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Jersey Jack Pinball - Toy Story 4: To $12K and Beyond!!

Cary Hardy·video·22m 31s·analyzed·Jun 15, 2022
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.026

TL;DR

Toy Story 4 pinball targets next-gen players but pricing model lacks gameplay justification beyond aesthetics.

Summary

Cary Hardy reviews Jersey Jack Pinball's newly announced Toy Story 4 pinball machine, criticizing the $12,000–$15,000+ price tag as unjustifiable for a game with primarily aesthetic differentiation between tiers. While praising the visual design, full movie assets, and voice talent (Tim Allen, Annie Potts), Hardy expresses concerns about the weak villain choice (Gabby Gabby), the underutilized iPad/LCD playfield element, sound design reminiscent of slot machines, and durability questions around chrome-plated rail work. He speculates this may be Pat Lawler's final game and notes Jersey Jack may be testing market ceiling pricing—particularly targeting next-generation players rather than existing enthusiasts.

Key Claims

  • Toy Story 4 is likely Pat Lawler's last game at Jersey Jack Pinball

    low confidence · Rumor mentioned by Hardy; no official confirmation provided

  • Limited Edition is $12,000; Collector's Edition is $15,000+, with secondary market prices already reaching $17,600

    high confidence · Hardy cites Jersey Jack's website and observed resale listings

  • Collector's Edition differences vs. Limited Edition are purely aesthetic (chrome armor, sparkle playfield, topper, LEDs, custom plaques) with no gameplay changes

    high confidence · Hardy cross-references JJP website and compares tier specifications

  • Jersey Jack learned from Wonka's accessibility issues and deliberately made Toy Story 4 wizard mode easier to reach

    high confidence · Quoted from Joe Katz interview in reveal footage

  • The 10-inch iPad/LCD playfield element is a digital mode that does not enhance gameplay compared to alternative mechanical options

    medium confidence · Hardy's subjective assessment after reviewing footage

  • Chrome-plated rails with powder coating have durability concerns and have been observed chipping on older games

    medium confidence · Hardy's personal observation of similar finishes on existing games

  • Gabby Gabby is a weak villain choice compared to previous Toy Story antagonists (Sid, Emperor Zurg, Stinky Pete, Lotso)

    medium confidence · Hardy's thematic analysis; acknowledges Disney/Pixar license control over character selection

  • Jersey Jack may have discovered the pricing ceiling for premium pinball at $15,000

    low confidence · Hardy's speculation based on pricing trend and lack of gameplay differentiation

Notable Quotes

  • “Do I think that this game is worth twelve thousand dollars? Fuck no. The price tag is ridiculous for what's in this game.”

    Cary Hardy@ 11:59 — Core critical position on pricing justification

  • “If I had to choose between the iPad on my playfield or having another mech, I would choose having another mech every time.”

    Cary Hardy@ 6:39 — Critique of digital integration philosophy in modern pinball design

  • “In my world, designing something in a pinball machine that no one ever sees except for three people is wasted effort and time on our part.”

    Joe Katz (Jersey Jack designer, quoted by Hardy)@ 11:22 — Design philosophy statement explaining wizard mode accessibility rationale

  • “What JJP is doing is they're not targeting most of us. They're targeting the next generation, your children, my children. And they know it.”

    Cary Hardy@ 19:28 — Reframes pricing strategy as generational market targeting rather than exploitation

  • “The ceiling will keep getting higher if you keep bending over by buying at these prices.”

    Cary Hardy@ 12:36 — Warning about market psychology and price escalation feedback loops

  • “I really feel that implementing more digital into pinball is a wrong move.”

    Cary Hardy@ 5:19 — Broader design philosophy critique about digital vs. physical pinball

Entities

Jersey Jack PinballcompanyToy Story 4gamePat LawlerpersonCary HardypersonJoe KatzpersonTim AllenpersonAnnie PottspersonJack WinaripersonJohn Yowseyperson

Signals

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Strong backlash to Toy Story 4 IP choice; players expected broader Toy Story or different franchise; franchise choice viewed as underwhelming

    medium · Hardy: 'No one was asking for Toy Story 4...Part 4 is the worst. It's not that it was bad, it's just that...I enjoyed number four the least'

  • ?

