Spooky Season

This Week in Pinball·article·analyzed·Oct 31, 2025

Analysis

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TL;DR

Spooky Beetlejuice hype reaches pre-sellout; Stern announces Walking Dead Remaster amid AI and exclusivity debates.

Summary

This Week in Pinball covers Spooky's Beetlejuice teaser and pre-pre-sellout, Stern's The Walking Dead Remastered announcement, and community sentiment on manufacturer AI art disclosure and exclusivity practices. Colin raises questions about Spooky's pricing strategy given strong demand, and expresses skepticism about The Walking Dead as a remaster choice despite its tournament credibility.

Key Claims

Spooky Beetlejuice pre-pre-sold out through distributors before full reveal; all distributor-allocated games already spoken for with deposits paid
high confidence · Colin states this happened after teaser trailer dropped on Sunday; full reveal scheduled for November 14th
Spooky Beetlejuice features a new tech gimmick called 'Spooky Speak' (demonstrated in teaser)
high confidence · Explicitly mentioned as a demo in the teaser trailer; branded as a Spooky technology
The Walking Dead Remastered will be offered in Premium and LE trim levels only (no Pro)
high confidence · Colin: 'the game will be offered in Premium and LE trim levels, much like Metallica Remastered'
Original The Walking Dead (2014) copies don't command a price premium on secondary market, unlike original Metallica
medium confidence · Colin's observation comparing secondary market positions of two titles
Spooky has already hit 100 paid subscribers to This Week in Pinball, well ahead of Colin's one-year goal
high confidence · Colin: 'Thanks to your support, we're over the 100 paid subscriber count—well ahead of schedule'

Notable Quotes

“If I can't get up to 100 paid subscribers by this time next year, what are we even doing here?”
Colin (TWIP editor) @ opening section — Reflects on editorial sustainability; subscriber goal was exceeded ahead of schedule
“To say the teaser was well received would be an understatement.”
Colin @ Beetlejuice section — Characterizes unprecedented community excitement for Beetlejuice reveal
“Imagine what the team could do with an extra 250-500 units sold; the investments they could make in their team, research and development, marketing, and more.”
Colin @ Beetlejuice analysis — Raises business/opportunity cost question about Spooky's limited production strategy despite sellout demand
“Very few people have seen or played the game yet, and imaginations in the pinball community tend to run wild. The things people imagine this game should be may be beyond what any company could ever deliver.”
Colin @ Beetlejuice hype analysis — Identifies risk of unrealistic expectations leading to backlash on release
“It seems like an odd choice for the second remastered game from Stern. Mainly because the IP of The Walking Dead is played out by now.”
Colin @ Walking Dead Remastered section — Questions strategic rationale for license choice vs. community demand
“I don't think Spooky would use AI art, but if they did, they'd be the first to disclose it.”
Community poll respondent @ Poll results — Reflects community trust in Spooky's transparency vs. other manufacturers
“Part of the reason I went in on the game was its exclusivity. If they ran more of them, that would be a slap in the face for those collectors who bought in before playing the game.”
Community poll respondent (Winchester discussion) @ Poll results — Articulates collector concern about exclusivity as purchase justification

Entities

Spooky PinballcompanyColin (TWIP)personBugperson Beetlejuicegame The Walking Dead Remasteredgame Evil Deadgame Christopher FranchipersonStern Pinball

Signals

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business_signal: Barrels of Fun Winchester's sold-out status generating secondary debate about exclusivity vs. opportunity for additional production runs
high · Poll responses: collectors value exclusivity as part of purchase decision; others prefer broader availability over scarcity economics
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community_signal: Ongoing debate about AI art disclosure practices; Jersey Jack criticized for using AI art on Harry Potter without initial disclosure; community divided on manufacturer accountability
high · Multiple poll responses discussing JJP's AI art usage and expectations for transparency from different manufacturers
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sentiment_shift: Beetlejuice hype reaching potentially unsustainable expectations; risk of backlash if game doesn't meet imagined features
high · 'Very few people have seen or played the game yet, and imaginations in the pinball community tend to run wild. The things people imagine this game should be may be beyond what any company could ever deliver'
$
market_signal: Spooky's distributor strategy creating pre-pre-sellout dynamic; all distributor-allocated units already committed before full reveal or availability window opened
high · 'While many distributors have been building interest lists for the better part of a year, it's likely all distributor-allocated games (Spooky reserves some number of games for direct sales) are already spoken for with deposits paid'
$
market_signal: Spooky's teaser trailer strategy (limited reveals, tech gimmick branding) generating extraordinary FOMO before full November 14 reveal

Topics

Spooky Beetlejuice pre-sellout and hype managementprimarySpooky Speak technology and new game featuresprimaryStern Walking Dead Remastered announcementprimaryManufacturer pricing and production strategy (Spooky/Barrels/Stern)primaryCommunity sentiment on AI art disclosuresecondaryCollector exclusivity vs. manufacturer revenuesecondaryEditorial independence and subscription models for pinball mediasecondaryPinball location spotlighting (TGI Friday's Niagara Falls)mentioned

Sentiment

mixed(0.55)— Positive toward Spooky's execution and community response (Beetlejuice hype), but critical of business strategy (pricing/production decisions). Skeptical about Walking Dead Remastered as second remaster choice. Underlying concern about manufacturer AI disclosure practices and collector exploitation through exclusivity/special editions. Generally respectful editorial tone with substantive questioning.

