David Van Es is an Australian animator, designer, and sound design specialist who has become a prominent figure in the pinball industry. He spent approximately 8-9 years at Spooky Pinball as an employee, contributing to game design and post-production work, and later founded Barrels of Fun, serving as its CEO. He is credited as the designer of Winchester Mystery House and has also contributed to projects with Jersey Jack Pinball and Skid B early in his career.
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David Van Es designed the game in his role as Chief Mischief Maker at Barrels of Fun
David van Es is the primary designer of Bon Jovi pinball
Bon Jovi has over 10 billion streams and a catalog spanning four decades from the 1970s to 2000s
Bon Jovi Pinball will have average scores above 500 million points to make casual players feel accomplished
Leader of Barrels of Fun; criticized by Kaneda for transparency issues with Bon Jovi reserve program and for theme selection strategy; signed NDA with Kaneda about unreleased themes
Founder/owner of Barrels of Fun, directly asked about production numbers (gave 'no comment'), present at Barrels Reserve event
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; criticized for wearing shorts on livestream; host makes exaggerated threat not to buy Barrels of Fun machines
Founder/CEO of Barrels of Fun; former Spooky Pinball employee; designer/visionary behind Labyrinth, Dune, Winchester Mystery House, and Bon Jovi pinball machines
Pinball designer praised for exceptional playfield layouts on Labyrinth, Dune, and Bon Jovi games
Co-founder/designer at Barrels of Fun; designer of Bon Jovi pinball machine; runs media events and facility tours
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The game features 17 Bon Jovi songs, each with its own dedicated mode and three difficulty tiers (Gold, Platinum, Diamond)
Bon Jovi's team approached Barrels of Fun to make the pinball game, not the other way around
Barrels of Fun is now receiving inbound licensing inquiries from multiple bands interested in pinball machine collaborations
Phil Grimaldi, the lead rule designer, came from Dune and implemented a progressive difficulty system balancing casual and competitive play
Van Es originally wanted a two-flipper game but design constraints required at least three flippers, eventually leading to four flippers including outlane saves
Players are singing along and showing unprecedented emotional engagement with Bon Jovi compared to other music-themed pinball machines
Barrels of Fun views the 'Christmas morning surprise' reveal strategy as 'one of the foundational pillars' of the company
Barrels of Fun is NOT making a NeverEnding Story pinball machine
David Van Es personally drove a 26-foot truck back from Expo early Sunday morning to transport Winchester machines
Carl D'Anghelo was hired by Barrels of Fun as a designer
David Van Es was anticipating Cary Hardy would provide harsh criticism of Winchester
Cary Hardy was not formally asked to produce video content for Winchester, only invited to view and optionally record
David Van Es at Barrels of Fun prioritizes getting games out globally to all customers
Accessory synchronization with game release (like Labyrinth) won't happen for next game due to global economic crisis and tariff impacts
Dune launched with six Harvester modes, two Prophecies, Desert Power multiball, and two mini Wizard modes with additional modes in development
Every asset in Dune required licensing approval before launch; approval process is now complete, enabling faster content updates
Barrels of Fun is developing non-pinball products including toys, alarm clocks, and canvas prints within 18 months
Company scaled from solo operation to 30+ employees and 19,000+ sq ft facility in approximately 12 months
Barrels of Fun was not prepared for day-to-day HR and operations management at scale compared to manufacturing
Nintendo maintains exceptionally tight IP control and is difficult to engage in licensing negotiations
Video games classified as toy category typically prohibit weapon depictions in pinball licenses
Original-theme pinball games rarely achieve day-one success or strong sales despite community interest
Employee stability and ensuring staff paycheck security is Barrels of Fun's number one business priority
Dune Pinball launched April 15, 2025, with 1,000-unit production cap and is currently shipping at 11,600 USD.
Labyrinth production was reduced from 1,100 to 1,004 units due to QC failures on incoming parts.
Approximately 50 units of Labyrinth remain in inventory as of the seminar date.
Barrels of Fun employs over 30 full-time employees.
Development of Dune Pinball took over 18 months from initial concept to production.
Dune Pinball's sculptor (Stephen) works for Weta, which created visual effects for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films.
CE certification testing for Dune was completed in December (2024), eliminating the delay that plagued Labyrinth.
Australian and European markets represent approximately 15% of Barrels of Fun's sales.
Barrels of Fun experienced tariff spikes to 40% and 154% on separate occasions with inventory in customs both times.
Barrels of Fun is absorbing tariff costs rather than passing them to customers despite thin margins in the pinball industry.