    competitive_signal: Jersey Jack Pinball targeting next-generation players rather than existing enthusiasts; strategic shift away from hardcore collector base toward younger demographics

    medium · Hardy: 'What JJP is doing is they're not targeting most of us. They're targeting the next generation, your children, my children. And they know it.'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Gabby Gabby selected as primary antagonist is thematically weak compared to previous Toy Story villains (Sid, Lotso, Zurg); licensing constraint from Disney/Pixar rather than design choice

    medium · Hardy: 'Gabby Gabby has a tragic backstory...She wasn't an entirely bad person or villain' vs. Toy Story 3's Lotso who 'literally tries to kill all the toys'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Jersey Jack explicitly designed Toy Story 4 wizard mode for accessibility based on Wonka feedback; philosophy states designs invisible to 99% of players are wasted effort

    high · Joe Katz quote: 'In my world, designing something in a pinball machine that no one ever sees except for three people is wasted effort and time'

  • ?

    licensing_signal: Annie Potts voice callouts exclusive to Collector's Edition while Tim Allen included across all tiers; licensing/contractual distinctions implied but unexplained

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.068

0:00
Everyone's been asking for it. Here it is. Jersey Jack Pinball, Disney, Pixar, Toy Story 4, Underglass. What more could you ask for? What the hell are you talking about?
0:18
Who you talking to? what's up guys and welcome back to my channel where i talk and do everything pinball so if that sounds interesting to you then hit that subscribe button down below so toy story 4 gets revealed by jersey jack pinball today and i watch all the footage that they have for us and all i could think about is the fact that I have never seen Toy Story 4. So I took care of that today. I now have knowledge over all four of the Toy Story movies. Now with that being said,
0:57
Part 4 is the worst. It's not that it was bad, it's just that if I had to label which one I liked the best and which one I enjoyed the least, then Part 4 would fall into the category of the least favorite this is why my cold open was what it was because no one was asking for toy story four we were essentially asking for toy story in general that so that could have been one two three or maybe just a toy story world in general so whenever it's revealed to be toy story four come on boogie let's burn this motherfucker down Mmm, instant lash back by a lot of people out there, and now a little bit including myself knowing that I enjoyed number four the least. I mean I will say thankfully they incorporated Key and Peele into a couple of the characters for the movie. I found those two toys to be quite...they made me laugh quite a few times. Well, we're not doing that.
2:13

“They have the same base, same posture, same positioning, everything. You look at the images... You can actually go to Amazon and purchase the entire Toy Story 4 Deluxe Figure Set for $27.”

Cary Hardy@ 7:00 — Highlights low-cost sourcing of playfield toy assets; value-for-money critique

  • “I don't know. There's probably some contract work in there that determines whether or not that should be in collector's editions.”

    Cary Hardy@ 18:22 — Acknowledges IP licensing complexity affecting feature distribution

    • Pixar
    company
    Disneycompany
    Straight Down the Middleorganization
    Wonkagame
    Mirkoperson

    medium · Hardy notes asymmetry: 'Why is it that Annie Potts' callouts are considered to be for collector's edition but not Tim Allen? I don't know. There's probably some contract work in there'

  • ?

    personnel_signal: Pat Lawler rumored to be designing his final game with Toy Story 4

    low · Hardy speculation: 'And rumor has it that this would be Pat Lawler's last game. Can he go out with a bang?'; no official confirmation

  • $

    market_signal: Market pricing may be approaching ceiling; Hardy warns of unsustainable escalation if consumers continue purchasing at premium tiers

    medium · Quote: 'The ceiling will keep getting higher if you keep bending over by buying at these prices'; assessment that LE/CE differentiation lacks gameplay justification

  • $

    market_signal: Jersey Jack Pinball releases Toy Story 4 at $12,000 (LE) and $15,000+ (CE) with secondary market resales already at $17,600; no gameplay differentiation between tiers, only aesthetics

    high · Hardy documents exact pricing from JJP website and observed resale listings; tier comparison shows chrome armor, LED count, topper, plaques, and callouts as sole CE distinctions

  • ?

    product_concern: Chrome-plated rails with powder coating finish show durability vulnerabilities; Hardy observed chipping on similar finishes on older games

    medium · Hardy notes chrome/powder process is 'extra' work and expresses concern about ball impact from Kaboom ramp: 'I've seen them chip on older games'

