Pokemon Pinball has lost approximately $2,000 in secondary market value since release

Back to the Future development cost exceeds $1.5 million

Keith Elwin is the greatest designer in modern pinball

Goonies SLE (88 units in America) and Back to the Future SLE (85 units) will see significant secondary market price appreciation

Bon Jovi will sell a total of 700 units with no reserve club expansion

Music-themed pinball machines suffer from buyer fatigue after 800+ plays due to repetitive soundtrack

Barrels' mystery launch strategy for Bon Jovi backfired; transparency would have generated better sales

Dealer retail orders for Bon Jovi are very low, reported as 'one hand' worth from certain dealers

Bon Jovi gameplay is very easy; skilled players can achieve 1 billion points on a single 8-minute ball

Goonies (Spooky Pinball) is sold out at 1,385 SLE units with much stronger demand than Bon Jovi

Beetlejuice (Spooky Pinball) sold 999+ units plus show games in less than one hour on launch day

David Van Ness worked at Spooky Pinball and left to make Labyrinth because Spooky refused the project

Barrels of Fun needs to establish coherent brand positioning; current portfolio (Labyrinth, Dune, Winchester, Bon Jovi) lacks thematic unity

Southern Fried Gaming Expo will be critical test for Bon Jovi's commercial viability and Barrels' survival

Dutch Pinball could sell 1,000 Back to the Future units on announcement alone without gameplay demonstration

Bon Jovi will likely sell out despite poor reveal reception

Kaneda was the first person to leak that Barrels' next game would be Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi pinball will sell out all 700 units by Expo or within six months

Dune movie trilogy will not hold up culturally in 30-40 years like Bon Jovi music has

I correctly predicted the Bon Jovi pinball announcement and faced unjustified criticism from Pinside community members.

David Van Ness and Brian Savage lack good taste in design and aesthetics, which is the primary factor determining Barrels of Fun's long-term survival.

Bon Jovi pinball will not sell out quickly and will likely produce only 700 units as planned.

The Bon Jovi translight artwork is among the worst artistic executions in recent pinball history.

Dune was a business failure despite secondary market success, and Winchester Mystery House commercial success resulted from luck rather than design excellence.

Bon Jovi pinball has the best shooting game design of all Barrels of Fun releases to date.

Pinball content creators have become sales arms for manufacturers with day-one promotional content.

David Van Ness shared two alternative pinball theme ideas with Kaneda under NDA two years ago, neither of which was Bon Jovi.

Three major pinball game releases within two days (Bon Jovi, Dungeon Crawler Carl, and one other) caused community exhaustion and marketing fatigue.

Music pinball machines are harder for collectors to justify purchasing compared to movie-themed games due to market saturation.

Dungeon Crawler Carl is the best Multimorphic game to date mechanically

Ordering Dungeon Crawler Carl now is 'silly' without FOMO or urgency mechanisms

Ender's Game was delivered in a tone inconsistent with the book's source material (lighter/Disney-fied vs. serious drama)

Dungeon Crawler Carl adult-oriented theme and callouts make it feel 'cringey' and nerdy/dorky in delivery

Pinball companies are oversaturating the market by increasing production runs instead of maintaining scarcity

Transformers pinball missed a major mechanical opportunity by not implementing Optimus Prime transformation

Small pinball manufacturers' P3 collector bases historically struggle to resell units due to platform specificity

Multimorphic's engineering team (including TJ) should be recruited by American Pinball

Portal P3 modular kit came in versions priced around $3,500 and $5,500

The entire pinball buying demographic has unanimously rejected the P3 platform for a decade

Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobooks sold 10 million copies

Bon Jovi sold 150 million albums worldwide and was played at the World Cup Finals

Kerry Hardy attended a VIP event, played the game, but did not order it

David Brad Albright is now working at Multimorphic

Barrels of Fun is setting up their new game at Southern Fry Gaming Expo next week

Stern Pinball sold over 15,000 units of Godzilla

Winchester Mystery House sold approximately 525 units

Content creators should only promote games they intend to purchase themselves

Multimorphic may be collaborating with Barrels of Fun on game development or manufacturing

A source at Barrels of Fun told me about Bon Jovi two weeks ago on the eve of their next game announcement

My source is almost always right about industry information

The Barrels employee deliberately misdirected my source by proactively asking 'don't you know what the next theme is' rather than volunteering the information organically

Barrels has Goonies pirate ship imagery all over their factory

Barrels will reveal their next game at Southern Fried Gaming Expo based on their reserve program timeline

Labyrinth and Dune were unpopular theme choices that nobody wanted

The pinball community now prefers Never Ending Story to Bon Jovi

No one is buying the next game from Multimorphic

I am more entertaining than credible, which is why people subscribe to my podcast

Barrels of Fun has used my podcast and other media outlets for free marketing through the Bon Jovi speculation

Barrels of Fun's next music theme pinball is Bon Jovi

Multimorphic will offer Ender's Game and Dungeon Crawler Carl as separate modular units with ~$700 DLC to cross-play

Barrels of Fun will produce 300 additional Dune units incorporating Dune 3 film content

Christopher Franchi is creating 85 super limited edition Goonies units

88 limited Back to the Future units will be available in America

New Sonic pinball machines are shipping with defective rubber components

Jerry (Multimorphic leadership) is furious about Kaneda breaking Ender's Game news

Travis Moseman blames Kaneda for Dune's launch failure

Stern Pinball sells more pinball machines in three days than Multimorphic has sold in its entire decade of operation

Sonic and Transformers pinball games have poor sales performance

Only 300-399 Tales of the Arabian Knights special edition units were produced/sold

