# Episode 983: "Time To Bring The Hits Out!"

**Source:** Kaneda's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2024-08-09  
**Duration:** 25m 17s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-983-time-109782789

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## Analysis

Kaneda argues that the pinball market has entered a critical phase where manufacturers must release hit games or face serious trouble, as the COVID-era frenzy has ended and buyers are now selective. He analyzes each major manufacturer's prospects for upcoming releases, contending that most lack the creative vision or IP strategy needed to drive sales, while noting that secondary market losses and buyer hesitation are reshaping the industry.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Godzilla Black and White Edition lost $1,000 in value within a week of release — _Kaneda directly cited real market data: $9,600 retail down to $8,600 secondary market_
- [MEDIUM] Jack Guarneri told people Eric Menier's games are too complex and need simplification — _Kaneda reported this as hearsay: 'I heard Jack Guarneri is telling people we need to rein Eric in'_
- [MEDIUM] Toy Story, Godfather, and Elton John CE are 'sales flops' for Jersey Jack; Guns N' Roses outsold all three combined — _Kaneda's opinion/assertion without specific unit numbers provided_
- [HIGH] Chicago Gaming Company is making 500 more Medieval Madness machines — _Kaneda stated directly: 'They're making 500 more Medieval Madness games'_
- [MEDIUM] Mark Ritchie finished Pulp Fiction 3-4 years ago and has since been working on a sci-fi licensed property — _Kaneda: 'I heard he was working on a science fiction licensed property game'_
- [HIGH] Spooky Pinball's Looney Tunes and Texas Chainsaw Massacre have not sold out (880 units each) — _Kaneda cited inventory status: 'There's a reason why they have not sold out of all 880 of each of them'_
- [LOW] American Pinball's rumored next title is Cuphead — _Kaneda: 'If the rumor that Cuphead is the next theme' — framed as rumor, not confirmed_
- [MEDIUM] Multimorphic P3 machines lose $5,000-$10,000 on secondary market if all kits purchased — _Kaneda's estimate: 'you're going to lose like five to ten thousand dollars'_
- [MEDIUM] Stern's next game is Marvel-themed and designed by Jack Danger with Keith Elwin assisting — _Kaneda: 'It's coming from Jack Danger. It's coming from the world of Marvel we're hearing in the rumor mill'_
- [HIGH] Close to a million Australian dollars in customer money is unaccounted for at Haggis Pinball — _Kaneda directly stated: 'There is a good portion of money, close to a million Australian dollars in customer money. Where is it?'_

### Notable Quotes

> "every single manufacturer must be feeling the heat because the market is soft... you need to bring out a hit game next. There's no room anymore for mediocrity."
> — **Kaneda**, opening
> _Core thesis of the entire episode — market conditions have fundamentally shifted_

> "If you just buy everything, you're losing thousands of dollars... they have to bring out hit games that you want."
> — **Kaneda**, early
> _Explains buyer behavior shift and what manufacturers must do to survive_

> "When you walk up to Godfather, you have no idea what's going on. It's like walking up looking at what someone wears during a night out in New York City."
> — **Kaneda**, mid-early
> _Criticism of Eric Menier's game design complexity; directly attributed feedback from Jack Guarneri_

> "Jersey Jack, are you going to bring out the hit game next? I kind of don't think so. I think it's going to be the game after the next game."
> — **Kaneda**, mid
> _Kaneda's prediction about JJP's near-term prospects; tempering expectations_

> "The good news for Jersey Jack is they are owned by a multi-billionaire. And when you're owned by a multi-billionaire, it don't matter. It doesn't matter if it's a hit or a miss."
> — **Kaneda**, mid
> _Notes financial safety net but also critiques underutilized potential_

> "People want a Wolverine pin. People want a Punisher pin. I'm going to tell you right now, you're not getting the Punisher."
> — **Kaneda**, mid
> _Reveals insider knowledge about Marvel licensing constraints for Stern_