Transcript

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Keeping with the spirit-lifting vibe that we established last week with this selection of Brooke Combe’sHow Can I Tell You, a one-off single release that’s a follow-up to her well-received 2025 debut album, Dancing at the Edge of the World. In both the album and the single, the Scottish singer works with producer James Kelley (The Coral), and I feel like if I squint, I can hear the pop stylings of one of my favorite Coral songs, Dreaming of You. Anyway, I can’t stop listening to this one. Put it on as a palette cleanser when you come off the work day and head out for your Halloween shenanigans. We rely on support from paid subscribers I haven’t really focused on driving paid subscribers until recently. Towards the end of the summer, I had a conversation with my wife where I said, “If I can’t get up to 100 paid subscribers by this time next year, what are we even doing here?” Well, thanks to your support, we’re over the 100 paid subscriber count—well ahead of schedule. Shifting our model to focus on subscriber support means I don’t have to chase sponsors, can better Carl Weathers the storms of AI and eroding search traffic, and pursue a goal of editorial independence. So, if you enjoy the work we do here, and you haven’t upgraded your subscription yet, they start at $25/year, but most people join at $60/year. Get exclusive content, access to our Discord, and the self-satisfaction of supporting an independent pinball publication. Spooky Pinball Teases Beetlejuice and Pre-Pre-Sells Out On Sunday, Spooky Pinball dropped their much-anticipated teaser trailer for the hyper-hyped, long-rumored Beetlejuice machine, which follows up their successful release of Evil Dead last year. We don’t see a lot in the teaser, other than some obscured Christopher Franchi translite art and a demo of a new tech gimmick in the game, branded as Spooky Speak. To say the teaser was well received would be an understatement. While many distributors have been building interest lists for the better part of a year, it’s likely all distributor-allocated games (Spooky reserves some number of games for direct sales) are already spoken for with deposits paid. So pre-pre-sold out, as some have been saying. The game itself won’t be fully revealed until November 14th. I have some questions about this approach, and earlier this week, I sent a note to Bug at Spooky asking a few questions, but I have not received a reply as of publishing. Besides some blocking and tackling details, the two big things I wanted to know were if he had any regrets about not increasing prices and/or unit count for a game with such strong demand, and if he was concerned at all that the game could be entering overhyped territory. On the money side of things, much like the discussion about Barrels of Fun’s Winchester last week, as a small business owner, it hurts to leave revenue on the table. Imagine what the team could do with an extra 250-500 units sold; the investments they could make in their team, research and development, marketing, and more. On the hype side, the risk here is that if Spooky doesn’t totally knock this release out of the park (and in the public comments I’ve seen by the team, they seem to be very confident), they could face backlash. Very few people have seen or played the game yet, and imaginations in the pinball community tend to run wild. The things people imagine this game should be may be beyond what any company could ever deliver. Regardless, the game is already basically sold out, so all the hype has done what it’s supposed to do so far. Whether the game delivers is something else entirely, and what I’ll be watching for on reveal day and beyond. Stern Pinball Teases The Walking Dead Remastered Not to be outdone in the season of Spooky game reveals, Stern Pinball released the trailer for their long-rumored remastered version of The Walking Dead. We’ll get more details early next week (November 4th, to be precise), but we do know that the game will be offered in Premium and LE trim levels, much like Metallica Remastered, which was released last year. The thing that’s interesting to me about this release is that it seems like an odd choice for the second remastered game from Stern. Mainly because the IP of The Walking Dead is played out by now, but also because copies of the original 2014 game are not hard to find on the secondary market and don’t really command a price premium, unlike the original Metallica. Pinball Enthusiasts are quick to bring up names of games they’d like to see remastered at some point, and rarely is The Walking Dead mentioned in shortlists. But, it’s got a Lyman F. Sheats Jr. code base, it’s well-loved by tournament players, and a Borg-designed layout that, since Stern still employs him, can be easily revisited. I would imagine the license is affordable, and there’s always going to be a base of demand for NIB games from new pinball buyers or the home collector base. Including Insider Connected and associated achievements means some locations will snap it up, too. I’m curious who they will have on code, what they will add or tweak from Lyman’s work, and what kinds of geometry changes will be introduced by Borg. I’m sure it’ll be a great release for them, but it’s just an odd choice from where I sit. Resident virtual pinball expert Noah Crable reviews the latest Bally/Williams recreations from Zen Pinball on the Pinball FX platform, which also look to be the final releases in this series for 2025. What could we see introduced in 2026? Photo