SDTM 2024 year-end review awards Jaws best game; discusses industry failures and licensing struggles.
Summary
Greg Bone and Zach Menny review 2024 pinball releases, awarding best and worst games across categories like theme, rules, and player appeal. Jaws dominates as best seller and player's game, while Barry's Barbecue Challenge and other releases receive criticism. The hosts discuss industry challenges including Haggis Pinball's liquidation, licensing decisions, and community sentiment shifts around controversial games like John Wick.
Key Claims
Jaws was the best-selling game collectively across Pro, Premium, and all models through Flippin' Out Pinball in 2024, out of any title still being manufactured
high confidence · Greg Bone stating sales data from Flippin' Out Pinball distributor
Barrels of Fun's Labyrinth sold more units than any single model variant of Jaws
high confidence · Greg Bone comparing sales figures across manufacturers
John Wick pinball machine was not a hot seller upon release
medium confidence · Zach Menny's subjective assessment of market reception
Haggis Pinball went into liquidation in August 2024, causing customers who bought direct to lose money
high confidence · Greg Bone confirming liquidation event and customer losses
Stern Pinball returned to three cornerstones in 2024 after previously doing two cornerstones
medium confidence · Hosts discussing Stern's release strategy shift
Greg Ferris retired as head of Stern art department mid-2024
high confidence · Hosts explicitly stating his retirement from the position
Godzilla 70th Anniversary Premium Edition was released in July 2024 with Shane Black and Dick White art variant, and was retired/sold out by end of year
high confidence · Greg Bone confirming release, artwork style, and sell-out status
Spooky Pinball's Scooby-Doo interactive topper accessory was priced at $999
high confidence · Greg Bone stating the retail price
Notable Quotes
“I still think that just, I know the shark debacle, but like still hitting that boat, it's a lot harder to hit than the Pro to do that. Like I love that.”
“There's not even a second place that's close to it, because the one thing that sets it apart is the way the rules open up as you play.”
Greg Bone@ 6:46 — Establishing Jaws' superiority in 2024 game design and rules complexity
“I don't know what the hell they were doing. I don't know what the hell they were doing, Greg. So I, I mean, I agree. I don't think that you could have honestly done any worse.”
“A barbecue joint? Because barbecue joints are known for being quick. Yes. Like, it's not like they're grilling a steak where you want somebody to stick around.”
“I don't know many people were calling for a John Wick pinball machine... I think that it kind of missed its market. Maybe should have been done a few years earlier.”
Zach Menny@ 18:44 — Assessing licensing timing and market relevance issues with John Wick
“And I hate to say this, but the gun issue came out, and it really like, it just made no sense, because there were so many people getting so mad about it that they weren't going to buy it for that reason, and I'm like, 'That has no bearing!'”
business_signal: Haggis Pinball entered liquidation in August 2024, causing significant financial losses for direct customers and dealers
high · Greg Bone: 'Haggis Pinball goes into liquidation...a lot of people lost money...a lot of those a lot of people that bought direct lost money...that's horrible...another damn stain on the industry'
~
sentiment_shift: John Wick pinball community backlash over gun imagery was perceived as overblown and psychologically driven by pre-existing purchase resistance
medium · Zach Menny: 'from a psychological perspective, people subconsciously rationalize and they find different reasons because they weren't going to buy it anyway'
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community_signal: Flippin' Out Pinball distributor protected all customers from Haggis Pinball liquidation losses despite significant personal financial impact
high · Greg Bone: 'our customers didn't lose one penny...not one...we even refunded some of customers for playfield issues'
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product_concern: American Pinball's Barry's Barbecue Challenge represents fundamental misunderstanding of venue placement strategy and market appeal
high · Greg Bone criticizing barbecue venue choice: 'You picked the toughest one. A barbecue joint? Because barbecue joints are known for being quick'
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design_philosophy: Jaws exemplifies preferred ruleset design philosophy where games start slow but progressively compound and open up through mode progression
medium · Zach Menny: 'once you start it rolling...it just compounds so fast and just explodes. Like, that's what I love...that's a reward for playing very well'
Topics
2024 game releases and quality assessmentprimaryPinball manufacturer business failures and industry stabilityprimaryJaws as landmark 2024 release and market successprimaryCommunity sentiment and controversy around specific game releasesprimaryLicensing strategy and IP theme selection challengessecondarySecondary market value retention and collector economicssecondaryVenue placement strategy and operator marketsecondaryManufacturer artist/design personnel changesmentioned
Sentiment
mixed(0.55)— Hosts express genuine enthusiasm for successful releases like Jaws and praise for Spooky's quality, but significant frustration and negativity regarding American Pinball's Barry's Barbecue Challenge, community drama around John Wick, and especially the Haggis Pinball collapse. Emotional impact of financial losses tempers otherwise industry-optimistic tone.