> "I think they need to create another division within Stern where like every game doesn't need to sell three to five thousand units... a craft version of Stern where they can go get a theme like Big Trouble in Little China."
> — **Kaneda**, mid
> _Strategic recommendation for Stern; reveals understanding of business model pressures_

> "Back to the Arcade Future. They're going to get so many orders for that game. They will be making that game for the next five years."
> — **Kaneda**, late-mid
> _High confidence prediction that Back to the Arcade Future will be a massive hit for Dutch Pinball_

> "If you ordered a Centaur Oblivion Edition, how do you wake up and look at yourself in the mirror? Like you knew it wasn't going to happen."
> — **Kaneda**, late
> _Harsh criticism of Haggis Pinball pre-orders and buyer behavior; moral tone about accountability_

> "If you still think you're going to sell 1,000 at 13,000 and then charge people 2,000 for toppers, that day is over... you need to lower your prices. You need to also limit the number of LEs."
> — **Kaneda**, closing
> _Prescriptive economic advice; suggests industry-wide pricing strategy needs reset_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Kaneda | person | Podcast host; industry analyst and commentator with 10+ years in pinball; provides subjective assessments of manufacturer prospects and market conditions |
| Jack Guarneri | person | Jersey Jack Pinball founder/executive; reported to have told people Eric Menier's games need simplification |
| Eric Menier | person | Jersey Jack Pinball designer; criticized by Kaneda for overly complex game design (Godfather example); subject of simplification directive |
| Jack Danger | person | Pinball designer; reported to be designing Stern's next Marvel-themed game with Keith Elwin as assistant |
| Keith Elwin | person | Pinball designer; working with Jack Danger on Stern's Marvel game; also designing King Kong for Stern per Kaneda |
| Mark Ritchie | person | Legendary pinball designer; completed Pulp Fiction 3-4 years ago; currently at Chicago Gaming Company; reportedly working on sci-fi licensed property |
| David Figgs | person | American Pinball founder/executive; perceived as partner/stakeholder in Pinball Expo |
| Jerry Willard | person | Multimorphic founder; criticized for not making traditional pinball machines despite market potential for Princess Bride |
| Melvin | person | Dutch Pinball executive; slowly revealing Alice in Wonderland details to Kaneda under NDA; planning exclusive photo releases |
| Chris Turner | person | Turner Pinball founder; released Ninja Eclipse; criticized for selling RAZE to Dutch Pinball Exclusive instead of developing it himself |
| Damien | person | Haggis Pinball founder; subject of criticism regarding misallocated customer funds (approx. $1M AUD) |
| Marty | person | Haggis Pinball co-founder; subject of criticism regarding financial accountability and customer fund allocation |
| Aaron | person | Fast Pinball founder; obliquely referenced by Kaneda as having profited from Haggis delays by being paid before production |
| Jody Dankberg | person | Stern Pinball executive/decision-maker on theme selections; criticized for lazy IP strategy and over-reliance on Disney/Marvel |
| Roger Sharpe | person | Stern Pinball executive/decision-maker on theme selections; criticized for IP strategy choices |
| Spooky Pinball | company | Boutique manufacturer; currently has inventory of Looney Tunes and Texas Chainsaw Massacre; needs more mainstream next theme per Kaneda |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Premium boutique manufacturer owned by multi-billionaire; recent releases (Toy Story, Godfather, Elton John CE) underperformed; next game rumored to be Avatar by Mark Seiden |
| Chicago Gaming Company | company | Manufacturer backed by Churchill financing; releasing Pulp Fiction LE (sold out Bad Mofo edition) then Medieval Madness remake (500 units); Twilight Zone remake also planned |
| American Pinball | company | Boutique manufacturer; next game rumored to be Cuphead or He-Man; planning Expo reveal |
| Stern Pinball | company | Major manufacturer with large staff; relying heavily on Jack Danger for next Marvel game; criticized for lazy IP strategy and over-reliance on Disney/Marvel partnerships |
| Dutch Pinball / Dutch Pinball Exclusive (DPX) | company | Manufacturer releasing Alice in Wonderland (couple months away) then likely Back to the Arcade Future; Kaneda predicts Back to the Arcade Future will dominate production for 5 years |
| Haggis Pinball | company | Defunct/defunct-status manufacturer; facing serious scrutiny over missing customer funds (~$1M AUD); Centaur Oblivion Edition pre-orders never delivered; Kaneda expects no resurgence |
| Multimorphic | company | Small boutique manufacturer; releasing Princess Bride in P3 format; criticized for not adapting to traditional cabinet format despite market potential |
| Turner Pinball | company | Boutique manufacturer; released Ninja Eclipse; RAZE licensed to Dutch Pinball Exclusive |
| Pinball Expo | event | Major pinball industry event; David Figgs perceived as partner; venue for new game reveals |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Market softness and post-COVID correction, Manufacturer hit game pipeline and strategic positioning, Secondary market depreciation and buyer hesitation, IP licensing strategy and theme selection, Game design complexity vs. accessibility
- **Secondary:** Haggis Pinball financial crisis and accountability, Pricing and limited edition strategy, Stern Pinball organizational and strategic challenges

