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Kaneda's Pinball Podcast Saturday Morning Spectacular September 13

Kaneda Pinball Podcasts YouTube Lives·video·1h 30m·held·Sep 14, 2025
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.037

TL;DR

Kaneda critiques Star Wars as rushed, cheap-feeling, and unimpressive compared to competitors.

Summary

Kaneda hosts a Saturday morning pinball podcast live stream discussing the Star Wars launch. He expresses significant disappointment with the game's design, calling it rushed, lacking innovation, and failing to deliver 'wow moments' compared to recent releases from competitors like Spooky, Jersey Jack, and Dutch Pinball. The episode also addresses community drama around insensitive comments made regarding 9/11 timing of the launch.

Key Claims

  • Star Wars was designed in a very short amount of time, feeling rushed

    medium confidence · Kaneda discussing designer John Borg tight timeline; stated 'I know it was rushed. Like he had to design this game, I think, in a really short amount of time.'

  • Stern has destroyed its three-tier (Pro/Premium/LE) product model that once made LE special

    medium confidence · Kaneda's year-long criticism: 'They literally have destroyed their three tier model. The significance of it, the significance of the LE, like making the LE special, they've destroyed what they created'

  • Star Wars launch timing was poor due to real-world tragedies that week (9/11 anniversary, assassination attempt)

    high confidence · Kaneda directly stated: 'I do think it was a bad week to launch a game' and 'it just the vibes of it are... everyone's in a mindset where they just don't want to like throw money at Stern'

  • Stern is no longer improving while competitors (Spooky, Jersey Jack, Dutch Pinball) are getting better

    medium confidence · Kaneda: 'their games are just not getting better... Spooky's become much better. Jersey Jack has become better. Dutch pinball. The only company not getting better is Stern'

  • The AT-AT toy in Star Wars pinball is poorly implemented and telegraphs the magnet effect in the artwork

    high confidence · Kaneda: 'You ruin the magic. The whole point of a magnet being under there is I want to like I want there to be like a mystery... by like telegraphing what the thing is going to do like really bad'

  • Star Wars feels like it was designed by committee or in a weekend

    medium confidence · Kaneda stated on his show: 'It feels like it was designed in a weekend'

  • Stern's Insider Connected/new platform has expression lighting that looks cheap (like Skittles or Pezes)

    medium confidence · Kaneda: 'expression lighting just I never liked expression lighting on a game... It looks like little Skittles or Pezes'

  • Back to the Future (Dutch Pinball) will deliver 'wow' moments with designer Melvin involved

Notable Quotes

  • “I just think Stern is more of the mass produced product, the commodity that had such a golden thing that they destroyed.”

    Kaneda @ Not specified — Core criticism of Stern's business model decline and loss of premium positioning

  • “I don't really have much uh I don't really have like extreme emotions around the game at all... the hard part at these prices now where Stern is at... they've really running thin now.”

    Kaneda @ Early in episode — Sets tone for lukewarm assessment of Star Wars and Stern's pricing strategy

  • “I didn't recognize any of them. Like none of them were pinball media. So, you know, they Zach Sharpe has done a good job bringing in, you know, bringing in the uh the YouTubers, the influencers.”

    Kaneda @ Mid-episode — Commentary on Stern's media strategy shift toward influencers rather than pinball enthusiasts

  • “It just feels like another Stern is like the new punchline and I think that the rest of the industry is is improving and the only company not getting better is Stern.”

    Kaneda @ Mid-episode — Encapsulates core market perception issue with Stern relative to competitors

  • “They literally if you look at it if you look at the clips why aren't the clips full screen? Why is all this stuff on the screen? How do you have a bigger screen and manage to mess that up, Stern?”

    Kaneda @ Technical critique section — Specific criticism of Stern's inability to optimize new LCD screen tech

  • “I've covered this hobby now for 12 years... I look at games with memories of other launches and other moments and how certain pinball games made me feel when they were revealed.”

    Kaneda @ Early episode — Establishes Kaneda's authority and historical perspective on game launches

  • “I don't think anybody wants Stern to have their dream theme now. I don't really. I used to think they were the way to go.”

    Kaneda @ Mid-episode — Critical market sentiment shift: Stern is now seen as a liability for premium IP

Entities

KanedapersonStar WarsgameStern PinballcompanyJohn BorgpersonJersey Jack PinballcompanySpooky PinballcompanyDutch Pinballcompany

Signals

  • ?

    product_concern: Star Wars Stern features undersized/cheap-feeling toys (AT-AT, Death Star, Jabba) and poorly telegraphed magnetic effects in artwork that undermine intended gameplay mystery

    high · Kaneda's detailed critique: AT-AT harpooning appears wrong, magnet effect revealed in artwork, shooter rod Darth Vader/Stormtrooper heads look bad and cheap

  • ?

    product_concern: Star Wars Stern's new LCD screen and platform implementation is suboptimal—full-screen video clips aren't full-screen, crawl text cuts off, expression lighting design is uninspired

    high · Kaneda: 'Why is all this stuff on the screen?' and 'they did the crawl, it cuts off the text... How do you have a bigger screen and manage to mess that up?'

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Major shift in community sentiment: Stern is now seen as cutting corners, not pushing creative boundaries, and losing competitive advantage to Spooky, Jersey Jack, and Dutch Pinball

    high · Kaneda's on-air commentary and accumulated criticisms over past year; also reflected in listener chat agreement

  • $

    market_signal: Star Wars launch coincided with real-world tragedy (9/11 anniversary, assassination attempt) that depressed consumer sentiment and willingness to spend on premium pinball machines

    medium · Kaneda: 'I do think it was a bad week to launch a game... didn't make me want to spend money on pinball... everyone's in a mindset where they just don't want to throw money at Stern'

  • ?

    product_strategy: Stern's three-tier pricing model (Pro/Premium/LE) has lost differentiation and scarcity; LE no longer commands premium positioning or FOMO appeal

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:01
Tell me [Music] this dance [Music] is a mess. It's like every day All right, here we are. Hey, Google, here we are. Hey, Google, stop. stop. Welcome everybody to the world's most insecure, incredibly talented wasting his talents on a subject like this. Let's talk pinball today. Happy Saturday morning, people. It's going to be a charred show today. I'm just warning you. Shots will be fired at some chumps. We're going to talk about Star Wars. We're going to talk about what we know is going on in the world of pinball. And we're going to do it in a way that's fun, that's lively, that's entertaining. We got Drew in the house, Mike, Charles, Jeremy, Eric. What's up, y'all? How many we got in the house? Right. We got Facebook going. We've got we've got 22. There we go. You know, I I think that YouTube is the better place to be, but you know, if you want to watch on Facebook, you can watch on Facebook. I'm I'm an equal opportunity to annoy you employer. Okay, let's do this. Going to let everybody come in the door. We're going to do this for like an hour today maybe because I I got I left my credit card at a damn country club 40 miles away. Went to the Guns and Roses concert. Sad boy baby in right away with the 1999 whoever signed off on the blinking Jaba uh needs to be banned from the industry for life. We're going to talk about Jaba. We're going to talk about Star Wars. It's like it's like it feels like the game came out like a year ago, doesn't it? It's like sometimes when these Stern games come out, it it almost feels like all right, it's it's already been out, you know, and then we just get the uh the confirmation of what it's going to what's in it. Uh I have a lot of feelings about it. I I put up a a podcast about it this morning and I I think you're going to agree with all of it. like and and I don't really have much uh I I don't really have like extreme emotions around the game at all, but let's let's let's get to it in a little bit. I want to I want to just welcome all you to the show right now. Hope hope hopefully you guys it's been a rough week. We're going to talk about the week and how rough it's been and what's happening in the world. And you know, it's it's it's easy to try to uh tune everything out and live in a vacuum. And I I do think it was a bad week to launch a game. I I think it was like the the energy and the and the realities of of life and the world and things that occurred didn't make me want to spend money on pinball. It it made me want to hug family and be closer to people I love and and re-evaluate everything that uh is a priority in in life. And I've been thinking about that a lot. We all think about it a lot, especially as we get older. there there's an increased level of clarity and wisdom that we all get and you I want to address some things on this episode about what was said on my Facebook page about 9/11. I want to talk about that because I do love this community and I think this community is some of the coolest people I've ever met. This community has given me an extended family and friendship like no other. Uh I think that this hobby is uh it is an elixir and it is a remedy for the biggest problem in the world today which is loneliness. That is the epidemic that is really sort of hit younger generations hard. I don't think our generation suffered from loneliness that much because we used our imagination a lot more. We played a lot more. We were more physical and out in the world and hands-on with things. uh we didn't have devices. We didn't have uh something in our pocket that could distract us, that could show us horrible things, uh graphic things, uh things that we shouldn't even be thinking about when you're a young kid. And I think that scares kids. I think it makes them even more isolated. And I think it's tougher than ever to be a parent nowadays because of it. But we're we're going to talk about this pinball machine. Um Fizzy, what's up, brother? Fizz, I just want to say like I I'm really happy you're a member of the Canada community. You're a very active member on the Patreon chat. U I know you were very excited about Star Wars. Curious if you're still going in on one. Um you know, let's let's get to it in a minute. But I I I may I may have had the easiest time ever telling uh Coin Taker, I'm I'm out. Like I I really wanted to buy it. I did. I had the money set aside. I was really thinking Star Wars could be the game that goes into my garage. I I don't really feel like owning it ever. Uh Canada, let's be honest. The Stern pinballs are okay. Are [ __ ] retro Aussie. Um so should we should we just get into it? Should we start with Star Wars? Let me just get another another drink of my iced coffee.

medium confidence · Kaneda: 'my boy Melvin is getting involved a little bit and he's helping making the game even better... it's going to be epic'

  • Stern is primarily incentivizing the location/operator market rather than home buyers

    high confidence · Kaneda: 'That's not the market Stern needs to like really incentivize. It's the home buyer.'

