# Alan-1 Cover Story – February 2026

**Source:** Replay Magazine  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2026-02-01  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.replaymag.com/alan-1-february-2026/

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## Analysis

Alan-1, an arcade parts and games company founded in 2017, is launching a crane machine featuring prizes from the 10-year-old "Butts on Things" brand—a simple humor concept of placing cartoon butts on everyday objects. The partnership positions these collectible figurines as the modern successor to rubber duck prizes. Alan-1 is expanding its portfolio with redemption games, Atari-licensed arcade titles, and a global competitive esports platform called Major League Esports.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Butts on Things has maintained consistent Friday posting for 10 years without missing once, building 520+ doodles. — _Brian Cook statement about the consistency of his creative practice and audience trust-building._
- [HIGH] Alan-1 sees rubberized Butts on Things figurines as the modern evolution of rubber duck prizes for arcades. — _CEO James Anderson quote directly comparing the figurines to the traditional duck prize category._
- [HIGH] Major League Esports platform earned Alan-1 a Brass Ring Award from IAAPA in 2024. — _Article states the award was given for the competition/community/continuity combination._
- [HIGH] Alan-1 operates a U.S.-based manufacturing facility near Salt Lake City and partners with Fun Company and UNIS. — _Stated as current operational fact regarding manufacturing capacity._
- [HIGH] Butts on Things is intentionally family-friendly and appropriate for all ages, with soft/rounded illustrations never depicting exposed anatomy on people. — _Brian Cook's explicit distinction that humor is 'not crude' and illustrations are 'on objects, never people.'_

### Notable Quotes

> "Butts are the new ducks."
> — **Alan-1 (headline/brand positioning)**, Title
> _Encapsulates the core market positioning—positioning Butts on Things figurines as the successor prize category to rubber ducks in arcade claw machines._

> "I never missed a Friday. That consistency built trust. People looked forward to it. That is why it is still around 10 years later."
> — **Brian Cook**, N/A
> _Explains the longevity and audience loyalty of Butts on Things through disciplined creative consistency rather than marketing campaigns._

> "The laugh happens before the first play. Winning is fun, but honestly, people are happy with any butt they pull out."
> — **Brian Cook**, N/A
> _Demonstrates the prize appeal is emotional/humor-based rather than conditional on winning—reduces operator pressure for difficulty balancing._

> "We see these as the modern evolution of duck prizes. They are instantly funny. They are never inappropriate. And they make people of all ages smile."
> — **James Anderson, Alan-1 CEO**, N/A
> _Official market positioning statement; reiterates family-friendliness as core differentiator from potential crude humor concerns._

> "The leaders are not always the people with the single highest score. They are the players who keep coming back. That is exactly the behavior operators want."
> — **James Anderson, Alan-1 CEO**, N/A
> _Explains the competitive philosophy of Major League Esports—designed to incentivize repeat play over skill-based elite competition._

> "Every Game Counts."
> — **Major League Esports (tagline)**, N/A
> _Core messaging for the esports platform; democratizes competition to reward volume/consistency over peak performance._

