# Episode 122 Tim Lee Sucks at Toy Story

**Source:** Poor Man's Pinball Podcast  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2022-06-21  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://poormanspinballpodcast.libsyn.com/episode-122-tim-lee-sucks-at-toy-story

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## Analysis

The host of Poor Man's Pinball discusses the newly released Jersey Jack Pinball Toy Story game, acknowledging community criticism about its $12,000+ price point and perceived lack of content relative to cost. While praising JJP for releasing new games and defending licensing constraints imposed by Disney, the host expresses personal disappointment and declares a preference for Stern's more frequent releases and the value proposition of their Spike 2 platform with Insider Connect features.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Jersey Jack Pinball has sold significant quantities of Toy Story CEs and LEs across distributors — _Host states he spoke to distributors and confirmed CEs are 'all spoken for' and LEs 'going to keep pumping out for a while'_
- [MEDIUM] Disney approval constraints significantly limited what JJP could include in Toy Story (75-80% of design decisions made by Disney, not JJP) — _Host speculates on licensing restrictions but acknowledges this is interpretive: 'I'm sure down the road, we'll hear about some things. Oh, we really wanted to do this or that, but you know, Disney wouldn't let us'_
- [HIGH] Stern releases new games every couple months vs JJP's 18-month to 2-year release cycle — _Host directly compares release cadences: 'Jersey Jack Pinball only releases a game every so often you know it's like 18 months two years so you know that the expectations are higher you know Stern who pumps out games every couple months'_
- [HIGH] Stern's Insider Connect platform is 'fantastic' and adds meaningful engagement through achievements — _Host states personal enthusiasm: 'Insider Connect is fantastic. I love the achievements. It just it really cool. It gives you something new to shoot for'_
- [MEDIUM] Most Spike 2 and recent Stern games (from AC/DC Premium onward) are quality with only 4-5 poor titles among 30-35 releases over 10 years — _Host makes broad quality claim: 'most of the Spike 2 games and also most of the games since Stern AC/DC Premium... you have four or five dogs... you have 26 great games'_
- [MEDIUM] Toy Story at $12,000 represents an unsustainable pricing tipping point causing hobby enthusiasts to exit the collector market — _Host describes community sentiment: 'now we're getting to a point. It's a serious tipping point in this hobby where more and more people, especially the die hards... are just saying, you know, I'm out. I can't I can't do this'_
- [HIGH] The host would consider Toy Story at under $10,000 but not at current pricing — _Direct personal statement: 'like a lot of people i think if if this Toy Story game was less than 10,000 you know i i'd probably think about it'_
- [MEDIUM] Venom is expected to release in August (implied from host's pre-order status) — _Host states: 'I'm hoping that Venom is released in August because I'm on the list for that'_

### Notable Quotes

> "now we're getting to a point. It's a serious tipping point in this hobby where more and more people, especially the die hards... are just saying, you know, I'm out. I can't I can't do this. I'm not going to afford it."
> — **Poor Man's Pinball host**, early in episode
> _Captures core community sentiment about pricing breaking point in collector market_

> "I firmly believe that 75, 80% of all those decisions were made by Disney, not by Jersey Jack Pinball"
> — **Poor Man's Pinball host**, mid-episode
> _Defends JJP design choices by attributing constraints to Disney licensing limitations_

> "Stern who pumps out games every couple months, it's like, well, you don't like this one. Fine, wait a couple months. There will be something else."
> — **Poor Man's Pinball host**, mid-episode
> _Explains Stern's competitive advantage through release velocity managing expectations_

> "I'm a Stern fanboy... at the end of the day, I think having, you know, especially with my collection, that's going to hover around 10 or 12, you know, I think most of those are going to be Stern games"
> — **Poor Man's Pinball host**, late in episode
> _Explicit declaration of manufacturer loyalty shift away from JJP toward Stern_

> "anytime your dream theme is made, it's never going to live up to expectations"
> — **Poor Man's Pinball host**, mid-episode
> _Frames universal pattern of unmet expectations for anticipated licensed themes_

