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Answering Questions on the Test Stream...

Cary Hardy·video·15m 14s·analyzed·Nov 15, 2022
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.026

TL;DR

Cary Hardy answers Q&A on recent games, pricing concerns, and his content philosophy.

Summary

Cary Hardy answers community questions on a test stream, discussing his opinions on recent pinball releases (Deadpool, Bond, Stranger Things, Led Zeppelin), his content creation approach, pinball restoration pricing, market concerns about pricing and chip shortages through 2024, and his philosophy on not pushing opinions on viewers. He addresses criticism about disagreeing with community sentiment, explains his deliberate content strategy (holding Bond review for proper stream format), and shares technical insights on maintenance and game design.

Key Claims

  • Chip shortage will persist until 2024, affecting game manufacturing and pricing

    high confidence · Cary states 'for being in the industry, you are still looking at a chip shortage until 2024' - direct industry knowledge claim

  • Led Zeppelin is the worst game released in the last five years

    medium confidence · Personal opinion stated directly: 'I'm going to say Led Zeppelin. That is a game that I thoroughly just did not care for.'

  • Cactus Canyon Remake is the best bang for your buck currently on the market

    medium confidence · Cary endorses it as best value: 'It's one of the best games for your buck right now for how much you pay for it, what you get on it, and the quality that it has'

  • Deadpool Premium is superior to TMNT Premium in terms of Pro vs Premium differentiation

    medium confidence · Direct comparison: 'Deadpool Premium because the Premium's actually beneficial to you, whereas the TMNT Premium, not so much'

  • Stern is mining user data through Insider Connector for future strategic benefit

    medium confidence · Cary theorizes: 'I feel like they have developed a product that turns you into a product... whether you like it or not, they are mining information'

Notable Quotes

  • “People grow this emotional attachment to a particular game or theme that's released, and if my opinion doesn't match how they feel about it, then evidently I'm a moron or don't know what I'm talking about or whatever instead of just being like, well, you know, we like different things.”

    Cary Hardy@ 0:07 — Core philosophy on community criticism and disagreement; addresses toxic feedback culture

  • “I have never told people what they should or should not buy. I've just basically stated how I feel about a game.”

    Cary Hardy@ 11:40 — Defense of his review approach and boundary-setting with audience

  • “for being in the industry, you are still looking at a chip shortage until 2024”

    Cary Hardy@ 11:58 — Industry insider knowledge on supply chain constraints affecting pricing

  • “My take on a Back to the Future pinball machine is that it will never meet my expectations. It won't, but I hope it surpasses them”

    Cary Hardy@ 1:09 — Sets expectations for unreleased theme; shows awareness of BTTF license but keeps review reserved

  • “I feel like they have developed a product that turns you into a product. And so we're going to see...whether you like it or not, they are mining information.”

    Cary Hardy@ 12:51 — Critical stance on Stern Insider Connector data practices; privacy/business model concern

  • “I would say it's Stern, even though supposedly they don't have it [Sonic IP]. And this is because I still think if someone does a Sonic today, it's going to be about the newest Sonic that's being released on Netflix.”

Entities

Cary HardypersonDeadpoolgameJames BondgameStranger ThingsgameLed ZeppelingameBack to the FuturegameSonic the Hedgehoggame

Signals

  • ?

    business_signal: Chicago Gaming predicted to raise prices on next game due to market rates and continued supply chain costs

    medium · 'Do I think Chicago Gaming will price hike the next game coming out? I do. If they follow what the people are paying for the market, more than likely'

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Community members criticize Cary's reviews when his opinions don't align with their emotional attachment to games; he defends his methodology

    high · 'if my opinion doesn't match how they feel about it, then evidently I'm a moron or don't know what I'm talking about'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Cary believes game designer quality can overcome poor theme selection (hypothetical: Elwin making Schindler's List sell well)

    low · 'I think that would be a really good challenge for Elwin, is to give him the shittiest theme ever and see if it still sells extraordinarily well'

  • $

    market_signal: Cary expresses concern that games like Bond are overpriced relative to value delivered, citing disconnect between cost and content quality

    high · 'I'm starting to see these games come out like Bond and cost as much as they do, and I'm just like, no, not for what I'm getting out of that'

  • ?

    product_concern: Cary critical of Stern Insider Connector as data mining tool that turns users into products; calls for app development for accessibility

    medium · 'I feel like they have developed a product that turns you into a product... they are mining information... That information may not be like personal information, but it's information regardless'