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Alan-1 | company | Arcade parts company founded 2017 by James Anderson and Luke Anderson; expanded to redemption games, licensed arcade titles, and Major League Esports platform. Operates manufacturing facility near Salt Lake City. |
| Brian Cook | person | Creator of Butts on Things brand; maintained consistent Friday posting schedule for 10 years; emphasized family-friendly humor philosophy. |
| James Anderson | person | CEO and co-founder of Alan-1 (with son Luke); positioned Butts on Things partnership and Major League Esports strategy. |
| Luke Anderson | person | Co-founder of Alan-1 with father James Anderson in 2017. |
| Butts on Things | product | 10-year-old visual humor brand featuring cartoon butts placed on everyday objects; now deployed as arcade crane machine prizes in 2" rubberized figurine form; partnered with Alan-1. |
| Butts on Things Crane Machine | product | New arcade machine from Alan-1 featuring rubberized Butts on Things figurines as prizes; positioned as modern evolution of duck prizes. |
| Major League Esports | product | Free global competitive platform built into Alan-1 arcade games; awards league points for play frequency, not just high scores; earned IAAPA Brass Ring Award in 2024; hosting 3rd Annual World Championship at Amusement Expo with $5,000 grand prize. |
| Dr Pepper Soda Slam | product | Licensed redemption game from Alan-1 designed for high-traffic FEC environments. |
| Liquid Death Arcade Game | product | Licensed redemption game from Alan-1 designed for high-traffic FEC environments. |
| Butts on Things Redemption Video Game | product | New redemption game debuting at Amusement Expo in March; ensures every play delivers tangible reward. |
| Avian Knights | product | Alan-1 arcade version built exclusively for arcades (not console); part of Atari-licensed portfolio designed as true on-location experience. |
| Asteroids Recharged | product | Alan-1 arcade version built exclusively for arcades; Atari-licensed; designed as family engagement title. |
| Missile Command Recharged | product | Alan-1 arcade version built exclusively for arcades; Atari-licensed; designed as family engagement title. |
| Gravitar Recharged | product | Alan-1 arcade version built exclusively for arcades; Atari-licensed; designed as family engagement title. |
| Breakout Recharged | product | New Alan-1 release debuting at Amusement Expo; Atari-licensed arcade-exclusive title. |
| Caverns of Mars Recharged | product | New Alan-1 release debuting at Amusement Expo; Atari-licensed arcade-exclusive title. |
| Yars Recharged | product | New Alan-1 release debuting at Amusement Expo; Atari-licensed arcade-exclusive title. |
| Amusement Expo | event | March 2026 trade show where Alan-1 will debut Butts on Things Redemption Game and new Atari-licensed titles; hosting 3rd Annual Major League Esports World Championship. |
| IAAPA | organization | International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions; awarded Alan-1 Brass Ring Award in 2024 for Major League Esports platform. |
| Fun Company | company | Manufacturing partner with Alan-1 to meet growing production demand. |
| UNIS | company | Manufacturing partner with Alan-1 to meet growing production demand. |
| Atari | company | Licensor of classic arcade games to Alan-1; provided original code and collaboration for arcade-exclusive recharged versions. |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Butts on Things brand partnership with Alan-1, Crane machine prizes and collectibles market, Arcade redemption game design and licensing, Major League Esports platform and competitive arcade gaming
- **Secondary:** Alan-1 business expansion and manufacturing capacity, Family-friendly arcade content and cross-generational appeal, Atari-licensed arcade games and exclusive releases

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Article is promotional in nature (Replay Magazine cover story) with exclusively positive framing of Alan-1's strategy, product launches, and business partnerships. No criticism or controversy mentioned. Tone is enthusiastic about the Butts on Things concept, Major League Esports success, and redemption game portfolio. No negative community sentiment or industry criticism presented.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Alan-1 earned IAAPA Brass Ring Award in 2024 for Major League Esports platform; recognition of competitive/community/continuity impact on operator repeat visits. (confidence: high) — Direct award statement: 'This combination of competition, community and continuity has helped Major League Esports quietly drive repeat visits on location, earning Alan-1 a Brass Ring Award from IAAPA in 2024.'
- **[business_signal]** Alan-1 manufacturing expansion and partnership strategy to meet growing demand; operating Salt Lake City facility and partnering with Fun Company and UNIS. (confidence: high) — CEO Anderson quote: 'Today, Alan-1 serves thousands of customers worldwide and ships products globally. The company operates its own U.S.-based manufacturing facility near Salt Lake City and partners with manufacturers including Fun Company and UNIS.'
- **[community_signal]** Major League Esports World Championship hosting top 8 global players at Amusement Expo with live broadcasting, $5,000 grand prize, and emphasis on meeting players/community building. (confidence: high) — Championship details and Anderson quote: 'The best part is putting faces to the scores. These are real people who love arcades. Meeting them reminds everyone why this works.'
- **[licensing_signal]** Atari provided Alan-1 with original code access and collaborative design partnership for arcade-exclusive Recharged versions; games unavailable on consoles as exclusive location experiences. (confidence: high) — Anderson quote: 'Atari provided Alan-1 access to original code and worked closely with the team so these games could be designed as true on-location experiences.'
- **[market_signal]** Alan-1 strategic focus on family engagement arcade titles; emphasis on games completing the game room and extending family stay duration rather than maximizing per-game revenue. (confidence: high) — Anderson quote: 'These games are meant to feel like arcade games... They are not meant to be the highest earners. They complete the room. While kids play ticket redemption games, parents finally have something they want to play. Operators consistently see families stay longer when dads are engaged.'
- **[announcement]** Alan-1 releasing new Atari-licensed arcade-exclusive titles at Amusement Expo: Breakout Recharged, Caverns of Mars Recharged, and Yars Recharged; part of broader Atari portfolio. (confidence: high) — Explicit announcement: 'New releases debuting at the Amusement Expo include Breakout Recharged, Caverns of Mars Recharged and Yars Recharged.'
- **[announcement]** Alan-1 officially launching Butts on Things crane machine with rubberized figurine prizes; positioned as modern duck prize successor. (confidence: high) — Main feature story with CEO quotes and product positioning; multiple references to crane mechanics and prize design.
- **[product_strategy]** Alan-1 expanding Butts on Things into broader arcade ecosystem including trading cards, stickers, redemption items, and redemption video game debuting March 2026 at Amusement Expo. (confidence: high) — Explicit roadmap statement: 'The crane machine is only the beginning for Alan-1. The company is expanding Butts on Things into a broader arcade ecosystem that includes collectible trading cards, sticker packs and redemption items. A new Butts on Things redemption video game will debut at Amusement Expo in March.'
- **[technology_signal]** Major League Esports platform architecture designed around volume/consistency-based competitive progression rather than peak-score leaderboards; notification system to re-engage lapsed players. (confidence: high) — Anderson quote: 'Players earn league points every time they play, not only when they set a high score' and notification system detail: 'If another player beats your score, you receive a notification through the league app and an invitation to return.'

