Vintage EM games have appreciated 4-5x in value over 40+ years; Fireball (1972, $799) now sells for $3000-$4500
Modern pinball games have lost the great skill shots of past EM machines
King Of Diamonds reproduction uses approximately 70% original parts from the 1960s Gottlieb game
Pre-orders for King Of Diamonds have been very strong, with Gold Editions likely to sell out before production
Increased EM demand is driven by diminished modern pinball production and variety, plus nostalgia from aging players with disposable income
Purist EM collectors will not be satisfied with King Of Diamonds reproduction; it does not have adequate appeal for either collector or casual player segment
King Of Diamonds estimated cost is $3,000 with discounts available for multiple purchases
Modern EM games have too many gadgets, blind activity, and complex rules that rival video games; vintage machines are simpler and more appealing
Games planned to follow King Of Diamonds include Kings & Queens, Muscle Car Café, Cactus Jack, Crosstown, and El Dorado
Games should go to production in summer with release a few months later
Josh Sharpe, Roger Sharpe and Steve Epstein established the IFPA
In 2006, WPPR tracked 52 tournaments and awarded points at all of them
Keith Elwin was crowned 2006 WPPR champion
P3Tournament's first event in 2004 had almost 60 players from over 12 different states
Adding tournaments to shows increases their profile and stature
Tournament growth helps bring pinball back into the mindset of the general public
The European Pinball Championships relaunched in 2005 in the Netherlands
The UK Pinball League is designed to raise skill levels and interest in pinball in the UK
Greg Maletic first conceived the documentary idea in 2001 while working at a software company looking for a new challenge
Williams pinball division closed approximately one month after Greg Maletic visited the factory to discuss joining
George Gomez told Greg that it was not a good time to join Williams at the time of his visit
The documentary was originally titled 'The Future Of Pinball' but was renamed 'TILT - The Battle to Save Pinball' to appeal to a wider audience
The documentary experienced significant post-production delays including re-edits and a new soundtrack after the original 2004 target release date
Martin Ayub founded Pinball News in 1999 following Bally's closure to document that pinball was still alive
Martin Ayub was UK #1 ranked tournament player for an extended period
Pinball News published an article on Classic Playfield Reproductions' origins in 2005 that remains the primary available source on the company's history
In 2000, Stern was the only major pinball company left standing
Class People Republic (London pinball club) operates between 60-70 machines
Martin Ayub is a collector of 11 pinball machines
Competitive tournament play was negatively impacting Martin Ayub's mental health
Pinball is experiencing a vibrant resurgence with significant volume of industry news
Project Pinball places machines in children's hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, and other medical facilities for therapeutic purposes
Daniel Spolar discovered therapeutic uses for pinball machines through his background as a contractor
Community support is vital for long-term sustainability of charitable work
Project Pinball was founded in 2011 after discovering a non-functional 2007 Stern Spider-Man pinball machine at a children's hospital
Daniel Spoler's son was diagnosed with leukemia at age 14, which directly influenced his motivation to create Project Pinball
Playing pinball provides singular focus and stress relief that helps players escape from daily problems and trauma
Hospital child life specialists validate that pinball machines provide therapeutic benefits for hospitalized children and their families
Spoler walked away from pinball for approximately 18 years while raising his family and returned when his children left for college/military service
Spoler's leadership philosophy emphasizing worker compensation, transparency, and human dignity was developed through observing poor practices in Florida construction industry
Learning what not to do from negative examples is as important as learning positive practices
Pinball machines in public spaces during Spoler's childhood were ubiquitous in 7-Elevens, Pizza Huts, restaurants, bowling alleys, and arcades
Spooky Pinball has secured licensing rights to 'Jump in the Line' after months of it being absent from Beetlejuice.
999 'Jump in the Line' limited edition Beetlejuice machines will be produced and sold exclusively through Flip N Out Pinball.
Spooky signed a new, unexpected license deal that is out of their typical portfolio and represents a genre departure.
Evil Dead is objectively more gruesome and violent than Texas Chainsaw Massacre with ten times the gore.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is Spooky's best game despite slower market adoption than Halloween.
Spooky's entire programming team is currently together in Madison, creating potential supply chain risk.
The right orbit drain in Beeteljuice was added to address community feedback that the game was too easy.
Charades mode in Beetlejuice was modified in the recent code update to be easier for players to complete.
Spooky discovered through TCM that the market for extremely intense horror content is smaller than expected after Halloween's success.
The humor element of Evil Dead franchise (Bruce Campbell) was the key factor in its market success despite being more graphically violent than TCM.
