# FREE SHOW:  Episode 1149:  EXPO DAY BARREL BASH!

**Source:** Kaneda's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2025-10-17  
**Duration:** 19m 33s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.patreon.com/posts/free-show-1149-141440407

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## Analysis

Kaneda reports from Pinball Expo day one, delivering a scathing critique of Stern's Star Wars as uninspired and boring while praising Barrels of Fun's Haunted House as a collector triumph that restored FOMO to the market. He highlights stark contrasts between Stern's demeanor and energy versus boutique manufacturers, discusses several upcoming titles including Dutch Pinball's Back to the Future roadmap, and notes significant manufacturer activity across Evil Dead, Predator, Big Trouble in Little China, and others.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Star Wars is one of the most uninspired, boring pinball machines Kaneda has ever played with zero creativity and a fan layout that feels unfinished. — _Kaneda, direct gameplay observation at Expo_
- [HIGH] Haunted House sold out in two days and is completely unavailable in the market now. — _Kaneda, direct observation at Expo and market knowledge_
- [MEDIUM] Haunted House is worth $11,600 as a premium collector piece and will increase in value when Beetlejuice releases. — _Kaneda opinion based on aesthetic observation; prediction about future demand_
- [HIGH] Dutch Pinball announced Alice buyers will be first in line for Back to the Future, arriving October 2026. — _Kaneda reporting Melvin's announcement at Expo seminar_
- [MEDIUM] Dutch Pinball can only make ~500 games per year, limiting Back to the Future initial availability. — _Kaneda inference from Melvin's comments about production capacity_
- [HIGH] Barrels of Fun won the Expo floor with consistent crowds and premium presentation. — _Kaneda direct observation and comparison to other booths_
- [MEDIUM] Predator is only making 300 units and will likely sell out despite lacking Arnold Schwarzenegger. — _Kaneda reporting information received at Expo_
- [MEDIUM] Stern looks desperate and vulnerable, needing a hit from Keith Elwin or Jack Danger. — _Kaneda opinion based on current game portfolio performance_
- [MEDIUM] FOMO died not from the concept failing but from too many mediocre, overpriced games. — _Kaneda opinion/analysis_
- [HIGH] Kaneda doesn't have a media credential at Pinball Expo despite 1,150+ podcast episodes. — _Kaneda direct complaint about access_

### Notable Quotes

> "After getting so many creative games over the last five years in terms of layout and geometry, when you hop on Star Wars, it feels like the game wasn't even finished. It feels like it's missing like an upper playfield that was supposed to go in it."
> — **Kaneda**, early segment
> _Core criticism of Star Wars design fundamentals_

> "This game is just not worth any effort. I think they should stick a fork in it. It is absolutely dead on arrival."
> — **Kaneda**, Star Wars section
> _Extreme condemnation; recommends discontinuation_

> "You put this game next to Star Wars, Star Wars looks like the Costco piece of crap that it is."
> — **Kaneda**, Haunted House section
> _Direct comparative critique showing Haunted House's perceived superiority_

> "This game is 100% what I love to look for in a pinball machine, which is a world under glass."
> — **Kaneda**, Haunted House section
> _Definition of what Kaneda values in premium pinball_

> "It was like walking into a locker room after a team won the championship. That's how much energy and how much fun the people over at Barrels are having right now."
> — **Kaneda**, Barrels of Fun section
> _Describes stark energy/morale contrast between manufacturers_

> "I walked in and it was there was this moment I was at the restaurant in the hotel and all of the Stern people were at a table. They were all wearing black and they just looked angry."
> — **Kaneda**, Stern criticism section
> _Observable demeanor contrast supporting Stern vulnerability narrative_

> "The reason why we lost FOMO is not because FOMO died. We lost FOMO because the games sucked."
> — **Kaneda**, FOMO analysis section
> _Root cause analysis of market sentiment shift_

> "If they're only making 300 of the Predators, even though Arnold's not in it, they most likely will sell their allotment."
> — **Kaneda**, Predator section
> _Supply constraint driving sales despite missing IP element_

> "I've done 1,150 podcasts. How do we not have a media credential, Rob?"
> — **Kaneda**, closing section
> _Complaint about event access despite media prominence_