> "I challenge anyone to put a Spike game in their game room and not play it for you know a month a couple months and really enjoy it"
> — **Poor Man's Pinball host**, late in episode
> _Strong endorsement of Stern Spike platform quality and longevity_

> "Jersey Jack Pinball, once again, thank you for getting a game out into the world, regardless of what you think about it, regardless of the price"
> — **Poor Man's Pinball host**, opening segment
> _Attempts to balance criticism with acknowledgment of production achievement_

> "It's not $12,000. So for me, that's good for me."
> — **Poor Man's Pinball host**, closing segment about Venom
> _Encapsulates entire episode's pricing concern as primary purchase decision factor_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Boutique pinball manufacturer criticized for Toy Story pricing and content depth relative to cost; praised for releasing new games and working with acclaimed designer Pat Lawlor |
| Stern Pinball | company | Larger manufacturer positioning gaining favor with host due to frequent releases, Spike 2 platform quality, and Insider Connect feature ecosystem |
| Pat Lawlor | person | Legendary pinball designer credited as lead on Toy Story game at Jersey Jack Pinball |
| Joe A. | person | Credited team member at Jersey Jack Pinball working on Toy Story |
| Raymond Katz | person | Credited team member at Jersey Jack Pinball working on Toy Story |
| Toy Story (Jersey Jack Pinball) | game | Newly released licensed pinball game based on Pixar Toy Story; priced at $12,000+; criticized for high price relative to perceived content; themed around Toy Story 4 carnival setting; CEs and LEs selling well |
| Guns N' Roses | game | Stern Spike game owned by host; preferred over Toy Story as newer acquisition; demonstrates host's Stern preference |
| Star Wars | game | Licensed Stern premium pinball game owned by host for over 1 year; generally enjoyed but with minor design regrets (wanted force magnet mechanic) |
| Mandalorian | game | American Pinball licensed game (Star Wars: The Mandalorian) recently acquired by host; uses magnet mechanic host wished was implemented differently in Star Wars game |
| The Shadow | game | Classic pinball game mentioned as part of host's collection history |
| Insider Connect | product | Stern's digital platform adding achievements and engagement features to modern games; praised by host as innovation driving Stern preference |
| Spike 2 | product | Stern's pinball platform hosting most recent games; host claims 26 of ~35 games over 10 years are quality with only 4-5 poor titles |
| Venom | game | Upcoming Stern Spike game expected August release; host is pre-ordered; positioned as alternative to Toy Story with better value |
| Black Knight | game | Recent Stern release mentioned as example of game host doesn't prefer but knows another will come soon |
| Monsters | game | Recent Stern release mentioned as example of game host doesn't prefer but knows another will come soon |
| Jurassic Park | game | Recent Stern release mentioned as high-quality game following less-preferred titles |
| Deadpool | game | Recent Stern release mentioned as high-quality game demonstrating strong release pipeline |
| Scott Ian | person | Pinball personality who previously teased host about Stern fandom |
| Disney | company | Licensor of Toy Story; implied to have imposed significant design and content restrictions on Jersey Jack Pinball's game adaptation |
| Zach Sharpe | person | Co-owner of Flip N Out Pinball distributor (with Nicole); expected to sell significant Toy Story units |
| Flip N Out Pinball | company | Pinball distributor partnering with Poor Man's Pinball podcast; expected to distribute Toy Story game |
| Poor Man's Pinball Podcast | organization | Podcast series; this is episode 122 analyzing Toy Story release and broader market dynamics |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Jersey Jack Pinball Toy Story pricing and value perception, Community sentiment on pinball game pricing tipping points, Stern vs Jersey Jack Pinball competitive positioning
- **Secondary:** Licensing constraints (Disney) limiting game design scope, Stern Spike 2 platform quality and Insider Connect features, Release velocity as competitive advantage (Stern vs JJP), Dream theme licensing games consistently failing to meet expectations
- **Mentioned:** Hobby collector market sustainability concerns

