# RUMOR: Dutch Pinball Partnering with Stern Pinball to Produce Back to the Future **Source:** Kineticist **Type:** article **Published:** 2026-02-13 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.kineticist.com/post/dutch-pinball-partnering-with-stern --- ## Analysis A Dutch Pinball Facebook comment from distributor CoinTaker's Melissa Marquette claiming a partnership between Dutch Pinball and Stern Pinball to produce Back to the Future was quickly walked back via official statement, with no confirmation from either company. The rumor emerged amid significant internal restructuring at Dutch Pinball, including the dissolution of their DPX sub-brand and departure of creative partner Melvin Williams. ### Key Claims - [MEDIUM] Eric Jackson claimed BTTF is Dutch Pinball's next game with planned U.S. partnership via Stern Pinball — _Facebook comment by Eric Jackson on Dutch Pinball post; Melissa Marquette initially confirmed 'it's true'_ - [HIGH] Melissa Marquette (CoinTaker owner) initially confirmed the Stern-Dutch Pinball partnership claim, then recanted via official statement — _CoinTaker statement to Knapp Arcade explicitly stating 'Stern and DP have no connection / partnership or deal'_ - [HIGH] DPX (Dutch Pinball's collector-focused sub-brand) has shut down due to misalignment on commercial terms for a planned second title — _Official statement from Barry Driessen confirming DPX collaboration ended; misalignment cited on margin structure and long-term sustainability_ - [HIGH] Melvin Williams departed Dutch Pinball as part of the DPX dissolution and organizational restructuring — _Article reports Williams as 'creative partner' who departed; coincided with new investor entry and different company vision_ - [HIGH] Dutch Pinball has welcomed two new Dutch investors to strengthen the company financially and strategically — _Barry Driessen's official partner update statement confirms addition of new investors_ - [HIGH] Dutch Pinball remains committed to completing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland production — _Barry Driessen statement: 'fully committed to completing the remaining Alice's Adventures in Wonderland machines'_ - [HIGH] Dutch Pinball will announce new projects within 'the next couple of months' — _Barry Driessen's official statement promises announcement of new Dutch Pinball projects_ ### Notable Quotes > "Stern and DP have no connection / partnership or deal." > — **CoinTaker (Melissa Marquette)**, Feb. 13 update > _Official retraction of the partnership rumor, directly contradicting earlier claimed confirmation_ > "it's true." > — **Melissa Marquette (CoinTaker)**, Original Facebook exchange (now deleted) > _Initial confirmation of Stern-Dutch Pinball partnership claim before being walked back_ > "While the first title was successfully brought to market, discussions around a potential second title revealed a misalignment on commercial terms, specifically regarding margin structure and long-term sustainability for all parties involved." > — **Barry Driessen (Dutch Pinball)**, Official partner update > _Explains the rationale for DPX dissolution and suggests tension over profitability model_ > "Dutch Pinball will therefore refocus fully on developing and producing its own original titles, where creative control, production planning, and commercial execution are fully integrated within the company." > — **Barry Driessen (Dutch Pinball)**, Official partner update > _Strategic pivot away from external collaborations; signals internal control preference post-restructuring_ > "An announcement regarding new Dutch Pinball projects will follow in the next couple of months." > — **Barry Driessen (Dutch Pinball)**, Official partner update > _Teases upcoming announcements potentially related to BTTF or other projects_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Dutch Pinball | company | Netherlands-based boutique pinball manufacturer; undergoing significant restructuring with DPX dissolution, investor changes, and creative partner departure | | Stern Pinball | company | Major pinball manufacturer; subject of persistent partnership rumors with Dutch Pinball regarding Back to the Future production | | Back to the Future | game | Rumored Dutch Pinball pinball machine based on the film franchise; licensing and production status remained uncertain following DPX collapse | | Melissa Marquette | person | Owner of CoinTaker distributor; initially claimed Stern-Dutch Pinball partnership was 'true,' then retracted via official statement | | Barry Driessen | person | Dutch Pinball owner; issued official partner update explaining DPX dissolution and company restructuring | | Melvin Williams | person | Creative partner at Dutch Pinball/DPX; departed the company as part of organizational restructuring | | Eric Jackson | person | Facebook commenter who originally claimed BTTF is Dutch Pinball's next game with Stern partnership | | CoinTaker | company | Key Dutch Pinball distributor; owner Melissa Marquette initially validated then retracted partnership rumors | | DPX (Dutch Pinball Exclusive) | product_brand | Dutch Pinball's collector-focused sub-brand; dissolved in early 2026 due to commercial disagreement over second title margin structure | | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | game | Dutch Pinball title in active production; company reaffirmed commitment to completing remaining units | | Knapp Arcade | organization | Received CoinTaker's retraction statement regarding the Stern-Dutch Pinball partnership claim | ### Topics - **Primary:** Dutch Pinball restructuring and investor changes, Back to the Future pinball licensing and production status, Stern Pinball partnership rumors, DPX sub-brand dissolution and commercial disagreements - **Secondary:** Melvin Williams departure from Dutch Pinball, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland production completion ### Sentiment **Negative** (0.25) — Significant organizational turbulence at Dutch Pinball (DPX collapse, creative partner departure, investor upheaval) overshadows unconfirmed partnership rumors. Initial positive signal quickly contradicted by official retraction, creating uncertainty about company direction and BTTF project viability. ### Signals - **[business_signal]** External collaboration model (DPX structure) abandoned by Dutch Pinball due to margin structure and sustainability disputes (confidence: high) — Driessen: 'misalignment on