claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 (batch) · $0.017
TPF 2026 recap: Spooky dominates with Beetlejuice, JJP stable with Potter, Stern quiet, American Pinball pivots to Williams classics.
Spooky brought 19 games to TPF, with only minor issues: one audio glitch and one mechanism replacement
high confidence · Don describing Spooky's booth performance and game durability
Beetlejuice is selling on secondary market for $20,000+ with no inventory available anywhere
high confidence · Cengiz citing current secondary market pricing and distributor conversation
Evil Dead continues to hold price ($16-18K+) even after Beetlejuice launch, unlike Avatar which dropped to $8,900-$12,000 after Harry Potter
high confidence · Cengiz showing Pinside secondary market data for Evil Dead vs Avatar pricing
American Pinball (new ownership) is working on sculpted tank replacement for Galactic Tank Force and considering Lior tank involvement
medium confidence · Don discussing conversations with Brian Vincent about American Pinball's direction
Chicago Gaming is reimagining Circus Voltaire with LCD screen under glass instead of DMD, replacing neon gas-lit elements with RGB LEDs
medium confidence · Don reporting details from TPF booth discussions about Circus Voltaire remaster plans
Jersey Jack's Sonic is anticipated for summer 2026 release, pending Harry Potter production pace
medium confidence · Cengiz noting speculation about Sonic timing based on Harry Potter production volume
Nick from Electric Playground (Tony Hawk homebrew designer) was hired by American Pinball to work on a game
medium confidence · Don referencing rumors from TPF floor about American Pinball personnel hires
Spooky provided direct allocation of Beetlejuice to Cengiz's distributor after main distro refused, with delivery expected in three weeks
high confidence · Cengiz recounting conversation with Spooky Luke at TPF and direct offer of game supply
“19 of them made it... including the two in the tent... If you were in the tent, you could actually hear the machines so much better. So that needs to continue to be a thing.”
Don @ early in conversation — Describes Spooky's innovative 'experience tent' setup at TPF as a successful show format experiment that should become standard
“You cannot get anything. Damn... Spooky said, Cengiz, if you want our games, just ask us. You will get our games!”
Cengiz @ mid-conversation — Highlights Spooky's customer service approach and willingness to allocate inventory directly to distributors when main channels are exhausted
“Evil Dead still holds the price, so get on the list, guys... This doesn't happen when the next game comes out. Yeah. Right? I mean, just mention another company where this happens with another game, the old game.”
Cengiz @ mid-conversation — Demonstrates Spooky's unusual secondary market strength—previous game (Evil Dead) maintains price after new release (Beetlejuice), unlike competitors
“Avatar LE's 8900. Oh my god. Oh, see, that's what I mean! That's what I mean. Get on the list with spooky games.”
Cengiz @ mid-conversation — Contrasts Jersey Jack Avatar pricing depreciation ($8,900 LE) with Spooky Evil Dead price retention, using market data to illustrate value difference
“They want to go back and actually fix a lot of the issues from Galactic Tank Force, namely putting an actual sculpted tank in the game instead of just a 3D printed one... The idea of a Lior tank inside of Galactic Tank Force, it got my little hairs jimmying.”
Don @ American Pinball discussion — Shows American Pinball's stated design improvement priorities and hints at potential Lior tank involvement in remade title
“American Pinball is not bad baby. American Pinball is 2.0. It's a brand new, different company... they have upgraded everything. It's a new company. New energy.”
Cengiz @ American Pinball section — Expresses optimism about American Pinball's rebrand under new ownership, explicitly framing it as a reset rather than a continuation of the old company
product_strategy: Beetlejuice sold out instantly (1,079 units capped); secondary market now $20K+; demonstrates extreme FOMO pricing power for Spooky boutique releases
high · Cengiz: 'Beetlejuice right now, it still costs $20,000 and you cannot even find them for sale anywhere.' Current Pinside data shows multiple listings at $20K-$22K
market_signal: Unusual pricing retention pattern: Spooky Evil Dead maintains $16-18K value after Beetlejuice launch; contrasts sharply with JJP Avatar drop to $8,900 LE after Potter launch
high · Cengiz citing Pinside secondary market data comparing Evil Dead ($15.5K-$22K with mods) to Avatar LE ($8,900)
community_signal: Spooky's customer service reputation elevated by rapid, expert technical support response from team (Spooky Luke) on weekend basis; contrasts with industry complaint about manufacturer dumb-question responses
high · Cengiz: 'Buck comes back with an awesome answer, perfect... Luke calls me up, perfect service... Spooky Luke says, if you want our games, just ask us. You will get our games!'
