# Episode 998: "Avatar Video Feelings"

**Source:** Kaneda's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2024-09-11  
**Duration:** 20m 7s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-998-111827026

---

## Analysis

Tim (host of Kaneda's Pinball Podcast) provides critical analysis of the new Jersey Jack Pinball Avatar teaser video released ahead of the official reveal. He expresses mixed-to-underwhelmed sentiment about the game's mechanical design and theme integration, comparing it unfavorably to past JJP titles (Wizard of Oz) and competing contemporary releases (X-Men). He questions whether Avatar's complex lower playfield design and UV lighting gimmick can overcome weak mechanical "wow" factors and uncertain market demand.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Jersey Jack's Avatar features extensive lower playfield/window designs with ramps, bucks, and wire forms but lacks a singular 'wow' mechanical feature — _Tim analyzing the 30-second teaser video and Knapp Arcade images, directly describing playfield elements visible in released promotional material_
- [HIGH] Avatar's UV lighting effect will be difficult to capture on video streams and requires in-person play to fully appreciate — _Tim's direct observation while discussing the teaser and Stern's X-Men stream strategy_
- [MEDIUM] The game is titled after Avatar 2 (not Avatar 1) due to studio pressure to promote the newer film, which Tim views as a design constraint — _Tim's inference from the title choice and understanding of licensing pressure dynamics_
- [MEDIUM] Jersey Jack's sales momentum has declined significantly since Guns N' Roses, and Avatar is unlikely to sell well or sell out — _Tim's market assessment based on theme appeal and perceived mechanical shortcomings; speculative prediction_
- [HIGH] The 34-second teaser video uses rapid cuts that make it difficult for viewers to process what they're seeing and likely didn't generate excitement — _Tim's direct reaction to watching the teaser during the live podcast_
- [MEDIUM] Jersey Jack's CE edition topper with screens is entirely original and not repurposed from Toy Story 4 (unlike the Elton John topper) — _Tim's assessment based on topper appearance and comparison to known earlier JJP practices_
- [MEDIUM] Keith P. Johnson's code for Avatar will likely feature significant multiball, which Tim implies is an undesirable design choice — _Tim's observation about visible gameplay in the teaser and his general criticism of multiball-heavy code_
- [MEDIUM] Jersey Jack's product reveal strategy is flawed because it shows enough to form negative opinions before orders open, giving potential buyers time to reconsider — _Tim's critique of the teaser-to-reveal timing and order window strategy_

### Notable Quotes

> "I don't know if I've seen enough to be truly concerned, but I also didn't see anything that just blew me away."
> — **Tim**, early in analysis
> _Sets the overall mixed/underwhelmed tone of his Avatar assessment_

> "I just don't see a single wow mechanism in the game."
> — **Tim**, during detailed playfield analysis
> _Core criticism—Avatar lacks a standout mechanical feature compared to competitors and JJP's past work_

> "It's a really cheap McFarlane toy that they just found a way to animate."
> — **Tim**, describing the AMP suit/exoskeleton mechanism
> _Dismissive assessment of what should be a flagship mechanical feature_

> "11 years ago, when you really look at what Jersey Jack put into their games... Wizard of Oz... it's really hard to look at and not see [multiple upper playfields, intricate mechanisms]."
> — **Tim**, during comparative analysis with Wizard of Oz
> _Suggests JJP's design ambition has declined or that Avatar represents a step backward mechanically_

> "I just feel like the subject matter is difficult to nail and what they're bringing to life isn't anything you and I have dreamed about being in American pinball machine."
> — **Tim**, market assessment section
> _Identifies both theme licensing constraints and lack of player aspiration as market headwinds_

> "I want it Matrix right now. I want it Beetlejuice. I want it Fifth Element. I want it Akira. I want it Transformers G1."
> — **Tim**, closing remarks
> _Expresses the themes Tim believes JJP should have pursued instead—stronger IP with broader appeal_

