# Episode 684: "Will The Wait Ever End?"

**Source:** Kaneda's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2022-06-07  
**Duration:** 27m 4s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-684-will-67467641

---

## Analysis

Kaneda reflects on prolonged industry stagnation caused by supply chain issues and manufacturing delays across boutique manufacturers, particularly Jersey Jack Pinball's unannounced next title. He critiques unsustainable pricing inflation, questions whether the market can absorb 12 competing manufacturers, and argues that community enthusiasm is waning without consistent new releases. The episode shifts into philosophical territory, encouraging collectors to reconsider excessive spending and find fulfillment beyond acquisition.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Jersey Jack Pinball is the only manufacturer currently releasing new games, with no announcement or visibility on their next title despite expectations around Buzz Lightyear movie timing (February 17, 2022) or Pintastic (late February) — _Direct observation of lack of marketing activity compared to Guns N' Roses launch; distributor feedback confirming uncertainty_
- [HIGH] Only three new in-box games currently available for immediate purchase: Halloween, Ultraman, and Legends of Valhalla — _Market survey of available inventory as of mid-February 2022_
- [MEDIUM] Heighway Pinball (Fathom) is manufacturing at approximately two games per week, insufficient pace to meet year-end delivery commitments — _Industry gossip based on limited Fathom sightings; not independently verified_
- [HIGH] Cactus Canyon Limited Edition orders opened October 2021 with no units delivered by mid-February 2022 — _Public order timeline and lack of shipping announcements_
- [HIGH] American Pinball failed to secure Sonic the Hedgehog license; David Fix provided 20-minute explanation for why on Pinball News podcast — _Direct reference to public podcast appearance; plans described as 'spoiled'_
- [HIGH] Todd Tuckey announced he will sell Jersey Jack Pinball's next Collector's Edition for $20,000 without knowing MSRP, theme, or production volume — _Facebook Live appearance cited; direct quote of stated price_
- [MEDIUM] Stern Pinball releases new games approximately every four months, providing primary momentum for hobby excitement — _Stated as industry standard observation; not independently verified but widely accepted_
- [HIGH] Eight thousand Limited Edition units is 'a lot' and significantly less exclusive than historical 250-500 unit runs — _Opinion on production volume trends; factual observation of published production numbers_

### Notable Quotes

> "Without Stern Pinball releasing a new game every four months, this is pinball, people. Everyone else is absolutely fumbling the ball on the goal line."
> — **Kaneda**, Early episode
> _Core thesis: Stern Pinball carries the entire industry; boutique manufacturers failing to execute_

> "I think there's going to be less interest in like Elite and Collector Edition...when you're really dialed into the pinball experience, you have no idea if you're on a Batman 66 Premium Edition or a Batman 66 Super Limited Edition."
> — **Kaneda**, Mid-episode
> _Prediction of market correction away from premium-tier differentiation; gameplay equivalence assertion_

> "There is absolutely nothing you can buy. The only games you could go get right now if you want a new in-box game would be like three games you probably don't even want."
> — **Kaneda**, Early-mid episode
> _Supply drought quantification; market frustration indicator_

> "It's not that hard to design a pinball machine. It's not. It's really hard to make a pinball machine."
> — **Kaneda**, Mid-episode
> _Core industry reality check; criticizes abundance of designers vs. manufacturing capacity_

> "When the recession hits, and it's coming people, when the recession hits...half of these pinball companies, half of these boutiques that are not executing, they are going to go away."
> — **Kaneda**, Mid-episode
> _Prediction of market consolidation; 12 manufacturers unsustainable_

> "A $25,000 pinball machine is absolutely idiotic if you ask me...you don't even get a topper. You don't even get a topper for a $25,000 Elvira's House of Horrors Premium."
> — **Kaneda**, Later episode
> _Explicit criticism of premium pricing with no value differentiation_

