THIS WEEK'S ARCADE & PINBALL NEWS - 4/22/2022

Knapp Arcade·article·analyzed·Apr 22, 2022

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.024

TL;DR

Weekly pinball news roundup featuring Barry Oursler tribute, Dragon's Lair C&D, and location spotlights.

Summary

This Week in Arcade & Pinball News (4/22/2022) covers multiple community stories including Pittsburgh's pinball scene prominence, a charity benefit for late designer Barry Oursler's medical debt, and a major licensing dispute over an Italian homebrew Dragon's Lair pinball machine that received a cease-and-desist order from Digital Leisure.

Key Claims

Barry Oursler, legendary pinball designer, passed away on 2/21/2022 after cancer recurrence and adverse chemo reaction
high confidence · Memorial event announcement with detailed timeline from his family published in Knapp Arcade article
Barry Oursler lost income and health insurance in 2021 while battling cancer, leaving his widow Kathy with overwhelming medical debt
high confidence · Official memorial benefit statement from his family
Italian homebrew Dragon's Lair pinball project has NOT secured an official license from Digital Leisure or Dragon's Lair LLC despite years of development
high confidence · Direct email response from Paul Gold at Digital Leisure confirmed via TreyBo69 Pinside post
Digital Leisure issued a Cease and Desist order against the Dragon's Lair pinball homebrew project
high confidence · Legal notice posted to project's Facebook group, reported by Knapp Arcade
Jersey Jack Pinball paused public factory tours (rumored)
medium confidence · Listed as 'RUMOR' in article headline; no additional details provided
Next American Pinball game due out in October 2022
medium confidence · Article headline mentions release date, but no specifics about which game or details provided
Pittsburgh is positioned as a significant pinball hub with multiple arcade/gaming locations
high confidence · Article references Pittsburgh Magazine piece titled 'Four Places in Pittsburgh Where You Can Game Like It's the '90s' and describes Pittsburgh as 'Pinball Paradise'

Notable Quotes

“Barry Oursler was an amazing pinball game designer and was loved and admired by so many in the pinball world.”
Barry Oursler's family (memorial statement) @ Memorial benefit announcement — Tribute to legendary designer at time of death; establishes his industry prominence and community impact
“Thanks for reaching out. The person you mention has reached out to Digital Leisure and Dragon's Lair LLC (the licensing arm for all things Dragon's Lair) but has yet to secure any license.”
Paul Gold, Digital Leisure @ Email response to TreyBo69 via Pinside — Official confirmation that homebrew Dragon's Lair project lacks licensing; high-credibility source directly addressing IP holder status
“I certainly appeared to imply that he had the exclusive rights to any pinball machine with Dragon's Lair images on numerous occasions over the years on Pinside.”
Knapp Arcade (author analysis) @ Article summary — Suggests homebrew creator may have misrepresented licensing status to community over several years

Entities

Barry OurslerpersonKathy OurslerpersonDigital LeisurecompanyDragon's Lair LLCcompanyProject Pinballorganization Jersey Jack Pinballcompany American Pinballcompany Pittsburgh

Signals

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business_signal: Deeproot Pinball's termination of Barry Oursler's medical benefits contributed to financial crisis that triggered community relief efforts
high · Family statement explicitly references 'medical benefits were cut off by Deeproot Pinball' in April 2022 news context
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community_signal: Dragon's Lair licensing dispute escalated from silence to cease-and-desist order within one week after public exposure
high · Timeline: creator post → Knapp Arcade article (7,000+ views) → TreyBo69 licensing inquiry → Digital Leisure response → cease-and-desist issued
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event_signal: Project Pinball and San Antonio community organized memorial auction and charity tournament for Barry Oursler on April 24, 2022
high · Multiple event links and detailed family statement provided; official support from Project Pinball charity
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leak_detection: Dragon's Lair homebrew pinball project represented to community as having secured exclusive IP rights when no license was actually finalized
high · Paul Gold email confirms 'no licensing agreement has been agreed to yet'; creator had 'simply presented their ideas' despite years of Pinside claims about exclusive rights
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market_signal: Strong community demand indicated for licensed Dragon's Lair pinball machine; 7,000+ views on cautionary article suggests significant market interest
medium · Knapp Arcade notes: 'The tremendous amount of traffic that my initial article on this subject received certainly makes it seem to me as though there is absolutely a market for a Dragon's Lair pinball machine'

Topics

Barry Oursler memorial and medical debt crisisprimaryDragon's Lair homebrew pinball licensing dispute and cease-and-desistprimaryPinball location spotlights (Pittsburgh, Bellingham, Syracuse, Indiana)secondaryJersey Jack Pinball factory tour pause (rumor)secondaryUpcoming game releases (American Pinball October 2022)secondaryPinball aftermarket products (Pedretti Gaming backglass)mentionedClassic arcade achievements (Pac-Man perfect game)mentioned

Sentiment

mixed(-0.3)— Content includes celebratory community spotlights (Pittsburgh hub, location features) balanced against serious negative news (Barry Oursler's death, Dragon's Lair cease-and-desist, JJP tour pause rumor). Tone becomes increasingly somber and cautionary toward licensing/IP issues as article progresses.

