DPP #24 "Prize phrase episode! Listen now and win! Also Scooby production updates, Pulp Fiction teaser out!"

Don's Pinball Podcast (regular feed)·podcast_episode·16m 16s·analyzed·Mar 10, 2023

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.033

TL;DR

Spring pinball release deluge: Pulp Fiction reveal, Godfather impressions, Scooby production pace updates.

Summary

Don discusses the crowded spring 2024 pinball release schedule, featuring announcements of Pulp Fiction (Chicago Gaming/Play Mechanics with designer Mark Ritchie), Godfather (Jersey Jack), and Scooby-Doo production updates (Spooky achieving 100 units boxed with 56 in production). He expresses concerns about market saturation limiting individual game momentum while sharing personal enthusiasm for upcoming releases and his own Elvira Premium customization project.

Key Claims

Play Mechanics is a new pinball division under/partnered with Raw Thrills, designed to handle pinball while Raw Thrills maintains arcade branding
medium confidence · Don speculates: 'Play Mechanics, probably the pinball division of Raw Thrills. Maybe they want to keep their Raw Thrills branding for their sit-down arcade machines and redemption machines. and then Play Mechanics will be the new brand under which the tables are designed and then built by Chicago Gaming Company.'
Scooby-Doo has 100 units boxed and 56 currently in production, roughly one month after initial February release
high confidence · Don states: 'It sounds like they have their first 100 games boxed up. Boxed and probably most of those shipped. They have another 56 currently in production.'
Don forecasted to receive his pre-ordered Scooby-Doo in August or September 2024
high confidence · Don: 'I was forecasted to receive mine sometime in August or September.'
Quentin Tarantino wanted Pulp Fiction pinball to be an electromechanical throwback with single playfield, but current design includes ramps
low confidence · Don speculates: 'Quentin Tarantino wanted an electromechanical throwback design, single play field. That kind of got me a little bit out of the mood for this game. But then now I'm hearing that there is an actual ramp in it, so it's not just a single level. I don't know. Speculation all over the place.'
Jersey Jack Godfather CE (Collector's Edition) is limited to 1,000 units, with 5,000 LE units
high confidence · Don: 'And that's the one that's limited to only 1,000. Whereas they're going to make 5,000 of the limiteds.'
Eight major pinball games are in release/pre-order pipeline: Scooby-Doo, Pulp Fiction, Godfather, Foo Fighters, Final Solution, Final Vengeance, Final Avengers, Galactic Tank Force, Queen, and Spinal Tap
high confidence · Don enumerates: 'scooby-doo right pulp fiction godfather foo fighters um final solution final vengeance final avengers scott denise's game is available to order galactic tank force hasn't been fully revealed but it has been released... One, two, three, four, five, six. Six and a half like solid games. Eight total.'

Notable Quotes

“Whitewater is the phrase that pays. That classic game with the plastic ramps, the roller coaster ramps, they call it, that big Yeti. I love that game.”
Don @ ~0:00-2:00 — Contest phrase for Louisville Arcade Expo prize pack giveaway; establishes listener engagement mechanic
“So for this theme to be coming out on Pinball, I am fired up. I'm cautiously optimistic. I really want to see what they're able to do with this license.”
Don @ ~4:30 — Personal emotional investment in Pulp Fiction pinball; establishes host enthusiasm despite design uncertainties
“What a crowded march. What a time to be into this hobby.”
Don @ ~11:00 — Core observation about market saturation and release schedule congestion affecting community engagement
“I only want to play this game with the gold chrome wire forms and if i have to wait and find a location that has it i might just do that.”
Don @ ~8:30 — Illustrates CE/LE differentiation concern; shows collector preference hierarchy for cosmetic variants
“I think they run the risk, though, of kind of jumping into this crowded market and not owning the moment when that game's revealed.”
Don @ ~7:00 — Strategic market observation about diminished attention/excitement from release schedule compression
“i don't know man um i kind of want jersey jack to be that luxury brand maybe just have one SKU, one product line.”
Don @ ~8:00 — Opinion on JJP business strategy and portfolio simplification; reflects on SKU complexity value proposition
“So here we are roughly about a month later and 100 in box and 56 currently in production. That's pretty good.”
Don @ ~14:30 — Positive assessment of Spooky Scooby production velocity and fulfillment progress
“I got my Elvira Premium. That is a surprise. I didn't know I was getting that until I got a phone call from a distributor saying, I know you've expressed some interest and I've got an extra allotment.”

