# D&D pre-release news!

**Source:** Don's Pinball Podcast (patreon feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2025-01-03  
**Duration:** 5m 54s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.patreon.com/posts/d-d-pre-release-119185701

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## Analysis

Don Garrison shares pre-release exclusive information about Dungeons & Dragons pinball ahead of its official reveal, revealing Michael Dorn (Worf from Star Trek: TNG) will provide voice callouts and detailing the dragon mechanism's emerging-from-cave functionality. He also discusses upcoming major releases including rumored Ghostbusters remaster, King Kong, Harry Potter, American Pinball's spring title, Dune from Barrels of Fun, and Spooky's year-end release, while announcing a Metallica launch party featuring designer John Borg.

### Key Claims

- [MEDIUM] Michael Dorn (Worf from TNG) will provide voice callouts for Dungeons & Dragons pinball — _Don Garrison describing 'secret information' that 'drifted into the ether' about D&D voiceover talent_
- [MEDIUM] Dragon mechanism uses T-Rex style movement, shoots balls as fire, and emerges from a cave — _Don Garrison reporting details about dragon mech functionality from pre-release intel_
- [HIGH] D&D reveal scheduled for 10am dealer call and 11am public reveal, central time — _Don Garrison stating official schedule for reveal on date of podcast_
- [MEDIUM] Ghostbusters remaster with LCD screen is 'highly likely' in development — _Don Garrison characterizing as 'highly likely rumor' based on unspecified sources_
- [HIGH] Harry Potter pinball game scheduled for March release — _Don Garrison stating March release date as part of pipeline overview_
- [MEDIUM] American Pinball has a spring game 'rumored to be based on a video game franchise' — _Don Garrison citing contact confirmation of spring launch without specifics_
- [LOW] Dune pinball rumored from Barrels of Fun as follow-up to Labyrinth — _Don Garrison describing as rumor without attributed source_
- [HIGH] Evil Dead production limited to 888 units — _Don Garrison stating production limit for Spooky's Evil Dead_
- [HIGH] Spooky Pinball currently has four games on production line — _Don Garrison discussing current Spooky pipeline_
- [HIGH] John Borg designed Metallica, Antiquity, Rush, and Kiss pinball games — _Don Garrison introducing John Borg at upcoming Metallica launch party event_

### Notable Quotes

> "The little hummingbirds have hummed me that."
> — **Don Garrison**, early
> _Colloquial reference to how pre-release information leaked to him; establishes source credibility claim_

> "I'm going to try to avoid new in box pinball purchases for 2025 we will see how quickly I probably renege on that"
> — **Don Garrison**, mid
> _Self-aware humor about collecting impulse; signals market conditions driving purchases despite restraint_

> "There is absolute bangers coming, Emma."
> — **Don Garrison**, mid
> _Expresses strong enthusiasm for 2025 release pipeline; signals positive market sentiment_

> "if i was going to sell one of them i think it would be looney tunes i don't want to sell Looney Tunes, but I would sell Looney Tunes before I'd sell TCM. Take that to the bank and smoke it, right?"
> — **Don Garrison**, late
> _Comparative preference signal between two recent major releases; indicates TCM has stronger perceived staying power_

> "I think tcm has the staying capacity and if i was going to sell one of them i think it would be looney tunes"
> — **Don Garrison**, late
> _Market signal about game longevity and secondary market preferences between contemporary releases_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Don Garrison | person | Host of Don's Pinball Podcast; sharing pre-release exclusive information and industry pipeline updates |
| Michael Dorn | person | Actor known as Worf from Star Trek: The Next Generation; reportedly providing voice callouts for D&D pinball |
| Emma | person | Co-host or frequent guest on Don's Pinball Podcast; participates in podcast banter throughout episode |
| John Borg | person | Legendary pinball designer; designed Metallica, Antiquity, Rush, Kiss; appearing at Metallica launch party event |
| Dave | person | Spooky Pinball representative or contact; reportedly confirmed upcoming theme announcements as 'absolute bangers' |
| Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye | game | Stern Pinball release with official reveal scheduled for 10am dealer call and 11am public reveal; features dragon mechanism and Michael Dorn voiceover |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of D&D pinball; releasing title with dragon mechanism and emerging cave feature |
| Spooky Pinball | company | Manufacturer with four games in production; Evil Dead limited to 888 units; planning year-end release announcement |
| Evil Dead | game | Spooky Pinball release; production limited to 888 units |
| Barrels of Fun | company | Rumored developer of Dune pinball as follow-up to Labyrinth |
| American Pinball | company | Manufacturer with new game launching in spring; rumored to be based on video game franchise |
| Harry Potter | game | Pinball game scheduled for March release; part of 2025 major release pipeline |
| King Kong | game | Rumored pinball game in development pipeline |
| Ghostbusters | game | Rumored remaster with LCD screen, modeled after Metallica remaster approach |
| Dune | game | Rumored pinball game from Barrels of Fun; positioned as sequel to Labyrinth |
| Metallica (Remaster) | game | Recent Stern release; serves as model for rumored Ghostbusters remaster; launch party event at Microphone Brewing on Jan 10 |
| Texas Chainsaw Massacre | game | Recent major release CE edition; one unit available at secondary market for $8.88k; discussed as having strong staying power vs. Looney Tunes |
| Looney Tunes | game | Recent major release; early favorite in collector community; assessed as having less staying capacity than Texas Chainsaw Massacre |
| Mad Pinball | company | Sponsor of Don's Pinball Podcast; offered exclusive secondary market deal on Texas Chainsaw Massacre CE |
| Microphone Brewing | company | Venue in Chicago hosting Metallica launch party on Jan 10 with John Borg appearance and tournament |
| Jaws | game | Historical reference point for comparison of emerging mechanical features (Jaws mechanism cited as similar to potential D&D dragon cave emergence) |
| Godzilla | game | Historical reference point for building/emergence mechanism design (horizontal mechanism concept referenced for D&D dragon comparison) |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation | product | IP source for Michael Dorn casting; connection to D&D pinball voiceover talent |