> "They really needed a game to get everybody to see what they're capable of, and I don't feel like this is gonna be it."
> — **Tim**, closing assessment
> _Characterizes Avatar as a missed strategic opportunity for JJP to demonstrate engineering capability_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Tim | person | Host of Kaneda's Pinball Podcast, providing critical live analysis of Avatar teaser and market assessment |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Avatar; subject of Tim's criticism regarding design philosophy and market strategy |
| Avatar | game | Jersey Jack Pinball's unreleased game based on James Cameron's Avatar franchise; focus of this episode's analysis |
| Mark Seiden | person | Designer of Avatar; Tim acknowledges his passion but questions the theme's mechanical execution |
| Keith P. Johnson | person | Code designer for Avatar; Tim criticizes anticipated multiball-heavy rule design |
| Stern Pinball | company | Competing manufacturer streaming X-Men reveal, which Tim uses as comparative mechanical benchmark |
| X-Men | game | Stern's competing title; Tim compares its superior mechanical design and color/impact favorably to Avatar |
| Wizard of Oz | game | Jersey Jack's 2013 game; Tim uses it as historical reference point for superior mechanical depth and theme integration |
| Guns N' Roses | game | Jersey Jack title; Tim cites it as last strong performer before perceived sales decline |
| Toy Story | game | Referenced for topper reuse; Tim notes JJP repurposed screens from this title for Elton John edition |
| Knapp Arcade | organization | Source of detailed promotional images of Avatar that Tim analyzes during the episode |
| James Cameron's Avatar | game | Full proper name of the pinball game; based on Avatar film franchise (Avatar 2 emphasis per licensing) |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Mechanical design and 'wow factor' in modern pinball, Jersey Jack Pinball's product strategy and market positioning, Theme integration and IP licensing constraints in pinball design, Avatar's technical features (UV lighting, lower playfields, topper screens)
- **Secondary:** Competitive landscape: Stern X-Men vs Jersey Jack Avatar, Reveal strategy and order window timing in pinball marketing, Jersey Jack design philosophy evolution (Wizard of Oz to Avatar)
- **Mentioned:** CE vs LE edition differentiation and topper communication

### Sentiment

**Negative** (-0.62) — Tim's assessment is predominantly critical and underwhelmed. While he acknowledges not being 'concerned' and maintains openness to changing his mind after playing the machine, his repeated emphasis on lack of mechanical 'wow,' unfavorable comparisons to past JJP titles and competitors, and explicit market pessimism create a clearly negative sentiment trajectory. The tone shifts from cautious ambivalence early on to more pointed criticism as he details specific shortcomings.