> "The real joy of pinball is the community. It's having fun together with each other and that doesn't cost any money."
> — **Kaneda**, Philosophical section, late episode
> _Core value proposition shift; reframing away from acquisition-based enjoyment_

> "Todd doesn't even know what the MSRP is. He doesn't even know what the theme is. He doesn't even know how many they're going to make, but his price is $20,000."
> — **Kaneda**, Mid-late episode
> _Criticism of dealer speculation and market manipulation on unannounced product_

> "Because boutique pinball has completely misled the community. I think they took a lot of your money. I think they froze your money. And then I think they failed to deliver what they said they were going to deliver."
> — **Kaneda**, Late episode
> _Direct accusation of systematic failure by boutique sector; accountability call_

> "I'm all for supporting boutique pinball. But I think boutique pinball has completely misled the community."
> — **Kaneda**, Late episode
> _Contradiction indicating loss of goodwill despite previous support_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Boutique manufacturer with unannounced next title; subject of extended wait and speculation; primary focus of episode frustration |
| Stern Pinball | company | Industry standard-bearer; releases new games every four months; described as the only manufacturer keeping hobby viable |
| Heighway Pinball | company | Manufacturing Fathom at approximately 2 games/week; production pace insufficient for commitments; limited transparency |
| American Pinball | company | Failed to secure Sonic the Hedgehog license; communication issues with hosts; struggling with Legends of Valhalla production consistency |
| Chicago Gaming Company | company | Producing Cactus Canyon remake; orders taken October 2021, no units shipped by mid-February 2022 |
| Kaneda | person | Podcast host; primary speaker; industry critic; sources information from distributors and personal observation |
| Todd Tuckey | person | Distributor/dealer; claimed JJP next title will be at Pintastic end of February; pre-announced $20,000 pricing for unreleased Collector's Edition |
| Pat Lawlor | person | Legendary pinball designer; designed Willy Wonka; noted for lack of aggressive marketing campaigns unlike Guns N' Roses launch |
| Eric Meunier | person | Jersey Jack Pinball designer; 'held up the other side of the playfield' for unspecified project; contrasted with Pat Lawlor's minimal involvement |
| Jon Norris | person | Designer who worked at Deep Root Pinball; designed Merlin's Arcade (unreleased); proposing Tour de France street-level game design to startup companies |
| David Fix | person | American Pinball executive; appeared on Pinball News podcast discussing Sonic the Hedgehog licensing failure; interview with Super Awesome Pinball Show was recorded but not aired |
| Ryan McQuade | person | American Pinball executive; scheduled for Kaneda's podcast but communication became 'really weird' when David Fix wanted to co-appear |
| Dennis Nordman | person | Designer contracted by American Pinball; game title and release timeline unknown; anticipated to compete with Stern Pinball Toy Story launch window |
| Nitro | person | Unboxed Fathom at Northwest Gaming Show; one of only two visible Fathom units in the wild |
| Aaron | person | Fast Pinball employee; brought Fathom prototype to Northwest Gaming Show for board production purposes |
| Toy Story 4 | game | Jersey Jack Pinball title in development; subject of speculation regarding movie vs. trilogy focus; critical to market momentum |
| Buzz Lightyear | game | Speculated Jersey Jack Pinball next title; expected movie release February 17, 2022; timing pressure for game announcement |
| Cactus Canyon | game | Chicago Gaming Company remake; orders opened October 2021; no Limited Edition units shipped by mid-February 2022; key delivery failure timeline |
| Fathom | game | Heighway Pinball title; only two units visible in wild; manufacturing at 2 games/week; transparency concerns |
| Legends of Valhalla | game | American Pinball title; only game currently available new in-box alongside Halloween and Ultraman; production consistency criticized |
| Elvira's House of Horrors Premium 40th | game | Stern Pinball limited release; criticized as non-aspirational despite $20,000-$25,000 price; lack of topper and value differentiation |
| Godzilla | game | Stern Pinball reference title; used to illustrate gameplay equivalence between Premium and Limited Edition variants |
| Batman 66 | game | Stern Pinball reference title; used to illustrate gameplay equivalence between Premium and Limited Edition variants |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | game | Failed licensing deal for American Pinball; plans 'spoiled' by failed licensing; David Fix explanation on Pinball News podcast |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Supply chain collapse and manufacturing delays, Jersey Jack Pinball unannounced next title / Buzz Lightyear speculation, Unsustainable pricing inflation and market saturation, Boutique manufacturer failures and execution gaps
- **Secondary:** Industry consolidation prediction (recession impact), Consumer behavior shift away from acquisition-based collecting, Limited Edition vs. Premium tier differentiation erosion
- **Mentioned:** Dealer speculation and grey-market pricing

