claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.033
Back to the Future confirmed in development, Goonies rumored at Spooky but blocked by Chunk actor, Mario licensing ruled out.
Back to the Future license has been secured by someone in the industry (not yet revealed which manufacturer)
high confidence · Host states: 'Somebody does have Back to the Future, I'm being told.' Claims direct contact with industry licensing people.
Back to the Future licensing costs exceed typical pinball machine build budgets and actor likenesses (Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd) command prohibitive fees
high confidence · Host cites direct conversation with 'people in the industry...responsible for discussing licenses with IP holders' about the 'hellacious price tag' and actor signing costs.
Goonies is being developed, likely by Spooky Pinball, based on voice actor Scott Einz wearing Goonies logo shirt during recent recording session
medium confidence · Host describes Scott Einz voiceover teaser and speculates about skull-and-crossbones Goonies shirt in photo. Acknowledges it's speculation but ties to Spooky Pinball context.
Jeff Cohen (Chunk actor) refuses to sign off on Goonies pinball and is an entertainment lawyer who is 'very difficult to work with'
high confidence · Host cites direct information from company 'pretty close to sealing the deal' on Goonies. States: 'the most recent information that I have is that Jeff Cohen still will refuse.'
Deep Root Pinball had the Goonies license at some point
medium confidence · Host mentions: 'We do know that Deep Root was said to have the Goonies license.' Uses tentative language ('was said to').
Nintendo will not license Super Mario for pinball to third parties; they would only develop a pinball division themselves
high confidence · Host cites licensing industry contact: 'Nintendo has said they're at a point in their company that if they were going to sign off on something like a pinball machine, they would be the ones creating and manufacturing it.'
Stern Pinball made Godzilla and it is 'the greatest game that Stern has ever made'
medium confidence · Host opinion stated as fact for rhetorical effect, acknowledges bias: 'I know this is a little unfair because Godzilla is the greatest game that Stern has ever made.'
“Somebody does have Back to the Future, I'm being told. Now... Back to the Future without any of the cast. I don't know what that means, but someone has wrangled in that dream game license.”
Host (Zach or Dennis) @ ~mid-episode — Confirms Back to the Future is officially in development but raises questions about licensing scope.
“The problem is that when it comes to something as in-depth as arguably a rival game, it's a game. It's, it is in itself, pinball is a game. Very complex. It requires LCD animation integration... Nintendo has said they're at a point in their company that if they were going to sign off on something like a pinball machine, they would be the ones creating and manufacturing it.”
Host (licensing industry contact paraphrased) @ ~late episode — Explains the structural business reason Mario pinball will not be licensed to third parties.
“Jeff Cohen that is impossible to get... He's in the industry, but not as an actor. He is an entertainment lawyer. I've heard he is very, very difficult to work with and a bit of an eccentric fellow. So he doesn't care. He just will not sign off on anything.”
Co-host @ ~mid-episode — Confirms the central blocker for Goonies pinball machine development.
“Godzilla is the greatest game that Stern has ever made... I never had anyone say they were they wished Spooky had won out. It's always been, oh, this game definitely, Stern did this game justice.”
Host @ ~mid-to-late episode — Demonstrates Stern's design superiority and the competitive dynamics between manufacturers.
“The company I was talking to that was pretty close to sealing the deal, and I don't know if Spooky got it, I don't know who... said that they would have a hard time pulling the trigger on it because it wouldn't include Chunk and they can't get Chunk to even really do the game.”
Host @ ~mid-episode — Direct insider information about Goonies licensing negotiation failure.
“It's Bond. It's Bond Cornerstone. Really? And it's because of the launch and the slowness on developing code. The game as it stands could be, and I think it will end up being better respected than it currently is.”
machine_intel: Back to the Future pinball confirmed to be in development by an unnamed manufacturer; licensing includes actor likenesses (Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd) but at prohibitive cost; DeLorean and music rights add to complexity.
high · Host states: 'Somebody does have Back to the Future, I'm being told.' References direct industry contacts discussing licensing negotiations and cost barriers.
rumor_hype: Goonies pinball machine rumored to be in development at Spooky Pinball based on voice actor Scott Einz wearing Goonies merch during recent recording session.
medium · Host observes Scott Einz photo with 'skull and crossbones of the Goonies logo' shirt during voiceover work; acknowledges speculative nature but ties to Spooky context.
regulatory_signal: Jeff Cohen (Chunk actor) refuses to sign Goonies pinball licensing and is an entertainment lawyer with reputation for being difficult to work with, effectively blocking game completion.