> "This game restored what I think is the most fun part of buying pinball. It's restored the enthusiasm and the FOMO."
> — **Kaneda**, Haunted House section
> _Haunted House positioned as market sentiment catalyst_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Star Wars | game | Stern Pinball's latest major release; heavily criticized by Kaneda as uninspired and a market embarrassment |
| Haunted House | game | Barrels of Fun game; sold out in two days at Expo, priced $11,600, restored FOMO to market |
| Barrels of Fun | company | Boutique pinball manufacturer; won Expo floor with energetic team and premium game presentation |
| Stern Pinball | company | Major manufacturer appearing vulnerable with uninspired recent releases; demeanor/culture concerns noted |
| Kaneda | person | Podcast host and pinball media personality covering Expo; issued scathing Star Wars critique and positive Haunted House assessment |
| Keith Elwin | person | Legendary Stern designer; Kaneda identifies him as one of few capable of delivering Stern a hit game |
| Jack Danger | person | Stern designer; identified by Kaneda as potential source of needed hit game |
| David Van Ness | person | Barrels of Fun leader; interviewed by Kaneda at Expo |
| Blake | person | Barrels of Fun team member; acknowledged by Kaneda for design capabilities |
| Dutch Pinball | company | Manufacturer announcing Alice to Back to the Future loyalty program at Expo |
| Melvin Williams | person | Dutch Pinball head; announced Alice/Back to the Future pre-order strategy and Raza comeback |
| Back to the Future | game | Upcoming Dutch Pinball title; expected October 2026 release; priority access for Alice buyers |
| Alice | game | Dutch Pinball title; buyers receive priority for Back to the Future pre-orders |
| Predator | game | Pinball Brothers game at Expo; 300 unit production limit, no Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Evil Dead | game | Great American Pinball title; six show versions with blood-themed powder coat updates, $16k fully loaded |
| Great American Pinball | company | Manufacturer with Evil Dead machines at Expo; four reported sold already |
| Big Trouble in Little China | game | Homebrew/custom game at Expo; reported $50k offer made to builder |
| Winchester Mystery House | game | Barrels of Fun title; long lines prevented Kaneda from playing day one |
| Harry Potter | game | Jersey Jack Pinball title; multiple units at Expo; praised as phenomenal but noted as potentially commoditized |
| King Kong | game | Stern Pinball title at Expo; criticized by Kaneda as lazy design with repurposed Godzilla mechanics |
| Raza | game | Dutch Pinball returning title; 333 unit production; announced at Expo with limited enthusiasm |
| Flippin' Out Pinball | company | Pinball distribution/retail; Ken Cromwell at Expo |
| Ken Cromwell | person | Flippin' Out Pinball; encountered by Kaneda at Expo |
| Rob Burke | person | Organizer of Pinball Expo; Kaneda criticizes lack of media credential and early access protocols |
| Dune | game | Barrels of Fun title; new alternative translite praised as superior to original release version |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Star Wars critical reception and market positioning, Haunted House market success and FOMO restoration, Stern Pinball culture and market vulnerability, Barrels of Fun competitive positioning vs larger manufacturers, Dutch Pinball loyalty program strategy and production constraints, Pinball Expo 2024 day one coverage and manufacturer energy
- **Secondary:** Predator production limits and licensing impact (Arnold absence), Boutique vs major manufacturer competitive dynamics