  • Star Wars feels like a Costco $5,000 game despite being a full premium-tier Stern product

    medium confidence · Kaneda: 'for some weird reason like even this was like the full-featured expensive version... you could almost mistake it for a Costco $5,000 game'

  • “it's just going to make money for operators as it should. But that's not the market Stern needs to like really incentivize. It's the home buyer.”

    Kaneda / operator Kale quote @ Discussing operator feedback — Key business insight: location revenue vs. home collector strategy conflict

  • “when you go fan layout eight shots like one one after another like this... it really feels rushed... there's nothing in it that's like wow”

    Kaneda @ Rules design critique — Technical assessment of game design philosophy and execution

  • “It was a tough week. It was a tough week... the last thing you think about in a week like that is like I'm going to go buy a pinball machine now. And it's unfortunate for Stern. The timing was bad.”

    Kaneda @ Near end of episode — Meta-commentary on macroeconomic/cultural factors depressing demand for premium products

    • Evil Dead
    game
    Beetlejuicegame
    Godzillagame
    Back to the Futuregame
    Zach Sharpeperson
    Kaleperson
    Neil McCraeperson
    Glenn Waechterperson
    Albertperson
    Keith Elwinperson
    Labyrinthgame
    Jake Danzigperson
    Rob Burkeperson
    [name withheld pending review]person
    Melvinperson

    medium · Kaneda's year-long criticism: 'They literally have destroyed their three tier model... they've destroyed what they created and it's really running thin now'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Star Wars appears to have been designed in a compressed timeline, resulting in fan-layout simplicity (eight linear shots) that lacks depth and novelty

    medium · Kaneda: 'I know it was rushed. Like he had to design this game... in a really short amount of time... It feels like it was designed in a weekend'

  • ?

    competitive_signal: Stern is losing premium IP bids or seeing licensors skeptical of Stern's execution; Kaneda states nobody wants their dream theme with Stern anymore

    medium · Kaneda: 'I don't think anybody wants Stern to have their dream theme now... Stern doing the Back to the Future license would probably be a disaster'

  • ?

    business_signal: Stern is optimizing for location/operator revenue over home collector market; operators like Kale expect strong location performance despite lukewarm collector reception

    high · Kaneda discussing operator feedback: 'It's going to make money for operators... But that's not the market Stern needs to incentivize. It's the home buyer.'

  • ?

    content_signal: Stern's media strategy has shifted from pinball enthusiast media to broader YouTube/influencer outreach; Kaneda notes unrecognizable non-pinball media at launch event

    high · Kaneda: 'I didn't recognize any of them. None of them were pinball media... they Zach Sharpe has done a good job bringing in YouTubers, the influencers'

  • ?

    community_signal: Pinball community experiencing increased tension and sensitivity around social commentary; certain members making insensitive 9/11-related remarks and refusing accountability

    high · Kaneda's extended discussion of Glenn Waechter's insensitive comment and refusal to apologize, Albert's attack campaign, and broader tension around 'read the room' etiquette

  • ?

    industry_signal: Non-Stern manufacturers (Spooky, Jersey Jack, Dutch Pinball, Barrels of Fun) are perceived as innovating and delivering 'wow' moments; Stern increasingly seen as stagnant

    high · Kaneda's comparison of launches: Evil Dead, Godzilla, Harry Potter, Labyrinth as 'wow' moments vs. Star Wars lack thereof; repeated statement 'the only company not getting better is Stern'

  • $

    market_signal: Strong secondary market demand for competitor machines (Evil Dead selling $3k over listing) contrasts with predicted weak secondary demand for Star Wars

    medium · Kaneda: 'Evil Dead games are selling for 3,000 over listing. Wow. Right. Like, imagine what they're going to do with Beetlejuice' vs. lack of enthusiasm for Star Wars secondary value

