# Counter Narratives

**Source:** This Week in Pinball  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2026-03-06  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://twip.kineticist.com/p/counter-narratives

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## Analysis

This Week in Pinball reports on major personnel and IP developments: Melvin Williams has departed Dutch Pinball due to investor-driven ultimatum and joined American Pinball as Creative Director; the Dungeon Crawler Carl IP has sparked unprecedented positive community enthusiasm despite being unconfirmed; Pokémon continues strong sales with secondary market volatility; and Multimorphic confirms no new game announcement at Texas Pinball Festival.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Melvin Williams was forced out of Dutch Pinball by new investors who rejected RAZA production and unfavorable terms — _PinCast team conversations with Melvin; reported in This Week in Pinball with attributed quotes_
- [HIGH] Brian Vincent of American Pinball contacted Melvin 16 minutes after his departure announcement — _This Week in Pinball reporting, Melvin's statement_
- [HIGH] Dungeon Crawler Carl pinball machine rumors have generated unprecedented positive community enthusiasm and purchase intent — _This Week in Pinball website traffic analysis, community engagement observation_
- [MEDIUM] Pokémon is selling well into later 2026 with multiple production runs committed — _This Week in Pinball reporting on rumored production pipeline_
- [HIGH] Secondary market LE Pokémon prices have dropped from high of $32,000 to median $15,500 on Pinside — _This Week in Pinball market analysis citing Pinside data_
- [HIGH] Multimorphic will not announce a new game at Texas Pinball Festival 2026 — _Official Multimorphic statement via Gerry Stellenberg_
- [HIGH] DPX brand is effectively finished; Melvin won't allow another game under that label — _Melvin Williams statement reported by This Week in Pinball_
- [LOW] Anonymous tip claims DCC is not a Barrels of Fun project, but source did not provide follow-up details — _This Week in Pinball received unverified anonymous tip_

### Notable Quotes

> "I'm blindsided by how it happened... I'd never forgive the way he was forced out."
> — **Melvin Williams**, N/A
> _Direct statement about his departure from Dutch Pinball; core to industry personnel shift_

> "The new terms were so unfavorable, he couldn't accept them."
> — **This Week in Pinball (reporting Melvin's words)**, N/A
> _Explanation of the business rupture between Melvin and Dutch Pinball's new investors_

> "I'm cautiously optimistic about Melvin joining American Pinball... If BTTF or RAZA are considered for AP release, I would be excited to see them."
> — **Community comment (attributed as 'Cautiously optimistic')**, N/A
> _Representative of positive but measured community reaction to Melvin's move_

> "This isn't Pokémon fans learning how much a modern pinball machine costs and backing off. This is book nerds who know what a pin costs and want one anyway, because it's a theme that speaks to them."
> — **This Week in Pinball (editorial)**, N/A
> _Analysis of DCC's unique market appeal and challenge to traditional IP strategy_

> "I don't know if I've ever seen this kind of nearly universal positive reaction to a rumored pinball IP."
> — **This Week in Pinball (editorial)**, N/A
> _Observation of unprecedented community sentiment around unconfirmed DCC IP_

> "Tracking actual shipments is the real endgame. I'll happily wake up, coffee in hand, the moment boxes start moving and games start landing."
> — **Community comment (attributed as 'Wake me when something ships')**, N/A
> _Skepticism about American Pinball capability despite optimism about Melvin's involvement_