Jerry Stellenberg is releasing a new Multimorphic P3 game in approximately 9-10 days

Multimorphic has refused to publicly disclose total unit sales across all platforms

A dual-theme Multimorphic P3 game exists but has not been publicly announced

Kaneda has the most subscribers of any pinball content creator in history

Current pinball machines have significantly less mechanical depth than 1990s Williams/Bally machines despite being 3x more expensive

A Barrels of Fun game announcement will be revealed exclusively Thursday night at 8pm EDT for Canada Club members before official reveal

The pinball hobby is oversaturated with 13 manufacturers competing for a shrinking buyer base

Sonic's emerald collection mechanic requires simultaneous ball management across upper and lower playfields that is nearly impossible and represents the hardest ask he's ever seen in pinball

The Sonic CE topper is not worth the price premium because it is invisible during actual gameplay

Transformers Pro has abysmal lighting that makes the game nearly unplayable in dark rooms

Transformers playfield quality is noticeably inferior to Pokemon LE, with cratering and dimpling

Transformers will lose value quickly, similar to other recent Stern releases

Sonic's right ramp loop-de-loop drains down the middle 30-40% of the time

Sonic lacks meaningful lighting innovation compared to other Jersey Jack games like Guns N' Roses and Harry Potter

Sonic's lower playfield has too many shots creating tight angles and insufficient combo opportunities

Kaneda has played Sonic more than anyone in America outside the JJP team

The lack of a spinner on Sonic's orbit is a missed design opportunity

Jersey Jack has not released an official gameplay stream for Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog lacks sufficient synchronization between on-screen video and playfield gameplay mechanics

The majority of Sonic the Hedgehog defenders on Pinside are pre-order customers who have not played the game

Jody Dankberg was fired from Stern for leaking G.I. Joe licensing information to media

G.I. Joe will be released by Barrels of Fun in 2028

Barrels of Fun's next game will be SpongeBob SquarePants

Transformers pinball will plummet in secondary market value due to Optimus Prime not transforming

Fallout pinball will be released in August/September 2026

Sonic the Hedgehog's gameplay reveal on Jersey Jack Pinball's Facebook stream was the worst quality footage and embarrassing.

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 'shoots you out' game, fundamentally different from story-driven games like Transformers, Harry Potter, Godzilla, and Jaws that pull players in.

Harry Potter successfully pulls players into the Harry Potter world through narrative immersion and asset integration.

Transformers features strong code by Elizabeth and successfully pulls players into the Transformer world with character interactions and storyline.

Pokemon pinball is more accessible and family-friendly than Sonic due to easier shot design that allows casual players to feel like better players.

Kaneda has no sponsorship dollars, kickbacks, or discounts from manufacturers, distinguishing his commentary from paid content creators.

No pinball machine will be unobtainable by November 2024 if players wait until then to make purchases.

Jersey Jack Pinball games are each uniquely designed and the company doesn't recycle or redo previous design concepts.

The Sonic CE topper is the coolest topper in the entire game and overshadows all other toppers in the industry.

Sonic the Hedgehog launch day had weaker enthusiasm than Pokémon, Harry Potter, and Guns N' Roses launches

Dealers are already discounting Sonic Collector's Editions within hours of launch

Jersey Jack made a marketing mistake with unlimited CE strategy because it removes urgency and FOMO

Pinball market is oversaturated with new game announcements causing decision paralysis among consumers

Jersey Jack's stylized marketing videos with AI point-of-view shots are less effective than Stern's simpler approach

Sonic's loop-de-loop is underwhelming because it's a generic wire form rather than thematically distinct to Sonic universe

Jersey Jack did not invite content creators to HQ for Sonic launch celebration, harming momentum generation

Sonic's large upper playfield creates skepticism in community about shot design quality and engagement

Pokémon's limited 750 CEs and visual differentiation were key drivers of day-one sellout success

At $10-15K price points without scarcity signals, consumers will choose to wait for competing titles rather than buy Sonic immediately

Sonic is the biggest pinball release in the last five years, bigger than Harry Potter and Beetlejuice

Pokémon code updates are adding clutter and UI elements that worsen gameplay

Stern's Spike 3 platform looks cheaper than Spike 2 due to cost-cutting measures

Barrels of Fun's Reserve membership program will attract primarily scalpers, not genuine collectors

Winchester Mystery House sold 525 units in 48 hours because of scarcity-driven FOMO, not because of game quality or theme popularity

David Van Es originally created the Spooky Fang Club membership model concept

Pokémon Pinball LE has received no meaningful code updates in nearly six months of availability

Dune Pinball by Barrels of Fun sold approximately 300 units and nearly bankrupted the company

Stern Pinball will continue to struggle commercially if it does not acquire major blockbuster IP licenses like Batman, Superman, or Die Hard

The Barrels of Fun Reserve program will ultimately damage limited-edition collectability and reduce secondary market value retention

Kaneda will permanently cease purchasing new-in-box Stern Pinball machines due to weak IP pipeline and design execution issues

Jersey Jack Pinball content creator preview strategy and NDA enforcement for Sonic reveal is poorly executed and mismanaged

Stern Pinball has mishandled three consecutive major IP licenses: Star Wars, Pokémon, and Optimus Prime, failing to deliver on design or rule depth expectations

Sonic the Hedgehog announcement may come end of month according to Kaneda

Stern LE machines are twice the price of Stern Pro machines but provide no additional gameplay value

Pokemon LE has depreciated from $17-18k to below $13k within three months of release

