# DPP #27 "Late night thoughts on FOMO! Should I have bought a Pulp Fiction?!?"

**Source:** Don's Pinball Podcast (regular feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2023-03-17  
**Duration:** 16m 5s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/donspinballpodcast/episodes/DPP-27-Late-night-thoughts-on-FOMO--Should-I-have-bought-a-Pulp-Fiction-e20j17a

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## Analysis

Don reflects on FOMO (fear of missing out) triggered by Pulp Fiction pinball's limited edition sell-out, despite initially dismissing the game as a single-level design. He discusses the broader March release avalanche (Queen, Scooby-Doo, Foo Fighters, Godfather, Galactic Tank Force), expresses concerns about Chicago Gaming Company's production timeline and Cactus Canyon delays, and explores whether missing LE opportunities is truly worth the premium pricing given aftermarket customization options.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Pulp Fiction was developed by Raw Thrills and will be manufactured by Chicago Gaming Company, releasing in October — _Direct statement about game origins and October production timeline_
- [HIGH] Pulp Fiction limited edition has sold out; standard edition remains available at ~$7,500-$9,500 — _Don reports checking distributor inventory and finding LEs gone_
- [HIGH] Cactus Canyon pre-orders still have not been fulfilled and should have been completed by now — _Direct statement about ongoing delays without explanation from CGC_
- [MEDIUM] American Pinball has produced under 500 units per game historically — _Don's estimation based on observation; states 'I don't have the official numbers'_
- [MEDIUM] Toy Story pinball prices dropped within one year post-release — _Don mentions this as a lesson learned about waiting on premium titles_
- [HIGH] Foo Fighters limited edition sold out; premium edition still available with customization options viable — _Direct statement about availability and ongoing customization project with Pinball Refinery_
- [HIGH] Pulp Fiction LE topper costs approximately $1,500 more than standard edition and cannot be easily obtained aftermarket — _Don calculates pricing difference and discusses secondary market options_

### Notable Quotes

> "Man, is FOMO hitting anybody else as hard as it is right now?"
> — **Don**, Opening
> _Sets the central theme of the episode_

> "And sure enough, the thing is sold out. Now, all I've been seeing is these new limited collector's edition trim level lines are being released... but dang it, now that it's not available, I don't freaking want it, man. my FOMO is eating me up."
> — **Don**, Mid-episode
> _Core confession about psychological FOMO effect on purchasing desire_

> "If history's lessons have taught us anything, especially if you're a Cactus Canyon pre-orderer, you still have not gotten your game, and I feel like they should have all been made by now."
> — **Don**, Mid-episode
> _Raises critical concern about Chicago Gaming Company production reliability_

> "The special editions, are they going to hold that $7,500 value given that they are an unlimited theoretical production line and they can be gotten fairly easily?"
> — **Don**, Late episode
> _Questions long-term value proposition of non-limited editions_