Tom Graff is turning 50 years old today
JBS has discontinued streaming on Twitch and exclusively uses YouTube going forward
The YOLO Box Extreme mobile streaming setup requires approximately 8 minutes to deploy and 4 minutes to break down
Space City Pinball League operates two separate leagues in Houston
Eureka Heights Brewery mobile streaming rig will be upgraded with improved audio capture for future broadcasts
Stranger Things pinball machine will have tournament mode button functionality implemented for June 2024 league play
JBS considers himself one of the worst pinball players despite running a pinball streaming show
The Dungeons & Dragons pinball machine plays well mechanically despite complex rule learning curve
Automating YouTube archival for streams saves significant time versus manual Twitch VOD management
Eureka Heights Brewery previously lacked capacity for streaming until mobile rig deployment
Visitor Jamie had been searching for pinball league opportunities upon relocating to Houston
King Kong's IP derives from the 1932 book, which is unlicensed and over 100 years old, so Stern didn't need to pay for licensing
Stern couldn't license the Empire State Building for King Kong due to licensing issues, so the game features a fictional building instead
King Kong Pro has virtual ball locks while the Premium version has physical ball locks with a visible train mechanism
King Kong Pro launch party is scheduled for June 13 at Eureka Heights Brewery
Jamie Burchil got a private tour of Stern and livestreamed from their office space, meeting Keith Stern and Gary Stern
King Kong Pro will be a strong money-maker for venue operators, comparable to Godzilla's commercial viability
King Kong Pro core gameplay mechanics didn't lose anything important from Pro to Premium tier despite missing physical toys
The Yolo Box Extreme is a game-changer for pinball streaming capabilities
Space City Pinball League Super Series will launch with an event at NASA on June 7
Community speculation about linking King Kong and Godzilla together is recurring and frustrating
Tom Graff provides streaming and tournament directing for Wisconsin pinball community
Chris Kohler is a longtime pinball player with player number 1192
Chris Kohler was recently hired as chef at Lumberjack Johnny's
Nikki and Dave Oschefski own Lumberjack Johnny's in Appleton
Nikki hosts women's pinball tournaments at her house for the fourth or fifth consecutive year
Led Zeppelin pinball requires strategic shot selection with left saucer being high-priority early shot for tour multiball
James Bond EM is 'the best uh modern EM there is'
Chris Kohler previously operated Bistro Bites food truck in Fox Valley area
Approximately 30-40 players participated in the Triple Heart Valentine's Day Bounty tournament
Harry Potter Collector's Edition is the highest-end version of the game available
The game features a three-flipper main playfield plus additional upper flipper(s)
Collector's Edition pricing is $21,999 plus tax/shipping/delivery
The rotating staircase is a key central mechanic for mode progression and multiball starts
The game includes a shaker motor for haptic feedback during gameplay
The game has high rule complexity with multiple simultaneous active modes and visual feedback elements
Dutch was playing Harry Potter pinball for the first time
The game features a choke ramp mechanic that changes ball direction
Harry Potter pinball is available in at least five editions: Pro, Premium, Wizard, Collector's, and Arcade
The game features flippers themed to different Harry Potter houses
Keith Elwin's next Stern game will not release until 2026
John Borg's next game is either Ozzy Osbourne or AC/DC remake releasing August/September
Spooky Pinball's next game is Goonies
Jersey Jack will reveal Sonic the Hedgehog and show it June 23rd
Jersey Jack has secured Grateful Dead license
Back to the Future will have 88 SLEs in America and 88 in Europe
Stern's Transformers has fundamental design flaws with left playfield inactivity and non-functioning toy mechanics
Content creators visiting Stern are compromising journalistic integrity by wearing Stern shirts and making promotional content
Pinball market is oversaturated with too many manufacturers competing for finite demand
Back to the Future will dominate the 2026 market and Dutch Pinball will be production-constrained for 5-6 years
Pinball Expo 42 is scheduled for October 14-17 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center
Paul Faris designed Centaur, Xenon, Back to the Future and other titles
Tony Ramunni designed Black Knight, Spy Hunter, Elektra and other titles
The Homebrew Community will feature 40-plus homemade pinball titles at Expo 42
Stern Pinball will celebrate their 40th anniversary at Expo 42
Stern will have surprises and special announcements in their booth at Expo 42
The JukeKeg is valued at more than $30,000
The JukeKeg features Bluetooth, CD player, radio functionality, and a fully functioning beer keg
100% of auction proceeds benefit the Wisconsin Area Music Industry
Jersey Jack Pinball's Sonic playfield has been leaked and appears legitimate
JJP placed a custom 404 easter egg at /pages/new-game-2026 reading 'TILT — NICE TRY DETECTIVE'
The leaked Sonic playfield confirms a fan layout and game-focused theme (not movie tie-in)
Multiple content creators were invited to Transformers media day, then walked to JJP to playtest Sonic under NDA
Sonic's continued secrecy despite leaks may indicate either a major launch campaign or a licensing holdup
Daniel McKenzie's Space Cadet custom project went viral, covered by Ars Technica and The Verge
This Week in Pinball has been tracking pinball sales trends and finds 2026 dominated by Pokémon and Harry Potter
Stern has received community backlash over recent game releases (Uncanny X-Men, King Kong, FOTE, Transformers) perceived as failures
Barrels of Fun and JJP are positioning superior quality mechanics and genuine limited editions as competitive advantages over Stern
Hauntworld YouTuber reported from 2026 Licensing Expo that rights holders discussed Terminator 1&2, Bill & Ted, Rocky Horror, and Monsterverse licensing with pinball manufacturers
Transformers code is farther along in development than most games are at their release point
Hasbro's licensing approval for Transformers was significantly faster than licensing for Pokemon and James Bond
Stern produces approximately 35,000 games per year while small boutique manufacturers produce around 1,000 games annually
Tales of the Arabian Nights was officially announced May 12th with virtually no marketing communication in the following month
Game development typically requires 1.5 years of advance planning with detailed bill-of-material tracking
Godzilla is one of the best-selling pinball games in the last 40 years, on track to surpass Addams Family sales
Jersey Jack is announcing Sonic the Hedgehog pinball based on the video game versions rather than the movie versions
Transformers G1 cartoon pinball focuses specifically on the first two seasons of the original cartoon
Elizabeth Stawasz's lead designer role on Transformers is her first time leading a game
The Megatron Cannon is the most innovative mechanical feature in Transformers, combining Jurassic Park dinosaur articulation with interactive cannon gameplay
IFPA21 World Pinball Championship has begun
Session 1 starts at 10:00am
Wild Gunman is a Nintendo arcade game from 1974
The original game was considered lost until Kalen located surviving film reels on eBay
The recreation took approximately one year to complete starting from last year
The game features a two-tier skill system with easy mode (fire only) and advanced mode (cock and fire within time limit)
The machine requires players to use a physical holster and wear a cowboy hat for proper gameplay
CSI was released in 2008
The 2008 era of Stern Pinball is colloquially called the 'stern dog years'
CSI contains an add-a-ball timing bug that can result in two balls during single-ball mode
CSI's rule set is incomplete, representing roughly 25% of intended scope
A modern remake of CSI would be desirable
Sarah Winchester's legend—that she was told by a medium to build an endless house to appease spirits of Winchester rifle victims—was fabricated by later owners of the house to attract tourism.