I worked at Spooky Pinball for approximately 8-9 years, contributing to Rob Zombie, Halloween, and other titles
I spent 4.5 days creating 150 sound effects and 13 music cues for my custom Twilight Zone machine
Barrels of Fun uses a single-tier pricing model to provide best-value collectible product without FOMO
Labyrinth's first batch of servos failed despite testing with nearly a million turns, but custom gearing modifications resolved the issue
Barrels of Fun's game design is 'storytelling first' with mechanics designed around universal emotional touchpoints of the IP
I maintain an 8-year overlap of full-time post-production work while contributing to Spooky, including 18.5-hour road trips from Texas to Wisconsin
Brian Savage spent approximately 6 months persuading me to start Barrels of Fun before I finally created a business plan
Barrels of Fun will pursue IP licenses that most manufacturers would not consider, emphasizing surprise and community discussion
The modern pinball community has lost the 'magic' of discovering unannounced games due to early IP reveals and hype cycles
If Barrels of Fun builds the right product, the money will follow and we won't have to work a day in our lives
David Van Es traveled from Texas to Wisconsin regularly on weekends/vacations while working for Spooky Pinball
David Van Es was the major reason Spooky Pinball secured recent licenses including Halloween, Looney Tunes, Rick and Morty, and Scooby-Doo
David Van Es has over 20 years of media experience in film production, post-production, branding, and licensing
David Van Es was instrumental in securing Spooky Pinball's licenses for Halloween, Looney Tunes, Rick and Morty, Scooby-Doo, and Evil Dead
CE certification delays significantly extended the timeline for European Labyrinth production
Barrels of Fun wrapped Labyrinth production around January-February 2025 with approximately 200 units remaining of 1,100 total
Barrels of Fun will have production capacity for three simultaneous manufacturing lines
Butch Peel is the best manual maker in the pinball industry
Barrels of Fun did not want to rely on customer deposits to fund manufacturing and invested capital to finance production
Barrels of Fun launched their first machine Labyrinth at Pinball Expo with a complete stealth launch strategy
David Van Es worked in film/TV production for 10 years before transitioning to pinball.
The development timeline for Labyrinth was approximately 2.5 years from concept to Expo reveal.
David Fosmer relocated his entire family (put house on market) to Houston to work full-time at Barrels of Fun after a 5-day consulting visit.
Johnny Allen (Neil Fraser) from Weta Workshop did not believe the Labyrinth topper would actually be manufactured until he saw the finished machine in person 2 months before Expo.
Barrels of Fun intentionally kept the game reveal secret to maintain surprise and FOMO excitement in the collector market.
Barrels of Fun has a 10-year business plan with locked licenses for games 2 and 3 already in development.
Labyrinth production is currently running 6-10 units per week with a goal of 10 per day by January-February.
David van Es worked for Spooky Pinball for seven years before founding Barrels of Fun
David Van Es is likely involved in MPC's Labyrinth project
David Van Es, former Spooky Pinball animator, previously tried unsuccessfully to pitch a Labyrinth pinball to Spooky
David Van Es left Spooky Pinball after creating video art for Alice Cooper
The majority of Van Es's animation sequences for Magic Girl did not appear in the final game release
John Popadick was overly protective of IP and reluctant to bring in outside help due to concerns about talent poaching
Skid B's Experts of Dangerous game was abandoned due to Predator licensing collapse
Van Es works with Spooky Pinball in current animation role alongside Kevin Kulik and John Popadook
Pinball licensing agents pit manufacturers against each other to drive up royalty costs
Modern pinball games prioritize 'shoot the flashing shots' over narrative-driven ball mechanics that characterized 1990s games like Theater of Magic
David Van Es began working with Jersey Jack Pinball's John Popadick on Magic Girl animations in 2011
Van Es received zero payment for animation work on Magic Girl, Razza, and Experts of Dangerous across multiple years
Van Es was promised a game as compensation for his work but never received one
Jersey Jack Pinball operated on handshake agreements without formal contracts for contributor compensation
Co-founder/owner of Barrels of Fun, gifted Dune unit #100 to the host with full team signatures on backbox
Founder/CEO of Barrels of Fun, primary target of Kaneda's critique regarding lack of design taste and aesthetic judgment in pinball game development.