### Sentiment

**Negative** (-0.75) — Deep frustration with manufacturing delays, boutique manufacturer failures, and unsustainable pricing. Shifts to philosophical pessimism about industry health. Early episodes express hope (Todd Tuckey's Pintastic prediction) but conclude with skepticism. Late-episode pivot to life philosophy suggests burnout and disillusionment with hobby business dynamics.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** 12 active pinball manufacturers competing in a consolidation-threatened market; boutique sector failing to execute; recession will force exits (confidence: medium) — Enumeration of companies (Stern, Jersey Jack, Spooky, Chicago Gaming, American Pinball, Heighway, Pinball Brothers, etc.); execution failure pattern noted across sector
- **[community_signal]** Super Awesome Pinball Show recorded interview with American Pinball (David Fix, Ryan McQuade) but declined to air; possible Pinball News podcast scooping conflict (confidence: medium) — Show format change noted; interview removed; speculative reasoning about Pinball News scooping
- **[sentiment_shift]** Community accountability shift: unwilling to pre-order or freeze capital; demand machines 'new in box and ready to go' (confidence: high) — Direct statement: 'I will buy a pinball machine when it is new in box and ready to go to me'; critique of boutique pre-order model failure
- **[licensing_signal]** American Pinball lost Sonic the Hedgehog license; David Fix provided explanation on Pinball News; plans disrupted (confidence: high) — Direct reference to Pinball News podcast appearance; characterization of plans as 'spoiled'; attempted coordinated interviews with Fix and McQuade failed
- **[market_signal]** Secondary market softening: many machines listed for sale but not selling quickly; price resistance at $9,000+ entry points (confidence: medium) — Observation of Pinside/marketplace listings; inference from discretionary spending pressures (gas $5.50/gallon, dining $150/family meal)
- **[market_signal]** Supply drought: only three new in-box games available (Halloween, Ultraman, Legends of Valhalla); Cactus Canyon delayed 4+ months past commitment; Fathom manufacturing at 2 units/week (confidence: high) — Direct inventory assessment; public order timeline (October 2021); manufacturing rate estimates from industry sources
- **[personnel_signal]** Jon Norris (Deep Root Pinball designer) pitching Tour de France street-level design to startup companies; designer/manufacturer decoupling (confidence: medium) — Facebook post observed; design proposal shown; context of unfinished Merlin's Arcade
- **[market_signal]** Dealer pre-speculation on Jersey Jack Collector's Edition ($20,000 from Todd Tuckey without knowing specs); secondary market inflation unsustainable (confidence: high) — Direct Facebook Live quote; comparison to Elvira's House of Horrors Premium pricing ($20,000-$25,000)
- **[product_concern]** Heighway Pinball transparency gap; two Fathoms visible in wild despite thousands on order; manufacturing pace insufficient (confidence: medium) — Northwest Gaming Show sightings; estimates of 2 games/week production; timeline calculations vs. commitments
- **[sentiment_shift]** Philosophical reassessment: life fulfillment through community and experiences (Tokyo travel, family time) rather than acquisition; pinball machine purchases reconsidered (confidence: high) — Extended philosophical monologue in late episode; explicit statement 'your life will be more fulfilling the less pinball machines you own'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Limited Edition exclusivity erosion: 8,000 units is 'not that limited'; nostalgia for 250-500 unit scarcity; FOMO deflation (confidence: high) — Historical production volume comparisons; opinion stated as observation of market psychology
- **[sentiment_shift]** Community enthusiasm declining due to lack of visibility on Jersey Jack Pinball's next title; no marketing momentum (confidence: high) — Comparison to Guns N' Roses pre-launch marketing; distributor feedback confirming uncertainty; 'each week I get a little less interested'