Transcript
youtube_auto_sub · $0.000
let's kick this [Music] [ __ ] straight down the middle back in Action Greg bone Zack Minn uh Mr bone what are we doing uh this year year end review you so you go year end review rather than a year end review I guess I don't know what whatever's proper we had a lot of stuff happen in 2024 2023 was good I think 2024 was better yeah I like 202 did you had a lot of changes in your life man oh yeah Chang we're going to jump right into it and then as we're doing this Greg uh we're also going to award some of these games best of oh or maybe worst of watch yourself now we could jump into January we could do that but there was still like in December spooky pinball came out with uh Looney Tunes and Texas Chainsaw Mas and we talked about those on our last year uh in review but we didn't get to you know characteriz them with like best we didn't get to put our hands on it we put our hands on it but we didn't really put our hands on it you know agre which one you like better oo not that this is a this or that I still think I go with with with TCM do you yeah just theme like I love Loney Tunes as like a kid like growing up Saturday morning cartoon stuff but like it never like stayed with me like resonated like I never really cared that much so just just from a a theme standpoint like I still going with TCM yeah and the reason we're bringing it up because we do we're going to give each one of these games an award from straight down the middle yeah yeah yeah now uh one of them is is Looney Tunes and that would be best call outs it is good call outs not a lot of not a lot of standout call outs uh this year uh the 2024 yeah so this one they had uh the specialized call outs from the person who does [Music] and then spooky has been become very known for this in the industry almost surpassing the likes of the big dogs like Jersey Jack pinball or Stern Pinball and that is best Dem integration on Texas chainsa massacre it's very very true I mean you really think about what they've done I mean they've kind of always been there but now they just keep pushing and they keep keep loading it all down yeah yeah that's one thing nobody can say about anything that they do is that they do not hit that on the head but I just think they resonate with the themes too like they look into the themes pass and they don't do the themes that they don't want to do that's why they do you know something because somebody might be like oh really Looney to and Texas chains like what but it's because they're passion and they know that they can bring something to it because they they bring they they bring that feel of that film well you can tell the theme integration came with TCM text chainsa Mas more so than Looney Tunes cuz it feels like the toys they built were for TCN yes but they did a good transition going over like Marvin ship everything they did good I mean I'm just saying I'm just like coming I'm I know I know what you mean how much more integration can you get Greg when you have an actual meat grinder that's disgusting the maniacal uh leather face spinning around you've got the Cellar Door that slams open and Clos you've got hooks that you hang the ball up on you've got a freezer that the chick pops out of well that's what I loved about like when you when you edited that piece together when we did that promo video like it was just so solid cuz that that's what I our favorite thing about like what we do with those videos is we literally showc like we we you know Apples to Apples on like we're showing like that that integration we're showing you exactly what those mechs correspond with in the the movie or a TV show or so forth we highlight what spooky great at yeah and it was all of that which just makes you resonate and you already got a feel coming into the game of just how integrated this is like oh and it's just it's like disgustingly beautiful yeah so the art and stuff is kind of hideous this is a dark it's just a dark movie like like I think some people that haven't really watched it but they're just familiar with it don't understand you know the 70s Vibe and the creepiness of that film the rules are integrated well uh it's just very and we'll talk about other games like Uncanny X-Men Jaws really good theme Integrations there even Avatar some theme integration but uh now I think Tex chainsaw Mas Takes the Cake so let's jump right into 2024 January comes along and one of the bestselling games that Stern has seen a long time comes out it's a Keith L1 game it's Jaws yes it's Jaws did you uh what do you think about Jaws I like Jaws you got one on location right yes I got one on location I had a Prem I got a pro on location I had a premium at home bought at the same well not the same time the same time um and stuff and I I like I the pro is good it's lwin it's got good shots it's got everything rules are good but man you really need that premium to experience it like I and I don't say that very often people that are familiar with the show really I don't man I still think that just I I know the the the shark debacle but like still hitting that boat it's a lot harder to hit than the pro to do that like I love that um and I love the Sharks still coming out of there and that upper play field just the shot it feels good you get stuck up there it does yes it just feels good still quick but it adds so much to that game and it doesn't make it look so baren like to me that that premium is is the way to go and you know the code team has really come along yeah Elizabeth gave that thing a really good solid base and then they they they've just technically probably haven't even finished it that's like 98 maybe so still got a little bit but man it's loaded with wizard modes it's even got the 8bit mode like the little challenge mode where you eat you're the shark and you eat all the the people oh dude it's God Al good I enjoy it yeah and we'll talk a lot we'll talk more about this for a specific reason but Awards wise this thing's this thing's running home with a lot of things as Keith elwin games often do uh for example best theme yeah is there a better theme in 2024 there's not it's JW collectors have been waiting years yes since we've been in pinball yes it was always the one of that that strongly rumored every year it's sort of like the Back to the Future what back to the future is now to where it's just like year after year after year at least they got a shitty Back to the Future there was never shitty Jaws there's nothing I mean how many Jurassic Parks is there been how many Star Wars this is summer blockbuster jaws has gotten nothing so when it came out and then with arguably the best design abolutely it was best rules you talked about it it deserves best rules and again as we're thinking about the games that have come out this year we'll discuss them all here but there's nothing close to like no there's not even a second place that's close to because the one thing that sets it apart like I I think you you have to look at things like I've learned that I really like games that really start to open up when you start to play them so that's when you really start rolling you know what I'm saying it's like a snowb mod mode mode different areas yes that's because like when you have the rescue and you've got all the rescue multiball you got all these things because you're closing the beaches and you're doing all this stuff like on top of your Mo that sounds simple but once you start building all that you start open then you start selling gear and everything else that you collected teeth yes like for the store you're tying the knots so once you really start going it just stuff starts opening up everywhere so where it's like a slow effect you're going through your modes but then once you start hitting it just it it compounds so fast and just explodes like that's what I love because that's a reward I played very well and now I just like with exhilaration and opening all these great things that's what I love about Deadpool like I don't think a lot of people look up Deadpool like that but once you start it rolling you know with me suit multiball and you're getting all these different things in there it's so good and