# Dutch Pinball Secures Big Lebowski Licence

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2013-12-27  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/lebowski.html

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## Analysis

Dutch Pinball announced on December 27, 2013, that it has secured an exclusive global license from Universal Partnerships & Licensing to produce The Big Lebowski pinball machine. The company teased the announcement at Pinball Expo with flyers and a countdown website. Pre-orders opened immediately with pricing at €7,550 (EU) or $8,500 (US) plus tax, with first units scheduled to ship in Q2 2015 approximately 15-18 months away.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Dutch Pinball has obtained an exclusive global license from Universal Partnerships & Licensing (NBCUniversal) to manufacture The Big Lebowski pinball machine — _Official press release from Dutch Pinball dated December 27, 2013, announcing the licensing partnership_
- [HIGH] First units of The Big Lebowski pinball are scheduled to ship in Q2 2015, approximately 15-18 months from the announcement date — _Official press release stating 'first units due to ship in the second quarter of 2015'_
- [HIGH] The Big Lebowski pinball will be manufactured at a new Dutch Pinball facility in the Netherlands — _Official press release: 'Machines will be made in the Netherlands at a new Dutch Pinball facility'_
- [HIGH] Pricing for The Big Lebowski pinball is €7,550 (including 21% VAT) in Europe or $8,500 in the US plus tax — _Official pricing information in press release_
- [HIGH] The Big Lebowski was initially released as a film in 1998 and has become a cult classic — _Quoted from official press release describing the film's cultural status_

### Notable Quotes

> "The Big Lebowski Pinball gives Pinheads and Achievers an unprecedented opportunity to experience the film first-hand by immersing them in the storyline and allowing them to interact with the classic characters we all love. As tremendous fans of the movie, we are all thrilled to have received this license from Universal so we can finally bring The Dude where he belongs, to the playfield."
> — **Barry Driessen, Creative Director and Chief Designer of Dutch Pinball**, December 27, 2013 press release
> _Official statement establishing Dutch Pinball's enthusiasm for the project and design philosophy emphasizing immersion and storytelling_

> "With stunning visuals, in-depth rules, full stereo sound and classic film clips, Dutch Pinball's The Big Lebowski Pinball Machine brings players directly in The Dude's world."
> — **Official press release description**, December 27, 2013
> _Describes the core feature set and design approach for the machine_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Dutch Pinball | company | Dutch pinball manufacturer based in Reuver, Netherlands; securing first major licensed IP (Big Lebowski) with new manufacturing facility |
| The Big Lebowski | game | Upcoming pinball machine based on the 1998 cult classic film; first official Dutch Pinball licensed title; preorders open December 27, 2013; expected Q2 2015 release |
| Universal Partnerships & Licensing | organization | Licensing division of NBCUniversal (owned by Comcast); granted exclusive global license to Dutch Pinball for Big Lebowski pinball production |
| Barry Driessen | person | Creative Director and Chief Designer of Dutch Pinball; statement in press release indicates leadership role in Big Lebowski project |
| Jaap Nauta | person | President of Dutch Pinball BV; made the announcement of the Big Lebowski license acquisition |
| Philip Weinberg | person | Director of Marketing and Communications for Dutch Pinball BV; listed as contact for inquiries |
| Pinball Expo | event | Event where Dutch Pinball distributed teaser flyers hinting at Big Lebowski announcement |
| NBCUniversal | organization | Parent company of Universal Partnerships & Licensing; owns The Big Lebowski IP through its vast film library |
| Comcast Corporation | company | Parent company of NBCUniversal |
| Bride of Pinbot DMD conversion kit | product | Previous product made by Dutch Pinball before securing Big Lebowski license |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Licensing and IP acquisition, New manufacturer product launch, Pricing and preorder strategy
- **Secondary:** Manufacturing facility expansion, Marketing and teaser campaign

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Announcement is celebratory and forward-looking. Dutch Pinball expresses genuine enthusiasm for the license ('tremendous fans of the movie'). No negative commentary or concerns are present. Professional press release tone combined with excited creative director statement creates optimistic sentiment about the project's future.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Dutch Pinball's facility expansion indicates confidence in manufacturing capacity and market demand for licensed titles (confidence: medium) — Press release states 'new Dutch Pinball facility' being built in Netherlands for production
- **[licensing_signal]** Dutch Pinball secures exclusive global license from NBCUniversal for The Big Lebowski IP, establishing the company as a legitimate licensed manufacturer and opening access to major film IP (confidence: high) — Official press release from Universal Partnerships & Licensing dated December 27, 2013, confirming exclusive global production rights
- **[market_signal]** Dutch Pinball pricing The Big Lebowski at €7,550/$8,500 establishes entry point for modern licensed pinball machines in the mid-range premium tier (confidence: high) — Official pricing announced: €7,550 including VAT for EU, $8,500 for US plus tax
- **[market_signal]** Coordinated teaser campaign at Pinball Expo with countdown website and themed flyers (Twin Peaks references) demonstrates sophisticated pre-launch marketing strategy (confidence: high) — Article describes teaser flyers distributed at Pinball Expo and dudepinball.com countdown clock reaching zero on announcement date
- **[announcement]** Official announcement of The Big Lebowski pinball machine with confirmed specifications, pricing, and timeline (confidence: high) — Press release with manufacturer details, pricing structure (€7,550 EU / $8,500 US), and Q2 2015 ship date