### Sentiment

**Negative** (-0.72) — Kaneda is critical and increasingly pessimistic throughout the episode. While he shows selective optimism about Dutch Pinball's Back to the Arcade Future and acknowledges some manufacturers (Jersey Jack's financial backing, CGC's upcoming hits), the dominant tone is concern about market stagnation, poor theme choices, misallocated resources, and what he perceives as an industry-wide failure to adapt to changing buyer behavior. His frustration with manufacturers' inability to execute and strategic mistakes is evident.

### Signals

- **[market_signal]** Godzilla Black and White Edition lost $1,000 in value within one week of release, signaling rapid buyer regret and soft secondary market demand (confidence: high) — Kaneda cited specific pricing: 'Godzilla the black and white edition... just came out last week for like $9,600 there's already one for sale for $8,600 a thousand dollar loss'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Buyers are now only purchasing games they genuinely want as long-term collection pieces, not early-adopter speculative buys; FOMO cycle has ended (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'you're not going to buy another new in box game unless it's a game that you really want to bolt to the floor of your game room' and 'The pinball hobby over COVID saw a manipulated market that didn't last very long'
- **[product_concern]** Jersey Jack's Godfather criticized as impenetrably complex; Jack Guarneri reportedly seeking to rein in designer Eric Menier's approach (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'I heard Jack Guarneri is telling people we need to rein Eric in' and likened Godfather to incomprehensible NYC fashion
- **[business_signal]** Jersey Jack's ownership by multi-billionaire insulates it from hit/miss pressure, allowing long-term operation regardless of sales performance (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'when you're owned by a multi-billionaire, it don't matter. It doesn't matter if it's a hit or a miss. They can afford to keep that company going forever'
- **[manufacturing_signal]** Chicago Gaming Company's next two releases (Pulp Fiction LE, Medieval Madness 500-unit remake) are expected to sell out and sustain production momentum (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'They've already sold out of the Bad Mofo editions' and 'They're making 500 more Medieval Madness games... that's a surefire hit... going to sell out'
- **[licensing_signal]** Stern Pinball lacks licensing for high-demand Marvel characters (Punisher, Wolverine); constraints shape next game strategy (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'People want a Wolverine pin. People want a Punisher pin. I'm going to tell you right now, you're not getting the Punisher'
- **[design_philosophy]** Tension between designer creative vision (Eric Menier's complex rule sets) and market accessibility; manufacturer leadership pressuring simplification (confidence: medium) — Jack Guarneri reportedly pushing for simpler game design to improve market appeal; Godfather cited as example of counter-productive complexity
- **[product_strategy]** Industry-wide pricing strategy ($13K base + $2K toppers) and high LE counts are no longer viable; price reductions and LE limits necessary (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'If you still think you're going to sell 1,000 at 13,000 and then charge people 2,000 for toppers, that day is over... they need to lower their prices. They need to also limit the number of LEs'
- **[regulatory_signal]** Haggis Pinball facing severe accountability for missing customer funds (~$1M AUD); Centaur Oblivion Edition pre-orders undelivered (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'There is a good portion of money, close to a million Australian dollars in customer money. Where is it?' and criticized pre-order buyers for proceeding despite red flags
- **[rumor_hype]** Multiple unconfirmed theme rumors circulating: American Pinball Cuphead or He-Man, Jersey Jack Avatar (Mark Seiden), Stern Marvel (Jack Danger) (confidence: low) — Kaneda repeatedly framed these as rumors: 'If the rumor that Cuphead is the next theme' and 'the rumor is if we warm up to Mark Seiden's game'
- **[personnel_signal]** Mark Ritchie completed Pulp Fiction 3-4 years ago; currently developing sci-fi licensed property at CGC (estimated delivery 2026) (confidence: medium) — Kaneda: 'Mark Ritchie finished Pulp Fiction like four years ago or three years ago' and 'I heard he was working on a science fiction licensed property game' with timeline estimate of 2026