---

## Transcript

 All right. Well, the wait continues. That is it. That is the story of the pinball world right now. We are all waiting. We are waiting patiently for Jersey Jack Pinball to finally give us their next title. And as we wait, I think many of us out there are really reflecting on the hobby. We're reflecting on our lives, on the world, inflation. The news headlines are always terrible. So it is always fun to retreat to this fun place called pinball, this fun hobby of ours. It's still a niche little hobby. It's not mainstream. It's not going to be on ESPN very frequently. We're not going to get tens of thousands of new people buying these machines every year. It's a small hobby. And so within this small hobby, what makes it exciting is that these manufacturers have really spoiled us over the last like 10 years because we've had a consistent flow of new games. And primarily, it is Stern Pinball that keeps this hobby exciting. Because without Stern, and we're feeling it right now, without Stern Pinball releasing a new game every four months, this is pinball, people. Everyone else is absolutely fumbling the ball on the goal line. And as we wait for the next Jersey Jack pin, I don't know about you, but part of me is just kind of like each week, I get a little less interested in it. Because without knowing when the game is coming out, it's hard to keep your excitement levels high. It's hard to keep your enthusiasm high. Now, some people are like, this is the calm before the storm. And I don't know. I don't even feel that. I absolutely don't feel like there's any momentum. And I really hope Todd Tuckey is right. I really hope that this machine is going to be at Pintastic at the end of June. But right now, we are getting very, very close to mid-June. We're getting very close to the Buzz Lightyear movie. And I know a lot of people are saying, well, they have to get this game out by the Lightyear movie on June 17th. And I just don't know, everybody. I really just don't know. We saw a few teasers from Jersey Jack like last month. But since then, it's just been crickets. So either Todd Tucky is going to be right or Todd Tucky is going to be wrong. But what I do know is this. It just doesn't feel like there's anything happening. Like there's no momentum. There's no teaser. Because I remember before GNR was launched, there were like a few weeks of leading up to it. And we knew it was coming. And we knew there was like a new rocking game from Jersey Jack Pinball. Eric held up the other side of the play field. Now, Pat Lawler does absolutely nothing for his games. Remember, Pat Lawler's Willy Wonka didn't have a great launch video the way Guns N' Roses did. So maybe we aren't going to get any teaser campaign. Maybe they're just going to let the game speak for itself. But I have absolutely no idea now when this game is coming out. I've spoken to some of their biggest distributors. And all of them absolutely have no idea what's going on. So all we can do is wait. And all we can do is speculate. But I will say, from a marketing standpoint, I know they're going to sell every one. But I really wish Jersey Jack Pinball would just give us a sense of when it's going to happen. Now, they don't have to. And here's why they don't have to. Because there's nobody else with anything available right now to even take your money. Like, think about it. What other new in-box game can you buy right now and get by August? There's like nothing. There is absolutely nothing you can buy. The only games you could go get right now if you want a new in-box game would be like three games you probably don't even want. Halloween, Ultraman, and Legends of Valhalla. Now, maybe there are some cactus canyons, but they're not really building those games either. The lack of production, the lack of manufacturing, the lack of new pinball is the story of 2022. When will it end? Will the supply chain open up soon? I hope so. I hope so. Now, when it comes to Tully's story, I mean this. I go to bed at night and I dream about what this pinball machine will be. I'll tell you what my fear is. My fear would be this, that it is based only on the fourth movie. If that's the reality of the game and the game revolves around like Forky, I'm going to be sad. I'll still get it because I love Buzz and I love Woody, but the fourth movie is the least impactful of the films. The fourth film wasn't the one we loved the most. The three together, those first three are the perfect trilogy of Toy Story. In fact, if you remember when Toy Story 3 came out, Pixar said they weren't going to ever make another one. It was like the perfect finale. It was the perfect way to say goodbye to the characters. And we really didn't need the fourth one. Now, if it is based on the fourth one, remember the fourth movie takes place in an amusement park. So it could be a really cool world