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.35) — Host expresses respect for Jersey Jack Pinball's production effort and sales success, but is personally underwhelmed by Toy Story's value proposition at $12,000+ price point. Defends JJP against harsh criticism while clearly pivoting toward Stern platform preference. Acknowledges valid community frustration about pricing while maintaining measured, non-inflammatory tone. Includes gratitude aside reflecting broader perspective on privilege and hobby affordability.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Jersey Jack Pinball successfully monetizing price premium despite community criticism; sales strong across distributor network despite pushback (confidence: high) — Host: 'I know they're sold a lot. I've spoken to several distributors and I know they've done well' and acknowledges JJP strategy succeeds despite collector resistance
- **[community_signal]** Active social media and Facebook community discussion on Toy Story; polarized sentiment between casual/family players (positive) and hardcore collectors (negative value perception) (confidence: high) — Host: 'There is a lot, a lot of chatter all over social media, all over the pinball media' and 'I think the kids and the families and the people that we don't know in this hobby... they're going to buy this for their kids and they're going to absolutely love it'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Growing fatigue with escalating collector-tier game pricing ($12k+) creating hobby participation anxiety and potential market contraction at premium end (confidence: high) — Host: 'I think a larger majority of the people seem to be upset because of what they perceive that we get for the price' and recognizes 'it's just... it's another game' moment in hobby maturity
- **[competitive_signal]** Stern's release velocity (every couple months) vs JJP's release cadence (18 months-2 years) creates competitive advantage in managing collector expectations and enabling easier game skipping (confidence: high) — Host: 'Stern who pumps out games every couple months, it's like, well, you don't like this one. Fine, wait a couple months. There will be something else' vs 'Jersey Jack Pinball only releases a game every so often... so you know that the expectations are higher'
- **[market_signal]** Universal pattern of licensed 'dream theme' games consistently failing to meet collector expectations, with specific examples (Star Wars, Guardians, Simpsons, LOTR, Spider-Man, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park) (confidence: high) — Host poses challenge: 'please email us... let us know if a dream theme has come out for you and it met all your expectations... I would say in almost every case that that can't, it can't happen'
- **[licensing_signal]** Disney licensing constraints significantly limited Toy Story game design scope; host attributes 75-80% of design decisions to licensor, not manufacturer (confidence: medium) — Host: 'I firmly believe that 75, 80% of all those decisions were made by Disney, not by Jersey Jack Pinball... I'm sure down the road, we'll hear about some things. Oh, we really wanted to do this or that, but you know, Disney wouldn't let us'
- **[market_signal]** Secondary market activity: Toy Story CEs fully allocated across distributors; LEs continuing to produce; expected to move to secondhand market at discounted prices (confidence: high) — Host: 'I've spoken to several distributors and I know they've done well. The CEs are all spoken for and the Limited Edition are going to keep pumping out for a while... we'll probably see them on the secondhand market and they'll probably be a little less'
- **[market_signal]** Toy Story at $12,000+ represents tipping point for collector market; host and community perceiving price as disproportionate to content/features relative to expectations (confidence: high) — Host: 'a serious tipping point in this hobby where more and more people, especially the die hards... are just saying, you know, I'm out. I can't I can't do this' and 'I can't fault them because... they made a game. It's exciting. It's going to do well' but personal threshold at $10k
- **[product_strategy]** Stern's Insider Connect platform is actively adding features and represents significant differentiation; host emphasizes ongoing development and community engagement value (confidence: high) — Host: 'Insider Connect is fantastic... I love the achievements. It just it really cool. It gives you something new to shoot for. They're certainly adding more stuff to it almost every day, so kudos to them'
- **[product_concern]** Toy Story perceived as lacking 'magic' and toy integration; community expecting more substantial content for premium pricing tier (confidence: medium) — Host: 'another big complaint is people say there's just not enough toys in it. There's not enough magic' and personal reaction 'I was definitely underwhelmed when I saw this game'
- **[product_strategy]** Stern game releases expected August and end-of-year; Venom specifically targeted for August release; ongoing content pipeline supporting platform growth strategy (confidence: medium) — Host: 'we're going to have another new game from Stern in August, and we're probably at the end of the year' and 'I'm hoping that Venom is released in August because I'm on the list for that'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Host's manufacturing loyalty shifting from balanced interest to explicit Stern preference, with planned collection heavily weighted toward Stern games (confidence: high) — Host announcement: 'I'm a Stern fanboy... Scott Ian used to poke fun at me all the time. And yeah, I was like, No, no, no, I'm in all this other stuff. And I am. And I think most of [my 10-12 game collection] are going to be Stern games'

