I'm hearing rumors that we might be seeing some more innovation in the cabinet art space going forward. Was it teased somewhere that a certain boutique pinball company that probably is too big to be boutique anymore is supposed to be doing something that's never been seen in cabinet art before? Very interesting stuff. Can't wait to hear more about that. Speaking of which, the last episode with the interview with Bug, 844 listens as of today. Hey, man, you guys found it. You guys found it. You enjoyed it. Thank you for sticking through and listening to more of this. Yeah, that was just fun. We were hanging out at the show. We were having a good time. I brought my recording equipment, and I was just like, let's go talk for a little bit. And I'm getting fantastic feedback about that. I love these kind of conversational, real interviews with people. I didn't prepare a lot of questions and send them to them beforehand, and we weren't really pushing an agenda or anything. It really was we were just at the event, hanging out, having a good time, and pulled ourselves away for a little bit to go dog out at a cafe. table in the hallway. So it was fun. So everything there was just what we felt like we wanted to talk about, what we thought was important. And I'm glad you all enjoyed it. So more of that to come when I can get it. I know I don't do interviews every week. This is an interview driven podcast by any means, but it's really an interest driven podcast. I like talking about and it's much more enjoyable for me and a lot easier, to be honest, to talk about things that are interesting to me. And if they're interesting to me, my supposition is that they're interesting to other folks, too. So that's kind of the way that I reach out. So if an interview tends to line up and it's not forced, it seems to come across a whole lot better. And so that's more my style that I want to do. If you'd like to be featured on the program, go ahead and email me, donspinballpodcastgmail.com. We'll set something up. It helps if it's something else that is of interest. So reach out. We'll go back and forth and then see what we can do as time allows. So moving along, John Wick, man, was playing it again last night, showing off my friend. It was his first time playing it. So what a way to play it. Start with the LE. The lights are great. He really liked the shots and layout. It's kind of fun to see somebody's first impression. And then he's not tainted by Pinside. He's not one of these guys that's deep into the forums, listening to every podcast. Very much just likes pinball, owns some machines, knows some of the big names, but probably couldn't pick out a designer out of a lineup, but just enjoys the game. So I got his opinion. What do you think? And he said there's actually a lot of shots out here. And he said, this is no joke, no cap. He said that this game reminded him a lot of Foo Fighters. Can you imagine? Now, John Wick does not have those cross-field shots that Foo Fighters has. It doesn't have the zany attitude to it. It doesn't have the animations and, you know, the kind of mission-based fun, like let's travel the country and play Foo Fighters, like at all. And I think that's the thing that's missing with John Wick. and this really came to a head when we got into a multi-ball, right? I was doing pretty good. I got a multi-ball and then added one as well. I think it was the main multi-ball where you lock the balls behind the little spa lagoon area up there. I think it's a nightclub. Reminds me of a hot tub. But anyway, I had four balls going at once. We're hitting all the shots. The lights are blinking and everything. But the thing that we noticed was what we were hearing, and what we were hearing was crickets. John Wick was a box of crickets, man. we weren't hearing anything at all. I'm in this multi-ball mode. I'm having a really good session going. I'm hitting ramps, comboing shots left and right, keeping four balls juggling in play. Like, we're getting jackpots. We're getting super jackpots. And it's like we're not really hearing much at all. You'd hear the occasional jackpot callout, but, like, the music was just kind of there, and there weren't any callouts, or, you know, the game wasn't telling me what I should focus on next. It wasn't saying, like, you know, enemies at the left ramp, John, go get them or something, or well done for hitting that orbit. Like, nothing, nothing. And I think that's the piece that's missing. And I don't think this is created this way on purpose. I think that's all in progress, and that's the part about John Wick that I'm most excited about, is to see what's coming in the future via code updates. Because when this game came out, we said very light on code, right? Now that I've been playing through it, there's three full multiballs in the game. There is a nuanced combat system, although it doesn't do a very good job about telling you about it. the modes in the game function such that you are picking or randomly assigned a different faction for a different mission there's assassination missions, there's other kinds of missions but you can play those missions as different factions but so far the only way that that's relayed to the player is just by, okay, shoot the purple inserts or now the inserts are red, or now the inserts are gold, or now they're blue and it's like, okay, but so what? what am I doing? tell