> "I'm just sharing on a late night, on a Thursday, the FOMO I've been feeling with Pulp Fiction. I think I'm going to get over it. You know, it's like the girl that got away."
> — **Don**, Closing
> _Philosophical reflection on FOMO and loss aversion_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Don's Pinball Podcast | organization | Host's own podcast; launched January 2020, episode 26-27, 25+ episodes recorded, exceeded initial 100-episode stretch goal expectations |
| Pulp Fiction | game | Chicago Gaming Company / Raw Thrills pinball machine; single-level playfield design; limited edition sold out; standard edition ~$7,500-$9,500; October production start date; $1,000 deposit required |
| Chicago Gaming Company (CGC) | company | Manufacturer of Pulp Fiction and Cactus Canyon; subject of concerns about production delays and communication |
| Raw Thrills | company | Developer of Pulp Fiction pinball code; partnering with CGC for manufacturing |
| Mark Ritchie | person | Designer interviewed on Loser Kid podcast regarding Pulp Fiction design philosophy |
| Josh Sharp | person | Interviewed on Loser Kid podcast regarding Pulp Fiction development |
| Foo Fighters | game | Limited edition sold out; premium edition available; expression lighting may be LE-exclusive; powder-coat armor available aftermarket |
| Godfather | game | Collector's edition available; played at two Madison locations; designer Eric interviewed on Loser Kid podcast; rapid-fire knockers in collector's edition |
| Galactic Tank Force | game | Upcoming American Pinball release; production unknown; tank playfield mechanic; pre-FOMO building due to unknown edition size |
| American Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Galactic Tank Force; historically produces under 500 units per game; meticulous build quality |
| Cactus Canyon | game | Chicago Gaming Company title with significant production delays; pre-orders still unfulfilled; topper-related delays suspected |
| Queen | game | Upcoming release in March pipeline |
| Scooby-Doo | game | Release available; 1900-unit edition available; collector's edition pricing stable |
| Loser Kid Podcast | organization | Competitor media outlet; interviewed Mark Ritchie, Josh Sharp, Eric (Godfather designer) |
| Pinball Refinery | company | Michigan-based customization shop; Don has ongoing Elvira project with them |
| Texas Pinball Festival | event | Major upcoming event (one week from episode date); expected venue for new game play-testing |
| Midwest Gaming Classic (MGC) | event | Upcoming event end of month |
| Pinball Expo | event | Major event later in year; referenced as significant industry milestone |
| Toy Story | game | Prices dropped within one year post-release; example of premium title value depreciation |
| Bond 60th | game | Single-level street game; $20,000 price point; Don not interested due to cost |
| Scott Denise | person | Game designer with upcoming title expected at Texas Pinball Festival |
| Elvira | game | Don recently acquired; undergoing customization project at Pinball Refinery |
| Pinside | organization | Forum platform where secondary market LE offers are posted |

### Topics

- **Primary:** FOMO and limited edition purchasing psychology, March 2024 release schedule avalanche, Pulp Fiction pinball design and availability, Chicago Gaming Company production delays and reliability, Limited edition vs standard edition pricing and value retention
- **Secondary:** Aftermarket customization and modifications, Upcoming spring/summer pinball events, Don's Pinball Podcast growth and community engagement

