AMERICAN PINBALL’S HOUDINI REVEAL

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Sep 28, 2016

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.020

TL;DR

American Pinball reveals Houdini pinball at Venetian amid Magic Girl crisis resolution

Summary

American Pinball held a private reveal of Houdini: Master Mystery at the Venetian in Las Vegas on September 27, 2016, after announcing resolution of the Magic Girl crisis. The machine features John Popadiuk's design philosophy, a new artist's work, innovative toys (catapult, loop-de-loop, lifting bumper), a full-color LED backbox display, and a retail price of $6,995. The company emphasized transparency and commitment to fulfilling outstanding Magic Girl orders by year-end.

Key Claims

Houdini is the product of only three months of work and is nearly ready for production
high confidence · Direct observation and statement from Pinball News reporter who visited the Venetian
American Pinball will have Magic Girl machines ready by Chicago Pinball Expo in October, with remaining orders shipped by end of 2016
high confidence · Direct quote from Scott Goldberg at the reveal event
Houdini retail price is $6,995
high confidence · Official press kit provided at event
John Popadiuk worked with Scott Goldberg at Zizzle previously
high confidence · Direct statement from Scott Goldberg to reporter
The artist for Houdini has never worked in the pinball industry before
high confidence · Reporter's direct observation and statement from American Pinball representatives
Houdini features a full-color LED display positioned on the back of the playfield, larger than traditional DMD but smaller than Jersey Jack displays
high confidence · Direct observation by Pinball News reporter at the reveal
The machine uses new RGB LEDs that are warmer to the eye than standard RGB LEDs in other titles
high confidence · Direct statement from American Pinball representatives and reporter observation

Notable Quotes

“People have been waiting for the Magic Girl situation to be resolved. These people had given up hope on ever receiving their product. Our plan is to make them whole, then move towards the future.”
Scott Goldberg @ N/A — Direct commitment to resolving Magic Girl crisis; indicates American Pinball's priority to rebuild trust
“We're a brand new company. Who would care about American Pinball if we didn't have a big name behind us?”
Scott Goldberg @ N/A — Reveals American Pinball's deliberate strategy of partnering with established designer (Popadiuk) for credibility and market entry
“This is not the 'box of blinking lights' that the Magic Girl reveal was. This is right around the bend from being ready to go.”
Pinball News reporter (analysis) @ N/A — Contrasts Houdini's development quality with earlier Magic Girl reveal; suggests significant improvement in execution
“Las Vegas was built on magic. How else can one explain this lush paradise smack dab in the middle of the desert?”
Pinball News reporter @ Opening — Thematic framing device; sets narrative tone for the reveal story

Entities

American PinballcompanyHoudini: Master MysterygameMagic Girlgame John PopadiukpersonScott GoldbergpersonDhaval VasanipersonVenetianeventChicago Pinball ExpoeventZizzlecompany

Signals

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business_signal: American Pinball committed to resolving Magic Girl crisis and rebuilding community trust through transparent communication and fulfillment timeline
high · Scott Goldberg's direct statement about fulfillment by Chicago Pinball Expo and year-end 2016; company explicitly emphasized integrity and transparency
?
community_signal: American Pinball actively recruiting new talent from homebrew community and non-industry backgrounds to bring fresh perspectives
medium · Reporter noted new artist hired has no prior pinball industry experience; company explicitly mentioned openness to homebrew creator applications
?
design_philosophy: Houdini embraces 'world under glass' philosophy with theatrical theme, multiple mechanical toys (catapult, loop-de-loop, lifting bumper, magnetic features), and immersive playfield design
high · Detailed feature list from press kit; reporter observations of elaborate mechanical elements and themed playfield design
?
personnel_signal: John Popadiuk partnership with American Pinball demonstrates established designer lending credibility to new manufacturer
high · Scott Goldberg stated Popadiuk was essential to company's credibility; previous Zizzle connection established their working relationship
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market_signal: Houdini's $6,995 retail price positioned as potential market disruptor to counter 'incredible inflation' in pinball pricing
medium · Reporter's editorial observation about price point potentially stifling industry inflation; comparison to higher-priced competitors implied

Topics

Product Launch & RevealprimaryMagic Girl Crisis ResolutionprimaryGame Design & FeaturesprimaryManufacturer Credibility & Trust-BuildingsecondaryPricing & Market PositioningsecondaryDesigner PartnershipssecondaryIndustry Newcomers & Fresh Talentmentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.82)— Reporter expresses genuine enthusiasm about Houdini's visual design and playfield features; appreciates American Pinball's transparency commitment regarding Magic Girl. However, tempered by skepticism about Magic Girl execution history and uncertainty about actual gameplay. Positive tone toward company's future prospects if they execute as promised.