Transcript

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"Intro." That's what I wrote in this spot when I put the majority of this week's arcade and pinball news together last night. I had every intention of writing some sort of introduction, but then a busy work day, youth soccer and high school lacrosse games struck. So no intro (unless this counts lol). Having said that, this was an eventful week so dig in and enjoy. Notice the "New And Improved" fancy lines between articles now :) . Have a great weekend! Pittsburgh is a Pinball Paradise. These locations are just the tip of the iceberg. Four Places in Pittsburgh Where You Can Game Like It’s the ’90s These arcades and gaming cafes are popular destinations. https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/four-places-in-pittsburgh-where-you-can-game-like-its-the-90s/?fbclid=IwAR3_cwpzURDhMVCiFvDbsSUbreak3qeSohASxUaJwbwcpzS08-ZBKL64Ecg PINBALL SIGHTING! This one is for our Australian friends... LOCATION: 74 Bacton Road, Chandler, Queensland, Australia SQUARE FOOTAGE: 23,000 (not including garages) BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS: 8 bedrooms & 12 bathrooms PRICE: N/A Stern Mustang and Stern Harley-Davidson as seen in this home for sale in Australia. Unfortunately, the price of this property is unlisted, but as the old adage goes...If I have to ask, I probably can't afford it. https://www.jamesedition.com/real_estate/chandler-australia/incomparable-luxury-one-hectare-estate-with-every-imaginable-amenity-11598573?fbclid=IwAR2ummDM1ySE5vTiJNf5sC8GsAMQ03JRBFDxfxXT0nwJZdVykm5PHPr3kBg Arcade Games and Pinball Are Alive and Well in Bellingham [Washington] https://www.whatcomtalk.com/2022/04/20/arcade-games-and-pinball-are-alive-and-well-in-bellingham/?fbclid=IwAR215I3tINqGjvOKWp9cLYfnDF6vB7xVsVLTfv6zR-fk-sOTzaxCwncZWhg Here's a write-up on an Indiana pinball location... Orbit Room putting its own spin on the Bloomington bar scene, with beer, bands and pinball https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/04/15/orbit-room-bloomington-downtown-square-bars-pinball-machines/7285883001/?fbclid=IwAR314esIbgI7PExquYkczipU5OQ-gLUnlC3TPa8DhN-kVYKNkMhnx2aRb5g I NEED to get to District 82 one of these days. Such an amazing location! Here's a great video on a new pinball location in Syracuse, NY... PA man becomes 11th person to score perfect game in original Pac-Man arcade game https://abc7news.com/arcade-pacman-perfect-score-jake-goldberg/11751951/?fbclid=IwAR3DyXGSA2W41axaYFEXa2lB2MgWMjiFRMLkBeZse3OXCuNsVdR0fB09EUU The San Antonio pinball community, in conjunction with Project Pinball, is holding a charity auction to help pay the significant debt that Barry Oursler and his wife incurred after his medical benefits were cut off by Deeproot Pinball. In addition to the Project Pinball auction, a charity pinball tournament is being held at What's Brewing Coffee Roasters on Sunday April 24th in Barry's honor. As someone who has racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills over his lifetime, I can imagine how devastating it must be for a family to experience a serious illness without having insurance. I've shared links to both events below for anyone who is helping Barry's wife Kathy. Thanks. https://projectpinball.rallyup.com/barry-oursler-memorial-benefit-hotwheels-playfield/Campaign/Details?fbclid=IwAR2xWrg-miXn2MQkGwgy2Fqhtk3YRIqZG6_hPByZSjW2RKTqf3S_P8HbUoA https://www.eventbrite.com/e/barry-oursler-memorial-tournament-tickets-295384822957?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&fbclid=IwAR215I3tINqGjvOKWp9cLYfnDF6vB7xVsVLTfv6zR-fk-sOTzaxCwncZWhg "Barry Oursler was an amazing pinball game designer and was loved and admired by so many in the pinball world. He met Kathy in 2018 and brought her into that world shortly after they started dating. They married in 2019, and he quickly became a loving part of our family. He had never been an Uncle and was so happy to become "Uncle Barry." Barry loved his family in Chicago, San Antonio and his friends all over the world. Barry lost his income and health insurance in 2021 while battling cancer. Needless to say, his medical bills, along with monthly bills, quickly escalated. After a lengthy stay in the hospital last December, we found his cancer returned and spread. He was advised to restart his treatment; however, his Medicare would not be effective until February 1st. He started his new chemo treatments on 2/15 and 2/16 but had an adverse reaction within a few days. He was hospitalized on 2/20 and passed away shortly