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.25) — Strongly negative on Stern (Star Wars, King Kong, company culture) and positive on Barrels of Fun and Haunted House. Neutral to positive on other manufacturers (Evil Dead, Predator, Dutch Pinball strategy). Overall critical tone tempered by enthusiasm for positive market signals.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Stern appears to be a company in crisis: desperate, vulnerable, culture problems, and relying on two specific designers (Elwin/Danger) to deliver turnaround. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'Stern is looking so vulnerable and so boring... They don't have anybody else to hit a home run. And they need a home run.' Also: 'all of the Stern people were at a table... just looked angry.'
- **[event_signal]** Pinball Expo day one drew significant community and media presence; however, media access protocols lacking for podcast media. (confidence: high) — Kaneda complaining about lack of media credentials: 'I've done 1,150 podcasts. How do we not have a media credential, Rob?'
- **[competitive_signal]** Stark competitive positioning advantage for Barrels of Fun and boutique manufacturers over Stern; energy, design quality, and market enthusiasm heavily favor boutiques. (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'all the energy, all the excitement, all the sort of like swagger, all the smiles, it's all happening in the boutique areas... Barrels won the show.'
- **[design_philosophy]** Star Wars criticized as uninspired, boring, and unfinished with fan-tight layout lacking creative playfield geometry compared to recent boutique releases; feels incomplete as if missing upper playfield. (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'After getting so many creative games... when you hop on Star Wars, it feels like the game wasn't even finished... There is absolutely zero creativity in the game.'
- **[design_philosophy]** Kaneda identifies King Kong design as lazy: repurposed Godzilla topper mechanism, duplicate gong mechanics with shooter rod handles, inappropriate 'I love bananas' marquee text. (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'The topper for King Kong, lazy... they're doing this because they have unsold games... they literally have stuck the mechanism from in the game on top... King Kong is not a comedy.'
- **[licensing_signal]** Predator missing Arnold Schwarzenegger despite theme; limited to 300 units production; Kaneda notes licensing constraints affecting sales enthusiasm. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'even though Arnold's not in it, they most likely will sell their allotment. But I think still without Arnold, there's just going to be a lot of difficulty.'
- **[market_signal]** Haunted House sold completely out in two days and unavailable in market, positioning secondary market as investment opportunity. (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'This game is not only sold out... Now it's sold out. And it happened in two days. And you can't find one anywhere.'
- **[market_signal]** Evil Dead show versions priced $16k fully loaded; four already sold at Expo despite show games and wear concerns. (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'These games were $16,000 fully, like maxed out with options and everything... I think four of them sold already.'
- **[product_strategy]** Dutch Pinball's Back to the Future scheduled for October 2026 with production capacity constraint of ~500 games/year limiting initial market availability. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda reporting Melvin's announcement: 'Back to the Future, which will be coming out most likely October of 2026... they can't even make 500 games a year.'
- **[product_strategy]** Dune received new alternative translite at Expo; Barrels planning LED light rail improvements for seamless appearance without visible individual LEDs. (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'new Dune translite... absolutely stunning... might be the nicest translite I've ever seen... they're going to make it more seamless so you don't see the individual LEDs.'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Market sentiment shift from FOMO death due to mediocre games to FOMO restoration through Haunted House's quality and scarcity. (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'This game restored what I think is the most fun part of buying pinball. It's restored the enthusiasm and the FOMO... We lost FOMO because the games sucked.'
- **[business_signal]** Dutch Pinball using Alice pre-orders as loyalty incentive for Back to the Future priority access; strategic move to prevent refund requests through January 1. (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'smart marketing move to secure people staying in on their Alice and not asking for refunds come January 1st... you will be first in line to get Back to the Future.'

