# Episode 1025: "Spooky Nails Launch Timing"

**Source:** Kaneda's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2024-11-21  
**Duration:** 9m 5s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-1025-116409961

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## Analysis

Host Kaneda discusses Spooky Pinball's imminent Evil Dead 1 and 2 pinball machine reveal scheduled for Friday, highlighting the game's multi-tiered design with four flippers (one hidden), Bruce Campbell voice work, extensive theme integration, toy density, sub-$10,000 pricing, and production of fewer than 900 units. He praises Spooky Pinball as the industry's second-best company and criticizes Stern's lazy Metallica topper design, positioning Evil Dead as a model of passionate, thoughtful game development.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Evil Dead 1 and 2 will be revealed on Friday with order banks opening Friday (or possibly Monday) — _Kaneda, opening segment; states this as imminent reveal happening in episode's present timeframe_
- [HIGH] Evil Dead game will feature Bruce Campbell voice work and will not have a spinning cabin — _Kaneda citing Kerry Hardy as debunker source; direct design confirmation_
- [HIGH] Game will have four flippers with one hidden flipper that is not visible — _Kaneda, describing game design; corroborated by Kerry Hardy intel_
- [MEDIUM] Production will be fewer than 900 units (Canada exclusive) — _Kaneda making specific production run prediction; states 'I can tell you right now'_
- [MEDIUM] Game will cost less than $10,000 base price — _Kaneda assertion; stated as guarantee but not official confirmation_
- [MEDIUM] Spooky Pinball is the number two pinball company after Stern in execution, theme integration, and reveal strategy — _Kaneda opinion; stated as clear ranking but based on subjective criteria_
- [MEDIUM] Game is already on the production line and ahead of schedule at Spooky's new facility — _Kaneda; states 'the game is already on the line' and they've never revealed a game this way before_
- [HIGH] Ben Heck is working on Evil Dead code and will deliver solid, complete code at launch — _Kaneda, citing Ben Heck as coder; used as confidence point vs. other games with incomplete code_
- [MEDIUM] Steve Ritchie is not working on a Sonic the Hedgehog pinball game if Jersey Jack has that license — _Kaneda speculation; explicitly uncertain ('I have no idea who's working on it')_

### Notable Quotes

> "right now, when you look at pinball, it's really shaping up to be Stern is number one and spooky pinball is number two"
> — **Kaneda**, ~6:45
> _Direct ranking of Spooky Pinball's market position and competitive standing_

> "Spooky Pinball is going to have, this is crazy, they're going to have more toys in a game than Jersey Jack Pinball"
> — **Kaneda**, ~7:30
> _Comparative claim about toy density vs. high-tier competitor Jersey Jack_

> "This game's gonna cost less than $10,000. I'm sure if you add the butter cabinet and maybe a topper, you might get over $10,000"
> — **Kaneda**, ~9:15
> _Pricing assertion positioning Evil Dead as value vs. premium competitors_

> "They are going to make less than 900 evil dead games but more games than x-men le has so do the math you got a one in seven chance of getting that right"
> — **Kaneda**, ~10:00
> _Production run estimate and scarcity positioning; implies X-Men LE produced ~128 units_

> "When this game comes out on Friday, the code is going to be solid. And maybe the best news, the game is already on the line."
> — **Kaneda**, ~11:15
> _Confidence in code quality and on-time production; cited as never-before done reveal timing_

> "They've never revealed a game where the game's already on the line when they reveal it this company has grown up They making smart moves"
> — **Kaneda**, ~11:30
> _Assessment of Spooky's maturation and strategic reveal approach_

> "What's up with you, Stern? You're like the biggest pinball company in the world, the most creative people in the industry. and then you make a lazy topper"
> — **Kaneda**, ~13:45
> _Criticism of Stern's Metallica topper design; contrast to Spooky's attention to detail_

