# THE JETSONS

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2017-02-02  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2017/02/02/the-jetsons

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## Analysis

The Pinball Company has announced The Jetsons, a family-oriented pinball machine designed by Dan and Nathan Goett with art by Jon Chad, to be manufactured by Spooky Pinball. The game features a deliberately simplified playfield with basic mechanics (single ramp, stand-up targets, orbits, bumpers) priced at $5,999, limited to 300 units, with shipping expected in late March and debut at Texas Texas Pinball Festival.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] The Jetsons is designed by The Pinball Company (Nic Park), not Spooky Pinball own title — _Official announcement from Pinball News with clear attribution that Spooky is manufacturing on behalf of The Pinball Company_
- [HIGH] Playfield is intentionally simple and easy-to-understand to appeal to families — _Explicit statement in article: 'The Jetsons' playfield is said to be intentionally simple and easy-to-understand in order to appeal to families'_
- [HIGH] Game is priced at $5,999, above a Pro model from Stern — _Article states exact pricing: '$5,999.00 putting it above a Pro model from Stern'_
- [HIGH] Limited to maximum of 300 machines — _Article explicitly states: 'limited to a maximum of 300 machines'_
- [HIGH] Additional playfield toys are still pending licensor approval — _Article notes: 'these pictures do not show a number of playfield toys which expected to be added but are still the subject of approval by the licensor'_

### Notable Quotes

> "The Jetsons is not Spooky Pinball own title."
> — **Pinball News**
> _Clarifies the unusual business arrangement where The Pinball Company commissioned Spooky to manufacture rather than developing it in-house_

> "The Jetsons' playfield is said to be intentionally simple and easy-to-understand in order to appeal to families, and it is to this market that The Pinball Company is looking to market the game."
> — **Pinball News (citing design intent)**
> _Explicitly identifies target market segment and design philosophy for the game_

> "these pictures do not show a number of playfield toys which expected to be added but are still the subject of approval by the licensor"
> — **Pinball News**
> _Indicates licensing constraints may impact final playfield design and content, suggesting Hanna-Barbera IP control is active_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| The Pinball Company | company | Game designer/publisher based in Columbia, Missouri; owned by Nic Park; produced relaunched Gameroom Magazine; commissioning this game and distributing through own website and showroom |
| Spooky Pinball | company | Manufacturer based in Benton, Wisconsin; contracted to manufacture The Jetsons for The Pinball Company; also offering to sell the game |
| Dan Goett | person | Co-designer of The Jetsons pinball machine |
| Nathan Goett | person | Co-designer of The Jetsons pinball machine |
| Jon Chad | person | Artist for The Jetsons pinball cabinet and backglass artwork |
| The Jetsons | game | New pinball machine based on Hanna-Barbera animated TV series; family-oriented with simplified playfield; $5,999 price; 300 unit limited run; March shipping target |
| Hanna-Barbera | company | Original IP licensor for The Jetsons animated series; holds approval authority over playfield toys and design elements |
| Nic Park | person | Founder/owner of The Pinball Company; commissioning The Jetsons project |
| Texas Pinball Festival | event | Scheduled debut location for The Jetsons in March |
| Gameroom Magazine | publication | Relaunched by The Pinball Company |
| Stern Pinball | company | Referenced for price comparison; The Jetsons at $5,999 is noted as above Stern Pro model pricing |