product_concern: Spooky's 19 TPF games showed exceptional durability under constant heavy tournament play; only 1 audio glitch and 1 mechanism replacement across entire run
high · Don: 'One of them had a momentary audio issue that came and went and I don't even think needed fixed. And then another one, there was a mechanism that had to be replaced. But that was it out of 19 games'
machine_intel: American Pinball has significant inventory of unproduced playfield components (crates of Houdini and Hot Wheels playfields) that will inform near-term release strategy
groq_whisper · $0.203
“Code is amazing, it's so fun, 27 modes, you can use it as a jukebox and more new songs... I am enjoying the heck out of that game.”
Don @ discussing Legends of Valhalla code updates — Highlights American Pinball's ongoing code support and substantial updates to existing title, praising quality despite licensing limitations
“Well, you have to have some games like Medieval Madness on the secondary market and old Bally Williams ones. They cost like $15,000, then it makes sense to remake them. But not a fish tails. Come on.”
Cengiz @ Circus Voltaire remake discussion — Critiques the logic of remaking lower-value vintage games when Circus Voltaire itself was unsellable in the 1990s
“if they go over 10k, game over, buddy. Game over. No way. Game is over.”
Cengiz @ Circus Voltaire pricing speculation — Sets clear price ceiling expectations for American Pinball remakes; signals market would not accept premium pricing for these titles
“I think when they bought the company, they go in there and there's like crates of Houdini Playfields, crates of Hot Wheels Playfields. So it's like, let's do something with these.”
Don @ American Pinball inventory discussion — Reveals American Pinball's significant backlog of unproduced playfield components that will likely inform future release schedule
high · Don: 'when they bought the company, they go in there and there's like crates of Houdini Playfields, crates of Hot Wheels Playfields. So it's like, let's do something with these.'
design_innovation: American Pinball plans to replace 3D-printed tank in Galactic Tank Force with actual sculpted toy component, possibly involving Lior tank; represents quality/durability improvement over prototype
medium · Don: 'They want to go back and actually fix a lot of the issues from Galactic Tank Force, namely putting an actual sculpted tank in the game instead of just a 3D printed one'
design_innovation: Chicago Gaming planning Circus Voltaire remaster with LCD under glass instead of DMD; neon gas-lit elements replaced with controllable RGB LED diffusers; preserves 90s aesthetic with modern tech
medium · Don: 'They're putting an LCD screen under the glass instead of that dot matrix... replacing neon gas-lit elements with RGB LEDs' and discussion of brightness/color control via voltage
code_update: American Pinball's Legends of Valhalla received major code update adding 27 modes, jukebox function, additional songs, and audio mixer (3x music volume above callouts); demonstrates ongoing support despite licensing constraints
high · Don: 'Code has been amazing... 27 modes, you can use it as a jukebox and more new songs... now you can put the music like 3x higher than the call out'
venue_signal: Zach Sharpe at Flip N Out venue reported having Collector's Edition Harry Potters in stock and crushing business performance; positive venue operator sentiment on current JJP title
medium · Cengiz: 'Zach at Flip N Out said that he has CEs in stock... Man, he's crushing it with his business. I'm so happy for them.'
event_signal: Spooky's TPF 'experience tent' with walls/canopy for acoustic isolation proved successful; allows players to hear machine audio clearly on noisy show floor; recommended for continuation as standard feature
high · Don: 'We had a canopy tent with walls... If you were in the tent, you could actually hear the machines so much better. So that needs to continue to be a thing, like an experience tent'
personnel_signal: Nick (Tony Hawk Pro Skater homebrew designer) hired by American Pinball after Electric Playground; company requested he release his game under American Pinball brand
medium · Don: 'Nick, he was the guy, he was from Electric Playground, he was hired on at American Pinball now, he's working on a game... Americans like, you need to release that with us'
product_launch: Chicago Gaming confirmed Circus Voltaire remaster (reimagined + classic versions) coming late 2026; LCD under glass, LED neon replacement, discussions ongoing on plastic frame/topper design
medium · Don: 'They confirmed they're doing Circus Voltaire... They're putting an LCD screen under the glass instead of that dot matrix. So I found that out... sounds like they wanted to have something come out by the end of the year'