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Kaneda's Pinball Saturday Morning Spectacular - August 23

Kaneda Pinball Podcasts YouTube Lives·video·1h 22m·analyzed·Aug 24, 2025
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.037

TL;DR

Kaneda reveals Sonic (Ritchie/Stern) and Big Bang Bar remake rumors while discussing industry drama and manufacturer momentum.

Summary

Kaneda discusses upcoming pinball releases and industry rumors during a Saturday morning livestream, including confirmation that Steve Ritchie is designing Sonic the Hedgehog for Stern and details about a Big Bang Bar remake. He also shares personal reflections on community politics, his exclusion from Pinball Expo, and criticism of Pinball Brothers' Predator machine, while expressing confidence in Jersey Jack and Spooky Pinball's future.

Key Claims

  • Steve Ritchie is making Sonic the Hedgehog pinball based on the classic Sega video game, not the movies

    high confidence · Kaneda states 'Steve Ritchie is making Sonic the Hedgehog' and notes 'people who have played the whitewoods say it is the greatest Steve Ritchie game of all time' with descriptions of fast ball speed mechanics

  • A Big Bang Bar remake is coming from an unspecified manufacturer outside America, Europe, Asia, and South America

    medium confidence · Kaneda states remake details but admits 'all that was just made up' regarding geographic origin, then backtracks saying it's 'not coming from Chicago Gaming Company'

  • Jersey Jack Pinball has mega releases planned over the next four to five years and won't be remaking Pirates of the Caribbean

    medium confidence · Kaneda reports 'I know that the people over at Jersey Jack Pinball...they have this air now of confidence and swagger...they've got like some mega mega games coming out over the next four or five years'

  • Pinball Brothers likely won't survive the Predator machine release and sales have been poor

    medium confidence · Kaneda states 'I think the Pinball Brothers are done' and 'I don't think they sold more than a hundred of these things' with assertion that cutting distributors was 'the last straw'

  • 2026 will be won by Jersey Jack Pinball and Spooky Pinball based on momentum and available themes

    medium confidence · Kaneda predicts 'I think that 2026 is going to be won by Jersey Jack Pinball and Spooky Pinball...these two companies really have the most momentum'

  • Rob Burke (Pinball Expo organizer) requested Kaneda not attend Expo due to Jersey Jack concerns

    high confidence · Kaneda recounts conversation: 'Rob Burke who I I really respect...basically Rob wanting me to respectfully not come to Expo because of people's not wanting you there' and attributes it to Jersey Jack

  • Sonic is described as Ritchie's cutest game and features high-speed ball mechanics appropriate to the theme

    medium confidence · Kaneda reports 'Steve told me it's the cutest game he's made' and describes expectations of 'speed, like what the ball is doing' and loops and fast firing

Notable Quotes

  • “2026 is going to be won by Jersey Jack Pinball and Spooky Pinball. That's my prediction.”

    Kaneda @ early broadcast — Market positioning prediction identifying clear manufacturer leaders

  • “People who have played the whitewoods say it is the greatest Steve Ritchie game of all time. And it is not just a recycled Steve Ritchie game.”

    Kaneda @ Sonic discussion — First-hand account of Sonic whitewood reception and originality assessment

  • “I think Predator is dead on arrival without Arnold. It's dead on arrival at the price they need to charge.”

    Kaneda @ Predator criticism — Strong negative assessment of Pinball Brothers' commercial viability

  • “Stern's in big trouble if they think they can charge what they're charging and Jersey Jack just makes Stern's look like Tinker Toys.”

    Kaneda @ manufacturer comparison — Quality and pricing critique of Stern vs Jersey Jack positioning

  • “I've got a an approach and a way of doing this that absolutely works for me and I know it works for you.”

    Kaneda @ community policy announcement — Indicates shift toward excluding critics from podcast access

  • “When you lose access to Kaneda's Pinball Podcast, you lose access to the most entertaining, the most informative...the best pinball podcast there is.”

    Kaneda @ late broadcast — Self-assessment of podcast quality and value proposition

Entities

KanedapersonSteve RitchiepersonJersey Jack PinballcompanySpooky PinballcompanyStern PinballcompanySonic the HedgehoggameBig Bang Bar (remake)game

Signals

  • ?

    business_signal: Jersey Jack Pinball demonstrating increased confidence and swagger with planned 'mega mega games' over next four to five years; no plans to remake classic IP

    medium · Kaneda reports 'people over at Jersey Jack Pinball...have this air now of confidence and swagger' and quotes 'one massive hit a year is what they're aiming for'

  • ?

    community_signal: Kaneda announcing exclusion of hostile content creators from podcast access, citing unwanted lurking and content inspiration without participation; no longer burying hatchets

    high · Kaneda states 'they're not going to see this content anymore. They're not invited...So, they're they're not going to see this content anymore. They're not invited to be part of Kaneda's Pinball Podcast'

  • ?

    community_signal: Jersey Jack Pinball expressed concerns about Kaneda's attendance at Pinball Expo, leading to organizer request for non-attendance

    high · Rob Burke relayed message that Jersey Jack had 'issue' with Kaneda presence; Kaneda disputes accuracy given recent Abbas family interaction

  • ?

    competitive_signal: Kaneda predicts 2026 pinball market dominated by Jersey Jack and Spooky based on momentum, available IP, and Stern losing competitive ground on quality/pricing

    medium · Kaneda states '2026 is going to be won by Jersey Jack Pinball and Spooky Pinball' and criticizes Stern for charging too much while making 'Tinker Toys' vs JJP quality

  • ?

    product_concern: Barrels of Fun criticized for inadequate marketing and lack of dedicated 'hype guy' despite quality game design (Dune acknowledged as 'beautiful looking')

