Episode 660: "Haggis Speaks & Weird Al Thoughts"

TL;DR

Kaneda reviews Haggis and Weird Al updates, critiques manufacturing delays, and reflects on boutique pinball failures.

Summary

Key Claims

• Haggis Pinball has moved production focus from Celts to Fathom as of mid-March

  high confidence · Kaneda states 'Celts production has ceased and now they will move on to Fathom manufacturing. But it is mid-March people!'

• Weird Al is the nicest Multimorphic P3 game shown to date

  high confidence · Kaneda: 'Now first and foremost this is the nicest Multimorphic P3 game we've seen now'

• Weird Al features mode-based playfield transformations (deli, diner, surgery game modes)

  high confidence · Kaneda: 'when you go into each new mode, the entire playfield becomes the mode, right? You're in a deli or in a diner. You're like a surgeon'

• The Weird Al topper looks cheap and doesn't justify being limited to LE Avatar package

  medium confidence · Kaneda: 'the topper just looked really cheap...when you saw it in real life I feel like they had to pull the camera away from it...it just looked really really cheap'

• Weird Al corkscrew ramp was ineffective at ~50% of the time during stream gameplay

  medium confidence · Kaneda: 'The game was really tight! People were not making the ramp very often. That corkscrew ramp wasn't really effective at 50% of the time'

• Deep Root Pinball company failed due to poor execution despite having interesting design concepts

  high confidence · Kaneda: 'That company was a joke. They had no idea what they were doing...nobody cares about your ideas. It's how well you execute your ideas that makes all of the difference'

• Kaneda will offer $100 to whichever company (Haggis or Multimorphic) ships their game first

  high confidence · Kaneda: 'I am going to send Black Water $100...If it's Weird Al, I will send Jerry $100...If Haggis Pinball can ship Fathom first, I will send Haggis Pinball $100'

Notable Quotes

• “It's not about whether or not this game is sexy. It's not about whether or not the code is any good. It's about one simple fact. Do you think they can survive this long with this many delays and get four to five games manufactured?”

  Kaneda @ ~3:30 — Core concern about Haggis Pinball's viability given accumulated delays and financial strain

• “Do you get a congratulations when you're a year late on what you promise? No! What I'm gonna say is finally Fathom games are shipping to customers.”

  Kaneda @ ~6:15 — Establishes Kaneda's stance on industry accountability vs. premature praise for delayed deliveries

• “I don't like having to fund American Pinball company operations for eight months, nine months, 10 months before I get my toy.”

  Kaneda @ ~7:00 — Criticizes the practice of pre-funding manufacturers with extended delays before delivery

• “You have to be nuts to want to make a pinball machine. I mean, it's probably easier to make a house than a pinball machine.”

  Kaneda @ ~16:45 — Reflects on the difficulty and risk of pinball manufacturing as a business model

• “The majority of pinball boutique companies have been losers. They've gone out of business. It doesn't matter how big their dreams were, how big their ambitions were. They don't get a passing grade. They failed.”

  Kaneda @ ~20:30 — Unsparing assessment of boutique manufacturer failure rate and rejection of narrative sympathy

• “There were too many people in this community that knew nothing was ever gonna get made there and they didn't say anything. And we welcome those people back into the pinball community with open arms. What does that say about the pinball community?”

  Kaneda @ ~21:15 — Criticism of community willingness to forgive former Deep Root executives without accountability

• “I still to this day do not understand why more people can get on the mic and talk about pinball and pinball companies without being afraid of what the companies are going to think about what they say.”

Entities

Signals

• ?

  supply_chain_signal: Haggis Pinball's extended inactivity prior to mid-March Fathom production shift; Kaneda notes accumulated months with no revenue and shrinking profit margins with each passing day

  high · Kaneda: 'every day that goes by, the margin of profit gets smaller and smaller and smaller' and 'months of inactivity and so many months of no money coming in'

• ?

  product_concern: Weird Al corkscrew ramp showing ~50% failure rate during public stream; questions about whether the game's mechanical design supports playability despite aesthetic appeal

  medium · Kaneda: 'The game was really tight! People were not making the ramp very often. That corkscrew ramp wasn't really effective at 50% of the time'

• ?

  design_innovation: Weird Al's novel approach to rule design where entire playfield theme changes with each mode (deli, diner, surgery game), showcasing Multimorphic P3 platform's dynamic potential

  high · Kaneda: 'when you go into each new mode, the entire playfield becomes the mode, right? You're in a deli or in a diner. You're like a surgeon and you're playing the game of operation'

• ?

  product_concern: Weird Al Avatar Limited Edition topper appears cheaply made in person compared to promotional renders; unlikely to justify LE exclusivity

  medium · Kaneda: 'For some reason the topper just looked really cheap...when you saw it in real life I feel like they had to pull the camera away from it...it just looked really really cheap'

• ?

  business_signal: Kaneda asserts that the majority of pinball boutique companies have failed; uses Deep Root Pinball as cautionary example of poor execution despite ambitious ideas; notes even Jersey Jack needed bailout

Topics

Sentiment

negative(-0.68)— Kaneda expresses frustration with manufacturing delays, skepticism about timely delivery, harsh criticism of failed boutique manufacturers (especially Deep Root), and disappointment with industry accountability standards. While he acknowledges appreciation for game quality (Fathom, Weird Al aesthetics) and community support, the dominant tone is critical, demanding, and pessimistic about the boutique manufacturing ecosystem's viability.