Sonic the Hedgehog will be nearly code-complete on day one of release

Barrels of Fun attempted to secure Speed Racer license

No pinball company currently holds valid license to Resident Evil

Stern requires hundreds of unit sales weekly to dealers and distributors to sustain operations

Jersey Jack will become the largest pinball company if Stern goes out of business

Stern won G.I. Joe license from Barrels of Fun by licensing through US division after BoF held UK rights

John Papadiuk was unable to create effective mechanical features without factory engineers and his homebrew designs failed

Barrels of Fun's next title after G.I. Joe will likely be He-Man or Big Trouble in Little China, not Dungeon Crawler Carl

Stern LE is twice the price of Stern Pro but delivers identical gameplay value for home buyers

Pokemon LE secondary market has collapsed from $18,000+ to below $13,000 in approximately 3 months

Pro buyers are the 'purest pinball lovers' because they prioritize gameplay over vanity

Stern games now lose $3,000-$5,000 in value after initial purchase, which is a recent phenomenon

If Barrels of Fun makes Dungeon Crawler Carl, they will go out of business

Stern Pinball is vulnerable to collapse if consumer behavior shifts to waiting for price drops or used machines

Jersey Jack will become the largest pinball manufacturer in the world if Stern goes out of business

Optimus Prime and Grimlock do not transform in Transformers pinball.

Transformers pricing was not reduced despite removal of major mechanical features.

Sonic the Hedgehog (June 23 release) is superior to Transformers.

Keith Elwin next game is scheduled for March 2027.

Dune nearly put Barrels of Fun out of business.

Content creators receive paid sponsorships and free machines from manufacturers while covering their releases.

Pokémon Pinball is underwhelming and lost appeal after early play.

Dune theme had poor nostalgia appeal compared to Back to the Future, Fifth Element, and Big Trouble in Little China.

Harry Potter and Beetlejuice are foundation games for modern pinball collections.

Kaneda maintains independence from manufacturer affiliation while criticizing other content creators for shilling.

Kaneda has never received a discount on pinball machine purchases in 14 years

Stern employees told me months before Transformers release that Optimus Prime was transforming and would be one of the greatest mechs Stern ever made

Keith Elwin publicly stated on a podcast that an upcoming mech (Optimus Prime) was one of the coolest mechs he'd ever seen and it wasn't on his game

The Transformers game's left side playfield is empty of anything magical, making it not worth $13,000

Stern removed the Optimus Prime transforming mech rather than delaying the game to fix it properly

Pokemon at Costco will cost $5,000 and have the same exact playfield as the Pokemon Pro version with stationary Meowth and no battle arena targets

Stern has approximately 3,500 transforming Optimus Prime mechs stored in Elk Grove, Illinois and will sell them as $1,500-$2,000 toppers

Content creators covering pinball are in the back pockets of manufacturers and lack loyalty to consumers

JJP is launching Sonic the Hedgehog with no media day and some media cannot disclose they saw the game

Sonic the Hedgehog will wipe the floor with Transformers in quality and gameplay

The Pokémon Company will not allow Stern to use Pokedex as an online showcase feature in the Pokemon pinball game

Keith Elwin will design an original Star Trek game for Stern Pinball after Fallout

Jersey Jack Pinball sent me an NDA forbidding me from discussing even being invited to see Sonic

Sonic the Hedgehog features a loop-de-loop under the glass, upper playfield, and red armor on the Collector's Edition

Sonic the Hedgehog will release in approximately two weeks

Sonic is significantly better than Transformers pinball

Jersey Jack prioritizes design quality over cost, while Stern takes cheaper options

Keith Elwin has finished Fallout and is working on another Stern title

Strict NDAs on game previews are unenforceable and counterproductive to marketing

Robin from Pinside makes over $400,000 per year

I was banned from Pinside 13 years ago

Content creators Retro Ralph, Kerry Hardy, and Loser Kid attended Jersey Jack Sonic preview

Optimus Prime was originally engineered to transform but was removed just a few weeks before release.

George Gomez's promotional video shows Optimus Prime in transformed (truck) mode at the 33-second mark.

The production Optimus figure uses visible bolts to hold it in static position, indicating post-hoc retrofit rather than original design.

Megatron's ball return mechanic is weak and underwhelming compared to established Stern precedent like the D&D dragon.

Pokemon LE buyers have owned their machines for approximately 30 days before Transformers was announced, creating rapid market cannibalization.

Transformers LE lacks exclusive gameplay modes—the player-vs-player Optimus/Megatron battle mode should have been LE exclusive like Tron's Daft Punk multiball.

Stern's rapid release strategy (Pokemon, Transformers, Fallout, Ozzy in quick succession) is driven by private equity investor demands and Seth Davis leadership.

Soundwave is the best-implemented mech in Transformers because it successfully locks balls and releases cassettes, matching the G1 animation.

The Transformers LE will not be difficult to acquire on the secondary market despite initial dealer sellout, with 745+ additional units expected through distributor channels.

Transformers pinball represents only Decepticon activity with static Autobots, making it effectively 'Decepticon Pinball' rather than balanced faction representation.

Kaneda's podcast has 707+ subscribers and higher subscriber count than competitors due to critical coverage rather than promotional bias

There are 32 Pokemon Limited Edition machines for sale on Pinside

John Borg is designing a Black Sabbath or Ozzy Osbourne cornerstone game

Stern is accelerating its release schedule to four cornerstone games in one year

Transformers Limited Edition will not sustain $13,000+ pricing once Sonic and Premium versions launch

Games priced above $13-15k cannot hold value in current market environment

Accelerated Stern release schedule reduces code depth and development quality

Host achieved approximately $23,000 profit by selling Pokemon LE early

Pokémon LE was launched without Pokédex feature and Insider Connected online integration, which are foundational to the IP experience.

