# Exclusive: Pro Pinball Reboots With Special Guests

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2013-10-01  
**Beat:** Pinball

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

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## Analysis

Pro Pinball, a legendary 1990s computer pinball simulation series, is being rebooted by original creators Cunning Developments (now operating as Silverball Studios). The team has secured legendary designer Pat Lawlor and artist John Youssi to create a new Pro Pinball title, with remasters of the original four games planned. Funding will be sought through Kickstarter with a target release of October 2013.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Pat Lawlor has agreed to design a new Pro Pinball game after being out of professional pinball design since CSI in 2008 — _Direct statement from article; Lawlor quoted as accepting the project_
- [HIGH] John Youssi will create backglass artwork and reform the design duo with Pat Lawlor from classic titles like The Addams Family and The Twilight Zone — _Article states Youssi 'has also been brought on board' and identifies his classic collaborations with Lawlor_
- [HIGH] The original four Pro Pinball games will be remastered for modern resolutions and color depths — _Article explicitly states plan to 're-master the existing four titles'_
- [MEDIUM] New Pro Pinball game is tentatively scheduled for October 2013 release — _Article states 'tentatively scheduled for October next year' (written in August 2012)_
- [HIGH] The new game will be designed such that it could theoretically be built as a physical machine after the digital version releases — _Article notes 'the intention is to create a design which could actually be built at some point'_

### Notable Quotes

> "After designing The Twilight Zone, Pat said he'd never be allowed to create anything as complex again, but now without the budgetary limitations and bill-of-materials of a real machine, he is free to produce the game he really wants to make."
> — **Article narrator (referencing Pat Lawlor's prior statement)**
> _Explains Lawlor's motivation for returning to design and the creative freedom offered by digital-first approach_

> "The Web also broke new ground by offering a single fully-featured concept table, rather than the usual assortment of four or five mixed themes on offer from other developers."
> — **Article narrator**
> _Highlights Pro Pinball's innovative design philosophy and market differentiation_

> "Having been out of professional pinball design since his CSI game in 2008, Pat Lawlor has agreed to design the next Pro Pinball game. Yes, that's right - Pat is back creating new pinball designs."
> — **Article narrator**
> _Major announcement of legendary designer's return after 4-year hiatus_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Pro Pinball | product | Computer pinball simulation series from 1990s; being rebooted with new title and remasters |
| Pat Lawlor | person | Legendary pinball designer; designing new Pro Pinball game after 4-year hiatus since CSI (2008) |
| John Youssi | person | Renowned pinball artist; creating backglass artwork for new Pro Pinball title |
| Cunning Developments | company | Original Pro Pinball development team based in Oxfordshire, England; headed by Adrian Barritt and Richard Horrocks |
| Silverball Studios | company | Current iteration of original Pro Pinball team; developed Mario Pinball Land and Metroid Prime Pinball |
| Adrian Barritt | person | Head of Cunning Developments; original Pro Pinball creator |
| Richard Horrocks | person | Head of Cunning Developments; original Pro Pinball creator |
| The Web | product | First Pro Pinball game (1995); featured revolutionary 3D ball physics |
| Timeshock | product | Second Pro Pinball game; pushed realism to design limits |
| Big Race USA | product | Pro Pinball game in series; pushed realism to design limits |
| Fantastic Journey | product | Fourth Pro Pinball game (2000); crossed into physically-impractical design territory |
| The Addams Family | product | Classic pinball title designed by Pat Lawlor with John Youssi artwork |
| The Twilight Zone | product | Legendary pinball title designed by Pat Lawlor with John Youssi artwork |
| CSI | product | Pat Lawlor's last professional pinball design (2008) |
| Empire Interactive | company | Publisher of original Pro Pinball series |
| Fuse Games | company | Interim name for Pro Pinball team after original series ended |
| Mario Pinball Land | product | Pinball game developed by Silverball Studios for Game Boy Advance |
| Metroid Prime Pinball | product | Pinball game developed by Silverball Studios for Nintendo DS |
| Bruce Foxton | person | Musician from The Jam; created music tracks for Pro Pinball The Web |
| Jake Burns | person | Musician from Stiff Little Fingers; created music tracks for Pro Pinball The Web |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Pro Pinball reboot and franchise revival, Pat Lawlor's return to pinball design, Game remasters and modernization
- **Secondary:** Kickstarter crowdfunding strategy, Digital-first design enabling complexity, Pro Pinball legacy and cultural impact
- **Mentioned:** Computer pinball simulation history