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## Transcript

 uh bring him out bring him out bring him out where are the hit pinball machines everybody on this friday episode of canada's pinball podcast i was just thinking about it this week This is going to be the moment, I think, in the last few years of pinball where every single manufacturer, I don't care who you are, whether you've got 400 people or four people, every single pinball manufacturer must be feeling the heat because the market is soft. And what that means is you need to bring them out. You need to bring out a hit game next. There's no room anymore for mediocrity. everybody's over it I mean did you just see that Godzilla the black and white edition of Godzilla which just came out last week for like $9,600 there's already one for sale for $8,600 a thousand dollar loss in like a week of just being on the market and what that means now is this and everybody, I know you know this, like grab a whiskey. It's Friday morning. Canada's two cups of coffee in because you all know this. You're not going to buy another new in box game unless it's a game that you really want to bolt to the floor of your game room. Because if you just buy everything, you're losing thousands of dollars. And so that's why these manufacturers, they have to bring out hit games that you want. Now, here's the problem. There's like 12 manufacturers and everyone's going to be competing for the space in your game room and the money in your wallet. So let's talk about each manufacturer and do we think they have a hit game coming next? You know, I'm on spookypinball.com right now and every one of their games you can buy right now new in box. Nothing has sold out. The feeding frenzy, it's over. You can go on Jersey Jack and go order in Elton John CE today. The game's been out for almost a year, like 10 months. And what does that mean about the state of pinball? It means that we need the next Godzilla. We need the next Metallica. We need the next Tron. We need the next, I'm trying to think of a hit Jersey Jack. I don't know the next Guns N' Roses, but make it in a way that's a little bit more simple, a little bit more approachable. You know, I heard Jack Winari is telling people we need to rein Eric in. We need to get him to make games that people understand. He was telling people like when you walk up to a godfather, you have no idea what's going on. It's like walking up looking at what Canada wears during a night out in New York City. The thing going through your head is what's going on here? And that's what happens when you walk up to Jersey Jack Godfather. You have no clue what's going on. And even if you see in the movie, you're still clueless. So if Eric Scott, Harry Potter, may the pinball gods help us all. Because imagine if Eric Meunier is trying to lay out a game that's easy to approach and there's like eight or nine Harry Potter movies. I mean, look how confusing it is to play freaking Pirates of the Caribbean. So I'm worried, but that's not next from Jersey Jack. So if the hit games need to be brought out next, let's talk about it. So let's start with Spooky. So Spooky Pinball, for them to have a hit game next, because I do think that Looney Tunes and Texas Chainsaw Massacre are to be themes. If you add them together, it doesn't make an A theme. There's a reason why they have not sold out of all 880 of each of them. It's just not a dream theme. Now, for Spooky's next game to be a hit, I think they need to come out with something that's a little bit more mainstream, something that speaks to each and every one of us and isn't too far down that like horror, like campy, you know, like Evil Dead won't do it. It's got to be something like, I'm hoping it is, it's got to be something like The Goonies. Now, we know Beetlejuice is not next. Sonic the Hedgehog could be a mainstream hit. So that's what spooky pinball needs to do. I don't want to be at some like horror convention where this game is unveiled. It needs to be something more mainstream. Let's go next to Jersey Jack. Now the rumor is if we warm up to Mark Seiden's game, we're really going to enjoy it. And that makes me really nervous Because if we have to warm up to the theme, that means it's not a AAA take my money now kind of theme. Even if it is Avatar, that is not a theme that everybody wants. And I think we might be in for another rocky road. And the reason why Jersey Jack needs a hit next, it's been three sales flops in a row for the most part, right? Toy Story, The Godfather, and Elton John are not sales