# MELVIN SPLITS WITH DUTCH PINBALL
**Source:** Pinball News Website
**Type:** article
**Published:** 2026-02-09
**Beat:** Pinball
**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2026/02/09/melvin-splits-with-dutch-pinball/
---
## Analysis
Melvin Brouwer-Williams, co-founder of Dutch Pinball Exclusive (DPX), has parted ways with Dutch Pinball effective February 9, 2026, ending plans to build the RAZA game. The split stems from disagreements over manufacturing quality and speed of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, compounded by new Dutch Pinball investors with a different vision. Dutch Pinball will refocus on in-house titles and has confirmed Back to the Future as an upcoming project, while Melvin retains IP ownership and plans to pursue future games with US manufacturers.
### Key Claims
- [HIGH] Melvin Brouwer-Williams has parted company with Dutch Pinball as of February 9, 2026 — _Official announcement from Melvin's statement and confirmation by Barry Driessen_
- [HIGH] The split ends immediate plans to build RAZA (Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland) — _Pinball News reporting and Melvin's statement: 'DPX will be defunct as of today for upcoming releases from my involvement'_
- [HIGH] Disagreement centered on margin structure and long-term sustainability of the collaboration — _Barry Driessen's statement to distributors: 'discussions around a potential second title revealed a misalignment on commercial terms, specifically regarding margin structure'_
- [HIGH] Alice's Adventures in Wonderland production will continue with 500 units total — _Melvin's statement and Barry's confirmation: 'Dutch Pinball is fully committed to completing the remaining Alice's Adventures in Wonderland machines'_
- [HIGH] Melvin was unhappy with the speed and quality of Dutch Pinball's manufacturing — _Pinball News reporting: 'It was clear he had been unhappy at the speed and quality of Dutch Pinball's manufacturing of the Alice game and its associated topper for some time'_
- [HIGH] Dutch Pinball has welcomed two new Dutch entrepreneurial investors — _Barry Driessen's statement: 'Dutch Pinball has recently welcomed two Dutch entrepreneurial investors, both with a strong passion for pinball'_
- [HIGH] Dutch Pinball will refocus on in-house original titles rather than external collaborations — _Barry Driessen: 'Dutch Pinball will therefore refocus fully on developing and producing its own original titles'_
- [MEDIUM] Back to the Future is Dutch Pinball's anticipated next title, with announcement expected soon — _Pinball News: 'Certainly some distributors are hinting that the anticipated Dutch Pinball title, Back to the Future, will be announced sooner rather than later'_
### Notable Quotes
> "I tried my best to build the brand to certain point that I now can no longer control to my standards."
> — **Melvin Brouwer-Williams**, February 9, 2026 statement
> _Indicates Melvin's core concern was loss of creative control and quality standards at Dutch Pinball_
> "While this chapter comes to a close, my commitment to pinball does NOT."
> — **Melvin Brouwer-Williams**, February 9, 2026 statement
> _Signals Melvin's intention to continue in the pinball industry despite the Dutch Pinball split_
> "Code updates will be a bit slower at times but rest assure it won't be forgotten."
