# A Look at Jersey Jack Sonic the Hedgehog on the Production Line; No Matrix or Top Gun Pinball & More

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2026-06-25  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/blog/a-look-at-jersey-jack-sonic-the-hedgehog-on-the-production-line-no-matrix-or-top-gun-pinball-more

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## Analysis

Jersey Jack Pinball founder Jack Guarnieri reveals in a Delta Fringe Podcast interview that Sonic the Hedgehog is now in production on the assembly line alongside Harry Potter. The article covers JJP's licensing strategy, including why The Matrix was abandoned (empty license lacking usable IP assets), Top Gun is unattainable industry-wide (Tom Cruise rejection), and confirmation of three games in development across three teams with releases planned for late 2026 and fall 2027. Guarnieri emphasizes JJP's production philosophy favors volume (several thousand units) over artificial scarcity, and spent six figures on the Sonic reveal video for first-impression impact.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Jack Guarnieri began working on the Sonic license in 2022, with a roughly two-year concept-to-production-line timeline for JJP titles. — _Jack Guarnieri, Delta Fringe Podcast interview, as reported by Knapp Arcade on June 25, 2026_
- [HIGH] JJP currently has three machines in development across three design teams, with releases planned for sometime in late 2026 and fall 2027. — _Jack Guarnieri, Delta Fringe Podcast, per Knapp Arcade article_
- [HIGH] The Matrix license was essentially empty—containing only a logo and single image with no Keanu Reeves likeness or usable assets for game development. — _Jack Guarnieri, Delta Fringe Podcast interview_
- [HIGH] Top Gun is a dead end across the entire pinball industry because Tom Cruise has rejected all pinball pitches from multiple manufacturers over many years. — _Jack Guarnieri, Delta Fringe Podcast_
- [HIGH] Harry Potter took ten years of repeated asking to land, and the claim that J.K. Rowling opposed pinball over gambling associations was a rumor started by someone who couldn't land the license. — _Jack Guarnieri, Delta Fringe Podcast_
- [HIGH] JJP spent six figures producing the Sonic reveal video because a noisy show-floor debut undersells a game. — _Jack Guarnieri, Delta Fringe Podcast_
- [HIGH] JJP prefers building several thousand units of a title rather than capped runs of several hundred, arguing that limiting sales leaves money on the table that funds future game development. — _Jack Guarnieri, Delta Fringe Podcast_
- [HIGH] JJP had to extend the Sonic license because Harry Potter stayed on the production line longer than expected due to license scheduling conflicts. — _Jack Guarnieri, Delta Fringe Podcast_

### Notable Quotes

> "sometimes these licenses crash into each other"
> — **Jack Guarnieri**, Delta Fringe Podcast interview, June 2026
> _Explains production scheduling challenges when multiple licensed titles need extended timelines_

> "even a train stops once in a while"
> — **Jack Guarnieri**, Delta Fringe Podcast interview
> _Guarnieri's metaphor for ceasing pursuit of Top Gun despite years of effort_

> "you get one chance at a first impression and that a noisy show-floor debut undersells a game"
> — **Jack Guarnieri**, Delta Fringe Podcast interview
> _Justifies six-figure investment in professional Sonic reveal video_

> "essentially empty: a logo and a single image, no Keanu Reeves likeness, nothing to build a game from"
> — **Jack Guarnieri**, Delta Fringe Podcast interview
> _Explains why Matrix was abandoned despite JJP holding the license_