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:03
All right, here we are. [Music] Live from the backyard. Beautiful day here. Such a beautiful day. Such a crime to talk pinball, but we're going to do it. We're going to do it anyway. Let's get our Facebook going. Facebook Saturday morning spectacular. How's everybody doing? Nobody's in the house yet.
0:40
August 23rd. Feeling good. Hung over as life should be. Oh my god. We're going to hear a little bit of that. Is that Is that too Let me know if that's too annoying if you even pick that up. I've got my um my air conditioning unit. out in the backyard. Good morning, Robert. Good morning, Nick. Good morning, Eric. How's everybody doing? We got a lot to talk about in the world of pinball. No drama today. In fact, I mean to make a little bit of an announcement, but um about all the not even drama, just like how I want to do this channel moving forward and how I want to hang out with the Canada Club members and the community that enjoys Canadas Pinball Podcast. Feeling very blessed to be here in Rouetan, Connecticut. Uh, heaven on earth. Really, it is. Uh, Brenda's sister's here. Sad boy. We've been lowering our amounts. I missed the 50 bucks, brother. Let's see. What's good, brother? I'm buying a home use only Guns and Roses LE with the topper. Less than 400 plays on it. Literally 3K worth of mods for only 7500. I'm committing highway robbery. Well, not a bad buy. Could you could get Ellie's for like 6,500 now, 6,000. Uh, but probably not with 400 plays in the toppers. I don't think that's a bad buy for you, sad boy. I I don't think you're going to be sad with that game. I think it's a great Look, in the end, all these all these Jersey Jack games for less than $8,000 are incredible buys. Everybody knows that. There are some really good deals out there. The sucker move is new in box for 13, new inbox for 15. Like, it's just a sucker move. Um, why would you not get GNR data east? Well, Daniel, I I don't know, man. The the the JJP G&R is better than the Data East G&R. Come on. Like, let's not We We don't have to say silly things like it's not. It's much much better. Got my iced coffee. Went to the gym today. Feeling really good. Really positive vibes. A good week at work. Let's just put this here. This is fine. Good week at work. Had to have a tough conversation at work with some people that were just kind of micromanaging and making everybody stressed out. And I had to sort of just put the hammer down a little bit and just be like, we're not doing this. We're not doing this. We're not treating each other like this. We're not acting like transactional ships in the night. Either we care about each other as people or we're not working together professionally. And and you know what? A month later, everyone's feeling great. The team's doing great work and everyone's everyone's like collaborating as a team should. It's It was time. It was time. Should we talk a little bit about Cracker Barrel? No, we'll we'll we'll talk about Cracker Barrel in a little bit. Cracker Barrel. Um, but yeah, man. That's the industry I work in. So, if you ever wonder why I love and hate what I do for a living at times, it's because it's inundated with people that don't get it. They don't get culture. They don't get target audiences. They make silly mistakes and then they hide behind their virtual signaling all the time. But we're not going to This is not Canadia's virtual signaling podcast. It's Canadian pinball. Christopher Branchie, welcome brother. Um uh told that Slam Tilt podcast to pull in his who? Ryan, I don't even know. I don't know, man. I I um I think what happens when there's not like a new game out, a lot of the content creator drama like pops up because people lose sight of what people actually want to hear about. So, we've got a lot to talk about game because I I really threw those rumors out there and confirm what's coming. And I've already upset some people. I I know some people are angry that I've sort of let the cat out of the bag on some of these rumors. Uh, and I'll tell you this, it's going to be a crazy 2026. I think that 2026 is going to be won by JJP and Spooky. That That's my prediction. I I do I think these two companies really have the most momentum and really have the most um, you know, I think the themes people want the most. I really do believe that. Ah, how's everybody doing today? See, it's a beautiful Saturday morning and being inside playing pinball is criminal today. So, we're outside. I love how like how radically different my background is to like the majority of people who do content in this space where it's like all games and dark little basements and LED lights and, you know, neon signs of companies and I'm just here like I don't know, just chilling. I almost feel good enough to have like a breakfast beer. You know what I'm going to do? Brian, thank you for the 99 cents. You know what I'm going to do? How many of you out there, let me let me ask you a serious question. How many of you out there, like every week or every couple weeks, maybe once a month, maybe twice a month, would be interested in a drunken Canada show. I don't know, like, you know, kind of like drunk history. It'd be fun. I think I want to do it with Kale, though. Him and I should do it together because I think it'd be a lot of fun. we just we just keep drinking and we just, you know, take the piss out of the hobby in a more of an R-rated way. And I think it would be really funny and I want to make that a um a 30 $30 subscription show. Yeah. Um what's up Retro Jenis watching on Facebook? Retro Jenis might be watching on YouTube. Um we're going to talk all about the rumors. We're going to talk all about the stuff coming down the pipeline. Lots of stuff. You know, I think what's going to be crazy is um the hits and misses we're going to see in pinball. The hits and misses for sure. What designer is making Transformers? Um I I don't know. I don't even know if Transformers is confirmed. I'd be shocked if Barrels of Fun does not have Transformers with Brian Savage having run the G.I. Joe and Transformer fan sites and conventions for like 20 years. Yeah, there's there's is there a guy that knows the relationship better at Hasbro than that dude? So, I I'd be shocked if if he didn't find a way to use his personal relationships to secure those two licenses. Uh, but I, you know, I don't know for sure, but you know, the rumor of like Stern having Transformers, I don't know. Stern's got most of the leverage when it comes to securing licenses. I don't know. Maybe fun with drunk Canada, but please no repeat of the Trippy loss. Well, it was stolen from you, but no repeat of that. Yeah, Scott. You know, the silver lining of the Twippy loss and my my hissy fit was um you know, becoming really great friends with Kale. You know, before then, like Kale and I were friendly, you know, we we kind of bonded at the JJP meetup, but post Twippy loss was um we we both have like become like kind of like pinball besties in a way. It's awesome. And like him and Rachel are awesome. Electric Bad is awesome. They're, you know, they're just good people and they're really down to earth and they they don't take themselves too seriously. You know, I have moments where I absolutely take myself too seriously and and I like, you know, act like a a child and throw hissy fits and and then I wake up and I'm like, why did I do that? Like that was stupid. Um I was I was, you know, I felt blindsided by that loss. But also, you know, it's not it's not that it was Rob, man. Like, people didn't vote. They didn't vote. When the the year prior when I won, I got 600 first place votes. I only got like 100, like 220. So, people didn't show up. People didn't care about the Twippies. Uh, let's see what we got here.
Pinball Brothers
company
Predator (Pinball Brothers)game
Rob Burkeperson
Guns N' Roses Limited Editiongame
Electric Bat Arcadecompany
Dunegame
Barrels of Funcompany
Haggis Pinballcompany
Jack Dangerperson
Kaleperson
David Fixperson
Sonic whitewoodproduct
Chicago Gaming Companycompany
Jason Knapp / Naps Arcadeperson / company
Twippies Awardsevent
Pinball Expoevent
Brett Abbasperson

medium · Kaneda states 'I think Barrels needs...they're trying and they're getting better. I just think they need better marketing...a hype guy'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Kaneda criticizes Predator as inherently limited without Arnold Schwarzenegger licensing and overpriced; positions as novelty-only play at shows, not collector purchase

    medium · Kaneda asserts 'Predator is dead on arrival without Arnold' and 'there's nothing wrong with that. It's just...a pinball company can't survive with new and box sales with that being the response'

  • $

    market_signal: Pinball Brothers' Predator estimated sales under 100 units with distributor cuts indicating commercial failure and potential company viability crisis

    medium · Kaneda states 'I don't think they sold more than a hundred of these things' and 'cutting out their distributors is like the last straw'

  • ?

    community_signal: Jack Danger reducing public content presence; Kaneda attributes to family/personal pressures on bread-winning expectations balancing parenting responsibilities

    medium · Kaneda notes 'Jack's kind of taking a step back' and speculates on family pressures, emphasizing it's 'a personal issue with Jack' rather than corporate

  • ?

    personnel_signal: Rumor sourced from 'really reliable source' that Ellen (likely Stern executive) is unhappy at Stern; mentioned without elaboration

    low · Chat message: 'word is from a very reliable source that Ellen is really unhappy at Stern' — Kaneda doesn't expand or validate

  • ?

    announcement: Big Bang Bar remake in development with new art package from deceased artist Stanley Fu; production run ~250 units expected

    medium · Kaneda discusses production numbers and art package, but admits fabricating geographic origin details, reducing confidence in overall accuracy

  • ?

    announcement: Steve Ritchie confirmed as designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball for Stern, based on classic Sega video game with high-speed mechanics and novel playfield design

    high · Kaneda states 'Steve Ritchie is making Sonic the Hedgehog' with personal knowledge; whitewood feedback from multiple players confirms 'greatest Steve Ritchie game of all time'

  • ?

    product_strategy: Sonic the Hedgehog described as 'a while out' from release, indicating delayed timeline from earlier expectations

    medium · Kaneda explicitly states 'It's a while. It's a while out, right? It's it's a while out' when discussing release window