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; Orbital Albert speculates whether he designed the crowdsurf outlane micro-flipper
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; makes design and thematic decisions; maintains close relationships with content creators like Hardy and has direct communication about game direction
Chief Mischief Maker at Barrels of Fun; designer of Bon Jovi pinball
CEO of Barrels of Fun; conducted live Facebook Q&A and factory walkthrough on July 28, 2026
Game designer credited for Bon Jovi Pinball
Barrels of Fun owner/co-founder; lead designer on Bon Jovi Pinball; posted in Pinside forum to frame secrecy strategy
Game designer for Bon Jovi pinball
CEO, founder, and designer of Barrels of Fun; led creative direction for Bon Jovi pinball, made key design decisions including flipper count and scoring philosophy
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; Kaneda expects announcement of next game on Friday
Founder/operator of Barrels of Fun; confirmed Dune production numbers and scheduling directly with Don; described as theme park enthusiast and Legendary Pictures connector
Founder/leader of Barrels of Fun; referenced as the strategist behind potential misdirection marketing campaign
Owner of Barrels of Fun, will personally welcome members at SFGE 2026 event
Founder/leadership of Barrels of Fun; criticized for cruise and Reserve Club marketing approach
Founder/leader of Barrels of Fun; known for maintaining secrecy around game development
Animator for Rick and Morty pinball; creates animations for the game
Co-founder/owner of Barrels of Fun pinball manufacturer. Announced new Barrels Reserve Collectors Club subscription model on Pinside.
Founder/key figure at Barrels of Fun; announced 200th Winchester Mystery House unit completion
Owner/creator of Barrels of Fun Pinball; teased upcoming game with notable powder coat work to Zach; known for high-quality manufacturing
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; target of sustained criticism for Reserve membership program strategy and Dune release mismanagement
Spooky Factory representative; mentioned as having industry background in theme parks and pay-to-play access models
CEO of Barrels of Fun; spoke directly with Jason Knapp about production updates
Founder of Barrels of Fun; made theme selection decision for Dune that Kaneda criticizes as market mismatch
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; mentioned for potential discussion at Pinfest
Pinball designer associated with Labyrinth; had conversation with Martin at TPF but revealed nothing about upcoming project
Designer of Winchester pinball game for Barrels of Fun
Co-founder/operator of Barrels of Fun; approached Carl D'Angelo to design Winchester Mystery House after seeing homebrew work; toured Winchester Mystery House before project kickoff
CEO/co-owner of Barrels of Fun pinball manufacturer, designer, passionate about company and community, personally drove truck back from Expo
#3 on list; founder/lead of Barrels of Fun; released Labyrinth as first machine with stealth launch at Pinball Expo
Lead designer of Labyrinth at Barrels of Fun; based in Los Angeles
Designer at Barrels of Fun; interviewed by Kerry Hardy about Dune development and accessories
Associated with Barrels of Fun; designing/overseeing Dune pinball machine; reportedly invited to Dune film production set
Founder/CEO of Barrels of Fun; responsive to quality issues; reached out after hearing podcast feedback about Dune
Spooky Pinball artist who created video art for Alice Cooper; recently departed company with unclear status on unfinished game
Barrels of Fun owner; concerned about code updates and hardware issues affecting Labyrinth reveal stream quality
Concept designer and game design lead for Labyrinth; host notes he worked in animation for 'spooky stuff'
CEO of new Labyrinth pinball company, formerly associated with Spooky Pinball. Led company launch strategy and engaged with Zach Minney on distribution discussions.
CEO and founder of Barrels of Fun; formerly worked in service industry and film/TV production; spent 10 years behind camera before pivoting to pinball; approached by friend Brian Savage to start pinball company during COVID reassessment.
CEO and game designer at Barrels of Fun; previously worked for Spooky Pinball for seven years
Co-founder and creative director of Barrels of Fun; formerly creative director and media specialist at Spooky Pinball; has 20+ years of experience in film production, post-production, branding, and licensing; attended International Film School of Australia
Leader of Barrels of Fun; sending NDAs to content creators about unreleased game; described as listening to Kaneda's show
Founder of Barrels of Fun; planning media reveal event for next game by end of month; inviting Kaneda and other content creators/dealers
Designer of Dune pinball machine for Stern; communicated with Don about pending code updates
Guest on podcast, involved with Spooky Pinball production, located in Texas during recording
Associated with Barrels of Fun; appeared on Saturday Morning Live discussing Labyrinth sales
Spooky Pinball president/founder; criticized for dominating podcast appearances and poor communication about code maturity
Barrels of Fun representative; confirmed NeverEnding Story rumor is false in conversation with Jamie Burchell
Founder of Barrels of Fun; Kaneda claims to be friends with; described as proactive in communication
Barrels of Fun founder/CEO; historically launches too early; concerned about Dune release readiness; timing challenges vs. Back to the Future
Pinball designer/figure at Pinball Brothers; reportedly shocked that they secured The Fifth Element license after he said he couldn't get it
Associated with Barrels of Fun, focused on product quality for home collectors
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun pinball manufacturer (alternate reference to Dave Vaness).