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## Transcript

 you've got a friend in me you've got a friend in me when the road looks rough ahead and you're miles and miles from your nice welcome to the poor man's pinball podcast episode 122 this is another quick episode we are going to talk about toy story there is a lot, a lot of chatter all over social media, all over the pinball media. We have to unpack this. Away we go. First thing I want to say, Jersey Jack, once again, thank you for getting a game out into the world, regardless of what you think about it, regardless of the price, all those different things, which we will discuss. Thanks. Pat Lawler, team, Joe Katz, you know, everyone at Jersey Jack Pinball who worked on this. Lots of support staff, the people who put it together, they get games in boxes and they give them to customers. So, you know, we applaud you for that. I'm sure some people don't, but I do. Thank you so much for doing that. It's always great to have new pinball in the world. But with that being said, we need to discuss this game. I know lots and lots of people are upset about the price. You know, it's funny. We knew it was coming. We knew the price was going to be more. I shouldn't say they're upset. Well, yeah, most people are upset about the price, but I think a larger majority of the people seem to be upset because of what they perceive that we get for the price. And I can understand that. I was definitely underwhelmed when I saw this game. Full disclosure, I haven't played it yet. I do want to get in front of it and I'm sure it's going to be fun. You know, it's pinball. Pinball is always fun, right? That's always the mantra. But, you know, now we are getting to a point. It's a serious tipping point in this hobby where more and more people, especially the die hards, the people I hang out with that are just saying, you know, I'm out. I can't I can't do this. I'm not going to afford it. And that's, that's cool. I get it. I'm certainly not paying $12,000 for a toy story. That's my own personal thing. But I will say that they're, they sold a lot. I've spoken to several distributors and I know they've done well. The CEs are all spoken for and the LEs are going to keep pumping out for a while. And I think they're going to sell quite a few of them. You know, we'll probably see them on the secondhand market and they'll probably be a little less, which is fine also. But I really think that it's just, it's another game and they're going to sell quite a few of them. But let's dive into it. So, you know, another big complaint is people say there's just not enough toys in it. There's not enough magic. And, you know, Jersey Jack is a business and they're trying to make money and seemingly they're making a lot of it. Um, so once again, I, I know people don't want to hear this, but I can't fault them because, you know, they made a game. It's exciting. It's going to do well in location for the few locations that put them on there. Um, and I, once again, I think the kids and the families and the people that we don't know in this hobby, um, you know, just Joe Schmo, that's not diehard into pinball. They're going to buy this for their kids and they're going to absolutely love it. So, um, You know, that's that's the new world that we're in More and more people are seemingly getting into this hobby and and that's you know good for for the most part It is gonna continue to drive up prices, which is really bad for us that collect lots of games, but You know this is what we wanted right Everyone said we need to grow the hobby we did and now here we are And I also want to respond to some people who said well if they couldn have done the license justice, they probably shouldn't have done it. And I really don't agree with that because once again, you know, it seems like they did pretty well in their first couple of days of sales. The license is a big hit. And while we all wanted more in it, I firmly believe that 75, 80% of all those decisions were made by Disney, not by Jersey Jack, you know, as far as, you know, what they could use, what they couldn't, you know, all those, um, you know, that some of the different toys and stuff that's licensed, I mean, I'm sure they could have got it, but then it would just been more expensive and different things. So, um, you know, and, and everything had to run through Disney as, as with most licenses. So, you know, like I said, a lot of those choices were made by Disney, you know, I'm sure down the road, we'll hear about some things. Oh, we really wanted to do this or that, but you know, Disney wouldn't let us, or it was cost prohibitive. So, you know, I do give them a little bit of leeway that way. However, you know, just, I don't know, I'm still a little stuck on the Toy Story 4 thing, the