Entities

Donperson Chicago Gaming CompanycompanyPlay MechanicscompanyRaw ThrillscompanyMark Ritchieperson Pulp Fictiongame Scooby-Doogame

Signals

?
business_signal: Spooky Pinball achieving strong production velocity (100 boxed, 56 in production one month post-release) with early deposits strategy; competitive advantage from early-to-market positioning
high · Don: 'Spooky, the first ones out the gate. Bravo to them... they have their first 100 games boxed up... They have another 56 currently in production'
?
event_signal: Louisville Arcade Expo opening with Don's Pinball Podcast presence for merchandise distribution and listener engagement via prize pack giveaway
high · Don: 'i'm gonna be down there i've got new stacks of stickers i've got new shirts ready for me... Whitewater is the phrase that pays'
?
competitive_signal: Jersey Jack multi-tier SKU strategy (CE 1,000 units, LE 5,000 units) with primarily cosmetic differentiation; Don questions value proposition vs. single luxury brand approach
high · Don: 'I kind of want jersey jack to be that luxury brand maybe just have one SKU, one product line... there really no mechanical differences and all it is is these extra garnishes'
?
design_philosophy: Godfather design approach: high visual spectacle (lights, chrome, shinies) over thematic fidelity to source material (slow, dramatic film tone)
medium · Don: 'if it was a wine it would be like a burgundy right just just thick and dark... you throw that out the window you light it up like you're on the floor of a casino'
$
market_signal: Rapid release schedule compression with eight major titles in pipeline creating market saturation and reducing individual game visibility/attention