juggernauts. I bet Guns N' Roses has sold more pinball machines than all three of those games combined. So Jersey Jack, are you going to bring out the hit game next? I kind of don't think so. I think it's going to be the game after the next game. But the good news for Jersey Jack, and the sun is always shining over Jersey Jack, The good news is they are owned by a multi-billionaire. And when you're owned by a multi-billionaire, it don't matter. It doesn't matter if it's a hit or a miss. They can afford to keep that company going forever. And that's somewhat exciting. Now, I actually wish they would take that and run with it more. If you got a billion dollar backer these games should have everything in them and then some They shouldn be these barren games So Jersey Jack I looking for you to load up these games and to use those billions wisely All right. All right. Chicago Gaming Company. It's so weird talking about they need a hit next because their next hit game is also their previous hit game. And that is Pulp Fiction LE. It's going to sell just fine. They've already sold out of the Bad Mofo editions. And after that, the next game from them is a surefire hit. It's a game that's going to sell out. They're making 500 more medieval madness games. Now, that's a smart move by CGC. And after that, who knows what's next? Like, Ricket Planetary just got burned by Damien over at Haggis. And now, what are they going to do? You know, Mark Ritchie finished Pulp Fiction like four years ago or three years ago. So they have Mark Ritchie over there. I heard he was working on a science fiction licensed property game, and that was after Pulp Fiction. But that's probably at the pace CGC goes sometime in 2026. But CGC is another company where Churchill finances this company. That is why there's no sense of urgency. So they're going to be just fine. They don't need a hit. Let's go to the next company, American Pinball. They need a hit game. I mean, there's no denying it. They need the next game to be a hit. If the rumor that Cuphead is the next theme, that is going to be really hard. Now, when will we see this game from AP? I think David Figgs and the company over there is going to bring it to Expo. It's right in their backyard. It's David's like show itself. I think he's like the partner of Expo. So we shall see. You know, again, it's going to be an uphill climb if that's the theme. And so like if they don't have another hit game, you know, I think they need to get to He-Man because that's the other rumor. And if they have He-Man, just make He-Man. It's that simple. All right. So that's AP. What else we got? Multimorphic. Do they need a hit game next? they're so small and they're trickling out these like princess brides starting in a few weeks I don't think Jerry needs a hit I think Jerry needs to change the platform that's how I've always felt if he made a normal pinball machine just once just try it once Jerry if the princess bride was in a normal cabinet I think it would outsell this version two to three to one we'll never know because he'll never do it. He'll never test the pinball market by making a normal pinball game. That being said, as I've said before, they're not going to rip you off. You'll eventually get your game. And when you do get it, you better hold on to it. Because if you try to sell your P3 Multimorphic, just take a Santa bag full of cash and light it on fire because you're going to lose like five to ten thousand dollars if you bought every single one of those kits and you try to sell the game you gotta go all in all right so multimorphic i think they'll do just fine they've got two more licensed themes coming after the princess bride you know i don't see them ever making a game that's gonna get like 500 or a thousand people to order it i just don't but i still think they'll survive because jerry's got the right size operation for the demand now speaking about the opposite, Stern Pinball. They've got hundreds of people over there. They've got a lot of mouths to feed. They've got a lot of designers, a lot of coders. They keep using Zombie Yeti. He's terrific, but there's a lot of Yeti games. And so does Stern Pinball's next game need to be a hit? And the answer is yes. It needs to be a huge hit. It's coming from Jack Danger. It's coming from the world of Marvel we're hearing in the rumor mill. And we know Jack Danger can make a hit game. We know there's a lot of excitement around Jack Danger. We know Keith Elwin helps Jack Danger out with design, which is good news. The only issue is this. This is the uphill climb. Do