> "America Pinball will come stronger, with new ideas, fresh titles, innovation. We need that, not the same mediocre stuff from/by Stern."
> — **Community comment (attributed as 'Genuinely excited')**, N/A
> _Hopeful sentiment about American Pinball's future and critique of Stern's recent output_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Melvin Williams | person | Former Dutch Pinball co-creator and designer; departed DPX/Dutch Pinball and joined American Pinball as Creative Director |
| Brian Vincent | person | American Pinball owner/representative who recruited Melvin Williams as Creative Director |
| Dutch Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer; underwent investor change that led to Melvin Williams' departure; continuing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland production |
| American Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer based in Palatine, Illinois; hired Melvin Williams as Creative Director; planning seminar at Texas Pinball Festival |
| Barrels of Fun | company | Pinball manufacturer; speculated (but unconfirmed) to hold Dungeon Crawler Carl IP; designer Karl DeAngelo photographed in DCC costume |
| Multimorphic | company | Pinball manufacturer; confirmed no new game announcement at Texas Pinball Festival 2026; releasing Portal v1.2.3.0 code update |
| Stern Pinball | company | Major manufacturer; Pokémon game performing well with multiple production runs committed; subject of community criticism regarding recent titles |
| Dungeon Crawler Carl | game | Literary IP (book/audiobook series) subject of viral pinball community enthusiasm; unconfirmed pinball machine in development; rumored as potential Barrels of Fun title |
| Pokémon | game | Stern's latest release; defied skepticism about kid-friendly IP; selling strong with Pros hitting locations; secondary market LE volatility |
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | game | Dutch Pinball title; continuing production with delayed toppers (3-month supplier issue) |
| Karl DeAngelo | person | Barrels of Fun game designer; photographed in Dungeon Crawler Carl costume for Halloween, fueling speculation about IP ownership |
| Stemage | person | Audio/music designer for Jersey Jack's Avatar: The Battle for Pandora; leads The Arkadian band doing 80s metal covers of pinball themes |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Manufacturer; created Avatar: The Battle for Pandora with Stemage audio |
| The Arkadian | organization | Band led by Stemage performing 80s metal renditions of pinball themes (Banzai Run, Monster Bash, Swords of Fury) |
| DPX | company | Brand co-created by Melvin Williams and Barry (partner); effectively discontinued after Melvin's departure |
| Texas Pinball Festival | event | Upcoming major pinball event; no new Multimorphic game announcement expected; Melvin and Brian Vincent planning seminar on American Pinball's future |
| MAGFest 2026 | event | Festival where The Arkadian performed metal cover of Banzai Run theme |
| Daniele Acciari | person | Competitive player; won fifth major championship at INDISC |
| Jason Zahler | person | Competitive player; won 2025-26 North American Pinball Championship |
| Noah Crable | person | This Week in Pinball writer; finished second at NAPC, defeated Eric Stone in semifinals |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Personnel moves and industry drama, Unreleased/rumored IP (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Secondary market pricing and collector behavior, Manufacturer business health and strategy, Community sentiment shifts and hype cycles
- **Secondary:** Tournament results and competitive meta, Code updates and game support, Content creation and media (music videos, covers)

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.55) — Positive sentiment around DCC IP potential and Pokémon success; cautiously optimistic about Melvin/American Pinball collaboration; negative sentiment toward Stern's recent output and skepticism about American Pinball's execution history; concern about secondary market hype vs. reality

### Signals

- **[personnel_signal]** Melvin Williams departs Dutch Pinball after investor-driven ultimatum; joins American Pinball as Creative Director within 16 minutes of announcement (confidence: high) — Direct reporting from PinCast conversations and Melvin's public statements; timeline confirmed
- **[rumor_hype]** Dungeon Crawler Carl pinball machine speculation intensifies; Karl DeAngelo Halloween costume photos fuel Barrels of Fun speculation despite no official confirmation (confidence: medium) — Community reaction surge, website traffic spike, Karl DeAngelo costume photos; anonymous tip contradicting Barrels rumor but lacking follow-up
- **[sentiment_shift]** DCC generating rare universal positive community sentiment with genuine purchase intent, attracting non-traditional buyers (book fans rather than nostalgia/IP fans) (confidence: high) — Editorial observation: 'I don't know if I've ever seen this kind of nearly universal positive reaction to a rumored pinball IP'; documented purchase intent behavior
- **[market_signal]** Pokémon LE secondary market prices volatile; asking prices dropped from $32,000 high to $15,500 median on Pinside; unconfirmed high-end sales claims create perception vs. reality gap (confidence: high) — Pinside median asking price drop documented; only one confirmed sale disclosed; eBay confirmed sale at $20,102.01; editorial skepticism about $30,000+ claims
- **[product_launch]** Pokémon game exceeding expectations; Pro models already in locations, multiple production runs committed through later 2026 (confidence: high) — Rumored production pipeline; four Pros already in location tracker; editorial note about defying earlier predictions of failure
- **[business_signal]** Dutch Pinball's new investors rejected RAZA production and existing profit-share agreements; DPX brand effectively terminated as Melvin refuses future games under label (confidence: high) — Melvin's direct statements to PinCast team; tariff uncertainty mentioned as contributing factor
- **[product_concern]** Alice's Adventures in Wonderland toppers facing up to 3-month delay due to display board supplier issue (Cheshire Cat's eyes) (confidence: high) — Official Dutch Pinball supply chain update reported
- **[code_update]** Multimorphic Portal v1.2.3.0 released with enhanced multiball/jackpot mechanics, adjusted scoring, bug fixes (confidence: high) — Official Multimorphic update notification
- **[industry_signal]** Editorial analysis suggests pinball IP strategy shifting beyond nostalgia toward non-traditional, contemporary properties (DCC as proof of concept alongside Pokémon early success) (confidence: medium) — This Week in Pinball editorial: 'We don't have to live in the nostalgia cycle forever... there's room in pinball for new ideas and non-traditional buyers'
- **[competitive_signal]** Daniele Acciari wins fifth major at INDISC; Jason Zahler wins 2025-26 NAPC; Noah Crable (This Week in Pinball writer) finishes second at NAPC after defeating Eric Stone (confidence: high) — Tournament result announcements with attribution to IFPA
- **[content_signal]** This Week in Pinball expanding content (music video rankings, Arkadian coverage); Stemage/The Arkadian producing pinball theme covers at major festivals (confidence: medium) — Publication highlighting band covers and commissioning music video ranking content
- **[community_signal]** Community expresses cautious optimism about Melvin/American Pinball but deep skepticism about AP's execution track record; harsh criticism of Stern's recent output (confidence: high) — Selected community comments: 'Wake me when something ships'; critique of Stern's post-JAWS catalog