    • 8:48
    Try pronouncing revisionist with that much alcohol in you. Um, look, electric cat. Um, Cracker Barrel, anybody? Who wants to go to Cracker Barrel? Uh, yeah, I did get a correspondence from the organizer of Pinball Expo to not go to Expo. It was a, you know, it was like, it was a little like weird. I'm sitting out on a beautiful at Roan Market with my boy Frank D'Angelo and we're having a nice coffee and we're just having a nice time and and he's like and I get a text message and I read it and and it's basically Rob Burke who I I really respect Rob. He's a really nice guy, you know, and I know like Rob's like the messenger. Like it's it's this is not Rob wanting this. This is like people complaining to him. So he was like, "Chris, I'm gonna have, you know, I want to ask you to like respectfully not come to expo because of people's not wanting you there." Right? So So you know, I I didn't fly off the handle. I just called him. I was very nice about it. He said that it was It's Bob, isn't it? Rob Burke. It's Bob Burke. I thought it's Rob. Isn't it Rob Burke?
    10:11
    I mean, Robert and Bob are like, isn't that like interchangeable? Okay. I thought it was Robert B. Okay. What's up, Kale? So he c he uh we spoke and he um he was very nice, you know. He said that it was Jersey Jack who had the issue with me being there, which I was confused by cuz I was just trying to think like um maybe at last year's expo, Jersey Jack was a little upset because I wasn't, you know, promoting Avatar. But, you know, I told Rob, I was like, "Dude, I just I literally just hung out with Brett Abbis." Um, so I highly doubt that JJP would be uh opposed to my presence at Expo. So, you know, and he was kind of like, "Yeah, you know, let me let me check. Let me see what the issue is." And look, we I I 100% know David Fix doesn't ever want to see me ever again. And and look, as as last year's show indicated, if I saw Mr. David fixed, I would shake his hand and say, "How you doing, David?" You know, "Good luck with everything." And move on. I mean, that's it. I don't have any ill will. I don't I don't wake up and want to see anything bad happen to any of those people. Even if some of those people really wanted bad stuff to happen to me, and they did. And I see it. Like, I understand the reason why they did that is they think that my my disparaging comments about their companies are the reason why their companies failed. and they put blame on me for their lackluster sales. And I I don't think I deserve that. I don't think whether I make content here in my backyard or or content in my office at work, I don't think that makes your game any better. And I I've always felt that when the content creators get accused by the manufacturers of being the reason why the company's failed. Andrew Highway vehemently believes that I caused people to get refunds and and caused the collapse of his company. The lack of accountability internally at these companies by these decision makers, it never ceases to amaze me. I I bet Marty and Damian also feel like my uh my interrogation of their lies and their deception and their manipulation was one of the reasons why Haggus failed. You know, not not the fact that they got into a big factory they didn't need. Not not that they didn't understand how expensive it was to actually get into manufacturing. Not that, you know, Kelt should have been the end of that company. I mean, I always said that Kelts should have been the end of Haggus Pinball. It It never should have got past Kelts and having Kelts like you know what I'm saying? Like Kelt should have laughed you like you should have been laughed out of the convention with Kelts and you should go back to I don't know doing whatever he did. He does like some, you know, Damian was another one of these Andrew Highways. This is what the guys don't get is like he had all these businesses going on and they were all kind of like they were all like a little shady, you know? There was like real estate development, pinball, this, that, technology services. Like it doesn't work. Like the these guys that think they're like serial entrepreneurs who can't do any one thing, right? And what happens with all them is always the same thing. They usually hit per on one of their ventures and they make some money and then they think they're going to be successful doing everything. And that's where the money, you know, I mean, you got to remember like Damon Harden walked away burning hundreds of thousands of dollars of consumer dollars that were never returned to customers. Like he literally he set up his LLC, whatever he did, and he and people never got their refunds. And you know, and that's why Marty Robbins will never be really allowed back in this community. Even no matter how hard some of his buddies try to say he wasn't responsible, it's you are responsible. You You now have a job to get refunds for those people. It was your company. You were a partner in it. You went on all the content shows and convinced people everything was okay. And you hold some accountability for that. And when you pay people back, you will be forgiven and we would happily love to have you back in the community. It's like Barry, like he made everybody whole on Big Labowski. It took 12 years, but he made everybody whole. And nobody's calling Barry a crook anymore cuz he like he redeemed himself. And again, you can't believe in God and you can't believe in just decency as a human if you don't have forgiveness as a um as a trait. I I really do believe that. And so, speaking of that, just just wanted to say this real quick for everybody. Um, you know, I've had my what what's the best word? Is it a tassel? Is that a word with some of these content creators? Um, you know, I woke up the other day. I'm like, you know what? I'm just tired of like always trying to bury hatchets and I'm not going to do it anymore. So, what I'm going to do is just um not let those people who don't want to be part of this part of this. So, they're they're not going to see this content anymore. They're not invited to be part of Canadas Pinball Podcast. Um nor will they be here. So, I don't think any of us are going to feel any loss whatsoever. And all that is is like I just I don't need people lurking in in the shadows, you know, getting inspiration from my content. And I know when you lose access to Canad's pinball podcast, you lose access to the most entertaining, the most informative, uh, and the most like I I just think the best pinball podcast there is. I mean, I I feel that way about myself. I mean, it's not about an award. I I think that the 20 to 25 minutes three times a week is the model that works, and I think it works the best. And I think you hear everything in a timely, relevant fashion. And I think that's that. So, it's good. It's good. I'm I feel good about it. I think you guys are going to feel good about it. And I don't think there's going to like because I don't want to get into what we got into like was it last week or two weeks ago where people are popping in and then like, you know, sort of not responding and I'm not doing it. I don't I don't need those distractions. And I don't even need anybody else's content to make the best content. I I I feel like I've got a an approach and a way of doing this that absolutely uh works for me and I know it works for you. So, let's talk about these rumors. Steve Richie is making Sonic the Hedgehog, and it's, you know, something that I knew about personally. I know that Jason Knap put up the uh his post about it, and he had like that was like his guess. You know, I I love Jason. I I do though I do think Jason needs to make the site go back to being the lighter color. I I don't like the dark color of Naps Arcade any. I don't like it. Like, I'm going to text him that today. He you can switch it, but like just switch it back. I It just something about the D like it's like Cracker Bell like don't change a good thing. Like I know his son's worked on the site. Just don't change it. Just don't change a good thing. It was like people get familiar and and accustomed to something. It's just just leave it. Just leave it. Notice how there is like one with 80 people watching XD. Um all right. So, we'll talk let's talk about um let's talk about Sonic. So, here's here's what I know. And you know, I mean, take this with a little bit of a grain of salt, but people who have played the Whitewoods say it is the greatest Steve Richie game of all time. And it is not just a recycled Steve Richie game. What they they say they're like, "Chris, man, the speed, like what the ball is doing, like people are just going to be blown away." And when you think about Sonic, it's the perfect theme for pinball. It has Yeah, it better have a loop. It better have like I think they're going to have like Bucks like firing the ball like so freaking fast. And I think they're going to there's going to be a lot of that cuz remember that's a lot of what Sonic is. It's like he starts spinning in place and then he shoots off. Steve told me it's the cutest game he's made. Well, the other thing too is it's going to be based on the Sega arcade. Not sorry, sorry, not arcade. Sega um video game from the home, right? It's not going to be based on the movies, which is another great thing. Like I don't think anybody wanted the TV the movies with Jim Carrey. Uh we want it like the the Sonic we've grown up with. So, I'm excited. It's It's a while. It's a while out, right? It's it's a while out. I know that the people over at Jersey Jack I, you know, when I talk to them, they have this air now of confidence and swagger they haven't had before. I think they had it when G&R came out and I think GNR hit hard, but then all the play playfields were falling apart and I think that like really bummed out Eric for for a long time. But I know these guys feel like they've got like they've got like some mega mega games coming out over the next four or five years and they're super excited and I like that it's one, you know, one massive hit a year is what they're aiming for. I