### Topics

- **Primary:** D&D pinball pre-release exclusives and mechanics, 2025 pinball release pipeline and upcoming major titles, Dragon mechanism design and pro vs. premium differentiation, Rumored and unannounced games in development
- **Secondary:** Secondary market pricing and collector sentiment, Metallica remaster as design template for other remasters, Spooky Pinball production pipeline and limited editions
- **Mentioned:** Don's personal collecting strategy and New Year's resolution

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.82) — Don expresses strong enthusiasm for upcoming releases ('absolute bangers'), maintains optimistic tone throughout pipeline discussion, and conveys excitement about exclusive pre-release information and upcoming events. Mild self-deprecation about collecting impulse control does not substantially diminish overall positive sentiment about market conditions and game quality.

### Signals

- **[machine_intel]** Michael Dorn (Worf from TNG) voice callouts and dragon mechanism details for D&D pinball revealed as exclusive pre-release intel (confidence: medium) — Don stating 'secret information pre-release' about Dorn voiceover and dragon mech emerging from cave with T-Rex style movement
- **[announcement]** Official D&D pinball reveal scheduled for 10am dealer call and 11am public reveal (central time) on date of podcast (confidence: high) — Don explicitly stating reveal times and describing dealer call vs. public reveal scheduling
- **[rumor_hype]** Ghostbusters remaster rumored in development with LCD screen, modeled after Metallica remaster (confidence: medium) — Don characterizing as 'highly likely rumor' and positioning as remaster approach matching Metallica model
- **[rumor_hype]** Multiple major IP releases rumored for 2025: King Kong, Harry Potter (March), Dune (Barrels of Fun), American Pinball video game franchise game (spring) (confidence: medium) — Don citing multiple unconfirmed titles as part of upcoming pipeline without specific sourcing on most
- **[product_launch]** Evil Dead production limited to 888 units (confidence: high) — Don explicitly stating production cap for Spooky's Evil Dead
- **[manufacturing_signal]** Spooky Pinball currently has four games in production line with year-end release planned (confidence: high) — Don noting Spooky has 'four games on the line' and anticipating November announcement of additional theme
- **[market_signal]** Comparative game durability assessment: Texas Chainsaw Massacre perceived as having stronger long-term value retention than Looney Tunes among recent releases (confidence: medium) — Don expressing preference to sell Looney Tunes before TCM, citing TCM's 'staying capacity'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Strong enthusiasm for 2025 release pipeline despite personal resolution to avoid new in-box purchases (confidence: high) — Don stating 'absolute bangers coming' and acknowledging likelihood of breaking resolution; anticipatory tone throughout pipeline discussion
- **[event_signal]** Metallica release party and tournament at Microphone Brewing (Chicago) on Jan 10 featuring designer John Borg as special guest (confidence: high) — Don announcing event details including designer appearance, venue, tournament, and potential additional guest announcements
- **[content_signal]** Don's Pinball Podcast recording live from Metallica launch party event with special guest designer John Borg (confidence: high) — Don stating 'recording live' from Microphone Brewing event and confirming John Borg appearance