Sarah Winchester was a wealthy, independent architect and women's advocate who designed innovative features like forced air heating, indoor plumbing, electricity, intercoms, and rooms suggesting healthcare refuge—not a superstitious widow.
The 'door that goes nowhere' was originally a functional porch door; when earthquake damage destroyed the porch, it was left unrepaired rather than rebuilt—not a ghost-trap mechanism.
Rewind Pinball sold out their Winchester Mystery House inventory within 24 hours.
LGR (Clint Basinger) reached out to Stern requesting a game review and Stern immediately approved, loaning him a Fall of the Empire Premium for three months.
Pokémon pinball at Fanime will be the first pinball machine ever featured at the anime convention.
A themed pinball machine in a themed venue (D&D pinball in D&D game shop) will significantly outperform unthemed machines in the same location.
Stern is successfully executing outreach to adjacent YouTube communities (retro gaming, tech, collectibles) to expand pinball awareness beyond traditional audiences.
Winchester Mystery House pinball game faithfully recreates the narrative legend of Sarah Winchester, despite that legend being historically inaccurate.
Physical pinball gameplay is incomparable to digital pinball experiences like Epic Pinball on PC.
Transformers focuses on the first two seasons of the G1 cartoon
Godzilla is on track to become the best-selling Stern game in at least 40 years, potentially surpassing The Addams Family
Hasbro was very easy to work with on Transformers licensing, likely because D&D turned out well
Jersey Jack is developing Sonic the Hedgehog based on the video game IP, not the movie
Pedretti hired CGC's software and development team, indicating CGC has exited the remake business
Tales of the Arabian Nights was officially announced May 12th with minimal marketing follow-up
Stern produces approximately 35,000 games per year compared to boutique manufacturers at ~1,000 per year
The Megatron Cannon is an interactive mech feature comparable to Rudy from Funhouse in player agency
Transformers game code is further along in development than most games at this stage
George Gomez's original Transformers game (circa 2011) also did not feature transforming mechanics
Eugene Jarvis is being celebrated this year with AAMA's Lifetime Achievement Award
AAMCF's fundraising goal for the ad journal is $330,000
Hotel reservation deadline is June 17
AMOA Regional Tech School is scheduled for July 21-22 at Hilton Garden Inn Chicago O'Hare
Bob Burnham of Paradise Pinball will lead the pinball session on Day 2
November Tech School in Charlotte, North Carolina is planned
Mini Cube Prize World Premium Combo becomes an instant focal point the moment a guest walks in
Urban Fun Kingston is a £4 million, 24,000-sq.-ft. venue
Mini Cube Prize World encourages people to play longer and return more often
Pinstack Loudoun County is the first Pinstack location outside of Texas
Sacoa deployed 9 K4 self-service kiosks, 1 Redemption Station, and 250+ Spark card readers at Pinstack Loudoun County
EPG Inc. and Sacoa have maintained a partnership since the first Pinstack opened in 2015
Sacoa's support and responsiveness made the Pinstack Loudoun County launch 'smoother, easier and far more dynamic'
IAAPA has recognized individuals with extraordinary creativity and leadership contributions since 1990
Hall of Fame nominations can be submitted through June 22
Brass Ring Awards submissions are open with October 16 deadline
The Epstein Cup is an annual team pinball competition
The Epstein Cup was created 13 years ago to honor Steve Epstein
Steve Epstein was instrumental in both the growth of pinball as a pastime and in the establishment of pinball tournaments
32 points are required to win the Epstein Cup
Beetlejuice code update with character callouts coming today or early tomorrow (June 4-5, 2026)
Approximately 400 of 999 Beetlejuice units have been boxed
New code will include four types of character callouts, automatically enabled but customizable in menu; future goal is individual selection of callout types
Dead Ring under-cabinet lighting mod launching soon for Spooky games starting with Beetlejuice
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland topper PCBs delayed from January promise to May, now delayed to mid-June (small batch) and mid-August (remainder)
Dutch Pinball designing alternative PCBs for Alice toppers with testing and larger production order scheduled for end-of-July delivery
Melvin Williams has left Dutch Pinball and joined American Pinball
Melvin Williams will complete Alice's Adventures in Wonderland code update in 6-8 weeks from early June 2026
Dutch Pinball has 12 Alice units boxed for US shipment in latter half of June 2026 and 12 units for EU customers around same timeframe