commercial terms, specifically regarding margin structure and long-term sustainability' and decision to 'refocus fully on developing and producing its own original titles' - **[business_signal]** Dutch Pinball experiencing significant organizational restructuring: DPX dissolution, creative partner departure, and influx of new Dutch investors (confidence: high) — Barry Driessen's official partner update confirming DPX collaboration ended, Melvin Williams departed, and two new Dutch investors added to strengthen company - **[community_signal]** Pinball community anxiously awaiting clarity on Back to the Future production status and licensing following Dutch Pinball internal crisis (confidence: medium) — Article notes: 'Pinball fans had mostly been concerned about what the DPX collapse might mean for the often-rumored Back to the Future machine' - **[leak_detection]** Unconfirmed BTTF-Stern partnership details surfaced through Facebook comments by distributor employee, then immediately suppressed (confidence: medium) — Eric Jackson Facebook claim, Marquette's confirmation, subsequent deletion of comments, and CoinTaker's retraction statement - **[personnel_signal]** Melvin Williams departure from Dutch Pinball as creative partner coinciding with DPX sub-brand shutdown and new investor entry (confidence: high) — Article reports Williams departed as part of organizational restructuring driven by new investors with 'different vision for the company's direction' - **[product_strategy]** Back to the Future pinball machine status uncertain following DPX collapse; licensing and production viability questioned by community (confidence: medium) — Article notes 'Pinball fans had mostly been concerned about what the DPX collapse might mean for the often-rumored Back to the Future machine' - **[rumor_hype]** Unconfirmed Facebook claim of Stern-Dutch Pinball partnership to produce Back to the Future quickly retracted via official CoinTaker statement (confidence: high) — Initial Facebook comment confirmed by Marquette, then explicitly denied via CoinTaker official statement: 'Stern and DP have no connection / partnership or deal' --- ## Transcript Update (Feb. 13): CoinTaker has since provided a statement to Knapp Arcade walking back Marquette's comments, saying "Stern and DP have no connection / partnership or deal." Marquette's original Facebook comments have since been deleted. Dutch Pinball has not commented. The original exchange is screenshotted below. Back to the Future might still be happening — and it could be coming alongside a major international partnership. In the comments of a recent Dutch Pinball Facebook post, commenter Eric Jackson claimed that BTTF is Dutch Pinball's next game, and that they will be partnering with Stern Pinball to release it in the U.S. Melissa Marquette, owner of CoinTaker — one of Dutch Pinball's key distributors — replied: "it's true." Neither Dutch Pinball nor Stern Pinball have made an official announcement about this news. While rumors of a Dutch Pinball and Stern Pinball partnership have persisted for a while now, this would be the strongest signal yet. The news comes on the heels of a turbulent week for Dutch Pinball. Earlier this week, DPX — Dutch Pinball's sub-brand focused on collector-targeted, limited-run machines — shut down, and creative partner Melvin Williams departed the company. That split was driven by new investors entering Dutch Pinball with a different vision for the company's direction. Shortly after the news broke, Dutch Pinball owner Barry Driessen sent an update to key partners, which was subsequently shared by CoinTaker on Pinside. In it, Driessen confirmed the end of the DPX collaboration, citing "a misalignment on commercial terms" around a planned second title. He said Dutch Pinball would "refocus fully on developing and producing its own original titles" and announced the addition of two new Dutch investors who "strengthen the company financially and strategically." The full statement read: Dear Dutch Pinball partner, We would like to update you directly on a few important developments at Dutch Pinball. Dutch Pinball confirms that its collaboration under the working name DPX, involving an external creative partner, has come to an end. While the first title was successfully brought to market, discussions around a potential second title revealed a misalignment on commercial terms, specifically regarding margin structure and long-term sustainability for all parties involved. As a result, both sides mutually agreed to discontinue not only the second project, but the collaboration as a whole. Based on this experience, Dutch Pinball has concluded that this type of external collaboration introduces a level of complexity and dependency that does not align with how we want to build and scale the company going forward. Dutch Pinball will therefore refocus fully on developing and producing its own original titles, where creative control, production planning, and commercial execution are fully integrated within the company. We are pleased to share that Dutch Pinball has recently welcomed two Dutch entrepreneurial investors, both with a strong passion for pinball, who strengthen the company financially and strategically. Their involvement enables Dutch Pinball to operate in a more professional, stable, and well-capitalized manner. Dutch Pinball is fully committed to completing the remaining Alice's Adventures in Wonderland machines and continues to work diligently toward final delivery. A short update regarding the toppers will be shared in a few days. An announcement regarding new Dutch Pinball projects will follow in the next couple of months. We thank our distributors, partners, and customers for their continued trust and support. Hartelijke groet, Herzliche Grüße, kind regards, Barry Driessen Driessen's letter also mentions that "an months" — which, read alongside the Facebook comments, is hard to not read as perhaps a nod toward the Stern partnership and BTTF. Pinball fans had mostly been concerned about what the DPX collapse might mean for the often-rumored Back to the Future machine — whether Dutch Pinball still had the license, whether the game was still in development, and whether it would ever see the light of day. Based on what surfaced before the comments were deleted, the answer to all three may still be yes. _(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: f860f38c-2a0c-4d91-a746-3a011824dbfc*