think that um there's no looking back. They're never remaking Pirates. This is a company moving forward and I'm excited about what JJP has going forward because I do think Stern's in big trouble if they think they can charge what they're charging and Jersey Jack just makes Sterns look like Tinker Toys. And you know, I'm going to talk about Stern in a little bit, but I think Stern's been way too slow to elevate like the quality of their product. And quality does not mean just like reliability. I I just mean material quality. It's a great time for Canadas Pinball Podcast. Thank you, Trent. I appreciate it, brother. How's everybody doing, by the way? like really great having we have 90 people on YouTube and we have 25 on Facebook. Um if you guys are liking the content recently, you know, you know me, I love to get some stars, show your support. Uh I'm doing these dual now on YouTube and Facebook so people can, you know, pick where they want to get a free hour to 90 minutes of Canadas Pinball Podcast. Um super excited to do this every week for everybody here. Um, yes. Bond created an image of an empty Sonic Playfield did. Look, I think everybody loves Elton John as a shooter. I just don't think you wanted Elton John as a theme, and I think Sonic is going to be like, it is going to be amazing to see Richie do Sonic. I'm really excited. So, that wasn't the one that got me in trouble. Thank you, Wayne, for the stars. The one that got me in trouble. Canada, why you're not supposed to say stuff? Why is he saying this is the Big Bang Bar remake? Yeah, there's a lot of Big Bang Bar remake angry people out there. And you know, I don't care. It's coming out and it's not coming from anybody in America. How's that? It's not coming from anyone in Europe. It's not coming from anyone in Asia. It's not coming from anybody in South America. It's not, you know, I'm just throwing out. Actually, all that was just made up. So, so we'll see where who it who it's coming from. It I'll say this. It's not it's not coming from CGC. And I've said that before. See, Big Bang Bar was never a CGC. Next from CGC is uh Twilight Zone. And then I guess the, you know, the the the the the Halo game that is never coming out. Um let's see. No, I think Sonic's going to do great, guys. Don't don't don't sleep on Sonic. And, you know, it'd be great if Stern had Super Mario Brothers. I think they both be great.
    22:31
    I don't know. You know, look, I don't think Big Bang Bar is gonna I I I heard they're making something like 250 of them or something like that. Like, how many did they make of the last remake? How many Big Bang bars was it? 300 or le or like 80? It was like some low number. Was it like 80 or something or 100? How many? I always forget this part of the Big Bang bar. I know there was like barely any Capcom ones. There was like 20 25 original. Okay, so there's 186. So now they're going to make at least that. So they're going to double the number of Big Bang bars in the world. Now, the other thing I know they're going to do is before the artist, and I'm not going to butcher his name, Stanley Fu Fuka. I'm not going to do it. Before he passed away, unfortunately, he worked on a new art package for the new Big Bang Bar. So, I you know, I don't know if he was able to finish it all, but that will also be part of this. $5. I bet Canada has a predator hiding in those trees. Get to the choa. Eric, thank you for the five bucks, brother. Um, let me tell you something right now. I um I think the Pinball Brothers are done. I don't know if they're going to be done, but that's my guess. I don't think they're going to survive Predator. And I think Predator is dead on arrival without Arnold. It's dead on arrival at the price they need to charge. And them cutting out their distributors is like the last straw. like they just cut off the only people that ever help them move product. I mean, so it's like that's a desperate move by a desperate company who then when they talk tries to talk with confidence and swagger. So I I see right through it. I think they're desperate. I think they were expecting sales and they got none. I don't think they sold more than a hundred of these things. And so, you know, to spin it like this is good news and better get yours now and we only have 150 spots left in our, you know, production capabilities for 2025. It's all hogwash. It's all spin. It's all manip, you know, it's all designed and tailored, you know, word manipulation to try to create a sense that you should act and buy it. It's not going to work. I look forward to playing the damn game at like expo. I think it's just going to be a novelty game you play at shows and I don't think anyone wants to own one. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that. It's just it's just a pinball company can't survive with new and box sales with that being the response to your product. Lots of games like that, gang. I'll jump on a I'll jump on any pin at a show or at a barcade and and enjoy it. I'm not going to open up my wallet and and buy stuff like Hot Wheels, you know, stuff like Galactic Tank Force. Yeah, I'll play it at a show. The more whiskey you got in you, the better Galactic Tank Force gets. He-Man. Um, I think if anyone makes He-Man, it will be spooky. Um, I don't know.
    25:54
    The one game I'm always like, am I too hard on these guys is Dune. I I don't you know and and I think you know look I've been way way more judgmental about Dune as a theme than as a pin you know and I know Mike has one at automated so I I I think I might try to drive over there one day soon and just like you know bang on it for a few hours. I I I played it a little bit at a show. It's It's definitely like a beautiful looking game and you know, so I want to give it give it more. Yeah. So Wayne, I don't I don't deny that. I just can't.
    27:04
    It's like the propane was on. Does someone know like Okay. when the the propane valve was one of the kids must open it was opened on but the but the barbecue gas wasn't on. So that means it probably wasn't dis like using propane, right? It probably just put enough in the tube, but then it's not going to keep asking for more, right? If if the barbecue Okay. All right. Thank you. Because you know what? One day I had a daddy brain and I I barbecued dinner and then I I just forgot to turn the barbecue off and I came home. I came I woke up the next day and the the whole side of the house was just covered in soot. You know what gets it off? Soot's annoying to clean. And you know it's simple green. Just slowly rub the simple green.
    28:10
    Ah, okay. Where were we? Okay. So, Dune. Yeah. Okay. So, I'll give Dune I'll give Dune more. Um I think I think what Barrels needs and and they're trying and they're getting better. I just think they need better marketing. I think they need better marketing. I think they need a hype guy. I don't think they have a hype guy. I don't think they have a hype guy. I don't even know. Like, let's let Let me ask you guys a question. Who's like the best hype guys in pinball? Like, at the on the manufacturer level, like Bug and Luke are awesome. Jack Danger is awesome. Um, you know, I'm sad Jack's kind of like taking a step back. I am. I'm sad. Like, I don't know. I I I don't you know people have been feeding me like this is why they think it is. I know I know it was like you know it seems like there was some it's tough on the family. Um I I don't want to get into it because it's a personal issue with Jack and and that's how I I look at it. Like I respect his decisions. I can't imagine he wanted to make that decision though. Like he loves pinball. Like it's a dream job. Like I don't Yeah. I mean it feels like one of those jobs where like if you're doing something you love, you don't work a day in your life kind of job. So I don't think it was the corporate world. I don't I don't I don't I I think it was like I I I don't know. Like I think like sometimes and I'm just going to say this from my own experience and it's harder now is like the pressure on like dads and husbands and careers and it hits both sexes. Like you can't just go off and like make it now. You've got to like, you know, I this is going to sound like a little like not of the times, but one of the reasons why like I mean I my parents didn't come from any money. They didn't grow up with money. My mom was a stay-at-home mom when she had three boys and you know she was like she's an artist so she was like sketching houses to make extra money on the side. She had to sell her jewelry to buy us like snow boots. Like this is like when we were really young and they were like massively in debt with the house they got because they didn't, you know, they they just needed a place for their kids. And you know, my dad went to work and like focused on work and climbing the corporate ladder and did like if he had to like be home at 6 and put the kids down, he wouldn't have got those promotions. He wouldn't have climbed the ladder. he wouldn't have been where he needed to be to to to impress the people that brought him up with them. And so like everything our family has because the dynamic was different then. Nowadays it's like it's it's like husbands need to do like the the expectation to do like half of like the the early nurturing of it. It's it's just not in the nature. Like I'm sorry. Like it's just and I I don't and that look and look Brenda's amazing and I do my best like I just did a full week with the kids you know and she does it every week so it's not like a I I don't deserve any credit. It's what a parent's supposed to do and it is really hard but you do get into a routine after a while and it becomes the routine and it you know and I'm sorry but like if you don't want to like raise kids then don't have them. I mean that that's the other thing too. It's like but you can't have everything. You can't have everything. And I I do think, you know, sometimes you just got to respect that one person might be more of the bread winner and one person might need a little bit more like like flexibility to like bake and make it like, you know, it's very rare that you even have opportunities to make a good living in this world. I mean, it's easy for all of us like we're like 99% men, you know, pinball like talking like this.
