# Deep Dive: Metallica PREVIEW

**Source:** Pinball Party Podcast  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2024-05-03  
**Duration:** 6m 14s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://pinballparty.podbean.com/e/deep-dive-metallica-preview/

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## Analysis

A preview segment from Pinball Party Podcast discussing the remastered Metallica pinball machine, comparing Pro and Premium Edition differences including LED inserts, mechanical features (hammer, coffin lock, snake magnet, rising Mark Cross), and spinners. Hosts also discuss broader market concerns about recent Stern releases (John Wick, Venom) and their commercial viability.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Metallica original released in 2013, designed by John Borg with code by Lyman Sheets, artwork by Dirty Donny — _Podcast hosts discussing game details as factual context_
- [HIGH] Premium Edition Metallica has LED inserts that change colors (purple/red) based on gameplay, while Pro edition does not — _Host explaining specific mechanical differences between editions_
- [HIGH] Premium Edition includes hammer, coffin lock with magnet, snake mechanism that opens/closes, and rising Mark Cross feature — _Host enumerating Premium-exclusive mechanical features_
- [MEDIUM] Premium Edition Metallica includes spinners while Pro edition does not, citing pattern also seen in Walking Dead and Guardians of the Galaxy — _Host making comparative design observation about Stern's Pro/Premium strategy_
- [MEDIUM] Jaws Premium Edition is not selling below $9,000 despite being a new, well-regarded game — _Podcast host expressing market concern about premium pricing_
- [MEDIUM] Venom had weak sales and secondary market depreciation similar to what John Wick may experience — _Host comparing market performance patterns of recent Stern releases_

### Notable Quotes

> "who's going to fucking buy it when no one will buy my Jaws Premium Edition that's new for sub $9,000?"
> — **James**, early in segment
> _Highlights market pricing concerns for premium Stern machines despite quality_

> "I just expect this to just thud like Venom"
> — **James**, early-mid segment
> _Expresses concern about John Wick's commercial viability based on Venom's poor performance_

> "The LED inserts are something that I feel like people never remember. The inserts change colors on the Premium Edition and they don on the Pro."
> — **Host**, mid segment
> _Calls out overlooked mechanical distinction between Pro/Premium editions_

> "There is also the other version, right? Because this came out in 2013 and in 2014 you get the LED Pro and the upgraded backbox and speaker panel"
> — **Host**, late segment
> _Documents production timeline and cabinet evolution for Metallica_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| John Borg | person | Designer of original Metallica pinball machine (2013) |
| Lyman Sheets | person | Software/code designer for Metallica pinball machine, noted as 'unforgettable' |
| Donny Gillies | person | Artist (Dirty Donny) credited for Metallica artwork, described as significant departure from clip-art era |
| Metallica | game | Stern pinball machine, original 2013 release, receiving remaster with updated features |
| Jaws | game | Stern pinball machine, recent release, Premium Edition priced above $9,000 but experiencing weak sales |
| John Wick | game | Recent Stern pinball release, hosts express concerns about market acceptance and theme viability |
| Venom | game | Stern pinball machine, cited as market failure example with poor secondary market performance |
| Game of Thrones | game | Stern pinball machine, Premium Edition recently announced, mentioned as context for market saturation |
| Guardians of the Galaxy | game | Stern pinball machine, referenced as example of Pro edition lacking spinners feature |
| The Walking Dead | game | Stern pinball machine, referenced as example of Pro edition lacking spinners feature |
| Iron Man | game | Stern pinball machine, referenced for Vault Edition variants and cabinet differences |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Metallica, Jaws, John Wick, Venom, and other discussed machines |
| Pinball Party Podcast | organization | Podcast producing this preview episode |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Metallica remaster features and Pro/Premium differences, Stern pinball market performance and pricing concerns, Recent Stern releases (John Wick, Venom, Jaws) commercial viability
- **Secondary:** Pro vs Premium Edition design philosophy and feature differentiation, Pinball artwork evolution and designer contributions, LED insert technology and visual design innovation

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.35) — Hosts express enthusiasm about Metallica remaster details and quality of recent Stern machines (Jaws praised as 'really good game'), but heavily tempered by pessimism about market conditions, weak secondary market pricing, and poor commercial performance of similar recent titles (Venom, concerns about John Wick). Underlying tone: quality games failing to sell due to theme/market saturation concerns.

