# Spring Loaded

**Source:** This Week in Pinball  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2026-03-27  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://twip.kineticist.com/p/spring-loaded

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## Analysis

This Week in Pinball's spring news roundup covers major TPF announcements including Turner Pinball's Yukon Yeti (Dennis Nordman's 5-ball avalanche machine at $9,999), HEXA's The 3 Musketeers reveal (delayed by customs), American Pinball's Houdini 100th Anniversary and confirmed Cirqus Voltaire remake for 2026, plus rumored CGC Attack from Mars rerun. Also features an extended interview with Project Pinball founder Daniel Spolar addressing charity accountability questions, tournament results, and Kineticist site/service updates.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Turner Pinball's Yukon Yeti sold at least half of its 500-unit run before TPF ended — _This Week in Pinball article; stated as 'word is Turner has already sold at least half'_
- [HIGH] Yukon Yeti could take up to two years to produce all 500 units — _This Week in Pinball article; explicitly stated production timeline_
- [HIGH] HEXA's The 3 Musketeers demo units were held up by customs at Texas Pinball Festival — _This Week in Pinball article; confirmed customs delay preventing floor play at TPF_
- [HIGH] American Pinball's Cirqus Voltaire remake is scheduled for 2026 — _This Week in Pinball article; officially confirmed at TPF_
- [MEDIUM] Chicago Gaming Company may do another production run of Attack from Mars Remake — _This Week in Pinball article; labeled as rumor from TPF, states 'Word out of TPF is...'_
- [HIGH] Project Pinball has $600,000 in net assets and a 3-star Charity Navigator rating — _This Week in Pinball article; citing public 990 filings referenced by community_
- [HIGH] Daniel Spolar took zero salary for eight years at Project Pinball — _This Week in Pinball article; stated in context of interview about charity finances_
- [HIGH] Pokémon pinball posted the fastest start This Week in Pinball has ever tracked — _This Week in Pinball article; Moving Units #6 report_
- [HIGH] American Pinball promotional flyer still had Gemini watermark indicating AI generation — _This Week in Pinball article; noted at TPF_

### Notable Quotes

> "There were no bombshells. No red flags. No moments where the math didn't add up. What there was, mostly, was a guy in a hotel room in Phoenix, bike wedged against the bed, somewhere between dedications, answering for a charity that's grown faster than the community's understanding of it."
> — **This Week in Pinball (editor/author)**, N/A
> _Captures the essence of the Project Pinball interview findings—transparency without drama, addressing community concerns about rapid growth and financial accountability_

> "Could take up to two years to produce all 500 — a reminder of what 'small batch' actually means at this scale."
> — **This Week in Pinball (editor/author)**, N/A
> _Commentary on manufacturing realities for boutique pinball producers; contextualizes Turner Pinball's production capacity_

> "The audio is fixable. The art is what it is."
> — **This Week in Pinball (editor/author)**, N/A
> _Assessment of Yukon Yeti's reception at TPF—audio criticism addressable, but artwork divisive by design choice_

> "Tough break for a French manufacturer trying to prove itself with unlicensed IP."
> — **This Week in Pinball (editor/author)**, N/A
> _Framing HEXA's customs delay as particularly damaging to market positioning of new manufacturer_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Daniel Spolar | person | Founder of Project Pinball; interviewed for nearly three hours about charity operations, finances, raffle mechanics, and salary history |
| Dennis Nordman | person | Designer of Whitewater; designer of Yukon Yeti for Turner Pinball described as 'spiritual successor to White Water' |
| Turner Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Yukon Yeti; boutique producer with $9,999 500-unit production run; addressing audio feedback post-TPF |
| Yukon Yeti | game | Turner Pinball title; 5-ball avalanche lock with four flippers; Klondike Gold Rush theme; $9,999 for 500-unit run; at least 250 units sold; 2-year production timeline |
| HEXA Pinball | company | French pinball manufacturer; unveiled The 3 Musketeers at TPF; customs delays prevented demo play; announced AdaptiveFlip accessibility program |
| The 3 Musketeers | game | HEXA Pinball second title; designed by Luis Dos Santos; unlicensed public domain IP; Classic Edition €7,890, Elegance Edition €10,390; first shipments targeted for June; delayed customs at TPF |
| Luis Dos Santos | person | Designer of The 3 Musketeers for HEXA Pinball |
| American Pinball | company | Announced Houdini 100th Anniversary Edition with new artwork by Christopher Franchi and topper; confirmed Cirqus Voltaire remake for 2026; used AI-generated promotional flyer with visible Gemini watermark |
| Houdini 100th Anniversary Edition | game | American Pinball release; new cabinet artwork by Christopher Franchi; new topper; units on floor at TPF |
| Cirqus Voltaire | game | American Pinball remake confirmed for 2026 release; remake of classic title |
| Christopher Franchi | person | Artist for Houdini 100th Anniversary Edition cabinet artwork |
| Chicago Gaming Company | company | Rumored to be considering another production run of Attack from Mars Remake; strong ongoing demand noted |
| Attack from Mars Remake | game | Chicago Gaming Company title; rumored second production run being considered; described as having consistently strong demand |
| Daniele Acciari | person | Tournament player; won INDISC for fifth lifetime major |
| Jason Zahler | person | Tournament player; won IFPA North American Pinball Championship with 4-0 finals sweep |
| Keith Elwin | person | Tournament player; won Pin-Masters at ORD Pinball; clinched victory on NBA Fastbreak |
| Dalton Ely | person | Tournament player; top four finish at both NAPC and Pin-Masters; noted as emerging talent |
| Noah Crable | person | Rulesheet guide writer for Kineticist; reached NAPC finals; defeated Eric Stone in semis; selected X-Men for tournament play |
| Eric Stone | person | Tournament player; lost to Noah Crable in NAPC semifinals |
| Texas Pinball Festival | event | Major spring pinball expo where Yukon Yeti, The 3 Musketeers, and Houdini 100th Anniversary Edition were showcased; venue for multiple announcements |
| Project Pinball | organization | Pinball charity; $600,000 net assets; 3-star Charity Navigator rating; founder Daniel Spolar interviewed about operations and finances |
| Kineticist | product | Pinball database and information site; underwent ground-up rebuild; new features include ad-free browsing for TWIP subscribers, game reviews, comments, custom lists, rating saves |
| This Week in Pinball | organization | Pinball media/news outlet; publishes Moving Units tracker, tournament coverage, game reviews; announced site rebuild and new subscriber features |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Tournament Results, New Machine Announcements, Charity and Community Organization Accountability
- **Secondary:** Manufacturing and Production, Manufacturer Business Updates, Media and Content Platform Development
- **Mentioned:** Game Market Tracking, AI in Marketing and Design