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## Transcript

Date: 27th December, 2013

They stirred up a lot of interest at Pinball Expo by distributing teaser flyers and set up a website with a countdown clock which ended today, now the big secret has been at least partially revealed.

Python with the girls from Twin Peaks distributing flyers

The flyer hinted at a pinball based on the movie The Big Lebowski starring Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey Lebowski (a.k.a. The Dude) and John Goodman as Walter.

The teaser flyer

The dudepinball.com website featured a countdown clock which reached zero today and right on cue, a press release from Dutch Pinball arrived in the Pinball News inbox revealing, if not all, then at least something.

Dutch Pinball - makers of the Bride of Pinbot DMD conversion kit - will be obtaining a licence from Universal Partnerships and Licensing (part of NBCUniversal) to make a Big Lebowski pinball.

Now TheBigLebowskiPinball.com has launched to take the familiar pre-orders with this equally teasing video...

...and this press release:

UNIVERSAL PARTNERSHIPS & LICENSING SIGNS DUTCH PINBALL BV

AS GLOBAL LICENSEE FOR THE BIG LEBOWSKI
PINBALL MACHINE

REUVER, THE NETHERLANDS, December 27, 2013 — Dutch Pinball BV

announced today that they will partner with Universal Partnerships & Licensing

(UP&L) as the exclusive licensee for the global production of The Big Lebowski

Pinball Machine. The announcement was made by Dutch Pinball President Jaap

Nauta.

The Big Lebowski, which was initially released in 1998, has become a cult classic,
elevating The Dude to cultural icon status. With stunning visuals, in-depth rules, full
stereo sound and classic film clips, Dutch Pinball’s The Big Lebowski

Pinball
Machine brings players directly in The Dude’s world.

“The Big Lebowski
Pinball gives Pinheads and Achievers an unprecedented

opportunity to experience the film first-hand by immersing them in the storyline and
allowing them to interact with the classic characters we all love,” said Barry Driessen,
Creative Director and Chief Designer of Dutch Pinball. “As tremendous fans of the
movie, we are all thrilled to have received this license from Universal so we can
finally bring The Dude where he belongs, to the playfield.”

Preorders for The Big Lebowski
Pinball Machine are now available on

www.thebiglebowskipinball.com.

About Dutch Pinball

Dutch Pinball’s global headquarters is in Reuver, The Netherlands. By bringing

together a team of creative, expert and fun-loving pinheads, it has quickly established
itself as an innovator in developing and delivering players ground-breaking, and fully
immersive pinball experiences through state-of-the-art interactivity, exciting and indepth rules, and most importantly, engaging storytelling.

About Universal Partnerships & Licensing

Universal Partnerships & Licensing (UP&L) oversees Universal’s consumer product
licensing, film and home entertainment promotions, and all corporate alliances for
Universal’s theatrical, home entertainment, theme parks and stage productions. This
dedicated division is also responsible for monetizing the Studio’s vast library of films
and characters through licensing, branding and marketing opportunities. UP&L is
part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and
entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of
entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and
operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a
premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a
leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading
Internet-based businesses.

NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

Contact

Philip Weinberg (Director of Marketing and Communications)

Dutch Pinball BV

info@thebiglebowskipinball.com

Machines will be made in the Netherlands at a new Dutch Pinball facility, with the first units due to ship in the second quarter of 2015, approximately 15-18 months away.

The cost of the game will be €7,550 including European VAT at 21%, or $8,500 in the US plus tax. In both cases shipping is extra, although US and Canadian orders will ship from Park Ridge, Illinois. Buyers outside the EU and US can buy the game for €6,240 but must pay all applicable taxes and shipping themselves.

Pre-order payments are staggered with an initial €800/$1,000 deposit followed by five more payments of €1,350/$1,500 starting on 1st April, 2014. Until then, the deposit is fully refundable.

As more is revealed, we'll bring you all the latest news about Dutch Pinball's The Big Lebowski pinball right here at Pinball News.

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 8a46f0d7-644a-41c7-ade3-2af17abef7c5*