Melvin Williams and Lior will personally provide toppers to any Alice customers who do not receive them
Sonic the Hedgehog will be released on June 23rd, 2026
Keith Elwin's Fallout will release in March 2027, not 2026
Next Stern cornerstone game will be from John Borg, likely Ozzy Osbourne or new AC/DC, around Expo
Pinball Brothers has secured The Fifth Element license
Jersey Jack Pinball has licensed The Grateful Dead for a pinball machine
Stern will remake popular Spike 2 games on Spike 3 platform, including James Bond Goldfinger
John Wick LE production was approximately 400 units, not 1,000
Post-Godzilla, modern Stern games rely 100% on code for magical moments rather than mechanical innovation
Transformers without Optimus Prime transforming mech is the biggest fumble in pinball in 10 years
Back to the Future will have secondary market scalping value of $5,000-$10,000+ due to extreme scarcity and visual appeal
Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye is a three-flipper, six-ball game with Pro, Premium, and LE pricing at approximately $7,000, $9,700, and $13,000 USD.
Optimus Prime does not transform on the playfield; Megatron cannon is Premium-only feature; community speculation attributes this to either mechanical reliability failures or cost constraints.
Pinball Heaven is now authorized as a second Stern distributor in the UK, ending ElectricCoin's monopoly and allowing direct-to-consumer sales at recommended retail pricing.
John Wick v1.01 (released May 27, 2026) added mini wizard mode, final wizard mode, increased extra ball opportunities from 2 to 5, and enhanced player feedback.
Stern Pinball is planning a European office in Amsterdam with John Buscalier as head, targeted for end of 2026.
Team Pinball was commissioned to design and code a Big Bang Bar remake prototype; Pedretti Gaming subsequently retained the prototype and code after severing the relationship, leaving Team Pinball with no compensation or IP rights.
Wonderland Amusements expects World of TMNT to begin shipping in October 2026; currently only shipping to US and Canada.
Pedretti Gaming announced Tales of the Arabian Nights 2.0 as their next remake after Liga Booga, with a prototype spotted at Planetary Pinball facility in Sparks, Nevada.
Stern Pinball media events lack advance asset embargoes, forcing journalists to either skip coverage or rely on press releases rather than original reporting.
Pedretti Gaming appears to be producing primarily Funhaus with limited capacity for new projects; current production status of Liga Booga remake is unconfirmed.
Transformers More Than Meets the Eye costs $6,995 for Pro, $9,700 for Premium, and $13,000 for Limited Edition
The Pro version of Transformers has no transforming features, while Premium includes a Megatron cannon and Premium/LE includes Soundwave cassette lock
Elizabeth Guiske is the software lead for Transformers and this is her first lead role at Stern
Elliott Eisman designed Transformers More Than Meets the Eye after previously designing John Wick
Pinball Heaven is now authorized to sell Stern games in the UK at manufacturer's recommended retail price without ElectroCoin markup
Wonderland Amusements' TMNT game will begin shipping in October 2026 to US and Canada only
Pedretti Gaming's Big Bang Bar remake project experienced a falling out with Team Pinball, resulting in Pedretti keeping a prototype that Team Pinball had purchased and invested development work into
John Wick version 1.01 added a mini wizard mode and final wizard mode, increasing extra ball opportunities from 2 to 5, released May 27, 2026
Lonnie D. Ropp is the software lead on John Wick and significantly improved the game through version 1.01 update
Stern is extending European distribution beyond ElectroCoin to reduce pricing and improve market access, with John Buscalier planning to move to Amsterdam to head European operations
The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye game was shown publicly outside the Stern factory for the first time at Park Avenue Open Day.
John Buscaglia will head Stern Pinball's new European office in Amsterdam and plans to relocate to the Netherlands later in 2026.
Park Avenue was historically the focal point for multiple amusement importers and distributors in the UK.
Electrocoin is the UK distributor for Stern Pinball.
The Transformers game was offline and unable to connect to Insider Connected during the Park Avenue Open Day.
Capcom representatives stated Resident Evil is almost impossible to license for anything because the creator won't allow it.
There is no Resident Evil pinball machine in development.
This Week in Pinball had been reporting on the Resident Evil pinball for months before this expo statement.
The TWIP author had extensive back-and-forth communications with someone claiming to spearhead the Resident Evil pinball project.