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## Transcript

“Butts Are the New Ducks,” Alan-1 Says
Unique Brand Delivering Results for the Game Maker, Smiles for Guests
Ten years ago, Butts on Things began as a simple creative habit. Every Friday, one small drawing was posted online. There was no marketing plan and no attempt to follow trends. Creator Brian Cook was simply exploring an idea that made him laugh.
The idea was intentionally simple. Take an ordinary, inanimate object and place a human butt on it where it clearly does not belong. Pineapples. Cupcakes. Donuts. Coffee cups. The humor required no explanation. You saw it, and you understood it immediately.
“It was never about being shocking or inappropriate,” Cook said. “The drawings are always on objects, never people. They are meant to be cute and absurd, not crude. The goal has always been to make people smile.”
That distinction is key. He explained that Butts on Things is playful and family-friendly. “The illustrations are soft, rounded and harmless. Kids laugh. Adults laugh, often harder. Parents share them with their children. Grandparents laugh right along with them.”
Every Friday, without exception, another doodle appeared. One became 10 and 10 became hundreds. “I never missed a Friday,” Cook said. “That consistency built trust. People looked forward to it. That is why it is still around 10 years later.”
With more than 520 Friday BOT Doodles behind it, Butts on Things has proven it is not a fad. It is an enduring form of visual humor that continues to bring joy across generations.
From Screens to Physical Spaces
As the audience for Butts on Things grew, people wanted to take them home. Prints, stickers, pins and small collectibles followed. When the drawings moved from screens into physical form, the reaction did not change.
“Watching people laugh at the physical versions was when it really clicked,” Cook said. “Kids and adults reacted exactly the same way. That is when I knew it had staying power.” That same reaction seemed to make arcades a natural fit. “Arcades are built on shared moments. Surprise. Laughter. Discovery. Those values have always been at the heart of Butts on Things.”
The brand’s partnership with Alan-1 began with a simple question – what happens when you place a joke people already love inside one of the most familiar machines in an arcade? The answer was immediate.
The Butts on Things crane needs no instructions. Its makers say the experience begins the moment players see the prizes inside. As soon as the joke clicks, the machine has already succeeded.
“That laugh happens before the first play,” Cook noted. “Winning is fun, but honestly, people are happy with any butt they pull out.”
Inside the crane are 2” rubberized Butts on Things figurines designed specifically for arcade play. Durable, tactile and collectible, they occupy the same emotional space that rubber ducks have held for decades, the company says.
“We see these as the modern evolution of duck prizes,” said Alan-1 CEO James Anderson. “They are instantly funny. They are never inappropriate. And they make people of all ages smile. We are confident they will earn more plays and generate more revenue.”
A Company Built by Arcade People
Alan-1 has been around for nearly a decade itself, founded in 2017 by James Anderson and his son Luke Anderson as a parts company focused on keeping classic Atari and Sega arcade games from the 1980s alive. They found that operators around the world were struggling to find reliable replacement parts and filled that gap by engineering modern components that respected the original games.
Today, Alan-1 serves thousands of customers worldwide and ships products globally. The company operates its own U.S.-based manufacturing facility near Salt Lake City and partners with manufacturers including Fun Company and UNIS to meet growing demand.
“We built Alan-1 by solving real problems for operators,” Anderson said. “That mindset has never changed.”
The crane machine is only the beginning for Alan-1. The company is expanding Butts on Things into a broader arcade ecosystem that includes collectible trading cards, sticker packs and redemption items. A new Butts on Things redemption video game will debut at Amusement Expo in March, ensuring every play delivers a tangible reward.
Modern Redemption for Today’s FECs
While Alan-1 is deeply rooted in classic arcade games, they are equally focused on building modern redemption experiences. Recent releases include licensed redemption titles like Dr Pepper Soda Slam and the Liquid Death arcade game, both designed specifically for high-traffic FEC environments. These games combine recognizable brands with approachable gameplay, fast throughput and strong visual appeal, they said.