that's what that's what that game excels at yeah it almost checks every box and because of that with the rules and and the depth of all of that we give this also what we're calling the best players player it's a players game this Joel you're talking comp people or anything like that this year if they're going to pick anything it's Jaws yeah you see it in competition play uh and but it's very friendly to walk up to it's very approachable the layout is just good balancing is good pinball players players they love Jaws more than any of the new games this year it's a good combination for everybody we also had to give them uh over there at Stern Pinball an award for Jaws being the best seller yeah we sold a lot of Jaws pinball machines really oh my gosh yeah I mean I knew a lot out of out of and crazy enough out of any title that's even still being made not even just new 2024 games any title that's still being manufactured today Jaws collectively through the pro premium and Le models collectively was the best seller uh in flipping out pinballs uh yeah nice so that's huge now I will say there is one title that actually sold more and it's not even a Stern if we're just looking at if we separate Joel's Pro Prem and Le there is a game that sold more than any of those models of Jaws any guess as to what that might have been are you asking me yeah didn't come out this year um Labyrinth Labyrinth is correct we sold more barrels of fun Labyrinth than any single model game last year that's huge yeah really is we don't talk a lot about they didn't have a game this year barrels are fun uh I cannot wait until we see what's coming up from them Butz they've been solid oh my gosh they've been solid for especially for a new company first game very solid for a new company the value you get with that thing don't sleep on barrels y'all no and don't sleep on Labyrinth damn you still that game kicks your ass doesn't it I just don't play very much kick your ass he can't he he can't complete the modes I like it okay oh the modes are great like they they're very smart on the modes I love those I just don't it never resonated with me with the Labyrinth that's you all right 12 years Stern pimble also in January said you know what we're going to go back to the three cornerstones y because prior they were just doing like two cornerstones stuff so we did see three cornerstones in 2024 yes later oh then there was the shark no ball controversy which I still I mean I I understand it but it still wasn't like a deal breaker it's really weird I know I know I I I think we've discussed that before last year it was what it was we had that but still still the best all right yeah January spooky pinball launched their first accessory topper with scoobydoo that interactive LCD bookcase we did the official launch trailer on that thing that's a good topper that was a good topper it really is I was surprised that they offered an accessory topper just because they're known for providing free Toppers with their games yeah but when you go above and beyond you know it's it's always nice to have the you know the the the 3D plastic steps you know for top cuz everybody wants a Topper it's awesome what they do cuz nobody else really does and if you're really collec them you want yes but if you want exactly and it's such a standout game like to add something that's so that's three-dimensional and that that just interacts and does what that topper does it it just adds to all other toys yeah it's cool like you need it like I'm glad they're doing that and it was ,000 I think that's freaking insane it's right great price the market with great price well I mean for in Topper World it's good price toer world what happened to you what happened to you man I love Toppers now I know I'm saying you love toppers ,000 for Toppers a good price I don't even know you anymore cuz I'm working for flipping I don't know you I oh and then February we got what we're going to award not the best surprise the worst surprise uh that is when we all got an email from haggus pinball yeah and basically said uh we don't know if this is going to work they talked about restructuring yeah and and for those of you who don't know hangers pinball was the one that did uh they did Kelts that nobody bought and then they did fathom Revisited the mermaid which people loved um and then they couldn't end up making all of them they were slow all of our customers got ours at flipping out but they were slow and then Centaur they announced so we thought centaur was coming out and we'll talk about later what happened but that was the worst surprise easily seeing uhoh uh oh shit's hitting the fan also in February multimorphic announced for their P3 system The Princess Bride now you do you like The Princess Bride film I'm okay I mean yeah it's not didn't I know people love it yeah it's just one of those things I know that such a super cult classic for people and that people just love that movie I just like I'm like you like I just never grew up that being yeah I did too but it just never was my I don't know why I don't know why that I just never fell in love with it like it but just never people feel like way about The Goonies and I'm like what d That's My like dream but yeah the princess Bri so they came out with that people seem to like I still don't hear much about it though no ever since the very initial played it it's cool it's solid but I haven't heard much either and then March comes American pinball says we're announcing a game it's been forever since theyve announced a game gtf was their last game gtf Galactic tank force and then they came out oh this is a doozy Greg it was a game themed around barbecue yeah and supposed to be hot rods but we didn't really see the hot rods but barbecue Challenge and then it was themed around the late Barry aler yeah who was a legendary designer who passed away so it was his last designed game so but all in all it was Barry O's barbecue challenge yeah what are we saying about that I don't know what do you want we got some awards for for the barbecue challenge un Ely they're not good ones so here's you know let's just be real like I don't know what the [ __ ] they were doing I don't know what they were doing Greg so I I mean I agree I I I don't think that you could have honestly got any worse um I I really don't and I think it's their fault yeah I I don't know shouldn't have got past a a sketch space no it shouldn't have got past a [ __ ] thought you ever have those [ __ ] thoughts where you sitting on the [ __ ] and you're like I wonder if that would work and and you know I I don't know the thought process the thought process was like you know we got these things like maybe we put them in barbecue joints Across America so that was a thought process but that should have been stopped and said no that ain't but but it's a very small thing it's already so hard being starting and operating myself like it's just very hard to find a a space that can accommodate pinball machines to begin with and then convince somebody that they're a good idea is a very tough thing to do so to just feel if that was the case just the feel that you can just oh my gosh this is going to be great we can put this in there barbecue establishment is going to buy you picked the toughest one a barbecue joint because barbecue joints are known for being pretty quick yes like it's not like they're grilling a steak like you want somebody to stick around yes this ain't a pizza place where you're waiting for a pie to be made this ain't and and I'm in a barbecue that's what I'm saying you picked one of the toughest places you made it work yes but even at that but I also didn't buy a barbecue challenge because it's still barbecue Challenge and it's Barry o barbecue challenge because anybody that walks up and they see stranger things or they see jws or they see something else kids adult the people are going to go to that you know what I'm saying like pinball people will play it for a while because they're curious about it you might get some other coin drop but it's I don't know it's a Miss but I heard it shoots good I heard I heard Barry did good I heard it it shoots good there not nothing wrong with