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0)

### Signals

- **[product_launch]** Turner Pinball's Yukon Yeti officially revealed at Texas Pinball Festival; 5-ball avalanche theme with four flippers; $9,999 for 500-unit limited run; at least 250 units (50%) pre-sold (confidence: high) — Direct announcement at TPF with units on display; production timeline and pricing confirmed
- **[product_launch]** HEXA Pinball's The 3 Musketeers officially revealed despite customs delays; unlicensed public domain IP; two edition tiers (Classic €7,890, Elegance €10,390); June 2025 first shipments targeted (confidence: high) — Simultaneous announcement in Bordeaux and intended TPF reveal; designer and pricing confirmed
- **[product_launch]** American Pinball confirms Cirqus Voltaire remake scheduled for 2026 release (confidence: high) — Official announcement at TPF; scheduled production year confirmed
- **[product_launch]** American Pinball Houdini 100th Anniversary Edition with new artwork and topper; units displayed at TPF (confidence: high) — Announced at TPF with physical units on show floor; artist credited
- **[manufacturing_signal]** Turner Pinball Yukon Yeti production estimated at 2 years for 500-unit run; characterizes limitations of small-batch manufacturing scale (confidence: high) — Explicit timeline stated; contextualized as typical for boutique manufacturer capacity
- **[supply_chain_signal]** HEXA Pinball's The 3 Musketeers demo units held up by customs, preventing floor play at Texas Pinball Festival; impact on market introduction (confidence: high) — Confirmed customs hold preventing TPF debut experience; described as 'tough break' for new manufacturer proving market viability
- **[market_signal]** Chicago Gaming Company rumored to be planning second production run of Attack from Mars Remake due to consistently strong demand; suggests sustained market appetite for remake title (confidence: medium) — Rumor sourced from TPF; qualified as speculation but grounded in demand observation
- **[community_signal]** Extended interview with Project Pinball founder Daniel Spolar addresses recurring community questions about $600,000 net assets, founder salary, and operational transparency; reports no red flags in financial accounting (confidence: high) — Nearly three-hour recorded interview addressing specific concerns; explicit statement of findings
- **[competitive_signal]** Spring tournament season results: Daniele Acciari wins INDISC (5th major), Jason Zahler wins NAPC with 4-0 finals sweep, Keith Elwin wins Pin-Masters; Dalton Ely emerging talent in top four at both NAPC and Pin-Masters (confidence: high) — Tournament results reported in Score Card coverage
- **[content_signal]** This Week in Pinball launched ground-up rebuild of Kineticist database with new features: ad-free browsing for subscribers, comments, custom game/location lists, profile rating saves; announces continued hiring for writers (confidence: high) — Direct announcement of completed rebuild and live features; open call for contributors
- **[product_concern]** Yukon Yeti received audio criticism at TPF; Turner Pinball announced plans to address audio with additional help (confidence: high) — Explicit mention of audio feedback and remediation plan; characterized as fixable
- **[industry_signal]** American Pinball used AI-generated promotional flyer with visible Gemini watermark at TPF; characterized as quality control lapse; parallel to Harry Potter AI art situation earlier in 2025 (confidence: high) — Watermark observed on promotional material; contextualized against precedent