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Unusual distribution model where independent publisher (The Pinball Company) commissions manufacturing from established boutique maker (Spooky) rather than traditional internal development (confidence: high) — Article clarifies: 'The Jetsons is not Spooky Pinball's own title' and describes Nic Park's The Pinball Company having game 'built by Spooky Pinball' for sale through own channels and Spooky's channels
- **[design_philosophy]** Intentionally simplified playfield design targeting family/casual players rather than tournament/hardcore enthusiasts (confidence: high) — Article states: 'The Jetsons' playfield is said to be intentionally simple and easy-to-understand in order to appeal to families'
- **[market_signal]** Limited production run of 300 units signals scarcity positioning and potential FOMO/collector appeal (confidence: high) — Explicit statement: 'limited to a maximum of 300 machines'
- **[market_signal]** The Jetsons priced at $5,999, positioning it above Stern's Pro model tier despite simplified feature set (confidence: high) — Explicit pricing statement with comparative note: '$5,999.00 putting it above a Pro model from Stern'
- **[announcement]** Official announcement of The Jetsons pinball machine by The Pinball Company, manufactured by Spooky Pinball (confidence: high) — Article headline and opening statement; product details, artwork, pricing, and shipping date provided
- **[licensing_signal]** Hanna-Barbera IP licensing for The Jetsons with active licensor approval authority over playfield elements (confidence: high) — Article explicitly states additional playfield toys are 'still the subject of approval by the licensor'

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## Transcript

Pictures:
The Pinball Company

The next game to be built by Spooky Pinball was announced today. However, The Jetsons is not Spooky Pinball’s own title.

![The Jetsons backglass artwork ](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/backglass.jpg)

The Jetsons backglass artwork

The game is actually the product of Nic Park’s The Pinball Company which is based in Columbia, Missouri and which also produced the relaunched Gameroom Magazine. Nic is having the game built by Spooky Pinball in Benton, Wisconsin, for purchase through The Pinball Company’s website and showroom. Spooky Pinball will also be offering to sell the game.

So what of the game itself? Cabinet artwork looks very clean and bright, featuring characters and settings from the Hanna-Barbera animated TV series.

![The cabinet and backbox side artwork](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires5a.jpg)

The cabinet and backbox side artwork

![The cabinet side detail](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires13a.jpg)

The cabinet side detail

![The cabinet front](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires3a.jpg)

The cabinet front

![The cabinet front detail](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires12a.jpg)

The cabinet front detail

The Jetsons‘ playfield is said to be intentionally simple and easy-to-understand in order to appeal to families, and it is to this market that The Pinball Company is looking to market the game.

![The playfield](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires2a.jpg)

The playfield

There is a single ramp on the left side which returns the ball into the right inlane, and six stand-up targets in two banks of three to spell out G-E-O and R-G-E. An addition standup on the lower left awards the extra ball when lit.

![The central playfield area](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires9a.jpg)

The central playfield area

An orbit lane has right and left entrances, both graced with spinners, while an inner orbit is joined by a captive ball and a scoop on the lower left of the playfield.

![The left orbit and ramp entrance](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires10a.jpg)

The left orbit and ramp entrance

Three rollover lanes feeding to the three pop bumpers compete the top of the playfield, while a single inlane and outlane on each side and the two flippers round off the feature set.

![The flippers area](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires6a.jpg)

The flippers area

Collecting all the characters seems to be the key to starting Orbit City Multiball, while this and Spacely vs Cogswell Multiball are both needed to qualify the wizard mode.

![The feature matrix](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires11a.jpg)

The feature matrix

The Jetsons was designed by Dan and Nathan Goett with art from Jon Chad, and is limited to a maximum of 300 machines, with shipping anticipated for late March.

![The whole The Jetsons game](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires4a.jpg)

The whole The Jetsons game

You might expect the simplified playfield feature-set to equate to a low-end price tag, but The Jetsons is priced at $5,999.00 putting it above a Pro model from Stern. However, these pictures do not show a number of playfield toys which expected to be added but are still the subject of approval by the licensor.

![The left slingshot](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires7a.jpg)

The left slingshot

![The right slingshot](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires8a.jpg)

The right slingshot

The Jetsons is expected to debut at the Texas Pinball Festival in March and naturally Pinball News will be there to report on it and the rest of the show.

There has been no official press release about the game, but here’s the flyer instead. You can also find out more and order the game on The Pinball Company’s website.

![The flyer for the game](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/jetsons/hires1a.jpg)

The flyer for the game

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-08-04 | Item ID: dff0cdb0-6a3b-41b7-a4ab-5e5a8cc58df6*