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## Transcript

 What's up, Patreones? This is what you come here for. Emma, are you excited for Dungeons & Dragons Pinball tomorrow? Well, let me tell you this. I did hear some secret information pre-release that I want to drop for the Patreon folks right now. And that is, out of nowhere, this Dungeons & Dragons game has a connection to Star Trek The Next Generation. in the form of Mr. Michael Dorn. That's right. The voice of Worf from TNG is going to be doing call-outs apparently for this game. Secret info drifted into the ether. The little hummingbirds have hummed me that. Not just that. I got a little bit more about this dragon mech, which will be the main thing for the game. So apparently, we saw the dragon head move. It looks like it's the T-Rex mechanism, which is awesome. apparently it shoots balls, which a ball of fire spitting dragon is awesome. But not only that, it apparently emerges from a cave. I love that idea. Hopefully it's, you know, not just a static figure. I could see this as being a differentiation between the pro and premium. Whereas on the pro, the dragon's there, the dragon spits balls, the dragon moves its head, but the dragon doesn't go and hide away into a cave. And I don't know if this is like a cave in the play field where like, similar to the Jaws mechanism where it would come up or if this is like maybe the Godzilla building mechanism like kind of horizontal where it can emerge at the player from a cave I think that would be completely awesome but how fun would that be we know there's probably going to be these stand-up targets that you're going to have to hit maybe the premium would have drop targets instead of stand-ups all will be revealed at 10 a.m tomorrow for the dealer call and then 11 a.m tomorrow central standard time Chicago time will be the full public reveal release and then the order banks open am I buying one Emma was your question currently there is no plan to do that because I'm trying to exercise caution and and and balance it with my optimism and as a new year's resolution I'm going to try to avoid new in box pinball purchases for 2025 we will see how quickly I probably renege on that there's absolute bangers coming, Emma. There is Dungeons & Dragons, which has been revealed. There is a highly likely rumor of a Ghostbusters remaster coming back out with LCD screen, just like Metallica remastered right there. But Ghostbusters, like done right. King Kong is supposed to be coming out. We're supposed to get a Harry Potter game in March. American Pinball has a game that's coming out in the springtime. I did reach back with some contacts that I have there, and without saying any specifics, They couldn speak to specific employees but they said that everything is in place for a spring launch for their new game rumored to be based on a video game franchise We see We see what happens there But TPF may be interesting what else we got dune is rumored to be coming from barrels of fun their follow to labyrinth holy crap so how do you resist these like mega games and then i don't even know if we're gonna get another spooky release at the end of the year probably we will they currently have four games on the line which is amazing um but you know evil dead they're only doing 888 i guess of those and so they'll probably reveal November something even better because like Dave said that their themes that have lined up are absolute bangers. So what do you guys think of this? Quick little info. I just wanted to drop it and get it out into your hot little ear holes as soon as I could. So that's what we did here. Emma, what do you think of the pinball collection that we have here? All right, let's pass along a deal to all our Patreon members. This just floated to me from show sponsor Mad Pinball. I was like, dude, do you guys have any like deals of the week? you want me to just plug and advertise? And they said, we've got a hot one. We've got a Texas Chainsaw Massacre, one of my new very favorite games that I am not planning on selling at any point, limited to only $8.88. They got one used in on trade with 1,500 plays, and this CE edition, this $10,000 game, can be yours for under $8,000 as a deal that was passed to me at Don's Pinball Podcast. Email Jeff at MadPinball if you're interested. If you want to buy one of those, or if you want to buy one of the future titles, go get a future title. but because he slid that deal to me I want to put it out to Patreon first The next public episode I put it out there again but this is a hell of a game not Win Schilling i love mine i not selling it i love draining the blood on grandpa and i think as more people finally get this game i i think it's going to get some some notoriety kind of late in the game looney tunes was the early favorite i think tcm has the staying capacity and if i was going to sell one of them i think it would be looney tunes i don't want to sell Looney Tunes, but I would sell Looney Tunes before I'd sell TCM. Take that to the bank and smoke it, right? Any words for the children, Emma? We're going to go get some dinner, you guys. I'm going to go put this out real quick. And then, yeah, we're going to go nuts tomorrow with a Stern release. I'm excited. A little bit later on the week, there's a Metallica release party at Microphone Brewing in Chicago. So I'll be there for that recording live with, I just found out, special guest, Mr. John Borg, designer of Metallica in Antiquity and also the remaster, designer of Rush, designer of Kiss, designer of all kinds of stuff from back in the day. It's the Borgster. So there may be some more special guests too that are not announced to me yet, but me and Borg will be hanging out at Microphone Brewing for a Metallica launch party on the 10th and there'll be a tournament as well. So if you're in the Chicago region, come on up, man. Maybe we'll sneak into Stern and go play some D&D while we're there. maybe we'll i don't know i don't know if we can get into ap we'll have to see if they still have um yeah uh availability for that maybe maybe not with what what the new stuff's going on but when i hear more about it i'll get it out to you thanks everybody and let's go get some dindins

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 2b025b4a-db4a-4ba3-b648-1cba7fbb13c1*