# Homepin’s This is Spinal Tap Now Shipping

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2023-09-07  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/homepin-s-this-is-spinal-tap-now-shipping

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## Analysis

HomePin's This is Spinal Tap pinball machine is now shipping after a two-year delay since initial announcement. The game arrived at UK Pinfest but received unfavorable reviews from players and the community.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] This is Spinal Tap was initially announced more than two years ago — _Direct statement in article about HomePin's announcement timeline_
- [HIGH] HomePin is now shipping This is Spinal Tap units — _Company shared pictures of units being shipped from factory_
- [MEDIUM] The game at UK Pinfest did not receive very favorable reviews — _Reported via Pinball News; secondhand account of community reception_
- [HIGH] Retro Arcade Specialists is the UK distributor for HomePin — _Named explicitly as UK distributor in article_

### Notable Quotes

> "After initially announcing that This is Spinal Tap is its next game more than two years ago, the Taiwanese pinball company Homepin appears to finally be shipping the games."
> — **Knapp Arcade (article author)**
> _Establishes the significant production delay and current shipping status_

> "The game at the event did not receive very favorable reviews."
> — **Knapp Arcade (via Pinball News reporting)**
> _Indicates community reception was negative at major UK pinball event_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| HomePin | company | Taiwanese boutique pinball manufacturer; produces custom and open-source games including This is Spinal Tap |
| This is Spinal Tap | game | HomePin pinball machine; announced 2+ years ago; now shipping; second game from HomePin with design inspired by mockumentary film |
| UK Pinfest | event | UK pinball convention where This is Spinal Tap had negative community reception |
| Retro Arcade Specialists | company | UK distributor for HomePin; organized placement of Spinal Tap at UK Pinfest |
| Pinball News | organization | Pinball news/media outlet that reported on UK Pinfest reception |
| Knapp Arcade | company | Source publication of this article |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Product Delays and Timeline, HomePin Manufacturer Status, Community Reception and Reviews
- **Secondary:** UK Pinball Events, Distribution and Shipping

### Sentiment

**Negative** (-0.65) — Significant production delay (2+ years) coupled with poor community reception at major event. Tone is matter-of-fact but the underlying news is unfavorable for HomePin and This is Spinal Tap.

### Signals

- **[market_signal]** Manufacturing and shipping activity indicates HomePin is moving forward with production and distribution (confidence: high) — Company shared pictures of a number of Spinal Taps being shipped out from its factory
- **[product_strategy]** This is Spinal Tap delayed more than 2 years from initial announcement to shipping (confidence: high) — After initially announcing that This is Spinal Tap is its next game more than two years ago, the Taiwanese pinball company Homepin appears to finally be shipping the games.
- **[sentiment_shift]** Negative community reception at UK Pinfest despite significant delay and anticipation for release (confidence: medium) — The game at the event did not receive very favorable reviews.

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## Transcript

After initially announcing that This is Spinal Tap is its next game more than two years ago, the Taiwanese pinball company Homepin appears to finally be shipping the games. This morning, the Company shared pictures of a number of Spinal Taps being shipped out from its factory.

According to Pinball News, the UK distributor for Homepin, Retro Arcade Specialists, had a Spinal Tap flown in for last weekend's UK Pinfest pinball convention. The game at the event did not receive very favorable reviews.

Earlier photos of the game being manufactured:

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: c8efca32-c545-43e5-a16b-4c46ee859cb1*