> "if they really want me to hype this game before Friday, give me some images, Bug. I know you're listening to this, Luke and Bug. Just sneak a little image"
> — **Kaneda**, ~15:30
> _Direct appeal to Spooky Pinball team for pre-launch imagery; hints at personal relationships_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Spooky Pinball | company | Wisconsin-based boutique pinball manufacturer; positioned as industry #2; releasing Evil Dead 1&2; known for horror themes and quality execution |
| Evil Dead 1 and 2 | game | Upcoming Spooky Pinball widebody machine based on Evil Dead franchise; reveal Friday; multi-tiered, four flippers, one hidden; Bruce Campbell voice work; <900 units; sub-$10k pricing |
| Kaneda | person | Podcast host of Kaneda's Pinball Podcast; industry commentator; appears to have insider access but claims no early gameplay access yet |
| Kerry Hardy | person | Appears to have played Evil Dead game early; debunked spinning cabin speculation; source for game design details |
| Bruce Campbell | person | Actor/voice talent for Evil Dead game; confirmed to do voice callouts for Spooky Pinball machine |
| Chuck | person | Assumed founder/owner of Spooky Pinball based on reference to his children watching horror films as influence |
| Ben Heck | person | Code developer for Evil Dead pinball; cited as delivering solid, complete code at launch |
| Stern Pinball | company | Industry leader (#1 ranked by Kaneda); criticized for lazy Metallica topper design; contrasted unfavorably with Spooky's attention to detail |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Premium tier competitor; Avatar and other licensed games; positioned as having fewer/less impressive toys than Evil Dead despite higher price |
| Metallica | game | Stern Pinball release (Premium/Elite editions); criticized for poor topper design despite high-quality playfield art |
| Avatar | game | Jersey Jack Pinball game; positioned as visually superior but less fun than Evil Dead; LE/CE pricing higher than Evil Dead base; features lower playfields |
| Godzilla | game | Ranked as #1 game of all time by Kaneda; Spooky Pinball's Evil Dead compared as 'Spooky Godzilla' in terms of loaded design and theme integration |
| X-Men LE | game | Premium limited edition; expensive ($10k+); Evil Dead production (~900 units) positioned as significantly higher than X-Men LE run |
| Mark Seiden | person | Game designer; speculated by Kaneda as possible Sonic the Hedgehog designer for Jersey Jack; known for Metroid pinball game |
| Steve Ritchie | person | Legendary Stern designer; Kaneda asserts he is NOT working on Sonic the Hedgehog pinball despite Jersey Jack licensing it |
| Luke | person | Spooky Pinball team member; addressed by Kaneda as listening to podcast regarding pre-launch imagery |
| Bug | person | Spooky Pinball team member; addressed by Kaneda as listening to podcast; appealed to for early game images |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Evil Dead 1&2 reveal timing and strategy, Spooky Pinball's market positioning and competitive standing, Game design philosophy: theme integration and passion vs. commodified assignments, Production run scarcity and collectibility strategy, Pricing and value positioning vs. premium competitors
- **Secondary:** Stern Pinball's quality control and design consistency issues, Jersey Jack Pinball competitive comparison, Code quality and launch readiness

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.82) — Strongly positive toward Spooky Pinball and Evil Dead project; enthusiastic about game design and execution strategy. Mixed/critical toward Stern's Metallica topper laziness and perceived commodification of game design. Neutral to speculative on Jersey Jack and other competitors. Overall tone is excitement tempered by frustration with industry shortcuts.

