claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.031
Personal pinball updates, Raza discussion, and Pinburgh liquidation news.
Raza base model reportedly priced at $4,999 according to alleged website hack posted on Pinside
low confidence · Drew Sloat mentions unsubstantiated server hack with screenshot evidence on Pinside forums; explicitly notes this is unverified
Raza premium version with light-up sides priced between $6,500-$6,900
low confidence · Same unsubstantiated source; Drew notes uncertainty on exact figure
Raza features animated pin bar with MagnaSave touch control and rule guidance
medium confidence · Drew Sloat describes features observed in Fliptronic's stream of production version
Fliptronic had technical difficulties streaming Raza due to missing equipment/cables
high confidence · Jon and Drew discuss stream logistics; attributed to on-location streaming constraints at bar venue
ReplayFX is liquidating ~$1 million worth of physical pinball assets
high confidence · Jon references official letter available on This Week in Pinball; cites COVID impact on business
Billy Constantino Mitchell played Pac-Man for 9+ hours attempting perfect game/kill screen run
high confidence · Drew Sloat watched Galloping Ghost Twitch stream; provides detailed timeline (tuned in at 10pm after 8 hours already played)
Raza has been in development for five years with no shipping inventory
high confidence · Jon criticizes lack of tangible production timeline; notes recent stream showing production version is significant milestone
Pinburgh as known is being discontinued; ReplayFX transitioning to online-only presence
high confidence · Jon cites official ReplayFX announcement via This Week in Pinball
“I'm getting good at that game... I've gotten to Battle Royale, which is like the mini wizard mode, like three or four times already.”
Drew Sloat @ early show segment — Personal pinball progress update on Spider-Man, shows engagement with modern Stern titles
“If I would have known about baby powder in the 80s, like you don't know how many hours I've played this fucking game.”
Billy Constantino Mitchell (quoted by Drew Sloat) @ mid-show — Humorous aside during Pac-Man attempt; reflects on hand moisture management technique
“There's nothing on the line. And we said we weren't going to talk about them until something was on the line, but this is something tangible that we can actually look at.”
Jon @ Raza discussion — Establishes hosts' stance on Deep Root criticism; clarifies production version demonstration justifies coverage
“My criticism 100% lies in the fact that it's been five years and we don't have anything on the line.”
Jon @ Raza discussion — Core complaint about Deep Root Pinball's development timeline and lack of shipping units
“It took a while to get to that level, right? You know, all these shows that are all over the country. It doesn't happen overnight. It takes years and years and years of growth to get to that level. And to have it all just batted away within a year is devastating.”
Jon @ Pinburgh discussion — Reflects on ReplayFX/Pinburgh's collapse and industry impact of major event closures
“The hate on their stream was unwarranted.”
Jesse J (chat participant) @ Raza stream discussion — Community pushback against criticism of Fliptronic's streaming effort under difficult conditions
“Fliptronic did a phenomenal job. For a short notice, it was very good.”
Mike Harry Williams (chat participant) @ Raza stream discussion — Positive community sentiment about stream quality despite technical constraints
product_launch: Raza demonstrated as production version (not prototype) via Fliptronic stream, representing significant milestone after five years in development
high · Jon: 'It was a production game. It wasn't the prototype anymore. So they showed us their standard version, right'
design_innovation: Raza features animated pin bar with integrated MagnaSave touch control and dynamic rule guidance/shot recommendations
medium · Drew: 'the pin bar, the way it's laid out... on the far right end of the touch screen on the pin bar, there is a little circle... it says MagnaSave... It's all animated. It's telling you where to shoot'
market_signal: Alleged server hack posting unsubstantiated Raza pricing: $4,999 base, $6,500-6,900 with light-up sides; Drew notes if accurate could shift market perception
low · Drew: 'somebody hacked into their server or something, and they posted this thing... 4999 was the number... $6,500, $6,900, something like that... if they really come out with that, that might change some people's minds'
business_signal: ReplayFX liquidating approximately $1 million in physical pinball assets; Pinburgh tournament discontinued; company pivoting to online-only presence
high · Jon: 'ReplayFX, who runs Pinburgh... they're liquidating all their like physical assets... they have them up for sale now, like a million dollars worth of machines'
content_signal: Fliptronic's Raza stream faced technical difficulties (missing cables/equipment) but received strong community praise for quality under pressure
groq_whisper · $0.342
“I think it's a cool idea. I don't think it's the end-all, be-all.”
Drew Sloat @ Raza discussion — Clarifies position on glass pivoting feature; pushes back against community attribution of stronger stance
high · Multiple chat participants defend stream quality; Drew: 'Fliptronic did a good job, and they explained some of the stuff'
sentiment_shift: Hosts acknowledge willingness to cover Raza due to production version visibility, but core criticism remains five-year timeline with zero shipping inventory
high · Jon: 'My criticism 100% lies in the fact that it's been five years and we don't have anything on the line'
industry_signal: Major pinball tournament infrastructure under strain; Pinburgh collapse seen as devastating loss reflecting broader COVID-era venue/event vulnerability
high · Jon: 'It took a while to get to that level... It doesn't happen overnight... And to have it all just batted away within a year is devastating'
competitive_signal: Billy Constantino Mitchell attempted Pac-Man perfect game (collect all fruits/keys, reach kill screen) on single life at Galloping Ghost; played 9+ hours before dying in chaos pattern
high · Drew witnessed Twitch stream, described 8-hour session already in progress at 10pm, player parked machine multiple times, used baby powder for hand moisture control
personnel_signal: Upcoming episode to feature history lesson and top-five dedicated to prolific designer with 50+ games from 1978 to present; hosts credit Scott Ian for research
medium · Jon: 'he has seemingly been in the industry forever... He's done a lot of cool stuff... for whatever reason, I don't think he gets enough credit... from 1978 to current'
product_concern: Drew experienced early Stern sound board failure on Meteor restoration; bad sound board was causing MPU malfunction; resolved by sound board replacement
high · Drew: 'some bad sound boards in these early Sterns, sometimes they do something weird with the MPU... the sound board's basically bad... I bought a new sound board'
regulatory_signal: Midwest Gaming Classic (MGC) planning November date for recovery event; deliberately delaying to monitor pandemic control measures
medium · Jon: 'MGC, they want to do it next November because they're just really trying to make sure the pandemic's under control'
content_signal: Poor Man's Pinball Podcast securing multiple sponsors (Flippin' Out Pinball, Zen Studios, Pinshades, This Week in Pinball, pinballprices.com, PinStadium Lights); hosts embracing 'sellout' model
high · Extensive sponsor reads at episode open; Jon: 'we're sellouts, and we love it'