Melvin Williams is a mechanical engineer and game designer who served as a key creative force at Dutch Pinball and its DPX subsidiary from approximately 2024-2026. He is best known for designing or completing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, re-engineering the Big Bang Bar remake, and developing Raza. Following his departure from Dutch Pinball in February 2026 amid investor-driven restructuring, he was hired as Creative Director at American Pinball, where he leads the design team.
No aliases
Melvin Williams left Dutch Pinball for American Pinball
Melvin Williams owns IP for RAZA, Magic Girl, and Space Mission X acquired from Deep Root Pinball bankruptcy
Melvin Williams produced Alice through DPX and brings relevant conversion kit experience to lead the Planetary Pinball Supply partnership.
Melvin Williams served as project manager on Pedretti Gaming's Funhouse 2.0 conversion kit.
Artist/sculptor creating improved sculpts and topper for American Pinball's second Galactic Tank Force run
Member of American Pinball development team; described as 'very ingenious'; involved in Circus Voltaire remake development
Left Stern Pinball; announced departure during Super Bowl; received call from American Pinball shortly after
Collaborating with Lior's Art of Pinball on new Galactic Tank Force tank sculpture
Formerly of DPX/Dutch Pinball, recently hired by American Pinball after DPX dissolution; departed Dutch Pinball in early 2026
Creative partner with Dutch Pinball; departed company following DPX shutdown and investor entry; associated with DPX sub-brand projects
No linked glossary terms
DPX brand is finished; Melvin will not allow another game to be produced under it
Melvin Williams was blindsided by new investors at Dutch Pinball rejecting RAZA and proposing unfavorable terms
Melvin Williams will work remotely as Creative Director at American Pinball, visiting the Palatine factory approximately every 8 weeks
Melvin Williams was given an ultimatum by Dutch Pinball's new investors to accept unfavorable Raza production terms or leave
Melvin Williams owns IP for John Popadiuk designs (RAZA, Magic Girl, Space Mission X) purchased from deeproot Pinball's bankruptcy auction
Melvin Williams served as project manager on Pedretti Gaming's Funhouse 2.0 conversion kit
Code updates for Alice will continue at a slower pace through community contacts and forums
Alice, the RAZA remake, and other unspecified titles are Melvin's own IP and designs, not Dutch Pinball property
Fulfillment problems and structural issues affecting Alice were never within Melvin's control
Melvin's development team, including coders and key contributors, will move with him to future projects
Melvin plans to bring future games to other U.S. manufacturers when the opportunity arises
Dutch Pinball will continue to fulfill existing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland orders and resolve outstanding topper issues
New investors entering Dutch Pinball had a different vision from Melvin, driving the DPX split
Melvin Williams was forced out of Dutch Pinball by new investors, not voluntary departure
Melvin developed Raza from foam-core to working sellable product in under a year
Melvin now owns Raza IP; Dutch Pinball will not manufacture Raza
Melvin Williams will relocate to a U.S. pinball manufacturer (Barrels, Jersey Jack, or American Pinball)
DPX is dissolving; Melvin Williams is stepping away from Dutch Pinball partnership effective immediately
Melvin Williams had a team of coders, technical staff, and others who will move with him to future projects
Melvin Williams is stepping away from DPX and Dutch Pinball effective February 9, 2026
The departure is due to new organizational structure and new investors with different vision
Melvin Williams retains IP ownership of Alice and future game projects
Melvin Williams will continue code updates for Alice through his own team and community channels
Dutch Pinball is expected to fulfill remaining Alice customer commitments and resolve outstanding topper issues
Melvin Williams plans to pursue future game projects with other USA manufacturers
Loss of creative control was a key factor in Melvin's departure decision
There are structural issues at Dutch Pinball beyond the investor/vision mismatch that contributed to this outcome
Back to the Future from Dutch Pinball will release October 2026.