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Enthusiastic tone celebrating the return of a beloved franchise with legendary creators. Emphasis on innovation, talent acquisition, and ambitious scope creates excitement. No criticism or negative sentiment present.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Silverball Studios re-acquires Pro Pinball IP rights and plans franchise revival with remaster plus new title (confidence: high) — 'having re-acquired the rights to the Pro Pinball series, they plan to not only re-master the existing four titles... but also create a brand new title'
- **[design_philosophy]** Digital-first approach enabling more complex game design than physical machine constraints would allow, with potential for physical adaptation later (confidence: high) — 'without the budgetary limitations and bill-of-materials of a real machine, he is free to produce the game he really wants to make' and 'could actually be built at some point'
- **[personnel_signal]** Pat Lawlor returning to active pinball design after 4-year hiatus; brought into Pro Pinball reboot project (confidence: high) — Direct statement: 'Having been out of professional pinball design since his CSI game in 2008, Pat Lawlor has agreed to design the next Pro Pinball game'
- **[announcement]** Official announcement of new Pro Pinball title in development with Pat Lawlor and John Youssi (confidence: high) — Article explicitly announces new game design by Lawlor with Youssi artwork, scheduled October 2013
- **[technology_signal]** Remastering 1990s pinball simulations for modern gaming platforms with improved resolutions and color depth (confidence: high) — Article states plan to 'bring them up-to-date and support today's increased resolutions and colour depths'

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## Transcript

Date: 15th August, 2012

Sitting in the draw next to this  desk lie a bunch of CDs bearing titles such as The Web and Timeshock, Big Race USA and Fantastic Journey.

For legions of fans around the world, those names mean only one thing - Pro Pinball.

Pro Pinball was a series of four computer pinball simulations published by Empire Interactive but created by the team at Cunning Developments based in Oxfordshire, Robert Englunds, headed by Adrian Barritt and Richard Horrocks. Their first game - 1995's The Web - was a total revelation, featuring a level of accuracy in 3D ball physics previously thought impossible. Yet, here it was running on a regular domestic PC.

And the hyper-realistic physics were also married to an innovative playfield design, a deep and complex ruleset and  rocking music tracks from The Jam's Bruce Foxton and Jake Burns of Stiff Little Fingers which were so good the disc also worked as a regular audio CD.

The Web also broke new ground by offering a single fully-featured concept table, rather than the usual assortment of four or five mixed themes on offer from other developers. Although that single game Ryan Policky attracted criticism from some quarters, anyone who truly appreciated the richness of the product got far more entertainment than they would from a scattering of lesser tables.

The Web began by offering a table which, while complex, could theoretically be built using conventional mechanics and electronics. Timeshock and Big Race USA pushed that realism to the limits, with 2000's Fantastic Journey  crossing the line into the realm of the physically-impractical - if not impossible - to build.

While  their last Pro Pinball game was released a dozen years ago, the team have been busy creating more games in the years since, first as Fuse Games and then as Silverball Studios where - amongst other titles - they made Mario Pinball Land for the Game Boy Advance and Metroid Prime Pinball for the Nintendo DS.

Now though, having re-acquired the rights to the Pro Pinball series, they plan to not only re-master the existing four titles to bring them up-to-date and support today's increased resolutions and colour depths, but also create a brand new title.

And to do that, they've brought on board someone you might have heard of.

Pat Lawlor

Having been out of professional pinball design since his CSI game in 2008, Pat Lawlor has agreed to design the next Pro Pinball game. Yes, that's right - Pat is back creating new pinball designs.

After designing The Twilight Zone, Pat said he'd never be allowed to create anything as complex again, but now without the budgetary limitations and bill-of-materials of a real machine, he is free to produce the game he really wants to make.

Pat's game won't be totally off-the-wall however, as the intention is to create a design which could actually be built at some point, once the computer version has been released which is tentatively scheduled for October next year.

But that's not all, because   famed pinball artist John Youssi has also been brought on board to create the backglass artwork for the game, and reform the duo behind The Addams Family, The Twilight Zone, Red & Ted's Roadshow and Monopoly.

John Youssi

However, forming this 'dream team' of   the best people in real and simulated pinball to create the ultimate Pro Pinball machine, while also re-mastering the four existing tables for today's gaming platforms, comes at a cost.

Pat and John

Funding to pay  the programmers, designers, 2D and 3D artists and musicians who are needed to bring Pat's design alive is about to be sought through Kickstarter.

Kickstarter is a method of seeking pledges to help get projects off the ground which might not be possible through more conventional financing, such as loans or the sales of company stock. Those who pledge money to the Kickstarter project will receive various benefits which increase with the amount pledged. Once the target is reached, the project can then go ahead.

The Pro Pinball website

The Pro Pinball Kickstarter project is expected to list twelve tiers of pledges, ranging from $1 to $10,000 or more. The benefits on offer are planned to include digital downloads of the new game and the re-mastered tables, the opportunity to vote on the theme of the new game, special T-shirts, thanks on the website and in the game credits, special boxed sets, printed manuals for the new game, your own DMD animation, a signed portrait of yourself by John Youssi, and solid bronze, silver, gold and platinum Pro Pinball badges.

The planned Pro Pinball Kickstarter page

The rewards are thought to be weighted, so there are many more tiers at the lower end of pledge scale, with just $15 getting you a digital download of Pat's new game and $50 getting you all five Pro Pinball games, together with downloads of all the music soundtracks, the five manuals, thanks on the Pro Pinball Website and access to the Kickstarter Pro Pinball forum.

You can find out more about the Pro Pinball project and their planned funding at the Pro Pinball website.

We will of course keep you updated on their progress towards the target, and the exciting prospect of a new Pro Pinball Lawlor/Youssi game arriving in October 2013.

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 90ccbc8a-eafc-4b47-9473-a8650d7aa638*