### Signals

- **[sentiment_shift]** Community and Tim's reaction to Avatar teaser is mixed-to-negative; lack of mechanical standout features and theme appeal concerns are driving lower initial enthusiasm compared to expectations for a $12-15k flagship release (confidence: high) — Tim notes 'everyone is somewhere in the middle,' teaser didn't 'blow me away,' and direct comparison unfavorably to X-Men and Wizard of Oz
- **[design_philosophy]** Avatar's design philosophy emphasizes lower playfield complexity (windows, diverters, bucks, subways) and vertical flow rather than traditional upper playfield mechanics or large singular 'wow' sculpture elements (confidence: high) — Tim identifies 'two lower playfields or windows looking underneath the playfield,' wire forms, but notes absence of upper playfield (e.g., Banshee grabbing ball to Hallelujah Mountains) and lacks singular standout mechanism
- **[product_concern]** Avatar lacks a flagship mechanical feature comparable to Wizard of Oz's upper playfields/house/flying monkey or X-Men's Sentinel; the AMP suit exoskeleton is perceived as cheaply executed (described as 'McFarlane toy') (confidence: high) — Tim: 'I just don't see a single wow mechanism in the game' and extended comparison to competitors showing superior mechanical centerpieces
- **[licensing_signal]** Game is themed around Avatar 2 (not Avatar 1) due to studio licensing pressure to promote the newer film, which Tim infers as a design constraint limiting thematic appeal to core audiences (confidence: medium) — Tim: 'There was pressure from the studio to highlight the new movie, and so that's why I think we're getting a lot more happening underneath the playfield'
- **[market_signal]** Tim predicts Avatar will underperform commercially and fail to sell out, even at 1000 CE units at $15k, representing a significant sales decline from Jersey Jack's post-Guns N' Roses momentum (confidence: medium) — Tim: 'I think it's gonna be a game that does not sort of sell out at all' and 'It just feels like a non-starter' given theme and mechanical concerns
- **[product_strategy]** Jersey Jack's strategy of releasing teaser content before order window opens allows potential buyers multiple days to form negative opinions and reconsider purchases, reducing conversion vs. immediate order availability (confidence: medium) — Tim: 'when you have a few days the most likely gonna talk yourself out of getting one, not into getting one' and 'you really only get one chance to reveal a game'
- **[design_innovation]** Avatar features UV lighting that creates bioluminescent Pandora atmosphere; Tim views this as difficult to convey via video stream and requiring in-person experience, potentially a design novelty rather than gameplay innovation (confidence: high) — Tim: 'I'm not sure how this is gonna feel' and 'I don't really feel like they're gonna be able to capture that in video form. I think it's gonna be something you're gonna have to stand over the machine'
- **[content_signal]** Stern's X-Men stream (Wednesday) precedes Jersey Jack's Avatar reveal (Thursday), potentially stealing momentum or creating unfavorable direct comparison between competing games' mechanical spectacle (confidence: high) — Tim notes the timing of X-Men stream before Avatar reveal and directly compares X-Men's visual impact favorably: 'X-Men just an explosion of color... you've got this ginormous sentinel mechanism'
- **[code_update]** Avatar's code (by Keith P. Johnson) is anticipated to feature significant multiball, which Tim implies is an undesirable design choice for a game of this complexity level (confidence: medium) — Tim: 'every time we saw gameplay it was like multiball and if there one thing that nobody wants to see in a game that Keith P. Johnson is coding is more multiball'
- **[business_signal]** Jersey Jack's product pipeline and market strength have declined noticeably since Guns N' Roses; Avatar is viewed as a missed opportunity to reestablish engineering credibility (confidence: medium) — Tim: 'Jersey Jack has really since Guns N' Roses... I just feel like the subject matter is difficult to nail' and 'They really needed a game to get everybody to see what they're capable of, and I don't feel like this is gonna be it'
- **[product_launch]** Avatar CE edition includes multicolor armor design (mimicking Na'vi character skin), backbox with character eyes, and large screen-equipped topper separate from LE edition (confidence: high) — Tim describing CE features: 'blue armor... multiple colors on it sort of like the skin of the characters in Avatar' and 'this large topper on the CE that's got screens'