under glass if they create that amusement park in Toy Story 4. But we'll just have to wait and see. I'm tired of waiting, though. I'm just absolutely tired of waiting. You know, if you're Jersey Jack right now, there's really no pressure to get the game out right now. If you're them right now, all you got to do is get this game out before August. Because you just want to make sure you lock in the orders before Stern turns back on their new machines. Because nobody else has anything going out the door. Isn't it crazy that Cactus Canyon LE is still not on the line? They took Cactus Canyon orders in October of 2021. And here we are mid-June of 2022 and still no Cactus Canyon LEs. Now, I did want to say that I saw the Fathoms that were at the Northwest Gaming Show this past weekend. There was one that Nitro unboxed and one that Aaron over at Fast Pinball brought, which was a prototype game that they used to make the boards for Fathom. So two fathoms were out in the wild I still have not seen any other fathoms being unboxed And I just going to say I think the game is beautiful I know that you owners who are in on this game are really excited to get it All I would like to see is a little bit, no, a lot a bit, more transparency from Haggis on just how many games a week are you going to make. That's all they need to tell people. Now, at this pace, right now, at this pace, what I'm hearing is they are making about two games a week. So that's not really where they need to be if they're going to complete all these games by the end of the year. But look, there's nothing else to say on it. I've been the only podcast that's been covering this. I've been the only podcast that has been saying, look, if you paid in full and you were told your game will arrive in eight weeks, it hasn't happened. But right now, here's where it's at. I didn't pay in full. I'm not a Haggis customer. It's up to the people who bought these games for them to raise Kane and for them to be upset. Now, I bet they're not upset. I bet they've reached out to Damien and whatever he's told them, those gentlemen have found that communication to be satisfactory. And there's nothing left to say. Like again, I think he's going to deliver every game. I do. I think it's going to be a slow burn, and I just don't see how they make money with that big factory making so few games a week. And I hope I'm wrong. I really do hope I'm wrong. Now, here's another interesting thing I saw this week. There is some news. There is a little bit of pinball news. Jon Norris, who's a designer who was over at Deep Root working on Deep Root games, Jon Norris designed Merlin's Arcade over at Deep Root that never will ever see the light of day. He actually put up an interesting Facebook post. He designed a street-level game, which means there's no ramps. It's a single-level game. It's a game that is based on the Tour de France, the bicycle race over in Europe. And he's basically showing the design and saying, this would be a great design for a new startup pinball company to make. And John, I know it must be tough. I know it's hard for all of these designers who have been waiting year after year after year to get something into the market. But I just don't feel like any of this will work. I feel like if you're a pinball designer and you made a single level game based on the Tour de France, you are not going to have a lot of people saying, take my money now. Right now, none of these companies can even make their own products, let alone acquire a new design. I think everyone's realizing right now the reality of pinball is this. It's not that hard to design a pinball machine. It's not. It's really hard to make a pinball machine. And there's no greater proof than both Fathom and Cactus Canyon, two games that were designed decades ago. And look how hard it is to just remake something that was designed years ago. And so we don't need more pinball designs. We don't need more pinball designers. It makes no sense that even companies like American Pinball are signing up all these designers and say, hey, we're going to make Barry O's last game. We've now got Ryan McQuaid. We've got Dennis Nordman. We've got Riot Pinball Games we're going to make. Sure, you're going to do all this. When? When is any of this going to happen? You haven't even shown you can make Legends of Valhalla on a consistent basis. And so all it's doing, right, there is a superfluous amount of pinball designs in the world, but there is a very limited number of companies that can actually get it done. And here's what I think is going to happen. I think when the recession hits, and it's coming people, when the recession hits and people start closing their wallets, half of these pinball companies, half of these boutiques that are not executing, they are going to go away. There are 12 pinball companies, 12, all trying to make games. And