Carl D'Angelo is the designer of Winchester Mystery House
Winchester Mystery House is Barrels of Fun's third game after Labyrinth and Dune
The game is more complex than the original (Winchester by Spooky Pinball)
Winchester Mystery House plays with good flow and feel
The stained glass window aesthetic in Winchester Mystery House is visually distinctive and novel
Mark was considered for a working relationship with Barrels of Fun but it did not happen
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was made in a limited run of 500 units
The game was originally designed by John Papadiuk
This was Dutch's first time ever playing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The host previously played Alice's Adventures in Wonderland once at Pastimes Arcade
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland features an upper playfield accessible via Throne Room shot
The game uses magnet flippers on the upper playfield
The cabinet features dual MagnaSave buttons on each side
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is mechanically comparable to Twilight Zone in complexity
Stargate is an underrated gem that typically sells for $3,000-$3,500
Banzai Run's vertical playfield is a peak example of experimental pinball design
Safeer features a magic token dispenser that makes it feel very interactive
Joust's head-to-head simultaneous two-player design represents an alternative timeline for pinball
Motor Show (Zachariah) had only 50-70 units produced
Starship Troopers successfully translates the movie experience into pinball form
Ripley's Believe It or Not is an underrated gem overshadowed by flashier holy grail titles
Circus Voltaire's ringmaster toy physically interacts with gameplay and creates immersion
Tales of the Arabian Knights represents a final explosion of creativity before the late-90s pinball collapse
Collectors typically prefer original machines over remakes despite modern game quality
IFPA staff has been working on technical infrastructure, rankings improvements, policy updates, and longer-term projects supporting competitive pinball growth
Three new staff members (Stephanie Traub, Claire Lickman, Leslie Ruckman) were added to IFPA
11 incidents were officially reported to IFPA in the last 3 months
Events with split machine groupings should be required to split for both qualifying and finals portions
Hybrid rules should potentially change to count the greater of 3x machines being used or 4x game scores
Kelly's Flipper Fiesta had 17 players with 4 new players
Ladies Flip matched donations to Blood Cancer United, totaling approximately $300
Whopper Chopper was held the week before Worlds in De Pere
A Kong player at Whopper Chopper played for 4 hours straight and scored over 2 billion points
Kong's high score at the venue is over 6 billion points, suggesting possible score exploits
Classic era pinball games (1970s-80s) were designed to extract quarters quickly rather than provide long play sessions
Modern pinball games (60-80% of them) land in home basements and are designed for deep ruleset engagement
Lumberjack Johnnies has two Pokemon machines while only one Beetlejuice machine
Shot holding and stopping is a technique that makes scoring easier and more consistent
The podcast plans to have merchandise at Pinball Expo in October with t-shirts priced around $18
The old joint started as an intended pinball bar but failed to secure a liquor license due to poor parking
Eureka Heights grew to 36-38 machines from a conversation between John Spades and Taylor at the old joint
The JBS Show has produced 13-14 roundtable episodes
Pokemon code approval will take approximately two years due to Pokemon Company's low prioritization of pinball
Jack Danger is the best pinball streamer at combining engagement with gameplay
Transformers pinball had a transformer toy feature that was supposed to move but was cut
Four people have seen the unreleased Sonic pinball machine but are not disclosing details
Harry Potter by Jersey Jack is a good shooter but confusing in terms of code understanding
Batman pinball is a great game with excellent code by designer Lyman
The Pinball Studio has introduced approximately 150 new players to competitive pinball tournaments
Punk Rock Pinball HQ in Bloomington, Illinois now has 36-37 machines listed on Pinball Map with almost all working
Playing out of turn in a tournament results in automatic disqualification for that round
Shelly Sharp is skilled at managing tournament downtime by sitting whenever possible
We don't own Spooky or Barrels of Fun machines because they're not accessible at MSRP
They attempted to acquire Winchester Mystery House but were one day too late
Fantasy Island should have a pinball machine but surprisingly doesn't
Winchester Mystery House pinball is a game of such majesty it would make people uncomfortable playing alone
DLC for pinball machines (like adding new Stranger Things seasons to a Stranger Things machine) would be amazing but is a slippery slope
The hosts' machine collection is approximately 50% modern Stern and 50% older Williams/Bally/Gottlieb games
Kevin recently topped LED Zeppelin Pro leaderboard at 490+ million points
Tales of the Arabian Nights has been officially announced as Stern's next game remaster
Transformers' Optimus Prime was originally designed to transform but the feature was cut due to reliability issues
The Pro version of Transformers lacks sculpted figures that are present in Premium/LE versions
The Sanctum's 24-hour pinball event is permanently retired after 12 editions
Jersey Jack's Sonic pinball game will be based on the video game, not the movie version
Stop Graham West tournament lost approximately 15+ players (mostly Canadians) due to scheduling conflict with Magna-Fest
Transformers licensing is expected to enable faster code updates compared to Pokemon's difficult approval process
Transformers LE machines will sell out and be listed for resale within 3 months
American Pinball's Circus Voltaire production is limited to 771 total units
Steve Ritchie is designing Jersey Jack's Sonic pinball game
Kyle Smet is the creator of Big Trouble in Little China homebrew/VPX
James Hong is involved in the Big Trouble in Little China game project
Harry Potter pinball machine has paid itself off and is now generating pure profit at the streamer's venue
King Kong performs worse on location than Godzilla despite having a superior playfield design
Steve Ritchie is designing Sonic for Jersey Jack and is known as a 'master of flow'
Big Trouble in Little China VPX's primary weakness is insufficient sound design across playfield elements
Homebrew builders should avoid using magnets in pinball games because they cause degradation and performance issues
The streamer is considering purchasing a Sonic machine from Jersey Jack
Big Trouble in Little China VPX is available for download at VPU (Virtual Pinball Universe)
