# The Time that American Pinball Tried to Make a Prince Pinball Machine

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2022-11-23  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/the-time-that-american-pinball-tried-to-make-a-prince-pinball-machine

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## Analysis

Christopher Franchi pitched a Prince pinball machine to American Pinball, with the Prince estate enthusiastically supporting his sample artwork. However, the licensing deal fell through when the Prince estate demanded $1.5 million—exceeding the previous record of $1 million spent by Stern Pinball for the Beatles license. The machine was never produced due to this prohibitive licensing cost.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Christopher Franchi pitched a Prince pinball machine to American Pinball — _Franchi told this story on the Super Awesome Pinball Show podcast_
- [HIGH] American Pinball had Roger Sharpe approach the Prince estate to secure licensing — _Part of the pitch/negotiation process described by Franchi_
- [HIGH] The Prince estate loved Franchi's sample pinball art and was set to do a deal — _Direct statement about estate's reaction to the artwork_
- [HIGH] The Prince estate demanded $1.5 million for the license — _Explicitly stated as the reason the deal fell through_
- [MEDIUM] Joe Kaminkow and Stern Pinball spent $1 million for the Beatles license, setting the previous record — _Stated as historical fact for licensing record, though specific attribution to Kaminsow and Stern could benefit from independent verification_

### Notable Quotes

> "the record amount of money ever spent to secure a license for a pinball machine is the one million dollars that Joe Kaminkow and Stern Pinball spent to get the Beatles license. Well, the Prince people wanted $1.5 Million."
> — **Knapp Arcade (paraphrasing Franchi)**
> _Central claim explaining why the Prince machine never materialized—licensing cost exceeded all previous records_

> "the Prince people wanted $1.5 Million. Wha Wah... And that my friends is why there is not a Prince pin."
> — **Knapp Arcade**
> _Concluding statement with humorous Prince reference ('Wha Wah') explaining the failed deal_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Christopher Franchi | person | Renowned pinball artist who pitched Prince machine concept and created sample artwork that impressed the Prince estate |
| American Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer that greenlit the Prince machine pitch and pursued licensing negotiations |
| Roger Sharpe | person | Pinball legend and licensor who was tasked with approaching the Prince estate to secure licensing rights |
| Prince Estate | organization | Rights holders who loved the sample artwork but demanded $1.5 million licensing fee, killing the deal |
| Joe Kaminsow | person | Stern Pinball executive credited with securing Beatles license for $1 million—previous licensing record |
| Stern Pinball | company | Secured Beatles pinball license for $1 million, setting the previous record before Prince's $1.5M demand |
| Super Awesome Pinball Show | organization | Podcast where Franchi told the Prince machine story; hosted by Christian Line, Jeff Parsons, and Christopher Franchi |
| Christian Line | person | Co-host of Super Awesome Pinball Show podcast |
| Jeff Parsons | person | Co-host of Super Awesome Pinball Show podcast |

### Topics

- **Primary:** IP Licensing & Costs, American Pinball Business History, Christopher Franchi Design Work, Unreleased/Cancelled Pinball Machines, Licensing Negotiations & Deal-Making
- **Secondary:** Beatles Pinball License Record

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0) — The article presents a factual industry anecdote without editorial bias. The humorous 'Wha Wah' Prince reference adds levity but the overall tone is informational. No strong positive or negative sentiment toward any party.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Escalating IP licensing costs creating barriers to game production even when artist and licensor enthusiastically support the project (confidence: high) — Prince estate's $1.5M demand killed deal despite positive estate reaction to artwork and American Pinball's willingness to proceed
- **[licensing_signal]** Prince estate licensing demands ($1.5M) exceeded prior record (Beatles $1M) by 50%, demonstrating escalating IP costs affecting game viability (confidence: high) — Direct statement of licensing figures and deal failure
- **[personnel_signal]** Christopher Franchi (artist/designer) working with American Pinball on high-profile IP projects suggests active involvement during this period (confidence: medium) — Franchi pitched and created samples for American Pinball's Prince machine
- **[announcement]** American Pinball pursued and greenlit a Prince-themed pinball machine with official artwork approval from the estate (confidence: high) — Franchi pitched idea, American pursued licensing, estate approved artwork samples

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## Transcript

Here's an interesting story to start your morning off with. I am listening to the new episode of the Super Awesome Pinball Show podcast (which is fantastic BTW) and the renowned pinball artist Christopher Franchi told a story about how he pitched the idea for a Prince pinball machine to American Pinball...and they actually went for it.

American had the pinball legend and licensor extraordinaire Roger Sharpe approach the estate of Prince to attempt to secure the license for a machine. The estate absolutely loved Franchi's sample pinball art for the game and was all set to do a deal. To this day, the record amount of money ever spent to secure a license for a pinball machine is the one million dollars that Joe Kaminkow and Stern Pinball spent to get the Beatles license. Well, the Prince people wanted $1.5 Million. Wha Wah... And that my friends is why there is not a Prince pin.

For more cool pinball stories and news like this, make sure to check out Christian Line, Jeff Parsons and the aforementioned Christopher Franchi on the Super Awesome Pinball Show Podcast. Click on the link below to hear their latest episode:

https://superawesomepinballshow.libsyn.com/the-super-awesome-pinball-show-ep-39-george-gomez-pt-1

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: eefa3c73-08d4-4f0c-8cf4-1f71d8756dd6*