---

## Transcript

 Tim Toon E tonight insights table, Jim Newton Briggs well critically due to get the steeper are crack natural prime on he to? mark on for recording your rely at my opinions for about this. Jersey Jack Avatar game. No, it's not the theme anybody really wanted, but it's the next game from Jersey Jack. Are we seeing a $12,000 to $15,000 masterpiece? Are we seeing theme integration like never before? Um, I don't know. I would just have to say after reading people's comments today, I still think everyone is somewhere in the middle. I know I am. I'm like, I don't know if I've seen enough to be truly concerned, but I also didn't see anything that just blew me away. Now, it's just a 30 second teaser, but we did see everything that's on the playfield and we got to see like some mechanisms or lack of mechanisms. We got a lot of wire forms. We've got two like lower playfields or windows looking underneath the playfield. There's a buck. There's ramps that like lift up. I think this game, when I look at it, it's really gonna sort of create that going from under the ocean coming up into the sky. I think there's gonna be a lot of up, down, and around happening in this game. I just, I just can't quite put my finger on it, but I was just hoping for a little bit more wow. I was hoping to see something that was like, I haven't seen that before. And I'm gonna see a lot more of this game on Friday. We're gonna see a lot more of this game on Thursday. But now we know that Stern Pinball is going to stream X-Men tomorrow. The I do think Jersey Jack's Avatar, it's gonna be difficult to capture that game's like unique UV lighting and the way it's gonna go from twilight to sort of daylight back and forth. I don't really feel like they're gonna be able to capture that in video form. I think it's gonna be something you're gonna have to stand over the machine to truly appreciate it. Where is the upper playfield someone is asking me right now? It's interesting to do a podcast and have people commenting at the same time. I don't know. That's the other thing. I'm like, where are the upper playfields? I- how do you not make an upper playfield where like the Banshee grabs the ball and brings it to the Hallelujah Mountains? I just feel like when I look down at this game, I'm not a fan of the title, but I do think it's a good way to show that the title is not the first Avatar movie. I think the first movie is the iconic one that everybody remembers the most. The second film came out and didn't hit like the first. Obviously there was pressure from the studio to highlight the new movie. movie and so that's why I think we're getting a lot more happening underneath the playfield let me try and screen share right now and we're gonna look at this game and let me give my thoughts on the deconstruction of that video and maybe we should watch the video first right now so I'm gonna play right now the 34 second trailer of the battle for Pandora like really really quick cuts there like mega Bowl Remove when I first saw it I was like incapable of really processing what I just saw and I don't know if that works you know I don't know if those quick cuts like got anybody truly excited about anything they were seeing there and so after 34 seconds I was left a little underwhelmed I did feel confident that people were gonna like grab screenshots of Let go over to Jason Knapp site right now Let look at these images So these are the most detailed images of avatars so far So we got the LE and the CE edition of the game They both have blue armor They look very similar The CE has that armor that has multiple colors on it sort of like the skin of the characters in Avatar The backbox on the CE with her eyes over the logo looks absolutely incredible. Then we've got this sort of really large topper on the CE that's got screens. I don't think these are leftover screens from Toy Story 4. We know they repurposed them with the Elton John topper, but I think it's an all original new topper that's going to be communicating a lot of information to the player. The game is a game of the player. And then we've got this sort of over the top UV lit version of the game. And this is what I mean by I'm not sure how this is gonna feel. It's got this like bioluminescent feel to it. But my thing with it is this. I just was hoping there was gonna be a little bit more wow. Like there was gonna be a major mechanism like the tree of life that had the branches and the leaves and maybe the ante alternatives and you know what have to see a mean wheni I stand over this game I will have to see now looking at the artwork you know flat plastics you know not surprising Jersey Jack hasn't been doing scopes on the sling plastics we've got this banshee in this wire form lots of wire forms lots of flippers and then there's like this under the playfield sort of like mini playfield area where there looks like there's a crab and two flippers Now this image of the upper portion of the game is the one I've been looking at a lot. Because when I look at this and I see wire forms, I see small sculpts of the sort of Hallelujah Mountains. They're really, really small. I see this large vertical upkick over