The streamer owns a Multimorphic machine with Portal, Princess Bride, and Weird Owl modules
Spooky Pinball redesigned the topper installation to eliminate D-loop cable routing
The Beetlesnake topper includes Spooky Speak voice recognition microphone functionality
Extra hardware (wing nuts) are included in the topper box for users who may have discarded original hardware
The Spooky Speak microphone can be tested via debug menu accessed by holding the red button on the coin door
Foam protection from the coin box should be used on the apron when operating the playfield in service position to prevent topper damage
Portal has a two-level playfield with an upper playfield
Ian Harrower programmed Portal
Portal includes a backbox display that replicates the playfield
The host had never played Portal before this video
Dutch Craisley is familiar with the Portal video game theme
Portal features multiple multiball modes triggered through specific playfield shots
The host liked Portal after their first playthrough
Ontario Pinfest 2026 took place at a Nitro Pinball location (Angel International)
Star Lanes Polaris was selected as 2026 FEC of the Year
Applications for 2027 FEC of the Year are due by June 30
Finalists receive professional secret shopper evaluation reports that provide feedback on guest experience, operations, service standards and facility performance
Ray Borges was promoted to Vice President of Sales at Coastal Amusements
Mike Dean departed from Coastal Amusements
Coastal Amusements has upcoming games: All Star Golf, Freeze 5, Roll N Win, and Vortex
Hot Wheels Ultimate Speedway has been successful for Coastal Amusements
Palmyra Bowling Center experienced sustained year-over-year growth after using GrowthPro Group's ExecPro coaching framework
Leadership gaps, inconsistent systems, and reactive day-to-day operations were making long-term growth difficult at Palmyra Bowling Center
Many FEC operators are working hard but lack structure and alignment, which makes sustained growth difficult
NAC2026 is the 15th anniversary event
Event dates are October 13-15, 2026 at Paris Las Vegas
First-timer package pricing is $475 before July 31, $575 after
Package only available to U.S. ATM ISOs and operators
Stern Pinball released John Wick code v1.01.0 for Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models
The v1.01.0 update includes Red Circle Reckoning, The Duel (Part II), and Special Assignment Wizard modes
CNCDan's Space Cadet project received coverage from Ars Technica and The Verge
Deeproot attempted to create a commercial Space Cadet–themed pinball machine but failed to secure IP licensing and pivoted to a gladiator theme before collapsing
CNCDan had no prior knowledge of existing pinball control systems like FAST Pinball before starting the Space Cadet project
There was a physical homebrew Space Cadet prototype that received one update and was abandoned around 2012
Solenoids in Australia cost $60+ AUD, prompting CNCDan to use standardized off-the-shelf components
CNCDan will use very few pre-existing standard pinball parts due to scaling issues with Space Cadet's playfield
CNCDan was initially unaware that the pinball industry dislikes servos due to wear and failure rates
CNCDan expects to use a 20mm steel ball scaled to match the original Space Cadet proportions
CNCDan believes 3D-printed homebrew pinball will emerge primarily at small, simple scales rather than full-size complex machines
The pinball and traditional arcade scene in Australia is primarily sustained by a handful of dedicated venues like 1up Arcade and Netherworld
Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye has rolled out to incredible worldwide coverage
Pokémon by Stern Pinball continues to capture the attention of the world as games make their way into homes and locations globally
Escher Lefkoff dominated the competition for the YEGPIN Stern Pro Circuit victory
Stern has added Pokémon by Stern Pinball (Pro and Premium) to the IFPA Stern Rewards Program
Factory tour scheduling is now open exclusively for All-Access members with a paid subscription at Stern Pinball
SPIKE 3 Speaker Lights are now available to purchase from Stern
The 2026 Stern Pro Circuit is sponsored by Mountain Dew
Transformers will make its public debut at three simultaneous events: IGN Live, Summer Games Fest: Play Days, and Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show
Stern is continuously working on code updates and bug fixes for multiple machines in various stages of development
Carrot flippers are longer than lightning flippers
Black Water 100 has a ball save mechanic that is not clearly communicated to the player
Completing a race course in Black Water 100 requires finishing all eight sections (Hill Climb, Bog, Downhill, Banging, Rock, Swamp, Highway 93, Rapids) three times to win
Each completed section in Black Water 100 scores 500k when flashing
Beetlejuice pinball machines are sold out and cannot be purchased
The skill shot is an auto-launch button that cannot be controlled for strength
The game features a sandworm mechanical element that can be stunned during gameplay
The multiball does not appear to be worth many points
The waiting room lock is difficult to access on first attempt
Ontario Pinfest 2026 is located in Stainer, Ontario and organized by Davis Still
Flipper feel on Beetlejuice may be different than expected, possibly related to Spooky hardware
KTR operates the largest indoor skate park in Arizona
Alley Cats evolved from a Putt-Putt venue starting in the 1970s and rebranded to Alley Cats in 2007
Alley Cats won the 2025 AAMA FEC of the Year award
KTR generates significant additional revenue through group events, school bookings, and private after-hours facility rentals
Alley Cats is expanding mocktail offerings in response to declining alcohol consumption trends
KTR's success is driven by accessibility (rental gear available), progression pathways, and safety
Alley Cats' competitive advantage stems from operational consistency, design personality, and community engagement
The FEC industry operates with a collaborative rather than zero-sum competitive culture, particularly within AAMA
Nate Reinhart has 250,000+ subscribers across his YouTube channels (NalterDeeds and NalterCards)
Barry Zelickson has worked in entertainment for nearly 30 years and won multiple IAAPA Brass Ring awards
Most FEC operators are not achieving 20% online sales penetration
The guest experience journey begins on a smartphone three days before physical arrival
Excessive signage (50+ signs) is ineffective due to guest cognitive overload
Reducing service tier options from multiple tiers to fewer choices increases average transaction value
Staff labor shortages are the universal struggle in 2026 FEC landscape
The Rule of Thirds (one-third bowling, one-third F&B, one-third arcade) is no longer optional for FEC financial resilience.