it you should you should play it you should play it but we love and respect the late Barry asler I mean aming I'm obsessed with a lot of his games even popy Barry told me and you're like no I love popy was great but uh yeah not pinball or not barbecue challenge uh we're going to give it an award for worst theme yeah the theme is just the theme yeah it's unacceptable like it gets to the I'm sorry it gets to the point of being an unacceptable theme for pinball if you're trying to make money if you're trying to piss away money that's fine or if you're trying to make 10 units to something okay yeah it just wasn't going to work I don't know why they thought it would also worst animation that's tongue and cheap really because I was more grossed out watching barbecue challenge Greg the animations than Texas Chainsaw masacre not even lying because you've got squirty juicy meat that's what they put on the on the LCD screen I don't know dude so bad it is what it is yeah we're being real it's just that's bad bad decision American Pall you know better you're a good company April rolls along long pinball Brothers our friends over pinball Brothers they announced what I think for the states I'm trying not to be negative here but another bad idea it was a pinball machine based around the European being Abba yeah Mama me yeah I mean it's so okay people like Abba but it's again it's another one of those things that just I mean it's it's Abba I mean take a chance on me I still feel like it's so Niche yeah like it's just so Queen yeah I mean dancing Queen's great songs I I'm fine with some of the music yeah it's nothing wrong with music but it's still it's just Abba like how many people are that big of ABBA fans that are going to spend again you just you've eliminated so much of your Market yeah like why the toy was cool in it the helicopter ball save thing that was cool and it's not a bad shooter no and the rules aren't horrible I'm telling you it's not not a bad game but it's still just but if you want a lot of people buying it yeah from from a yes a decision I guess European again yes yes but your primary Market is the states that's who buys spinball machines uh toer not much to say about that continuing down this lucky streak here Dutch pinball in April announced that they were going to have a boutique company called DPX Dutch pinball exclusive I believe um so more to come there may rolls around 2024 Stern pimble announces John Wick o Keanu what do you think about John Wick it came out and people weren't it wasn't a hot seller so I've got a lot to say about that actually not a lot but I'll make it brief so here's the thing I I I don't know many people were calling for a John Wick pinball machine I don't know like it's nice that it was somewhat of a relevant license but then it really wasn't a relevant license because the fourth movie kind of sucks it's still ke re but it's still bad ass shoo him up so I can see and I know that games take time to progress and everything um but I think that it it kind of missed its Market maybe should have been done a few years earlier still think it's a cool them like you said I think it's a beautiful game I love the way it shoots some people get mad about it I love the gamean I like the code structure like I like John Wick quite first time designer yes I I love it like like really I do um the thing that that really pissed me off about it oh God something made you mad is like it's the community like I oh God like and I hate to say this well because the gun the gun [ __ ] came out and and it really like it just it made no sense because there were so many people getting so mad about it that they weren't going to buy it for that reason and I'm like that has no bearing like I don't I don't even pay attention to it like I don't care yeah but that was that was often times from a psychological perspective people subconsciously they rationalize and they find different reasons because they weren't going to buy it anyway so people are projecting on but I also think that people that are on the fence about it or want to buy it it gets them hyped up like we're we we are in that age in pinball to where that people can very easily get riled up and get hyped up and it spreads like a wildfire 2024 was in ction year as well yes it it's that same amped up motivation so like I just I I I hate and we're gun people yeah oh yeah yeah but I'm not mad at it like like I I understand I thought it was a little overblown yeah yes that that's my entire point to not buy a game because of it you weren't making a St you wer the video clips had uh guns and everything but you wanted you want to get in the many as many houses as you can yeah and it it did kind of stunt the uh people's opportunity to really engage with that game I do I I think so and it just made me mad because I I think if I would have dislike the game I wouldn't feel so passionate about that but I like the game I do too I own one yeah so like I I it still has a ways to go though that's the problem like we talk about this you've got to secure those check marks as much as you can at launch because going back up that hill and fighting back up look at Elton John yes like you can do it but it's not not as easy to get back up that hill with sales and popularity after you've come out of the gate not check not a 2024 game but Venom had that same thing Venom was it was in a worst thing let's not go through your rant about venom venom I know you to so that was John Wick and the gun traversy of all of them yeah May padr gaming yeah kind of like an it's kind of confusing padr gaming is different than pinball Brothers but they're all part of Euro pinball court right yeah but padr gaming secures the licensing Bal Williams licensing uh with planetary pinball so moving forward they're going to be doing some remake stuff cgc is kind of slow so they said we can manufacture we'll make some and then they come out with uh they announced funh house remake yes oh funh house remake do we need a remake of funh house no a lot of people buy funh housee it's a classic lot of people like it but when you change it up well they yeah you could buy the original that didn't have any change really to it auto plunger which is nice to have in some LED lights uh and then they did 2.0 Le beautiful game it a pretty game uh but they added modes and stuff I prefer it because I'm not a big funh housee guy no and I agree I'm not big on but I love Rudy's nightmare I love that whole theme like I I've loved that ever since they came out with the kit like I I I just I don't know I but I like horror stuff I love all that so like I just and it's just a beautiful game yeah to me it was just it was a good release but nothing that's just going to be a top three kind of thing oh no I'm interested to see what they next if this is what they're going to do maybe they're just getting their feet wet a little bit Yeah cuz I would I would like to see some change up like I would like that classic maybe and then continue to do like an alternate art package that adds a little flare and people will be a little more apprehensive on the secondary Market to buy stuff if they know new versions are going to come out now we have two companies doing remakes uhoh mhm you know I've always wanted a theater magic like a restored one M but I'm like yeah you got to be careful you know and then July Stern announces Godzilla's 70th Anniversary we told the people yeah and we even said black and white yeah and it it happened and and I mean I I I but they did the premium yeah they learned from the blood red kiss Le stuff and they were like okay this is just a premium it looked like it was supposed to be an Le but it was a premium and I personally I think as a ballsy decision like I thought that it was very I don't know and maybe a lot of people wouldn't think so that it was kind of a a risky thing to do especially a game that was already a hot seller and I was already out but I mean we've sold the hell out of this people love the black and white like I've got people that calling like man I don't know which one to get do I get the black and white or do I get the color I really love that black and white black and White's just