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## Transcript

 I'm back, back in the New York blue. I'm back, back in the New York blue. Yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir. Ah, rest in peace, Ace. I am back at Pinball Expo, day one at the show, and it was a long day, but I'm going to say this right now. I'm tired, but I'm very happy. It was an amazing day, And it's, you know, if you've ever been to a pinball show, it is this combination of exhaustion and exhilaration. And, you know, like the first hour I'm getting there and I'm tired, I'm walking around the show because I've been up since 3 o'clock in the morning. And I didn't do myself any favors because the night before going to Expo, Brenda and I had an 80s dance party. We finished two bottles of sake and we're singing and dancing and making out like two high school lovers. It was amazing. And then I'm up at like 3.30, 4 in the morning. You ever like wake up early because you're nervous you're going to miss your flight? That was me. And so by the time I got to the show, I was just drained. And so I get in. I left the show. I see all the different manufacturers. And you probably caught some of my Facebook Lives from the show. I hung out a lot with Melvin. We're going to talk about his news. Kerry Hardy, the guys over at Barrels, Great American Pinball. Spent some time with Ken Cromwell at Flip N Out Pinball. All the different people out there. Carl D'Python Anghelo. You know, you saw my show. Neil McCray in real life. The Stern Pinball people were all there. What was it like day one at Expo? I want to just say, if I were to summarize my day one, it was that I didn't get to play many games. I did not get to play Winchester. The line was too long. I'm going to play it today. I also didn't get to play Predator because they had it on like one player only three ball games. And like, I don't know, like five people deep was like a half hour wait. And again, I always say this. I come to the shows because I want to hang out with people. I don't want to spend like half my day on a line. And you know me. I'm a very entitled, insecure man. And I don't think Canada's pinball podcast with eleven hundred and fifty something shows should have to wait on freaking line. And yes, there should be an early opening for pinball media to come in to the show and play all the games, talk to the manufacturers and capture their content before it's open to the public. That does not happen. And that's unfortunate. And if I were the manufacturers, I would be leaning on Rob Burke to institute that so that all of us can have great content ready to go for you without having to struggle to get it. And look, once the show's open, it's too loud. It's too crowded. It just doesn't work. But the overall takeaway from this show is very simple, that all the energy, all the excitement, all the sort of like swagger, all the smiles, it's all happening in the boutique areas. Primarily, it's happening at this show over at Barrels of Fun. And I'm going to talk about what it was like going over there and seeing those two games. sorry, those three games, Labyrinth was there too, and just seeing David and Robert Blakeman and the team over there, and then the difference when I went over to Stern, and they're all wearing black, and they've got Darth Vader holding a Death Star pumpkin, and real big everywhere, the ominous words, Fall of the Empire, and boy, oh boy, after playing Star Wars, it really feels like the Empire has fallen. Let me start with Star Wars. It really is one of the most uninspired, boring pinball machines I've ever played. After getting so many creative games over the last five years in terms of layout and geometry, when you hop on Star Wars, it feels like the game wasn't even finished. It feels like it's missing like an upper playfield that was supposed to go in it, or an upper right flipper that was supposed to open up more shots. I've never played such a boring game in my entire time covering this hobby. There is absolutely zero creativity in the game. It is a fan layout that is super tight, and none of the shots are that rewarding. You're bricking left and right all day long in the game, and it is a total soulless snoozefest. and I am really worried that Stern Pinball even have the audacity to bring this game out. Considering what's happening in the pinball world and what happening just down the aisle at Barrels and over at Spooky with their Evil Dead game and over at Jersey Jack with Harry Potter The fact that Stern Pinball is putting this game into market and it costs anywhere north of like $7,000 is a freaking embarrassment for them. And I am very embarrassed for Stern because, you know, at the show, this is just how I feel. They're so big, they reek of a company that's been so successful for so long. And this game is just an embarrassment. And I'm Sorry, but you're only as good as your last game in pinball, and this is really not a good showing. And I don't think we're going to get Walking Dead. I mean, they're going to try to shove as many of these Star Wars into consumer hands as they can. Look, I think newbies who don't know anything about pinball are the only people that will like this game. I think anyone that knows this hobby, that knows pinball, that knows what people are capable of in the design department and in the art department and in the code department, everything. This game is just not worth any effort. I think they should stick a fork in it. It is absolutely dead on arrival. And then you've got all these King Kongs everywhere too. You're not going to fool us, Stern. The topper for King Kong, lazy, right? I mean, they literally have stuck the mechanism from in the game on top of the topper. And look, I get what people said. Like they did it with Godzilla. Yeah, but this is like a motorized mech. Like they're doing this because they have unsold games. They have all these leftover parts and they're lazy. And then you've got two King Kongs now. You've got two gong things with a shooter rod handle. Again, lazy, lazy, lazy. And then they put on the marquee, I love bananas. What is wrong with the people over at Stern? King Kong is not a comedy. It's not Donkey Kong. So why does it say I love bananas on the marquee? I know you can change it, but they should have had the eighth wonder of the world from Stern Bimble. You know what I'm saying? Make it magical. They don't know what they're doing, and they really look like a company that's in desperate need of a