right now in this period, we're watching most of them fail miserably at getting games into boxes and into customer hands. And how long can that last, right? How long can this hobby absorb so many companies like this? Another interesting thing about American Pinball was the super awesome pinball show. They took it down, but they put it up. They interviewed David Fix, I believe, and Ryan McQuaid at American Pinball, and then they announced they were not going to air the interview. So I'm wondering what happened there. Maybe it's because David Fix went on the Pinball News podcast and maybe they got upset that they scooped them. I don't know what the answer is, but I do know this. I was supposed to interview Ryan McQuaid and things get really weird with American pinball people. Like Ryan says, I'll come on the show, but David Fix wants to come on too. Okay. Then they absolutely stopped communicating. You just can't get a straight answer on when they want to come on and what they want to talk about. And I have to be completely transparent here. I'm not even sure what I want to talk about now with them because they didn't get the Sonic license. David Fix gave like some 20 minute ramble about why they didn't get it or what happened. Their plans were obviously spoiled. Look, I just don't know what American Pinball's plans are. I can't wait to see what Dennis Nordman's game is. But when, right? It's just another question of when. And unfortunately for American Pinball, they're going to come out with Dennis Nordman's game when Stern turns everything back on. They're going to come out with Dennis Nordman's game when Toy Story is on the line and cranking out the door. They're going to come out with the game when Cactus Canyons are finally being made. So by the time they get this game out, I do think they're going to miss a window. I also think for all of you guys out there, let's be honest here. Let's be honest for a minute. There is no way you are going to buy like three or four pinball machines now a year. If the average price is around $9,000, are you really going to be dropping like $36,000 on pinball machines? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. You know, there used to be a time when you want to buy four machines, it would be like 20 grand. Now it's almost 40 grand. I mean, that is the definition of inflation. We're paying way more for these games. Way more is not inside them. And here's the thing with Dennis Nordman's game. What is it going to cost? Like, are they going to charge us less than Legends of Valhalla? How can they charge us less if this game is packed? And Legends of Valhalla being are they going to try to launch a Dennis Nordman game at like or I don know I really don't know. But I can tell the market is getting really soft. Like you're seeing a lot of games being listed for sale, but they're not selling quickly. And I think people are starting to come back down to reality. I think people are waiting to see what Toy Story is. I think people are being patient to see what the next game from Stern is. But I think at these price points and when everyone is going to the gas pump and it's like $5.50 a gallon and if you want to go out and eat with your family and it's like $150 and you want to go on vacation and you want to do other things, all of a sudden, you know, maybe it doesn't make financial sense to keep buying more pinball machines. Maybe many of us are now starting to be like, you know what? I don't need a new machine. The only time I'm going to buy a machine now is if it is an amazing world under glass. If it is a theme I absolutely have to have. I'm not going to run in and just buy games to support these pinball companies. Because I will say this, these pinball companies haven't shown us they can get it done. I'm all for supporting boutique pinball. But I think boutique pinball has completely misled the community. I think they took a lot of your money. I think they froze your money. And then I think they failed to deliver what they said they were going to deliver when they said they were going to deliver it. And I think a lot of us right now are simply saying we are going to keep these companies accountable. I will buy a pinball machine when it is new in box and ready to go to me. I am not going to throw money at a company and then wait a year for my game in which I might get it. And by the time I get it, I don't even know if I really want it. And I think a lot of us are feeling that way. Because for many of you, if you're truly honest with yourselves, you have so many great games and you don't need any more. Just think about it for a minute. Do me a favor and look at your pinball collection. Look at the amazing games you have. For some of you, it might be one game you love. For some of you, you might have five games you love. For some of you, you might have like 30 games you