Australian pinball designer and confirmed speaker/guest at the Australian Pinball Expo; grew up in Adelaide
Designer at American Pinball; designed Winchester; Kaneda speculates next title will be 'banger' theme like He-Man or G.I. Joe
Barrels of Fun team member; featured in 'What's Cooking' segment previous month
Industry figure who reached out to Kaneda after his rant/coffee show; described as cordial, saying 'long time to speak'
Associated with Barrels of Fun; Kaneda challenges him to open facility on specific date to prove staffing
Founder/owner of Barrels of Fun; Kaneda references his 'three hit themes in development'
Barrels of Fun representative/designer; recently stated next game would be a widely known theme
Barrels of Fun pinball designer, creates theme-integrated machines
Founder/operator of Barrels of Fun, discussed as creator of Dune, Winchester Mystery House, Labyrinth; subject of speculation about next game announcement
Barrels of Fun co-founder; posted about never seeing The NeverEnding Story film
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; works in technology background; Retro Ralph regrets not spending more time with him
Associated with Barrels of Fun, showed gameplay footage to the group during Dune tour
Card-carrying member of Spooky Pinball crew based in Wisconsin; appears to be involved with Knapp Arcade
Barrels of Fun representative; his denial of Dungeon Crawler Carl being next game interpreted as confirmation
American Pinball representative; made statement clarifying Dungeon Crawler Carl is not next title
Founder/designer at Barrels of Fun; top-level pinball player attending European Pinball Championships
Barrels of Fun representative; cryptically refused to confirm/deny Dune as next title
Co-founder/partner at Barrels of Fun; present at factory tour; shared Disney park stories with Don
Game designer/animator, formerly at Spooky Pinball, now at Barrels of Fun. Left Spooky over their refusal to make Labyrinth.
Associated with Barrels of Fun; mentioned as discussing Evil Dead production and tour, made sales at UK Expo
Barrels of Fun executive/founder involved in media day strategy
Co-founder/designer at Barrels of Fun; communicated with Kaneda about content creation plans and game reveal timing
Designer/founder at Barrels of Fun leading Dune project; criticized for marketing execution despite game quality
Associated with Barrels of Fun Dune; claimed game offers best value in pinball
Graphics designer and display designer for Spooky Pinball since 2013; also known as Bunyip from Australian heritage
Associated with Barrels of Fun; plans private media/distributor previews before public game reveal
Designer and co-founder of Barrels of Fun; credited with delivering compelling Labyrinth design
Former Spooky Pinball designer; now at Barrels of Fun; designed Labyrinth
Animator and coder; Australian who relocated to Houston; works at Spooky Pinball on creative needs and licensing; contestant in third group
Co-founder/designer at Barrels of Fun; gave hint about next game IP in Nudge Magazine interview
Founder/designer at Barrels of Fun; mentioned as having made money but not backed by massive private equity
Labyrinth designer; mentioned regarding first-party shaker motor peripheral development
Co-founder and creative lead of Barrels of Fun; passionate about Labyrinth, designed/directed the game; previously worked in film production; strategy focused on hiring top talent and manufacturing in Houston
Co-owner/operator of Barrels of Fun Pinball; conducted virtual factory tour and Q&A with community.
Associated with Barrels of Fun leadership; Kaneda hopes he understands theme appeal issues and will pursue IP choices that better resonate with pinball demographic
Competitive pinball player; participated in tournament at Electric Bat Arcade holiday event.
Leader at Barrels of Fun; criticized by Kaneda for insecurity and poor marketing strategy (teasing Goonies while selling Dune)
Associated with Barrels of Fun; loves the Labyrinth theme (company's first game choice)
Owner/leader of Barrels of Fun Pinball. Directly addressed by Kaneda to take back control of company branding and address community management failures by hired staff.
Industry figure (possibly Barrels of Fun representative); engaged in discussion about company tier classification
Representative/leader at Barrels of Fun; confirmed Dune's licensed assets directly to Kaneda
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; directly addressed by host regarding marketing timing decision
Founder/designer at Barrels of Fun; criticized for not conducting focus groups, believing he knows what consumers want, and making poor theme decisions (Dune)
Barrels of Fun representative; discussed regarding company's lack of market research processes
CEO/operator of Barrels of Fun. Known for personalized customer communication and attention to detail in business operations.
