Episode 1064: "Kaneda's Portal Impressions"

Kaneda's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed)·podcast_episode·18m 56s·analyzed·Mar 17, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.028

TL;DR

Kaneda reviews Portal P3: impressive engineering and theme integration, but $5.5K extended module price raises value questions.

Summary

Kaneda provides a detailed first-impression analysis of the newly revealed Multimorphic Portal pinball game after viewing a 3.5-minute promotional video. He discusses the theme integration, artwork style, physical features (including the Reggie/Reginald character with integrated screen), playfield design, pricing ($11,620–$12,500 for full cabinet; $5,500 for extended module alone), and positioning relative to Stern machines and other P3 releases. Kaneda expresses cautious optimism about the game's engineering and creativity while questioning whether the extended module's cost ($5,500) justifies the modular platform's value proposition.

Key Claims

Portal standard P3 cabinet costs $11,620; extended version is $12,500; extended module alone is $5,500
high confidence · Kaneda states these pricing tiers directly from the video trailer
The extended Portal module at $5,500 costs as much as a full Stern Pro machine, undermining the modular platform's cost-effectiveness premise
high confidence · Kaneda compares module price to secondary market availability and Stern pricing
Portal has no limited edition or collector's edition; Multimorphic plans to make as many as orders allow
high confidence · Kaneda notes Multimorphic is not using FOMO/LE strategy unlike Spooky or previous P3 releases
The Portal playfield is split between standard and extended versions, with extended version bringing more action to upper playfield
high confidence · Kaneda describes seeing two versions in the promotional video
Reggie/Reginald is a character in Portal with a BB-8-like appearance, features an integrated screen showing eye movement, and is voiced by Mark Silk
high confidence · Kaneda identifies character and voice actor from video trailer
Portal topper appears disproportionately tall compared to Stern standard (8 inches max) and may present ceiling clearance issues
medium confidence · Kaneda expresses concern about topper height based on visual inspection of trailer
Kaneda estimates approximately 300 Multimorphic P3 machines currently exist in the market
low confidence · Kaneda uses this as hypothetical calculation for potential extended module revenue
Earlier Multimorphic builds had quality issues; newer games have fewer reliability problems
medium confidence · Kaneda reflects on platform history and reputation evolution
Portal's art package uses a muted, water-colored aesthetic rather than bright, saturated colors typical of modern Stern machines

Notable Quotes

“This game looks really neat. N E A T. It looks neat. Like I want to play it. I want to play it at a show. I want to jump on it.”
Kaneda @ ~15:30 — Captures Kaneda's overall positive but measured first impression despite theme indifference
“Is it worth it? And does a single modular add-on at that much money, Does that negate the entire purpose of the Multimorphic platform?”
Kaneda @ ~10:45 — Central tension: $5,500 module price undermines the platform's core value proposition
“I'd much rather own a Portal than an Avatar. And I mean that. I mean I'd much rather celebrate and support the companies that are actually trying to put some engineering creativity into their products.”
Kaneda @ ~26:00 — Kaneda contrasts Portal's mechanical innovation with recent Stern releases lacking toys/movement
“Portal will be a game that you'll be able to get for less than MSRP if you just wait.”
Kaneda @ ~20:15 — Predicts secondary market pricing pressure due to no LE/FOMO strategy and spring 2025 game glut
“I think he's banking on this is the best game we've ever made. If you own a P3 platform, you're gonna have to buy this game.”
Kaneda @ ~24:00 — Speculates on Scott Denise/Multimorphic's business strategy for pricing extended module high
“I think there's no urgency to order right now, so you should just wait.”
Kaneda @ ~19:30 — Recommendation to buyers: no FOMO, don't rush
“This is the kind of like dynamic stuff that I know Jerry always wanted to do on the platform it just feels like this game is the best utilization of this platform.”
Kaneda @ ~12:00 — Portal seen as validation of P3 platform's potential for perspective/visual depth effects
“For some people, the feel just isn't there. Some people don't like using the multiple flipper buttons to use the upper flippers.”