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.45) — Positive sentiment about community and game experiences tempered by frustration with FOMO, production delays, market saturation, and exhaustion from release avalanche. Self-aware humor about psychological weakness to FOMO. Optimistic about summer events but concerned about future production timeline risks.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Chicago Gaming Company's October production timeline for Pulp Fiction creates 6-month wait with payment ($1,000 deposit) secured upfront; uncertainty around whether delays will recur and impact delivery dates (confidence: high) — Don questions: 'Are they putting it off until October because they think by then they'll be caught up with their Cactus Canyon production? Is the production of Pulp Fiction going to run into any issues?'
- **[community_signal]** Don's Pinball Podcast achieved rapid success exceeding creator's 100-episode stretch goal within first quarter; merchandise sales, community interactions, and event attendance growing (confidence: high) — Don: 'I just started this in january just for fun... I'm already 25 plus episodes deep... doesn't look like it's slowing down' and merchandise orders via email with international shipping
- **[competitive_signal]** March release avalanche (Queen, Scooby-Doo, Foo Fighters, Godfather, Galactic Tank Force) creating market saturation and FOMO fragmentation; limited collector capital stretched across multiple premium titles (confidence: high) — Don: 'Man, is FOMO hitting anybody else as hard as it is right now?... This avalanche of new content' and 'I'm probably in too deep... What should I be sending my $10,000 checks to?'
- **[leak_detection]** Pulp Fiction pinball rumors proved accurate pre-announcement; Raw Thrills involvement, single-level playfield design, and October production timeline all confirmed through media interviews (confidence: high) — Don: 'These rumors when they are strong and consistent they seem to be bearing out to fruition' and confirms all rumored details matched official announcements and designer interviews
- **[manufacturing_signal]** American Pinball maintains low production volumes (~500 units per game) as deliberate strategy; Galactic Tank Force expected to follow same pattern with unknown tank kit availability (confidence: medium) — Don: 'American Pinball is somebody that hasn't done a whole lot of production numbers... I don't think they've turned over 500 of each machine. They seem to be built meticulously and almost deliberately like not just cramped through an assembly line'
- **[market_signal]** Secondary market is active for LE spots; someone offered $500 to acquire Pulp Fiction LE pre-order, indicating strong demand-supply mismatch for limited inventory (confidence: high) — Don reports seeing Pinside post offering $500 to buy someone's LE spot; distributed inventory all confirmed sold out
- **[market_signal]** Premium LE pricing model ($10,000+) questioned as sustainable when standard editions offer 90% of gameplay/features at $7,500; market showing signs of LE demand saturation (Godfather, Scooby-Doo easily available) (confidence: medium) — Don notes Godfather and Scooby-Doo collector's editions 'can be gotten from anywhere' and are 'still available'; contrasts with Pulp Fiction LE instant sell-out
- **[market_signal]** Pulp Fiction LE commanded $1,500 premium over standard edition ($9,500 vs $7,500) primarily for cosmetic elements (chrome, topper); insufficient differentiation to justify premium for cost-conscious buyers given aftermarket upgrade paths (confidence: high) — Don's detailed pricing breakdown and analysis of whether topper justifies $1,500 premium
- **[product_strategy]** Cactus Canyon continues to experience unexplained production delays with no communication from manufacturer; raises credibility concerns for future Chicago Gaming Company projects like Pulp Fiction (confidence: high) — Don states 'Cactus Canyon pre-orderers still have not gotten your game... should have all been made by now' and 'I haven't heard a lot of talk or chatter coming from Chicago Gaming Company'
- **[product_concern]** Aftermarket customization pathways (expression lighting kits, powder-coating, art blade swaps) are viable for premium titles but limited availability on some kits (Rush example) creates secondary FOMO around LE exclusivity (confidence: medium) — Don discusses Foo Fighters expression lighting: 'If it's like Rush, which it may very well be, where expression light aftermarket kits are just not available... then maybe you should have got one'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Don's interest in Pulp Fiction reversed from dismissal (before LE sold out) to FOMO-driven desire (after LE unavailable), illustrating psychological scarcity effect on perceived value (confidence: high) — Explicit before/after comparison: 'I was like, you know what, this is a game I do not need' vs 'dang it, now that it's not available, I don't freaking want it, man'