not my I love the alvir but good to the black and White's just not my cup of tea it really wasn't that I mean I don't know I probably would have switched if it wasn't for all the mods I have on mine yeah on my colored version people eating it up man they love it so like and they've retired like it's it was just for 2024 so those sold out they're sold out I think that's a very smart move I like those things I know from the Die Hard collectors they might get frustrated they have an Ellie and then different version comes out they might prefer but I don't know I'm just not a big like we've talked about I'm not a big collector for collector sake I like nice stuff and and different things like that I want the nicest version of something but I don't care if something has 500 units or like 50 like it just doesn't I don't care and it would be different if things held their value a little bit more in this industry and was like you know like if you bought a a 12 $113,000 game $133,000 game and then that game was almost guaranteed to be a collectible item you know five six seven years down the road and and you were up to a $177,000 game or so you know elra yeah 40th anniversary saying $25,000 and then they come out the blood red kiss for 13 and I know like Batman 66 but that was really rare but that's what I'm I think that you have to keep it very very rare like those to be able to do that but again I still wouldn't care that much about it I don't think like I just like be mad the best yeah if I want I'd be upset people like damn I have to buy that one now if I liked it better yeah but I wouldn't feel like SL I don't know teach their own though I understand why people feel that way agree because you're you're giving the perspective that it is limited and that you're you know what I'm saying you have the rarest of the rare and then something that comes out a little more rare little more unique I I I I understand their thing but I'm I'm like you again teach their own also nothing wrong with what they're doing mid 2024 we've seen the retirement of Greg fres legendary iconic uh artist in this industry so we wish him nothing but but the best man he was running the stern art Department over there got over there so all right then September oh no August look I tried to glaze over it August haggus pinball goes into liquid oh [ __ ] so that was bad that was bad a lot of people lost money yeah a lot of those a lot of people that bought direct lost money that's horrible yes and there another damn stain on the industry and then you lost a lot of money for as a dealer your customers yeah our customers didn't lose one penny yeah not one yeah we which is a lot to do we even refunded some of in faom didn't we with Playfield issues gosh it was a nightmare leading up to that whole thing you know I've thought about I've got a fathom myself yeah I have a hard time looking at it I can see that just because of the tainted yeah what it what it cost you and what it did I would be I I would be pissed to where that I would look at that thing and I would be like I want no part of it but part of me just loves the fathom game yeah and seeing it all restored RGB sounds great I'm mixed y I'm mixed I know what you mean [ __ ] Haas man God oh well God damn I had such high hopes for them yes you did like you did from day one you were really had a KS for a minute and ah man life sucks sometimes it do you just never know that's what I always told people like that's the worst thing that we got to deal with though in life try to reframe it a little bit Yeah cuz you were like [ __ ] dude you lost so much money I'm like I know Greg but [ __ ] happens [ __ ] happens I will I can always go to the beach as long as I can have sex like I'm good hang out with my kids you've really reinforced that to me when I get upset about something or I get stressed out about something as long as I can like taste fried chicken mashed potatoes yeah there's a couple things in life that don't cost too much that as long as I got that I'm pretty simplistic person I'm good September was a big month it was like right before Expo everybody all these manufactur competing to get out first Stern announced real quick they said here's The Uncanny X-Men yes about Jack danger and Wason on rules uh and the whole team over there that was a kind of a surprise because we hear X-Men and everybody's like well I already had an X-Men by staring why are we going back to the well there and it was a comic book Illustrated version so what we had zombie yeti on artwork and it was a huge seller yeah still worthy of many awards from us including this a big one best art oh it's beautiful zomie Yeti it's gorgeous there's so much good art though Lea fasy with an avatar we'll talk about that was pretty fantastic Metallica remastered was gorgeous it's okay oh love the Playfield but we'll get Looney Tunes brand du that was awesome lone Tunes was beautiful some good stuff out there so we're going to give it the best art we're also going to give it best toys look at Stern Pinball Stern Pinball kicking ass on toys and mix and I think it's a sentinel coming out of I was going to say that that's grabbing the ramps like that's hard to be like how do you how do you even think like like I just I I enjoy the engineering and everything onl like that's just fun because I think anybody would take that and go ah that sounds good but like I don't really want to mess with doing that that sounds complicated and for them to do it a and then the other arm stops the ball and then flips it back up the wire form and and I'm sorry like I always look at this and I know it's technically not right but I look at when you've got crazy cool shots that go all over I still I still turning into me I still look at that as toys and and everything because it just it feels like a toy when you got a bad ass hidden shot that goes somewhere so it's just like I you got cool stuff or even the magnet use yeah and I love the Sentinel head like it's a bash toy then it comes up and it's a bash toy then the jaw comes down it's a kicker that's a three St out it's so good now people argue well wait a minute the ball falls off the wire for or the finger doesn't fling or it go straight down the middle guess what here's where I'm at and people get so mad at me Craig I know I know I would rather have a couple lapses in mechanics and physics mhm when the ball gets destroyed by a sentinel hand mhm then a plastic hand just sitting there going forward yes I do agree CU it's like what we talked before like there's a fine line between pushing for Innovation and I know that when you expect okay if somebody a lot of money yeah yeah if somebody's going to innovate and somebody's you're going to do this then it needs to work when you do it but at the same time like like there's things again I I've said this in in other videos there's things that happen when you've got let's say you even got 10 prototypes that you guys have built and that you're playing and everything else you might not have any of those issues on 10 protex but when you go making hundreds of them these things arise in tolerances of the game everything else so it it's always like pimple is just such a finicky weird well it's totally physical mechanical yes and it has so much to do with pitch of your game side to side like just all kinds of different things and like I said just one little wire form can be bent just a hair and it can throw off where that you weren't expecting those tolerances just did not take those tall you couldn't or this this the ball how clean the ball is and whether it's going to spin in a certain way how much wax is on like there are so many different things that's what makes pinball fun though and I had some of those issues on mine but it it kind of broke in and settled in and and not so big of a problem you know turn your flipper power down just a hair um I still feel like that these these flippers with them changing those flipper bushings are so much quicker well even like with Metallica it's got like the spike 3 power supply more consistent yeah so I just don't like like quieter again I understand some of the there there were some other issues and stuff but so much so