> "a theme needs a story to tell — Elton John works, but he cites Billy Joel as an example that he loves but couldn't translate into a machine"
> — **Jack Guarnieri**, Delta Fringe Podcast interview
> _Reveals JJP's design philosophy on licensing suitability_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Jack Guarnieri | person | Founder of Jersey Jack Pinball; provided detailed licensing and production insights in Delta Fringe Podcast interview |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Boutique pinball manufacturer with Sonic the Hedgehog now in production; three games in development pipeline |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | game | Jersey Jack Pinball's latest title, now visible on production assembly lines; development began in 2022; official reveal occurred June 24, 2026; launch party scheduled for weekend at Under The Glass Pinball Speakeasy, Red Bank, NJ |
| Harry Potter | game | Jersey Jack Pinball title currently sharing assembly line with Sonic; delayed longer than expected, creating scheduling conflicts with Sonic license |
| The Matrix | game | Licensed but abandoned by JJP; described as having empty IP assets (logo, single image, no usable character likenesses) |
| Top Gun | game | Pinball industry-wide dead end due to Tom Cruise's consistent rejection of all pinball pitches across multiple manufacturers |
| The Wizard of Oz | game | Jersey Jack Pinball's first game; licensed after Three Stooges became unavailable; chosen to appeal to women and girls |
| Willy Wonka | game | Jersey Jack Pinball title requiring navigation of Roald Dahl and Gene Wilder estates; included week-long negotiation over use of single Wilder photo |
| Beetlejuice | game | Non-exclusive license that JJP held but walked away from when licensor also granted it to Spooky Pinball; now Spooky's current game |
| Hobbit | game | Jersey Jack Pinball title; credited with attracting Harry Potter licensing opportunity when J.K. Rowling's representatives played and loved it |
| Knapp Arcade | organization | Pinball news and media publication covering industry developments; published this article on June 25, 2026 |
| Delta Fringe Podcast | organization | YouTube podcast channel that conducted interview with Jack Guarnieri about Jersey Jack Pinball licensing and production strategy |
| Under The Glass Pinball Speakeasy | venue | Red Bank, NJ venue hosting Sonic the Hedgehog launch party the weekend after reveal |
| Pedretti Gaming | company | Developing Tales of the Arabian Nights remake with redesigned color dot matrix display art |
| Stern Pinball | company | Competing manufacturer; recently released Transformers: More than Meets the Eye designed by Jamie Burchell |
| [name withheld pending review] | game | Stern Pinball's new game designed by Jamie Burchell; gameplay streamed from Eureka Heights brewery in Houston, Texas |
| Retro Ralph | person | YouTube content creator; published production line footage of Sonic the Hedgehog in launch video |
| On Tilt Pinball | organization | Content creator associated with Ayce Gogi; provided early gameplay footage of Sonic the Hedgehog from Southern California location |
| Jamie Burchell | person | Designer of Stern Pinball's Transformers: More than Meets the Eye; streamed live gameplay from Eureka Heights |
| JBS Show | organization | Streaming show featuring gameplay coverage; hosted live show from Eureka Heights brewery with Jamie Burchell |