Redemption and crane operations drive 85% of arcade sales in bowling centers.
Most bowling center proprietors do not actively manage redemption operations despite it being the highest-margin arcade segment.
Intergenerational transfer of bowling centers requires modernized business model beyond league bowling alone.
Economic uncertainty will motivate previously hesitant bowling center owners to modernize or sell in 2026.
Pinnacle Entertainment Group has spent more time on operations consulting for existing clients than new facility development in recent years.
Brunswick provides effective guidance to bowling center proprietors during modernization projects.
NeeDoh is a current high-performing redemption product that should be considered for bowling center redemption counters.
A Yankees game outing with two kids costs $1,000-$1,400 for a couple hours of entertainment
Gas prices staying high and economic tightening will reduce consumer visits to location-based entertainment venues
Operators should prioritize identifying and understanding their core customer demographics before attempting marketing
Social media and AI tools enable effective laser-targeted customer acquisition for location-based businesses
Bar owners frequently demanded distributors stock specific games that turned out to be unprofitable
Machine closeout sales happened where prices dropped significantly after purchase, leaving operators with losses
Distributors faced significant default risk with operators on personally guaranteed debts
Current pinball/arcade business conditions may be better than the romanticized 'good old days'
Emily won the Women's Provincial Championship and the Open Provincial Championship in BC on consecutive days
Emily finished fourth in the Canadian National Pinball Championships (open division) with 48 competitors
Emily won the Canadian Women's National Pinball Championship against 24 competitors, defeating Carrie Hill in the finals
Emily won the WNACS (Women's North American Championships) at Lions Classic Pinball in Colorado and received a pinball machine as prize
Emily won the Women's World Championships the day after winning WNACS and received a second pinball machine
Emily's father Jody purchased Bram Stoker's Dracula in 2009 to meet VRPA membership requirement of owning a machine
The VRPA (Vancouver Pinball Players Association) was founded in 2002
Emily has never won the VRPA local league championship despite winning multiple national and international championships
Emily graduated from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver with a degree in visual arts (drawing and painting)
Emily works as a pet portrait painter at a pet memorial company
Dalek Chase in Doctor Who includes a control mechanic that allows mid-air button input to extend jump length, adding grace to reaction timing
Destroy the Mothership in Attack from Mars is only available as a mystery award and requires lighting all four in/out lanes to access
Escape in the Mine Cart requires passing 25 splits to win, with difficulty escalations at splits 8 and 16
Dalek Chase receives criticism from players for being too simple or repetitive, with early waves being identical
Save the Children in Medieval Madness is so difficult to unlock (8 F-I-R-E completions) that very few players have encountered it
Apollo 13 by Sega (1995) is the only non-Bally Williams game to make the top ten best 1990s video modes list
Shuttle Simulation from Star Trek: The Next Generation is similar to Escape in the Mine Cart but lacks the frenetic energy of the Indiana Jones version
Doctor Who's video modes are one of several viable strategies due to the game's innovative and well-balanced ruleset
PinballRanker uses an ELO-based ranking system where two games are compared at a time, and hidden scores update based on outcomes
Pinside's categorical rating system requires users to evaluate 20+ different categories including cabinet artwork, sound quality, call-outs, and light show packages
A competing ELO-based pinball ranking site launched within days of Connor's PinballRanker beta release
Pinside updates its rankings once per week on Mondays, whereas PinballRanker updates in real-time
Dune (Jersey Jack Pinball) did not sell its full 1,000-unit production run
Classic solid-state games are significantly underrepresented on Pinside's top 100 list because they lack call-outs and modern cabinet art
PinballRanker's early global rankings show classic solid-state games (Future Spa, Skateball, Mystic, Dune, Eight Ball Deluxe) in the top 10
Connor is a software engineer with 12+ years of professional experience
Ranking all games on Pinside takes approximately 15 minutes per game and creates significant time-sink friction
The Wedgehead Pinball Podcast Discord community independently advocated for a simplified 'this or that' ranking approach, inspired by PopcornList/Flickchart
American Pinball continues manufacturing and shipping Hot Wheels machines despite limited visibility
Cuphead pinball remains in development at American Pinball with plans to release
American Pinball is developing a movie-themed game with designer Nick
Barrels of Fun targets September completion for Winchester's Mystery House and Dune
Jersey Jack Sonic will release on June 9th
Dutch Pinball's Back to the Future has good artwork but reportedly barren gameplay
Jersey Jack is working on Justice League pinball
Jersey Jack previously attempted Matrix license but couldn't get everything they wanted
Chicago Gaming Company's Halo release timing is still years away
