# DUNE REVEAL: PART ONE

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2025-04-15  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2025/04/15/dune-reveal-part-one

---

## Analysis

Barrels of Fun officially reveals Dune, their second pinball game based on Denis Villeneuve's Dune films, featuring a single premium product tier priced at $11,600 with a $2,000 non-refundable deposit. The game showcases advanced lighting technology (Horizon Atmospheric Lighting), dual LCD displays, a prominent Shai-Hulud sandworm toy mechanism with multiball lock capabilities, and art by Jonathan Bergeron (Johnny Crap). The reveal is staged in two parts, with cosmetics shown first and gameplay details to follow.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Dune is priced at $11,600 full recommended retail price with a $2,000 non-refundable deposit required to lock in orders — _Official Barrels of Fun announcement via Pinball News; specific pricing and deposit amounts stated explicitly_
- [HIGH] Dune features a single product tier with no Pro/Premium/LE variant structure, unlike other contemporary manufacturers — _Article states 'There is just one model of the Dune game' with all high-end features included as standard_
- [HIGH] The Shai-Hulud sandworm mechanism can grab the ball, rise up, swallow it, and drop it into a subway system below the playfield — _Official feature description: 'It can grab the ball, rise up, and also swallow the ball, dropping it into a subway system'_
- [HIGH] Dune features three flippers total: two in standard position and one mid-way up on the centre-left — _Official specification: 'The playfield features three flippers – two in the usual place and one mid-way up on the centre-left'_
- [HIGH] Jonathan Bergeron (Johnny Crap) created the art package for Dune, also having worked on Stern's Jurassic Park — _Credited artist attribution: 'The art package for Dune comes from Jonathan Bergeron (a.k.a. Johnny Crap) who previously created the art for Stern Pinball's Jurassic Park'_

### Notable Quotes

> "Following a number of high-profile company failures, and with concern over medium-to-long-term resale values holding up, buyers are understandably reluctant to pay significant sums up-front."
> — **Pinball News editorial**, article opening
> _Contextualizes the industry shift toward non-refundable deposits as a risk-mitigation strategy for both manufacturers and buyers_

> "Probably the main toy is the Sand-worm which is summoned with a Thumper device. The Sand-worm has multiple capabilities in the game. It can grab the ball, rise up, and also swallow the ball, dropping it into a subway system."
> — **Pinball News**, playfield description section
> _Describes the centerpiece mechanical feature of Dune and its multiple interactive states_

> "The Sand-worm is one way to lock balls for multiball, but the game also has a dedicated lock area on the mid-right where two pins rise to trap the ball which can then be shot to release it back into play."
> — **Pinball News**, playfield description section
> _Details multiball locking mechanisms and design depth beyond the primary toy_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Barrels of Fun | company | Boutique pinball manufacturer releasing Dune as their second game; employs single-tier product strategy with premium features standard across all units |
| Dune | game | Barrels of Fun's second pinball game based on Denis Villeneuve's 2021/2024 Dune films; features sandworm toy, three flippers, dual LCD displays, advanced lighting system; $11,600 retail with $2K non-refundable deposit |
| Jonathan Bergeron | person | Artist credited as creating the art package for Dune; also known as 'Johnny Crap'; previously created art for Stern's Jurassic Park |
| Shai-Hulud | product | Primary toy mechanism in Dune; sandworm that can grab, rise, and swallow the ball into a subway system; functions as multiball lock mechanism |
| Legendary Entertainment | company | Production company behind the 2021 and 2024 Dune films that Dune pinball is licensed from |
| Horizon Atmospheric Lighting | product | New RGB LED low-profile inner cabinet lighting system developed by Barrels of Fun for Dune; creates Arrakis day/night lighting effects using RGBW playfield inserts |
| Stern Pinball | company | Mentioned as context for Jonathan Bergeron's prior art work on Jurassic Park |
| Texas Pinball Festival | event | Annual pinball industry event in March where some manufacturers reveal new releases; Dune reveal occurred after this event |
| Pinball News | organization | Industry publication reporting on Dune reveal; states they have already seen and played the game but are constrained by embargo on specific details until official announcement |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Dune pinball specifications and features, Non-refundable deposit model as industry standard, Barrels of Fun product strategy and pricing, Sandworm toy mechanism design and gameplay function
- **Secondary:** Advanced lighting and display technology in modern pinball, Industry risk mitigation and buyer confidence, Three-flipper playfield design