  • ?

    technology_signal: iPad/LCD playfield integration underutilizes digital potential and conflicts with pinball's core appeal as physical escape from digital saturation

    medium · Hardy: 'I really feel that implementing more digital into pinball is a wrong move' and 'I would choose having another mech every time' over iPad element

    • Oh, no way. Stuff that. Awesome. Go to infinity and my foot! I mean, this movie seemed like a farewell to one of the main characters. And that may be well suited for the game because rumor has it that this would be Pat Lawler's last game. Can he go out with a bang?
    2:33
    Only time will tell. Now, let's first jump into theme integration for a minute. And this is a mixed bag for me. Mainly because I feel that the other three movies had a better enemy. And that was one of the biggest faults of the movie and now the pinball machine because the bad guy isn't really bad. Gabby Gabby has a tragic backstory, honestly, and her storyline ends on a very good note. It actually goes very well, and it ends in a good fashion. She wasn't an entirely bad person or villain. She was just a little creepy, and that was about it. And now you want me to bash her in the face with a steel ball throughout the entirety of my games. any other villain would have been better on toy story one you had sid the psychotic kid that was blowing up toys obviously not a good person would much prefer to smack him toy story two you had that uh collector antique repair guy but even still you could have had emperor zerg as the enemy or um stinky pete was the farmer guy yeah that played by uh the praiser dude i forgot his name uh anyways but he was a bad guy so you could have had him from toy story 2 as well and then you had toy story 3 with this motherfucker where's your kid now sheriff he literally tries to kill all the toys if you had no emotions at that scene of toy story 3 then something is mentally wrong with you and chances are you're probably ordering a collector's edition back to bad guys but they choose gabby gabby over the ventriloquist dummies benson now granted this was a choice made by Disney Pixar. So in the end, it is what it is. They made the license holder happy per their request. That is who they believed they were fine with getting bashed with a ball. So like I said, it is what it is on that, but I feel like Benson the Metriloquist Dummies popping up on the play field kind of like reminiscent to a Medieval Madness and the Trolls feel would have been better. I like the Kaboom ramp shot that goes up to the upper level deck area, but the pop-uppers, I thought that was pretty cool. Made me think of No Good Gophers. I don't know how I feel about that 10-inch display, tablet, iPad, whatever you want to call it, that is underneath the glass. Again, that's a mixed bag for me because I really feel that implementing more digital into pinball is a wrong move. I honestly feel that we live in a digital world and so that moment that we take ourselves away from a screen and focus on the ability to control something physical and mechanical
    5:48
    is a little bit of a refreshing you know mind state for me it's just something different because of the nature of the world we live in today. Instead, we are given a pinball machine, an expensive one at that, and inside this expensive pinball machine, it gives us the ability to play digital pinball. Yes, it's considered only one of the video modes, and it might be cool, it might be fun, but as of right now, it just does not interest me. But I do like how the fact when you're playing it on that screen, the remainder of the game is reacting light show wise to what you're doing inside the little iPad. So that's kind of cool. I think it'll look better in person when it comes to that. But if I had to choose between the iPad on my play field or having another mech, I would choose having another mech every time. They have toys scattered across the play field and that's pretty nice. But what if one of these toys gets damaged with a flying ball or something like that? What are you going to do? I'll let you know what you can do. You can actually go to Amazon and purchase the entire Toy Story 4 Deluxe Figure Set for $27.
    7:11
    I'm not kidding, guys. This is the exact set. You look at the images, they have the same base, same posture, same positioning, everything. thing. But you know, when you buy in bulk, it's even cheaper. When it comes to music and sound, I don't care for most of it. It's very reminiscent to like slot machines and coin pushers that you can typically play and hear at the family centers that may be around you, like the little entertainment places. My wife plays the coin pushers a lot. So certain sounds I hear and it immediately makes me think of that. So while Wonka was going was a good example of that and now with Toy Story it's the same thing. The pop bumpers I like the sound effects for those. The spinner on the inner loop is god-awful. I mean how often do you hear someone say you know what I really like to hear repeatedly is a small little bell. That's what I like to hear a lot.
    8:18