high · Host cites company 'pretty close to sealing the deal' that withdrew due to inability to license Chunk; states 'most recent information' confirms Jeff Cohen's refusal.
licensing_signal: Nintendo will not license Super Mario to third-party pinball manufacturers; would only develop pinball in-house as proprietary division if licensing complex interactive games.
high · Host references licensing industry contact: Nintendo stated they would only sign off on pinball if 'they would be the ones creating and manufacturing it.'
industry_signal: Spooky Pinball publicly accused Stern of stealing Godzilla license during negotiations; Stern's version (Godzilla) vastly outperforms competitor expectations, validating manufacturer choice.
mixed(0.55)— Hosts are excited about Back to the Future confirmation but disappointed by licensing barriers; frustrated about Jeff Cohen blocking Goonies; resigned to Mario impossibility. Tone is often sarcastic and joking, masking genuine industry frustration. Overall positive about Stern's design excellence and future prospects, but cautious about unrealistic licensing expectations.
groq_whisper · $0.080
Spooky Pinball publicly accused Stern of stealing the Godzilla license from them during licensing negotiations
high confidence · Host references: 'Spooky was so upset that they were in discussions to try and get Godzilla and then Stern ended up getting the license and they threw Stern out publicly and said that they stole it from us.'
James Bond pinball is rumored/expected based on timing and IP availability
low confidence · Host speculates on Joe Kaminkow's garage mural containing James Bond imagery and references 'we're in the window for content.'
There is a Data East/Sega Michael Jordan pinball machine limited to 23 units, similar to Richie Rich
medium confidence · Host references 'limited 23 units that was made like Richie Rich' but admits personal uncertainty: 'No, I have not. I think there's a couple out there.'
Host discussing Stern's worst recent game @ ~late episode — Reveals current sentiment on Stern's Bond title and code development challenges.
“I think they're going for was like the coins of the treasure chest. I'm like, no, Jeff. And he was like, I wish it was better, but no, dude, it kind of does suck.”
Co-host @ ~mid-episode — Dismissive commentary on older pinball design (coin pusher mechanics) in Goonies context.
“I think JJP just figures out that, hey, the way that we can make the Goonies happen appropriately is not to pay this guy because he gets royalties and he's got enough money. We've got to feed his ego, so he's going to be a co-designer.”
Host @ ~end episode — Satirical but revealing suggestion about how to work around Chunk actor's resistance.
high · Host documents Spooky's public statement: 'they threw Stern out publicly and said that they stole it from us.' Notes Stern's Godzilla received universal praise over hypothetical Spooky version.
design_philosophy: Stern Pinball maintains higher baseline quality across all recent games (John Popadiuk, Jack Danger, Elwin); even 'worst' recent title (Bond) is still competent compared to competitors.
high · Host states: 'Stern, you've got this sort of baseline level of quality and their baseline is higher than everyone else's baseline. That is their core strength.'
personnel_signal: Jack Danger and Elwin are relatively new designers at Stern contributing to increased creative variety in recent Marvel and Thor titles.
medium · Host mentions 'Jack Danger being extremely new' and 'Elwin being relatively new' in context of Stern's design mix with Thor Ragnarok, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy.
market_signal: Back to the Future licensing costs exceed typical pinball budgets; actor likenesses command 'ridiculous price points'; only lead actors (Fox, Lloyd) are truly essential blockers.
high · Host cites industry contact: 'everything...it is a hellacious price tag for this license...blows past any type of building materials...surpass the most ridiculous price points.'
sentiment_shift: Community expectations for iconic IP pinball (Mario, Goonies) being reset downward as licensing realities become public; Stern's design excellence makes it acceptable substitute for any license.
medium · Host argues: 'there are so many good potential licenses. We don't need to get obsessed with not getting our particular one...Stern to have it for a variety of potential reasons.'
business_signal: Stern Bond suffered reputational damage due to slow code development timeline and launch issues, though game is expected to improve with future updates.
medium · Host states: 'It's Bond. It's because of the launch and the slowness on developing code...will end up being better respected than it currently is.'
historical_signal: Sega of Tokyo (separate entity from later Sega) manufactured pinball machines for Japanese market in 1970s; Data East later became part of Sega ownership structure and continued US pinball manufacturing.
high · Host documents: 'Sega had pinball in their history...Sega of Tokyo...made pinball in the 70s for the Japanese market...Separate company...from the one that has continued on as Stern.'