    • 5:44
    It's a cheap ass money grab where they're going to put uh where are they going to put the effort and do this title justice? What's up, Tony? Um, okay. So, okay. So, here here's the thing about this. I'm trying to I want to talk about the Star Wars launch in um in a sort of like a holistic way. And I want to talk about not just what we saw yesterday. I want to talk about the leadup to what we saw. I want to talk about the fact that we knew it was Star Wars. Oh man. Hold on. Wow. You know, I I won't lie. Last night was like one of the um the first time I I've gone to the local McDonald's because I needed it. Late night McDonald's ride. Canada uh is in the house by himself this weekend because my lovely wife took the two boys to Legoland and I have the house to myself this weekend. So, party at Canadas everybody. Is there a game on right now?
    7:01
    Brisbane Lions won AFL. Okay. I don't know. Okay. Is that soccer? AFL? I don't know what's happening here. Um, so here's my thing. We all knew it was Star Wars. We all had like Star Wars fatigue and we got to see the game. Now, they teased the game about it felt like it was like almost two weeks went by before we actually got to see the the game itself. And then we um had nothing for a while, right? Then it was like this there was a media day. Then the webinar didn't happen with the dealers early in the week. Then they were originally going to reveal the game on September 11th. They pushed it back out of respect. Smart move Stern to Friday. I you know, as I was saying, I didn't really care. Like in the end, I we knew the game was coming out this week. We got the game. And it's hard for me who has covered this hobby now for 12 years to um look at anything in isolation. I look at games with memories of other launches and other moments and how certain pinball games made me feel when they were revealed. I remember when Stern lined up those three Batman's. Wow. Right. That was a wow moment. I remember when Ghostbusters, wow. Godzilla, wow. Guns and Roses, wow. You know, Harry Potter was like a wow launch for Jersey Jack, right? It's like I remember what uh excitement was when Spooky showed Evil Dead and everyone's like, "Wow." Like, look, look at where Spooky's taken this company. Wow. Right. I wasn't even into Evil Dead and now those games are selling for 3,000 over listing. Wow. Right. Like, imagine what they're going to do with Beetlejuice. Um, and you know, we want moments of wow. I was there, or I wasn't there, actually. I was I I I saw it when Dutch Pinball like wheeled in the big Labowski, right? Wow. Right. These are wow moments. Uh, and I think over the last decade, we've we've really had some incredible pinball. And now we're at a point where pinball is so expensive. So, every new launch we look at through the lens of is this going to wow me? And and the hard part at these prices now where Stern is at because I still think Stern is more of the the the mass produced product, the more of the commodity that had such a golden thing that they destroyed. And I I've talked about this for the last year or so. They literally have destroyed their three tier model. The significance of it, the significance of the LE, like making the LE spe, they've destroyed what they created and it's really running thin now. So when I saw Star Wars for the first time, I wanted to love Star Wars Pinball. It is two things I love combined. Pinball and Star Wars. And I wanted it to wow me and I wanted like, you know, and I I will say this when I first saw like the cabinets. First of all, thank you hurdles coins. Um after seeing this game, Stern doing the Back to the Future license would probably be a disaster. Oh man, it's a good point, man. I I don't think anybody wants Stern to have their dream theme now. I don't I really don't. I used to think they were the way to go. I just think they've now become to me uh a company that is cutting corners and not pushing the creative envelope enough. And you know, as a new platform launch, not impressed by any of it. So, see the game, right? I saw the I I liked what they did with the cabinet vibe, you know, making them look like the the classic toys from Kenner, you know, it looked like, you know, I I I dig it. I dig the translite. I dig what they were going for. It has that sort of that fun, inviting uh Star Wars toy kind of vibe going on. And, you know, so I don't have a problem with it. Uh, you know, I don't love the LE package. I'm going to talk about that in a little bit. And then I see the game and I see the game play and I see the the the mechs in the game and I see that adat that's this big and I and I see the Jaba and I see the Death Star and I see the ramp and I see nothing. Wow. Like what? You know, even the Magnus save from Golden Eye. Cool. It's cool. But even the way they implemented it with the artwork, putting a pinball there, I said it on my show this morning. You ruin the magic. The whole point of a magnet being under there is I want to like I want there to be like a mystery like the forces being used when you put a pinball there. Why' you do that? Absolutely ruined the the sort of what could have been a really special cool thing by like telegraphing what the thing is going to do like really bad and and the playfield artwork I I don't really like at all. Um Dave Sanders says, "Doesn't Star Wars feel utterly designed by committee?" Um, you know, Dave, I I said it again. I said it on my show. It feels like it was designed in a weekend. The thing about this, the problem I have with this design by John Borg is like when you go fan layout, eight shots like one one after another like this. Uh, sure it's like going to be a easy game to shoot. It's going to be for casuals. The problem is it it really feels rushed. And I know it was rushed. Like he had to design this game, I think, in a really short amount of time. And and that's my overall feeling is like I look at this game and it like there's nothing in it that's like wow and and in fact there's just stuff that's like a real head scratcher and I the the adat for example in the movie you are harpooning around its legs and it falls down. Doesn't it look like you're harpooning above it? You you're telling me they couldn't have done a third flipper orbit shot to rotate around the addat legs to make it fall down. uh when it's not falling down, it it it's just it's not firing from the guns from its head. It's not like making emotions like it's moving. It's just for this much money, again, I just feel like for this much money, we are not getting a world under glass. We are getting uh tinker toys under glass. And then when I saw the the shooter rod leftover shooter rod heads of Darth Vader and the Stormtrooper, that's the moment where I'm just like, they've just kind of given up. It it it looks bad and I don't know what is happening, right? It it it just feels cheap. It feels like it's mailed in and it's just gonna be a great location game. That's the other thing. I was like I was talking to my operator friends like Kale over at Electric Bat and you know he's like I can't wait to get one. It's going to it's just going to make money for operators as it should. But that's not the market Stern needs to like really incentivize. It's the home buyer. Uh, I don't I I just I I don't think I've ever had an easier time passing on a game that I thought I would want to buy. I don't think I've ever had an easier time just, you know, all right, cool. It's another, you know, it kind of made me feel the same way the Richie game did. Um, Fizzy said, "At first, I liked it and was going to get it. I like the art and the speakers, but after reading all the chats and watching some videos, I think I agree." Um, and the cheapness of the toys. So, pass. See, I mean, look, Fizzy really wanted to buy one. Neil McCrae shilling it is the new in his new video. Well, Neil's um Neil Neil is as Neil is probably the biggest Stern fanboy there is. So, like and it's fine. Like, I'm happy Neil loves Stern games and he usually craps on like JJP games and loves Sterns. That that's that's Neil. Like, you know, when you know the source, of course, he's going to chill. He's like buddies with all the people over there and he flies all the way from UK to see a game. Um it's it is what it is. Yeah. It it like it felt it almost is weird like for some weird reason like even this was like the you know the the fullfeatured expensive version. It still felt like a Costco game on some level, didn't it? Like didn't it just feel like it okay if you didn't see anything and you just saw this you you you could almost mistake it for a Costco $5,000 game. And that's my overall feeling about this game. Well, let me also talk about the clips because the more I watch of the gameplay, the less excited I get. It's like they managed to make exciting Star Wars the movie feel a little boring. Like feel a little eh I just felt like I I I haven't felt this way in a while. I do feel like the Star Wars fatigue and I think they manage to make the original trilogy feel a little fatiguing because when the what's on the playfield isn't truly exciting, you kind of it it's just not enough. And and you know, they did this with Jaws and it worked, but I don't know if it's going to work with Star Wars because it's like three movies. There's just a lot of jumping around again. There's a lot of like you're in a moment and there's a lightsaber and then then there's like the creature from Jabba's uh you know like that the little Jabba's squirrel guy like pops up then you're back at the lightsaber battle then you're back it's like I and the fact that they've got a bigger screen and managed to make it feel smaller makes no sense to me. They literally if you look at it if you look at the clips why aren't the clips full screen? Why is all this stuff on the screen? you know, and then they when they do the crawl, it cuts off the text and that's ne it was never cut. How do you have a bigger screen and manage to mess that up, Stern? So, you know, I I just think the whole thing just feels like they don't even know how to like like like properly take advantage of even their own new platform. Uh, expression lighting just I never liked expression lighting on a game. I never thought it looked good. It looks like little Skittles or Pezes and like I don't they couldn't design something nicer. I look as far saying like RA Yeah, fine. Cool. Like I'm nothing against Ray and his code. I just don't think it's going to make this game worth owning.
    17:25
    It's one movie per ball. Is that how it is that how they did the game? Yeah, I was confused by that because I'm watching gameplay and I'm like why is it like why is the movie intro crawling? Like you can't read it. It's just weird. Um, and then you know the call outs are really like the C3PO call outs like you know I don't know if I would have done that that way. Uh, I know they got like an actor. Is that is that like C3PO from the newer movies or the original? I don't know. I It was like Chris Bartlett or something. I I think I'm making that up. I don't know. I like a lot about it. Also some questioning choices. Couple ramps. Cool art. All right. Still Star Wars fan. I'm buying. Ryan, are you buying an LE? I mean, yeah, C3PO is easily like a kind of meant to be comic relief annoying and to have him do all the call outs. Um, yeah, I I think Space Balls would have been better after seeing this. I just don't I just I just I you know what it is? Like I'm not I I I just feel like another Star Wars game is is out in the universe. It's not gonna it's not going to like blow us away. It my real issue and concern with Stern is like their games are just not getting better and and they just are you you know they're just it just feels like another Stern is like the new punchline and I think that the rest of the industry is is improving and the only company not getting better is Stern and Spooky's become much better. Jersey Jack has become better. Dutch pinball. I I I've got a lot of a lot of excitement around Back to the Future gang. Like now cuz my boy Melvin is getting involved a little bit and he's helping making the game even better and he's like yeah. He's like yeah. He's like it's going to be it's going to be epic. So I I think you know that feeling we had when we saw Labowski, we're going to have that feeling when we see Back to the Future. I've seen Raza. It looks in It looks stunning. Like Raza looks way better than Star Wars. Um I thought the pin looked decent. Can make can't uh can make a decision.