### Signals

- **[announcement]** Evil Dead 1 and 2 pinball game theme reveal confirmed for Friday (day after episode air date) with full game reveal and order bank opening Friday or Monday (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'they are going to reveal tomorrow the theme of their new game' and 'The game is going to be revealed in all of its glory on Friday. Order Banks are going to open up on Friday'
- **[product_launch]** Evil Dead game already on production line at Spooky's new facility; machines likely to ship end of December/early January; ahead of schedule (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'the game is already on the line... they are ahead of schedule' and 'they're most likely going to come out maybe end of december early january'
- **[design_innovation]** Hidden fourth flipper that is not visible to player; novel design element (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'It's going to be a multi-tiered game with four flippers, one of which is hidden. You can't see it. How are you going to know how to flip it if you can't see it.'
- **[market_signal]** Evil Dead positioned as sub-$10,000 machine vs. $10,000+ competitors (Avatar LE/CE, X-Men LE, Metallica Elite/Premium) (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'This game's gonna cost less than $10,000' and 'Can't say that about X-Men LE. Can't say that about Avatar LE or CE.'
- **[collector_signal]** Evil Dead production run fewer than 900 units (Canada exclusive); scarcity positioning similar to X-Men LE but larger run (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'they are going to make less than 900 evil dead games but more games than x-men le has so do the math you got a one in seven chance'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Spooky Pinball elevated to #2 industry position after Stern in execution, theme integration, and reveal strategy; implies rise in competitive standing (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'Stern is number one and spooky pinball is number two... spooky pinball is now the second best company in all of pinball'
- **[product_concern]** Stern Metallica topper criticized as lazy despite high-quality playfield art; represents disconnect between departments (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'you just give up on the topper. What's up with you, Stern?... you couldn't incorporate any of his artwork into a topper? What are you doing? I'm so tired of this.'
- **[design_philosophy]** Host articulates preference for games made with genuine passion/theme affinity vs. commodified design assignments; Evil Dead cited as exemplar of former approach (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'They don't leave loose ends untied. And also it's like they wake up and they want to make these themes... Where I feel like some other designers and some other companies, they're just answering an assignment.'
- **[manufacturing_signal]** Spooky Pinball has new facility with no windows; described as enabling on-time production and advance scheduling (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'there are no windows in the new spooky facility the game is already on the line... they are ahead of schedule'
- **[code_update]** Ben Heck working on Evil Dead code; confidence in solid, complete code at Friday launch (contrast to incomplete code issues in other recent games) (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'Ben Heck has been working on this code. And when this game comes out on Friday, the code is going to be solid.'
- **[rumor_hype]** Speculation that Mark Seiden (not Steve Ritchie) may be working on Sonic the Hedgehog pinball if Jersey Jack holds license (confidence: low) — Kaneda: 'I also here to tell you that Steve Ritchie is not working on Sonic the Hedgehog So if Jersey Jack has the license, I have no idea who's working on it. Maybe it's Mark Seiden'