here to the left. Here's what I don't see. I don't see anything that is making my jaw drop. I see this like robotic exoskeleton The game is a bit of a mess. I mean, I saw the arm move up and down, but it looks like a really cheap McFarlane toy that they just found a way to animate, but nothing, and I mean this, nothing in this game right now as I look at the different angles of it, I just don't see a single wow mechanism in the game. And when I think about a single wow mechanism in the game, I'm going to pop over right now and look at X-Men, the uncanny X-Men. I mean just looking down at X-Men next to Avatar, not only is X-Men just an explosion of color and X-Men comic coming at you, you've got this ginormous sentinel mechanism that is the major element of the game and it's like undeniable that X-Men I think comes at you with sort of like OMG a lot more than Avatar does right now. I look at Avatar and then I look at Wizard of Oz. I pulled up Wizard of Oz and I looked at that game, right, 11 years ago. 11 years ago, when you really look at, and I'm going to share screen again, when you really look at what Jersey Jack put into their games, it's really hard. It's really hard to look at Wizard of Oz and see two upper playfields, the witch that goes up and down the spinning house. You've got the flying freaking monkey. You've got the upper playfield doors that open up. You've got the pop bumper trees. You've got the crystal ball. You've also got the sort of like the little screen to the right waz. You've got the state fair sculpt. It's just this 3D world. The ruby red slippers. And I get it. I get it. I know that like Avatar is much more advanced than the WizardofOz, but I'm just not seeing anything right now. The game is not going to shoot well It doesn mean the game is not going to be like awesome to play It doesn mean it not going to have great flow But I mean I can believe though that Jersey Jack even in that little video every time we saw gameplay it was like multiball and if there one thing that nobody wants to see in a game that Kiefer is coding is more multiball you know we're gonna see more on Thursday I'm gonna go out there and play it on Friday we're gonna get uncanny x-men on Wednesday it's a lot it's a lot of overload it's a lot of stuff at once and And I really wish, you know, in this like sea of teasers we've been getting now for two weeks, I think they need to tease the date by which they're gonna drop it and reveal it, but you really only get one chance to reveal a game. And on the day that Jersey Jack is revealing Avatar, you can't even buy the game. Cuz this is still not like the reveal. The reveal is on Thursday, so we're still in this like teaser 30 second video, but you've basically shown enough for people to get excited and to not get excited. And in the world of pinball, when you finally pull the curtain off, you really want those order banks to be open. You don't want to give people a few days to think about it because when you have a few The most likely gonna talk yourself out of getting one, not into getting one. So we're gonna see what happens. Is the X-Men stream gonna be so amazing that the remaining LEs are all gonna sell out instantly? I don't know. I don't know. But I'm really at the point now, everybody, where Jersey Jack has really since Guns N' Roses I'm not saying Mark Sidon's not passionate about Avatar, but I just feel like the subject matter is difficult to nail and what they're bringing to life isn't anything you and I have dreamed about being in a pinball machine. So I think it's gonna be a game that does not sort of sell out at all. I don't think they're gonna sell if they make a thousand CEs. I don't think they're gonna sell very well. A thousand at 15k a pop. It just feels like a non-starter and if the same exact game is in the LE and that's 12, I don't know, you know, even as I think about they want that topper to be communicating stuff. I've owned Guns N' Roses now for months. I never look up there. I mean, it's too high. It's too high to have a topper communicate vital information for gameplay. I think it's just going to be more about something visually stunning versus something that's a different game mode or something unique to the CE. That's my thoughts, you know, more to come on it. Not a game that is blowing me away, but not a game that is concerning me that much. I just don't see the mix. I don't know if it has magic or not, but I don't see the mechanical engineering. Now look, I bet when you lift up this game with those lower playfields and diverters and subways and bucks and all that stuff, I think we're gonna see more in it. Definitely more underneath this playfield I'm not sure if I can get the full description of the game in the description box, but I'm sure it's a good one. They really needed a game to get everybody to see what they're capable of, and I don't feel like this is gonna be it. And I might be wrong, and I'm gonna go play it, and I'm gonna see how I feel when I play But man, I want it Matrix right now. I want it Beetlejuice. I want it Fifth Element. I want it Akira. I want itTransformers G1. I just think they needed something where the theme alone was