    19:44
    All right, hold on. Why Why are messages been restricted? Let me make sure that I'm going to uh
    19:53
    Jay Hendris, what did you say? Do I have like moderation on? I don't know. I always have to like figure out how to like turn that off. I think it's up here. Community moderation reactions.
    20:12
    I had to turn off one of those gameplay videos. Just a jumble of noise. I know, man. Mike, I feel the same way. Like, the more I watch the gameplay videos, the less I want the game. You could see it in the in the reactions of the the media that went there. Also, did you notice like all the media? I think it was Vic or one of them. They they they showed all the the media like huddled around each other. I didn't recognize any of them. Like none of them were pinball media. So, you know, they Zack Sharp has done a good job uh bringing in, you know, bringing in the uh the YouTubers, the influencers, if you will. That's their strategy. And look, I don't blame them, but it's just all right. I just don't think when you see the um when you see the comments on YouTube, it's funny cuz it's like the newbies are like, I love it. It's way out of my price range. Like everyone would just everyone thinks they're seeing something that's like three grand, you know? Yeah. Once people find out what these things actually cost, like it's a it's a hard pass for most people. So, here's the thing, Anthony. You know, he's bummed on this effort. I I actually I'm kind of happy. I didn't want to spend $13,000 to be honest uh on on this game right now. Uh I could have I'm actually going to buy myself something else for my birthday. Uh my birthday is September 25th if you want to um you know, if you want to know. It's like you know what's sad is like at my company they now no longer will tell you what people's birthdays are out of privacy. And I was like what what is this? Like why is a birthday a private thing? Like, how sad do you have to be as a grown adult to not want to let people know it's your birthday? I think that's a very tragic and sad thing that that would be a privacy issue. I think the world's gone in so many bad directions. Um, strange, right? All right. All right, I want to address a little bit of the drama real quick that happened on my Facebook page, if you'll allow me, because it's a very um you know, it's a very uh it was a very tough week and the uh the tragic
    22:26
    um you know, what happened in Utah and and the assassinating Charlie Kirk in front of his wife and children is is a horrific moment in America. like this is going to be very bad for a long time. And it's whether you like them or hate them, it doesn't matter. The the assassination of someone freely speaking their mind and opening up dialogue that's important in front of wife and children is is is horrendous. and to happen right before September 11th and you know like we all have a a relationship with that day and some of us were were there. Um, some of us were in the city, some of us were everybody, the world watched it happen. And you know, there was a comment made on my YouTube page by Glenn Glenn Watcher, like I don't know how to pronounce his last name, in which he said that my sentiment around September 11th that I didn't mean it, that I I I don't mean what I say, right? And I I love the uh the someone told me this morning, Jenis told me that this dude like Orbiter Albert is telling people that I'm a bully uh not to not to subscribe to Canadas Pinball Podcast. I I don't listen to that. I mean, I looked then then apparently the dude's saying he's going to want you to go behind his payw wall to hear the the full thing, right? Google it. Pinball Nerds podcast. Albert, you got nine subscribers. You make $50 a month. You couldn't even afford your own microphone. Retro Ralph had to buy it for you. Want to call me a bully because of what what that made me feel when Glenn said that. And and and I love that Albert's trying to say, "Oh, is that a one of my um one of my one of my uh friends growing up, Sean, he lost half of his family in 9/11. And I don't mean like like adults like nieces and nephews. They were there. They were like in the building having breakfast. So when you when you want to like make a joke about my sentiment around 9/11, the these are people in the pinball community like well-known people and use that as a moment to insult me and call me like un you know like I like I I can't even. And then I tried to call them. Call them like really Glenn wouldn't respond. And this is the thing about these cowards is they want to say this stuff, then they don't pick up the phone. Then they won't say it to your face. And then you're then you're the bully for trying to keep these grown adults accountable for those insensitive remarks. And then you know they Albert is trying to spin. I'm not spinning anything. I'm not spinning anything. He said that my sentiment around 911 was insincere that I don't mean what I say. I the spin is is Albert trying to say it's he didn't mean he didn't mean it. He wasn't what what did he mean? What did he mean? You know, and so yeah, won't pick up the phone, won't talk about it. Right. So this is the world we live in now. And then then that other guy who's a friend of the show like David with the the damn 9/11 shirt with Garfield flying into two stacks of lasagna making fun of 9/11. And I you know look I roasted him and he deserved it and he you know he he apologized and asked me to take down the post and I and I did. But don't be a jackass. Use as my mom would always say just use common sense. common sense like read the room like there there and you know you know he said something to me he's like well isn't it enough time has passed that we can now make fun of 911 I was like well bro it doesn't work like that there there's no enough time has passed to make fun of a holocaust or 911 right or October 6 is it October 6 there's not enough time like any any like no tragic loss of life George Floyd whatever it is is like like it's now now it's Okay. And it's just what's weird about, you know, the world today is you could do that stuff. And I'm not one to cancel like I don't like cancel culture at all. Like it's, you know, Albert's telling people to like cancel my show, bro. I got I I make more money in a day doing my podcast than you make all month. Like nobody listens to your crap, bro. So like I'll just say it like but keep doing it. Cool. It's a free. I'm not going to tell people to unsubscribe to you. You because you can't even get people to subscribe on your own. But when people say like unsubscribe Canada, cancel like it's stupid. All it does is make more people sign up. It makes more people raise their subscription amounts. What I want to say is this. It was a tough week. It was a tough week. And in weeks like that of this past week, people are sad. People are crying. People are like worried about where we're going. And the last thing you think about in a week like that is like I'm going to go buy a pinball machine now. And it's unfortunate for Stern. The timing was bad. I mean, I almost, you know, I I I I don't know what their plan was with this launch, but it just the vibes of it are are are I I I just have a I just feel like everyone's in a mindset where they just don't want to like throw money at Stern. We're kind of bummed out. uh you know and just seeing people cheer. Seeing people cheer the assassination of a man in front of his children is is to me I mean I I'm almost getting choked up now thinking about the pure evil that lives inside someone's heart. And I don't care if you disagree with what he was saying. I don't I you know I I wasn't like you know I I knew of Charlie. I watched his videos. I know. I I I actually like what he was doing in terms of just giving everybody a platform to tell me what you believe in. I'm going to listen to you and then I'm going to give you what I believe in and you make up your mind, right? And and he's allowed not to like support everything or question things. Like if we live in a world where we stop doing that and we feel this in the pinball space like you feel this pressure to co to tow the company lines to only say nice things about the products and the people to only be in support of every action and look it doesn't get more innocuous than pinball. And that's why I love it. I love that you guys hang out here. I love that the um you know the the community that we have is is is really solid and you know all the attempts and these losers you know in the end like yeah I think what Glenn said was stupid and he's blocked and he's a loser and when I see him at a show I'm not going to punch him. I probably wanted to smack the crap out of him that night because I was I was really upset. Like if if he said that to me on 911, you know, the thoughts of my friends and the people I lost that day, like I would slap the [ __ ] out of him. I'm serious. Like, but I I don't want to be violent. But I'm just saying like, you know, look, we also live in a world where you can't do that anymore. And I get it. But like, yeah, but you're gonna say stuff like that, you're a loser and you're blocked. And I don't want you to do anything to Glenn. This is just between me and Glenn. You shouldn't do anything to Glenn. It's not your battle. It was mine with him. And you know, and I don't think Glenn's a bad guy. I just think he said a stupid thing. I think But you know what Glenn didn't do? You know what he didn't do? He never apologized. And if he apologizes, I'll unblock him cuz I forgive people. You know, and it's weird to me like this world. It's like just apologize. You said something stupid. You pissed me off and I cursed you out. because you got to be a [ __ ] to say that to a dude that's really like I I just you know what I'm saying? It's just that simple. But you know what it is about these cowards? They can't apologize. They think they're they think they're like I I just what who raised these men? Like who raised them to be that way? And I bet there are like churchgoing people too. It's so funny to me that the the churchgoing people that can't forgive. It's like are you not do you not listen to what Jesus preached? Do like what are you doing in that house of worship and then anything but that is how you behave. Weird.
    31:04