though that we're also giving it best design and layout yeah oh you have to like still a lot of people no a lot of people would argue you're crazy Jaws jaws is a better lay out and I no no offense love oh it's number two but it's not now I love I love the diversity in this layout God I love it it it's everything that you would want if you designed a game yes like you you want that uniqueness to it and that's what you know this is hard for me to say because I you know I'm proud of myself and I I know that when I compete I can do well yes I think even if I sat and tried I would have a hard time coming up with some of that stuff I agree I do not disagree at all cuz the geometry of shots we've never seen that in and it's so smooth for the most part you know what I'm saying again I know some got blind balls if it doesn't work it doesn't work but yes if it does oh it's so smooth and I just think that when you jam-pack a game like that you know I've got some people that's just like oh well it won't go up this ramp or I have to hit it super clean well sometimes it's pinball like we we've all seen games like that through the years like got every not everything can be wide open for it to be amazing and to make a shot because you don't hit it unless you want magnets on every ramp to help you out exactly cuz when you cramp you got tighter shots you got different things going on and if you don't agree that's fine totally totally fine yeah but I'll turn blue in the face looking up for this game cuz I think this game is special like the codee's not there see I don't like it as much as you I really like this game I don't I I honestly would probably I prefer John Wick over it my God I know I know a bunch of people are falling out of their seat but I I just prefer it's not theme or anything I just like please tell me you prefer Venom too over it go ahead this or that I might I dare you I might you're crazy I won't speak on it but so I'm going to go back to the debacle with the guns okay as well shooter plunge issues on this game oh yeah we did give that the award uh worst plunge he usually goes to Jersey Jack every year L listen I I know the problem yeah oh yeah terrible but I and I understand again this is not me saying that that that we should give manufacturers a break that we should do this worse plunge I I a million per issue should have been fixed which Stern has but people getting so upset and like refusing to like they they that they got this limit yeah that they got this broken down game that can't be played all because you couldn't make a skill shot like it's the Avengers problem it's the same thing it's the same thing yes it just doesn't sometimes go up that ramp and back down it's the same thing but to not buy the game because of that because it it it is so unique and it's so neat like that that's what drove me crazy again well that's just a narrative starts building yeah that's what I'm saying about that's why the gun debac the reasoning for not having to buy some like yeah but but it kind of drives me crazy because it was such a good game and it didn't really take that much away from it was it annoying yes did it need to be fixed most definitely which again Stern has but I I just I I just didn't find it to be a reason not I don't mind it because I get to a certain point in the as a hobbyist not even a business owner but like a hobbyist where I enjoy gam so much I start not caring what yes that's like The Hobbit Effect The Stranger Things effect I'm like [ __ ] on it all you want then I at this point I don't care I this game is this game is special to me and I hope more games are like this and I can Overlook a lot of that stuff and there's a lot more code to come yes we also gave it the best value award what you think about the pro the pro oncy X-Men is there a better real value in pin not for a no I mean you really look Jaws like you said you kind of lose you lose a lot with but on this one you miss the cool toys that is true yeah but you still got a sentinel you still got the layout you still got the danger room still got great lighting there's still a lot there yeah still a lot there uh so worst plunge award as well uh in September when they announced Uncanny X-Men that's also when they announced that they're going to do oneyear warranties on all games moving forward that's a big jump from like three to six months listen that was a jump but but working warranty and working closely was turn every day like like that they it was basically what they had in house for years anyways yeah they were very good about most anything that arose within that year time frame so basically over the past few years they were doing that would you say they're better than most Stern Pinball maybe the the best I mean they're pretty good at at uh support they are good at support long they're very good at support actually yeah there's things like like Christmas man those poor guys were just slammed with everything you got all the fix kit stuff everything else going on like those all of them likeed like everybody was just swamped so things were delayed which people get mad about but some things do and then some things just they need to move higher up so it takes a little bit more time sort of thing but for the most part man like I usually get a pretty good turnaround within less than 24 hours with support when you're selling 5,000 games is way different different sport when you're selling 400 yes yeah I agree um and there's there's worse actually every company but one is very good with support I've said this before and I won't mention it because I'm not going to be a dick but some companies are great at support but the quality requires that support a lot of support yeah I agree I agree but they're very good with Support also in September Jersey Jack pinball our friends over at jjp they unveil a theme that I don't think was great for pinball but one I selfishly love Avatar yeah the battle for Pandora yeah and what a gorgeous pin that that machine and uh wireforms everywhere very interesting shooter um we give it some awards because for some reason we cannot we just can't beat uh can't beat Jersey Jack Pinball's ability to do display and animation yeah Stern's getting close Greg yeah damn they're getting close they bumped up a lot Chuck over there I think Z they're getting close look at me no one just like it just you can't JP win they just and the guy just refines and refines he's just got his eye is just there he knows same with lighting best lighting oh yeah Metallica is Awesome with the expression lighting that thing freaking rocks and X-Men's got beautiful lighting beautiful I love the red blue white combinations because it mixes purples in certain spots I really like but Avatar Takes the Cake I mean it's got the hot rails especially the C the back behind the head under the cabin and what you do with the there that's what I'm saying like that I mean they couldn't have encompassed that game I mean that that's a close that's right there with like you said that world under glass like here's the problem though oh Pandora is natural beauty it's nature everything's connected that game is loaded down with nothing but metal yes that's a ju to position that I just can't it needed more of the forest like you said the natural F they put a lot of toys in that game I wish wish they would have put more toys in there but gorgeous it's still gorgeous so much so that the e model we're deeming the best high-end product in pinball I can see that best high-end product cuz that's the game that if you take non pinball people and walk them up to a whole slew of Ellies and top they're going to say wow what is this that's it still has a very different feel I I don't care if it's a wide body or not something about their games like you said like when you walk up even unboxing them is is an entirely different experience they're heavier but you just walk something just feels more refined yeah speaking of Jersey Jack pimble we have to give our comeback award to Jersey Jack pinball as well with their game Elton John so if we're looking at all the 2023 games where they were at launch versus where they're at now Elton John is a banger of a game nothing