you want another Marvel-themed game? Stern's strategy of going from Dad Rock to Marvel, back to Dad Rock, back to movie franchises from the 60s and maybe 70s, their strategy is starting to wear really thin. And then the moment they step their toe into a contemporary theme like John Wick, they absolutely get annihilated. The sales are horrible. And I think the mistake Stern has made and Jody Dankberg and Mr. Sharp over there and all the people deciding on the themes, I think they got lazy. I think they got in bed with a lot of big IP holding companies like mainly Disney and Marvel. And I think they haven't gone into the portfolio of those companies deep enough. People want a Wolverine pin. People want a Punisher pin. I'm going to tell you right now, you're not getting the Punisher. That's not the game. And I'm telling you this right now. I think they need to look at some of the ginormous Disney properties because a lot of these people who own games, they have families, they have kids. Why isn't there a pinball machine for The Lion King? If you have the Disney partnership, why don't you go make Toy Story 1 Stern Pinball? Why don't you go make some of these iconic Pixar movies like The Incredibles? I think we're just overseeing the same kinds of Marvel games. And if you're going to have Yeti work on the artwork on all these Marvel games, it does start to look like the same over and over again. The styles are the same. The themes are the same. And I think it going to be an eye year for Stern because I think they need to reset I think they need to reset their strategy I think they need to bring in new personnel Come on Canada number is available I happily be a consultant for this company. They need to get stuff going differently. The fact that they slept on stuff like Beetlejuice and let Spooky Pinball get it is crazy. The fact that they didn't get Rick and Morty is crazy. The fact that they don't want to make Beavis and Butthead is crazy. The fact that they don't have like the Red Hot Chili Peppers or the Beastie Boys is crazy. We need Stern to try new stuff. And I think the other thing Stern needs to do, I think they need to create another division within Stern where like every game doesn't need to sell three to five thousand units. But I think they need like a craft version of Stern where they can go get a theme like Big Trouble in Little China or a theme like The Last Starfighter or Bloodsport or Akira and have a version of Stern Pinball a la DPX where they're only going to make a thousand versions of that game and it's going to be more of like a cult classic division within Stern because I think what Stern's doing now is there's so much pressure to have the cornerstone sell like three to five thousand units. They just keep placing their bets on the same type of stuff And I think we're over it because people who have bought all those machines don't need another. They don't need another Dad Rock and they might not need another Marvel game. But man, that means Stern's next is going to be challenging. And then after that is Metallica all over again. And then after that is King Kong from Keith Elwin. And so we might not get the next hit from Stern until sometime in 2025. All right. So that's Stern Pinball. Lots riding on that company and what they do next. All right, who else is out there in the pinball world? Let's talk about the pinball brothers. I don't know, gang. Like, I don't think they have anything next that's going to be a hit. I think a company like this is going to be in trouble because ABBA's not going to do well. Queen didn't sell. Alien was left over from Andrew Highway. And when I think about this company and the creative sort of vision they have and where they're taking the company, I just don't have much faith. And I think as we've got all these pinball companies, the fact that I can't even conjure up what I would make if I were them. You know, I know they're trying to make stuff that's appealing in Europe just as much as it is in the U.S. I mean, maybe they make a FIFA soccer game. You know, I'm surprised nobody made like an Olympic game. You know, remember that old track and field game from the arcades where you smash the buttons? I mean, maybe you can make a pinball version of that and have a lot of different Olympic events happening. Like you got to jump the ball, go over the pole vault, like run around the track, like jump hurdles. I don't know. Maybe you could do it. Seems a little difficult now that I think about it. But yeah, Pinball Brothers, I sort of put them up. I want to group