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## Transcript

Pinball News of the Week One More Dollar: Inside Project Pinball with Daniel Spolar Every few months, someone in the pinball community pulls up Project Pinball's 990 filings, sees $600,000 in net assets and a 3-star Charity Navigator rating, and starts asking questions. Where does the money go? Why does the founder take a salary? Why no independent audit? We sat down with Daniel Spolar for nearly three hours to get answers. The conversation covered everything — the origin story, how the raffles actually work, what the $600,000 is made of, why he took zero salary for eight years, and the stories behind the placements that the public rarely hears. There were no bombshells. No red flags. No moments where the math didn't add up. What there was, mostly, was a guy in a hotel room in Phoenix, bike wedged against the bed, somewhere between dedications, answering for a charity that's grown faster than the community's understanding of it. Turner Pinball Reveals Yukon Yeti Dennis Nordman's spiritual successor to White Water is real, and it had its public debut at the Texas Pinball Festival last weekend. Klondike Gold Rush-themed, built around a 5-ball avalanche lock and four flippers. It's $9,999 for a single 500-unit run, and word is Turner has already sold at least half. Could take up to two years to produce all 500 — a reminder of what "small batch" actually means at this scale. Audio took some heat at the show and Turner is bringing on more help to address it. Art has split opinion too. The audio is fixable. The art is what it is. Either way, there's a lot of mechanical ambition here. Full breakdown with rules, pricing, and design history on Kineticist. HEXA's 3 Musketeers Reveal — Minus the Machine HEXA Pinball planned to unveil its second title, The 3 Musketeers, simultaneously in Bordeaux and at the Texas Pinball Festival. There was just one problem: customs held up the TPF demo units, so attendees couldn't actually play it. Tough break for a French manufacturer trying to prove itself with unlicensed IP. Designed by Luis Dos Santos, themed around Alexandre Dumas's classic novel (public domain — no licensing fees). Classic Edition runs €7,890, Elegance Edition €10,390. First shipments targeted for June. HEXA also announced AdaptiveFlip, an accessibility program they said was "quite easy to do on a technical point of view". American Pinball at TPF: Houdini, Cirqus Voltaire, and an AI Flyer American Pinball came to Texas with two announcements. First, a Houdini 100th Anniversary Edition — new cabinet artwork by Christopher Franchi and a new topper. They had units on the floor at the fest. Second, and bigger: the Cirqus Voltaire remake is confirmed and scheduled for 2026. For anyone who caught our TPF preview a couple weeks ago, the rumor mill was right on this one. There was also a small dust-up over a promotional flyer that was pretty clearly AI-generated — it still had the Gemini watermark on it. Similar vibes to the Harry Potter AI art situation from earlier this year. I don't think using AI for promo materials is inherently a problem, but you've gotta check the details before you send it out. Rumor: CGC Considering Another Attack from Mars Remake Run Word out of TPF is that Chicago Gaming Company may do another production run of the Attack from Mars Remake. About time — demand for AfM has consistently been strong. Like Medieval Madness, AfM is another game CGC could probably run in perpetuity. The Score Card: Major Moves The latest Score Card covers three major tournaments from competitive pinball's spring season. Daniele Acciari won INDISC for his fifth lifetime major. Jason Zahler took the IFPA North American Pinball Championship with a 4-0 finals sweep. Keith Elwin won Pin-Masters at ORD Pinball, clinching it on NBA Fastbreak. And Dalton Ely quietly showed up in the top four at both NAPC and Pin-Masters — watch that name. Noah Crable on His Surprise NAPC Run We also interviewed Noah Crable about his run to the NAPC finals. Noah writes rulesheet guides for us at Kineticist and isn't really on the national tournament circuit — he qualified through state competitions, knocked out Eric Stone in the semis, then ran into Jason Zahler in the final. Fun interview. He talks about learning games through location play, why he kept picking X-Men (short version: he knew it cold and everyone else didn't), and his VHS tape collecting hobby, which is somehow the perfect parallel to writing rulesheets. Moving Units #6 Is Live New Moving Units tracker is up for paid subscribers. JAWS crossed 3,000 units in market, Harry Potter hit a milestone, and Pokémon posted the fastest start we've ever tracked. Read Moving Units #6. Kineticist Updates A few things from our end. The site got a ground-up rebuild. If you've visited kineticist.com recently, you may have noticed it's faster and works better. We rebuilt the entire site on a new custom stack, replacing the hodgepodge of subscription services we'd been using. Already live: game reviews, comments on articles, custom lists for games and locations, and the ability to save your game ratings and hype ratings to your profile. More features coming — we'll do a proper write-up once we're further along. Your TWIP sub just got an upgrade. First feature we built on the new stack: paid TWIP subscribers can now browse kineticist.com completely ad-free. Create a Kineticist account, link your subscription, takes about a minute. Your sub now gets you ad-free browsing on top of Moving Units, subscriber-only articles, and everything else. We're still looking for writers. The response to our call a couple weeks ago was way better than I expected — we're in talks with a bunch of potential new contributors and have some new things in the works. But it's an open call, and it stays open. If you're interested in covering pinball, arcade culture, or adjacent beats with a business lens, reach out anytime: [email protected].

_(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v4)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 84c7b41c-96d0-4b8a-b035-918d34688b8e*