carnival. It's, it's neat, but it's just, it's not, it doesn't, you know, scream to me. When, when I first heard Toy Story, I was really excited. You know, this was two years ago and I was like, holy cow, that might be my first Jersey Jack game new in box. And, you know, it ended up being guns and roses, but, um, you know, toy story was really high up there for me. And I had a lot of high hopes and that's the problem too, because there's been discussions about dream themes and, you know, anytime your dream theme is made, it's never going to live up to expectations. You know, please email us poor man's pinball at gmail.com let us know if a dream theme has come out for you and it met all your expectations whether it be star wars or guardians of the galaxy or simpsons or you know jurassic park you know a lot of these big big big licenses have been coming out for 20 years um lord of the rings you know the list goes spider-man the list goes on so let us know if you ever had a dream theme that got made and it met your expectations. Cause I would say in almost every case that that can't, it can't happen. You know, you're going to buy it. Ghostbusters. See, I just keep going. You're going to buy it, you know, and maybe you love the game, but at the end of the day, you're always going to say, well, I wish they did this or I wish they did that. I mean, I love, love, love my Star Wars premium. It's a great game. Um, it's, it might, you know, soon become one of the longest in my collection. I've had it for over a year now, which for me is kind of an eternity. And, um, you know, I love it, but of course I wanted more in it. Of course I wish they did other things. You know, I wanted a magnet for the force, you know, and then I just bought Mandalorian, the same thing. They use the magnet, but, um, you know, I wish they did it a little differently. Um, so, you know, that's just, those are my takes, but they're, you know, they're great games and I enjoy them, which kind of brings me to my next point. So now that we're talking about price and different things, you know, I've kind of said this, and I'm just gonna announce this to the world now, like, I'm a stern fanboy, you know, Ian used to poke fun at me all the time. And yeah, I was like, No, no, no, I'm in all this other stuff. And I am. And you know, once again, Guns N' Roses is here. You know, I have my shadow. You know, I've had Bally Williams games over the years, but at the end of the day, I think having, you know, especially with my collection, that's going to hover around 10 or 12, you know, I think most of those are going to be Stern's because with the new insider connect, you know, that's a whole nother thing that insider connect is fantastic. Um I love the achievements It just it really cool It gives you something new to shoot for no pun intended I really really loving it my two games and I have some more Sterns coming I really, really like the platform. I like what they're doing. They're certainly adding more stuff to it almost every day, so kudos to them. This is just me. like um you know like a lot of people i think if if this toy story game was less than 10 000 you know i i'd probably think about it and you know the theme is fantastic and i think it it will be a fun game but it's just you know you got to look at value and space and and you know how much money you have and there's all these considerations so you know for me personally you know toy story won't be a buy but once again i'm not going to be completely negative on it i'm not going to shit on it but um it's it's not for me i'm going more towards stern and the other thing is too um you know i think i've mentioned this in the last couple episodes is that part of the reason we're so hyped up for this is because jersey jack only releases a game every so often you know it's like 18 months two years so you know that the expectations are higher you know stern who pumps out games every couple months, it's like, well, you don't like this one. Fine, wait a couple months. There will be something else. I mean, you know, if it weren't for this, you know, supply shortage and stuff and their backlog, you know, we just got Rush. What was it, like a couple months ago? You know, we would have another game already out, which is amazing. And, you know, like I said, they purposely shut that down so they can catch up on the backlog. But we're going to have another new game from Stern in August, and we're probably going to have another new game from Stern at the end of the year. So when a game like Black Knight comes out or Monsters or something, and you're like, yeah, I just don't care for that one, cool. And then what do they do? Then they release Jurassic Park. Then they release Deadpool. So these great, great games just keep coming out. And I would argue that, once