Raza's interactive topper will only be available to order with the game during a specific order window; once that window closes, the topper will never be manufactured again
Magic Girl would be a candidate for remaster but requires significant technical fixes; no timeline committed
Deep Root development of Raza continued through 2021, making the code base more mature than the 2020 public sightings suggested
Alice price increases are driven by 15% tariffs (with DPX/Dutch absorbing 5% and distributors absorbing 10%) and unfavorable USD-EUR currency conversion
Raza's touchscreen (pin bar) has been replaced with a custom apron-width screen controlled via flipper buttons
All Alice buyers will receive priority access (first 500 people) to pre-order the next major Dutch Pinball title launching approximately one year from Expo 2025
Raza will be limited to exactly 333 units and cost slightly more than Alice
DPX topper vendor experienced operational issues and went 'a little bit under'; DPX now receiving more toppers than games shipped monthly
Alice production is 3-3.5 months behind original schedule
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is 50% complete with 40-45 units shipping per month and expected March 2026 completion date
Barry Driessen remains confident in meeting 500-unit production goal by end of 2025
DPX will prioritize Dutch Pinball's next title over its own releases if timeline conflicts occur
DPX is structurally separate from Dutch Pinball; DPX is R&D/design while Dutch Pinball handles manufacturing and distribution
Alice experienced a 2-3 month delay due to Chinese New Year parts shortage and cabinet centering issues
Current production rate is 10 games per week with 100-150 parts on hand
Tariffs added approximately $800 to Alice US pricing
Alice code is approximately 90-92% complete with wizard mode fully playable from factory
Alice received three new mini-playfield modes post-Expo based on player feedback
DPX's next title is mechanically and functionally complete but subject to aesthetic tweaks
No other pinball manufacturer currently puts as much detail into games as Alice contains
The game's original design by Popadiuk contained a U-turn shot that was mechanically impossible to execute with the available flippers
John Popadiuk's original design already had sexualized character elements in the translight; colorization simply made them more visually apparent
I wanted to create a 'world under glass' philosophy with detailed sculpts and interactive elements, which is missing from today's flat plastic designs
I acquired John Popadiuk's lockers from bankruptcy and found the original Alice foam-core concept inside
The first whitewood I built directly from John's design was a dumpster fire and didn't work
I went through approximately 46 iterations of the central ramp to get it working
The design uses approximately 90 percent standard Bally/Williams off-the-shelf parts for serviceability
All playfield artwork was hand-redrawn with approximately 30 versions of iterations
The cat topper uses real glass lenses to create depth effect and motion-tracking eye appearance
The mini playfield can be completely removed in approximately 30 seconds with three screws
Melvin Williams leads DPX's design and engineering
Hired as Creative Director at American Pinball; came from Dutch Pinball Exclusive; owns IP for RAZA, Magic Girl, and Space Mission X from Deep Root Pinball bankruptcy; involved with Pedretti Gaming's Funhouse 2.0
Former Dutch Pinball designer, now Creative Director at American Pinball; previously managed Pedretti Gaming's Funhouse 2.0 and produced Alice through DPX
Lead designer at Dutch Pinball; departing for American Pinball; worked on Alice in Wonderland and Back to the Future projects; previously collaborated on Electric Playground toppers
Recently hired by American Pinball a couple weeks prior to this episode
Creative Director at American Pinball; will work with Rath and Neitzel on remakes and original titles
Creative director at American Pinball; known for quality-focused approach to materials and manufacturing; working with new hires on game design
Creative Director at American Pinball; former Dutch Pinball Exclusive employee; owns IP for RAZA, Magic Girl, and Space Mission X (from deeproot Pinball bankruptcy)
Dutch pinball personality, knows Karel and Peter, was interviewed on Before the Lock about Alison Wonderland game, met at Expo
Dutch Pinball representative/liaison; managed Alice in Wonderland floor experience at Expo; guided players through queues
Designer/manufacturer for Dutch Pinball; purchased John Papaduk storage locker archive from Chris Turner; developed Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; collaborated with Rob on topper expansion strategy
Dutch Pinball designer; working on Alice in Wonderland; host notes need to discuss game details
Former Dutch Pinball co-creator and designer; departed DPX/Dutch Pinball and joined American Pinball as Creative Director
Wealthy investor described as 'best friends' with Dutch Pinball leadership; financially sustaining the company.
Co-owner of Dutch Pinball Exclusive; wealthy investor funding Dutch Pinball and involved with Lior-related figurine business
Collaborator with Barry Dyson on GPX; involved in trademark filings for Magic Girl, RAZA, and Kingpin
DPX representative; credited by Kaneda for June 12th Predator release date prediction
DPX founder; Alice in Wonderland pinball creator; partner with Lior; Netherlands-based; described by Kaneda as close friend and source of support
Designer and engineer; leads DPX's design and engineering efforts; brings focus on exclusivity, innovation, and craftsmanship
Designer associated with Dutch Pinball and DPX (mentioned as 'Melvin' in context of Alice in Wonderland project leadership).
Re-engineering Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Deep Root's Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland) on arcade hardware
Code developer working on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; part of DPX/Dutch Pinball team finishing the game
Designer/manufacturer rep at Dutch Pinball working on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; known to community figure, described as willing to answer hard questions
Company head at DPX/Pedretti Gaming subsidiary; reached out to Kaneda for interview regarding marketing and company operations
Designer/developer at Dutch Pinball Exclusives, walked Kaneda through Alice preview via video, voiced excitement about the game
Dutch Pinball designer of Alice's Adventures; Kaneda suggests he needs to 'code more wow' into the game
Designer and creative director, separated from Dutch Pinball Exclusive after disagreement with new investors over Raza terms, appointed Creative Director at American Pinball, working on game design and art direction
Former lead at DPX (Dutch Pinball spinoff), now creative director at American Pinball; involved with Back to the Future licensing
Designer at Dutch Pinball; credited with designing Alice in Wonderland in a year and saving the company
DPX owner mentioned in context of Raza acquisition; implied to have inherited project from Robert Dave Mueller's failed Ponzi scheme.