### Signals

- **[product_launch]** Sonic the Hedgehog confirmed in production on assembly line as of June 2026, with dual assembly lines running Sonic and Harry Potter simultaneously (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri stated he saw Sonic on one assembly line and Harry Potter on the second during week of podcast recording; multiple video sources showing Sonic on production line and at location venues
- **[machine_intel]** JJP has three games in active development with confirmed release timeline: Sonic now shipping, next title late 2026, third title fall 2027 (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri: 'After Sonic, the next title lands sometime next year, and a third in the fall of next year'
- **[licensing_signal]** The Matrix license was acquired by JJP but abandoned due to insufficient usable IP assets (only logo and single image, no character likenesses) (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri described Matrix as 'essentially empty: a logo and a single image, no Keanu Reeves likeness, nothing to build a game from'
- **[licensing_signal]** Top Gun is an industry-wide dead end for all pinball manufacturers due to Tom Cruise consistently rejecting pinball pitches for years (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri stated 'many different pinball companies have tried for years and Cruise has rejected everything' and JJP has 'stopped pursuing it'
- **[licensing_signal]** Harry Potter required ten years of repeated licensing requests; previous claim about J.K. Rowling opposing pinball due to gambling was dispelled as rumor by Guarnieri (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri: 'Harry Potter took ten years of repeated asking to land' and 'the widely repeated claim that J.K. Rowling opposed pinball over gambling associations was a rumor started by someone who couldn't land the license'
- **[product_strategy]** JJP explicitly rejects limited edition scarcity model, instead targeting several thousand units per title to maximize revenue for future game development (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri: 'JJP wants to build several thousand units of a title rather than a capped run of several hundred, arguing that limiting sales leaves money that funds future game development on the table'
- **[design_innovation]** JJP invested six figures in professional Sonic reveal video based on philosophy that first impression requires high production value and should avoid show-floor premiere (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri: 'JJP spent six figures producing the Sonic reveal video, on the reasoning that you get one chance at a first impression and that a noisy show-floor debut undersells a game'
- **[personnel_signal]** JJP now operating with three separate design teams working on three concurrent games, representing expanded design capacity (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri: 'JJP currently has three machines in development across three design teams'
- **[operational_signal]** License scheduling conflicts required JJP to extend Sonic license because Harry Potter production timeline exceeded initial expectations (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri: 'he had to extend the Sonic license because Harry Potter stayed on the line longer than expected — sometimes these licenses crash into each other'
- **[licensing_signal]** JJP walked away from Beetlejuice license despite holding it because non-exclusive terms allowed competing manufacturer (Spooky Pinball) to make competing version (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri compared it to 'two bakeries making jelly donuts across the street from each other' and chose to exit rather than compete
- **[design_philosophy]** JJP applies rule that licensed theme must have a story to tell; musical artists without narrative don't translate well (Billy Joel vs. Elton John) (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri: 'a theme needs a story to tell — Elton John works, but he cites Billy Joel as an example that he loves but couldn't translate into a machine'
- **[content_signal]** Sonic reveal generated significant media coverage across multiple YouTube channels (Retro Ralph, On Tilt Pinball, Delta Fringe Podcast) and venue footage within 24 hours of announcement (confidence: high) — Multiple video sources from On Tilt Pinball, Retro Ralph, and Delta Fringe Podcast published around June 24-25, 2026; venue gameplay at Ayce Gogi in Southern California

