# The Next Bally / Williams Pinball 2.0 Kit is…

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2023-04-29  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/the-next-bally-williams-pinball-2-0-kit-is

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## Analysis

Knapp Arcade speculates on which classic Williams/Bally pinball game will receive the next 2.0 upgrade kit from Pedretti Gaming, to be revealed within days. The author analyzes production numbers of high-volume early 80s/late 90s machines and predicts Whirlwind as the most likely candidate based on current community affection, despite it having fewer units produced than alternatives like Firepower or High Speed.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Pedretti Gaming is scheduled to reveal its next Bally/Williams 2.0 kit next week — _Author states this was announced 'earlier this morning' on Knapp Arcade_
- [HIGH] Word broke in February that the next 2.0 kit was coming soon — _Author references prior reporting from February_
- [HIGH] Whirlwind had 7,304 units produced — _Author cites production data in decision matrix_
- [MEDIUM] Someone is already working on an unsanctioned Whirlwind 2.0 kit — _Author notes 'unsanctioned' modification efforts exist but uses tentative language 'sort of doing'_
- [MEDIUM] Whirlwind is 'probably' the most beloved of the high-production Williams games today — _Author's subjective assessment based on current community sentiment_

### Notable Quotes

> "There's no reason to produce a 2.0 kit for a rare game because there won't be a large enough audience of potential buyers to justify putting all the work into making it."
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**
> _Establishes the logical framework for predicting which game will get the kit based on production volume thresholds_

> "To me the most beloved of those games today is probably Whirlwind. So sales numbers aside, I'm changing my guess to Whirlwind."
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**
> _Author's final prediction, acknowledging tension between production volume data and current community enthusiasm for a specific title_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Pedretti Gaming | company | Manufacturer/developer of Bally/Williams pinball 2.0 upgrade kits; scheduled to announce next kit within days |
| Knapp Arcade | media | Pinball enthusiast blog/publication covering industry news and analysis |
| Whirlwind | game | Classic Williams pinball game (7,304 units produced); author's prediction for next 2.0 kit; already has unsanctioned modification efforts underway |
| Firepower | game | High-production Williams game (17,410 units); already has Firepower II sequel; considered as potential 2.0 candidate |
| High Speed | game | High-production Williams game (17,080 units); already has sequel; considered as potential 2.0 candidate |
| Gorgar | game | Williams game (14,000 units); author's initial prediction before revision to Whirlwind |
| F-14 Tomcat | game | Williams game (14,502 units); considered as potential 2.0 candidate |
| Taxi | game | Williams game (7,303 units); noted by author as having potential licensing issues with characters |
| Black Knight | game | Williams game (13,075 units); author notes unlikely for 2.0 due to existing sequels |
| Pinbot | game | Williams game (12,001 units); author notes unlikely for 2.0 due to existing sequels |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Bally/Williams 2.0 upgrade kits, Classic pinball game production volumes and popularity, Pedretti Gaming product announcements
- **Secondary:** Community sentiment and modern collecting preferences, Unsanctioned pinball modifications

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0.5) — Author maintains analytical tone while engaging in speculative discussion. No strong positive or negative sentiment expressed about Pedretti Gaming, Whirlwind, or the category overall. Tone is curious and community-focused.

### Signals

- **[sentiment_shift]** Whirlwind currently represents high community affection relative to production volume metrics alone (confidence: medium) — Author's assessment that Whirlwind is 'probably the most beloved' of high-production Williams games today informs prediction
- **[announcement]** Pedretti Gaming scheduled to reveal next Bally/Williams 2.0 kit within days (confidence: high) — Author states announcement was planned for 'next week' based on information from earlier Knapp Arcade reporting
- **[technology_signal]** Ongoing development of 2.0 upgrade kits as significant category for classic pinball games, including unsanctioned community efforts (confidence: high) — Author notes unsanctioned Whirlwind 2.0 already in progress, indicates broader trend of classic game modernization

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## Transcript

Earlier this morning, I wrote about how Pedretti Gaming is scheduled to reveal its next Bally / Williams pinball 2.0 kit next week. Back in February when word broke that the next kit was coming soon, I wrote an article speculating what it could be.

There's no reason to produce a 2.0 kit for a rare game because there won't be a large enough audience of potential buyers to justify putting all the work into making it. The highest production early 90s / late 80s solid state Williams games include:

Firepower (17,410 units though there already is a Firepower II)

High Speed (17,080 there's already a sequel for this game as well)

F-14 Tomcat (14,502 units)

Gorgar (14,000 units yes I realize that this was '79, but that's close)

Black Knight (13,075 I don't see this happening given how many BK sequels there are already)

Pinbot (12,001 already sequels)

Cyclone (9,400 units sort of already has sequels)

The Machine: Bride of Pinbot (8,100 units, already has a 2.0 kit)

Whirlwind (7,304 units - someone is already sort of doing a 2.0 for it, but it is unsanctioned)

Taxi (7,303 units. Potential licensing issues with the characters?)

Earthshaker (surprisingly only 5,265 units, I thought that it was more popular than that)

At the time, I guessed that the next kit might be for Firepower or Gorgar because of how many units were produced. Well, I'm changing my guess. To me the most beloved of those games today is probably Whirlwind. So sales numbers aside, I'm changing my guess to Whirlwind. Will that be the game that gets the next 2.0 kit is for? What's your guess? We'll find out in a few days.

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 3203bc57-14b6-45d1-8d54-3e7e420992c6*