Former Dutch Pinball/DPX designer, hired as American Pinball Creative Director (~Feb 17, 2026) to oversee Bally Williams remakes; based in Netherlands; announced DPX departure during Super Bowl (Feb 8).
Head of design and engineering at DPX; responsible for Alice in Wonderland development and next DPX title; formerly associated with Dutch Pinball
Lead designer of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; acquired John Popadiuk's original concept from bankruptcy; responsible for extensive whitewood prototyping and design iteration
Lead designer/operator of DPX and Dutch Pinball; presenter at Pinball Expo 2025; direct creator of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland code and Raza project management
Dutch Pinball designer of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (based on original John Popadiuk design)
Developer collaborating with Dutch Pinball on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Designer of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; acquired and fully redesigned the game from Tom Puppeteer's original concept
Designer/creator of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and RAZA pinball machines; co-founder/creative force behind DPX (Dutch Pinball Exclusive); departing Dutch Pinball February 9, 2026
Associated with Alice game; described as 'a really good friend' of Kaneda; known for DPX/custom work
Head of code/design at Dutch Pinball; provides production and refund data to Kaneda; managing Alice's AWL completion
Collaborator with Barry Dyson on DPX; trademark filer for Magic Girl, Raza, Kingpin
Collaborator with Dutch Pinball on DPX; purchased Zidware asset storage unit contents containing John Popaduick designs including Alice in Wonderland prototype materials.
Purchased Zidware assets including original Alice design; co-founder of Dutch Pinball Exclusive; re-engineering playfield
Designer, formerly of Dutch Pinball/DPX; owner of Popadiuk-origin IP; now Creative Director at American Pinball
Hired by American Pinball under new leadership; praised for design taste; associated with Dutch Pinball and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Associated with Dutch Pinball; bringing Alice in Wonderland game to Expo 40th; game was originally designed by John Papaduke (deceased), now being completed as reality
Designer formerly associated with Dutch Pinball/DPX Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; hired as Creative Director at American Pinball to lead design team and creative vision going forward
Designer and founder of DPX who is departing Dutch Pinball, retaining IP ownership of Alice and other titles
Creative partner for Dutch Pinball's DPX sub-brand; departed company amid restructuring and commercial disagreements
Founder of Dutch Pinball Exclusive; traced as source of leaked Big Bang Bar whitewood photos
DPX designer/operator who departed Dutch Pinball effective immediately due to investor-driven restructuring; previously associated with Deep Root projects and John Papaduke designs
Co-developer of Pinball Legends figurines project with Rick at Planetary Pinball
Co-founder/partner at Dutch Pinball; departed/was shown door; press release suggested involuntary exit; plans to build games in America; lighting designer previously credited on Alice
Creative force/designer at Dutch Pinball DPX division; separated from DPX effective date of announcement; led design of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; transitioning projects to U.S. manufacturing partners; previously scowled at Don at Expo
Fronts DPX (Dutch Pinball Exclusive) subsidiary; manages production of smaller runs; collaborated with Planetary Pinball on Pinball Legends action figures
Associated with DPX fame; collaborated with Planetary Pinball on figurine concept
Dutch Pinball representative; gave presentation at Expo announcing Raza and Back to the Future timeline
Associated with Raza and Big Bang Bar remakes; criticized for continuing failed design legacy instead of creating original content
Engineer from Dutch Pinball X; re-engineered Big Bang Bar remake using original Williams files and molds; made design tweaks
Event organizer/contact; offering to be Kaneda's plus-one at Expo as workaround for prior exclusion
Mechanical engineer/game designer at Dutch Pinball X; forced out by new investors; owner of Raza IP; investor in Dutch Pinball during financial crisis; developed Alice in ~1 year
Mentioned as joining Kaneda and Electric Bat Arcade for Pinball Expo Friday night omakase
License holder for Back to the Future and Big Lebowski; J-game remake expert; propping up Dutch Pinball's viability
Dutch Pinball representative; announced Back to the Future and Raza details at Expo seminar
Dutch Pinball key personnel; critical to company survival; personal friendship with Kaneda; ensuring Back to the Future completion
Created Big Bang Bar prototype with chrome plating and enhancements; prototype licensed to Padron Games
Original Big Bang Bar designer; not involved in Pedretti Gaming remake
Netherlands-based developer; working on Raza (deeproot Pinball); described as 'badass' by Kaneda; asserted ownership of work