me what to do, game and you look up at the play field or something and then the game plays so fast, or you look up at the screen, the game's playing so fast your balls are just draining. So that's not a good strategy. So that missing bit of this game that's going to take it from a 65% release up to an 85% or maybe higher B-level game, we need the call-outs, we need the code, we need the speech, we need the dialogue. Because it seems like the gameplay elements, they actually are there, but they're just not conveyed to the player in a way that's compelling or interesting It really puts you in the John Wick kind of mood. I would like to see some more diversity in the music, too. I feel like I keep hearing the same kind of sound, the same song over and over again. And they had the dude from Pantera do some of this music, right? So, like, when's that coming? I want to see that hit. If this game can become, like, just a sick atmospheric music game, and we get a ton of the Keanu call-outs, and we get, you know, more verbal information about what I'm supposed to be doing in the game, I think that's what's going to elevate this thing to, like, all right, I think John Wick has finally arrived. So I'm waiting for that moment. I'm waiting for that moment that should be coming at some point down there in the future. A couple of other thoughts I've been having. Things happen to me when I'm down here in the arcade playing around. I'm playing WrestleMania. WWE WrestleMania by Stern Pinball, Spike One Machine, came out in 2015. I've got the LE version. You all know I'm a fan of it, right? This was a game that I kind of warmed up to. I had played it before in the arcades, the pro version. It didn't do a whole lot for me, and the general consensus is it's not doing a whole lot for anybody else either. And then I saw the game through Genghis's eyes when he did this video talking about how much he loved the wrestling and loved the music. I can't talk about the guy without doing the voice. But he was so enthusiastic about it, and he got a pin sound board in there, changed the speakers out. because I'll tell you, even the LE version on the Spike 1 machine still has the same tinny little speakers that the Stern Pros come with, right? It was not robust at all. So I put a boom-boom in the floor I put the Kenwood speakers in the cabinet I haven upgraded an amplifier yet I waiting to get one of those pin sound boards to amp it to really bring the heat But I will say just putting the new speakers in has caused a noticeable increase in the audio fidelity But moreover than that, take a look at the LE version if you haven't played one. I know there's not a lot out there. They only made 400 of these things total, even if they even made them all. I know there's one at Wizard's World. There's probably some more around the country. But if you can find one of these gold ones, it's got the mirrored back glass. It's got the gold wire forms. It's got a couple of extra wire forms. It's got an extra flipper. It's got the spinning disc up there. There's just more in it. Plus, there's more characters, too. So there's, like, more gameplay. It's not just the same four wrestlers to pick, right? So, like, the sum of all its parts and the fact that this is all wrapped in a 6K or sub-6K package, dude, the game is super fun. My friend and I were having a blast, like, challenging each other on it, trying to build up a score, especially because of this modification that I made to it, which just made me so happy. I think I've talked about this on the other channels, maybe on Facebook Live or something. But here's the long and short of what I did. I took this WWE WrestleMania wrestling-themed game, and I wanted to really elevate it. So I went online and I bought myself one of those brass bells that they use for boxing and wrestling matches, right? like the actual one to signal the start, the end of the matches, the signal, the pin, the ding, ding, ding. I went and got myself a real one, mounted it inside the cabinet, and then I installed a knocker, and I had the knocker go into the bell. So when you get a replay or you match, you get the actual brass bell ring. Ding! Like, you won. You pinned the opponent. You won the match. Like, go you. Not just that, you know, thunk of the knocker, but, like, the brass bell, man. It's awesome. I mounted it down at the back of the cabinet, and it's got one of those pull chains on it to activate it, like you would normally mount it to a wall or something and pull the chain, and it would activate the clapper. So I have that chain going down through one of the ventilation holes in the bottom of the cabinet, so you can actually reach under the cabinet and pull the chain and actuate it yourself. It's so freaking awesome, man. I think the only thing that would have been better is if I could turn it into a topper, mount it on top of the machine, and run some extra wires and put the knocker up there so you really can just hear that bell resonate. Oh, but man, just so tickled. It was an idea that I had, and it actually worked, and I just thought I'd love it. I love that thing. So that was super fun. I'm having a lot of fun with this game. This is a game that can be had for not a whole lot of money. This is a game that's not currently being championed, really. It's not like trying to find a medieval madness or something from back in the day. This