enough to give you money, right? I just don't think they have that here. So we'll see what happens. Obviously, we're gonna do a lot more shows this week. Brenda, I'm sorry. Brenda's like walking up the stairs. This is the last time I do this. I don't normally do it live. It wouldn't be a problem. Brenda did not know I was doing it live. P Şu wife, Reflexino,WA końsole,Ka Czechங,P grasp instead of C B H P W. Do not miss out on benefits you can make when you click on the download link in the comment box below. We are only doing FW when the video is yellowish so your YouTube integer should know exactly. We have been sharing fantastic content on scott Scriptures and Facebook as well. We are can't handle uhm it just isn't working, we just can't do this, it's time to do doing reality streaming and things and sometimes we are able to have a comparison with each other because nag flagship we said before. We know that that's a little bit boring and it's got a lot to learn. What has So X got a really creative layout really unique and I not sure going to work for everybody And we are creatures of Comfort We complain a lot about pinball machines but let face it we want a game that shootss really well And a lot of times it's easier to walk up to a game where the layout is somewhat familiar. Two flippers at the bottom, everything's going south to north. And now we've got these three flippers right at the bottom of X-Men. The rewarding for people are you gonna get tired of that right seeing that Second left flipper that little flipper always going off whenever you're flipping the left side of the game Is that gonna be rewarding is that mini playfield that danger room gonna be exciting is? Letting that ball sort of go through the orbit in the bottom right swinging around to the left. It looks really cool I think just both games, just looking at both of them and saying who's winning so far the battle between X-Men and Avatar, two themes by the way that nobody really really was dying for. Like people didn't want more Marvel and people didn't really want Avatar. I don't think either company has the juggernaut theme, no pun intended with juggernaut being in the game, but neither company has the instant winner on theme. So when we get to integration and we get to which machine is just presenting itself better within the first week of reveal, it is obviously X-Men. Now look, when they revealed X-Men, they gave us a lot more information. We're going to get that on Thursday. I think these companies are learning. If you're going to do these teaser campaigns and your competitors are doing something similar, you've got to be able to pivot in real time. If Stern drops this much information on X-Men, you're not going to be able to hold back and just do these little pictures every day. You're going to lose out. And I think JerseyJack might have waited too long and a lot of people have ordered X-Men Ali already. Are all sales final? I don't think so. If you want to transfer over your X-Men deposit to a dealer that also sells Avatar, I'm sure they will do that for you. Everybody look, it's a really crazy time in pinball. The prices are really high. I'm not sure any of these games are worth it to be honest, but we're getting better. Like this is a good game by Stern. Like this This game looks like they made a real effort. With Jersey Jack, it feels better than Toy Story, it feels better than Godfather. Not sure it feels as cohesive as Elton John does, but it does feel like there's more in it. Problem with Jersey Jack, yeah there's more in it, but man it doesn't feel anywhere near what we got with Pirates and with Woz and even with Hobbit. I still think Jersey Jack struggles a little bit because historically the machines were loaded. And when people look at Avatar and say it's loaded, like I don't think it's loaded. I really don't. I think there's a lot of uniqueness in it, but it doesn't strike me as a game where like the bomb is back to what it used to be. Just doesn't have that vibe right now. Now look, we're going to learn a lot more. Everybody have a good night. Don't kill yourselves online arguinging about politics as we get to the presidential debate tonight. But everybody, more to come this week. I might have to do like a show every day with all the different pinball news that's happening, talking about X-Men tomorrow. Then we're going to get the 20-minute deep dive on Avatar on Thursday, and then I fly to Jersey Jack. It's going to be a very interesting three days in pinball. I look forward to covering all of it, and thank you for being a subscriber to Kaneda's Pinball Podcast. All right. Kaptain Nemo went away Learn me where I'm going Let me all alone Leave us going on Kaptain Nemo said okay Brandon curtly treateday2jackmim에ction but even the I din't read for a minute. Brandon sanji Sister I did a subtitle for one minute and one half! Exerc tooth John P conjiktethat dirtyclock Jackson Ie Joe Wah Ie Candle in ni士ception, coloravilion då니잖아 of Montecano another called matty pičićićić哈니 I longe

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

---

*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: ef4b3e2d-9c36-43f4-ac5c-86cab304aa29*