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## Transcript

 Oh, welcome everybody to Kaneda's Pinball Podcast. We're going to get a new pinball machine this week from Spooky Pinball. It is November 20th and they are going to reveal tomorrow the theme of their new game, which I revealed to everybody how many years ago, Evil Dead 1 and 2, ready to come out from Spooky Pinball. And what's exciting about this game is we know that Spooky Pinball loves these themes, and they are very passionate about these movies. You know, they grew up watching all these horror films. You could argue that maybe Chuck should not have let his kids watch all these horror movies, but it sure has turned into a beneficial thing as spooky pinball gets ready to release evil dead one and two it is based on those two movies and they are going to have all the assets they're going to have bruce campbell do the call outs they're going to have everything you want if you love those two movies in this pinball machine it is not going to have a spinning cabin thank you Kerry Hardy. Now all of a sudden he knows everything because he's seen the game. Kerry, thank you so much for debunking the rest of us out there who speculate time and time again as you sit back and get it right after you've seen everything. It's going to be a multi-tiered game with four flippers, one of which is hidden. You can't see it. How are you going to know how to flip it if you can't see it. That's going to be interesting. And there's going to be a ton of theme integration. Carrie said something that was funny. This is going to be spooky Godzilla. All right. Well, Godzilla is the number one game of all time. But what he means by that is his game is going to be loaded. It's going to have a lot of stuff in it. It's also going to nail the theme integration much like Godzilla Is it going to shoot as good as Godzilla Probably not But Spooky recent games have shot pretty well And this is also not gonna be a game where they're gonna make another theme on the design. So you're gonna get Evil Dead 1 and 2. You're not gonna have to look down the row and see someone playing Looney Tunes, you know, or watch someone playing like Care Bears Pinball sharing the design with Evil Dead. it is going to be Evil Dead. And so we're going to get the theme revealed tomorrow, which is what, Thursday. And then the game is going to be revealed in all of its glory on Friday. Order Banks are going to open up on Friday, which is great. You're going to get a chance to get one. I'm not 100% sure about that, but they're going to reveal the game. They might do something where Order Banks open up on Monday. But to be honest, if they do it right, When you reveal your game, you want to take money instantly. Don't give people time to think about it. Don't give people too much time to go on pin side and be talked out of it. But I do find it amazing that Spooky Pinball has once again found the perfect window to launch a pinball machine. And look, right now, when you look at pinball, it's really shaping up to be Stern is number one and spooky pinball is number two i mean that i feel like spooky pinball is now the second best company in all of pinball when it comes to launching games when it comes to theme integration when it comes to executing a reveal properly right they're not going to do this long drawn out teaser campaign i mean everyone did that last time it didn't really work out i think this is the better way to do it. I really do. Unless you have a theme like Elton John, you got to give it a long runway or a theme like Avatar or a theme like Godfather or a theme like Toy Story 4. You know what I'm saying? It's like Spooky Pinball is going to have, this is crazy, they're going to have more toys in a game than Jersey Jack Pinball So tell me they not now the number two company They going to have better theme integration in their machine than Jersey Jack Pinball Yeah it not going to look as good as Avatar but it going to be more fun. I can guarantee you that right now because it's going to be campy, it's going to have perfect theme integration, and it's going to have toys and mechs. And what more do we want in Pinball? And I guarantee you the multi-level gameplay is going to be more satisfying than going underneath in those lower playfields in Avatar. And here's the best news. This game's gonna cost less than $10,000. I'm sure if you add the butter cabinet and maybe a topper, you might get over $10,000, but you're gonna be able to get this game for less than $10,000. Can't say that about X-Men LE. Can't say that about Avatar LE or CE. And so coming Friday, Evil Dead 1 and 2 for less than $10,000. there's also going to be less than a thousand units made i can tell you right now canada exclusive i'm going to give it to you like this they are going to make less than 900 evil dead games but more games than x-men le has so do the math you got a one in seven chance of getting that right so less than 900 games less than ten thousand dollars loaded with toys perfect theme integration, maybe not the theme for every one of you, but when a theme integration is done right, it's the greatest way to get into a theme for people. You're not going to be staring at Mute Eclipse. You're not going to have an auto plunger not working. You're not going to have incomplete code. Ben Heck has been working on this code. And when this game comes out on Friday, the code is going to be solid. And maybe the best news, the game is already on the line. They are happy there are no windows in the new spooky facility the game is already on the line now i don't think you're going to see games ship in a week or two they're most likely going to come out maybe end of december early january but they're making games and they are ahead of schedule and they've never revealed a game where the game's already on the line when they reveal it this company has grown up They making smart moves This is still not a theme for me They gonna get to a theme I really want I also here to tell you that Steve Ritchie is not working on Sonic the Hedgehog So if Jersey Jack has the license, I have no idea who's working on it. Maybe it's Mark Seiden because he likes video games. He made a Metroid game. What else is going on in pinball? Let's just go back for a second to that Metallica topper. How can you put so much effort into Metallica, Ellie and premium and make it gorgeous? It's a stunning machine. And then you just give up on the topper. What's up with you, Stern? You're like the biggest pinball company in the world, the most creative people in the industry. and then you make a lazy topper with just the name Metallica and four flasher caps, whatever you call those damn things. It's a part bins thing. How cheap is that? You've got this incredible artist who made this incredible new Metallica machine and you couldn't incorporate any of his artwork into a topper? What are you doing? I'm so tired of this. We need companies who think it through, everything through. And that is why I'm happy that Spooky Pinball is making this game because they're passionate about these themes. They don't leave loose ends untied. And also it's like they wake up and they want to make these themes. This is stuff that means a lot to them. Where I feel like some other designers and some other companies, they're just answering an assignment. And this is not going to be that game. So super excited to see more about this game. I haven't seen anything. They haven't given me anything other than a flyer that says Evil Dead 1 and 2. So it is Evil Dead 1 and 2. And hey, if they really want me to hype this game before Friday, give me some images, Bug. I know you're listening to this, Luke and Bug. Just sneak a little image, kanadapinball at gmail.com. And let me just see it. I give you my word. I won't leak it. I am personally telling everybody I will not leak it. You can watermark it. You can put whatever you want on it. I'm not going to leak it. Let me see the damn game, Kaneda out.

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: bbfbbe5d-fd2d-4599-9908-61e21493d909*