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0.55) — Article is informational and factual in tone. Pinball News presents technical specifications and business model objectively without editorial critique. Slight positive lean from detailed feature emphasis and the phrase 'impressive mechanism' describing the sandworm, but overall maintains journalistic neutrality on the product's merit.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Industry-wide shift to non-refundable deposits as compromise between manufacturer need for sales certainty and buyer reluctance after 'high-profile company failures' (confidence: high) — Article contextualizes: 'Following a number of high-profile company failures... buyers are understandably reluctant to pay significant sums up-front. But with manufacturers needing reliable indicators... a middle-ground has opened up in the form of the non-refundable deposit'
- **[licensing_signal]** Dune pinball licensed from Legendary Entertainment based on 2021 and 2024 Denis Villeneuve film adaptations; art package integrates Dune universe visual language into cabinet and playfield design (confidence: high) — Subtitle: 'based on the 2021 and 2024 movies from Legendary Entertainment'; cabinet art and playfield imagery reflect Arrakis desert aesthetic per lighting system name and speaker grill laser-cut sandworm pattern
- **[market_signal]** Barrels of Fun stages two-phase reveal (cosmetics first, gameplay second) to lock in non-refundable deposits before disclosing full rules and playfield mechanism details (confidence: high) — Article states: 'The company is making a two-stage reveal, with the game's cosmetics being shown first along with distributors opening up those non-refundable deposits, followed by details of the playfield mechanisms, gameplay and feature-set a day later'
- **[personnel_signal]** Jonathan Bergeron (Johnny Crap) transitions from Stern Pinball (Jurassic Park art) to Barrels of Fun as lead artist; demonstrates artist mobility between manufacturers (confidence: high) — Artist attribution: 'The art package for Dune comes from Jonathan Bergeron (a.k.a. Johnny Crap) who previously created the art for Stern Pinball's Jurassic Park'
- **[market_signal]** Dune priced at $11,600 with $2,000 non-refundable deposit; single-tier product model differentiates from industry trend toward Pro/Premium/LE tiering (confidence: high) — Explicit pricing stated: '$11,600 full recommended retail price' with '$2,000 non-refundable deposit'; article confirms 'There is just one model' with no variant tiers
- **[announcement]** Barrels of Fun officially announces Dune pinball game based on Denis Villeneuve's Dune films with full technical specifications, pricing, and two-stage reveal strategy (confidence: high) — Official reveal with detailed feature list, pricing ($11,600 MSRP), and embargo-constrained media coverage indicating coordinated press release
- **[product_concern]** Barrels of Fun emphasizes premium aesthetic and construction details (hammered finish, anti-reflective glass, high-gloss decals, metallic powder coat) as key differentiators in single-tier pricing model (confidence: high) — Feature list includes 'bespoke hammered finish to the cabinet metalwork, anti-reflective glass, high-gloss cabinet decals, internal art blades... Polyester Metallic Powder Coated Cabinet Armor'
- **[technology_signal]** Barrels of Fun introduces Horizon Atmospheric Lighting (HAL), a proprietary RGB LED system for cabinet interior and playfield; continuation of advanced display tech from Labyrinth (confidence: high) — New feature announcement: 'Horizon Atmospheric Lighting (HAL): An All-New RGB LED Low-Profile Inner Cabinet Lighting System for Arrakis Day / Night Lighting Effects'; reuses '14.9" ultra-wide LCD on the back panel first seen in Labyrinth'

---

## Transcript

In an increasingly competitive market and at a time of year with several big-hitting games expected to be launched, pinball manufacturers are look at new ways to lock in buyers’ money for their games as early as possible.

Following a number of high-profile company failures, and with concern over medium-to-long-term resale values holding up, buyers are understandably reluctant to pay significant sums up-front. But with manufacturers needing reliable indicators of their likely sales and keen to get buyers locked-into buying their game, a middle-ground has opened up in the form of the ‘non-refundable deposit’.

Getting buyers to commit to a deposit which is large enough to dissuade all but the most desperate buyers from dropping out seems to have become a mutually acceptable compromise.

While certain companies don’t reveal their latest title until they have games ready to ship, other manufacturers routinely open up pre-orders through their distributors – complete with those non-refundable deposits – months (or even years) before they are in a position to ship their new game. Sometimes they have sample games to show, other times not even that much.

