# New Pinball Company Trademarks Its Name - And Theme of First Game

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2023-07-26  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/new-pinball-company-trademarks-its-name-and-theme-of-first-game

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## Analysis

Bob Nies, creator of the acclaimed Elf homebrew game, is launching TiltBob Pinball, a new pinball manufacturer. The company has trademarked its name and its first game, Road Trip, a four-flipper widebody with original theme, dual displays, and physical ball kickback. Four playable prototypes are planned for Texas Pinball Festival (March 15-17), with full production to follow.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Bob Nies is the founder of TiltBob Pinball and created the acclaimed Elf homebrew game — _Knapp Arcade article explicitly identifies Bob Nies as 'award-winning maker of the Elf homebrew game' and founder_
- [HIGH] Road Trip will be a four-flipper widebody with original theme, not based on existing movies or pinball machines — _Direct quote from Bob Nies via Knapp Arcade: 'fast-playing, four-flipper widebody with a couple of cool mechs, based upon an original theme. It will not reference any existing movies or pinball machines.'_
- [HIGH] Road Trip features a 27" high-end IPS Gaming Monitor in backbox and a playfield display — _Stated in article: 'The machine will feature both a 27" high-end IPS Gaming Monitor in the backbox and a playfield display'_
- [HIGH] Four finished Road Trip machines will be brought to Texas Pinball Festival (March 15-17) — _Article states: 'TiltBob is in the process of creating four fully finished Road Trip pinball machines that it plans to bring to the Texas Pinball Festival'_
- [HIGH] TiltBob expects to be set up for full production by Texas Pinball Festival — _Article: 'By the time the show arrives TiltBob expects to be set up for full production of the game'_

### Notable Quotes

> "It is a fast-playing, four-flipper widebody with a couple of cool mechs, based upon an original theme. It will not reference any existing movies or pinball machines."
> — **Bob Nies**, N/A
> _Core game design philosophy for Road Trip emphasizing original IP and fast gameplay_

> "The machine will feature both a 27" high-end IPS Gaming Monitor in the backbox and a playfield display. It has an old-school physical ball kickback."
> — **Bob Nies (via Knapp Arcade)**, N/A
> _Key technical specifications combining modern display technology with retro mechanical elements_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Bob Nies | person | Founder of TiltBob Pinball; award-winning creator of Elf homebrew pinball game |
| TiltBob Pinball | company | New boutique pinball manufacturer entering the market; founded by Bob Nies |
| Road Trip | game | First pinball machine from TiltBob Pinball; four-flipper widebody with original theme, dual displays, trademarked title |
| Elf | game | Acclaimed homebrew pinball game created by Bob Nies; established his reputation in pinball design |
| Texas Pinball Festival | event | Upcoming pinball event (March 15-17); location where TiltBob plans to debut four playable Road Trip prototypes |
| Knapp Arcade | organization | Source publication covering pinball industry news; reported on TiltBob discovery via trademark search |

### Topics

- **Primary:** New pinball manufacturer entry, Game announcement and specifications, Homebrew creator transitioning to commercial production
- **Secondary:** Texas Pinball Festival as product showcase venue, Original IP strategy vs licensed themes

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Article is enthusiastic about new manufacturer entry and emphasizes impressive credentials (Elf creator), strong technical specs, and solid production timeline. No critical concerns or negative commentary.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** New boutique pinball manufacturer (TiltBob Pinball) officially entering market with branded trademark and first game title protection (confidence: high) — Two new trademark filings: 'TiltBob Pinball' company name and 'Road Trip' game title; founder provided official confirmation to press
- **[event_signal]** Texas Pinball Festival (March 15-17) selected as formal debut venue for new manufacturer's first game with four playable prototypes (confidence: high) — Article confirms TiltBob 'plans to bring to the Texas Pinball Festival' and 'expects to be set up for full production' by that date
- **[announcement]** Official announcement of first game from new manufacturer: Road Trip, four-flipper widebody with original theme, dual displays, physical ball kickback (confidence: high) — Detailed game specifications provided directly from Bob Nies to Knapp Arcade; trademark filing confirms official IP protection

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## Transcript

Back in April I wrote an article titled "New Mystery Pinball Company Revealed!" It talked about a brand new pinball company that is entering the market, founded by the award-winning maker of the "Elf" homebrew game, Bob Nies. Through a Trademark search I recently found two brand new filings associated with this new Company.

First, Bob and his team Trademarked the Company's name "TiltBob Pinball." Even better, TiltBob also Trademarked the title of its upcoming first pinball machine "Road Trip." I reached out to Bob and he was kind enough to share some details on the company's plans and upcoming game with us.

An official production number or price point have not been announced yet, but TiltBob is in the process of creating four fully finished Road Trip pinball machines that it plans to bring to the Texas Pinball Festival, which is scheduled to take place from March 15th through the 17th. By the time the show arrives TiltBob expects to be set up for full production of the game.

As far as what the game itself will be like, I don't have any pictures that I can share yet but it's packed. It is a fast-playing, four-flipper widebody with a couple of cool mechs, based upon an original theme. It will not reference any existing movies or pinball machines. The machine will feature both a 27" high-end IPS Gaming Monitor in the backbox and a playfield display. It has an old-school physical ball kickback.

I hope to have pictures of the new game that I can share with everyone here sometime in the next month or so. Below is a link to the first article that I wrote about TiltBob Pinball for anyone who's interested.

New Mystery Pinball Company Revealed!

https://www.knapparcade.org/post/new-mystery-pinball-company-revealed

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 21a9a750-6c0d-4ae7-87db-7a473ffa8383*