hit. And I got to see Keith Elwin for a little bit. I shook his hand. And he walked over. He's a funny guy. He walked over and he's like, oh, look who it is. It's influencers. And look, Keith is the guy that we need. They need a hit. It's either going to come from Keith Elwin or Jack Danger. They don't have anybody else to hit a home run. And they need a home run. And I'm rooting for them to hit a home run. But until they do, Stern is looking so vulnerable and so boring. And that is just that. And then you walk over to Barrels of Fun. You walk over and there's a line wrapped around the booth. Now, given they don't have as many games as Stern, but still, the line was consistent the entire day I was there. And they've got these games that are shiny. They're sexy. You walk up, and I mean this, you walk up to the new Dune Translight. It's got the new alternative Translight, which I told David should have been the Translight from day one. It is absolutely stunning. These games look high end. They look premium. They look so much better than anything on Stern's floor. They even look as good as Jersey Jack games. There's a lot of Harry Potters there. I almost feel like there was too many. There's a weird thing about shows. I know the point of a show. It's open to the public. You want to have a lot of games out there because you want to get a lot of sales. But there's just something about when there's too many, it kind of loses a little bit of the game being special. It feels a little commoditized. But look, I get why they do it. And Harry Potter is still stunning. The CE topper is still horrendous and they're going to sell a ton of them. I haven't walked in front of a Harry Potter in a long time and I got to walk over to it again and I will say it is absolutely a phenomenal, beautiful pin. They did a really good job. But back to barrels. So I'm looking at this dune first and I'm like, wow, like that's how it should have came out of the gate. And then I go over and I see the talk of the town. The bell of the ball. The game that everybody's talking about. The game that now has restored what I think is the most fun part of buying pinball. It's restored the enthusiasm and the FOMO. This game is not only sold out. And by the way, I was right when I said it was sold through. It wasn't sold out. Now it's sold out. And it happened in two days. And you can't find one anywhere. and I walked over to the game and I'm looking at this game and I'm saying to myself, okay, okay, I understand what they have achieved with this game. This game is 100% what I love to look for in a pinball machine, which is a world under glass. You put this game next to Star Wars, Star Wars looks like the Costco piece of crap that it is. This game looks really good. But for those of you wondering if it's worth 11.6, I think it is. And let me go on to explain why. It is a world under glass That house in the back is so cool The pepper ghost effect is so cool And you know it just a beautiful machine to look at It a machine when you stand over it it's nothing but smiles. Now, look, I haven't played it. You're like, get it. But you haven't played it. I haven't. I haven't. I'm going to play it today. But I'm just saying, aesthetically, you putting this game in your house will make you very happy. Aesthetically, and the theme of Haunted House, and the name, and the art, and everything about it. It just works. It just works. And like, I wanted to be more skeptical. I wanted, you know, like Robert Blakeman and them, they're always like, hey, you know, you always give us a hard time. I do give them probably an unfair hard time because, because I know these guys personally and I know what they're capable of. And you know, when they take their time, they get it right. Now, was this game released too early with the code being so early? Maybe, maybe, but not really. Right. They did their job. They sold every single one. And now it's the game everyone who's a collector is kind of kicking themselves. They didn't jump in on. Now, I still think, and you know how I feel. I've seen this a million times. I still think when Beetlejuice drops, you're going to see Winchester spots open up for sale. Now, if you asked me three days ago, I would have said, I don't think this game is going to go up in value. Three days ago, I would have said, I don't think people are going to get more than $2,000 for their spots. In fact, I think you'll get $1,000 off on your spot. after seeing the reaction at the show, I don't think that way anymore. And hey, Kanae is allowed to change his mind. Is he not? I think this game is going to go up in value. I think people are going to have a hard time getting one forever. And I think it's just going to be one of those campy fun machines that people keep in their homes. Now look, it does come down to the code and the gameplay. If the game's not fun to shoot, it doesn't matter how many ghost effects you have and how big the sculpts are. It doesn't matter. Like it's going to have to be an enjoyable game to play time and time again. But I feel like everyone who got their hands on one now, because no one's really played it much and nobody owns one yet, like has one in their home. I do think right now, it's just making everybody happy they got one. It restored something beautiful we've lost for like four or five years. That FOMO, that fear of missing out, which is fun. It is fun. It's fun to chase after these things. It's fun to read people's enthusiasm. It's fun just to be excited about pinball. And that's what FOMO does. remember nobody has FOMO for something they're not excited about. The reason why we lost FOMO is not because FOMO died. We lost FOMO because the games sucked. Like it's just that simple. We just had too many mediocre games that were overpriced and everybody was just tired of losing money on everything. And this game, I mean it, if you buy it for 11.6, you're not going to lose money. And I got a little bit of a hint about the topper. There's going to be more ghosts and spirits arriving on your game. So I think we're going to see a really cool sort of ghost or spirit effect happening on top of the machine. And the colors I love, you know, when they start getting more colorful, like these barrel games. And I have to say this, that alternate dune trans light might be the nicest trans light I've ever seen. It is that nice. Now, the next thing I heard they're going to change is the lights inside the barrels machines. You know, those light rails, you can kind