    32:20
    So I word is from a very reliable source that Ellen is really unhappy at Stern.
    32:27
    Yeah. I mean Brendan and I are great. Like I I love my wife more than anything and and we're she lets me be me. She loves that I do all this pinball content. You know, whenever the pinball content would get me down, she's just like, "F those guys. Like what do you like what are you worried about?" Like what anybody thinks. Just keep doing your stuff. I love you. She calls me baby boy. Why I call it baby girl. I love it. Um well it's it's you know let's let's see. Stephen Jacobson is here. Stephen, what's up, brother? I got the G&R shirt. You want to see it? You guys want to see a shirt that costs as much as a topper? Uh half as much of a topper. Hold on. Let me go get it. Let me go get it. It's so cool. They made these specially in 1993 when Guns and Roses was touring Europe. Uh there's a special concert that Johnny Versace uh organized and Axel was there and he wore it. He had a Axel had a special shirt that he actually got arrested in uh with the usual illusion on it and it was amazing. But this is like the this is the shirt they gave to the staff that were working the concert. Let me go get it real quick. Hold on. It's really cool.
    34:35
    See? See that? Versace guns and roses. The back is the coolest part though. Ready? Oh yeah. Axel wearing this. It's a great shot of Axel wearing this center stage.
    34:57
    Get in the ring on you on on Facebook. It's all backwards. I love it. But you can see Canada rocking this vintage baby. I've been waiting I waited like I waited like 20 years to find that t-shirt.
    35:27
    Steven knows it. Like those things don't come up for sale often. Like the dudes who have all this like G&R memorabilia like they hold on to it. Steven's got some of the greatest. Stephen here is my friend guys from New York City. He owns Guns and Roses collector's edition that I hooked him up with and he's got the Data East next to it. huge G&R fan. One of the coolest things Stephen has is um he has when Axel was performing at a concert, he was singing Oh My God, and Axel wrote out the lyrics to the song like on a piece of paper in his like iconic handwriting. Axel's handwriting is super cool. And Steven's got that and I believe Dell James handed it to him and was like, "Here." And like so like I I was like dude like that's just like the coolest thing to have Axel Rose write out his own music lyrics uh before going on stage and you have it. So let me tell you guys right now. I've been catching a lot of flack and I just Stephen, you got to listen to this album. I'm telling you, don't sleep on it. Like I know that people have all this prejudice around Machine Gun Kelly and think he's a chump and this and that. This this new album by Machine Gun Kelly, Lost Americana, is one of the best rock and roll albums I've heard. I I mean that. And I I look, I like all good rock albums. And you I'm telling you I'm telling you when you know the story of this album, too, where he basically like wrote all the songs, wrote all the music in his living room with his friends. you know, this isn't like this isn't like he brought in producers to to help him out the way all these other artists do. And that's and you should see the interviews with him. It's really cool. Like and and the thing is like the dude hit like rock bottom. Like he did and he like effed up was on drugs, like lost his, you know, lost Megan Fox. They have a daughter together. Like he hit rock bottom as a as a like man searching for his own like fighting through his own insecurities, his own vanity. and then writes this album and it's great. So Josh, when you say his music is awful, I I I think he's got a lot of bad albums. Same way Eminem had a lot of bad albums before he came out with Recovery. My point is, Josh, turn off the skepticism and just listen to um Lost Americana. And if I I don't know how you can't like this album if you like 80s and rock and punk and like and the songs are all so good and he crashes into like Yeah. No, I It's okay, man. It's okay. You're not vibing with it. That's okay. I'm not going to force it. Plays it. It It's fun in the demon, baby. When I'm rolling in the demon,
    38:18
    it's not autotuned. Want to be pump. Anyway, um, all right. Where were we? Predator fails on is is I do you guys think Predator ends Pinball Brothers? What do you think?
    38:34
    What do you think? Does Are the Pinball Brothers going to survive? We've got Christopher Franchie here. Franchie, can you ask can you answer us a question? I mean, you can't confirm it's Beetlejuice, but can you confirm for us that Michael Keaton's clips are in it? So people like it is a little bit of a bummer. I I think Bug and Luke have spoken on this and it's weird because like they haven't confirmed it's Beetlejuice, but they've confirmed that Michael Keaton's not doing the call outs. So it's like why would you need him to do the call outs if you're not doing Beetlejuice? Um
    39:10
    well Josh, you know it's a good song. I don't care if it's autotuned. I don't care. Good music. Good music. It's like I hope all of you have your orders in for Beetlejuice. I I hope you do. So, I I haven't shown you guys yet, but Frank D'Angelo came over here. Let's talk about this. He came over here and he helped me move my two Neo Geos that were in the garage upstairs. And now what that means is what that means is well first of all Axel Rose would smack you Josh for spelling his name wrong. Come on man. Nobody spells it like that. Nobody. Um you know the thing is this. I now have room for a pinball machine in the garage and I'm going to get a second pin. Guns and Roses is staying here. I now want to make the garage the area where I swap in and out games. I want I want to play more games and have time on stuff, but I and I don't want the garage game to be like the LE that I'm just collecting forever and then I don't want to get rid of it. No, the whole point is I want to swap in and out. And what I want to do is, you know, maybe work with a a a dealer or something or, you know, to like borrow a game for like a week or a month, like or like a week. My problem is like I just don't think it's like people want to give you a game to honestly review. I think there's always pressure to, you know, if if if Barrels of Fun sends me a Dune, there's going to be pressure to like just like say you like it. So, I don't know. Like I I I it's hard to be an objective content creator when you accept something. So I don't I might just have to purchase them. Be fully transparent and not you know, but I'm not going to buy something I don't want to actually have in my house though, too. You know what I'm saying? Like I'm not This is not going to be like I'm not going to be losing thousands of dollars like rotating games in and out. That's not happening.
    41:25
    Um, is Beetleju just just the first movie? Sequel is junk. Let's see. Oh, you know, look, I really I I I I want to say I really think that Star Wars might take that spot. And I think that's going to be what I want to put there is Star Wars. I hope it's great. I really do. I hope John Borg has like some like a redemption pin.
    41:58
    Why would Keith Elwin be miserable at Stern? Like why? He He's got the biggest team working with him. He gets to have a game or two out a year, usually two. He's probably the highest paid designer in all of pinball. He probably gets a royalty on the number of games sold. My worry if if he goes to JJP, which people are rumoring, okay, so then what happens? He waits. He gets a game out every three years, you know, Eric, Steve, Elwin. I don't think Mark Seiden's like on the roster for a next one. Maybe he is. I don't know. But you know what I'm saying? If JJP only does one game a year, you're just always waiting online to be at the plate.
    42:47
    Let's see. Is this Franchie talking about Beetlejuice in Well, I think what Spooky will do with Beetlejuice, like they did with Evil Dead gang, you just get to pick. Do you want to play movie one or play movie two? That's cool. That's the way to do it. I I love that approach to to handling multiple like movies like that.
    43:13
    Um, yeah, JJP might scale up some. They I I think it just comes down to workers. It really feels like that, right? It's like to have a second line, you just need more workers. They've got this space for a second line. Um, and they also just, you know, these companies could also do double shifts. Like there's a there's a day shift and a night shift or a morning shift and a night shift. Like that's how like plants operate around the world.
    43:41
    Well, I think Elwin is probably not used to like like Kong Kong didn't hit, right? And like for all intents of purposes, if I said that right, uh Kong's been a bust and Kong Kong's a bust because of the price. And Kong's a bust because they made them all look the same. It's not a bust because the gameplay, the gameplay is great. It's not a bust because the mechs. There's a lot of fun mechs in Kong. It's just a bust because when you add it all up, it just doesn't feel like it's worth the money. You don't remember two in the same year? Um I think there was a year there were twoins. I mean, I feel like Jaws and Kong were just like a year apart, right?
    44:41
