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 at Barrels of Fun prioritizes getting games out globally to all customers
Employee stability and ensuring staff paycheck security is Barrels of Fun's number one business priority
Dune launched with six Harvester modes, two Prophecies, Desert Power multiball, and two mini Wizard modes with additional modes in development
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
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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
Accessory synchronization with game release (like Labyrinth) won't happen for next game due to global economic crisis and tariff impacts
Original-theme pinball games rarely achieve day-one success or strong sales despite community interest
David Van Es was instrumental in securing Spooky Pinball's licenses for Halloween, Looney Tunes, Rick and Morty, Scooby-Doo, and Evil Dead
David Van Es has over 20 years of media experience in film production, post-production, branding, and licensing
Barrels of Fun wrapped Labyrinth production around January-February 2025 with approximately 200 units remaining of 1,100 total
CE certification delays significantly extended the timeline for European Labyrinth production
Barrels of Fun did not want to rely on customer deposits to fund manufacturing and invested capital to finance production
Butch Peel is the best manual maker in the pinball industry
Barrels of Fun will have production capacity for three simultaneous manufacturing lines
David van Es worked for Spooky Pinball for seven years before founding Barrels of Fun
David Van Es, former Spooky Pinball animator, previously tried unsuccessfully to pitch a Labyrinth pinball to Spooky
David Van Es is likely involved in MPC's Labyrinth project
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
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
Associated with Barrels of Fun; noted as not conducting market research for theme selection
Manufacturer representative (Helix/Dune), stated preference for non-sellout release strategy
Barrels of Fun representative; received detailed feedback from Kaneda about Dune game readiness
Owner/founder of Barrels of Fun; criticized for poor market research on Labyrinth and Dune themes; defensive about sales numbers
Industry contact who reached out to host; expressed dissatisfaction with host's earlier Dune assessment, later vindicated by host's podcast episode praising Dune
Barrels Pinball owner/representative
Head of Barrels of Fun; praised for strategic vision, salesmanship, and welcoming booth atmosphere; clarified Winchester sales numbers during expo
Associated with Barrels of Fun; criticized for lack of market research on Dune theme
Associated with Dune/Barrels of Fun; recipient of Most Improved Company recognition; described as picking Dune theme
Leadership at Barrels of Fun; criticized for lack of external-facing communication and marketing strategy
Barrels Pinball leadership; criticized for delaying game reveal strategy during competitive window
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
Spooky Pinball leadership (implied); Kaneda directs criticism about theme selection (Labyrinth, Dune poor choices)
Barrels of Fun leadership; planning NDA reveals for new game