    see what i mean when it comes to animations these look good guys uh i didn't see anything that i didn't like they've got full movie assets so i think that's going to be a big plus for this game when it comes to the art play field and cabinet it's all toy story it looks like toy story if it wasn't done by disney pixar themselves then uh color me surprised because it looks like toy story It's congruent to the theme, so no complaints there. When it comes to the gameplay, it looks like it's going to be fun. I was able to watch it, but I couldn't watch it in its entirety a lot. I had to watch it in segments, mainly due to the audio for it. The game sounds are not nice to me. That's just me, my personal preference on that. but when it comes to the shot layout, I like it because it's not your typical fan layout. You've got the upper flipper right there that can only be made that one particular shot with that flipper. And just going by memory, I cannot recall if that's the only shot that flipper can do. I'd have to look at it again, but the fact that it's, you know, not a typical layout does interest me. Now when it comes to rules and code, I could go into a deep discussion about that, but let's let Joe Katz give you the lowdown on how those work.
    10:07
    And there I am, landing in the inner voice software, making additional progress. And there it is, collecting jazz. And there I am, collecting jazz.
    10:23
    It was a lot of fun making this game, and I'm really excited for you to play it. Gabby Gabby. It makes perfect sense. Did you get all that?
    10:32
    Tell you what. here are the rules on their banner right here there that makes sense clear as mud jokes aside this was part of my issue with wonka is that you no longer have the whole shoot for what is lit because it seems like everything is fucking lit so it's a matter of what do i shoot for what do I do? I mean it may be easier in person when I'm actually in front of it to figure out the game. But as it stands, I don't know. But they say that they have made the wizard mode easier to access And by the way we made that wizard mode substantially easier than some of our last games so that the average people in the world will eventually get to see it And we did that by design. In my world, designing something in a pinball machine that no one ever sees except for three people is wasted effort and time on our part. Now, why did he say that? Well, because they learned their lesson, hopefully, with Waka, because after the community started to complain about how a majority of people were not able to get all the golden tickets they eventually came out with a 2.0 code to make the game easier so as of right now when it comes to the code it's up in the air but hopefully they learn from their waka experience okay that's the game pretty much so let's get down to the nitty and gritty do i think that this game is worth twelve thousand dollars fuck no the price tag is ridiculous for what's in this game could it be the license fee maybe could it be more than beatles though doubt it i mean since covid you know you have your part shortages and even labor shortages maybe that's configured into it possibly or they are really trying to see where the ceiling is at with you guys and the ceiling will keep getting higher if you keep bending over by buying at these prices i know i'm probably sounding mean and you can do whatever you want with your money i'm just not seeing where the money is going in this particular title i mean 12 000 is for the limited edition the collector's edition is $15,000 plus. And I say plus because I'm already seeing people trying to sell their spots for six grand, one person, but still it's there. I'm seeing one for $17,600. I think that's what that one is. But yeah, so, and the prices may go up depending on what the market is. If a lot of you out there change their minds on their collector's editions, then the market will adjust. So what all do you get with the collector's edition versus the limited edition? And the funny thing is, this is where it does get a little funny, because on Jersey Jack's website, they don't have a trim matrix like Stern usually has, where it shows you side-by-side in comparison of what you're getting on this title versus this title. And if they do have it, it's not easily accessible as it is for Stern, guys. So if you want to share with me, it's right here, dumbass. okay fine my bad but it's not easily accessible so going side by side this is what is actually different between the two trim models they and the thing is they list off everything in the game to make it seem like you know you're getting a lot in the game but it's just stuff that's in the game i don't know i digress but here it is i got a list right here in here we go carnival red powder chrome armor now the le is just a standard powder coating of the blue but this is a chrome armored with the red powder so if this is what i believe it to be this is an extra process guys because first they have to have all metal portions chromed then they have to shoot it with a red clear that gives it that nice it's a very pretty look i'm not going to deny it it's just a little bit of extra is involved in this whole process but i'm hoping that it can withstand what is coming its way because i have seen games with this type of chrome plating with the the powder on of the chrome powder or the not chrome powder but that clear powder over the rails mainly on the wire forms i've seen them chip on older games so there may be a new standard or new procedure on what they're doing I'm just saying I've seen it and it's not pretty I can only imagine what a ball launching off that kaboom