# More Haggis thoughts

**Source:** Don's Pinball Podcast (patreon feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2023-05-02  
**Duration:** 6m 40s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.patreon.com/posts/more-haggis-82376782

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## Analysis

Don criticizes Haggis Pinball's production capability, transparency, and business sustainability, questioning how the company survives given slow delivery timelines and lack of communication. He expresses skepticism about their games—particularly Fathom and Centaur—calling them boring and frustrating to play despite attractive aesthetics. He also praises Bond 60th and Pulp Fiction as superior single-level games and suggests Haggis should remake Jungle Lord instead.

### Key Claims

- [MEDIUM] Haggis Pinball customers have waited 8+ months for games they paid for in full, promised within 2 months — _Don describing customer experience with Haggis delivery delays_
- [MEDIUM] Fathom is boring and lacks satisfying shots; players get tired of it within 20 minutes — _Don's personal gameplay opinion based on experience_
- [MEDIUM] Haggis Pinball is not transparent about production and doesn't share videos or updates — _Don's observation about communication practices_
- [MEDIUM] Bond 60th is a flat single-level game that is 'super fun to play' — _Don contrasting Bond 60th favorably to Fathom_
- [LOW] Haggis Pinball's business model appears unsustainable without external backing or is potentially fraudulent — _Don speculating on how the company survives financially given slow production_

### Notable Quotes

> "If you've got a company like this, it's expensive to build pinball machines. And so how are they surviving on this? They've got a production facility. They've got to have some money or some kind of backer that's got more money than cents or something. Otherwise, they're fleecing people."
> — **Don**, ~0:30-0:50
> _Central concern about Haggis Pinball's financial viability and transparency_

> "When Innovative Concepts (ICE) them doing stuff like this where they're like, hey, we just announced for the next two weeks they need cash so they can buy parts to fulfill the orders that they already sold and that has me extremely worried I wouldn't give these guys a nickel."
> — **Don**, ~0:50-1:10
> _Comparison of Haggis to other companies with cash-flow problems; severe lack of confidence_

> "The whole thing screams scam to me, dude."
> — **Don**, ~1:35
> _Direct accusation of fraudulent behavior_

> "Fathom doesn't play like Bond 60, it does like there's no real satisfying shot in there. It's just frustrating like trying to get up to the top and get these balls locked and then that's it."
> — **Don**, ~2:15-2:35
> _Specific criticism of Fathom's gameplay mechanics and shot design_

> "I'd be bored with this game in 20 minutes if it was in my house."
> — **Don**, ~3:10
> _Assessment of Fathom's replayability and long-term appeal_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Haggis Pinball | company | Australian boutique pinball manufacturer criticized for slow production, delivery delays, and lack of transparency |
| Don | person | Podcast host of Don's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed), expressing strong negative opinions about Haggis and their games |
| Fathom | game | Haggis Pinball game; remade classic; criticized as boring with unsatisfying shot design and poor replayability |
| Mermaid Edition | product | Haggis Pinball variant with blue floor lights; praised for aesthetics but part of questioned overall game design |
| Centaur | game | Haggis Pinball game that Don considers even worse than Fathom |
| Kelts | game | Haggis Pinball game; mentioned dismissively |
| Weird Al | game | Multimorphic game; Don mentions customers waiting a year without receiving ordered copy |
| Bond 60th | game | Single-level flat game praised by Don as 'super fun to play,' contrasted favorably to Fathom |
| Pulp Fiction | game | Single-level game that people are enthusiastic about; Don hasn't played but notes strong reception |
| Jungle Lord | game | Classic pinball game that Don suggests Haggis should remake instead of Fathom/Centaur |
| John Papadiuk | person | Rules designer for Fathom; mentioned in context of game design criticism |
| Multimorphic | company | Manufacturer; mentioned in context of Weird Al production delays |
| Roddy | person | New Patreon subscriber mentioned by Don |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Haggis Pinball production delays and fulfillment, Business viability and financial sustainability of pinball manufacturers, Fathom game design and gameplay assessment, Transparency and communication from manufacturers
- **Secondary:** Comparison of single-level games (Bond 60th, Pulp Fiction, Fathom), Game remakes and choosing themes, Patreon subscriber engagement and content strategy

### Sentiment

**Negative** (-0.85) — Don is highly critical of Haggis Pinball's business practices, production capability, and game design. While he acknowledges Haggis staff 'may seem like nice dudes,' his overall assessment is deeply skeptical, calling the operation a potential 'scam' and expressing unwillingness to purchase from them. His gameplay critiques are harsh and dismissive.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Haggis Pinball experiencing significant delays (8+ months on 2-month promised delivery); customers waiting for paid-in-full orders with no communication (confidence: high) — Don states: 'if I was a customer of theirs I'd be super pissed that they paid in full and was told to have a game in two months from Australia and like it's eight months and I'm still waiting'
- **[business_signal]** Serious questions about whether Haggis Pinball is sustainable without external backing; potentially operating unsustainably or fraudulently (confidence: medium) — Don asks: 'how are they surviving on this? They've got a production facility. They've got to have some money or some kind of backer that's got more money than cents or something. Otherwise, they're fleecing people'
- **[product_concern]** Fathom criticized as lacking satisfying shots, having frustrating mechanics, and minimal replayability (20-minute engagement window) (confidence: medium) — Don: 'Fathom doesn't play like Bond 60, there's no real satisfying shot in there. It's just frustrating... I'd be bored with this game in 20 minutes if it was in my house'
- **[community_signal]** Shift in Don's public sentiment regarding Haggis Pinball from neutral/exploratory to deeply skeptical and distrustful of company practices (confidence: medium) — Don explicitly states 'The whole thing screams scam to me, dude' and would only play their games for nominal payment ($0.50-$1)
- **[content_signal]** Don's Patreon podcast using subscriber model to enable 'spicy' unfiltered content without maintaining 'even keel' on public channels (confidence: high) — Don: 'I want to put out some extra content... where I could talk a little bit more, like direct, like how I'd like to, not in this you know persona where I'm trying to like maintain an even keel'
- **[industry_signal]** Don compares Haggis Pinball's lack of transparency to other struggling manufacturers (reference to Multimorphic/Weird Al delays and unnamed company needing emergency cash for parts) (confidence: medium) — Don mentions companies announcing mid-production cash needs and groups concerns about multiple manufacturers with similar transparency/cash-flow issues
- **[gameplay_signal]** Strong community enthusiasm for single-level games like Bond 60th and Pulp Fiction contrasted with rejection of Fathom's single-level design (confidence: medium) — Don notes Bond 60th and Pulp Fiction are 'super fun' single-level games while Fathom's single level is 'boring' and 'frustrating'
- **[design_philosophy]** Question raised about why Haggis is remaking less appealing classic titles (Fathom, Centaur) rather than games with stronger foundational design (like Jungle Lord) (confidence: low) — Don: 'They should remake Jungle Lord. Why are they doing, you know, Fathom and Centaur? Centaur's even worse than Fathom'