again, yes, I'm a Stern fanboy, But, you know, most of the Spike 2 games and also most of the games since ACDC, so, you know, from the old Sam days all the way up to the Spike 1 and Spike 2, almost every single game is pretty fun. there are a couple dogs in there but you know you're talking about 30 35 games you know over the last 10 years or so and um you know you have four or five dogs well that means you have 26 great games you know i i challenge anyone to put a spike game in their game room and not play it for you know a month a couple months and really enjoy it so um just my take um but once again all pinball is fun. And, um, I don't even know where I was going with that little rant, but, uh, you know, it's early it's, uh, it's Tuesday morning, but, but reigning myself back in back to the matter at hand toy story. Um, yep. You know, just, just the people on social media have really been giving it a hard time. And, um, you know, like I said, I can certainly understand it. I can certainly appreciate their opinions. Um, and, uh, I just think a lot of people are tired of the prices, But I also say that, you know, on a serious note, with all the stuff that's going on in the world right now, you know, everything that's even happening here at home with the elections and different things, we're not going to get political for sure. But, you know, the stuff going on in Ukraine and the high gas prices and groceries and, you know, there are people in this world. I just want to remind everyone there are people in this world that struggle to pay for the basics every week. and here we are arguing about, well, should I or could I afford a $12,000 pinball machine? I would say anyone in that conversation you know you have it pretty good So it not lost on me and I definitely do not take anything for granted And I so glad that I have my family and my dogs and you know the ability to enjoy this hobby the way I do. And, you know, it's so great that I can afford almost any game I want whenever I want. I mean, I'm very, very, very, very happy, very, um, you know, fortunate that that is the case. So that is not lost on me. And like I said, little, little side rant, but I just wanted to make sure that everyone understood that's where I'm coming from. And I think some of you guys and gals out there, you should, you know, take a look in the mirror and, and, and, you know, be thankful as well, because, um, here we are arguing about, you know, uh, $12,000 pinball machines. So pretty, pretty cool that we're able to do that. So anyways, um, yeah, not much more. I mean, I just, like I said, I want to get in front of it, but, um, you know, I just wanted to kind of lay that out there for people and, and, you know, what, what do you guys think? You know, we've been, like I said, talking a lot about, about it on social media, but, you know, send me a message, poor man's pinball at gmail.com chime in on the poor man's pinball fan page on Facebook. There is a lot, a lot of discussion going on there. Um, you know, Toy Story 4, here we are. It's here. We got some other stuff in the pipeline coming down soon. I'm hoping that Venom is released in August because I'm on the list for that. And there you go. It's another Spike game that I think I'm going to really enjoy. And it's not $12,000. So for me, that's good for me. But once again, Jersey Jack, good you got a game out in the world. I'm glad for our sponsors, Flip N Out Pinball, Zach and Nicole. I'm sure they're going to sell a lot of them. So that's good for them as well. And, um, you know, let's, let's, let's be kind to each other when we're having these discussions, because what we don't need is more, uh, more war and fighting in this world, but we can have some lively discussions about it. And, um, you know, I hope that everyone has a great day and this was episode one 22 and we will talk soon. 😆 мо아르 Much Vigorous Maybe a fan, gotta be crazy, I'm crazy to suggest it Maybe a Dodger Stadium, maybe a cat What's inside your butthole? Wonder what's inside your butthole I wonder what's inside your butthole Maybe there's astronauts, maybe there's aliens All inside your butthole What's inside your butthole? I always wanna know What's inside your butthole? I always wanna know What's inside your butthole? I always wanna know What's inside your butthole? Hmm, what is in there? Maybe a purse? Another butthole? That sounds crazy Maybe a flower? What's inside your butthole? Buttholes are so powerful They're more powerful than me They're more powerful than you They're more powerful than coffee I don't even know what coffee does Wonder what's inside your bowl I wonder what's inside your bowl Maybe there's astronauts Maybe there's aliens All inside your bowl

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 6eecd0ce-cb43-4a85-8eb0-63154f7c2a2a*