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## Transcript

 No plans, no scripts. I just have some late night thoughts that I would like to get down and record and share with the masses. Man, is FOMO hitting anybody else as hard as it is right now? Here we are. We're at the end of the March of the release schedule of everything that's come out. This avalanche of new content. We're going to talk about that for a little bit. I'm a bit fired up. I've got some perspectives for you. heat up that warm milk and put a little eggnog in it we're having christmas in march we're going to talk about it as they say welcome back everybody done spin ball podcast i think this is episode number 26 let's reflect for a little bit here i just started this in january just for fun with no expectations of how this was going to go and i'm already 25 plus episodes deep when i started, I had a stretch goal in my head. If I could make a hundred of these, this would have been successful. And here we are a quarter of the way there, and it doesn't look like it's slowing down at any point. What's up to everybody that I've met in person, met online. I've had a lot of great interactions. This pinball community is actually very warm. I feel like I've been welcomed into it. It helps that I'm helping to develop some content also for the masses between the audio recordings that I do from my brain spilling down through the microphone, and then also through the mods I'm creating. I've got a bunch of ideas that are in various stages of being cooked up. This summer is going to be slamming. This is going to be slamming pinball summer. There's a lot of content still that I haven't even had time to get through, man. Is anybody else as exhausted as I am? You know, we've got Queen, Scooby-Doo, Foo Fighters is coming out. The pros are hitting the circuit. Godfather's released. Galactic Tank Force is driving a giant tank around some office somewhere. we still don't know how many are going to be released what the price is i don't even know if the company even knows what the prices are going to be what else is out oh that's right pulp fiction has dropped and this was a game man these rumors when they are strong and consistent they seem to be bearing out to fruition right because we had heard that pulp fiction was in the works it was going to come from probably chicago gaming company maybe raw thrills was going to be involved. And what happened? Raw Thrills has developed a game that CGC apparently is going to be making, apparently in October. It was going to have no ramps, so maybe a ramp, maybe a wire form. Well, it does have a VUC to a wire form lock that's hidden back behind the back of the playfield box, but all that bared out too. So when I heard about Pulp Fiction rumored for a pinball game, I was not shy about sharing this earlier. I love Pulp Fiction. Pulp Fiction came by at a pivotal time in my young childhood adolescent development so it left a stain there man and so when i think of like what kind of pulp fiction game i would like i'm thinking of something like big lebowski level of theming and integration you know stuff below the playfield stuff on the playfield um and that's not what the rumor was the rumor was we were going to get a single street level playfield with no ramps or anything retro inspired design um really at the behest of quentin And now that we're getting these interviews that I just listened to Loser Kid interviewing Mark Ritchie on his design and Josh Sharpe and really going into like the whys now that they can talk about it of really how this game came to fruition. And, you know, it does make sense. Now, when I heard single level, I kind of lost interest because I'm more into, you know, ramps and shots and mechanisms and buildings that collapse and, you know, giant things that I can bash. And this game, true to form, did not have it when it came out. And so I was like, you know what, this is a game I do not need right now, especially with everything else that's on the market and other ones that I've got on order that are in the pipeline. I'm good. I can sit this one out. And I plan to do that until the limited edition one sold out And then for some reason I seized with this Man maybe i should have gone on that now the game is under ten thousand dollars which is great given this recent market that we are entered into uh bond 60th was a very fun single level street game that thing 20 grand was directly out of my price range and i was not interested in getting that at all but you know pulp fiction really landed in there and now that i'm thinking about it i'm like that topper is is pretty cool It's around $9,500 all in together. There's a lot of chrome. The shots look fun. Even the inline targets, which I generally don't do very well in. But once I started seeing more of the video and I saw the rotating briefcase light that lights up, I'm like, hmm, this would have been a cool game to have. And then I started thinking, you know what, let me see if I can find it. And sure enough, the thing is sold out. Now, all I've been seeing is these new limited collector's edition trim level lines are being released with 1,000 games in their inventory to be made. And they're still available. I mean, Godfather collector's edition can be gotten from anywhere. Scooby-Doo's 1900 edition number is still available. So I was thinking that there was no rush for me. But dang it, now that it's not available, I don't freaking want it, man. my FOMO is eating me up. I should be better than this. I shouldn't succumb to this. Um, um, but