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## Transcript

News A Look at Jersey Jack Sonic the Hedgehog on the Production Line; No Matrix or Top Gun Pinball & More k knapparcade June 25, 2026 Whew, we're coming off of our third new game reveal in as many weeks. I'm actually hoping to get a chance to play the game that was revealed yesterday, Jersey Jack's Sonic the Hedgehog, tonight. I also will see it at this weekend's launch party at the Under The Glass Pinball Speakeasy in Red Bank, NJ. In the meantime, I have a tiny look at the game in action courtesy of On Tilt Pinball from Ayce Gogi in Southern California and pictures of the game on the production line courtesy of the great launch video that Retro Ralph put up on his YouTube channel yesterday. I'll include those below. Yesterday, I also stumbled across a surprise video interview with Jersey Jack Pinball's founder, Jack Guarnieri from a YouTube channel that I wasn't familiar with - the Delta Fringe Podcast. I will embed the full video below. Here are my notes: Sonic — development, production, and pipeline \- Long development runway. Jack said he began working on the Sonic license in 2022. That tracks with the roughly two-year concept-to-production-line timeline he gives for JJP titles, and with his licensing work reaching out to 2029, 2030, and 2031. \- Dual assembly lines — Jack said that the week of this recording he saw Sonic the Hedgehog on one assembly line and Harry Potter on the second — something he'd wanted to see for years. \- Three teams, three games. JJP currently has three machines in development across three design teams. After Sonic, the next title lands "sometime next year," and a third in "the fall of next year." Jack said he had to extend the Sonic license because Harry Potter stayed on the line longer than expected — "sometimes these licenses crash into each other." \- No artificial scarcity. He said that JJP wants to build several thousand units of a title rather than a capped run of several hundred, arguing that limiting sales leaves money that funds future game development on the table. \- Reveal video. JJP spent six figures producing the Sonic reveal video, on the reasoning that you get one chance at a first impression and that a noisy show-floor debut undersells a game. Licensing — what JJP has chased, landed, and lost \- Wizard of Oz (the company's first game) came after he'd wanted the license for the Three Stooges, which was unavailable due to a film in progress. He spotted Oz on a Warner Bros. title list and chose it specifically to appeal to women and girls rather than a "testosterone-based" theme. Warner initially balked because JJP wasn't five years old; they relented after he told them to Google him. \- Harry Potter took ten years of repeated asking to land. Jack said the widely repeated claim that J.K. Rowling opposed pinball over gambling associations was a rumor started by someone who couldn't land the license. The breakthrough came when Rowling's IP representatives were playing JJP's Hobbit machine, loved it, and asked to work with the company that made it. \- Willy Wonka required navigating two estates — Roald Dahl's and Gene Wilder's — including a weeks-long negotiation just to use a photo of Wilder with his arms outstretched (the estate first wanted a different imag used). \- Beetlejuice — JJP actually had the license, but it was non-exclusive and the licensor also granted it to another company. Jack walked away rather than make competing games, comparing it to two bakeries making jelly donuts across the street from each other. (Spooky Pinball's current game is Beetlejuice). !Advertisement Ad 1 of 3 \- The Matrix — he had the license but called it essentially empty: a logo and a single image, no Keanu Reeves likeness, nothing to build a game from. A cautionary example of how an "empty license" can be worthless. \- Top Gun — is a dead end across the entire industry, per Jack, because of Tom Cruise. He said many different pinball companies have tried for years and Cruise has rejected everything; Jack has stopped pursuing it ("even a train stops once in a while"). \- Themes that don't fit pinball. He gets license-holder inquiries about once a month for properties that don't make good games. His rule of thumb is that a theme needs a story to tell — Elton John works, but he cites Billy Joel as an example that he loves but couldn't translate into a machine. Video of Sonic in action, courtesy of On Tilt: Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Download the video instead. Sonic the Hedgehog Pinball by Jersey Jack \| FIRST Gameplay Look \| OnTilt Pinball - YouTube Tap to unmute On Tilt Pinball On Tilt Pinball Delta Fringe Podcast with Jack Guarnieri - Jersey Jack Pinball (S1E3 June 2026) - YouTube Tap to unmute Delta Fringe Delta Fringe New sponsor slot Your sponsored ad here Be the first to claim this placement. Contact knapparcade@gmail.com today Sonic on the floor at Ayce Gogi: First Look: They Actually Made a Sonic the Hedgehog Pinball Machine!? - YouTube Tap to unmute Retro Ralph Retro Ralph Earlier this week, we got a look at the completely redesigned color dot matrix display art for Pedretti Gaming's Tales of the Arabian Nights remake. The new art certainly is impressive. Below are the comparisons of the new art to the original: " ✨ 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞. 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜. ✨ The original Tales of the Arabian Nights display animations were already a true masterpiece — iconic, recognizable, and full of charm. For our remake, we started from that legacy with respect, study, and passion, working to enhance the experience with new colorized animations, richer details, and a fresh visual presentation designed to bring even more life to the game. This side-by-side comparison shows the spirit of what we are trying to achieve: preserving the magic of the original while adding a new level of quality, atmosphere, and immersion. 🧞‍♂️ 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝. 🧞‍♂️" Last up we have a replay of a recent live gameplay stream of Stern Pinball's new Transformers: More than Meets the Eye pinball machine by Jamie Burchell from the Eureka Heights brewery in Houston, Texas. The JBS Show is LIVE. Special Call In Show LIVE at Eureka Heights! - YouTube Tap to unmute The JBS Show with Jamie Burchell The JBS Show with Jamie Burchell Posted 10 minutes ago k About knapparcade Site administrator Comments (0) Please sign in to join the conversation. No comments yet Be the first to share your thoughts on this post! Related Articles A Look at Jersey Jack Sonic the Hedgehog on the Production Line; No Matrix or Top Gun Pinball & More 10 minutes ago Jersey Jack Pinball Reveals Next Game - Sonic The Hedgehog 1 day ago First Image of Jersey Jack Sonic the Hedgehog Topper; A Look at Transformers Pinball on the Line & More 5 days ago Subscribe to Updates Get the latest pinball news, blog posts, and event announcements delivered to your inbox Subscribe !Advertisement Ad 2 of 2 New sponsor slot Your sponsored ad here Be the first to claim this placement.

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-08-04 | Item ID: 62e29d64-dd55-4f42-88dd-20153e609832*