after on 2/21. His passing has been devastating to everyone, especially Kathy, who has been left with an overwhelming amount of debt as she grieves the loss of her loving husband. Please help us relieve some of this burden as she comes to grips with how she is moving forward without him." Exclusive Never Before Seen Deeproot Pinball Videos & Pictures https://www.knapparcade.org/post/exclusive-never-before-deeproot-pinball-seen-videos-pictures Watch Warren Buffett Play Pinball at this Amazing Pinball Candy Store https://www.knapparcade.org/post/watch-warren-buffett-play-pinball-at-this-amazing-pinball-candy-store Magic Girl Pinball Cabinets for Sale https://www.knapparcade.org/post/magic-girl-pinball-cabinets-for-sale RUMOR: Jersey Jack Pinball Pauses Public Factory Tours... https://www.knapparcade.org/post/rumor-jersey-jack-pinball-pauses-public-factory-tours Recent Video Tour of Jersey Jack Pinball's Factory https://www.knapparcade.org/post/recent-video-tour-of-jersey-jack-pinball-s-factory A Visit to the World Famous Rock Fantasy Pinball Venue https://www.knapparcade.org/post/a-visit-to-the-world-famous-rock-fantasy-pinball-venue Pedretti Gaming Launches Alternate Backglass for Fun House 2.0 Rudy's Nightmare https://www.knapparcade.org/post/pedretti-gaming-launches-alternate-backglass-for-fun-house-2-0-rudy-s-nightmare Next American Pinball Game is Due Out in October https://www.knapparcade.org/post/next-american-pinball-game-due-out-in-october The Dragon's Lair Pinball Saga I published a series of articles about the ongoing Dragon's Lair pinball project this week. Posting links to all of them seems pointless now, given how much the situation changed as the week progressed. Here's a summary of what happened: It all started with this... Earlier this week the Italian gentleman who has been working on a homebrew Dragon's Lair pinball machine for several years shared the above post on his project's Facebook page. After seeing this, I got excited as I always do about all things pinball, and shared the information in an article on this site, urging caution about doing any sort of Kickstarter or paying pre-order money. The response was surprisingly huge, with the post receiving over 7,000 views and counting. The next day, an individual who goes by the username "TreyBo69" posted on Pinside that he reached out to Digital Leisure to see if a license to manufacture a pinball machine using the Dragon's Lair intellectual property has officially been secured yet. According to the response from the company that he shared, it appears as though while there has been discussions between the Dragon's Lair pinball project and the company, no licensing agreement has been agreed to yet. Below is the supposed response from Digital Leisure: "Thanks for reaching out. The person you mention has reached out to Digital Leisure and Dragon’s Lair LLC (the licensing arm for all things Dragon’s Lair) but has yet to secure any license. They have simply presented their ideas for the project, but nothing firm has been agreed to. I have forwarded your email to the DL LLC as they would be direct point of contact for such a project and will follow up with the individual posting to the Facebook group. Thanks for the details. Best Regards, Paul Gold Digital Leisure" The following day, legal representative for Digital Leisure issued a Cease and Desist order regarding the creation of this game in its Facebook Group: From what I can tell, it appears as though Digital Leisure and Dragon's Lair LLC have decided that they want no part in this project. The individual who was working on it has only shown bits and pieces of artwork and the playfield over the years, but he claims that the game is nearly done, with full software but a Non-Disclosure Agreement that he signed with the companies has prevented him from showing any more, including gameplay. It's difficult to say how much was going on between the rights-holder and the maker of the game behind-the-scenes. He certainly appeared to imply that he had the exclusive rights to any pinball machine with Dragon's Lair images on numerous occasions over the years on Pinside. Given the fact that the creator of the project speaks Italian, it's certainly possible that some nuances of his statements have been lost in translation and came across more definitive than were intended. I don't know. The tremendous amount of traffic that my initial article on this subject received certainly kames it seem to me as though there is absolutely a market for a Dragon’s Lair pinball machine.