    So yeah, Albert, enjoy your nine subscribers, bro. It's pathetic. And I don't even think Albert's a bad guy. He just gets into this cuz he's friends with Glenn and then, you know, it's always like the easy thing like a cheap shot. a Canadian I don't talk about look me you know I always would tell this to Jamie I love Jamie over um you know apparently wormhole is closed now because like of a divorce wow that sucks right guys getting divorced I think the wife's like getting half the games or something or like I don't know what's happening over there but like literally um J I would laugh with J because Jamie does his round table with Ralph and and and Kale and I I always tell Jamie Jamie do you realize is that me watching your video will get more views than just the video itself. Canada brings the excitement. He brings the audience. Um, you know, I'm going to be at Expo. I've been talking to Rob Burke. I have a funny idea about what we could do at Expo. Um, you know, look, Rob asked me to to make amends with somebody who I've been trying to make. I don't even know what I did. Um, uh, individual, uh, Jake Danzig, which I, you know, I know Jake. He was on Facebook. He's, you know, I I Rob's like, just can you just like smooth things out with Jake? I was like, cool. I'll call him up. I've tried him multiple times. He has my number. I've left him voice messages. I I I see he's blocked on my face because I think he has said some like mean stuff personally about So, but again, I'm I'm all about like, let bygones be bygones, bro. I don't know the guy, right? I don't know why he has an issue with me. Um, but he does. So, but again, he doesn't pick up the phone and I'm just like, I just don't like I don't know what else to do. So, that's the dark side of this community is we have some real like [ __ ] talkers at times, really insensitive comments at times. And look, I we all make mistakes. This is the weird thing is I make more mistakes than anybody. I've done stupid stuff I'm so ashamed about. Like I'm ashamed if I get drunk and I and I whine like a baby when I lose the twippies. Even though I got 100 more first place votes. I I whine like a baby when I lose the twippies. You know what? You know what the outcome of that behavior was? Kell and I are now like best buds. I'm ashamed that I got drunk and threw a drink in the face of Tim Ston because he was like kicking me out of a tournament for cheering for Lyman Sheets's girlfriend, Penny. I shouldn't have done that. That was wrong. I was raised better than that. I would be ashamed of my boys if they did that. Like, that's not how you handle a situation, man. Like, you should have just left peacefully. The outcome of that is one of my best buddies in pinball is John Erlick at Jackbar. He hated me that night. I elbowed him in the face when they were dragging me out. He proposed to his wife on my show. That you see the the full circle that we can turn a negative moment into a positive if we just open up that that opportunity. So that's why when I go to shake Don's hand and move forward like Jenga and I are talking again, you know, he called me today. They resist. Ralph is going to come back. We already know that there's there's big plans happening. There's big He just apparently he just wants to look me in the in the eyes. I I whatever that means. I feel like I feel like when he looks me in the eyes, I just want to like punch him in the in the balls real quick. Like boom. We good now? I mean, they're also Can we just be dudes again, too? These men are like men manchilds.
    34:57
    Bringing it back to Star Wars. Let's read some of your I look I did anyone order Star Wars Ellie? We've got 88 here, 30 on Facebook. Did anyone order Star Wars Ellie? Can I can And don't worry, I'm not going to make fun of you a lot. I just make fun of you a little bit. Did anyone say, "Hey, yeah, man. This looks like a $13,000 game. I want one." I I do think it's I'm I'm wrong. 100% wrong. I'm This game is not going to go up to $18,000. This game is not going to go up at all. I think it's going to lose money. I think these will go for 10 G's in in like three months. Also, I gave the exclusive news to my podcast uh subscribers today. I will tell everybody right now. You guys want some exclusive news? You know, it's like it's funny like I was like Jenga, you know, I said this to Jenga. He's like, "Don knows this." I'm like, "Oh, cool. Did you guys announce it?" Because I I don't Oh, Don can't announce it. So, here you go. Transformers Pinball is most likely coming out before Pokemon because Pokemon has some harder licensing approvals. Transformers G1 and it will be designed by Elliot Iceman. Elliot from John Wick fame is back, baby, with Transformers G1. How unexited are you now? What are we doing, Stern? Why are we giving Transformers to Elliot and not Keith Ellwin? Transformers. This This is nostalgia now. This is like what these these grown man children want. And we're going to give it to a designer that hasn't proven he can make a hit game.
    36:40
    No. Look, Elliot's got to prove himself. I I don't know if Wick was a rush design, but I don't see many people like can't wait for the followup.
    36:57
    So, when you go to pinside say Canada confirms Elliot Iceman on Transformers, possibly the next game from Stern Pinball. You know, for some reason, people have a hard time giving me credit for anything these days. Um, but there you go. The uh, you know, hey, please don't unsubscribe. Please don't please. You You couldn't pay me to listen to some of those shows. Do you ever hear me tell you ever to unsubscribe from someone's show? The only well look there's only one thing that I've told people to unsubscribe from and that is the was is the kineticis or this weekend pinball newsletter unsubscribe to that like I I don't know why Colin we we were cool and then we weren't and then he he doubled down I I don't I just again I just don't think he likes me at all and I think he's as woke as they come and when he started posting about like the you know trying to bring in a trans debate into the Harry Potter pinball. Like, he literally tried to drag our hobby and our community. He tried to drag it there for clicks. Once I saw that, that's when I'm like, I'm done. Like, you you have lost the narrative. If you need to take Harry Potter pinball into a political space and and take the angle, the woke angle you're taking is unreal.
    38:30
    Um, what's up, guys? What happened to Bubba? Bubba, well, I don't know why I just laughed. Like, Bubba's been Bubba passed away years ago. Um, Bubba passed away one month short of being 11. And Bubba died in my arms. Bubba had gout, which is when the dog's stomach flips upside down. and he was acting all funny and I knew something was wrong and I took him to the vet and he died in my arms as they tried to give him um his heart stopped and they tried to I was watching them try to resuscitate him and give him CPR. It was it was horrendous way to lose a dog. I thought we'd have him for a few more years. We'd wheel him around, you know. thing with bulldogs and all dogs is they teach us about love and life and the fragility of it all. I mean, they're God's gift to to us. They really are. You know, a dog when it sees its owner come home, the endorphins it releases are more than humans can even feel when they fall in love for the first time. And you're telling me there's no God? There's a God. Come on. These people don't like you think this is all just random. No. You know, I have a new friend. He's a he's he's a great kid. He's he's a he he he he was a a war veteran. He's young kid. He lost a finger in an explosion uh in in uh Afghanistan, I believe. And it traumatized him. He sank into a really dark place, became a meth addict, was homeless, turned his life around. He's now doing great. Dresses like a million bucks. Really handsome young guy. and um you know, but he he's like he's got an interesting uh point of view on life because I've never met anybody like this, but he is um he believes in the flat earth theory and it's it got me down a little bit of a rabbit hole like going into podcast about flat earth theory, how they believe that Antarctica is the end of the world, you'd fall off the edge. and how there's like military bases there from every country. The Rockefeller estate is there. Uh the the the weirdest part about flat earth thinking is and you know we make fun of him. He he you know I think he kind of just like was susceptible to some of this like conspiracy theory. Um, but I think the most funny part is the flat earth community actually doesn't believe that dinosaurs are real. They think they're fake and they think the bones in the ground were planted there by like the governments to convince us of something that wasn't. I'm like really like you really believe that like underneath all that rock and carbon dating that and because they they believe in a timeline also of of like we've only been here a few thousand years not millions of years and so it's just like I don't know I just like when people have strange weird like thoughts and you you you can it's because it makes it makes for a much more interesting lunch when you're sitting next to someone who literally thinks there was never a T-Rex, you know. I love it. Look, if you're going to be different, be really different. Like, be crazy. Um, you know, another crazy stat is there were two billion T-Rexes. When I read this, that two billion T-Rexes have roamed planet Earth. And then you want to charge me $13,000 for a pinball machine. I can't put those two things in my head at the same time. The reason why there were two billion T-Rexes is they estimate that there were 20,000 T-Rexes alive every year. 20,000 roaming the Earth, right? It's not that many, but it's a decent amount, right? I'd be I'd be pretty scared if I turned a corner and saw like eight T-Rexes, let alone like 20,000 on planet Earth. There was 20,000 a year. But get ready for it. For 10 million years, there were T-Rexes. When I think about the time and then I think about the amount of time we have and I think about Star Wars pinball, like I just this is this is how Canad's head works. I'm like, I don't need it now. I don't need this pin now. After knowing that millions of years T-Rexes were chilling and you're going to come out with shooter rod heads on a $13,000 pinball machine. I I don't need it. I don't need it. I would rather go study T-Rexes and watch Jurassic Park than buy Star Wars Elite. Okay. Um, okay. So, the the girl stabbed on the train. Look, I I don't want to talk about this. That that was probably the most disturbing thing I've seen in in in years. And you I've I've been saying this and not to get political, the letting these lunatics on the street with no bail so you can commit a violent crime and they don't lock you up anymore. We used to throw people away. We used to identify lunatics of all races, okay? This is not a race thing. And throw them into insane asylums. And yes, it's more the Democrats that want these people out on the streets. They think it's racist to set a bail that these criminals can't afford. Yeah, there's a reason why you would need to pay for bail because you committed a crime. Why would anybody want to vote in and we're in New York City is about to vote in the craziest progressive left ever? That's why I'm happy I'm gone. I don't want to be a part of a city run by these lunatics. Okay? Who wants to?
    44:57
    The mayor of the city where that stabbing happened came out and said, "We need to have empathy for the murderer." Empathy for him. The poor girl bleeding out. Nobody helped her. One guy helped. Everyone else just walked by again. We need a reset. Follow the empire. Stern pinball. Let's get back to pinball. Um, look, here's the thing. Here's the thing. Did anybody buy a Star Wars LE? Did Did we get any answers there? Did anybody buy a Star Warsle? Come on. Come on. If If I'm If I'm the new CMO at Stern, like, "Hey man, check out Ganada now. He's talking about sales of our game. Did anybody buy Star Wars LE?" "ify yourself." Chance bought one. Chance Hammer
    45:54
    cancelled it. Chance, you got one. All right. Chance. You took a chance, baby. Chance, man. Uh, let's see.
    46:07
    I'm the only one here that's actually played the game and it's fun. Ian. Ian, you're But Ian, you're soft, bro. We love you, Ian. But you're soft. You're soft, bro. We know you're We We know. The moment Ian turns a game on, he's like, "I like it. It's fun. It's fun." Nudge Magazine. Love Nudge Magazine. If you guys haven't Can you guys do me a favor? We got 100 people here. A lot more are going to watch. Thousands will watch on Facebook. This will get like 2,000. Can you guys subscribe to Nudge Magazine? Ian's a Ian's doing something awesome there. And it's so cool. Like it's just it's just something fun to arrive every what every month Ian on your coffee table if you're into pinball. It's like everyone should should check out Nudge. Heck, I got to subscribe. I don't even think I subscribe. I think Ian just sends me copies every once in a while. Um, Chris Golores bought one. I did not. And that's not how you spell my name. I did not buy one. But Ian, yeah, we love you, but we know you're soft, bro. We know you're soft. I couldn't wait to buy one yesterday. Today I changed my mind. Yeah, dude. Fizzy, I'm the same. Boom.
    47:14
    Um, he's like, I instantly hated Venom. Well, yeah. I mean, I feel like you don't want to be that guy. Remember there was always like that guy like Don was like that guy. I like Venom. Like remember Don was like Don Don bought a John Wick Ali. Like once you ordered a John Wick Ali, you literally might as well just like put a sticker on your back being like never never listen to anything I say. I mean that that is what when you buy John Wick Ali, you literally have just told everybody don't ever listen to anything I say.
    47:47