    Um, I haven't seen the new the new Dune stuff, so I'm I'm going to go check it out and I'm going to go uh Automated has it. I'm going to tell Frank he needs to update the code on it. And yeah, let me see how the game plays. I'm I'm you know, look, I'm I've always just been I just I just my my feelings on on Dune are simply this. Like, if it was any other theme that people had more of an emotional connection to, he would have sold all 1,000 of them in in a week. to have to slow burn sell the game even if it is a great game. It's it's just like you know I mean I guess the the the saving grace for barrels much like all these boutiques is they can slow burn sell because they can only slowly make. They just need to always have more sold than parts have been ordered for. Like that's that's it. If they can stay ahead of that, they'll be fine. See, Stern doesn't have that luxury. Stern's got to sell thousands of each. And what Stern's problem, which other manufacturers don't have, is, you know, Stern's got a big problem because they've got that big warehouse and factory with thousands of unsold games, I hear. And then they've got dealers and dros around the country with thousands of unsold Venoms and John Wixs and you name it. Like, there's just all this unsold inventory and and Stern needs those people to keep buying the new stuff. And when you have a game like Kong and anyone who like overbought, you know, it just doesn't work. And then they just go back and remake another Jaws or remake another this and they're going to keep doing that. And like so when they remake Walking Dead, like so then every single Walking Dead owner is going to put up their old game for sale and then they're going to do the same thing again and again and again. And it's like I I I just I don't know. Stern just kind of destroyed its own collectibility and I haven't seen them. I don't understand what they're doing on a marketing level. Like they hired the new CMO. They've got Spike 3. They haven't really made a big deal about it. There's not like a launch date of Spike 3. The details come out with a podcast interview that like but like why isn't there like a like Stern should have like once a year like what Apple does. They should have like a day in which they unveil all their latest innovations and technologies. They don't do any of that. Like it's just I don't know. They just feel like this like and I understand like but just I don't know. Make it a moment. Why isn't Spike 3's reveal a moment of the new cabinet, the new lighting, the new this, the new screen? Why isn't it at a moment?
    47:29
    Who is your favorite pinball manufacturer currently? Spooky.
    47:40
    My second favorite currently right now is Jersey Jack. And my third favorite is Stern. Now, I don't know about you guys, but like I those three are like my three favorites just because I I think out of all the companies out there, like they're the ones that I just look forward to seeing what they have coming. Nobody else has that level of um I you know, like nobody else has that level of attention from the community. And I think everyone's I think everyone's top three are probably those three. I don't I don't like CGC the way they keep everybody in the dark. I don't I just don't like that. Um Barrels is fine. I I you know I don't um I don't Labyrinth into Dune doesn't excite me as a 49year-old with Money to Burn who grew up in the 80s and 90s. I don't get excited by either of those. And like look, I grew up in the 80s. I I just wasn't a Labyrinth guy. And if I watched Labyrinth, I watched it because I thought Jennifer Connelly was making me tingle, right? And they took her out of the game. So I don't I wouldn't watch Imagine watching Labyrinth without her in it. I don't get it. I don't want to play like I'd rather play the Muppets.
    49:01
    Stern still makes the funnest games. Is it funnest or most fun? Um, I don't know. I think a lot of people would argue that Harry Potter is more fun than King Kong. I think a lot of people would say that. I think a lot of people would say that Elton John is more fun than John Wick and more fun than Venom and more fun, you know,
    49:30
    I I think Stern games are great. The ones that are great. When Stern makes a great game, they make they make a great game. There's no denying that. Again, you don't become the biggest pinball company in the world by making garbage. Um, I just think Stern's licensing and Jod's decision making has been really bad. They just like how again like it just it always will come back to how did you pass on Back to the Future? How did you do that?
    50:01
    Yeah. Like I look I'm excited to see what Barrels does next. I know I know some of the titles that Barrels was pursuing or claimed to have had when I signed my NDA. One of them for me is an Instabby and they both were instab but they had lost one of the licenses that I was told they had. So they were both instab buys for me. So I look I I just it's easy for me to not buy a Dune. Uh, I I don't I don't think I'm unfairly ragging on Dune, but you know, I it's it's not moving the way I think they thought it would. My Iron Man and Pro has me currently $4,500 on the used market. Say what you will about the communication and slowness, but CGC games speak for themselves. Um, yeah. I I I don't want to own any of them, though. I don't like supporting companies that do things that way. There's so many other good games and I don't want my money to go to CGC because of how they deal with their customers. I think they're smug about it. I think they I think they don't care. Because to me, it's not hard to just communicate and to be transparent and to, you know, just let people know where you're at and just tell the truth. Let people know like how delayed things are. Tell the truth. They don't do any of it. So, I don't want I would never give them any of my money.
    51:39
    Do you have any recommendation for a first pinball machine for a home? That's a good question. my first pinball machine. Ah, yeah, it's a really good question. Um, if I were to, first of all, I think there's two things. I think it would be a stern. It would be a stern machine. Uh, because I think again, you want something that's they're they're the most reliable and they have the most I think most, you know, sterns have the most replay value. From there, you got to kind of, you know, I would say you're gonna have to like a theme you like. I do think Lord of the Rings is a good one, Hector, but you know, Lord of the Rings hard to find now, you know, and
    52:27
    but that was my first pin. And I will say Lord of the Rings is one heck of a great first pin, you It's kind of it's it's nice too cuz it's like like it shows you I think when you get Lord of the Rings and you're playing on that DMD it it'll remind you what you love about pinball more than some of the modern stuff because everything magical is happening under the glass. I think on some of these newer games they're way too complex. They're a little bit harder to get into. So Lord of the Rings is definitely one to think about. I would say this. I'm going to say something just right now. And again, you can kill me, but if I were to get just a first game to have in the home to just play pin on, get my pinball skills, you know, developed. I would buy an Iron Man. I I think an Iron Man would be one of the best first pins you could have for a home. I think it's fast. It's fun, but it it will like give you all the skills you need to then like become better on every machine you buy after it. There's no clunkiness. It's got a fun mech. It's got magnets. Like, it's it's like a really really good first pin.
    53:46
    And also the thing I like about Iron Man is like it's not going to cost you like 9 $10,000.
    54:03
    Well, the the problem with the LCD screen, guys, is is it's like this. You then have to fill it with stuff. I I'm still not sold on eight things happening at once when Harry Potter is being played. Like I I don't like that. I I love Harry Potter when the full screen becomes something. You know, the movie clips, it takes over. Like I love the way GNR uses the screen when when Harry Potter is like eight things are happening at once and I I just not how I would do it.
    54:37
    A Jurassic Park Pro is a good option, too. But again, you know, my advice is always go to a show. This is what I would always do. Go to a show and just play everything. Just play everything. Get in early, play everything, you know, and see see what you like. That that is really what you have to do. It is. Um,
    55:09
    so Star Wars to me, gang, it's like I'm just I don't know. I think there's going to be an addat. I I heard there's a big adat in the upper left of the game. I think they're going to do the orbit around the legs to drop it down. And I think I have to buy that game. I mean, Star Wars, if they get Star Wars right, you know, it'll it'll make hypocrites out of us all. Like, the less will sell out instantly. Anyone who has the richy Star Wars is going to just oh, just their their games are just going to tank in value. I don't know, Anthony. Like, has there there hasn't been a great Star Wars machine. So, how can you say enough with Star Wars? Like, if nobody's made a great Star Wars machine, can you imagine Star Wars on Jersey Jack's platform? Can Can we just start crying inside that that's not ever going to happen anytime soon, though? Can you imagine though? Like Jersey Jack with that big screen and the scrolling with the theme song of A New Hope. Can you imagine like like way more way more emotional connection than than Harry Potter has for people?
    56:30
    I mean, the data e Star Wars is not great. Yeah, JC is right. A good first pin is one you can just walk up to and know what you're doing. I think Batman 66 is a good first pin. I I got to be honest, not going to be cheap, but it's a good first pin.
    56:51
