Neil McCrae is a UK-based pinball collector, tournament organizer, and content creator who has been a prominent figure in the international pinball community since at least 2018. He is the founder and organizer of the UK Open pinball tournament and Pinball Republic co-op, co-host of the Great British Pinball Podcast, and a competitive player who has placed in European championships. McCrae is known for his extensive personal collection, frequent international tournament travel, and involvement in community events like Path of Play accessibility initiatives. He has evolved from primarily a collector and tournament organizer to also being a content creator and podcast host, while maintaining visibility as a Stern enthusiast and early adopter of premium machines.
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Neil McCrae is taking over organization of the Swavesey Pinball Show from Mark Squires
Stern Pinball transported approximately 200 machines to Pinball at the Beach representing most games made since Stern Pinball became a company
The Walking Dead Remastered has significantly improved ramp shot mechanics compared to the original
Finalist in Media Mavens tournament at TPF alongside Clark from Carpool Pinball
Co-host of Great British Pinball Podcast, UK pinball organizer taking over Swavesey event, pinball content creator and tournament organizer
Chat participant; confirmed Walking Dead was first Stern machine Jack streamed; plays pinball
Community member with subscription/membership support; appears multiple times in chat support (6 months, 500 bits, etc.)
UK Open organizer; owns/manages BMW vehicle; participated in Stern factory tour
Owner of Pinball Republic in London UK, competitive tournament player, defeated by Joel in head-to-head best-of-nine match, uses challenging tournament settings on games
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Dungeons & Dragons pinball still has not reached version 1.0 and experienced significant bugs at release
Beetlejuice's upper flipper is mechanically superfluous and doesn't effectively integrate with the shot layout
Beetlejuice's playfield layout is very similar to Attack from Mars with the spaceship moved to the side
The hotel at Pinball at the Beach charged $400-500+ per night despite substandard accommodations and pest infestation
The Pinball at the Beach hotel only offered free breakfast as compensation for cockroach incidents
Neil McCrae falsely claimed Walking Dead is selling phenomenally well
Pastimes Arcade is viewed as a mecca of pinball in the UK and Europe
Neil McCrae is the biggest Stern fanboy and regularly travels from the UK to see new Stern games
Neil McCrae uploaded gameplay videos of Pulp Fiction and Galactic Tank Force to YouTube
The UK Open will feature the largest pinball prize payout in Europe at £5,000 first place.
Registration for UK Open tournaments reached capacity within approximately 8 days of opening.
Approximately 60% of UK Open participants will be from the UK and 40% from overseas.
Ladies' pinball tournament participation in Europe is significantly lower than in North America.
Pinball Republic (formerly Flip Out London) was forced to rebrand due to trademark enforcement from a new landlord approximately 6 months before the interview.
The UK Open will include six separate tournaments covering classics, certified play, ladies, and juniors divisions.
InDisc tournament organizers (Jim Belsito, Carl, and others) provided direct mentorship and advice for the UK Open's organization.
Pinball Republic currently operates approximately 65 pinball games ranging from classic EM titles to modern releases.
Attended barbecue at Hard Eight with Travis, Joel, and others during TPF
Facebook community member and collector; owns multiple James Bond 60th LE editions and high-value vintage machines; Kaneda appeals for podcast subscription
Industry figure; associated with Marty Robbins; criticized by Kaneda for arguing/fighting with others who see issues clearly; suggested to focus on other life areas
Tournament participant from London, UK; described as 'my boy' by Jack Danger; competes in international pinball tournament
UK-based competitive pinball player; Marty jokingly apologized to him for being the greatest player in England for one day
Tom Graff's son; playing well at Pinburgh; receiving congratulations from Orby
UK pinball collector; uploaded gameplay videos of Pulp Fiction and Galactic Tank Force to YouTube
Referenced as potential co-op streaming partner for Bond 60th
Pinball collector/player; advanced to semifinals of Wisconsin State tournament before losing to Steven Bowden; was up 2-0 in games before comeback loss.
Discussing Bond 60 inclusion in UK Open tournament
Pittsburgh-based pinball community member; involved in Path of Play family game day organizing
Co-host of Great British Pinball Podcast; pinball club operator; passionate advocate for industry improvement; critical of manufacturer marketing and planning
Pinball community figure; Joel mentions 'no room with Neil McCrae' at Pinball at the Beach (unclear context but indicates notable person interaction issue).
Community figure; Kaneda mentions he's called him a 'clown'; Kaneda later clarifies they get along at shows; tension around sensitivity to criticism
Wealthy Pinside collector in dispute with Iceman; Kaneda views as more sophisticated than Iceman
Pinball collector mentioned as having lost most money on new-in-box purchases; Kaneda references his purchasing pattern regarding Stern LE models
Stern associate; mentioned as source for claim about Stern's order backlog
Prominent Stern supporter ('Stern shill'); pre-ordered Walking Dead Remastered LE after disappearing from Star Wars discourse
Podcast host accused by Kaneda of falsely claiming Walking Dead is selling phenomenally well
UK-based pinball collector, content creator, tournament organizer, and streamer; organized UK Open tournament; travels frequently to US tournaments; runs Pinball Republic co-op; maintains extensive home collection
Pinball collector; jokingly referenced as having purchased all Bond 60th inventory in Europe
Tournament player, traveled to European events, placed 12th in European Pinball Championship, played in Epstein Cup with strong individual game performances
Competitive pinball player, lost Cleapin tiebreaker to Shannon Stafford on random draw Kiss selection
Organizer of UK Open tournament; positions event as European equivalent to INDISC
UK-based pinball collector/community member referenced in discussion of pinball machine availability in UK
English pinball figure running pinball operations in London
Pinball collector, tournament organizer, and international traveler; founder/organizer of UK Open and Pinball Republic; known for attending major events globally.
UK-based pinball figure; organizing UK Open in July; travels internationally approximately monthly to pinball events; featured in future Pinball Profile episode.
UK Open organizer, runs 'spectacular' event, attended District 82 Super Series, encouraged Rachel to attend UK Open
Organizer of UK Open, founder/leader of Pinball Republic, competitive player
UK-based collector and arcade organizer; helped set up NYCPC; involved with Path of Play accessibility events
UK pinball collector, tournament director, Flip Out co-founder, experienced tournament attendee with 20-game personal collection
Co-host Great British Pinball Podcast; organizer UK Open pinball tournament; Pinball Republic founder; regular Expo attendee since 2016; represents British/international pinball community
Lending Evil Dead to Gonzo for featured content
Owner of the Mandalorian LE machine reviewed; lent the game to Gonzo for the video; associated with Domino Arcade and tournament play
Assisted Carl by ordering a replacement control board for his Dune machine from Pinball Center
Walking Dead enthusiast invited Gonzo to collaborate on Star Wars pinball video
Tournament organizer for UK Open and Pinball Republic; obtained Star Wars pinball in Europe through complex process
Brought Ron's Blu-rays to Expo; community member assisting with logistics
Referenced as high-net-worth collector with capacity to absorb financial losses
YouTuber/content creator; Kaneda notes he is pro-Stern, currently shilling Star Wars game, and has personal relationships with Stern personnel
Acts like investor in Stern; makes 'ridiculous claims' about sales figures without evidence; focused on volume metrics