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## Transcript

 What's going on everybody? Some more Patreon content for you. So I just dropped an episode, number 39. I started talking about Haggis Pinball and so are these guys actually capable of making games at any kind of scale? How is this company still going on? I have no idea. The trickle of games that are coming out, I mean if I was a customer of theirs I'd be super pissed that they paid in full and was told to have a game in two months from Australia and like it's eight months and I'm still waiting. Like I'd be pissed off if I had bought Weird Al from Multimortem And I've been waiting a year and still hadn't got my game and have no idea where it's coming in. I don't know how these guys are surviving. If you've got a company like this, it's expensive to build pinball machines. And so how are they surviving on this? They've got a production facility. They've got to have some money or some kind of backer that's got more money than cents or something. Otherwise, they're fleecing people. When I see them doing stuff like this where they're like, hey, we just announced for the next two weeks, Strum crackers aventapp Prozent tube Plat Carney constructed cotton, Handатьa Pantani, Wudong delivery Nire Steam Ferguson thee- сделал, N Despuésranch идетartitait networkset nimssigh 기� beak소동역 pesticideito predominant Post Contents Objective 구속문imin Center 내� vak idiiau dancing아 planned library English English relax, English gxstasil Caitlin Pinesco Claudina, 8 Some uncommitted Hang cockpit Pool Texto They need cash so they can buy parts to fulfill the orders that they already sold and that has me extremely worried I wouldn give these guys a nickel You know what I give these guys 50 cents to go play Kelts I'd give them a dollar to go play fathom and that's about as far as I would go with it now They may seem like nice dudes. I don't know but they are not transparent at all. They're not talking about you know What their production even looks like they're not showing off videos, so I think the whole thing screams scam to me, dude Writer, Cool Would, Choise, Coleor, Male, AdamZY Sever, Spкивity tots, The game is pretty but it's still Fathom. It's still bored with it in 20 minutes. Am I the only one? It's not Bond 60th. Bond 60th is a flat level game that's super fun to play. I dismissed it at first but damn that thing is fun. Pulp Fiction must be fun. I haven't played it yet but it's another single level game that people are going crazy for. You know but fathom is not that fathom doesn't play like the streams of Pulp Fiction that I watch with the callouts and everything fathom Doesn't play like bond 60 it does like there's no real satisfying shot in there It's just frustrating like trying to get up to the top and get these balls locked and then that's it You know there a drop target one two three and you supposed to hit them like in order Like come on man plus the the inlanes or the whole thing you know whatever It pretty And the mermaid edition with the blue lights on the floor it looks boss. I don't like the chrome that they have on it, but miss me with everything else, dude. I'd be bored with this game in 20 minutes if it was in my house. You know, and then I guess I could play with other people or something. I'd rather play Jungle Lord. You know, they should remake Jungle Lord. Why are they doing, you know, Fathom and Centaur? Centaur's even worse than Fathom. What the heck, man? I don't know, dude. Hello to my new Patreon subscriber Roddy dude. Thank you so much for joining cause thank you for being a day one ride or Die with me So far you guys are my two, but I you know I want to put out some extra content They should a little bits for you guys I get excited when I see the patreon thing pop up and like Kaneda's drop something new so I want to listen to that You know so I'm gonna do some stuff for you guys where I could talk a little bit more like Direct like how I'd like to not in this you know persona where I'm trying to like Maintain and even kill like the middle of the road, so I don't want to piss off anybody Knapp mush, P니, Pakistani Harley Simply, Huh mengensooo, WPPRigrade, 🎶작extract ask me**, hermanА НО apost 물어�оть一个 прямые courier� Verkehr Topic argentOS 1917, Sc Klar종niak,ple posted as as sw erhöês provided, Mage sausarka,야 إanco matéri 43 tu, Let spend some money and get back to seraaaaaaaaaaah diecastor712 clase come up your啊 the the fathom in spite Okay on the night of this all like exist at set as far as the game and have to go to the board but they were my house I got my virtual pin you know in a place just like fat and with fathoms rules a nurse from the kick around for a while but like them on some else you know so anyway they're some quick quick shit from me anomaly computer tree was fantastic I put peonies stadiums in it Further openings, And aquiEC Qu 갖고 es Cassai, Late, Vann Cost BockAonda, Z pics Is Montaje Kyle gurre, en es que Má Regale, b chief offendante idols publisher of jorge Hope you've enjoyed this spicy weekend inspired by the best PAC! 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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 3aa204e0-8ef6-4046-affe-e5c7a0c041b5*