> — **Melvin Brouwer-Williams**, February 9, 2026 statement
> _Addresses customer concerns about ongoing support for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_
> "discussions around a potential second title revealed a misalignment on commercial terms, specifically regarding margin structure and long-term sustainability for all parties involved"
> — **Barry Driessen**, February 9, 2026 statement to distributors
> _Official explanation for the split focusing on financial/commercial disagreements rather than creative differences_
> "this type of external collaboration introduces a level of complexity and dependency that does not align with how we want to build and scale the company going forward"
> — **Barry Driessen**, February 9, 2026 statement to distributors
> _Dutch Pinball's stated rationale for avoiding external partnerships in future_
> "my plan with my upcoming game/games will have to shift to other MFG party's in the USA when that possibility arrives"
> — **Melvin Brouwer-Williams**, February 9, 2026 statement
> _Melvin signaling intention to work with US manufacturers for future titles_
### Entities
| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Melvin Brouwer-Williams | person | Co-founder of Dutch Pinball Exclusive (DPX); pinball game designer and IP owner; left Dutch Pinball on February 9, 2026 |
| Dutch Pinball | company | Netherlands-based pinball manufacturer; factory in Herkenbosch; recently acquired new investors; refocusing on in-house titles |
| Barry Driessen | person | Owner of Dutch Pinball; issued official statement confirming the split and new investor involvement |
| DPX (Dutch Pinball Exclusive) | company | Joint venture between Melvin and Dutch Pinball; launched Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in October 2024; now defunct following Melvin's departure |
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | game | First DPX title; limited run of 500 units; still in production; launched October 2024; experiencing topper-related issues |
| RAZA (Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland) | game | Planned second DPX title with development nearly complete; cancelled following Melvin's split from Dutch Pinball; based on original John Papaduke design via Zidware |
| Back to the Future | game | Dutch Pinball's anticipated next in-house title; announcement expected in next couple of months per Barry Driessen |
| Deeproot Pinball | company | Defunct manufacturer; collapsed into bankruptcy; Melvin purchased rights to their games in development including RAZA and Magic Girl |
| John Papaduke (Papa Duke) | person | Original designer of RAZA game concept for Zidware; design purchased by Melvin and further developed by Deeproot |
| Zidware | company | Company founded by John Papaduke; owned games including RAZA; intellectual property purchased by Melvin Brouwer-Williams |
| Magic Girl | game | Jersey Jack Pinball game; owned by Melvin through Deeproot assets; Melvin not planning to remake due to existing copies in circulation |
| Pinball News | organization | Independent pinball media outlet reporting on the split and related industry developments |
### Topics
- **Primary:** Manufacturing quality and production speed issues, Business partnership disputes and commercial terms, Game development pipeline changes, Dutch Pinball investor involvement and strategic direction
- **Secondary:** Alice's Adventures in Wonderland production status and support, IP ownership and rights management in pinball, Dutch Pinball's shift to in-house design focus
### Sentiment
**Negative** (-0.75) — Melvin's statement expresses disappointment and heartbreak over the split, while acknowledging professional necessity. Barry's statement is measured but indicates business discord. Overall tone is one of relationship dissolution and unmet expectations on both sides, though both parties maintain professional courtesy.
### Signals
- **[business_signal]** Manufacturing partnership model (external collaborations) appearing unsustainable for Dutch Pinball due to margin structure and commercial misalignment (confidence: high) — Barry: 'discussions around a potential second title revealed a misalignment on commercial terms, specifically regarding margin structure and long-term sustainability for all parties involved'
- **[business_signal]** Dutch Pinball securing new Dutch entrepreneurial investors to strengthen financial and operational capacity (confidence: high) — Barry: 'Dutch Pinball has recently welcomed two Dutch entrepreneurial investors, both with a strong passion for pinball, who strengthen the company financially and strategically'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Uncertainty in pinball community regarding Alice's Adventures in Wonderland completion, code updates, and outstanding topper issues following Melvin's departure (confidence: medium) — Melvin acknowledges community concerns and provides reassurance about continued support despite reduced development resources
- **[market_signal]** Back to the Future positioning as Dutch Pinball's primary focus title following DPX exit (confidence: medium) — Pinball News: 'Certainly some distributors are hinting that the anticipated Dutch Pinball title, Back to the Future, will be announced sooner rather than later'
- **[manufacturing_signal]** Dutch Pinball explicitly rejecting external creative partnerships in favor of vertically-integrated in-house development (confidence: high) — Barry: 'Dutch Pinball will therefore refocus fully on developing and producing its own original titles, where creative control, production planning, and commercial execution are fully integrated'
- **[personnel_signal]** Melvin Brouwer-Williams departing Dutch Pinball/DPX represents a significant creative talent shift in the boutique pinball sector (confidence: high) — Official confirmation of Melvin's February 9, 2026 departure from DPX and Dutch Pinball
- **[product_strategy]** RAZA game development indefinitely delayed/cancelled due to partnership dissolution (confidence: high) — Melvin statement: 'DPX will be defunct as of today for upcoming releases from my involvement'; planned March announcement no longer occurring
- **[product_concern]** Alice's Adventures in Wonderland experiencing unresolved topper-related manufacturing issues at Dutch Pinball (confidence: high) — Melvin statement references 'outstanding topper related issues'; Barry promises 'A short update regarding the toppers will be shared in a few days'
---
## Transcript
HomeNEWSMELVIN SPLITS WITH DUTCH PINBALL
Date: February 9th, 2026
Co-founder of Dutch Pinball Exclusive (DPX), Melvin Brouwer-Williams, has parted company with Dutch Pinball, ending any immediate plans to build the Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland (RAZA) game.
