# On a Flyer

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2005-11-06  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/australia8.html

---

## Analysis

The Pinball Factory announces details about its first game, Crocodile Hunter Outback Adventure, licensed to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo and Animal Planet series. Development continues with finalized cabinet artwork, production planned for 2006 after Williams licensing delays. The machine will feature surround sound, a removable backbox design inherited from Pinball 2000, and four-button coin door controls.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] The Pinball Factory's first game is called Crocodile Hunter Outback Adventure — _Official announcement from Wayne Gillard to Pinball News_
- [HIGH] The game is tied to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo and Animal Planet channel — _Stated in article as licensing basis for the game_
- [HIGH] Cabinet artwork is 'pretty much final' with no significant changes expected before production — _Direct quote from Wayne Gillard, The Pinball Factory_
- [HIGH] Production was delayed due to a Williams licensing deal and parts manufacturing requirements — _Wayne Gillard explanation to Pinball News_
- [HIGH] Production is targeted for 2006 — _Wayne Gillard statement; dated November 6, 2005_
- [HIGH] The backbox will be removable like Pinball 2000, not fold-down like traditional designs — _Wayne Gillard confirmation_
- [HIGH] The production game will feature front speaker cutouts for surround sound — _Wayne Gillard clarification; not visible in preview images_

### Notable Quotes

> "pretty much final"
> — **Wayne Gillard, The Pinball Factory**, November 6, 2005
> _Indicates artwork is locked and no major changes expected before production_

> "This should be in 2006, having been delayed by the deal with Williams and the consequent need to manufacture parts."
> — **Wayne Gillard, The Pinball Factory**, November 6, 2005
> _Explains production timeline and external factors causing delays_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| The Pinball Factory | company | Pinball manufacturer developing their first game, Crocodile Hunter Outback Adventure |
| Wayne Gillard | person | Founder/representative of The Pinball Factory; provided development updates to Pinball News |
| Steve Irwin | person | Australian wildlife expert and TV personality; game licensed to his Australia Zoo and Animal Planet series |
| Crocodile Hunter Outback Adventure | game | The Pinball Factory's first pinball machine; licensed Steve Irwin/Australia Zoo themed game |
| Williams | company | Historical pinball manufacturer; involved in licensing deal that delayed The Pinball Factory's production timeline |
| Animal Planet | organization | Discovery Channel network; host of Steve Irwin's TV series tied to game licensing |
| Australia Zoo | organization | Steve Irwin's zoo attraction on Australia's Gold Coast; licensed as game theme |
| Pinball 2000 | product | Williams pinball platform (1998-2000) whose design elements (removable backbox, four-button coin door) influenced Crocodile Hunter's design |

### Topics

- **Primary:** New game announcement and development progress, Licensing and IP integration (Steve Irwin/Australia Zoo/Animal Planet), Manufacturing delays and Williams licensing complications
- **Secondary:** Cabinet design and technical specifications, Production timeline and market entry

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.75) — Enthusiastic coverage of new manufacturer's first title with clear development progress, exciting IP pairing, and concrete production timeline. No negative criticism; tone is supportive of The Pinball Factory's entry into the market.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Williams licensing deal created manufacturing delays and parts supply complications for new manufacturer (confidence: high) — Wayne Gillard explanation: 'delayed by the deal with Williams and the consequent need to manufacture parts'
- **[market_signal]** New pinball manufacturer (The Pinball Factory) entering market with inaugural licensed title (confidence: high) — Described as 'the first game by The Pinball Factory' with dedicated development coverage
- **[announcement]** Official announcement of The Pinball Factory's first pinball game, Crocodile Hunter Outback Adventure, with finalized artwork and 2006 production timeline (confidence: high) — Direct quote from Wayne Gillard stating artwork is 'pretty much final' and production 'should be in 2006'
- **[licensing_signal]** Licensed game based on Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo attraction and Animal Planet television series (confidence: high) — Game explicitly tied to Steve Irwin's brand properties and Discovery Channel's Animal Planet

---

## Transcript

Story dated
November 6, 2005
.

The development of the first game by The Pinball Factory continues and some new pictures of the cabinet artwork have been released.

Now called Crocodile Hunter Outback Adventure the game is tied in with Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo attraction on Australia's Gold Coast and with his series on Discovery's Animal Planet channel.

The Pinball Factory's Wayne Gillard told Pinball News the artwork is"pretty much final" so we shouldn't expect any significant changes before production begins.  This should be in 2006, having been delayed by the deal with Williams and the consequent need to manufacture parts.

Although the game in these images does not show it, the production game will still have the front speaker cutouts in the cabinet to provide surround sound.

Wayne also confirmed that at present the backbox is removable like the Pinball 2000 version and doesn't fold down onto the playfield like more traditional designs. One aspect that will be retained is the four button coin door controls for the menu system.  This survived the Pinball 2000 changes and is well understood by operators and technicians, though the range of options is likely to expand.

Back
to the news index

Back
to the front page

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

---

*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: cfc2a0cd-4723-428f-90ae-d9c59f7d453b*