changed no it's just everybody realizes how great that game is now more so than whenever it was launched yes because people got around they they they found out that it wasn't that that bad of a game didn't like the theme but you could get around them like you're like okay I'm okay but then you find out it's got good rules it looks beautiful sh good like okay yeah I can get around that exactly I I can I can take the it's a to me it's almost it's a Godzilla effect too because I always I will always argue nobody really cared about Godzilla a handful of people cared about Godzilla we worried about when we heard Elton made it so elen but yeah it was the same thing to where the okay it's got great call outs great music theme Integrations fun it's campy but it's great looks beautiful shoots back like damn I think he was competing with his brother that was doing Pulp Fiction and he was like I'm not going to let my brother out sh me and he's like Elton John which y'all are killing me honestly I really got to lean into this like oh man like that's a good one Pulp Fiction was still yeah that's a good we'll cover that in our next this or that but yeah we just got to give credit to they're the comeback of the year they didn't even do anything but it's just once people realize how great that game was September Stern also announces Jurassic Park home for Costco yeah that Insider connected they're selling it cheaper is it Costco I don't even know how successful it was but it did it did happen uh they were renting games out for offices at some point I don't know what happened October comes along and Dutch pinball X or DPX they launch Alice's Adventures in Wonderland yeah the John paduk gold foam core idea from like a decade ago that they thought this would be a great idea to do but everybody was in love with the the Whimsical nature of that foam cord design and the Really the Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti) itti artwork yes and there's still some Allure to John Papa but we saw RZA and that was a turd from deep root and this this wasn't deep turd esque this still in my opinion just no fell flat they they couldn't get zombie Yeti to do the artwork so that was one of the big draws so they tried to mimic almost they tried to Fiverr that [ __ ] like here's all zombie Yeti stuff do that and the fiber guy was like yeah but you're only pay me 250 bucks yeah get AI I just I I don't know it just wasn't what um I thought the topper was cool that we gave it the best topper award yeah I mean it's it's a great over over Avatar city which is controversial I mean it's a great city is great I mean that damn Chester the cat or what it was freaking amazing with the eyes the LCD eyes but yeah I don't know the art the art felt flat it just didn't look as I don't know it was a little um cat got trouble breathing cat is that what kind of cat is that got that flat face P what great PES great PES no is that a dog that's a dog that's a dog what the [ __ ] are those P PES what are those it's the it's the the fancy cat commercial things he's a cute one is that a Persian a Persian is it a Persian I don't know Persian cat pers to look I like all white yeah I love cats I know you do I love cats I'm going to get a mun here soon but so they got the best topper we we'll throw you a bone there wasn't the funnest to shoot we shot at Expo uh it it's fine you get up to Upper Playfield nothing really much to do there it just like in early 90s they're going for collector they did sell out of all 500 units yeah they claim um yeah I guess they do get an award for being the worst though and it was the worst attempt to emulating zombie Yeti artwork yeah that was like a [ __ ] Teemu uh zombie Yeti like Al Alice is oh man she's leaning up beside a trailer just smoking a Sig with her perfectly round boob and no nipple it's just horrible that artwork is terrible just terrible and it's not that it's not it's so ter it's so terrible because of what they tried to make it be just it's offensive like Affliction it's what it reminds me of like if you were make a pinball Affliction Affliction yeah it's like if they were trying to make Alice's Wonder in Wonderland sexy and you know what some people aren't even cool with that idea whatever on that idea what I don't even mind that idea uh but then when she is not sexy and she's more like ew like what am I going to catch yeah it is yeah it's like elvar is sexy you take elv and it's like that's can't be done well it's sexy sex elegant sexy there is some Elegance to it some there ain't nothing elegant about Alice and her Queen of Hearts no I I joked on the podcast I did the pinball the pinball show I could almost smell that artwork I could elaborate smell like a pack of PA malls man D and some some nasty real old Victoria Secret spray or something the B yeah like oh [ __ ] all right sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm not but I am I wanted it to be cuz I'm still kind of a John poet you excited about that game you were excited about that game get so mad about you were excited all right uh so that was that and then October we didn't talk about barrels of fun but at that point October they' already shipped 500 Labyrinth yeah so they're already halfway through uh their run October also marked the retirement of October Fest by American pinball they pulled that up into the r October also Stern announces oh that's a big one Metallica remastered which we're deeming as the best surprise of 2024 we knew that we kind of heard Rumblings it was coming but we questioned whether could you really make Metallica better yeah and damned if they didn't they nailed it they made it better rules are even better artwork in my opinion is better I I like I like the I like the overall direction of it better I I won't know I don't I won't say that like artwork wise because like I I love the play field I like the side of the cam I like surprised I just don't like that premium back glass I don't like I don't like the premium back the Le is fine I just don't like that premium backl for some reason oh the Le is beautiful but I love the play I I just like the overall direction that they went more not so so goofy MH like the original they went band serious Rock yes like an album cover type an album type which I like I like the direction of the theming of it a hell of a lot better because it just fits something just adds like the dark Allure it's a little bit even though it's bright but it's not it's still got a deep Allure to it that's kind of like nasty and more metal you know what I'm saying like I I I like it actually quite a bit has been a huge seller Stern has got sales this year damn and honestly the LCD doesn't add that much to like the animations are in unreal they are but I'm just saying it's so [ __ ] brutal of a game that I'm never really watching it but it just what if they wouldn't even have done the LCD it would have been a massive massive Improvement people worried like how you going to try to put something on top of Lyman sheets code the master but they they did it but shout out to rid day yeah it was very Tastefully done did not change any of the cor exactly it was it was it just it was just that little little touch little more carrots yes to dangle to to get it's like what I was talking about about opening things up that's kind of what that game needs a little bit cuz it's so much rinse and repeat get through yeah that you need something that when you on a roll multiball extra wizard extra songs extra call outs I do like the extra the additional songs My go we're we gave it an award for this and people are going to get upset best Innovation wait how can you take an old game this ain't Innovation it's just just taking the old G but Innovation by definition I've got it here is the process of creating new ideas products or methods or improving existing ones and it's such an improve cuz you you could argue X-Men obviously there's not a lot of innovation this year Greg no but you could argue X-Men with the break but as an overall I'm like you like the Improvement is so vast on this that that is what they made something great exceptional yes and to make people want to get rid of their old one