Hexa Pinball's Three Musketeers will not be a significant seller without a major license
Market volume dipped from 1.5M (April) to 1.33M (May) as summer approaches
Stern moved 87 machines in April with median pricing 7,800-8,200 across Pro/Premium/LE
Beetlejuice has had 53 sales on used market since November announcement
Rick and Morty is down 6% and historically held value well due to limited production and location deployment
Barrels of Fun will become one of the top three pinball companies within three years
Chrome-edition Terminator 2 sold for $17,250 unworking in November; turnkey version would be $20,000
American Pinball and Planetary Pinball announced Circus Fantastique remake (timing and format unknown)
Highspeed and Getaway High Speed 2 influenced modern designers like Pat Lawler and Keith Elwin
Circus Fantastique price decline (down 8%) may be driven by announcement of upcoming remake
Barrels of Fun has produced 500-2,000 games total across all three titles with Winchester wrapped and Dune wrapping up
Pokémon is a bigger IP than Star Wars and bigger than Disney
Stern released promotional video with editors panning away from George Gomez and Jack Danger's faces when pronouncing 'Pokémon'
Pokémon Pinball LE units are being flipped for $1,000-$3,000+ on secondary market with multiple simultaneous buy and sell listings
Ryan emailed his Australian distributor two years ago requesting a Pokémon Pinball reservation before official announcement
Pokémon Pinball layout looks similar to Junkyard and appears 'kind of boring' with safe design choices
There are 1,000+ Pokémon total with 150+ new ones released annually
Tournament directors adding brand-new games to competition brackets before code stabilizes can result in exploits and unfair play
Josh Sharpe removed Amazing Race tournament format from Stern Pro Circuit eligibility because he deemed it 'too efficient'
Jack Danger is equivalent to Keith Elwin in terms of designer reputation and collecting appeal
Indisc tournament experienced 400 players with excessive queue times; attendees requested scaling back of participation
The playfield technician who swapped Fathom and Centaur playfields did substandard work.
The solenoid expander board on Fathom had its traces deliberately scratched off to prevent repair.
Removing the third ball from Fathom allows it to boot successfully.
Centaur may be the first pinball game with a built-in tilt warning feature.
Mike Dimes had played the only successful game on Fathom since the playfield swap work began.
A physical short in the Fathom playfield activates when the playfield is latched down.
The Knight Rider restoration is estimated at approximately 100+ hours of work.
Fathom and Centaur will be brought to Ontario Pinball Fest.
Centaur is 97.2% complete after restoration.
The Grasley Garage is experiencing space constraints from continuous machine acquisitions.
Elliott Eisman designed Transformers as his sophomore game, with John Wick being his first design
Elizabeth Geeski is the lead programmer on Transformers and this is her first lead code role
Optimus Prime was originally planned to move and transform but this feature was cut within the last month before release
The Pro model played significantly better than the Premium/LE model despite having identical layouts
Transformers code will update faster than Pokémon code due to differences in licensing complexity
Ball rejects are occurring on the ball lock to the right of Optimus Prime
Peter Cullen and Frank Welker provide voice acting for Transformers pinball
Decepticons elements on the Premium/LE move and interact while Autobots elements are static
Elizabeth Geeski is establishing a reputation that will make future games with her on code more desirable to consumers
Collectors will immediately replace Stern's included toys with higher-quality aftermarket alternatives
Barrels of Fun has financial difficulties based on requiring pre-orders for Dune Topper 8 months in advance
Pokemon LE code is thin and the game will continue to decline in price and hype
Ozzy Osbourne pinball is a legitimate Stern rumor with John Borg as designer
Fallout will have more code than Pokemon at four months post-release
Back to the Future will be exclusively distributed through Cointaker
Kaneda has never received a discount on pinball machine purchases in 14 years
About 100 of 750 Pokemon LEs were purchased with scalping intent rather than genuine fandom
Stern employees contact Kaneda expressing workplace dissatisfaction and lack of control
Jersey Jack's unlimited CE strategy for Sonic is unprecedented in pinball
All pinball manufacturer failures are due to their own business decisions, not external factors
Nested scenes in OBS work similarly to pre-composing in Premiere and After Effects
Manu streams multiple pinball games from location including Tron and Iron Man
Nested scenes reduce setup time when switching between different pinball game streaming configurations
Manu's player cam scene includes overlays such as Yoda lamp animation and effects from community members (Becca, Pinballer)
Villain Escape mode cannot be stacked with Shame mode
Villain Escape provides a 30-second ball save at mode start
The VPX simulation does not accurately include the ball save mechanic from Villain Escape
Star Wars Galactic Edition is produced by Spooky Pinball
The table contains an escape mechanic that players may not immediately discover
The table features selectable Sith and Jedi gameplay modes
The lightsaber on the playfield is mechanically animated