I think I kind of have now on the plus side, if I do want to get this game, there's no mechanism in that limited edition. That's not in the, what they call the special edition, standard edition, the SE version. And it's really $1,500 for that topper. But if you get the SE edition, you're, you're probably not going to be able to get that topper ever. Like the only way to get it is to, upsell your budget and go for somebody flipping or selling their limited edition. I've already seen some pin side posts. Somebody was offering $500 to buy someone's LE spot. I even called around a couple distributors the other day at work in a momentary period of weakness just looking for LEs, and sure enough, they were all gone. So I don't know how I'm feeling. I think I'm okay with it. I think I can wait out this game. if I want the game itself I can get it and I can get it $1,500 cheaper now with all the bells and whistles except for some chrome appliques the mirror blades the shaker motor those are easy add-ons so that's not a problem it's really the chrome accents and that topper but man toppers being what they are I don't know I just wanted to come on and talk about this because it's it's been egging on my mind is anybody else feeling that fear of missing out that FOMO really one in regards to pulp fiction that I'm feeling right now. I think it's going to be a fun game. I can't wait to play it. Hopefully it'll be there at Texas. Now, there is, okay, we are still early on in this, and there are still some concerns, chiefly among that being history. Now, if history's lessons have taught us anything, especially if you're a Cactus Canyon pre-orderer, you still have not gotten your game, and I feel like they should have all been made by now. And I haven't heard a lot of talk or chatter coming from Chicago Gaming Company on really what's going on and what is the delay. Was the delay with the toppers? Were the toppers made too big and had to be redone again? What's going on with production? What we do know about Pulp Fiction is it's a $1,000 deposit, and production is supposed to go into production in October, right? So that's six months from now. So they're collecting money. I'm presuming, and then they're going to be putting in their part orders and then planning on putting these things together in October. What kind of volume are they going to be doing when they do get to the build is one question. Other question, are they putting it off until October because they think by then they'll be caught up with their Cactus Canyon production? And is the production of Pulp Fiction going to run into any issues? Are you going to order and then October is going to come and these things are still going to be trickling Is it going to be November Is it going to be December And you still waiting for that LE that you pre now That is certainly an unknown and certainly could happen So maybe we see ourselves what is it about 10 months from now saying, you know what, that's okay that I waited out on that. I didn't go in on it because now there's other production delays. We got to wait. You know, that thousand dollars is tied up. Maybe by then they've announced that Twilight Zone's coming and you can bump your Cactus Canyon pre-order budget that you gave them that you bumped to Pulp Fiction can now be bumped to Twilight Zone or something. We really don't know. So I do feel comfortable that I know that my money is safe. It's not tied up waiting for Pulp Fiction. I'll be able to play Pulp Fiction at some point. The special editions, are they going to hold that $7,500 value given that they are an unlimited theoretical production line and they can be gotten fairly easily? I could go out right now and get one and have exactly the same gameplay sans topper um so i think i'm okay but let me know what you guys are thinking are you guys suffering from the fomo um are you sad that you missed out on a foo fighters limited edition i know i went through a review when that first came out of my thoughts was the limited edition of foo fighters worth the extra three thousand dollar price tag and i came up i believe on that one with a maybe with a caveat the only issue with that one being the expression lighting and their availability. If it's like Rush, which it may very well be, where expression light aftermarket kits are just not available or in such limited supply that the only way you can get them is to have a limited edition, then we may turn around and say, you know what, maybe you should have got one. Maybe there will be some FOMO there. Otherwise, the powder-coated armor, that is something that can be available aftermarket. I have a project out with Pinball Refinery right now in Michigan that I'll be getting back in a few weeks, I'll be able to report back, uh, how it looks. I can't wait to show off, um, what I'm planning on doing to my Elvira that I just got. Um, what are we rambling? We're just rambling with some thoughts here on a Thursday night that I've been kicking around my head. So now that you've, if you haven't got an order in, you definitely missed out on the first run of the Foo Fighters limited edition. Are those going there? Yeah. Are those going to hold their value? Are they going to come down? We don't know. So I went in on a premium. I think I'm happy with that trim level. I like the extra mechanisms. I can add art blades. I can add the expression light kit when that comes out. I've got that confidence level built. I could powder coat the thing if I want. But are you sad that you missed out now that the LEs are sold out