While some manufacturers got to reveal their latest releases in time for the Texas Pinball Festival in March, other companies bided their time and looked for other ways to get buyers to commit.

Barrels of Fun today began the first phase of the reveal of their second game, Dune, based on the 2021 and 2024 movies from Legendary Entertainment.

![The Dune backglass](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/dune/011-dune.jpg)

The Dune backglass

The company is making a two-stage reveal, with the game’s cosmetics being shown first along with distributors opening up those non-refundable deposits, followed by details of the playfield mechanisms, gameplay and feature-set a day later.

Pinball News has already seen and played Dune, but we are constrained by what we can reveal until all the details are officially announced by Barrels of Fun.

There is just one model of the Dune game which, the company says, includes multiple high-end upgrades, including a bespoke hammered finish to the cabinet metalwork, anti-reflective glass, high-gloss cabinet decals, internal art blades, a real backglass, a shaker motor, an illuminated topper, and the company’s new Horizon Atmospheric Lighting system inside the cabinet. There is also full RGBW general illumination which is used to change the playfield’s appearance as the game progresses, while the speakers come with RGB peripheral lighting.

Dune also includes the same 14.9″ ultra-wide LCD on the back panel first seen in Labyrinth, and a 15.6″ LCD between the backbox speakers.

Here’s how the game looks from the outside.

![The left side of the cabinet](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/dune/003-dune.jpg)

The left side of the cabinet

![The front of the cabinet](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/dune/004-dune.jpg)

The front of the cabinet

!The right side of the cabinet

The right side of the cabinet

The art package for Dune comes from Jonathan Bergeron (a.k.a. Johnny Crap) who previously created the art for Stern Pinball’s Jurassic Park and has also made various pinball show posters and T-shirts.

![The special treatment on the metal cabinet parts](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/dune/009-dune.jpg)

The special treatment on the metal cabinet parts

![The treatment extends to the speaker/display panel](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/dune/010-dune.jpg)

The treatment extends to the speaker/display panel

The playfield features three flippers – two in the usual place and one mid-way up on the centre-left.

![The Dune playfield](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/dune/007-dune.jpg)

The Dune playfield

Probably the main toy is the Sand-worm which is summoned with a Thumper device. The Sand-worm has multiple capabilities in the game. It can grab the ball, rise up, and also swallow the ball, dropping it into a subway system. It’s an impressive mechanism, both above and below the playfield.

The Sand-worm is one way to lock balls for multiball, but the game also has a dedicated lock area on the mid-right where two pins rise to trap the ball which can then be shot to release it back into play. There is another lock area in the Harvester at the back left corner, more details of which will be revealed shortly.

The game has opened up for distributor orders with a full recommended retail price of $11,600. A $2,000 non-refundable deposit is needed now to lock in your order.

These are the game’s features being announced in this first phase of the launch:

| |
| --- |
| • 3 Flippers, 6 Balls • Horizon Atmospheric Lighting (HAL): • An All-New RGB LED Low-Profile Inner Cabinet Lighting System for Arrakis Day / Night Lighting Effects • All-RGBW LED Playfield Insert Lamps & General Illumination Lamps, and Playfield Apron Flood Lights • EverGloss High-Gloss Decal Art with Metallic-Embedded Details • Infinity Glass (Anti-Reflective Glass) • Thunder From Down Under Shaker Motor • Factory-Installed Inner Blade Art • 15.6” HD LCD Display flanked by 5-1/4” Kenwood Full-Range Stereo Speakers with Interactive Full RGB Illumination • JBL STAGE 8” Cabinet Subwoofer • Polyester Metallic Powder Coated Cabinet Armor & Matching Speaker • Panel with Laser-Cut Sandworm Pattern Speaker Grills • 14.9” LCD Backboard Playfield Display for an Expanded Universe Under Glass! |
| |

Much more will be revealed about Barrels of Fun’s new Dune game later today when we will be able to bring you high-resolution photos, full details of the gameplay features and much more.

In the meantime, Barrels of Fun has released this teaser video:

VIDEO

Join us here at Pinball News a little later for the second half of the Dune reveal.

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

---

*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: a5cf9652-66f9-485d-8c92-4628df403ce4*