Entities

Portalgame Multimorphiccompany Kanedaperson Scott DenisepersonMark SilkpersonJerrypersonReggiegame_character

Signals

?
product_launch: Multimorphic releases 3.5-minute promotional video for Portal P3 game revealing playfield design, character integration (Reggie), extended/standard versions, pricing tiers, and visual aesthetic
high · Kaneda reviews and analyzes newly released video trailer in detail
?
product_strategy: Portal standard cabinet: $11,620; extended cabinet: $12,500; extended module only: $5,500. No LE/collector's edition planned; Multimorphic will produce to order
high · Kaneda reads pricing directly from promotional materials
~
sentiment_shift: Extended module price ($5,500) equivalent to full Stern Pro machine, raising questions about whether high-priced module negates modular platform's core value proposition and cost-effectiveness advantage
high · Kaneda identifies this as 'the main thing people talk about' and central debate point
$
market_signal: Spring 2025 game market experiencing glut: Harry Potter (LE/FOMO), King Kong (LE), plus Portal, Barrels, Pinball Brothers, CGC, and Keith Elwyn games all launching in short window, creating buyer paralysis
medium · Kaneda predicts market will see 'so many options, we're not going to know where to pull the trigger'
?
design_innovation: Portal is called 'best utilization' of P3 platform for dynamic perspective and tunnel/roller-coaster visual effects, validating platform's ability to do what designer Jerry always wanted
medium · Kaneda praises 'dynamic stuff' with perspective/tunnel effects and laser interactions

Topics

Portal P3 game reveal and first impressionsprimaryMultimorphic P3 platform pricing and value propositionprimaryExtended module pricing ($5,500) vs. full machine cost comparisonprimaryPortal theme integration and artwork aestheticprimaryPortal playfield design and innovation (standard vs. extended versions)primaryReggie character, voice acting, and integrated screen mechanicsecondarySpring 2025 game market glut and FOMO/LE strategy landscapesecondaryMultimorphic platform history, quality issues, and reputation evolutionsecondary

Sentiment

mixed(0.62)— Kaneda is genuinely impressed by Portal's engineering, creativity, theme integration, and perspective effects but expresses reservations about: (1) theme appeal to mass market, (2) extended module pricing ($5,500) undermining modular platform economics, (3) lack of LE/FOMO creating urgency, (4) ongoing P3 platform adoption barriers (flipper buttons, blank screen when off, historical quality concerns). He recommends waiting rather than pre-ordering and contrasts Portal favorably against recent Stern titles lacking mechanical depth. Overall positive on product quality and company effort; cautious on consumer value and market positioning.