of Foo Fighters? What else do we have? Godfather, I've been able to play that two locations now, both in Madison. I like the game. I liked what was done. Now I've been able to hear also the Loser Kid podcast talking to Eric about his development. I kind of appreciate and understand where he went with the theme integration on Godfather. Godfather is still available, so FOMO is not kicking too hard. Recently, we learned a lesson with Toy Story that those prices did drop post-release in only about a year. I'm not rushing out to add Godfather at this price point, but let's see what next year brings. maybe I'm finished with something and I can trade in trade up what else is on the horizon we still don't know anything about galactic tank force and where that's coming in I'm eager to see some gameplay I'm eager to play it on location I've been going back and forth is this something that I want you know we got some pre FOMO here we don't know the edition size but there seems to be a lot of buzz built up around galactic tank force so if they come out and they say there's going to be 200 full-featured tank kits made. Is there going to be a mad rush to them? Should you be on a list right now in hopes to get one? Now, American Pinball is somebody that hasn't done a whole lot of production numbers from what I seen I don have the official numbers but I think we under 1 for each one of their games They seem to be built well They seem to be built meticulously and almost deliberately like not just cramped through an assembly line I don't think they've turned over 500 of each machine. So what's going to be with the tanks? With the tanks, are they in boxes? Are they going to go into production later? That we don't know. So tell me, you guys, are you primed to go in on this tank? Are you going to pull the play field out when you get it, climb inside of it, and run around your living room like you're playing inside of the box the machine came in, like driving your own tank around and scaring your cat? These are just some late-night thoughts I had that I wanted to share. What else is going on? Don's Pinball Podcast has already been more successful than I was planning. I've got two different graphics for t-shirts. The t-shirts that I have came out fantastic. I had a guy from Indonesia do my graphics online. I found them on Fiverr, very affordable. I gave him my ideas. They went through his brain, and this is how they came out. And I couldn't be happier with how these and the stickers are. I'm selling them for $25 shipped directly to your house in the United States. Heck, I'll probably even cop for the international fees if you guys want to order some. Just email me, donspinballpodcast at gmail.com. I am not making any money on these shirts. I don't even think, I think even with shipping domestically, depending on where you live, I'm probably losing two bucks on every shirt I ship out. I'm just sharing them because I think it's a really cool design And I'll even throw some stickers in there for you if you want But kick me some news, kick me some views We're here on a Thursday It's been just a deluge of news and releases And I'm just exhausted from everything Kicking around in my head What should I be sending my $10,000 checks to and for I'm probably in too deep There's no way out I think I might have to list some games to sell or whip up some new mods to sell or sell a kidney or something. How do you guys think Pin March is going? There's so much news coming. We have MGC coming up, Midwest Gaming Classic. At the end of the month, we've got Texas Pinball Festival in a week. Man, there's going to be news and more reviews dropping. People are finally going to get their hands on all these new games. What are you excited to play? Will Pulp Fiction be there? Will Scott Danesi's new game be there? Godfather will be there. will they have a collector's edition with the rapid fire knockers that's really what i want i want to okay i want to play with the uh the the magnet knee guard emblems and i also want to go and hear the tommy gun rapid fire knockers in that backbox um so i'm excited to go play now the collector's edition of uh godfather when are those going on the line did they announce um it's been so hard for me to keep up with everything i need to rest and get back into it But I'm excited for even what other releases are coming up. Texas Pinball Festival is going to be here, like the biggest event of the summer. And then the biggest event of the early spring summer in the Midwest is coming up. And then it's all gravy until Expo. So kick me your thoughts, guys. I'm just sharing on a late night, on a Thursday, the FOMO I've been feeling with Pulp Fiction. I think I'm going to get over it. You know, it's like the girl that got away. you know you had a couple dates you felt something was there and then you know it turns out it wasn't what you thought it was and you're just pining for what you didn't have do do i feel more nostalgic for the pulp fiction in my head that doesn't really exist or i'm actually really sad that i didn't go in on this game that i didn't think i wanted until they were all sold out content drops from my socks i hope you all like this send a box of t-shirts to you just email me don spinball podcast at gmail.com go on the facebook page kick some comments i just like hanging out with you guys i want to get into some live streams again later uh man pin march i am exasperated thanks everybody have a good evening

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 4b286aae-d1eb-40a8-975e-af69352e8260*