Episode 124 - Solid State Pinball Supply

TL;DR

Solid State Pinball Supply operators discuss pinball business challenges amid new game releases and competition.

Summary

Key Claims

• Solid State Pinball Supply sold 25-35 games in first three years, then increased after moving to larger location with arcade space

  high confidence · Nick Greenup directly stating business metrics: 'we probably sold, I don't know, at least 25, if not 35, in the first three years'

• Jersey Jack Pinball games require more maintenance and care on route compared to Stern games

  high confidence · Kerry Wing: 'JJP's historically have been rough on route for me...lot more care needed on route compared to the Stern games'

• Deep Root promised five games at 2019 TPF as part of 'five days of Deep Root' but still only showing Raza prototype years later

  high confidence · Carrie discussing unfulfilled promises: 'they announced that they were going to do the five days...now like they're still not even really done with the first one'

• Avengers Infinity Quest is expected to win Game of the Year at Twippies due to Stern's dominance of that award

  medium confidence · Tony's assessment: 'it's going to be game of the year in the Twippies, just like all of Elwynn's games are, because Elwynn owns that award'

• Flipper strength issues affected Raza prototype playability at shows, with top competitive player Travis unable to consistently hit left ramp

  high confidence · Detailed gameplay issue: 'Travis said he hit that shot 12 times, and he went fully around the ramp zero' on the jump ramp mechanic

• Jersey Jack games suffer from mushy flipper feel in low power situations at shows due to default settings

  medium confidence · Tony's observation: 'Jersey Jack is notorious for having mushy flippers when they're in a low power situation'

• Deep Root's original 'Ferrari quality with Kia pricing' statement has been walked back

  medium confidence · Carrie noting statement revision: 'that statement i believe has been walked back some'

• Stern Pro machines now cost almost $6,000, creating affordability barrier for casual buyers

Notable Quotes

• “How naive I was. But it turns out you can sell a lot of games.”

  Nick Greenup @ ~15:30 — Reflects unexpected success of Solid State Pinball Supply business model selling used machines

• “It does kind of lose some of its magic. However, since we're in the midst of a move when Ninja Turtles came out, I did get to feel a little of that joy again.”

  Nick Greenup @ ~28:00 — Illustrates how operator responsibilities diminish the excitement of receiving new machines versus home collectors

• “Everything about it from the display to the cabinet was all still prototype, and it didn't showcase any of the innovations that the company is planning”

  Tony @ ~55:00 — Suggests Deep Root's Raza prototype may not represent final innovations, affecting first impressions

• “They think they're second. They've named them as second. And Deep Root's coming in, and they talked a really big game about being disruptive, about producing more games than anyone else in pinball.”

  Tony @ ~62:00 — Frames Deep Root's ambitious positioning against established manufacturers and timing challenges

• “Travis said he hit that shot 12 times, and he went fully around the ramp zero.”

  Tony @ ~48:30 — Highlights mechanical design issues on Raza prototype affecting even elite competitive players

• “Every home for a pinball, every pinball for a home”

  Nick Greenup @ ~72:00 — Deep Root's original market positioning tagline indicating mass-market affordability goals

• “If they do not, if it's only Raza, the reaction to the reveal will be lackluster.”

  Tony @ ~52:00 — Assesses Deep Root reveal expectations and community sentiment about showing only one game

• “I'm like I don't know about that. He talked about the diagnostics and stuff, and they do have some cool features...you can just go into the menu and it shows you a picture of the play field and points out where the switch is”

Entities

Signals

• ?

  business_signal: Solid State Pinball Supply expanded from initial 25-35 machines sold to larger arcade-focused operation after pandemic; licensing requirements for arcade operations described as 'a nightmare'

  high · Nick: 'we moved to a bigger location and going all out with an arcade...the licensing is quite a nightmare'

• ?

  community_signal: Jersey Jack incorporates player-friendly software features: built-in manual display, switch error diagnostics with playfield diagrams, intuitive operator tools

  medium · Carrie praising JJP: 'you can go into the menu and it shows you a picture of the play field and points out where the switch is'

• ?

  competitive_signal: Deep Root's reveal timing problematic: positioned between Avengers (expected Game of Year winner) and JJP's second-place manufacturer status; missed TPF opportunity for broader circuit exposure

  medium · Tony: 'Avengers just came out, and it's going to be game of the year...Stern's the one real behemoth...Deep Root had an opportunity...they were going to reveal Raza there [TPF]'

• ?

  design_philosophy: Raza prototype exhibits mechanical/geometric issues: elite player Travis unable to consistently complete left jump ramp despite 12 attempts; flipper strength and ramp geometry questioned

  high · Direct gameplay failure metric: 'Travis said he hit that shot 12 times, and he went fully around the ramp zero'

• $

  market_signal: Game remake saturation: Jurassic Park and TMNT Ninja Turtles both recent re-releases; Tony notes 'it's the year of repeats' with multiple franchise revivals