Stern LE pricing model provides insufficient value differentiation: $3,000 premium for no exclusive modes, mechs, playfield art, or toppers.

Pokémon LE buyers have not lost money at $13,000 MSRP, but missed thousands in potential upside from day-one flips at higher secondary prices.

John Borg has a cornerstone game coming to Pinball Expo, likely Black Sabbath or Ozzy Osbourne themed.

Transformers LE has been in development for 25 months.

Sonic the Hedgehog will destroy Transformers LE secondary market value within one month of release.

Pokémon LE feels like a Pro-tier game despite $13,000 LE pricing, missing the 'wow' factor that justifies the premium.

World Pinball's $25,000–$27,000 Resident Evil pricing is 'the most honestly priced game in the history of pinball' because it reflects the true cost of limited-run manufacturing.

Without outside revenue funding, independent pinball manufacturers will go out of business; Jersey Jack, CGC, and Chris Turner's ventures survive via non-pinball revenue.

Resident Evil pinball at $25K–$27K is 'dead on arrival' and will become 'the punching bag of the pinball content space' due to theme weakness and price unjustifiability.

There will be a Back to the Future SLE with 88 units for America and 88 for Europe.

Transformers will 'kill the Pokemon hype'; Fallout will kill Transformers hype; Back to the Future will kill all hype; Goonies might kill Back to the Future hype.

Beetlejuice secondary market prices have collapsed from ~$22K peak to ~$14.6K (near MSRP), but machines purchased at original MSRP have not lost money.

Pokémon LE secondary market pricing has collapsed to barely $2K above sticker price and will worsen once Transformers releases.

Pokémon pinball lacks core features (Insider Connected not enabled) 4 months post-launch, driving home owner disengagement before Transformers arrival.

Spooky's Q4 reveal strategy (end-of-year announcement, full-year production) is the only manufacturer timing approach that prevents market saturation and ensures instant sellouts.

New-to-market pinball companies with early reveals and 10+ month delivery timelines historically fail to deliver on time, resulting in mass pre-order losses.

Pokemon Stern was purchased for $14,000 and arrived incomplete

Stern is showing Transformers to dealers on May 19th with media day around May 20th

Pokemon and Transformers are being released approximately 90 days apart

Transformers will be more code-complete than Pokemon at launch

Sonic the Hedgehog will be announced on June 20th or 21st

Back to the Future will be announced by Barry Price in July

Back to the Future will start at $15,000 or higher MSRP

Betson lost all their Pokemon LE allocations due to leaking game details

Jaws LE has depreciated despite being a top-3 ranked game with a Keith Elwin design

Rapid release cycles are preventing individual games from having cultural moments in the pinball community

Kaneda sold his second Pokemon LE for $23,000

Over 125 people entered Kaneda's Beetlejuice drawing from a subscriber base of 709 (approximately 15-18%)

Spooky Pinball will provide machines for future title drawings

Beetlejuice demand remains very high and would be only one of a few recent games achievable 125+ drawing entries

Spooky Pinball has improved more than any other pinball manufacturer in the last decade or possibly in pinball history

Chicago Gaming Company treats customers poorly and Kaneda will not support the company

George Gomez at Stern Pinball made a special gesture for Kaneda's son's first pinball machine

Kaneda has been covering the pinball hobby for approximately 14 years

Beetlejuice hype has not faded despite game's age

Kaneda's A Pinball Podcast has more subscribers than all other pinball shows combined

Pokemon Pinball will hold value around $14,000-$15,000 and won't see mass devaluation like other recent Stern LEs

Transformers is the most loaded Stern game since Godzilla with more content than Godzilla, developed over 2+ years

Transformers and Sonic the Hedgehog will both release in June-July 2025 causing a seismic shift in community enthusiasm

Spooky has produced fewer than 150 Winchester machines in seven months since October 2025 announcement

Stern produces all LE units plus 1000-2000 Pro/Premium units in 2-3 months, while Spooky produces <150 units in same timeframe

Sonic the Hedgehog will have three model variants (Tails, Knuckles, Sonic editions) with unlimited CE production and no FOMO

Fallout is expected to 'land in the pinball world like a nuclear bomb' and will redeem Keith Elwin after King Kong was 'sort of a flop'

Approximately 90% of Pokemon Pinball buyers are pinball enthusiasts rather than Pokemon fans

American Pinball is planning to remake Circus Voltaire

A great pinball game remains great regardless of hype cycles because pinball is an analog toy, not digital

Kaneda is preparing to enter the pinball manufacturing and direct-to-consumer sales business

Kaneda operates under no NDAs and has near-100% certainty on pipeline information despite acknowledging these are unconfirmed rumors

Barrels of Fun is releasing G.I. Joe pinball within the next 1-2 years

Masters of the Universe pinball is coming from Barrels of Fun with Christopher Franchi artwork and will release within a year

John Borg is designing an all-original AC/DC game for Stern on Spike 3 platform, not a remaster of classic pins

Eric Minier's next Jersey Jack Pinball game will be Justice League (possibly Superman)

Masters of the Universe theme was transferred from American Pinball to Barrels of Fun

Winchester Mystery House from Barrels of Fun sold 525 units in 48 hours at Pinball Expo

Halo pinball from Chicago Gaming Company will not sell well due to outdated theme licensing and multi-year delay

Mark Seiden's Jersey Jack Pinball game represents a new hardware platform with internet connectivity and camera integration

Steve Ritchie helped Mark Seiden develop platform technology for JJP's next system

Kaneda's pinball podcast episode delivers more insider scoops than competing roundtable shows and requires less time investment

Kaneda sold a Pokemon LE for $23,000 in week one; easy scalping opportunity in secondary market.