Transcript

raw_text · $0.000

**Date:** 27th September, 2016 **Location:** Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA **Las Vegas was built on magic. How else can one explain this lush paradise smack dab in the middle of the desert? And there are magicians everywhere you turn in Vegas; either performing tricks to a captive audience on stage, or all the magical ways this town can separate you from your money.** So what better place than Las Vegas to see the reveal of American Pinball’s *Houdini: Master Mystery* pinball? It’s been one heck of a week for this pinball upstart out of Streamwood, Illinois. They went from “Who is American Pinball?” to being the hottest gossip in the pinball industry, all due to their post on Facebook on September 23rd, proclaiming the end of the Magic Girl fiasco, with the machines being promised to the rightful owners by the end of the year. Not only that, but also the announcement of a brand new *Houdini* pinball machine! It all sounded like slight-of-hand. So in an effort to present the pinball community with the best, most up-to-date information, I contacted American Pinball to see if I could check out this brand-spanking-new pin in person. And much to my delight, they welcomed me with open arms! The entire drive throughout the desert had me worried that this was all going to be a trick. But I had to know the truth! Was this going to be all smoke and mirrors, or the real thing? And then, I was summoned to the Venetian. They were ready to let me peek behind the curtain! After getting very, very lost in the Venetian / Palazzo (who knew they were connected?), I finally met with Dhaval Vasani and Scott Goldberg of American Pinball. They welcomed me warmly, then led me through the maze of hallways leading up to their suite. My heart raced as we walked. Was I about to see magic? Or was I going to leave disappointed… a nonbeliever? The door to the suite opened, and… there it was, at the other end of the room. [![Inside the suite at the Venetian; a Houdini pinball](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/houdini/americanpinball9.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/houdini/americanpinball9.jpg) Inside the suite at the Venetian; the Houdini pinball The real thing! The glowing lights of the unknown made my palms sweaty. I walked closer and closer, tentatively, like if I got to close, it would disappear. I almost expected it to shimmer like an oasis as I reached out to touch it. But it was real! And it is gorgeous. Full-on gorgeous. Now, I have good news and bad news for you, gentle readers. Let’s get the bad news out of the way: I didn’t get to play the machine. Now, that’s not to say that it wasn’t playable. It’s just not to the point that American Pinball can truthfully let anyone play it and say that they’ve seen the finished product. While the gentlemen of American Pinball insisted on holding their cards close to their vest, keep in mind that what the pin standing right in front of me was the product of only three months work. So far, even though I wasn’t able to play Houdini, what is available to be seen is an incredible effort. This is not the “box of blinking lights” that the Magic Girl reveal was. This is right around the bend from being ready to go. What’s the good news, you ask? Here it is: the game is gorgeous. It’s got that John Popadiuk magical vibe throughout it. The artwork is by a brand new, soon-to-be-named artist who hasn’t worked in the industry before. To me, it had a real Matt Wagner-esque feel to it. Very eye-catching, indeed! [![Houdini: Master Mystery](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/houdini/americanpinball10.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/houdini/americanpinball10.jpg) Houdini: Master Mystery I was also told that they are using a new variety of RGB LEDs in these units, and you could see that they were warmer to the eye than some of the RGB LEDs you see in other titles. Another fascinating thing about the Houdini pin is the display. It’s a full-color LED, not full sized like a Jersey Jack display, but bigger than your traditional DMD display – and it’s on the back of the playfield, like Cirqus Voltaire updated for 2016. I asked if this means there will be a video mode? Again, they didn’t want to say too much, but I could tell by their sly grins that they might have something spectacular up their sleeves. In addition, the playfield had some really interesting toys on it! There is a catapult – yes, a catapult – that launches the ball towards a bullseye target. There is this wild loop-de-loop shot unlike anything I’ve ever seen in pinball before. There is a bumper that lifts out of the playfield. And there are ramps, both plastic and steel, flying