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.057

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And I don't kind of think about it like longing for a portal pinball machine. Now that being said, Camp incтобal long podcasts some graffiti There's no movement whatsoever. It's so static. And so maybe the argument that we've been having about this P3 multimorphic Platform that there's not enough ability to put like magical pinball fun on top of the screen. Maybe we should start to look at this thing a little bit differently. They're putting a lot in it. There's a lot of engineering. So when it comes to Portal Pinball, I'm looking at the machine right now and let's talk about this game. Let's talk about the theme. Do we think this is a good theme for pinball? Let's talk about what's physically in the game, what we saw today. We can talk about the artwork and the game itself, like standing back and looking at the game. How do we think the game looks? Is it popping? Is it working for us? And then we can talk about some of the gameplay features that we saw in the video today. A nice three and a half minute video that walked us through the game. Okay, so the first thing we see, I'm going to go from like order of seeing this game. The first thing we see is the artwork on the machine itself. And the game has like a very sort of water colored, washed out sort of look to it. You know, where a lot of games are trying to be like every color is louder than the color next to it. And we're used to these like really bright colored Skittles Stern machines. I do like that they sort of created an art package on this game that's a little bit different. Again, I'm not super familiar with the Portal world, so I'm just assuming that this is the color palette that the Portal universe uses in its artistic form. It's very washed out. It doesn't pop as much as some of the more modern machines we've seen recently. I guess the guy's name is Reginald, that like BB-8 looking eye figure that talks to you. I think it's really cool that he's in the game. He moves back and forth. I think Marc Silk is the voice in this game. And there's a screen inside that little figure and he moves back and forth and you see like his eye moving and he's like talking to you. And I think that's a really neat feature in this game. There's two versions of this game. There's two versions of this game and I'm looking at the first version of the game where most of the stuff is happening in the back half of the playfield. There's an upper left playfield where it goes around in an destination of the Stanley opportunities Museum My Parents including an orientation Reform stretch flange for eachةasking and the I mean look balls jumping around a playfield I a big fan of stuff like that You know, in the standard version of the game, it does look like all of the action is starting at that top one-third of the playfield. But then they've got the extended version of this game. And it's interesting, we're now bringing onto the playfield, I just wanna just say, you know, you're a crisis. Because became a part of like, Canvas, well, like something called that called Windows, Bing, refresh,eh place was super Gدا. I was impressed. It's a sh strengths, great stuff. The game is a dynamic. When they play around with like perspective and you feel like you're going down this like tunnel and ramp and roller coaster ride like through the portal universe a lot of interesting stuff happening in the game when lasers are being fired at you and this is the kind of like dynamic stuff that I know Jerry always wanted to do on the platform it just feels like this game is the best utilization of this platform comme propose ERdoû- I think that was a missed opportunity, I really do. And we're at the stage now where just layered plastics for $750 seems like a good idea. The one thing I'm worried about is this topper looks really tall. It looks a lot taller than a stern topper. I think the Stern rule of thumb is that no topper can be taller than 8 inches because that's what most low basement ceilings can allow for. This thing looks a lot taller than that. And I don't like toppers that look too tall. They look a little disproportionate to everything else happening in the game. Alright, so here we go. This is game number one. And so what does this machine cost? If you want to get the standard P3 machine, it is $11,620. And if you want to get the full cabinet with the extended edition, it is $12,500. If you just want to buy the standard kit, it's $3,900. Here's where it gets expensive. I think there's one number everybody's gonna hone in on. And that is if you own an existing P3 and you want to put the extended edition of Portal into your cabinet, you're looking at a $5500 cost for the modular game alone. That doesn't come with the topper. So right there, this is going to be the main thing people talk about because all of a sudden now that feels like the price of a Stern Pro. That feels like the entire price of a full pinball machine. If you go on the pin side marketplace right now and you put in $5,500, there will be hundreds of full games you can buy for that much money. So that is where the debate is going to happen around this game. Is it worth it? And does a single modular add-on at that much money, Does that negate the entire purpose of the multi-morphic platform? That if you buy one of these, it's cost effective and will be a cheaper option than buying a separate game. But now, the extended version is pretty much the cost of a separate game. Now, some of you might be like, Kaneda, what are you talking about? A stern pro is like 6700 bucks, a stern premium is 9700 and a stern le is 13,000 and you're not wrong. You're not wrong, but I think the way we look at pinball now, it's not just about new in box prices. It's for this much money, what can I get in the pinball hobby? And is a price in which you can get a boatload of really good machines But for you not gonna get I think something that looks this innovative this high tech and this brand new You're gonna get something that's old, that's got some plays on it. You know, I think the feeling I had looking at this game, again, knowing that it's a theme that doesn't pull me in, it's not a take my money now theme, I definitely think the word, the word that I keep coming