Pokemon LE units will hold value or increase to ~$15K; will not drop below $13K like other Stern LEs

Elliott Eismin spent 25 months developing Transformers

Peter Cullen will provide Optimus Prime voicing/call-outs for Transformers

King Kong playfield art is the worst in pinball history

Pokemon's superior aesthetics result from strict IP control by Pokemon Company preventing Stern creative alterations

Kaneda sold a second Pokemon LE for $23,000 in week one of release

Winchester is too difficult for average players and will frustrate casual collectors

Deep Root Pinball/Papa Duke failed due to financial mismanagement and false promises to investors

Pokemon LE prices have collapsed from $25,000-$27,000 initial deposits to $14,500-$16,000 by April 13th

Stern manufactures 15,000-20,000 games annually, far exceeding boutique competitors

Every Stern LE at $13,000 has lost substantial secondary market value

Beetlejuice gameplay issues (three-scoop, stop-and-go flow) are dampening its secondary market value

Sonic the Hedgehog will offer superior gameplay to Pokemon with four flippers and code-complete shipping

Stern LE FOMO is dead unless a 'banger' theme like Batman, Ghostbusters, Matrix, or Die Hard emerges

Pokemon LE will continue sliding in secondary market value toward $13,000 MSRP based on current inventory (20+ units on Pinside)

The best approach for pinball consumers is to wait-and-see rather than speculate during launch FOMO windows

Pokémon shoots better than Beetlejuice and Winchester

Pokémon's code is not ready and vision could take 1.5 years to fully develop

Harry Potter will depreciate significantly in secondary market due to unlimited CE production

Sonic will be Steve Ritchie's greatest game ever

A Pokémon LE is available for $3,000 markup from a private seller

Transformers reveal scheduled for May with June rollout

Stern pricing at $13K-$20K+ is overvalued; local dealers selling Elise at $22K

Jersey Jack overbakes code with too many simultaneous events in games like Potter

Pokémon's 180+ Pokémon collection mechanic is unmatched replay value in Stern catalog

Chris Turner should outsource Yukon Yeti production to American Pinball's 6 lines

Pokémon Pinball has perfect balance between easy-to-understand and difficult-to-master gameplay with the center shot being far up the playfield creating a skill gate

Approximately 80% of the pinball buying community are homeowners rather than operators or commercial buyers

Pokémon Pinball costs $13,000+ but appears to be worth $7,000 in mechanical effort and features

Winchester Mystery House production is somewhere in the 80s or 90s out of a total 525-unit run

Yukon Yeti buyers locking in deposits will see approximately 18 new games released before they must pay the final balance

Transformers pinball features Pat Lee artwork with big-legged, anime-manga style that may not appeal to G1 Transformer fans

Transformers pinball will be released in May

Beetlejuice machines are around unit 200-something in production and expected to ship to winners in July

Non-owners regularly post critical comments in game owner threads on Pinside, a pattern occurring across Pokémon, Beetlejuice, Winchester, and Dune threads

Pokemon LE unit #50 cost over $14,000 all-in including setup and customization

Pokemon is approximately $2,000 more expensive than Guns N' Roses CE

Guns N' Roses has poor shot layout and cumbersome gameplay compared to Pokemon

Stern LE machines should feature radial/premium decals like Batman SLE rather than basic stickers

Pokemon's long-term success depends primarily on code quality and future software updates

George Gomez made the right design decision prioritizing accessibility over mechanical complexity

Pokemon is the first pinball machine to successfully engage Kaneda's family members (spouse and young child) for extended play

Pokemon's playfield has minimal interactive mechanical toys (Meowth, Squiddle Whirlpool, scoop, magnet) with no novel features

Pokemon features exceptional audio-visual presentation among the best on any Stern machine

Some Pokemon owners dismiss the game as inferior to Toy Story 4 in online communities

Dune will become a cult classic game with strong holder retention once production ends

Dune will settle at $16,000-$18,000 secondary market price once all units are made and supply is exhausted

Pirates of the Caribbean escalated from $12,500 CE availability to $40,000 secondary market when Jersey Jack stopped production

Dune was released to market too early before demand was properly established

Spooky Pinball's Evil Dead sat unsold for months before escalating to $18,000 secondary market prices

Barrels of Fun only experienced instant FOMO sellout once with Winchester Mystery House

If Barrels of Fun announces Never Ending Story as next game, it will be a regrettable decision

Community coordination successfully arranged Beetlejuice delivery for military service member Antonio's birthday in June

Kaneda's Pinball Podcasts was the only pinball podcast that maintained skepticism toward Deep Root Pinball and other charlatans.