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## Transcript

Taking a break from our normal cadence to highlight a submission that came to us from Stemage (you may remember him as the audio/music guy for Jersey Jack's Avatar: The Battle for Pandora). It's a recording of one of his bands (The Arkadian) doing an 80s metal rendition of the theme to Banzai Run at MAGFest 2026, and it's arguably the best version of the song I've ever heard. Stemage leads on guitar, and he wails.
They're looking for other songs to cover (they've also done Monster Bash and Swords of Fury) in hopes of putting together a full set one day. If you have a classic pinball song you'd like to see done up in 80s metal fashion, send me a note, and I'll pass it along!
And if you want a more traditional Song of the Week pick — here's Silversun Pickups, "The Wreckage", another I've had on repeat for a few weeks (and scope the Jack Black cameo), but that I don't know if I'll get to feature here.
Last week, we published our piece on the possibility of a Dungeon Crawler Carl pinball machine, and since then, the pinball community seems to have caught DCC fever. People are discovering the books (and audiobooks), connecting over existing fandom, and getting genuinely excited about a DCC pin. Even outside of pinball fan communities, I see people fired up about this one.
And it's a rare kind of excitement. This isn't Pokémon fans learning how much a modern pinball machine costs and backing off. This is book nerds who know what a pin costs and want one anyway, because it's a theme that speaks to them. I don't know if I've ever seen this kind of nearly universal positive reaction to a rumored pinball IP. I've also seen a lot of people expressing real purchase intent — not the "I'd buy that" passing internet comment kind, but the "how do I get on a list for this" and "I just contacted my distributor" kind. I even put myself on an interest list with Mad Pinball, just in case.
Whoever has this IP, every signal I can see (our own website traffic included) says it has a ton of potential.
Dungeon Crawler Carl, coincidence?
Most people seem to agree it feels like a Barrels of Fun pick. Lending some fuel to the fire are multiple photos of Barrels game designer Karl Karl DeAngelo dressed up as the main character from the books for Halloween. I do want to stress that there's been no confirmation that Barrels has the IP. In fact, I received an anonymous tip that DCC is not Barrels — but the tipster didn't respond when I tried to get more information.
What's most exciting to me about a DCC pin (besides genuinely enjoying my read of the first book) is that it challenges the predominant story of what makes good pinball IP. DCC isn't a nostalgia property. It doesn't have a movie or a TV show (yet). In the grand scheme of licensable franchise entertainment, it's barely a blip on the radar. But if the pinball community can get this excited about a theme like this, what else would they get excited about that we're not even considering — because our collective frame of reference is so narrow? Between DCC and the early success of Pokémon, what this tells me is there's room in pinball for new ideas and non-traditional buyers. We don't have to live in the nostalgia cycle forever.
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As the podcast hosts put it, the split was mostly driven by Dutch Pinball's new investors. After meeting with Melvin, they weren't interested in producing RAZA — nor in splitting profits with him under existing agreements. The tariff situation on US-bound games added further uncertainty. Melvin was given an ultimatum: accept new terms or leave. So he left.
In conversations with the PinCast team, Melvin said he was "blindsided" by how it happened. He'd known about the new investors and welcomed the capital injection, but the new terms were so unfavorable, he couldn't accept them. He said he'd "never forgive the way he was forced out." The DPX brand, which Melvin and Barry created together, appears to be finished — Melvin said he wouldn't allow another game to be produced under it.
The American Pinball offer came fast. Brian Vincent reached out just 16 minutes after Melvin posted his departure announcement. Melvin was keen to stress he didn't leave DPX because of American Pinball — the offer came after. As creative director, he'll oversee all game designs (his own and from other designers), working mostly remotely but traveling to the Palatine, Illinois, factory as needed. He and Brian plan to do a seminar at the Texas Pinball Festival to talk about the new American Pinball.