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.046

0:00
That's when you get the negative feedback because you don't agree with how they think. This world is really weird when it comes to how you feel about a machine. People grow this emotional attachment to a particular game or theme that's released, and if my opinion doesn't match how they feel about it, then evidently I'm a moron or don't know what I'm talking about or whatever instead of just being like, well, you know, we like different things.
0:30
Thoughts on Deadpool? I really enjoy Deadpool. Pro, premium, doesn't matter. I think that shoots just fine the way it is, and I wouldn't mind having one. There's one that's just a few miles from my house, actually, at a location that I go there and play every once in a while. And I think it's about time that they have somebody come and take a look at that game and get it cleaned up. It's getting pretty damn dirty. If they have to, I'll ask them if they want me to do it. I'll do it. everything. Pensanetti, no, I will not be going to Pensanetti. I am sorry. Eventually, I want to visit every show. It's just a matter of making my schedule work with it.
1:09
My take on a Back to the Future pinball machine is that it will never meet my expectations. It won't, but I hope it surpasses them, and it is a theme that I definitely would love to own because I'm a very big fan of it. My thoughts on Bond are very... I don't want to talk about too much of this until I actually do a first actual stream episode. My first episode, I do want to go over my experience with the games I played at Expo, and that includes Bond, Queen, and stuff like that. I've kind of touched on it a little bit here, but I definitely want to go over it more thoroughly in an actual legitimate episode. I'm not a test stream so much. I'm already on here an extra 30 minutes longer than I planned to because I was wanting to see the chat hopefully work, and evidently it doesn't. Bond, also known as James Dong. I call that the love missile. So in future videos and stuff like that, and I'm not even sure if anybody's ever even picked up on this, but for the videos that I've done on James Bond so far, every time I show the love missile, I've got it blurred out. It's all pixelated like you'd see on certain pornographic videos and stuff like that. I don't know if anybody's caught that yet. And that's the thing. I've played Stranger Things at Expo, so my thoughts and opinions on Stranger Things have changed. So in an upcoming video or stream, I will do that as well. Worst game released in the last five years? Off the top of my head, just real quick, I'm going to say Led Zeppelin. That is a game that I thoroughly just did not care for. So that is one of those games where I was like, I mean, I love the music. I can rock along to it. Streaming gameplay, no, that is not going to be my area of expertise. Obviously, I'm still even learning how to do this portion of the streaming. So, yeah, I don't see me doing any kind of streaming gameplay. There's plenty of other people and shows and channels that I can recommend. If you want to see them play particular games, you don't want to see me play pinball. That's for damn sure. When will Stern develop an app for their Insider? That is something that definitely they need to do for easy access to get to your barcode. I usually take a screenshot of my barcode from their website, and that's what I use when I'm at shows. That way I've always got one ready to go. But I'm never going to get one on my Jurassic Park because I have the altered movie code, and I want it to stay that way. I'm not going to the traditional stock code if I can have the altered movie code with the assets that I love on that.

Cary Hardy@ 7:42 — Speculation on Sonic IP holder based on Netflix relationship and modern Sonic direction

  • “I've got it blurred out. It's all pixelated like you'd see on certain pornographic videos and stuff like that.”

    Cary Hardy@ 2:19 — Humorous editing choice on James Bond 'love missile' content; shows deliberate video production decisions

    • Queen
    game
    Cactus Canyon Remakegame
    Stern Pinballcompany
    Spooky Pinballcompany
    Chicago Gamingcompany
    Jurassic Parkgame
    TMNT Premiumgame
    Elviragame
    Deadpool Premiumgame
    Godzillagame
    Totangame
    Swords of Furygame
    The Neverending Storygame
    Fifth Elementgame
    Jack Dangerperson
    Stern Insider Connectorproduct
    Netflixcompany
  • ?

    product_strategy: Deadpool Premium offers meaningful Pro-to-Premium differentiation, while TMNT Premium lacks comparable value difference

    medium · 'Deadpool Premium because the Premium's actually beneficial to you, whereas the TMNT Premium, not so much'

  • ?

    product_concern: Cactus Canyon Remake endorsed as best value game on market in terms of price-to-quality and entertainment ratio

    medium · 'Cactus Canyon is right up your alley' as best bang for buck with 'good quality materials' and 'entertaining and fun to play'

  • ?

    rumor_hype: Speculation that Stern holds Sonic IP based on Netflix relationship and modern Sonic direction, despite official denials

    low · 'I would say it's Stern, even though supposedly they don't have it... because I still think if someone does a Sonic today, it's going to be about the newest Sonic that's being released on Netflix. And who already has a relationship with Netflix and that's Stern with their Stranger Things'