Kaneda was the primary critical voice against Deep Root Pinball while other podcasters gave uncritical coverage

Kaneda holds the most subscribers of any pinball content creator

All 750 Pokemon LE units have left Stern's manufacturing facility

Stern can manufacture all LE units in one week, then 700-800 Premium units and 800 Pro units the following week

If a customer orders Yukon Yeti today at serial number 250, they won't receive it until end of 2027

Three Musketeers by Hexa Pinball looks AI-generated and won't sell well

Pokemon evolution mechanics must be included in the game code, otherwise it will be a 'huge miss'

Pokémon Pinball LE units are shipping this week (week of TPF in March 2025)

A friend sold their Pokémon LE for $19,000 on eBay after TPF

Pokémon LEs are moving at $3,000-$5,000 over MSRP on Pinside as of TPF

Stern's Insider Connected was not designed to support complex features like a full Pokedex app

Yukon Yeti uses AI-generated ragtime piano music as its soundtrack

Circus Voltaire remakes via American Pinball/Planetary partnership will release July-August 2025

Spooky can manufacture all Beetlejuice units in approximately two weeks

John Wick never recovered from 'gun gate' launch issue and will remain culturally forgotten despite code updates

Franchi completed the Houdini art remaster in two weeks

American Pinball's new leadership made a good PR decision giving free Houdini to both raffle winners

Kaneda speculated on Pokemon by securing a second unit and sold it at profit

Steve Ritchie's Sonic the Hedgehog will be the greatest shooting pinball machine and dominate 2026

American Pinball's Houdini Franchi edition will ship 100 units within 30 days

Christopher Franchi created the Houdini art package and topper in two weeks

American Pinball used Gemini AI to generate the Houdini marketing flyer

Nobody likes the art, music, or callouts on Yukon Yeti

Barrels of Fun has shipped fewer than 100 Winchester units in six months since reveal

Stern spent four years making money-losing LEs that nearly destroyed their collectability

Pokemon LE secondary market prices will not sustain once code completes and Sonic launches

American Pinball's Houdini remaster will be limited to 100 units celebrating 100 years since Houdini's death

Houdini remaster will retail for approximately $7,000-$7,500

Whitewater 2 will sell out its 100-unit run instantly at premium pricing tier

Pokemon pinball is making operators $100 per day versus the typical $100 per week on other games

Stern had a manufacturing defect on early Pokemon builds where the orbit guide hole was drilled in the wrong location

The manufacturing fix for Pokemon is already figured out and Stern is distributing it to affected machines

Pokemon LE secondary market prices are all over the place ranging from $3,000 to $9,000+ over retail

Stern is likely making a Godzilla Gold version on Spike 3 platform

Jersey Jack Ghostbusters remains a persistent recurring rumor in the pinball community

Used pinball machines will not sustain pricing above $10,000 long-term in the secondary market

Great theme/IP is now the critical differentiator for new pinball game success; games without strong themes will struggle

Pokemon LE machines are shipping out next week (from mid-March timeframe)

Stern's communication about the Pokemon manufacturing issue was poor and created unnecessary panic among LE buyers

Pokemon operators are making $100/day compared to $100/week on other games

Stern had a playfield guide drilling defect on early Pokemon units that is being fixed across all affected machines

Stern's official communication about the Pokemon defect fix said 'we're not sure' about pre-LE production timing

Pokemon secondary market prices range from $3,000 to $9,000 over MSRP

Stern is considering making Godzilla Gold on Spike 3

James Bond Goldfinger would be the most likely Spike 2 remake candidate if Stern pursues a remake strategy

Jersey Jack Ghostbusters is a persistent community rumor

Jersey Jack is highly excited about their next five titles after Sonic

Pinball manufacturers must have strong major IP themes to achieve viable sales in current market

AI-generated video animations will become prevalent in pinball production within the next 1-2 years

Kaneda from Kaneda's Pinball Podcast negotiated with George Gomez to fix the Pokémon defect while on vacation in Dublin

Pokémon LE secondary market will settle around $20,000 long-term

Spooky Pinball made 30-50 additional unnumbered Beetlejuice machines for Tim Burton film crew and cast members

Transformers pinball has the greatest Stern mechanical innovation of all time

Barrels of Fun is making Dungeon Crawler Carl (not as their next title)

Only 100 of 300 planned Pinball Brothers Predator units sold, resulting in 200-unit total production

Stern's Pokémon Speak feature in Beetlejuice has reliability issues with voice recognition

Jersey Jack Sonic the Hedgehog will arrive in approximately 2 months

American Pinball lacks consumer brand marketing expertise due to leadership's non-consumer industry background

Beetlejuice will hold market value around $20,000 and be harder to get than Evil Dead.

Pokemon LE secondary market prices are collapsing from $20K to $18K as inventory increases.

Pokemon Pro is stripped of nearly all premium features compared to LE including magnet, moving toys, and ramps.

Stern engineers failed to make the Pokeball actually open to release Pokemon despite this being the core IP mechanic.

American Pinball's new logo has design flaws including improper letter spacing.

American Pinball should not pursue a reboot strategy based on remaking old games.

Only 750 Pokemon LE machines were produced compared to 1,000 John Wicks.

Beetlejuice is the most visually stunning pinball machine ever made.

Beetlejuice will hold secondary market prices around $20,000 and will be harder to obtain than Evil Dead

Pokemon LE secondary market prices have dropped from $20k to $18k due to oversupply of listings

Stern is incapable of engineering a Pokeball that opens to release the Pokemon despite 40 years of manufacturing experience

Pokemon Pinball Pro is the most stripped-down Pro version ever made by any manufacturer

American Pinball new logo has spacing and design errors unsuitable for merchandise

David Vaness said Dungeon Crawler Carl is not next in American Pinball production pipeline, but didn't deny it's being made

American Pinball first game back under new management is a Circus Voltaire remake

Remaking classic games is not the right strategy for American Pinball to establish a new chapter under new leadership

Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobook series has sold 6 million books but is still relatively niche and unlikely to translate to 500+ pinball machine sales at $11,600.

Barrels of Fun requested customer deposits on a Winchester Mystery House topper after selling all 525 units, indicating cash flow issues.