of see each individual LED. I think in future games, they're going to make it more seamless so you don't see the individual LEDs. That's the only thing I think they need to change on the platform itself. But other than that, man, it was like walking into a locker room after a team won the championship. That's how much energy and how much fun the people over at Barrels are having right now. And I walked in and it was great. You probably saw my interview with David David Van Es. Like everyone's just like, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just where you want to be. And there was this moment I was at the restaurant in the hotel and all of the stern people were at a table. They were all wearing black and they just looked angry. And I'm just like, it's just not inviting. They just have an issue. Like they need to figure it out. Like I really mean this. If I'm George, I got to get everybody together. Like we got to get back, you know, to the fundamentals of pinball. We've got to get back to the fundamentals of our company and our culture. Stern had like a DJ at their booth. It's like they're trying so hard to be cool. They feel like that old guy that's trying really hard to stay cool. Hello, Canada, pot calling the kettle black. But you know what I mean, okay? So that was Stern Pinball. Star Wars, Atrocious Barrels won the show. There were six absolutely stunning evil deads over at Great American Pinball. They redid the powder coat on the armor to add blood. And these games were $16,000 fully like maxed out with options and everything, toppers, everything. And I think four of them sold already. The other two are going to sell It not a bad buy Actually I think it a great buy because the game on the secondhand market now is going for 15 and they definitely added a lot more additions to the game that I think these games are easily going to sell. Now, the only thing is they're show games. So people are beating on your $16,000 game. But I think now he's turning them off when they sell, which is smart. Okay. By the way, shout out to my friends over at Great American Pinball. Super fun hanging out with you guys yesterday. Thank you so much for the goodie bag and all the hospitality. Then I walked over. I saw Big Trouble in Little China. Very, very cool game. I haven't played it yet. He told me someone offered him $50,000 for the game, to which I said to Kyle, I was like, Kyle, take the $50,000, bro, and make another. I don't know what it is, man. I'm like the Matrix game. When they reskin Johnny Mnemonic, just make eight of them. Take the rich man money and call it a day. Call it a day. Take your wife on a trip around the world with that money. I don't understand it. It's not a $50,000 game. It's not a $20,000 game, but it's a fun game. I'm glad it exists. It looks really cute. And I can't wait to play it today. I went over to Predator. And look, Predator, man, for all the themes at the show, it's really the theme that aligns best with the audience of pinball. I can't wait to play it. I haven't been able to play it. They always had a line. I will say they always had a line. And if they're only making 200 of the Predators, even though Arnold's not in it, they most likely will sell their allotment. But I think still without Arnold, there's just going to be a lot of difficulty for the Predator fanatics like myself to really want to own an Arnold-less Predator. I'm going to play that game today. I didn't get a chance to see all the homebrew stuff. I didn't really get a chance to jump on much. Today's my day to jump on most stuff, and I can't wait to do it. I'm going to head over there a little early. Maybe they let me in a little early. Neil McRae's got a media badge and not Canada. What? I've done 1150 podcasts. How do we not have a media credential, Rob? All right. And the final thing I'll say was the news from Dutch Pinball. Ex-Melvin Williams sitting up there in front of an empty seminar room told everybody, if you're in on an Alice and you buy an Alice, you purchase your machine, you will be first in line to get back to the future. I mean, talk about a smart marketing move to secure people staying in on their Alice's and not asking for refunds come January 1st. He also did announce that Raza is coming back, to which there was no clapping whatsoever. I still think Raza is going to do fine. When you see that there's only going to be 333 Razas and it is really a cool game. I've seen what he's done. I've seen the adjustments to it. It's a really neat game. He's not going to have any problem selling it. There's more in Raza than there is in Alice. But now Alice has got this carrot attached to it that you're first in line for Back to the Future, which will be coming out most likely October of 2026. And so that's big news. And here's why. Because Dutch Pinball does not make games quickly. So if you own an Alice, you probably are going to be one of the first in the first year to get Back to the Future. everyone else is going to have to wait at least a year because they can't even make 500 games a year. I mean, that's like their capacity. So really interesting move to reward people for being loyal to the company. And you know what? It's their company. They can do what they want and they just did it. So everyone who's got an Alice who might be thinking about getting rid of it, you might want to hold on to it because it's your ticket to back to the future. And here's why I would hold on to it, because even if you just don't even want Alice, you could then get back to the future in year one. And you know you could flip that game if you have it in a box for a hefty profit. So it's basically like them giving you money on the table or you can have your money back. So it's your decision, everybody. All right, Canada's gonna head over to the Renaissance. I'm staying down the block from the convention. Everybody, can't wait to see you. Now look, we're gonna do the Canada Hangout at the bar. We did a little bit last night. But if you're at the show and you're listening to this, today is the day to get me. I am leaving tomorrow at like 6 a.m. So today is the day. I will let you know on Facebook and on Patreon where I'm at at the Renaissance Center so we can just hang out, have some drinks. I'm going to be off site between like 430 and maybe 730. And then I'm back, baby. Let's have fun tonight, everybody. Expo Day 2. Here we come. Thank you.

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: be2aca29-e824-41a9-a483-277eddb4b943*