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Cary's opinion on Stranger Things improved after playing at Expo, though he still doesn't enthusiastically recommend it

    high · 'my thoughts and opinions on Stranger Things have changed... it's better than my first experience, but I definitely still don't tell people that they should get it'

  • ?

    supply_chain_signal: Chip shortage confirmed to persist through 2024, directly impacting manufacturing costs and likely driving price increases

    high · 'for being in the industry, you are still looking at a chip shortage until 2024'

    • 3:40
    Nope. Pick one of these things. which one would you go for Avril Lavigne or Alanis Morissette Alanis Morissette Without a doubt Flipped a 180 on I don know about a 180 I've never just been like, oh, guys, you know what? I'm completely wrong. The game is actually awesome. No, I've never done a 180. I've, like, even just giving you a heads up here when it comes to Stranger Things, I've played it. It's better than my first experience, but I definitely still don't tell people that they should get it and it's an amazing game or anything. I gotta show everybody my wiener.
    4:15
    It's my wiener. Why the lips? Why always the lips? Alright, Moxie, you're off. Back to bed? Yeah, she's still in trouble.
    4:32
    That dog has got like an anteater tongue. She's able to just like scrape for the uvula in your throat. When are you going to give your opinion on Bond Premium Pro after seeing the Jack Danger live stream. That is something I've been holding off on because I want to do it in a stream like this. This is supposed to be a test stream, but I'm getting everybody in here and stuff to talk and keep me going. But I want to do a stream to go over every game that I played at Expo because I feel like if I was to do a video, separate video for Bond, separate video for Stranger Things, separate video for Queen, the videos wouldn't really be but maybe a few minutes long. So I figured I would just have bullet points and go over each game and each topic to all of you and get feedback right then and there. So this is mainly just to test out the chat, which obviously is not working the way I want it to. I'm having to do this right here to click on stuff. But in the future, probably my actual legitimate first stream will be going over stuff like Bond and everything. Gary, what percentage of your viewers are female? Maybe 1%. The last time I checked, let me look again. Oh, 1.3%. So it has increased actually. So that crane is merely being held on a pole with one grub screw or set screw, whatever you want to call it. It's literally just one little bitty hex screw that you loosen up and that thing just comes right off. it's crazy that that one little thing is keeping that big old crane that's why it usually shakes and wobbles as much as it does whenever you're playing it here if you could have any theme pen made what would it be back to the future back to the future or sonic the hedgehog and i was really looking forward to ryan's sonic the hedgehog mainly because of the audio music for the old Sonic games on the Sega holds so much nostalgia in my heart. So whenever you hear certain songs in that pinball machine, like every time I walk by the homebrew section, I'd hear a certain song. I'm like, I know what level that is. Oh, I know what level that is. It's just, it hits hard. And I fear that the upcoming Sonic game that does get made by a certain manufacturer is not going to be anywhere near what I would want it to be. I'm hoping that it's still able to hit certain nostalgia points, but it's not going to be the old Sega Sonic that I remember. It's probably going to be like the new Netflix Sonic the Hedgehog show that's on. What is your procedure for a new in-box game? Do you wax or leave it alone? I leave it alone. New out of the box, you're safe.
    7:13
    You're going to be good to go. And when new in-box games is the way the play fields are these days, you just need a routine wipe down, essentially, with these new games. That's all it takes. If you start seeing some trails that are in your in lanes and maybe even your out lanes that are around certain areas, just get you a little bit of Naptha or maybe even Novus One. And as long as you keep up with it it should not take too much effort to keep your new in box new games modern games clean these days Who might have stolen the Sonic IP from AP Well, if I was a betting man, I would say it's Stern, even though supposedly they don't have it. And this is because I still think if someone does a Sonic today, it's going to be about the newest Sonic that's being released on Netflix. And who already has a relationship with Netflix and that's Stern with their Stranger Things? I could see that. I watched that a lot as a kid too. I mean, is there going to be like a video mode where you have to save Artax in the mud in the Swamp of Sorrows? And you can never win? How messed up would that be? If you have a Swamp of Sorrows and it's like a video mode and you have to hit the action button to save them and you just never can save them. That would be a pretty funny little gimmick to put in a game. I would be that messed up to put that in a game. So it's just like you can't save him, but maybe you increase your bonus by how long you can attempt to save him. Do I have the topper for Swords of Fury? No, I haven't seen a good topper. You show me a good topper for Swords of Fury and I'll get it. I haven't seen a good one yet. I've seen some homemade ones. I've seen ones I think CPR makes, but I haven't seen one where I'm like, I need to get that topper for my game. People were asking me if I treasured my Twippy Runner-Up plaque or my Best of Show plaque that I got at TPF. And without a doubt, it was the Best of Show plaque because that took four people and judges to meticulously go over something that I worked extremely hard on for like two years. And that was like the pinnacle. I don't think anything can top that Best of Show award in my opinion. So, yeah, it was the Best of Show award for me. Hey, Kerry, I'm starting to get into more pinball restoration. I have people asking me to do a playfield swaps. What is a reasonable price? Oh, well, it always depends on the game.