    Ah, you know, look, I love that we've got all these characters in pinball content. It's It makes it more fun, right? It would be boring if we all were the same.
    48:00
    Seriously, canada, answer me this. How much better is Wizard of Oz than Star Wars picks piece of Okay, first of all, I love our little o Aussie friend here. Um, retro Aussie. Yeah, like Wizard of Oz is embarrassing. What? I mean, Star Wars is embarrassing next to Wizard of O. I think Star Wars is embarrassing next to I think Potter really just kills it. Like Evil Dead kills it. I think Dune is way cooler than Star Wars. Like I would much rather own a Dune than Star Wars. You know, I had a long conversation with David Vaness. He, you know, he's he's a he's a really good guy. Like I, you know, I told David though, I'm like, David, you just need to hire a dude like me. You need you need some swagger. Like, I can't do it for you for free. I'm not. And and I said to him, I'm like, I'm not doing it for free. I I just I don't know. Would you guys have a problem? I'm I'm curious if I if I consult it. I'm trying to figure out if I could do this. If I could actually be a consultant for pinball companies, but also be objective. I mean, I would do it, but they've got to be able I I do think it would be impossible to really do it that I think it'd have to be one or the other because the problem is the problem is the moment they're implementing things that I've consulted them on, then I wouldn't be able to objectively cover that stuff because I would be biased. So, I really, you know, I think it's it's all in or not. Um, what is the Star Wars code at? I don't know. I had to switch to Facebook because Retro Aussie is so effing annoying. Geez. All right, Aussie, simmer down there, buddy. You're driving people off the chats. We um Okay. Like, let's be respectful of and not spam your hatred of Star Wars. We We know. We We know. We know. We know. Like, let's let's bring it in. It's like, let's let's do a huddle here. Let's all huddle together. We We know We know a few things. We know that nobody listens to Orbiter Albert. We know that Canada is the biggest piece of [ __ ] in pinball and that's why you love them. We know Mud Nudge Magazine is beautiful and you should subscribe. We know that all of you at $5 a month can afford $10 a month. We know it. I'm not going to ask you to do it, but I just did. We know that Canada will constantly contradict himself and still have the biggest following in all of pinball podcasting history. We know this. Okay. We also know We also know that Star Wars is underwhelming, lacks creativity, and doesn't look anywhere near what a game for this much money should be. We also know collectively, oh, we're in the huddle here. This is quiet space. This is safe place. We also know that spike three ah right didn't really hit. Didn't really feel impressive. It seemed like the same old thing and they've managed to make a bigger screen seem smaller than the old screen. Did you notice that? Like the clips are this smaller. Why would you have this bigger screen and then reduce the clip? Like I what? Stern. Stern call me up. George, call me. Seth Gary, call me. Come on, guys. Call me. And then you get C3PO for the call outs. I mean I mean really are we doing this? Yeah, you guys watch the show um the studio with Seth Rogan. It's amazing. And I love the marketing chick in it. She's amazing. She's awesome. Can I say chick? Is that am I allowed to say chick? Um, she's so funny. And I love it when like she like just flies off the handle when they have a terrible marketing idea. She's like, I can't sell this. And that's what the CMO at Stern needs to be like. You want to put C3PO, the most annoying character's voice, as the call outs of this game. Am I hearing you right, John? We're not doing that. We're not We're not doing that. George George, this guy wants to put C-3PO in the We're not doing this.
    51:55
    I love that. Like I love that it's 2025 and we're like, yo, man, the game's got a tweeter, you know? Let's get some light on here. The game's got a tweeter. Like, like we were getting crappy 10 dollar speakers. Now we're getting like $20 speakers and we're like, "Yeah, man. Yeah." Like, it's just too easy to make fun of all these movies in this hobby. People, um, knew you would find a reason not to buy. Kelly Daniel, Kelly, Kelly, do you think do you think there was a reason to buy this game that I missed? I'm talking to Kelly on Facebook right now. He said, "I knew there was you were going to find Kelly. What what what what what would make me want to buy this game? What what do you think I missed that is like, "Yeah, man. I should buy this game. I should give Stern $13,000 because I only roll in the LE space. It's, you know, if I bought a Potter, it' be a CE." I don't roll with the second tier models, people. I, you know, marry hot wives and wife hot wife singular and I roll around in demons, baby. I'm Ellie, man. I'm not driving just a scat pack.
    53:11
    Star Wars is an insta buy. That Kelly that lit Kelly I love you. I respect you. Please don't say stupid stuff. When you say Star Wars is an insta buy that doesn't make any sense. So you're just saying because of theme. I get why you're saying it but please out of respect for your own highly intelligent of your own beautiful life. Don't say stupid stuff like that. Please. I love you. Trade G&R for. No, I Guns and Roses is so much cooler than Star Wars. Star Wars looks like a tinker toy. Guns and Roses does not. Guns and Roses might be clunky, but boy is it is it an impressive game to stand over. Star Wars is not.
    53:58
    Franchie said, "Went from Kmart to Radio Shack." Franchie, man. Franchie, can you just tell us right now since we got you here on a scale of 1 to 10, how excited are you for us to see your next game? Like, how hard has it been for you not not to just like send me photos? I promise I won't leak it this time. I love that Franchie and I have made up like I love him here. I love his work. I've been s 14. Man, I can't wait. I can't wait. Like I literally can't wait. Um, and I think I told you guys Spooky Pinball is giving Canadas Pinball podcast a few machines fully fully decked out, butter cabinet, topper, everything. I'm going to ask them and maybe we might even put they might even put a little Canada plaque on it for the Canada club members. Um, they're going to give them to me to offer to some of my club members. So, if you get shut out, and I think they're going to sell out instantly. I'm not scalping these. I'm going to uh give people the opportunity to get them at cost. I'm really excited to do that. Um, the first game I had to pose with for for photo. Very excited. Wow. Okay. Wow. Okay. Good. Good. We're excited.
    55:25
    Um, look, I like the premium artwork. Yeah. See, once again, Stern Stern just doesn't make the LE special, man. I I swear to God, when I saw all three Star Wars, Here's what you never want to say. When you see When I first saw all three Star Wars games together, you know what the first thing I said is? Which one's the LE? You should never feel that way. Um, would you buy it for the kids? Said Chance. Chance, thank you for the $20, brother. I really appreciate it. I appreciate everybody that super chats. Um, it means a lot. Every donation to this show means a lot. Would you buy it for the kids? No. I mean, my kids are too young for Star Wars, too. They had Killian. You know, if I were going to bring a pinball machine into the house right now that would make Killian go crazy, it would be Paw Patrol and Lion King. It wouldn't be Star Wars. Chris, are you going to be at Expo? I plan to be at Expo. How many Beetle Juices will they make? Why cap it with high demand? um they're going to make 999. And the reason why Spooky will cap it and never make more is they have integrity and they have business sense. So by doing it, they are going to make a lot of money. They have like very low overhead and they set themselves up for future success. And so and they're also
    56:52
    Oh, trying to reconnect. Here we go. They also um are futurep proofing the value of their product. You know, in a world in which Ellie means nothing now, Spooky Pinball is the only company that has established itself as making very beautiful high-end bespoke valuable pinball now because by making only French I heard I thought it was 999. Yeah, Evil Dead was 888. Yeah. And also the price of of Beetlejuice is going to be $9,999. Get your nines out, baby. Now, obviously, we're going to put butter on there and, you know, toppers, but they're smart. S smart. And when when you know, you said something, but why do that when there's more demand? because just because they don't want to get stuck making one game for two years and they they know their capacity and and they know what they they can make a year and they want to make more than one game. They were bored making 1,900 and what is it like 56 or 69 Scooby-Doos like they don't ever want to do that again and they also don't want to like split design amongst two themes. They've they've made some, you know, missteps and they've they now like literally I can't for the life of me find anything anymore to complain about with Spooky Pinball. They're going to fix the monitor so it's not washed out. I get the servos maybe the next thing that goes. But in the end, whenever I walk by an Evil Dead, I literally I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I don't even like Evil Dead and I really, really want one of those." That is crazy. That is when you've hit the suppernal realm of creativity. When you can make someone who doesn't even want the theme want the game.
    58:50
    Maybe Dune's doing that for some people. It doesn't do it to me. I just I still would I just, you know, but the more I see of Dune, the more I like of it, you know. I do. I I I I you know, I told this to David. You just just just launched it at the wrong time. You know what the thing about David and I always try to get this through to him. I I I keep saying David there's two kids. The ones who want to get credit for doing the homework and the ones who just do the homework better and don't give a [ __ ] about anything. The cool kids, right? Like gifted, talented. They need to stop being the company that wants to keep getting credit and they need to do cool stuff. They didn't name their company something cool. I I I I literally told him like you why did you name your company Barrels of Fun. You did no market research. You didn't test names people. And when you announced it to be Barrels of Fun, everybody laughed at you. And that's the problem. You only get, you know, imagine if Guns and Roses. Imagine if Guns and Roses was called Barrels of Fun. You could even have all that music, but imagine having to go through life where people are like, "You have a pinball company. What's the name of it?" Barrels of Fun. Is that what you want to say to someone in a in an airport? Do you want someone who drives a 911 Turbo S? Hey man, you should put a pinball machine in your house with your cool car and your hot wife and your beautiful decor. Oh, cool. What's the brand? Jersey Jack pinball. That sounds cool. Stern pinball. Love it. Right. Spooky pinball. Love it. Barrels of fun.
    60:20
    And and once you have to call something fun, it immediately means it's not
    60:30
    it's like calling a rock band like what's the name of your band? Like the good music crew.
    60:39
    You know what I told him? Change the name. I'm going to I was like, David, I'm going to give you the best advice. Change the name. Change the name.
    60:51
    Yeah. And and then the abbreviation is Bof. Change the name. It's your company. Change the name. Nobody would care. You You don't have like a a lineup. You're not going to distract anybody. Change the name.
    61:12
    I mean, Retro Austin, you're funny, man. You're making me laugh out loud. Like barrels.
    61:25