ramp hitting that wire form that goes across the playfield what might happen if it can take a hit and keep on going that is great but just something to think about individually numbered CE plaque limited to 1000 units. Okay. Pixar Luxo Ball Shooter Knob. Okay. Exclusive playfield artwork with sparkle accents and may I remind you guys, this is Mirko. So you're already going to be rolling the dice. And we have yet to get a hard confirmed announcement stating that the issue issues have been resolved. Hey there pinball fans. I'm Richard. Not right now. Radcal Cabinet Art Package by John Yowsey. So, I've seen good installs for Radcals, and I've seen bad installs. But, not done by manufacturers. So, I would like to say that the Radcals are probably going to look pretty good. Mirrored Backglass and Art Blades. Alright. Fiber Optic Fireworks Topper with Flying Duke Kaboom Mech. Okay. So aside from the Flying Duke Kaboom mech, the fiber optic fireworks, don't let those fancy words, they're not even fancy, but don't let that try to persuade you in thinking that ooh fiber optic no guys this stuff been around for years My grandma even had like a fiber optic little lamp i show you right here but it nothing really special it gives a nice little effect for the fireworks they're going for so i will give them that but i think the main difference in the tier models is obviously you're getting the topper with the collectors and you're not going to be getting one with the limited edition 450 plus individually controlled rgb leds with under cabinet lighting what does it mean 450 plus i mean do they honestly not know how many rgb leds are in the game once they hit 450 and they saw that there was more they were just like fuck it 450 plus signature card signed by pat lawler and jack winari laser etched rule card additional custom speech by Annie Potts. Now, this is another one of those cases where I'm like, really? You're gonna, basically, they're not adding this. They are more than likely taking it away from the game on the limited edition, guys. This is merely megabytes of data for callouts in a callouts folder that they are taking away from you on your limited edition for this collector's edition.
    18:13
    And why is it that Annie Potts' callouts are considered to be for collector's edition but not Tim Allen?
    18:22
    I don't know. There's probably some contract work in there that determines whether or not that should be in collector's editions. I don't know. I feel like if Tim Allen and Annie Potts' call-outs were only on the collector's edition,
    18:36
    then I'd be like, oh, damn. That'd be much more reason to go for the collector's edition. But even then, they're just call-outs. I mean, I say that, but there are some games where the call-outs are a make or break.
    18:51
    I don't think it'd be a make or break for this game. But going over this list, in comparison to JJP's predecessor games, this game has no gameplay differences.
    19:05
    I mean, all of these items are pretty much aesthetics except for the callouts, but that doesn't change the way you play the game. So if you think that all that I listed is worth the extra thousands of dollars, then go ahead. I mean, I just have a feeling that Jersey Jack Pinball may have just found the ceiling. What JJP is doing is they're not targeting most of us. They're targeting the next generation, your children, my children. And they know it. They want this game to light a passion inside of them that draws them into the hobby. and this game may be just the one to do it. I mean, this is a huge theme that is universally known, but not every new game that gets released by a manufacturer can, nor should it be, of interest to everyone. So as harsh as it may seem I am being towards Jersey Jack Pinball, my hat goes off to them. for trying to bring in the next generation into the pinball hobby. I also appreciate them releasing gameplay video merely minutes, if not an hour, after launching. That's something you do not typically see when a manufacturer launches a game. You don't see gameplay until sometimes days or even weeks afterwards. So the fact that they have full movie assets, custom callouts with Tim Allen and Annie Potts, I mean, definitely shows me that they are trying to bring us the best they can for this particular theme. I mean, if you don't have the means to buy this game, then I do strongly recommend that you bring your children to a location near you that has the game to play it. to see if in fact this game does light something inside of them to draw their interest more into what we as pinball enthusiasts are interested in some of the footage used in this video is taken from the featurette that straight down the middle did today and if you have not seen this video i will put a link in the video description down below i highly recommend you watch it the quality is amazing. It gives you a lot more insight and information about this game. So you've heard my thoughts and feelings on the Toy Story 4 Pinball Machine. What are yours? I'd like to know what you think about the game. Good? Bad? Price too high? Have we met the ceiling yet? A special thank you to all my Patreon supporters out there, and if you would like to join the club then by all means I have links in the description down below. Give me the usual thumbs up, subscribe button, ding my dong, and until next time guys, peace out.