Meanwhile, Dutch Pinball says existing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland machines will continue shipping, though toppers face an additional delay of up to three months due to a supplier issue with the display board used for the Cheshire Cat's eyes.
Multimorphic Says No New Game for TPF
Multimorphic has established a bit of a pattern for announcing new releases at the Texas Pinball Festival. Not this year, according to their latest official update:
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"Although we launched games before TPF the last few years, the timing was purely dictated by the games being ready to show off. We have some truly incredible things in progress, but they're not yet ready to reveal."
Gerry Stellenberg
They're plenty busy otherwise — batch 4 of Portal game kits is underway, and a new code update (v1.2.3.0) brings enhanced multiball and jackpot mechanics, adjusted scoring, and bug fixes. They'll have a more relaxed TPF presence this year, showcasing existing P3 games and taking pre-orders for their PinGlass+ anti-reflective glass.
Pokemon Keeps Rolling
Speaking of counter-narratives — remember all the people who said Pokémon wouldn't work? That it's just a kids theme? Seems like it's working just fine.
The game is rumored to be sold through well into later this year, with Stern already committed to multiple production runs. Pros are starting to hit locations now (I'm already seeing four in our location tracker), and we've seen a noisy spike in secondary market prices for the LE, with talk of prices hitting $30,000+ for a single game.
About those secondary LE prices — it's really hard to tell what's real and what's podcaster/distributor hype. I see a lot of people talking about crazy numbers, but I don't see a ton of receipts. The closest I've found is a confirmed eBay sale for $20,102.01. On Pinside, the median asking price for an LE has already dropped from a high of $32,000 to $15,500 (not far above MSRP), and there's been only one confirmed sale — the seller was asking about $21,000 OBO, but the final amount wasn't disclosed.
With the exception of a few one-offs in the Pokémon collector space, I have a hard time seeing LE secondary prices reaching the heights of some early predictions. Maybe for very specific numbered machines tied to very specific characters (after all, it only takes one buyer to make a market). Otherwise, it seems a bit suspect.
One of our original writers, Brian Saa, is back with a fun one — a ranking of music videos that prominently feature pinball machines. Brian scores each video arcade-style and crowns a Grand Champion (spoiler: it's Plastilina Mosh's "Human Disco Ball," a video about the emotional bond between a player and their favorite pin). Along the way he surfaces some surprising picks, including a Blackstreet video that's somehow tied for the 29th most expensive music video of all time, and a Yello video that gets disqualified for committing crimes against a Williams machine. A perfect rabbit hole for your Friday.
A Couple of Quick IFPA Updates
Congrats to Daniele Acciari for his fifth major championship win at INDISC, and to Jason Zahler for taking the 2025-26 North American Pinball Championship. Big kudos to our own Noah Crable, who seemingly came from nowhere to finish second at NAPC, knocking out the vaunted Eric Stone in the semifinals. We'll have more complete write-ups from Matt Owen soon.
“I'm cautiously optimistic about Melvin joining American Pinball. Granted, I've not been all that excited about the games from Dutch Pinball (or DPX for that matter) in terms of design, but I would like to see what comes in the future with Melvin and AP. If BTTF or RAZA are considered for AP release, I would be excited to see them. Overall, seeing a good game eventually come out from AP would be great for the industry and the hobby.”
-Selected “Cautiously optimistic.
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“Because enthusiasm is great, optimism is healthy… but tracking actual shipments is the real endgame. I’ll happily wake up, coffee in hand, the moment boxes start moving and games start landing. Until then, consider me in low-power mode - excited in theory, hibernating in practice.”
-Selected “Wake me when something ships”
❝
“Yes… America Pinball will come stronger, with new ideas, fresh titles, innovation. We need that, not the same mediocre stuff from/by Stern … JAWS was their last good game, UXM, KK, FOTE, WDR, Pokemon, all of those fiascos sucked… Stern sucks now!”
-Selected “Genuinely excited”
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“Who TF is Melvin Williams?? Or American Pinball? ”

_(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 0483434a-156b-4ba2-bf65-b0214f9e84df*