to and fro. There is a steel ramp with lightning bolts on it, similar to the crossover ramp on AC/DC, that looks like more than meets the eye. And magnets? Well, what would a pinball game about Houdini be without magnets? And now we come to the (Jeannie) elephant in the room. What does all this have to do with Jpop? What happened to Zidware? When are the people that ordered their games going to get them? More than anything at all – even more than their excitement to share their new pin with me – American Pinball wanted me to share with all of you that they want to be a straightforward, honest, transparent company with integrity. To that end, they have announced that they will be fulfilling the Magic Girl orders, with their first units ready to go by the Chicago Pinball Expo in October, and the remaining orders shipped by the end of 2016. “*People have been waiting for the Magic Girl situation to be resolved*”, Scott told me. “*These people had given up hope on ever receiving their product. Our plan is to make them whole, then move towards the future.*” And what does the future hold for American Pinball? If they actually can make the Magic Girl fiasco right, they will be super – no, super-duper – heroes to the pinball community. If Houdini plays as good as it looks, at a retail price of $6995? Then the pinball industry has a new, serious challenger on their hands. Perhaps this might stifle the incredible inflation going on in the pinball industry right now? They’re also very keen in bringing new blood into the pinball industry. As I mentioned earlier, the person doing the art for *Houdini* has never worked within the pinball industry before. If there are any home-brew creators out there, you might want to send American Pinball your resume! Finally, I asked Scott the tough question. The one I had been dreading asking all night. Why on Earth would this company want to work with John Popadiuk? Scott went on to tell me that they had worked together at Zizzle, and he was amazed at how many different ideas John had with. That John didn’t focus on just one aspect of creating pinball; he was able to work on all the different parts. But most of all, Scott told me with a grin: “*We’re a brand new company. Who would care about American Pinball if we didn’t have a big name behind us?*” Or more than one big name, nudge nudge, say no more… From the press kit: | | | --- | | The Greatest Magician of all time HARRY HOUDINI returns to the stage! HOUDINI: MASTER MYSTERY PINBALL Special game features include: **Main Features:** * Houdini Orpheum Themed Playfield Design * Hand Painted Houdini Fantasy Back Glass * Hand Drawn “Pinball Style” Detailed Playfield Artwork * Xtreme “oversize” Cabinet Graphic Package * Floating Gargoyle Plastic Snetinels * Real Gryphon Playfield Figure * Real Jeannie Elephant Feature * Brilliant LED Light System with Color Changing Pixels * Classic Pinball Flippers, Bumpers and Kicking Rubbers * 15.6” Color LCD Display Screen * Stainless Steel Trim Package * Classic Quality Pinball Construction and Details * Full Color Playfield with “Q-Plate” Clear Coat **Game Features:** * Magic Floating Card Shot * Bullet Catch airball Magnet * Illuminated Kickout Saucers * Spirit Save Magnet Ball Device * Electric Up/Down Jet Bumper Device * Magnotron Spinning Thaumatrope * Reverse Standup Target Banks * Rotating Extra Ball & Special Lanes * Elevated Mystic Séance Ball * Laser Etched Theater Cross Ramp * Secret Passage Subway * Elevated Stage Catwalk * Multi-Way Jackpot Scoring * Magic Ring ABC Targets * Houdini Banner Art Package **Houdini Features:** * Magic Beast Etched Playfield Shooter Guide * Milk Can Escape Bumpers * Straight Jacket Loop * Magic Beast Exit Lanes * Heavy Chained Detail and Artwork * Water Torture Cell Device * Chinese Serpent Mini Playfield * Magic Hand Magnetic Diverter * Buried Alive Magic Scoop * Hypnotic Eye Shot * King of Kards Magic Skill Lane * Believe Invisible Skill Shot * Jennie Illuminated Rollover Button * Hindu Rope Trick Device * Indian Needle Trick Targets * Hidden Bess Houdini Shot * Vertical Cobra Magnetic Ramp * Floating Bess Portrait * Ball Vanish Illusion * Magic Circle Ring Wizard Feature And more… Every American-Pinball Machine features hand-drawn graphics and artwork, full-size backglass, LED illumination, multi-level ball stages, real solenoid quicksteps and flippers, secret escapes, custom stainless steel trim package, and more! Suggested retail: $6995 Contact: Scott Goldberg, [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c390a2afa6b08382aea6b1aaa0a2adee93aaada1a2afafeda0acae) | PS: They were very reluctant for me to take any pictures, but after begging and begging, I managed to get the blurry, far-away one you see above.