is a game that you could probably find, maybe work a trade deal with someone, and then have a dang blast on it. And to that end, as I was playing it in the realm of today, in 2024, when we're surrounded by Insider Connected and everything that brings, is there a way, Stern Pinball, to backwards compatibilize or otherwise install Insider Connected into the Spike 1 generation of machines? I get not going back to Solid State or going back to SAM system or White Star, White Fish, whatever came out before. But the Spike system, Spike 1, has to be similar enough to Spike 2 that it's at least plausible. Now, is it worth the time investment of coding teams and things to come up with? I can't answer that. But I will say, if there was an upgrade kit available for my Spike 1 machine back here, I totally would get one, put it in there, throw it in the coin door or something, and be able to not only chase those achievements, but the online leaderboards and keeping track of your scores and the limited time. Okay, WrestleMania is going on this month. Play as John Cena and get 70 million points and get yourself a badge. Like, I would go crazy for that, and that would drive people to go and try to find this machine. What if there was a Hulk Hogan challenge, and you had to find an LE to go play to get that? I think that would be fun. So in terms of, you know, pushing that integration, especially if this is to turn into a paid subscription model at some point, something to think about, right? There's got to be at least a reason why it wouldn't be done, because if it works on Spike 2, chances are you could come up with something to work Spike 1 as well. Huh? Huh? What do you think? or are we going to have to wait for the whole Spike 1 systems and all the Spike 1 games, how about this, to all be redone as Spike 3s? Like this rumored Metallica game, from what I've heard, this X-Men title is next, whether it's another Deadpool versus Wolverine or it's X-Men 97 or just generic X-Men or a redo from the OG Wolverine machine, Magneto machine that they did back in the day and redo another one. And then Metallica is supposed to come out after that and it's supposed to be the Metallica... Was Metallica Spike 1 or was it before that? but Redone as a Spike 3 cabinet, that'll for sure have Insider connected. Would they go back to the well and redo WrestleMania and Spike 3? I don't think they would do that. But it would be nice to see if they could backwards compatibilize and put some QR readers in there. Just for the leaderboards alone and, like, online challenge modes and things, I think that would be fun. I wouldn't mind seeing Walking Dead Redone as a Spike 3 and maybe even KISS, to be honest. Well, we'll put that out there and see if I can manifest that into existence What else do we have to say? I think that's about everything that I wanted to cover in this episode I've been having a ton of fun It is important to step back every now and then From a hobby that you're so absorbed in And go do other things So I've been going out and about It's summertime We're coming up to the turn of the seasons Fall will be here before we know it And for all we know We're going to have another Stern Cornerstone dropped on us this month Alice in Wonderland is probably around the corner And then the floodgates are going to be open I've got a feeling that a lot of the other companies Spooky Pinball, American Pinball, Jersey Jack Pinball, all have games fairly ready to go and just waiting for that right marketing moment to decide, okay, let's go. In terms of a company like Spooky, they're building Scooby-Doos. I'm sure those sales are probably kind of caught up with demand now. Maybe one or two a week are getting built and put out there. I haven't heard any official numbers from them, or at least none that I can recall off the top of my head. Looney Tunes is really hitting its stride from what I understand. TCM is not far behind. and I've been playing a lot of TCM and just getting, falling back in love with that game. What a freaking game. You know, so do they want to go ahead and release another game so there's now four on the line, especially when they're just hitting their stride with Looney Tunes and everything, getting into the new factory? But I imagine, like, they've got it ready, but probably for December is what I'm thinking. So is somebody else going to try to run in there and snipe those dollars? Are there dollars to snipe? You know, if Alice in Wonderland was released right now, right now, It'd probably get some people to jump in on it. But if we wait until after Metallica's out and X-Men's out and Spooky's next one is out and maybe Avatar's out from Jersey Jack and Cuphead enters the chat and then Alice in Wonderland's released, I would think that sales would probably be harmed just a slight tad bit there, especially because everybody's finally getting their ABBAs. Maybe that's why that guy's selling his Godzilla 70th, because he just got confirmation that his ABBA is shipping and he needs to make the final payment for it. Who knows, man? We call that a callback in the industry. Anyway, I'm going to still get out there and touch grass, go swim in lakes, and have fun baking in the sunshine. I'm going to play pinball. We're going to let the summer dwindle down, and then we're going to get ready for spooky season to be here in the fall, man, in the fall.