together like Pinball Brothers and Pedretti Gaming. I know Pedretti's got the Funhouse remake, and I know they're going to do other remakes. Oh, yeah, and I just remember, like, after Medieval Madness, I believe that we're going to get Twilight Zone from Chicago Gaming Company. So, yeah, they've got two juggernauts coming in a row. And so when we think about Pedretti Gaming and the Pinball Brothers, I don't know, gang. Like, I'm just sort of at a loss. And the reason why I'm at a loss is I just don't get any sense from these companies, A, that they have their George Gomez, that they have a creative leader over there that understands what the pinball buying demographic wants. wants. And I think companies like Pedretti and companies like the Pinball Brothers, I think what they need to start doing is being a lot more transparent because they're trying to do the same playbook as everybody else where what we're working on next is a secret and we're not going to let anybody know. And then we're just going to like drop it on the world and expect it to sell. And I just don't think that's going to happen. And I think they need to start doing more market research and they need to start asking people, what would you want? Because I'm here to tell you right now, if the Pinball Brothers or Pedretti Gaming, if they made Bloodsport from Jean-Claude Van Damme, if they made a Bloodsport pinball machine, it would outsell ABBA. It would outsell the Funhaus remake that's going on right now. And Jean-Claude Van Damme has never had a pinball machine and it would work. You would be able to do it. So look, if you're just trying to sell a thousand units. You got to pick something better that makes a thousand people want to own it. We got those two companies. We got Homepin apparently is releasing the Blues Brothers with like open source code. People can like open source the code. I don't think that's going to work. I mean, Homepin, they don't have a hit game. Did Spinal Tap even come out? It feels like they've already moved on to the Blues Brothers. So that company's not going anywhere. Who am I missing? We got home pin. We got the people over in Europe. We covered off on Spooky, CGC, Jersey Jack, Stern Pinball. We got Turner Pinball, who's just released Ninja Eclipse. Is that game going to sell? Does Chris Turner have something after that? If I was Chris, the thing I would have done, I would not have sold Raza and all of it. I would not have sold that to Dutch Pinball X. I would have made the game. And the reason why is Robert Mueller spent so much money on the coding, so much money on the game, and I would have made it. Like all that work was spent and all the money went into it and then you sold it. And now someone else gets to make it and that company might be Dutch Pinball X. So let's talk about DPX. Their next game is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. That game is coming out in a couple of months. You know me, I'm under NDA. We're going to get more stuff to you. I was talking to Melvin today. We're going to get some exclusive photo your way next week. And I'm happy. I happy to see Melvin slowly peeling back the layers of this game so that you get to see some stuff And then when it comes out you going to see it in all of its totality And I think that the way to do it You know what the theme is So you might as well start getting people excited as we move closer to the launch of the game It also helps sort of mitigate, you know, oh man, like I, why did they make this theme or why is there this in it? Cause if people already know, they won't complain as much and they'll look at it with more of an open mind. Now look, after this, like after Alice, I heard that Melvin might make something that's licensed. So we shall see. Now the good news is this. The next game from Dutch Pinball is Back to the Future. They're going to get so many orders for that game. They will be making that game for the next five years. And so I think that's going to be the next five years of Dutch pinball and maybe even Dutch pinball X. You're not going to need to release another DPX game because that second line or that second building over at Dutch is going to be busy building back to the future games. And so I'm excited to see back to the future. I don't know when it's going to happen. Part of me feels like it's not going to be to end of next year. I kind of feel like it's going to take them almost a year to make all these Alice in Wonderland's if they make 500. Do I think they're going to sell 500 Alice's? I don't know. I don't think they're