    Yeah, there's never going to be another Guardians. I um Yeah, I really I think we might get the Star Wars teaser on Friday and you know, I think the game will come out like September. I'm excited, gang. Like really excited to see it. Uh and then it's going to be the countdown to Spooky's next game. And you know, I don't I think I just I want to say Big Bang Bar Remake should be at Expo. Who's going to Expo? I I think I I will be at Expo. You know, Melvin and Rob Burke, we Melvin I look I I we've been saying something that we should do. We should do a fundraiser that's a Canada dunk tank. I really think that would be great. Like we should do a Canada dunk tank. We can put Damian Harden's face on the bullseye to throw the ball at and you can dunk Canada for like 10 bucks. You know, I think it'll be a lot of fun. We can use that money. We can raise that money for a good cause. And you know, we were telling Rob like we'll make more money on that dunk tank than you realize. Like people would love to have a chance at it. Uh I'm ready. I'd do it. Let's get a dunk tank in there. We look, nobody makes more fun of me than me. Like, we need more self-deprecating humor. So, I I Let's see what he says. Yeah. He actor's like, "I'd pay 50 bucks." Like, that would be great. The the Damian face on the bullseye needs, you know, is amazing. And I'm going to wear a shirt that says Marty's shoes. Remember remember Marty's shoes in the corner?
    58:39
    Yeah, that is a problem, right? Isn't next year the Star Wars 50th? Whoops. Well, it's Yeah, I know. I know. Um Yeah, I I um I don't I don't know, man. It's It's um It's kind of like um I think a lot of us and and correct me if I'm wrong. I think a lot of us are feeling pretty content with the games we have. It doesn't change what is the most enjoyable thing in this hobby, which is the connection we have with each other. Like the friendships we've made, the ability to geek out over this stuff is is where the energy in pinball is. It is meeting your friends out for drinks at, you know, barcades. It's going to shows. The games now are just all overpriced. Like everybody just knows that like there's like this, you know, it's almost like it's almost just like cliche to complain about pinball pricing now because everybody knows these games are severely overpriced. Like they gas lit us. They remove stuff from the games. There's less in these games than there used to be and they're twice the price. And you know, you're either a sucker that keeps buying them and losing thousands of dollars or you've you've woken up to the new reality is like only an idiot buys like new and box now right away cuz like if you just wait by the time the code is done, you'll be able to get like a King Kong LE for like $8,500. Like it's like some sucker is going to pay 13 plus shipping and maybe taxes and you're going to get one for almost 5,000 off if you wait a year and the game's not going to be done for a year. It's like I I don't even understand like the logic to like go in early and like keep playing an incomplete game. Like even when people talk to me about Dune, I'm like well I I get it, but I I don't know. Like why would they even launch a game so incomplete? I think, look, I'm I've said this, Brian, and I think you made a good buy. I think Jaws 50th, when all is said and done, they're going to make less than a thousand of them. I think they're going to be more valuable than the Jaws in the long run because they have the nicer playfields, the sparkle, the the nicer ramps, and the wires. Jaws 50th will be in the end the more desirable game and it also shoots better. A little thing they did was they fixed a lot of the mech issues that are on the Jaws. People don't realize this, but when Stern makes a game for like two years, they make a lot of improvements. The final run of the game plays significantly better than the early editions. I mean, the final runs of Batman 66 play twice as good as the original games. Like, the SLE plays like crap next to Catwoman edition. So, people don't want to like they don't often discuss that. But, it's the truth that when you get a later run of a Stern game, a lot of a lot of improvements have happened that they don't communicate.
    61:58
    JC, I think you made the right move. I have a distributor friend that got stuck with 30 G&Rs he paid 300k for and is selling. Yeah, he's losing money on every one. Mike has like 80 of them at automated.
    62:11
    They fixed the airball issues on the Jaws 50th. They they absolutely fixed it. Now that the problem is is like and look I I know I I made a I made a dig at our you know at at loser kid for having the promo code to help move the funhouse units. You know you guys heard in my show last week because I I don't think that a pinball content creator should be helping a dro move product like with a discount code. It'd be like It'd be like if if you if if you put in Canad Pinball Podcast, you get $500 off at Automated to move his G&Rs. Like, I don't I don't think that's like really ethical to do that. Like, why would why would we do that? Like, just take $500 off the game. Like, why why does there need to be, you know what I'm saying? Like, and and even when you The funny thing about Funhouse is nobody wants it. Like, they didn't sell any. And the problem with G&R and Funhouse Remake, the problem with all of them is the used market is still thousands less than these dros are trying to discount them at. So it's like, you know, like that's the problem is you can't even like what's $500 off is nothing. You should get $3,000 off some of these games.
    63:39
    I just don't think people's like journalistic integrity should be for sale. Like that's just how I feel. It's easy for me to say that too because I make I make the most probably out of any podcaster in the content space for pinball. People might make more money on YouTube. I don't know. You know, I don't have a line of sight to people's finances. It's it's it's funny to me because when you don't when you don't sell out, when you're not a shill, when you don't take money like special interest money from people, you make the most money. Yeah. And it's like this like I and I do say that proudly about Canadas Pinball Podcast is I've never, you know, the only thing I ever took once was that trip for Jersey Jack to go look at Avatar. But again, I offered to pay for my trip because I went to Stern when I was there and they refused to take my money and I didn't like the game. I came back and I said disparaging things about the game. I think it's a soulless, beautiful game. I still think that way about Avatar.
    64:41
    Well, is it any different that news networks taking? But the problem the thing is Josh is this in all media there's a there's a separation between the ad side of the business and the editorial side of the business. The moment there it's church and state like editorial editorial content is not supposed to be impacted by the advertising side of the business. Okay. But once you start advertising promo codes to help sell fun houses, right? So think about it. Just think about it. Think about the conflict on that. Are you then going to say disparaging things about Funhouse when your own show is a discount for the game to help your and you're getting paid by the distributor to help them move their product. I it just it's it's 100% a conflict of interest.
    65:45
    Um I think Randy Martinez will be on Star Wars. He is the the Disney Star Wars artist. I think he'll do a good job. I mean, Mando looks good. I don't want I don't want Yeti on Star Wars. It it's just not his style. I think, look, look, it pains me to say this, but like if Kong looked like original Kong movie posters that were iconic and legendary, Kong would have sold twice as well. If the entire Kong game was based on the iconic Kong films, it would have sold twice as well. Jeremy Packer is an amazing artist. Jeremy Packer's King Kong looks more like a children's book than the King Kong the world knows and loves. It's just the way it is. It's just it's a cartoony vibe to it and it's just not Kong. I I'm I'm sorry. Like I'm allowed that opinion and I love his art and when his art is directed in the right theme and it works so well. It's just not calm.
    67:03
    But, you know, as I said earlier, I know we have more people now. I I this week I've I've I've made a decision that for the for the people that don't ever want to like shake hands or make amends, like they're just they're off. like they're they're not part of Canad's Pinball Podcast page anymore. They're not invited to see the content. Um, no ill will. I wish everybody the best of luck, but they can do their stuff. They can have their audiences, but they're not going to be hanging out here, not watching my content, not drafting off of my my shows. Um, you know, wasn't many people really, right? Majority of people still get along great. You know, loser kids still, you know, welcome to be here. I enjoy their interviews a lot. I really do. I don't think they need to do those those like flipping out ads. I don't I I actually like just think they don't need to do it. I just don't think they need to do it. Flipping out's doing great. Flipping Out is crushing it, gang. Like Zach and Greg and and Nicole and and Ken like like they they put the effort in. There's there's no other way around it. A lot of distros and dealers are stuck marketing their they don't do enough work to to get in front of people and don't do enough content to to to get to get consumers. Like you put in the work, you get the results. It's that simple. Like I'm I I have no ill will anymore against any of these people. I I just think they should just everyone's got to hustle more than they used to. That's the way it works. And you hustle, you get the business, you know. And again, I always said I said it on my last show. I think it's I think I think for them it's smart to get these content creators to to run ads for them in front of their shows. I don't think it's smart for the content creators. It's everybody's prerogative though. It's all pinball. It doesn't matter. It's not hurting anybody. It's not solving, you know, world hunger.
    69:09
    You know, I'm sure everybody saw the Cracker Barrel CEO, right?
    69:15