    Marketing is not everything, Glenn, but marketing matters. And look, the problem is is like is stubbornness. And I deal with this at work every day. The clients that get it are not stubborn. The clients that get it take risks, but they also like will change course if something's not working. I I you know, and it it's hard for me because I I used to like have really good friends that work at barrels and like they they've just kind of stopped talking to me and they think I'm being unfair and they think I'm I just I don't know, man. It's like you guys were my boys. I'm like I'm a really good at my job, you know? I bill out at hundreds of dollars an hour and I would have helped you for free not land on that game. I would have got a graphic designer to make a much better logo. I would have called it something cool. I would have made it something. It's like this. Never. It's like the the t-shirt test. Is this cool enough that someone would want to wear a t-shirt? Right. I'd rock a JJP t-shirt, a JJP hoodie, even just like JJP. Like it's just cool. Sounds cool. Stern. Yeah. Cool. I love Sterns. like when when they do their their merch, right? Barrels of fun.
    62:44
    Going to roll into a bar with a Barrels of Fun t-shirt on. You're not getting laid that night. Again, just change the name and they're going to listen to this. Bel Canado talked about like, yeah, I've said all this to David and he knows it. He just he's stuck. And you know what the funny part is? Like just the only reason he's stuck is because he has stuck himself there, but he can also just get himself out of it. And I think on the next game, change the name. You know, it's funny because I also said to him, you know, it's funny. We we we really have a great conversation. He's like, "Chris, I've got like five games in development." I'm like, "David, I'm going to tell you right now, three of them are [ __ ] I don't even need I didn't even need to know what they are, but I'm telling you right now, three of them are going to be [ __ ] And three of them you're not you should not make. and you're going to make you're going to do what Spooky did with Ultram Man and you're going to do something that's near and dear to you and you're not going to do market research and it's going to flop and you're going to we're going to have the same phone conversation in a year that you should have listened to me and don't make it.
    63:49
    Who's Okay, who's the troll here? Who's trolling? Um, please block the troll. Matthew, who's who's trolling? I'm just I'm trying to
    64:04
    uh let's see. The die to print barrel of funds pinball boxes cost $11,000. They won't change it anytime soon. All right. Retro Aussie, just simmer down a little bit. Uh I don't know if I can like Is he distracting you guys too much? I like I like having him here. He's funny.
    64:29
    It's okay, guys. No one's really trolling here. You know me. I don't I don't I don't tolerate that.
    64:38
    Who do you think signed Ultram Man Lucas? What's up, brother? we're going to end the show in a little bit, but I just want to say this. I really want to say I hope all of you have a great weekend. We're not we'll end in like 10 minutes. I feel blessed to um to have found this community. A lot of really good people. And I want to also you know if you just join now like I will absolutely accept an apology from Glenn and unblock them and we can move past his comment about me being my sentiment around 911 not being authentic that I'm that that I'm like I don't mean it is what he said. Uh, I don't, you know, look, I'll forgive him. He said something stupid. Same thing with Albert. Like, Albert, they're not bad people. Like, I don't I don't like hate anybody in this hobby. I really don't. I like I forgave David Fix. Like, I I'm not mad at David Fix anymore, you know? Literally tried to get me fired and I forgive him. I understand why he was try what he was trying to do because he knew that me saying disparaging things about his company could hurt company sales. And I I I don't I I I wish he wouldn't have done what he did. I have two little boys and I have uh I need my paycheck to keep this family going and I but you know he he decided to go that route. But again, I don't wish him any ill will. I I feel bad for him losing his job at American Pinball. I think he made a lot of really questionable decisions and that's why the sales weren't there. They make they screw together a great game. They just never had the right leadership.
    66:29
    You learn from me how to take the high road. You know, Franchie, I think we learned from each other, man. I think we both went to dark places. I think we both we we both realize how much more fun is it now, right? When you forgive and and also like I'm sorry, man. Like I'm sorry that those monsters pick got out. you know that like I never, you know, it never should have happened and it it was on me and I am sorry and I and I broke our trust and you know that and it was stupid and I learned a lot and I've I've never since then broken trust or leaked something. Someone asked me not to. I mean I had Guns and Roses in my phone for a year. I never leaked any I you know I just out of respect for Eric and you know the hard work those people put into the game. Now when it comes to Stern I'll leak the [ __ ] out of all of it. I got to be honest, it's just like Sturd stuff is just like so it's so annoying how like they're so precious about keeping everything under wraps and then when they finally reveal it like the the Star Wars game that lived in all of our heads is 10 times better than the one they showed us yesterday. And that's the damn truth. And that's why you subscribe to Canadas Pinball Podcast because nobody else will say that. Ralph's going to like it. It's fun. Ian's like it's fun. I not everybody's played it. I've played it. It's Yeah, fan layout. Of course, it's going to be fun. It's It's going to be boring though after like a few weeks and you're just still shooting the same eight shots.
    68:00
    I It got me out of stern. It Look, Franchie, let's be honest. It might have been one of the reasons. There was other things you did as well. Like people sometimes blame me for your exit to Stern, but it's like it was a series of things, right? Look, in the end it all worked out, right? In the end, I think every it all worked out for the best. It really did. And I think you're at the better place now to be. So maybe you can Should you thank me for that? It's weird, right? I feel like we're thanking each other for like ah Yeah, man. Like your your deplorable behavior was actually like in the end like thank you. Without without you being a dag, life wouldn't have been this great.
    68:51
    Yeah, the Beatles, man. I Dude, I always felt like I always I I saw the way Gary talked to you at that show and I just I was like, "This guy's got to like that was that it was inappropriate how they treated you, man." And like they they you know, to your point of like this is how it is at these shows, guys. You're the ones who are out of touch. Like people sell this artwork, they allow their artist to make some coin on the side. They they never should have come down on you like that. And it was cuz you know what it is is like the license holder wasn't coming down on them. And they should have been like I if I were them, I just don't think they ever knew how to really handle you. And it's a shame because you're a big personality to handle, right? And I think there's two ways you handle people. I'm the same way. I'm the same way. I relate to you. Like I think my company's the same way with me. They're like, uh, like you got to you got to put up with the bad to get the good, right? And is if the good is worth it, then we got to let him be him and let him bake the way he bakes. And, you know, my company supports me, you know, up until the day they probably let me go, which is always the end of any agency career. Uh, but you know, it's they support me. They support me doing this. my CEO always had my back. And so I think Stern just made the wrong decision in and like instead of understanding who you were, they tried to change who you were. And I think you're now in a place that embraces who you are. And I think because they do and they respect that, you respect them more, right? I mean, it always felt like Stern, you know, Stern's a place where like it's the corporation. like you're kind of always at odds a little bit with leadership, if you will. I'm not sure they know how to manage people. Well, you know, like I mean, I heard the rumors like like Jack Danger was like trying to leave and you know, Keith Elwin's unhappy. You know, you never hear like the rumors that like, man, everyone's loving it there, Dream. You know, you you never hear that from the people over there. You never hear it. Well, you know, look, even the fact that Christopher Franchie is here. I I I want to I want to stay on this. We have the artist from Spooky Pinball and Chris, where are you right now? Like, what what state are you in now? We have the artist from Spooky Pinball in Canada's Pinball podcast live stream engaging with me and and all of you live in real time. You Facebook guys, get over to YouTube. We have you here. That is amazing. Jack Danger comes here every once in a while. We see Deadflip pop in. Whenever I talk about Jack, how much I love him, he usually pops in. It's like his ears ring or something. Um, Bug and Luke hang out here. Where's John Borg? Johnny, where are you? Right. Never comes hangs out. If I was a designer, I'd be all I'd be I'd be all over dudes like me. I I'd be I'd be I'd be friends with Canada. I'd be because because each and every one of you, it makes you feel better. It makes you feel better about supporting and buying games from this man, Mr. Franchie, and from Bug and Luke. It's called It's called like smart. It's It's not just like smart business. It's called being like a good human in a small niche community. you know, and the people that avoid Canada and you know, it's weird and not many people do, you know, I don't I don't I feel like I've got good relationship with people over at Stern, JJP, at Barrels. Um, I don't have any relationship with CGC. I mean, like, literally, I just, you know me, I could care less about CGC. I just I think the way they treat their customers and I don't even care that the Medieval Madness Merlin edition is going out. I don't care. It's like, cool. Wow, you guys. Once again, you guys made people wait a year and with radio silence. Cool. Nobody cares. Unboxing game. Nobody cares. I avoid Canad. I did all the all of my by myself. Let's see. Christopher Franchie. Someone last night was saying how they got to meet Elwin Gomez at pinball at the zoo. And I'm like, cool, cool. But was Franchie there? He's from Michigan and he's awesome. Um, boycott Stern trash company never will pay again. Spooky only. Um, Canadia. The question everyone wants to answer is Margot Robbie or Sydney Sweeney. I mean Sydney Sweeney by a country mile. She's so freaking hot. And I, as a grown man, love saying that. And I love that hot women are back, baby. They're back. The woke the woke community that tried to sell us for years that hot women aren't like like that. Everybody's hot, everybody's beautiful, everybody's gorgeous. Yeah, sure. Whenever the fashion labels went from the hot models to the plus-size, the sales went down. Look, I'm I'm just saying people are attracted to what they're attracted to. And you know, you had your chance. You had your years of forcing all the hot women to the back of the group. You know, go watch it. Go watch just TV commercials for a minute and see the way the marketing world is out of touch. Every couple is like mixed couple. The kids don't even The kids can't even come from that couple. you've got like it's usually like a a a white dude, a beautiful black wife, and a Chinese kid. It's like who like who like who? Like that's what the marketing world turned into. I It's just like what's wrong? Like it's cool. I you know half my I really good friends here. These two um you know my two friends Devon and and um and Mike like awesome black dudes. We have such a like they're my my my buddies here and you know we just get along so great and we laugh they laugh at it all. They're like this is like what what happened to the world where we just try to like flip everything in the end. The high school quarterback is going to be sleeping with the hot cheerleader. Okay? It's just the way it goes. The only way and this is what how we used to talk. Only way that an unattractive man can land a beautiful woman is if you make a lot of money. Duh. Duh. But that's the beauty is cuz it's okay also for women to be attracted to money. I'm attracted to money. We all are. It's sexy. You ever have like a like not that attractive but like rich friend? It's amazing. Love it. Bottle service, baby. You know, it's fun being around successful people. They they they they think about life different. They enjoy life more.