### Signals

- **[product_strategy]** Stern employs consistent Pro/Premium feature differentiation strategy: Premium editions include LED inserts, additional mechanical toys (hammers, magnets, rising mechanisms), spinners, and upgraded backbox/speakers. Pro editions are stripped-down versions. (confidence: high) — Hosts detail multiple Pro/Premium differences across Metallica, Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man
- **[market_signal]** Market resistance to premium edition pricing ($9,000+) evident across recent Stern releases; hosts express concern that even well-regarded games like Jaws Premium are not selling below asking price (confidence: high) — James states 'who's going to fucking buy it when no one will buy my Jaws Premium Edition that's new for sub $9,000?'
- **[market_signal]** Hosts express concern that recent Stern theme selections (Marvel IP saturation, John Wick) may be causing market rejection similar to Venom's commercial failure (confidence: medium) — Host predicts John Wick will 'thud like Venom' and expresses doubt about 'people down on' the theme accepting the game 'even if it's amazing'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Negative sentiment shift regarding recent Stern releases' commercial viability despite acknowledged game quality; hosts cite Venom as cautionary example (confidence: medium) — Multiple comparisons to Venom's failure, skepticism about John Wick despite high-energy gameplay acknowledgment
- **[product_launch]** Metallica remaster announced with significant mechanical and cosmetic upgrades from 2013 original; includes new toys, LED features, and cabinet variants (confidence: high) — Extended discussion of Pro/Premium differences and cabinet evolution from 2013-2014 production timeline
- **[design_innovation]** LED insert technology used to create dynamic color changes (purple/red) based on gameplay state; described as often-overlooked Premium Edition feature (confidence: high) — Host emphasizes 'LED inserts are something that I feel like people never remember. The inserts change colors on the Premium Edition and they don on the Pro'
- **[content_signal]** Pinball Party Podcast uses Patreon-gated preview clips to drive subscription; this Metallica preview directs listeners to full episode behind paywall (confidence: high) — Closing statement: 'I hope you enjoyed this short preview of one of our deep dive episodes. To hear the rest of this episode... please join our Patreon'

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## Transcript

 Hey freaks and friends, this is James from Metallica. Sup? Check out the Tallica pinball game baby. Yeah! Oh yeah! Well, I just started recording anyways, so deep dive Metallica. But as you were saying, John Wood got announced. And normally we won't go into much of this deep dive. But yeah, who's going to fucking buy it when no one will buy my jaws premium that's new for sub $9,000? I'm so surprised. Jaws is a really good game. It is, you know, John Wick could be amazing. I think it's high energy. Great, great soundtrack. I'm glad that the music is gonna in the trailer for the drop is good. It's high energy. So I think maybe that'll get people excited, but I just don't know how this market is going to accept this game. Even if it's amazing at this point for a theme people are down on, I just expect this to just thud like Venom. I mean, who's going to buy this? Yeah it probably going to thud like Venom but Venom is I would say objectively a better theme So if that can well not a better game I mean it not a good game but hot on the heels of Wick I mean it going to be Metallica redo or reload I hope they call it reload to really be like you know that be that be cool I get that That is very meta Yeah I mean we gonna talk about Metallica now and spoiler C buildings where you are working together on your projects DOUBLE options to see you at The 여러분들 And Discover ComSA Se was iterat הרência Patt tonight with six inversely outdated of the unattractive the trot extra expect rush this is the perfect time it針OD And kn correlate this one oct estructural and responders of the metallic all isnüst optıkt weren't there sockly artifelexitis on but like maybe it's time for like thewest version of it anticipatory king I организ asyin up to bat rug inversely out is 90 So let's just do it. Let's get into it. I mean, like, can you improve this? But we'll talk about that later. Yeah. All right. Well, yeah, you mentioned John Borg, but what's the deets on? Yeah, there's a lot to track about this game. So and we in case everybody didn't know, anybody didn't know, we don't work off notes. So like this is a lot to keep track of. So we'll try to I'll try to be as accurate as possible. But this game came out in 2013. It's John Borg on design and the unforgettable Lyman sheets on software. And this is Donny Gillies (Dirty Donny) art which was a huge deal at the time because this is coming out of some really you know the dregs of clip art like Photoshop clips Week in Pinball installationsviously Play voiced invention WrestleMania PSS Week excuse James Week in Pinball�חנו Week at 애ㄏ exhaustivo Theia This is the pro premium LE era and there is a ton of differences and this is where I'm going to try my best to get them all because it is it is a list because the difference between the pro and the premium LE everyone always kind of tries to usually narrow it down to just that hammer but the reality is it's the premium LE has LED inserts right that change colors it has the hammer and the coffin lock with I'm going to go ahead and get the magnet, the snake that opens and closes, the rising cross, and I'm starting to try and remember everything else. Well, you mentioned LEDs, but the biggest difference, which let's try not to talk about the mods because we'll talk about it later. Yeah, we're trying not to. Multicolored, multicolored GI. The multicolored GI, I think, and this is what I was going to cover in a second. I think the multicolored GI came later on the pro LED, but the it didn't know. No you right No it didn because it was red blue and white But the the LED inserts are something that I feel like people never remember Like the inserts change colors on the premium le and they don on the pro Hmm. Oh, God. So like the the fuel like the piston shot like that will change colors between like purple and red based on what you're doing. Right? Like if it's a sure. Yeah, they just they change colors and they don't on the pro. Uh, yeah, let's, let's, let's not talk about the lights just because we have to talk about the lights later, but yeah, the differences beyond the lights, um, the rising cross, which, well, oh, you missed the spinners. Oh, the spinners. And I was gonna comment on the spinners cause it'll come up later in mods, but yeah, this is also one of the infamous let's not put spinners in the pro game. Like yeah. Walking dead. Just, just well, guardians of the galaxy. Like what are we doing? Like, yeah. There is also the other version, right? Because this came out in 2013 and in 2014 you get the LED Pro and the upgraded backbox and speaker panel, right? Because then it changes to the metal head with the speaker panel with the sticker, right? This is the same as Iron Man Vault Edition differences of where they switched. I hope you enjoyed this short preview of one of our deep dive episodes. To hear the rest of this episode and more, please join our Patreon. Links in the show notes below. We'll see you later.

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 0d75470f-b21b-4081-8a82-9e950002765d*