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.049

0:00

sliding into the end of your week it's don's pinball podcast coming through with episode number 24 the prize-winning episode the phrase that pays will be revealed the one that you can grab yourself a t-shirt prize pack this weekend at the louisville arcade expo that's coming up if you're on the expo floor and it's like man i gotta listen to that episode this is the one i'm gonna hit it up pretty quick here so you don't worry about fast forwarding also like always this month a little news tidbits have dropped as well which i'm gonna get into coming up in a second man end of the week this has been nuts you guys trying to keep up with all this news that's coming so what i'm doing this weekend that would i like to talk about is the louisville arcade expo i'm gonna be down there i've got new stacks of stickers i've got new shirts ready for me extra large double extra large i got you boo and if you see me there i'll be wearing my don's pinball podcast shirt, probably a backpack, and you come up to me and say, hey, are you Don? Also, whitewater, which is the phrase that pays, you get, while supplies last, a price pack containing a shirt and probably some pins and some buttons and some stickers and some stuff for you. Free of charge, me to you. I'm bringing four of these with me, so maybe I'll do two on Friday and two on Saturday. Maybe nobody shows up and I got to take these things home with me. Although any other ways, if you see me there, whether you're a distributor or an exhibitor or just some guy, I'll be there, probably have a hat on, maybe not. We'll see what kind of hair day I'm having. But whitewater is the phrase that pays. That classic game with the plastic ramps, the roller coaster ramps, they call it, that big Yeti. I love that game. Personal favorite of mine. I run it through my Ultra VP every now and then just to get some of that good, good whitewater. You feel me? So whitewater is the phrase. If you're listening to this in line and you spot me, run over there, tell me that word, get your prize pack, Get your back covered with fresh gear, fresh drips from Don's Pinball Podcast. Moments ago, I noticed the reveal, finally, of Pulp Fiction. Now, myself and this theme do have a history. I was in high school when this came out, and I was not yet quite old enough to go see an R-rated movie on my own. So I bought myself a ticket to some Disney film, snuck into theater, thought I was a total high-intense criminal at the time. And I saw a movie at probably age 15 that I had no reference for and really had no idea what I'd even watched. But as I got older and got out of high school, this was a movie in my 20s that I played like I imagine people play with Godfather, where they keep a VHS tape in their back pocket, they throw it in and just wear it out. I had the screenplay, I memorized scenes. Man, I was super into Pulp Fiction. So for this theme to be coming out on Pinball, I am fired up. I'm cautiously optimistic. I really want to see what they're able to do with this license. Let's see. Who's designing this? A guy named Mark Ritchie. Have you heard of this guy? Pinball designer from back in the day. Worked for Williams. Worked for Capcom. Brought such hits such as Fish Tales, that really weird and creepy police force. Kingpin, which I was playing virtually the other day. Cool game. Nice play mechanics. I like it. Big Bang Bar. You heard of that one? It's been in the news recently as a possible remake. Bro did Diner. I mean, come on, Breakshot? So he's got a pedigree of games in the 80s and 90s that we all kind of remember. And I got a little soft spot for Diner myself. So for this guy, obviously, especially with fishtails, dude knows repeatable ramps, right? So I haven't heard much really just speculation about Pulp Fiction. Quentin Tarantino wanted an electromechanical throwback design, single play field. That kind of got me a little bit out of the mood for this game. But then now I'm hearing that there is an actual ramp in it, so it's not just a single level. I don't know. Speculation all over the place The only thing we know for sure this is the theme because there a video that out I just watched the little teaser video that was released and linked through nap arcade Shout out to nap Thank you homie for keeping all the links in one nice area I see if I can share it too on the Facebook page for those 124 of you that are currently following. So this is coming out. It looks like Chicago gaming company is building it. Um, hopefully there's not, topper holdups like what had happened with Cactus Canyon. So Raw Thrills was also rumored to be the designer company. Now this is an arcade company, but they're trying to get into pinball. And there's a new company called Play Mechanics, which it's them and Chicago Gaming Company putting this together. So it's Play Mechanics, probably the pinball division of Raw Thrills. Maybe they want to keep their Raw Thrills branding for their sit-down arcade machines and redemption machines. and then Play Mechanics will be the new brand under which the tables are designed and then built by Chicago Gaming Company. I am enthusiastic. I can't wait. I want to know more about this. And the way things have been going, things have gone from rumors to confirmation teaser to we're delivering them now to it's an IO arcade in Madison in like a week. So, you know, hot on the heels of Godfather's release, we're going to go with Pulp Fiction this week maybe? I mean, it wouldn't surprise me at the rate we've been going. Who else is fatigued by all these new games? This is nuts. Are we ever going to have a time period like this in the next recent future? Have people just had all these games in their pipeline, just waiting to put out? And then, you know, maybe they had a forecasted release date sometime this spring, but then they're seeing the market and how companies are dropping, dropping, dropping. They're like, well, we either go in or we get left out. I think they run the risk, though, of kind of jumping into this crowded market and not owning the moment when that game's revealed. Remember when Bond came out and it was just nothing else was out at that time and Bond was rumored and then the games were put up and then shut up at that convention in England, maybe due to the Queen's death or whatever licensing issue is more likely. And then they were really mad that some photos were actually taken of the game set up and they weren't quite ready to release it yet. And it was just like, it was pulling teeth to get information about Bond out when it was ready to come out. and now it's like oh here's a big cornerstone game we have oh there's another company that's three days