Boutique pinball manufacturers cannot stay in business producing only 500 units of a single title given R&D, licensing, music, software, and facility costs.

Dune Pinball could only sell 700 units despite being a visually spectacular machine.

Pokemon LE secondary market is currently oversupplied with 12+ machines listed at $20,000 with no buyers; realistic price should be $17,000.

Pokemon LE buyers are primarily speculators and distro curmudgeons rather than genuine Pokemon franchise fans.

Stern production capacity and global manufacturing network are not threatened by boutique pinball competitors.

The $1,000 Alice Goes to Wonderland miniature pinball machine is exceptional value despite its delamination defect.

Beeteljuice is the nicest modern pinball machine ever made, with superior physical craftsmanship and detail compared to Stern machines costing $3,000 more

Spooky Pinball playfields have noticeably better gloss finish and clarity than modern Stern playfields, possibly due to clear coat application differences

Beeteljuice ($10k) offers significantly more creative content, sculpts, and design detail than Stern Premium Editions ($9.5k) despite similar pricing

Barrels of Fun is considering producing a Dungeon Crawler Karl pinball game based on Karl DeAngelo's book series

The Dungeon Crawler Karl book series has sold approximately 6 million copies across the first six books

Pokemon LE secondary market is saturated with sellers; few buyers willing to pay the $20,000+ asking prices

Star Wars: Fall of the Empire LE machines are depreciating significantly from $13,000 retail to ~$9,000 secondary market

Spooky Pinball should be considered the best modern pinball company, surpassing Stern and Jersey Jack Pinball

Stern used the Spike 3 platform primarily as a cost-reduction measure rather than as a creative enhancement technology

Beeteljuice represents a new standard/bar that other pinball manufacturers must meet in 2026 and beyond

Beetlejuice is the nicest modern pinball machine I have ever seen.

Harry Potter CE is $15,000 and looks much more empty than Beetlejuice, which is $5,000 cheaper.

Spooky Pinball playfields have a superior gloss and shine compared to modern Stern playfields, possibly due to clear coat thickness differences.

Spooky Pinball will only ever make 1,000 Beetlejuice machines and will not produce an anniversary edition.

Dungeon Crawler Carl book series has sold approximately 6 million copies collectively.

Dungeon Crawler Carl lacks mainstream cultural appeal and nostalgia despite book series success.

Karl DeAngelo has earned a blank check from Barrels of Fun following Winchester Mystery House success.

Stern should have acquired Spooky Pinball years ago to gain access to their playfield manufacturing technology and cabinet design.

Pokemon LE is currently worth significantly less on secondary market due to oversupply of sellers and lack of buyer demand.

Sonic the Hedgehog, Transformers, and Back to the Future will all be successful pinball releases in 2026.

Beetlejuice is the greatest modern pinball machine ever made and the nicest pinball machine in history.

Spooky Pinball created artificial FOMO on America's Most Haunted by announcing a 150-unit limit when the game was struggling to sell.

Stern Pinball did not license the Empire State Building for King Kong despite it being the most iconic element of the franchise.

King Kong's art direction is inappropriate for the franchise, resembling a children's book rather than the classic films.

Stern should have acquired Spooky Pinball years ago rather than allowing them to become a competitive threat.

Pokémon will be a successful game because of the IP strength and simple, fun gameplay appealing to casual players.

Beetlejuice will become the foundation of every pinball collection going forward.

Winchester Mystery House is overly frustrating with poor shot design, particularly a difficult-to-hit ramp.

Pokémon secondary market will see significant oversupply with many eBay listings due to speculative buying.

Spooky Pinball and Jersey Jack Pinball are the only manufacturers currently making truly home-worthy machines.

Pokémon Limited Edition secondary market is currently $18,000 for a same-day deal, potentially $20,000 if waiting a few days

Someone traded a Beetlejuice machine straight-up for a Pokémon with no additional mate value, which was a poor trade decision

Savoy/Hap, a major pinball parts supplier, is shutting down their pinball division

Winchester Mystery House secondary market is not reaching $20,000 asking prices despite hype; estimated fair value $18,000

2025 will be 'the best year in the history of pinball' with major releases from multiple manufacturers

Sonic the Hedgehog will be game of the year 2025 and superior to Pokémon

Three best-edition pinball machines cost approximately $45,000 total now vs. $18,000 ten years ago

Zombie Yeti's Limited Edition art direction on King Kong and Walking Dead failed to adequately differentiate from Premium editions

Pinside marketplace rules restricting Pokémon sales are economically counterproductive and drive prices upward

Flippin' Out Pinball has 14-15 of the 750 Pokémon Limited Edition units tracked on Pinside

Stern's next game after Fallout will be a remaster of either AC/DC or KISS

Brian Eddy next Stern game is an original IP, possibly a sequel to Attack from Mars

American Pinball first remake will be a 1990s game by a designer who now drives a bus

Jersey Jack has a strong relationship with Warner Brothers and will likely license Superman, Batman 89, or Barbie for upcoming titles

Transformers (LE) buyers will lose thousands of dollars because Stern will produce 1,000 units with minimal Premium/LE visual differentiation

The pinball collector market cannot sustain prices at $15,000 or higher

Barrels of Fun hired the homebrew designer who created Big Trouble in Little China

Multimorphic's business model is in trouble now that P3 kits cost nearly as much as a Stern Pro

Spooky Pinball next two games will be Goonies and Gremlins

Dutch Pinball's Back to the Future will feature a significant physical ball lock mechanic in the DeLorean or flux capacitor