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; previously worked at Spooky Pinball (games on display at Barrels of Fun office); marketing/business role; engaged with community at Twippies.
Designer/innovator at Barrels of Fun credited with Dune game design and mechanical innovations like pain bar mode
Likely executive or designer at Barrels of Fun; agreed to appear on podcast to discuss Winchester
Pinball media figure; allegedly lost credentials at Pinball Expo for critiques of Galactic Tank Force
Designer of Labyrinth; Kaneda notes the theme was designer-chosen, not market-driven
Transitioned from Spooky Pinball to Barrels of Fun; licensed IP acquisition advantage noted by Kaneda
Departed Spooky Pinball; was part of talent pool that generated goodwill for Crossroads, Rick and Morty
Designer/operator at Barrels of Fun; worked with Karl DeAngelo on Winchester Mystery House; conversation partner for Joel at Expo
Founder/owner of Barrels of Fun; host had lunch with him and they played X-Men together
Associated with Knapp Arcade; mentioned in context of struggle with tendonitis-like symptoms
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; referenced as 'David Van' in episode; responsible for timing decisions on second game announcement
Founder of Barrels of Fun; confirmed production plans for Labyrinth at 900+ units, next game timing in April 2025
Co-founder/lead creator of Barrels of Fun pinball manufacturer; arranged voice message from Marc Silk
Founder/leader at Barrels of Fun who hired Luke Underwood; plays Pokémon homebrew at events.
Founder/principal of Barrels of Fun (referenced in KB context; not explicitly mentioned in content)
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun, attended Pinball at the Beach show
Barrels of Fun founder/CEO; making strategic game selection decisions for studio
Animator at Spooky Pinball, creating visual animations for Alice Cooper, recently moved to house near Spooky headquarters
Pinball game designer at Spooky Pinball; designer of Rob Zombie's Spookshow International and first game for the company; also involved in animation work
Spooky Pinball team member; credited by Drew for Alice Cooper work
Partner to Brian Savage at Barrels of Fun, created deck showing IP analysis process for pitching to studios
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; Australian-born game designer with stunt and film background; designer of Labyrinth, Dune, and Winchester Mystery House pinball games
Barrels of Fun CEO; praised for exceptional customer service and personal correspondence with customer regarding playfield replacement
Leader at Barrels of Fun; criticized for lack of market research on Dune theme selection and insufficient community transparency.
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; involved in successful Labyrinth launch as part of 'dream team'
Animator at Spooky Pinball; collaborated with Ben Heck on Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper display storyboards using real-time digital OneNote sketching
Mentioned by Hardy as providing feedback; appears to be show guest or industry contact
Designer/representative at Barrels of Fun leading factory tour, discusses game design, manufacturing, and production timeline
Founder and owner of Barrels of Fun pinball manufacturer; discusses company operations, design philosophy, licensing strategy, and growth challenges
Owner/founder of Barrels of Fun; secretive, keeps plans close to chest; responsive to playtester feedback
Barrels of Fun representative; Carrie notes he speaks confidently about future IP pipeline despite Winchester being niche
Created animations for Domino's game and previously worked on Rob Zombie's Spookshow International; referred to as 'the Aussie.'
Spooky Pinball designer; mentioned briefly in chat interaction during stream
Barrels of Fun leadership discussing game development and code features with Carrie during factory visit
CEO/Chief Mischief Maker of Barrels of Fun; film and TV post-production background transitioning to pinball manufacturing; Australian-born; collector and game designer
Pinside community member and pinball history resource who provided feedback and corrections to presenter's research.
Team member at Spooky Pinball involved in various engineering tasks
CEO of Barrels of Fun; directly engaged with Hardy at Expo to discuss game's theme execution
Barrels of Fun team member; appeared at autograph session
CEO and game designer of Barrels of Fun; previously worked at Spooky Pinball for seven years
Graphics designer; created display graphics for Spooky's Rick and Morty
Designer and CEO of Barrels of Fun
Well-known pinball industry veteran; involved with Barrels of Fun Labyrinth project
Former Spooky Pinball animator; rumored to have previously pitched a Labyrinth pinball to Spooky; possibly involved with MPC project
Founder/representative of Barrels of Fun; demoed Pin Armor product at booth; also known as 'David Van Ass' per Don's wordplay.
