicitly states 'no other distributors have matched the deal offered by Pinball Heaven' and suggests this is 'holding back potential buyers, especially in the US' - **[market_signal]** Strong early pre-order velocity (612 in 21 days) for Medieval Madness remake indicates sustained market demand for classic game reproductions (confidence: high) — Over 600 orders in first three weeks following initial announcement story - **[product_strategy]** Medieval Madness remake pre-order campaign tracking toward 1,000 unit threshold with April 31, 2006 deadline; 612 orders received in first 21 days (confidence: high) — Direct reporting of pre-order numbers and deadline; 60% of target achieved - **[technology_signal]** RoHS regulatory compliance driving potential technology transition from lead-based dot-matrix displays to LED equivalents in EU-market pinball machines (confidence: high) — EU RoHS regulations effective July 1, 2006 requiring lead-free parts; dot-matrix display lead content identified as specific concern area --- ## Transcript Story dated March 21, 2006 . Following our story on The Pinball Factory's plans to re-make the Medieval Madness game, over 600 orders have been received in the first three weeks. The company needs to receive 1,000 orders for the project to proceed to production and with 20 days of the 61 before the deadline of 31st April 2006 gone, the number of pre-orders has hit 612. So far, though, no other distributors have matched the deal offered by Pinball Heaven of a low deposit and this is thought to be holding back a number of potential buyers, especially in the US. Changes in legislation could impact on the game as well. As it will be made after 1st July 2006, any games imported into the European Union will be subject to the new Requirements of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations requiring the use of lead-free parts, including solder. One specific area of concern - and not only for TPF - is the lead used in the dot-matrix display tube. So, for EU-bound games this part may have to be replaced with an LED equivalent. As usual, Pinball News will keep you updated on the project's progress as that magic number of 1,000 gets ever closer. The RoHS issue is also one we will be returning to, as its impact will be felt by many other companies across the globe in the months ahead. Back to the news index Back to the front page _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 0372e6b7-ad4a-4861-baf5-aa7ace015bf5*