    It it it Let me get Let me get a little bit on the on the soap box. It it never ceases to amaze me. I mean, even after the Bud Light thing, even after, you know, the the the continued failure, the failure to cancel Sydney Sweeney, the failure to the the failure by the really extreme progressive movement in America to sort of few things happening. It's this dumbing down of brands, the flattening of society so that the only way to grow your business is to change and make it more appealing to audiences and communities that don't like your brand, you know? And it's it's not about like woke. It's more about like people who you know and like I I'll tell you this like one of the most painful brands that I've ever worked on was like I'm not even going to say it like because I don't want to get in trouble and I would get in trouble like I I sign client confidentialities but what the the the the safe way to say it is every brand has its roots right it has its roots whether like it's it's rooted in a country where it was founded. It's rooted in a founder story. And I've never I've never understood the very reason why people love the brand in the first place is because of those things, right? It's like because of those things and then they move away from it. They they want we don't want to be looked at with those cliches. And it's the cliches and the stereotypes that's the reason why people love you. you know, they choose you because of that, because of where you're made, because of the grit of of the nation you come from or because of the founder who had this point of view. And when they and and so like and I think the problem is is growth. I is is that some brands have hit peak growth, right? So, I'll give you an example. You you could you could sell like, I don't know, like Russian vodka, right? that could be something you sell and you you you've reached this much this many consumers and you think well we need to now get you know people in South America to drink our our brand there's a growth opportunity because nobody there drinks it right but the reason nobody drinks it is because culturally they don't drink vodka they drink tequila doesn't matter what you do and you could try to sacrifice everyone who loves your brand who loves vodka to try to appeal to the people that only want tequila And this is what happens in marketing is you get this weird sort of like demand to always be growing at the sacrifice of who you maybe are as a company, as a culture and as a brand and and that's what I deal with on a weekly basis. And I will say this primarily in my you know in my in in my industry it is a very overly liberal dominated industry right is it is it is this like very elitist artistic point of view where you would you would be shocked how how there is like an almost a not even like a rejection but just a deflection that there are even people in the world that don't think like them, that vote it differently than them, that like chicken fried steak, that like McDonald's when it had a pirate ship and a ball pit, right? They they literally think everybody thinks like them. And that's what is crazy. And I'm very moderate. Like I respect everybody. Like I I think there's some crazy cultural stuff going on and the culture wars. It's what's funny to me is like it's so obvious. It's so obvious what way the world wants to go. You know what I'm saying? 92% of people this this is these are accurate numbers. 92% of people don't believe in woke culture. They don't believe in what what's happening with kids in how they're pushing this agenda out. You know, all of a sudden now all these kids have mental health issues. Why? Because you've introduced them to these issues. You've made them feel like in a period in their lives where they're a little like unsure about everything, which is what the natural thing is to be in adolescence. You've now introduced them to things that are destroying their psyche, damaging their childhood, like removing their ability to have fun. Like it's it's and that's progress. The annihilation of childhood peace of mind, the annihilation of the family unit, the annihilation of anything masculine. That's progress. No. No, it's not. And the good news is this is most people are moderate. Most people are moderate. Most people are socially liberal and fiscally conservative. That's what I am. If you're not like if you're like I don't think anybody like then you're going to be unhappy. The happiness in life you need to aim for that for the middle. The middle is where peace of mind is. It's it's the line and the yin and the yang. like you you should and and and educated people should want to have discourse and understand other people and that's always what kills me in marketing is I often feel like my opinion is immediately discarded and my uh you know my belief system is immediately ignored if I don't immediately come out as being you know that way. Um, and that's just how it is, right? So, and I'm very I I think I'm very smart because I don't I I respect everybody I work with. I respect I I don't get into it. I sit back and laugh when stuff like Cracker Barrel happens, you know, stuff like American Eagle happens because I just think like here we go again. It's like it's like the progressives just can't they don't know how to win and they don't and they never will win and they don't know how to like like just pull it back a little bit.
    76:12
    Um yeah. Yeah. Uh it is the art of common sense. So that's you know why we end up with Cracker Barrel. And that's why like to bring it back to Pinball, right? to bring him back the pinball. Like, it's um I I think what's what's what's crazy to me is that any pinball machine would fail. You know what I'm saying? No way. What are those? You red Hulk. No way. Come here. Come here. Yeah. Yeah. Come here. Show everybody. Yeah. Yeah. Come here. Show everybody. Come here. Hulk smash. Come here. Hold on. Don't hit the mic though. A show them. Ra Hulk smash. Yeah. Smash. Smash. Yeah. Smash. Ra. Yeah. Smash. Ra. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. You can play out here, buddy. I'm just doing my show. Okay. He's a boy. He's a young boy. He's so beautiful. Like he's the way his mind works and he's and you know and like boys develop different than girl. Like it's just crazy to me that I would start talking to him about gender fluidity. You know, I had to throw some books out. I mean it. I had to throw I didn't tell this to Brenda. Like people gave us these books like trying to introduce all these complex like like social issues to like children. Like threw them all threw them all out. I know there's bird poop on the ground. I know there's bird poop on the ground. I'm going to pick it up. But thank you for pointing it out. He likes to point out everything wrong. He's like his dad. He's like, "Hey, what's up?" How are you going to get the brush off How are you going to get the brush off the floor if it sticks to the floor? Well, what I'm going to do is I'm going Well, what I'm going to do is I'm going to get a brush with some soap and clean it like that. Okay. Beautiful day here. Um gang, we are Look, we are almost at the half hour mark. Look, the Cracker Barrel CEO is going to get fired. Like, we all know this, right? Like it's this the funniest part now is waiting for the the CEO to get fired and then to roll it all back. Um and I saw the CMO was like, "This is the Cracker Barrel people asked for. We brought it." Like clearly not. Clearly not. Like
    78:34
    look, I think I'm just going to say this, right? You know me. I don't I think people are happy. No, no, no. Oh,
    78:46
    my final point is this. When kids are going through difficult moments in life, I wouldn't try to change them. Like, they're beautiful for who they are. They're children, you know? Don't try to change them. Put thoughts in their heads. Like, look at these little messes. Like, you guys got to see this. Like, come here. Hold on. Okay. Hold on. Hold on. Don't Don't hit Okay. Hold on. Hold on. Don't Don't hit the wire cuz then it's going to But come here. Come here, little guy. Look at this. Hold on. Hold on. No. No. No. No. What are you doing? No. No. No. No. What are you doing? What? What? Come here. Give me Give me Cass. Give me Cassing. Come here. Hold on. Okay. You want to see? Hold on. Hold on. Here. Here. Well, you got to bring it to Now we got to bring it to the YouTube. Come here. Give me a little guy. Look at this little Messi. Look at this guy. Cassian. Cassie. And Andor the leader of the rebellion. Can you the leader of the rebellion. Can you stand up? [Music]
    79:40
    Oh, we got both of them. All right. Here. Come here. You got to bring them in. Bring them in. You got to bring them in. Bring them in. Oh. Oh, my boys. The the future of pinball podcasting is intact. All right. No, that's okay. Like, get All right. No, that's okay. Like, get them all. They're heavy. They're growing up so They're heavy. They're growing up so big. It's like little marshmallow man. Let's make you an Oh,
    80:04
    I had them both for a week. Oh, do not do do not do Wait, what happened? Am I muted? How? Wait, what happened? Am I muted? How? Hold on. They muted me. They They muted me. H Jack Danger in the house. They muted me. Um, look the look everybody. I wish you could see how beautiful it is here in Roiden, Connecticut today. And I mean this when I say this, like good vibes. Like wake up every day above ground and you made it, man. You made it. Like we're a rock hurling through space at 10,000 miles an hour. Life's too short to hold on to stuff. Is it still muted? I think it's unmuted now. Did I Am I still muted? [Music] I unmuted the mic. I'm back. Look, life's too short. Enjoy your Saturdays. Thank you for being a member of the Canada Club. If you are not a member, please join. If you want to give the gift of Canada to someone, it's available now. You can give the gift of like a year membership uh to people. And you know, I would love that. And I love seeing most of you guys in on the Patreon page. It's still muted. It's not muted for me.
    81:27
    There's no way some people can hear me and some can't. Anyway, everybody, happy Saturday. God bless everybody. Later.
    81:40
    All right, that was fun. Yeah, Yeah, that was fun, right? Yeah. that was fun, right? Yeah. Yeah. Both of them. Yeah. You want to You want to hit me slightly? Softly. Not Not hard. Not hard. Okay. All right, guys. [Music] Uhoh.
    82:03
    [Music] It looks like someone who ordered a a haggus pinball later.