back to This game looks really neat. N E A T. It looks neat. Like I want to play it. I want to play it at a show. I want to jump on it. I want to have some fun with it. I think I'll really enjoy it. I don't think I'd ever get to a place where I need to own it simply because of the theme. It's still not, even when I hear Reggie or Reginald talking and all the call outs, it's still Portal, right? It's Portal. Like if you love Portal, here's another great example. This is much like D and D. Like if you love D&D, boy do I have a game for you. And if you love Portal, boy do I have a game for you. So it's nice to see that these themes now are being integrated at such a high level. I mean that. Like this is what pinball should have always been. This is a great theme integration. This is the right platform for this theme integration. But for a lot of you, it's still going to come down to is this a theme I really want? Because everyone 1 monitor record of opinions Side ВHR nimmt личное всему loan whisperвай форм lenielio с Multi-morphic game versus a traditional pinball machine. The game definitely does unique things that other games can't do, but it also comes at a cost for some people. For some people, the feel just isn't there. Some people don't like using the multiple flipper buttons to use the upper flippers. I know you can kind of change that in the software, but still that throws some people off. Some people don't like it when the game is off. You're looking down at that blank screen. I don't know if they have like screensaver artwork that you can always have on, sort of like a Samsung frame artwork that stays on the game so it looks better when the game is off. And also let's be honest, there's been some quality issues over the years with the platform. I think the earlier builds of Multimorphic are not what they are now. I think the newer games have much less issues and I think some of that reputation that was established early on with this platform Pinball того aurait Montoya ballot denominative Pinball flying Private Pinball FurUU Quick CoupleClip Pinball in the Gambian�Plλλo white in red. Pinball Man więks Behavior and Pinball Tapi Out pink mailboxourd من I don't know why you would go in right away. The other thing is this game has no LE. There's no collector's edition. There's no FOMO. Now they had a limited amount of Princess Brides and Weird Owls but on this one they seemingly are going to make as many as they get orders. Even Spooky Pinball limits its game so it's interesting that Jerry is not pulling that lever of we're only going to make like 250 extended versions of Pinball. viducks don smoke RIVAL I up There alright spectrum Book page in the barn regions Font vibrating Lineskea and kind So I'm excited that we've got this new game out in the marketplace today. I think it's a great translation of the theme. I think there's no urgency to order right now, so you should just wait. And I think at these prices, there's nowhere for any of these games to go but south. Portal will be a game that you'll be able to get for less than MSRP if you just wait. The state of modern pinball is going to get difficult. It really is. I'm sure I'm shocked that Jerry didn't think that through a little bit. I think what he's going for for this platform and that's why the extended modular thing is so expensive, I think he's banking on this is the best game we've ever made. If you own a P3 platform, you're gonna have to buy this game and you're gonna want the extended version of this game. And because we don't know how many Multimorphics are out there, let's just say hypothetically it's 300 machines are out there now. I think he's doing the math that almost all 300 people out there are going to want to order the extended version of this game and that's $1,650,000 in potential revenue for this company. Not profit but revenue for this company. So I think he's banking on something like that. So this is it. They're the first ones out of the gate. I think this game's got a lot of fun engineering but still I think most of us still have to play this. J.P.S.: I think we're gonna feel that way over the next month and half. I think we're gonna see a lot. A lot is gonna go in front of our eyes. We're gonna have a lot of fun conversation and debate but ultimately a lot of us are gonna have to really, really, really wanna like own these things. If we're gonna wanna write checks for 13,000, if we're gonna free up room in our game rooms for these machines, I think these games are gonna have to check every single box and then some. For people to pull the trigger but for the team over at Multimorphic, I do want to say congratulations I think a lot of effort went into this. I think there's a lot of creativity I'm seeing a lot of engineering and there's a lot more to like about this game than not like I mean that we have to start Congratulating these companies that are making the creative effort to do unique stuff in pinball the moment We end up with more games like John Wick. We end up with more games like Avatar. Avatar has no toys. No moving things in it. None for $15,000. So I would much rather own a portal than an avatar. And I mean that. I mean I'd much rather celebrate and support the companies that are actually trying to put some engineering creativity into their products. So that's it, game number one is out. I think that was a fair first impression of this game. I think it's going to be a very interesting six weeks as we head into April and all of these games are going to hit and we're going to have to really make up our minds. I think what is going to happen because there's going to be so many options, we're not going to know where to pull the trigger. I think it's going to make more and more people wait to see everything before you hit go. Harry Potter's gonna have FOMO on that CE and so is King Kong LE but I think everything else, the barrels game, the multi-morphic game, the pinball brothers game, the CGC game, I think all the other stuff, unless it's Potter or Keith Elwin, I think we're gonna have a lot easier time sort of letting the dust settle, jumping on the machine at one of these shows and then making up our minds on whether or not we want to own it. Let me know what your feelings are on Portal. Knaida out. Video and Subtitles by the Amara.org community