    76:22
    H Yeah. Don't shave off your eyebrows. Was that Miley Cyrus just did that? Like I have nothing. But women are the most amazing creatures. Like it's it's crazy to me too because the people that have been trying to take down women are like the progressive women. You see, do you notice that? Like it it's it's progressive females that have really waged war against their own gender. Like guys never did that. We never would do that. Like Maverick is still going to get in the plane and kick ass, right? Ryan Johnson has Luke Skywalker throw the lightsaber over his shoulder and become a pacifist. That's why we hate Disney and what it did to Star Wars.
    77:12
    Not all women and men are amazing. Yeah, of course not. I mean, come on. Of course I'm generalizing. There there are some real nasty Well, the Karens of the world are funny, right? Like that woman who stole the ball from the the Philly Karen stole the ball from the kid, right? Wow. Wow. My favorite story of the year still. It It's my favorite story of the year. It is maybe my favorite like moment where like the internet just got it right and took something that happened in real life. My favorite like this is just my favorite story maybe ever. And and I'll explain why because it was like to me it was like the most honest moment I think we've ever seen come from the internet. And it was the astronomer CEO at the Coldplay concert. To me, God has a sense of humor because that is the greatest moment I've ever seen that everybody can relate to, laugh at, and and it couldn't have happened to Two Bigger a-holes, right? Like the the the family she's married into are billionaires. Like you're you're worth billions and you're going to throw that away. and he's a scumbag, too. And then they tried to now they're trying to spin it, but the fact that they got caught on the kiss cam at Coleplay is the best part. And the fact that Chris Martin stops the concert and says, "Wow, they either uh are really shy or having an affair." The fact that he said that in in front of the whole stadium is amazing, right? And then now they're trying to spin it. The husband's trying to create a new narrative. Her husband that they've they've been separated before that incident happened or they were going through No, he's lying. He's lying. You know, just just accept the fact that your wife sucks. You They all suck. They all And the rest of the world loves watching these rich, beautiful people do disgusting, ugly things. It was like in that like 10 seconds it was like an entire season of white lotus. I mean we are obsessed with eating the rich. We love seeing that these rich beautiful people are really a lot of times evil in the heart. Right.
    79:30
    I'm never throwing my family away. We're going to go through some hard times. I've been together with Brenda for 12 years. I've ne I always say this to Brenda. I said, "Brenda, thank you. You are the only girl I've ever dated and only person I've ever loved where when I go to bed at night, I never I never question my decision or am I with the right person. I never ever have any fe." Meanwhile, she's probably like, "Oh my god, Chris, you're a manchild. Like, I could do so much better than you. I'm gorgeous. these hedge fund managers that make millions could give me a bigger house. You know what I'm saying? Like who knows what's going on inside her head. And that's the thing, right? Like you never really know anybody. Like really we never really know ourselves that well. Like we don't like what what is going on in our heads is absolutely insane. the the the from two billion T-Rexes to talking about, you know, hot chicks to woke culture to like Harry Potter to like think about just the things we've been jumping around in just an hour and in our head our synaptic like firings are going all over the place.
    80:42
    The Irish birds keep Oh my god. Jeez. Okay, keep it Aussie, man. You got to keep it clean. I I we we there's kids. There's There's kids here. I gota I gotta I gotta remove that content, man. You got Don't talk about my wife in a sexual fashion like that. Let me talk about my wife in a sexual fashion like that.
    81:06
    I know. I'm I'm blessed. I mean, like literally like Brenda is smoking like like I like I'm like I I tell you every night I tell Brenda only fans, man. Only fans. I I read a story. This girl made 17 million in two days on Only Fans. 17 million in two days on Only Fans. I don't know what she did, but like damn.
    81:35
    Okay. All right. You know, like we're not I'm a I'm telling you. Um I we we can't talk like that. Okay. Just keep it cleaner, man. Keep it clean. Everybody look, call your loved ones. It was a tough week. I I feel so bad for for Charlie's wife. Just that image of her holding his hand in the casket. Like, I don't I don't care if you're Republican or Democrat or you're pro this or you think there's 18 genders and you're you're you know, you go to the doctor's office and and there's 17 different options for like who you are, how you identify. Uh if you're like a two spirit, if you identify as a f I don't care. I don't care. The father had his neck blown off in front of his wife and children and all the kids are watching it. I talk about a generation that shouldn't even like have to ever see that, you know. Anyway, life is short. We expect big things from these pinball companies and the games are expensive and if you're going to charge this much for Star Wars Stern, you didn't nail. They didn't nail. Let's just let me just close on Star Wars. This should have been a game where all of Stern Pinball came together and said, "We're going to make the best pinball machine Stern Pinball has ever made. It's going to be Star Wars. I want Elwin in Danger, guys." and the and the design team and you know the engine like I we're putting the best people we have on this. If we nail this and we nail it right, we're going to sell more of this game than everything else we have mapped out for the year. They didn't do that. It just feels like a company that is checking boxes and is is already on to the next and they they're not focused on making the best example of what the organization is capable of. And that is why people are are starting to really not care anymore. We're really feeling like it's just another Stern. And Stern can survive with that vibe. I've been covering this hobby for 12 years. I've never seen more apathy towards Stern than there is now. And they did it to themselves. They blew up the LE market. They blew up their own model. They they were greedy. They they lied to their customers. They were going to continue to make less after, you know, they rerun, new Jurassic Park le. They literally went back to the well and burned their own customers. That was all a business decision that Telegraph, we don't care about you, the consumer. All we care about is our distros placing the order. When you really look at what Stern does, everything is about getting that distro to place a big order. They don't care, right? When they gave Elvra to the distros and didn't price it, they didn't care about you and me. And then some distros charge 25,000 and some of you bought it.
    84:51
    guys, keep it keep it clean. All right. And that's it. And that's it. And Stern needs a reset. They need a reset. They need to call a meeting. They need to hire Canada. And everyone knows it. They need they they When I went over there, I'm being very transparent. And I said, "George, Seth, Carrie, I I the only job I'd want here is to be the CMO, the chief marketing officer." And they hired one. Like I Let me I always I want to like Let me see. Stern Let me see who who they hired again. Where he comes from. Uh, all right. Stern pinball. like it got gave me like all right let's do this Stern Pinball expands marketing team Stern Pinball is pleased to announce this is March 31st of 2025 appointment of Matthew Guyire as VP of marketing in this role will partner with the Stern marketing department director of marketing Zack Sharp I thought I got it wrong on my call today I think I called Josh Sharp as the reason Steve Bowen was there and marketing manager Joe Marchfield to drive the organization's marketing strategies driving brand awareness, consumer acquisition and re revenue growth through effective marketing initiatives and crossf functional collaboration. Guyire spearheads the company's go-to market approach strengthening both terrestrial and digital business segments while building more direct and interactive consumer engagement. Okay, consumer engagement, right? Matt was hired in March of 2025. Have any of you had any consumer engagement with Matt? Come on, Matt. And this thing is like I just think he needs to like he needs to join. He should just join here. He should, you know, it'd be fun to interview him. I I want Matt I think he just I think he needs to cross the Rubicon and, you know, join the community like be you got to be more public facing. You can't be the chief marketing officer. Is is this this is the CMO, right? Um, preceding Stern Pinball, Guyire led WWE's worldwide gaming division across a portfolio of console, PC, and mobile products. He oversaw the launch of one of the most acclaimed WWE console titles in franchise history, WWE 2K22, and was responsible for gaming integrations with Epic Games three major titles, Fortnite, Rocket League. Okay. and Fall Guys. Prior to joining WWE, he was senior vice president worldwide marketing at Warner Brothers. All right. So, he's got a lot of he's got a lot of experience in this space. He look this guy is a handsome guy. Tall guy. Got a suit on here. Looks very professional. That pocket square is perfect. Um, but yeah, he just needs to come out more, you know, like look look how look how attractive this man is. Hold on. Look at this. I mean, come on, Matt. Join us. Join the community. It's time. It's time. You know, and and I again like the the main role of a CMO of a pinball company.
    88:19
    All right, hold on. Look, Retro Austin, you know, I love having you here, but I'm going to I'm going to warn I'm giving you a warning in front of you're you're you're not going to fss people here. You know, we're not doing this. We're not doing this. So, just chill out. Okay. Just I think you've made all your points and let's stop. Okay. Okay. All right.
    88:51
    Like, everyone's asking you. Okay. Cuz you're going to because here's the thing. Like, you're going to you're going to force me to like I don't want to send you to the penalty box, but you're going to go there. Anyway, let's end this. Matt, if you if you listen to this, I'm glad you've got a great job, man. I want it your job, bro. I want it your job. Um, just join us, man. Join the show. I would love it if Matt just like popped in here next week. If you know Matt or you know someone that just tell them, pop in. Hey guys, I heard about this show. I heard there's this marketing clown Canada who like has some ideas about how we can better market our products. Um, you know, reach out. Reach out. Now, the the reason why like I don't reach out right now because again I I I'm I'm not giving people free advice anymore. Like I've given it for over 10 years, it they
    89:43
    if I became a CMO of a pinball company, I would stop the show. That's just how it would be because it would pay me more and it would be kind of like a dream to like take a decade of my experience and actually apply it in a beneficial way to help a company. Like that's what I love doing and it'll be fun to activate knowing all of you in this community like activate and make real change in pinball that I think is needed both on a product development level and on a marketing level.
    90:19
    All right guys, this chat retro Aussie I'm putting you on warning next week. Chill, bro. Chill. All right, everybody. Be good. Have a good Saturday. Watch the fight tonight on Netflix. Peace out.