“Our goal with redemption is the same as everything else we build,” Anderson explained. “Make it intuitive. Make it fun. Make people want to play again.”
Rather than relying on complexity, Alan-1 focuses on games that explain themselves the moment players walk up – clear objectives, satisfying physical interaction and immediate feedback help these titles perform consistently across a wide range of locations.
Redemption is also an area where Alan-1 sees significant opportunity for continued innovation. They have multiple new concepts already in development, with additional redemption games planned for release in 2026.
Games that Complete the Game Room
With their roots firmly planted in classic arcade games, the company says their history shapes how they build today’s video games.
Alan-1’s arcade versions of Avian Knights, Asteroids Recharged, Missile Command Recharged and Gravitar Recharged are built exclusively for arcades. They are not available on consoles. Atari provided Alan-1 access to original code and worked closely with the team so these games could be designed as true on-location experiences.
“These games are meant to feel like arcade games,” Anderson said. “You cannot get this experience at home. They are not meant to be the highest earners. They complete the room. While kids play ticket redemption games, parents finally have something they want to play. Operators consistently see families stay longer when dads are engaged.”
New releases debuting at the Amusement Expo include Breakout Recharged, Caverns of Mars Recharged and Yars Recharged.
Major League Esports Brings Competition & Community
Another arcade staple is competition and Alan-1 brings that to the table with their Major League Esports platform, a free global league built directly into every Alan-1 video game that’s connected by default.
Players create a free profile and automatically participate whenever they play. There are no subscriptions, no fees and nothing extra required from operators. Unlike traditional arcade competitions, Alan-1 said Major League Esports is designed around top casual players, not just world record holders.
Players earn league points every time they play, not only when they set a high score. The more often they play, the more points they earn. Consistency matters as much as skill.
That’s why one of the league’s most common taglines is “Every Game Counts.” A short game still matters and a casual visit still matters. Whether a player is chasing a personal best or just playing for fun, each credit contributes to their standing in the league.
“The leaders are not always the people with the single highest score,” Anderson added. “They are the players who keep coming back. That is exactly the behavior operators want.”
Major League Esports extends competition beyond a single visit. If another player beats your score, you receive a notification through the league app and an invitation to return to the exact arcade location where you originally played. That invitation can arrive days, weeks or even months later.
Next month at Amusement Expo, Alan-1 will host the 3rd Annual Major League Esports World Championship, broadcasting live from its booth. The top eight players from around the world, determined by league points earned throughout the year, will be flown in to compete for a $5,000 dollar grand prize, global bragging rights and a live audience.
Guests attending the show are encouraged to stop by the Alan-1 booth to watch the competition live, meet the players, and experience competitive arcade play up close.
“The best part is putting faces to the scores,” Anderson said. “These are real people who love arcades. Meeting them reminds everyone why this works.”
This combination of competition, community and continuity has helped Major League Esports quietly drive repeat visits on location, earning Alan-1 a Brass Ring Award from IAAPA in 2024.
•
Ten years in, Butts on Things remains exactly what it set out to be. Their shared vision with Alan-1 has made a perfect partnership.
“I am always trying to find new ways to surprise people and make them smile,” Cook said. “Fun does not have to be complicated. In arcades, where happiness is the product and shared moments matter most, that philosophy feels right at home.”
To learn more about all of Alan-1’s products and to test out for yourself if “butts can become the new ducks,” visit www.alan-1.com.

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: d6522604-afba-4369-9b84-6686e828e71c*