absolutely love. And you're telling me that when you wake up and you have some free time in your life and you want to go play pinball, that you don't have enough machines to choose from? Have you beat all of your machines? Have you been to the wizard modes on all of your games? Have you explored the full potential of your lineup? And so why do you need another game? And why do you need more, more of this? I think the whole period of which we used to flex is also kind of gone. Remember, Elvira 40th was designed to create this super rare game I was going to buy and flex with, but it didn't really catch on. It's a beautiful game, don't get me wrong, but it's not worth $25,000. Everybody knows that. And so when you unbox an Elvira for $20,000 or $25,000, you don't get the applause. You just get like, cool, you're rich and you don't really expect much for your money because you're not getting much for your money. And a $25,000 pinball machine is absolutely idiotic if you ask me, unless the bomb on that machine is like $15,000 or $18,000, which it's not. They just change the decals and change the armor. You don't even get a topper. You don't even get a topper for a $25,000 Elvira. And so here we are, 2022. We're all waiting. Can Kaneda find something to talk about on his show? I just did. Okay, so I think the other thing that's going to happen in pinball, and I think it's going to be good. I think the other thing is going to be this. I think there's going to be less interest in like Ellie and Collector Edition. They're still going to sell out. They will. They'll absolutely sell out. But I think for a lot of people, we're realizing that it doesn't really matter. That all of these years we've spent sort of artificially pumping these like different versions of the game. You know, if you can get the game the way the game was designed to be played and not worry about a little plaque or a different color armor. You know, when you're playing pinball, when you're really dialed into the pinball experience, you have no idea if you're on a Batman 66 Premium or a Batman 66 Super LE. The same is true with Elvira. The same is true when you jump on a Godzilla premium, you are playing the same exact game as a Godzilla LE. Now look, LEs will still sell out. LEs will still hold their value. But I think what's kind of removed from the community over the past like couple years, there's no longer that like, oh my god, I got an LE or I got a CE. And the reason why is there's just so many of them. 8,000 LEs is really not that limited. It's a lot. And I do miss the days in which they were more like 250 or 500. I do miss those days because you know me, I love rare items. I love scarcity. I do love sort of like getting something you never thought you could get your hands on. But nowadays, it's not going to be that hard to get your hands on it. Because the other thing that's going to happen in pinball is more and more of these dealers are going to start charging a few thousand over MSRP because they know if you have $12,500 to spend on a non-essential pinball machine, I get it. I said at the Twippies, it's essential. But if you have $12,500, you have $14,500. It's just that simple. If you have this much money to buy a pinball machine, you also have this much money. And I think that's what we're going to see. We're going to see a lot more dealers holding back their allotment, charging a premium, charging an adjusted price to get the machine. We already had Todd Tuckey come on my Facebook live and said he is going to sell Jersey Jack's next collector's edition for $20,000. Todd doesn't even know what the MSRP is. He doesn't even know what the theme is. He doesn't even know how many they're going to make, but his price is $20,000. Now, when he says something like that, I feel like a lot of us now are getting a little bit deflated because we know he'll get that for the machine. But somehow this hobby is being ruined by the inflated prices. And somehow the past like 18 months of all of these prices going through the roof the moment a game like Pirates of the Caribbean Nuenbox CE sold for it just became a bit of an SHIT show And look the market sets these prices, not Kaneda, as much as I might not like it, as much as I think it takes a lot of the fun out of the hobby. Because let's face it, for a lot of us, it just starts to price us out. It really starts to price us out because emotionally we still want this stuff, but financially it just doesn't make any sense. And then here's the ultimate reality is the gameplay. The actual experience of playing a pinball machine is not something that should cost $15,000. And you all know it. Like there is no way that you will jump on a machine and get an emotional experience or go on a pinball ride, that is a $15,000 experience, let alone a $20,000 experience, let alone a $40,000 experience. You're telling