 Melvin Brouwer-Williams
DPX is a joint venture between Melvin and Dutch Pinball, using Melvin’s designs and intellectual property with the game built by Dutch Pinball at their factory in Herkenbosch in the Netherlands. DPX launched their first title, Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, in October 2024, and are still building the game which has a limited run of 500 units.
Melvin has stated that the split won’t impact on the build of the outstanding Alice machines, and that code updates will continue. However, he does warn that those updates might take longer now that there are fewer development resources available.
RAZA was to be the second DPX title with development nearly complete, using much of the design work undertaken by Deeproot Pinball before that company collapsed into bankruptcy. Deeproot’s game was itself based on an original John Popadiuk design for his Zidware company. Melvin purchased the rights to the Zidware intellectual property, as well as the physical assets we reported on in December 2022.
 One of the two storage units of Zidware assets
Following Deeproot Pinball’s collapse, Melvin purchased the rights to the games they had in development, giving him ownership of RAZA and Magic Girl too. He wasn’t planning to remake Magic Girl, as there are already several games in circulation and he thought the design would need considerable changes to make it fun to play and possible to manufacture in quantity.
In a statement issued last night, Melvin hinted at troubled relations between himself and Dutch Pinball. It was clear he had been unhappy at the speed and quality of Dutch Pinball’s manufacturing of the Alice game and its associated topper for some time but, with RAZA poised to be announced next month, it appears the involvement of a new investor in Dutch Pinball has now brought matters to a head.
Here’s what Melvin had to say in his statement.
| |
| --- |
| Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Februari 9, 2026
Dear all,
It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that, effective as of today, I Melvin Brouwer-Williams will be stepping away from DPX (Dutch Pinball Exclusive) . This decision is an unfortunate result of a new organizational structure within Dutch Pinball and also because of a new investors party that have a different vision then me. Therefore Dutch Pinball has decided that it will be continuing on its own path without my involvement.
I fully understand that this announcement may raise many questions…. And at this moment, I do not yet have all the answers myself, and I must admit that this transition leaves me feeling somewhat uncertain.
As many may know my next game was on its scheduled to be released. Nevertheless, I remain confident in the future of the pinball industry and in my own continued journey within it ,unfortunately that won’t be with the Dutch Pinball family .DPX will be defunct as of today for upcoming releases from my involvement. I tried my best to build the brand to certain point that I now can no longer control to my standards.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported and believed in me and in Alice throughout this journey. Your trust, encouragement, and shared passion have meant more to me than words can adequately express. I’m heartbroken that it came to this point as I also expected many more things to come from the DPX brand.
While this chapter comes to a close, my commitment to pinball does NOT. I have to look forward in my own way to see what the future holds and hope our pinball paths in the community may cross again, as my plan with my upcoming game/games will have to shift to other MFG party’s in the USA when that possibility arrives.
Rest assure that I will still do my best to help where ever needed on Alice. Although that will be through community contacts,forums,etc.
Code updates will be a bit slower at times but rest assure it won’t be forgotten. As I have my own team (coders,Lior,tech and other great people) that will move with me and will handle upcoming projects with me . As alice and the planned game that was announced and other titles are my own IP and or design.
I expect that Dutch Pinball will take care of there customers with the promises that where made and build all the final Alice’s and solve the outstanding topper related issues . This was unfortunately never in my control , nor some of the other structural issues that many are aware off.
As you also might understand by now that some situations may have lead to this outcome I present today.
Any questions regarding AAIW and or this writing please contact your local distributor and or dutch pinball support to keep this separation as professional as possible.
With sincere thanks and respect,
Melvin Brouwer-Williams |
| |
From that statement it appears Dutch Pinball Exclusive isn’t necessarily finished as a Dutch Pinball sub-brand, but that Melvin won’t have any further involvement in their designs or manufacturing.
Update
Dutch Pinball owner, Barry Driessen has confirmed the split with Melvin and also the involvement of new investors in Dutch Pinball.