    9:32
    No game is exactly the same. Even Ultraman and Halloween. But it always depends on the game and what you're going to charge. If you talk to even the people that do this for a living, it's never going to be the same. like Todd could give you a better idea on what they would charge but even then I guarantee you there's always some variables in place for that I don't know I mean if you love Toy Story 4 okay good if you feel like that the money you spent on it is well worth it okay good I just disagree that's that's all I'm saying I don't I don't see it being worth that amount of money and that's my issue with the pinball economy these days in general is that I'm starting to see these games come out like Bond and cost as much as they do, and I'm just like, no, not for what I'm getting out of that. It's been mentioned before that Cactus Canyon Remake is the best bang for your buck. It's one of the best games for your buck right now for how much you pay for it, what you get on it, and the quality that it has, it is.
    10:32
    Now, is it like a better shooter than, let's say, Godzilla and stuff like that? Oh, no. They're just best bang for your buck. If you want a good quality game, it's going to be entertaining and fun to play, and it's got good quality materials, then Cactus Canyon is right up your alley. So should it always be 1.0 before reviews? If it's not, then the people that love the game are not going to agree with anything you say. That's the thing. If the code isn't finished, anything that you have bad to say about the game will be followed up with the rebuttal of, well, the code isn't finished yet. It's not done. You have no right to an opinion because the code isn't done. But if I say the game is awesome, it's followed up with, That's awesome. You're great great material carry, but if you disagree with what people say That when you get the negative feedback because you don agree with how they think there that this world is really weird when it Comes to how you feel about a machine People grow this emotional attachment to a particular game or theme that released and if my opinion doesn match how they feel about it then evidently I'm a moron or don't know what I'm talking about or whatever, instead of just being like, well, you know, we like different things. I have never told people what they should or should not buy. I've just basically stated how I feel about a game. Do you think Chicago Gaming will price hike the next game coming out? I do. If they follow what the people are paying for the market, more than likely. I would like to hope they wouldn't. But with the way things are, because guys, I can tell you right now, for being in the industry, you are still looking at a chip shortage until 2024.
    12:08
    So take that information and do with it what you like. But you're going to look at a chip shortage until 2024. That may be the one game, if I think about it now, that I'd probably get a 180 on, because I really actually enjoy Elvira, I just still don't agree with the price for it. Deadpool Premium or TMNT Premium? Deadpool Premium because the Premium's actually beneficial to you, whereas the TMNT Premium, not so much. What am I missing on Stern? Oh, Inside a Connector. Okay. I got my thoughts on that when it initially came out. It's gotten a little bit better, but it's one of those things where I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop when you're really going to see how they're trying to really benefit from this technology.
    12:51
    And I feel like they have developed a product that turns you into a product. And so we're going to see. I mean, because I mean, whether you like it or not, they are mining information. That information may not be like, you know, personal information, but it's information regardless that they can utilize for good in the end, I think. but you know i bet i think at the end we're still you know giving them data fifth element is uh definitely more than likely if done right a dream theme for me that would be great that has got so many quotable lines on there without a doubt older pins versus new let's say totan versus Godzilla.
    13:36
    Without a doubt. Totan is beautiful over Godzilla, but Godzilla has got much more going for it than Totan. You know what? I think that would be a really good challenge for Elwin, is to give him the shittiest theme ever and see if it still sells extraordinarily well due to just even lack of theme. And I bet it will. I bet you could have the most horrible theme, and I bet it would still sell and play amazing. I had no doubts in that. But I was just like, what theme would just not – you could give him Schindler's List as a theme, and I bet he could probably make that one of the best sellers. All right, guys.
    14:24
    It's been fun hanging out with you. I've got both the girls right here, and now I've got the dogs and everything coming in here as well, it looks like. So we're gonna be setting up a little transition here and just going right into the escaping This thing hoping everybody had a good time until next time guys
    14:41
    Yes, peace out. That's what you're supposed to say You want to say peace out? No, you don't say all right later guys
    15:00
    We'll see you next time.