All 750 Pokemon LEs will be manufactured by April, forcing scalpers to take delivery or sell before that date

Pokemon LE secondary market prices will not sustain at $20,000 asking prices; will settle lower as multiple scalpers attempt simultaneous sales

Most Pokemon LE buyers are speculative scalpers, not genuine Pokemon fans; they leveraged dealer relationships to secure allocations

Rocky IV would be a superior pinball theme to Rocky I due to pacing, 'No Easy Way Out' soundtrack, and visual potential (Lamborghini, Drago/Apollo scenes)

Stern will announce two separate Transformers LE editions at 500 units each (Autobot/Decepticon or Optimus/Megatron variants)

Barrels of Fun hired the homebrew Big Trouble in Little China designer; Carl D'Angelo may also have been developing a BTILC homebrew before Winchester assignment

Barrels of Fun will need to announce its next game title before year-end; Pinball Expo is likely venue (historical precedent: Winchester announced there)

2025 represents the best year in pinball history due to unprecedented concentration of major IP releases (Harry Potter, Back to the Future, Goonies, Transformers, Pokemon, Sonic, etc.)

Pokemon LE is selling for around $25,000 on the secondary market with documentation and verification

Pokemon LE demand is the highest in 13 years of Kaneda's podcast coverage

Stern Pokemon Pro model has magnet, moving Pikachu, and Squirtle ramp features removed vs Premium/LE

Dealers Troy and Jeff make $2,500-$2,700 profit per Pokemon LE sale

Winchester demand is artificially inflated by scarcity; supply of 800-1000 units would still be available

2026 will have five major pinball releases that buyers want, forcing $30-50k annual spending decisions

Secondary market FOMO is essential to pinball's survival as a hobby

Twippies Awards 2025 destroyed by Colin; Game of Year winner got only ~260 votes vs historical 3-5k

Winchester secondary market at $18-20k, with isolated claims of $25k but zero documented $20k sales in Kaneda's network

Dune production came up 300 units short of Barrels of Fun's anticipated output

Pokemon LE machines are currently selling for $25,000 in the secondary market

Nobody is offering $20,000 for Winchester machines despite dealer claims

All 750 Pokemon LE units will be completed by end of April 2026

Pokemon Pro version has removed magnet and ramp mechanics compared to Premium/LE

Dealers are making $2,700+ per Pokemon LE without taking physical possession

2026 will have five major game releases worth buying, unprecedented in recent years

Winchester demand is driven primarily by scarcity, not theme quality

Pokemon LE will hold value significantly better than Winchester due to IP popularity gap

Dealers only restrict address changes on appreciating games, not depreciating titles

Secondary market activity and FOMO are essential to pinball's long-term health

Pokemon Pinball LE secondary market currently trading at $20,000-$24,000 based on 13 years of marketplace observation

Metallica Remastered LE has held value better than other recent Stern LEs, with only one listing at $16,900 on Pinside after peaking at $18-19K

Recent Stern LEs (Foo Fighters, James Bond, Venom, John Wick, D&D, King Kong) have depreciated $3-6K from MSRP

George Gomez is on record promising no additional special editions of Pokemon Pinball beyond Pro/Premium/LE tiers

Approximately 50 Pokemon LE owners are speculators seeking to sell who don't actually want the theme

Beetlejuice spot values have declined from $10K+ asking prices to $3,200-$4,000 range due to Pokemon hype shift

Three top-tier 2025 pinball games (Pokemon, Sonic, Transformers LEs) will cost approximately $41,000 total

Once all 750 Pokemon LEs are manufactured in 6 weeks, secondary market prices will likely decline as supply increases and 50+ speculators attempt to sell

Pokemon collectors may not have appetite for $20K+ pinball purchases unlike pinball enthusiasts, creating unknown valuation variable

Speculation and secondary market flipping represents minority activity (30 people out of ~750 LE buyers) and does not meaningfully damage hobby

Pokemon LE units are selling for $20,000 immediately after Friday announcement

All 750 Pokemon LE units sold out by Monday (three days after Friday announcement)

Pokemon LE secondary market price will reach approximately $30,000

Pokemon could become the best-selling Stern machine of all time

Stern deliberately produced only 750 Pokemon LEs (vs. 1,000 for John Wick and Venom) to drive scarcity value

Stern's work environment has been toxic and demoralized for approximately four years prior to Pokemon's success

Pokemon game design intentionally draws from Monster Bash, Attack from Mars, and Medieval Madness as inspiration

Zombie Yeti and his daughter art-directed and designed the Pokemon playfield art

Sonic CE production will be unconstrained (as many as demand warrants) in contrast to Pokemon's 750-unit LE limit

John Wick and Venom LE prices will crash to approximately $6,500 as Pokemon-driven market reshuffles collector priorities

Pokémon Pinball has approximately 7-8 total shots from flipper to flipper.

This is the first game since Stern has gone to the Spike 3 platform where the big screen is actually utilized in the right way.

Pokémon Company did not allow Stern to illustrate on top of their IP; all artwork is pre-illustrated by Pokémon artists.

If Pokémon becomes ultra-repetitive in collecting mechanics, the game will see significant used sales within months.

Pokémon LE units will trade well over $13,000 on the secondary market due to Pokémon fandom scale and scarcity.

If only LE tier existed (no Pro/Premium), the Pokémon machine might have remained available for six minutes instead of selling out instantly

Pokemon Pinball is a dream crossover for fans who enjoy both pinball and Pokemon

Kaneda was invited to Stern headquarters in Chicago to be among the first to play Pokemon Pinball in person