In a message to distributors, he says Dutch Pinball will eschew collaborations with other parties and concentrate on developing in-house designs. While some have taken that to mean there will be no licenced titles, it most likely means the company will continue to develop purely Dutch Pinball titles. Certainly some distributors are hinting that the anticipated Dutch Pinball title, Back to the Future, will be announced sooner rather than later.
Melvin had previously explained the original plan was to reveal RAZA as the next DPX game in March, and then to launch Dutch Pinball’s own next game at Pinball Expo in October. With RAZA no longer being a DPX title, Dutch Pinball can bring forward their announcement.
Here’s what Barry had to say:
| |
| --- |
| Dear Dutch Pinball partner,
We would like to update you directly on a few important developments at Dutch Pinball.
Dutch Pinball confirms that its collaboration under the working name DPX, involving an external creative partner, has come to an end.
While the first title was successfully brought to market, discussions around a potential second title revealed a misalignment on commercial terms, specifically regarding margin structure and long-term sustainability for all parties involved. As a result, both sides mutually agreed to discontinue not only the second project, but the collaboration as a whole.
Based on this experience, Dutch Pinball has concluded that this type of external collaboration introduces a level of complexity and dependency that does not align with how we want to build and scale the company going forward.
Dutch Pinball will therefore refocus fully on developing and producing its own original titles, where creative control, production planning, and commercial execution are fully integrated within the company.
We are pleased to share that Dutch Pinball has recently welcomed two Dutch entrepreneurial investors, both with a strong passion for pinball, who strengthen the company financially and strategically. Their involvement enables Dutch Pinball to operate in a more professional, stable, and well-capitalized manner.
Dutch Pinball is fully committed to completing the remaining Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland machines and continues to work diligently toward final delivery. A short update regarding the toppers will be shared in a few days.
An announcement regarding new Dutch Pinball projects will follow in the next couple of months.
We thank our distributors, partners, and customers for their continued trust and support.
Hartelijke groet, Herzliche Grüße, kind regards,
Barry Driessen |
| |
We’ll bring you more updates on this news as soon as we get it, right here at Pinball News.
- Related Articles
- More By Pinball News
- More In NEWS
- 
MELVIN JOINS AMERICAN PINBALL
Two of our recent news stories have come together with the announcement that Melvin Brouwe…
6 hours ago
- 
JANUARY 2026 PINCAST
The first month of 2026 certainly brought us plenty of excitement in the pinball world, ev…
2 weeks ago
- 
DECEMBER 2025 PINCAST
As we bid a warm welcome to 2026, there’s plenty to look back on in the pinball industry t…
5th January, 2026
Load More Related Articles
- 
MELVIN JOINS AMERICAN PINBALL
Two of our recent news stories have come together with the announcement that Melvin Brouwe…
6 hours ago
- 
POKÉMON REVEALED
After a delay while awaiting licensor approval, Stern Pinball today finally launched their…
4 days ago
- 
PINBALL AT THE BEACH
Welcome to our live coverage of the second Pinball at the Beach which is being held, as it…
2 weeks ago
Load More By Pinball News
- 
MELVIN JOINS AMERICAN PINBALL
Two of our recent news stories have come together with the announcement that Melvin Brouwe…
6 hours ago
- 
CHANGES AHEAD AT CPR
One of the pioneers of reproduction parts for pinballs, Classic Playfield Reproductions, i…
2 weeks ago
- 
JJP INTRODUCES 3D GAME VIEWER TOOL
Jersey Jack Pinball have introduced a new 3D visualiser tool to enable potential buyers to…
2 weeks ago
Load More In NEWS
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked \
Comment \
Name \
Email \
Website
Δ
Check Also
MELVIN JOINS AMERICAN PINBALL
Two of our recent news stories have come together with the announcement that Melvin Brouwe…
© Text, images and other media are copyright of Pinball News and may not be used without written permission. All trademarks used are the property of their respective owners.
You can view our privacy Ryan Policky here.
FacebookTwitterGoogle+YoutubeSkype
X
reCAPTCHA
Recaptcha requires verification.
Privacy \- Terms
protected by reCAPTCHA
Privacy \- Terms
_(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v1)_
---
*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 586dd22b-73f2-4229-94f8-b6613614d0a3*