me if you jump on a pirate CE, you're going to have that much fun. You're not, you're not. Look, and I think most of you are wise. I think most of us have learned a lesson and I think most of us are actually in a really good place right now. I think COVID has made us re-evaluate our lives. I think it's made us re-appreciate our family and the time together with friends. And I think most of us are starting to realize that life is more fulfilling when we have less in it, when we have less stuff to worry about, that somehow you can enjoy the pinball hobby without spending so much money because the real joy of pinball is the community. It's hanging out with each other and that doesn't cost any money. You don't have to buy new games to go on to Pinside and have fun or to go on my Facebook Live and hang out with me on a weekly basis. Yes, I know you paid $5 or more to hear this podcast because I spend a lot of time making this content and I take time away from my family to make this content for you. And I love doing it. And my family supports it. And that's why every subscriber means so much to me. But I think many of us are coming out of the last couple years with a great outlook on life. I really mean this. I think most of us are much more positive and optimistic about the future than the media want us to be. You know, like social media and the mass media of this country, they want us to be miserable. They want us to worry about everything. They want us to hate living. And I think many of you out there, you grew up in the 80s and 90s. Like you were children during a period in which there was no social media. There was no internet. And we remember a time when life was much more simple. When we went out and we enjoyed movies like Top Gun and we didn't go on the internet and complain about Obi-Wan every single day. We didn't spoil everything for everybody else. We didn't know there was a new pinball machine coming to our local arcade because there was no internet. People weren't interacting with Bally Williams. Can you imagine if there was the internet and pin side in the mid nineties when Bally Williams had games on the line? Can you imagine how horrible it would have been like our childhoods if the internet existed and we hounded these companies like we do now? We are just so inundated with so much stuff to think about now and worry about. And I'm telling you, I implore each and every one of you, enjoy the games you have. Wait for the new games patiently. Don't run to every new game and just buy it sight unseen. Start to realize that your life will be more fulfilling the less pinball machines you own. You'll have less to worry about. Maybe just pick a handful of games you really love and maybe take the rest of the money in which you should sell some of those games right now at inflated prices and travel more. Spoil your children more. Spoil your wife more. Go to Tokyo. I mean it when I say it. If you spend one go on this planet Earth and you don't visit Tokyo, you have missed out on one of the greatest experiences of your life. I mean it. It is greater than any pinball experience could ever give you. I know I'm on a little bit of a soapbox, and that's only because Jersey Jack Pinball has given me nothing, nothing this month. Damn you, JJP. This is all your fault. Canada's Pinball Podcast can turn into a philosophical podcast real fast. I love each and every one of you for tuning in. Even if you don't like me, I love the fact that you tune in to hear the show. It means a lot to me. I've been doing it for a long time, and I'm not going to lose momentum. This is kind of like therapeutic for me just to do this show on a weekly basis. And I do think we are going to get new games soon. The good news is this. Every week that goes by with no news, we are getting closer to the next games. It's taking longer than any of us want it, but it's going to happen. I am going to Ireland on Sunday. I will then be in the south of France a week after that. I'll then be in Paris. I'm then back in Dublin. I am in Europe for a month. I am still going to do my show. I'm going to pack my microphone. I'm committed to each and every one of you. And I feel like Toy Story is going to drop when I'm in like midair. And I'm not going to be able to buy my collector's edition because I'm going to be traveling. It's not true. You know, Canada's got the relationships. You know, Canada will never get shut out of a new game. Everybody have a great day. Leave me some comments. We got you a show. We'll get you another show at the end of the week. This is what we do. We never stop delivering, even though these companies have absolutely stopped delivering. Lady Gaga, take it away. I heard from the heavens

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

---

*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 2b908d50-7048-4916-bec2-a004304bd540*