later here's another cornerstone game we have um and everybody else is just throwing them out there so it's like there's no room to breathe for these machines um toy story had room to breathe right gasp for air uh as far as sales um notwithstanding it's still a fun game to play price i don't think matched uh the demand that i have for it i've commented that to death but you know uh when tory story came out when bond came out there was room for this to breathe and for us to speculate and to create episodes and things um and rant and rave and everything now things are dropping so quickly it's hard to keep up godfather came out like this week also right so um they're uh godfather i spoke about it with my first impressions watching that video i still think i don't know man um i kind of want jersey jack to be that luxury brand maybe just have one SKU, one product line. I understand that they want to strip down games so they're easier for operators. But really the difference between the limited edition and the collector's edition, there's no major mechanical difference. I mean, the play fields are the same. It's just accoutrement, right? The art blades, the shin guards, the gold instead of the chrome. I mean, that topper, if I get this game, that's the one I want. And that's the one that's limited to only 1,000. Whereas they're going to make 5,000 of the limiteds, Those are on location They here down in Madison Maybe I wander down there tonight throw some quarters through it But really that collector edition is the one that I would gravitate towards So does it make sense for Jersey Jack to have these different SKUs when there really no mechanical differences and all it is is these extra garnishes and maybe have a stripped down version with the option to upgrade to these other embellishments I don know how they would do it But I only want to play this game with the gold chrome wire forms and if i have to wait and find a location that has it i might just do that um luckily the people at a texas pinball festival this year should get a plethora of games to play including ces and ellies from jersey jack i would imagine probably a couple rows down pulp fiction will be there for play i made a quick little list let's go through all the current players that are revealed that are out of scooby-doo right pulp fiction godfather foo fighters um final solution final vengeance final avengers scott denise's game is available to order galactic tank force hasn't been fully revealed but it has been released as far as this is the game we're making we just haven't seen that full reveal i think we're thinking next week for that one uh queen pinball is out there and i haven't seen it show up in a location in the u.s yet. And somewhere floating out there amongst the sea foam from the deceased mermaids is Spinal Tap on the waves at some point. Spinal Tap, we hardly knew ye. Right, so what does that give us? One, two, three, four, five, six. Six and a half like solid games. Eight total. What a crowded march. What a time to be into this hobby. I mean, come on, guys. What else do I have on Godfather? I haven't watched a lot of the streams yet there is a gameplay stream coming up i.e pinball that twitch tv streamer he's going to be going live at 4 30 pacific standard time so this guy i haven't met this dude uh but he's affiliated with this uh brand called on tilt and on tilt is described as a speakeasy in the back of the korean barbecue place so now barcade even alluded to this when he posted it um that uh ace gogi is the name of the korean barbecue location which has pinball machines just in the back like there's a back room with like top shelf top tier games um they even had a uh multi-morphic on on uh public display uh with weird out now the thing is there's two locations there's one in west hills and one out in van eyes um which are you know let's see like five six miles apart geographically but could take 40 minutes of driving because los angeles i went to both locations i will say the uh the van eyes location wait no no i think it was the West Hills location. Definitely the Western location seemed to be a little more beefier. They both have games in the entryway and then a ton in the back. The Multimorphic P3 was in the, I believe, the West Hills location. Check Pinball Map before you go out if you're going to choose one or the other. I'd hit up both, though. The other one had a Batman SLE. I've never got to play one of those before, so I got to play one of those on site. Otherwise, they have top-shelf Mandos and Sterns, and there's a Scooby at each location, so you really can't go wrong. What a cool place. So, there are two locations just if you're going to be out in the Los Angeles area hit up one hit up both we did both in a day and that was in pouring rain so that was fun though that'll be a stream I'm sure people are going to be watching tonight 4 30 pacific so 5 6 7 30 p.m eastern 6 30 p.m for those of us in the midwest maybe I'll get to catch that hopefully um just to watch some gameplay uh the the layout you know 26 ball pass multiple diverters um the thing lights up like a sparkling unicorn i've heard i've heard other people describe godfather as you're playing godfather and the police are showing up due to all the lights um you know me i dig lights i dig chrome i dig shinies i dig blinkies um now going back i was speculating about godfather when it was first released like how are they going to make a game with this theme right because the theme of the godfather movie at least the first one that i saw very slow very slow pace very drama heavy music um if it was a wine it would be like a burgundy right just just thick and dark and uh this is how you make a game with that theme you don't go with that at all you throw that out the window you light it up like you're on the floor of a casino and then you put in some sculpts from godfather characters whether that's good whether that's bad i will leave that as a value judgment for you listener i am excited to play this game i think the ce is the one i would want to have but i don think my level of excitement meets the value that they placed on this machine at this point So I be watching that market But that my go right now having not played it That may change at the end of the day. Moving on, there is another update in production now. Spooky, the first ones out the gate. Bravo to them. Excellent design. Or excellent idea to get out before all of this, man. We're in the thick of the storm right here, man. and they were released and getting secured deposits early. So good on them. It sounds like they have their first 100 games boxed up. Boxed and probably most of those shipped. They have another 56 currently in production.