going to sell that many. I feel like they're probably going to sell closer to 250 or 300 over the first few months because everybody knows there's a wait. And when you know there's a long wait and you've been listening to Kaneda, you know, it's kind of hard to jump in early. But I know they're doing something that's going to be much more appealing and none of these non-refundable deposits. so they might sell out of all the spots. If getting a spot doesn't cost any money, you might as well get on a spot, I guess. All right, so that's Dutch Pinball, Dutch Pinball X. Haggis Pinball is done. Do we think Damien and Marty are gonna resurface? I don't. There's a lot of heat coming at these people now. They're being called some nasty names. I just wanna see people have some justice here. I wanna see the creditors get some assets, because the money went somewhere. Where did the money go? There is a good portion of money, close to a million Australian dollars in customer money. Where is it? The money didn't go to vendors. The money didn't go. Where did it go? Did Aaron at Fast Pinball make hundreds of thousands of dollars and come out looking like a genius? Probably. He's probably texting me right now. He's like, Chris, first of all, it's fast. All capitals fast. I'm like, all right, Aaron, I get it. I get it. You are the smart one. You send stuff after getting paid. I think too many fools out there sent money in and nothing was even close to being made. I mean this. If you ordered a Centaur Oblivion Edition, how do you wake up and look at yourself in the mirror? Like you knew it wasn't going to happen. Like everybody was telling you don't do it. And there was no upside to doing it because you knew that game was never going to hold $17,500 in value because of some stupid biker jacket and motorcycle helmet. All right, everybody. So that's it. We're in a new pinball world right now. It is August. Secondhand sales are terrible. There's new James Bond code. You guys need to download that if you have the game. I think what's happening right now is simply this. I think a lot of you are very happy with what you have. The only thing that's going to make you spend this kind of money now moving forward is if it's a dream theme that you want to bolt into your game room. The pinball hobby over COVID, I think, saw a manipulated market that didn't last very long. And I think every single company adapted the way they do business as if that COVID frenzy was going to last forever. It's over. And it's impacting so many industries and so many categories out there in the world of business. But for some reason, all of these pinball companies are unable to make a move. And the move they need to make is they need to lower their prices. They need to also limit the number of LEs. It's those two things. If you still think you're going to sell 1,000 at 13,000 and then charge people 2,000 for toppers, that day is over. Like those days are done. And the only way you're ever going to get even close to that kind of frenzy to buy those kinds of games is if you have a AAA theme that people really want. Now, my worry is this. I don't think the next games that are coming out, I don't think they're going to be these like OMG games that just reawaken our enthusiasm. And the danger is this. We are all now going on two years of lackluster themes, losing so much money. And I've never in the 10 years I've been in pinball seen such a consistent lowering of the enthusiasm by the pinball buying demographic. because all these companies need all of us to absorb their new in box creations. And now buying new in box stands for losing money, not being exclusive. They're going to make a nicer version down the road. And there's no need to buy one right now. And the early adopter is getting annihilated. That's never what it used to be. And I think all these pinball companies should get together and start to realize it's a new world and they need to adapt accordingly and they're not. And that's why it's easy to be like you and me right now. Just wait and see, wait on the sideline and you will be able to get whatever you want for so much cheaper. And the only time you should move quickly is if it's a dream theme that you've been waiting your whole life for and you're never gonna sell because you don't even wanna buy a game now. Thinking about resale because resale is a financial disaster now with all of these games. Everybody, happy Friday. We'll talk to you soon. Kaneda out.

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: d7cb13f1-1973-46ac-8aa2-4a9c7d258901*