Dump: All our Favorite Photos from Pinball Media Mixer 3 Finally, here’s a selection of my favorite photos from the disposable film cameras we handed out at the Pinball Media Mixer this year. I get a little sappy in the write-up, but having two years now of these amazing artifacts from the pinball community is practically priceless. Pinball Map Location of the Week Ryan and Scott from Pinball Map run a regular series that highlights one new or interesting pinball location each week. This week, Scott writes about TGI Fridays. Somewhere in this Fridays is a pinball machine that seemingly no one has photographed It’s Halloween, so you might expect this part of TWIP to be spooky or seasonal. It’s not. We’re talking about TGI Fridays. What started in 1965 as a sleek Manhattan bar for singles has since evolved into a global, neon-lit temple to ranch dressing. The chain kept its red and white stripes, its unwavering commitment to sauce innovation, and its bold promise that every day could somehow still be Friday. Fridays and I go way back. It was the crown jewel of my childhood weekends, a big deal in small ways. As a grown man, I like to think my palate has evolved. My last visit to a Friday’s was an ironic date in the mid-2000s, the kind where both people pretend they’re above it. But, tonight I learned that there’s a Fridays in Canada with a single pinball machine, and suddenly I’m twelve years old again, thrilled by appetizers and noise. I’ll spare you the suspense and get right to the pinball. This particular Fridays has exactly one machine, Transformers (just the PRO). Maybe that disappoints you. Maybe you’re muttering, “The PBM location of the week should be transcendent. It should move me,” while glaring at your spouse. I get it. Not everyone finds charm in the idea of pinball hiding inside America’s fast-casual dining chains. But what if I told you this Friday’s sits inside an Embassy Suites whose lobby overlooks Niagara Falls? Would you soften your tone a little and apologize to your spouse? The view is spectacular, the menu laminated, and both are satisfyingly fine. The TGI Fridays by Niagara Falls is located in the lobby of the Embassy Suites at 6700 Fallsview Boulevard in Ontario Canada. It carries a 2.1 star average on Yelp, with a recent review claiming that their burger smelled bad. TGI Fridays 6700 Fallsview Blvd, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3W6 Website Links of the Week Business Insider published a mini-documentary on the history and current state of pinball. It’s fine. If you read this, you probably know most of the info already. Last Week’s Poll Results (Poll #1 - AI Disclosure) ❝ “I’m surprised to see Jersey Jack is getting so many votes. Didn’t they already release AI art on Harry Potter without disclosing it?” -Selected “Barrels of Fun” ❝ “I don't think Spooky would use AI art, but if they did, they'd be the first to disclose it.” -Selected “Spooky Pinball” ❝ “I think JJP simply because of the discussions around AI usage on the cabinet of the HP collector’s edition. I think JJP will have listened to that debate and will decide that they need to have an open stance on this, which they might not have appreciated before this particular game release.” -Selected “Jersey Jack Pinball” ❝ “I don’t mind what JJP did with Harry Potter(the AI art), the game is fantastic, I’m proud of my Collector’s. On the other side Stern llena su boca diciendo que no usa AI en su arte pero cual es el punto?… con fiascos como Uncanny X-Men, King Kong and "their" Fall of the Empire. I want to add that "Barrels of Fun" will crush Stern very soon… very.” -Selected “Jersey Jack Pinball” ❝ “Stern is leaning in hard to any tech gimmick they can, I don't see why they wouldn't do this to make money if they thought they could.” -Selected “Stern Pinball” Last Week’s Poll Results (Poll #2 - More Winchesters) ❝ “What?…And lower themselves as a company and do what Stern does? ... that after selling out LE, they come out "again" with more and more and more special editions and are really stabbing the collectors in the back?… no no no no, that’s unacceptable! "Barrels of Fun" will respect the new/old customers guaranteed, that’s how they will be in the level of JJP very soon… not in the level of the "Has been" like Stern is.” -Selected “I’d be upset” ❝ “Part of the reason I went in on the game was its exclusivity. If they ran more of them, that would be a slap in the face for those collectors who bought in before playing the game.” -Selected “I’d be upset” ❝ “I preordered one, but I did because my daughters and I love the theme and the mystery of the IP for which it is based. I'm not unhappy that it was in such high demand with it's limited run that it sold out so quickly. My game seems like it will somewhat hold it's value for a time, but time will tell. I feel lucky I got one. If BoF made another run, I would not be upset. It just means that others who missed out will get another chance. I don't think David will do another run. He seems to be in tune with the collectors out there.” -Selected “Don’t care” ❝ “I really don't give a ***k. These people who are still treating pinball as investments and are trading exclusivity for dollars can pound salt. ” -Selected “Don’t care” ❝ “I'd be stoked, but I wouldn't order one, because it's out of my price range. However, it would mean there would be more used ones coming up for sale, at some point in the future, so I might still get to own one!” -Selected “I’d be stoked” ❝ “I'm not going to order one, but I'd be glad they were making more...”