Associated with Barrels of Fun; coordinated reveal stream for Labyrinth, provided day-of code update
Co-founder of Barrels of Fun; former creative director and media specialist at Spooky Pinball (2013+); Australian with 20+ years media/film/licensing experience; instrumental in securing Spooky's major licenses (Halloween, Looney Tunes, Rick and Morty, etc.)
Designer of Dune Pinball
Associated with Barrels of Fun; philosophy emphasizes nostalgic, immersive themes over big licensing chases
Designer at Barrels of Fun; appeared on Jeff's podcast to discuss game release readiness issues
Founder/representative of Barrels of Fun; attended Dutch Pinball Open Expo with father; discussed production status and hiring
Designer/founder at Barrels of Fun; prioritizes global distribution
CEO and founder of Barrels of Fun. Responsible for IP acquisition, strategic direction, and team building. Actively involved in licensing negotiations and creative oversight.
Barrels of Fun founder/designer; observed by Don performing mid-show repairs on Dune machine during live stream
Founder/representative of Barrels of Fun; mentioned designing Winchester; personable; visible at Expo booth; known for beautiful machine aesthetics
Leader/representative of Barrels of Fun who recruited Joshua Clay to the team and made manufacturing timeline announcements
CEO of Barrels of Fun; appeared in chat during stream to confirm no AI was used in Winchester artwork
Founder of Barrels of Fun pinball manufacturer; also from Australia; mentioned in context of Australian pinball culture
Leadership at Barrels of Fun; entrusted Carl D'Angelo with creative freedom on Winchester project
Associated with Barrels of Fun; Kaneda directly addresses topper pre-order strategy criticism
Barrels of Fun representative; conducted virtual factory tour and Q&A on manufacturing capacity and production timeline
CEO/founder of Barrels of Fun; present at event; pointed out semi-buried insert design details on playfield art
Industry figure present at event; socialized with Stern and Barrels of Fun teams
Barrels of Fun representative; explained Dune wiring harness root cause to operators at Expo; provided context on company maturation timeline
Designer of Winchester Mystery House; explicitly credited by RetroRalph for stealing Expo show
Game designer who has stated Labyrinth makes players better; implied designer of Labyrinth
Barrels of Fun operator/owner who spent more development money on Winchester than Dune + Labyrinth combined; unlikely to repeat investment; statement indicates Winchester as exceptional resource commitment
Will attend Pinball at the Beach autograph session on Saturday at 3:00 PM
CEO of Barrels of Fun; selected Winchester as passion project; responsible for IP acquisition and creative vision direction; emphasized horror/supernatural theme preference and company expansion strategy
Barrels of Fun staff member; subject of 'David on the Shelf' giveaway campaign
Likely Barrels of Fun representative; performing maintenance on Dune machines during show
Barrels of Fun founder/creative lead; engaged in extensive media outreach at Expo 2025; explained design philosophy and production decisions
Australian animator and designer currently working with Spooky Pinball; previously worked unpaid on Jersey Jack Pinball and Skid B projects
Spooky Pinball leadership (implied); Kaneda directs criticism about theme selection (Labyrinth, Dune poor choices)
deeproot co-founder/representative; defended Dune/Labyrinth sales performance in text conversation with Kaneda; claimed exceeded expectations despite production shortfalls; attributed market softness rather than theme weakness
Barrels Pinball leadership; criticized for delaying game reveal strategy during competitive window
Leadership at Barrels of Fun; criticized for lack of external-facing communication and marketing strategy
Associated with Dune/Barrels of Fun; recipient of Most Improved Company recognition; described as picking Dune theme
Associated with Barrels of Fun; criticized for lack of market research on Dune theme
Head of Barrels of Fun; praised for strategic vision, salesmanship, and welcoming booth atmosphere; clarified Winchester sales numbers during expo
Barrels Pinball owner/representative
Industry contact who reached out to host; expressed dissatisfaction with host's earlier Dune assessment, later vindicated by host's podcast episode praising Dune
Owner/founder of Barrels of Fun; criticized for poor market research on Labyrinth and Dune themes; defensive about sales numbers
Barrels of Fun representative; received detailed feedback from Kaneda about Dune game readiness
Manufacturer representative (Helix/Dune), stated preference for non-sellout release strategy
Associated with Barrels of Fun; noted as not conducting market research for theme selection
CEO and founder of Barrels of Fun, former 8-9 year employee of Spooky Pinball with background in film/TV post-production and sound design
Barrels of Fun leadership; planning NDA reveals for new game