and get this one and to bring back a title that's huge so much so that moving forward now because of the success of this they're going to keep doing this I know that's Innovation I want to see more also uh for for Metallica remaster this is cheating but I don't give a [ __ ] best sound of music it's cop out because it's not there's nothing new about it I don't get because it's so good like something is perfect about when you're playing Metallica in a pinball machine is there other music that compares guns and& Rose is the only thing that would for me that would get there for for me no but I just like the way this shoots so much better it's still better ACDC is ACDC is my favorite band ever but I still I Metallica is perfect for pinball It's So Perfect all right so that was the gigantic uh success of Metallica remaster congrats Stern Pinball November comes around Turner pinball little Turner pinball out of Texas sells all their 100 unit plans to build a ninja Eclipse y good job a game that boy people have really shot up interest in this game almost as like an underdog that people want to get behind we got to be careful about that because sometimes what we do as hobbyists is we try to bring the big dog down mm and and nitpick Stern on things yeah and then we try to elevate companies on things that's like guys yes it's good okay it's good yes but let let's let's yes put things in perspective I it may not be as good as some people want it to be yes what won disagree all right uh November spooky pinball launches Evil Dead Evil Dead comes out November not December usually they come out November Evil Dead was huge that was a huge launch it really was great reception sold a lot of games a lot of Blood Sweat and Tears in that game widebody game fully loaded we didn't to be fair we didn't include Evil Dead on any of these best of categories because nobody's really got their hell we didn't even get to really get our hands on it much when filming it so it hadn't even been to a show I think this is going to clean up some stuff next year I do too they're it's beautiful the topper listen the topper Steel video does not do the topper Justice that damn thing is so big and it's so insane it's nuts detail I think it may be the greatest topper it's insane dude like it is the integration yeah don't know what I mean we get talks of Harry Potter there's talks there's going to be a lot of stuff coming Dungeons and Dragons maybe King Kong a lot of stuff but yeah double barrel shotgun that you can load up over here for your your your launch you got a double barrel shotgun shotgun shells a cabin with the swinging thing that locks balls the dead that jump up cell door that opens up go lower play field yeah it's a lot going on it's a lot going got a tap player on that and you know what's insane though is you look at that even though it's a white body and you have all of that on there it doesn't look it's integrated well it doesn't look Jam like it doesn't look overwhelming like too busy you know what I'm saying like like they they L and it's a wide body yeah it doesn't really shoot it doesn't like a wide it's not real you know no cuz they fanned it out and pulled it all in especially with the drop Targets in front of the hand at first and stuff that that narrows it in just a little bit and everything sh that is a good game and Beautiful Jesus Greg bone Chris franie it's good is back really nice it is really nice what is there anything that's going to look better than that I I'm man that's a special game Greg that's a now spooky has progressively gotten better with their builds yeah but yeah they still have room to improve that's everybody's yeah which they beefed up some of the stuff with the the motors and stuff they really beefed up some stuff but yeah yeah we'll see they still have some room but there's no better value under $10,000 than that fully loaded and they went to one model yeah one model I think it was a smart you get the knocker you get the Shaker you get the inside blades you get powder coat of coin you get everything that's what's insane like when people come over name and look at Halloween and they're like uh all this came with the game and I'm like yeah M yeah it's it's I didn't add anything to it it's insane and uh we should note that we put everything into that launch yeah we did the sizzle reel we did or the the trailer for the game we did the featurette documentary and then we did the uh uh what else the topper yeah Topper Topper trailer as well and I think that was our best work yet yeah you did very good I'd say that Pulp Fiction still all this trailer was the best trailer we've ever done 90% yeah editing Pulp Fiction featurette competes I stand around and help make decisions he does a shitload don't let him fool you just make decisions but that was a fun time going up there very stressful oh yeah was stressful the stressful part being that game they didn't have any of the molds done yeah so we couldn't really shoot shoot while we shoot shoot it yeah you to be very careful that is that poses a big challenge when you're trying to film a product but can't use it as much as you like got to be careful you broke some shotgun shells I broke some shotgun shells because they were just rendering we broke some of the brand new Prototype game yeah I remember Luke's like so we're down to two that's all we've got because the the actual durable ones were getting getting made but it was still awesome those guys are always hospitable honestly I look forward I like trip up there I I got to rent a carve we really going to do it again I don't know I don't know you know I'm always I know I don't know I normally held bent against it all the time but that one I'm always an advocate for I enjoy that have to build up the team anybody out there that's actually in film making um that wants to yeah we do need help I mean that wants to I mean come on now I don't know if we need help you know it might help I'm saying it would yes it would alleviate so that we can focus on some other aspects of what we're doing yeah and we got new equipment since then too man we're adding we're always adding so yeah if you if you make films or any of that then uh reach out to us maybe we'll have some and I can assure you I can assure you we have some some good fun on the next one we really all right sorry okay November j a lot of stuff this year JP announces pinball XP I forgot that's when I stayed in that mold ridden hotel room too about D couldn't breathe the next day the the year before was no good this year oh my God the year before was 10 times better we're going to do a bed and breakfast oh I almost pulled a trigger on a bed and break get some robes anything would have been better than the love Suite with the [ __ ] jacuzzi in the middle of it that I stayed in it should be noted that I didn't stay in his room no it wasn't like a arm shaped no none that that's funny a leather sofa a fireplace and a [ __ ] jacuzzi in and asbest you still have I could not bre but I was SM Alice artwork you felt that room when you entered in that's where she would be staying she's totally would be staying there yes and that's that's what oh my God but I was so wore out I could not go ask for another room I was jacuzzi oh [ __ ] come sit next to me smacks that horrible oh man oh you man I loved Alice's Alison Wonderland the Disney want I want a Disney version that would be good yeah I love deping that jjp announced no not the the live action the animated one oh I like the live action one quirky December comes along pinball uh Ser pimball announces their vault program where they're actually taking a handful of games and they're saying we're not going to make them for at least two years if ever again yeah and we talked about that I think that's a very smart move I think it's very uh reassuring for people helps hold value for some of the games on secondary Market instead of always being to buy them I know from distribution it's better for Distributors that work hard like us yeah because there's some ply ass dealers that don't do much yeah that if Stern is just inventorying everything they just onesie twozies and buy from exctly so now you you need to get some of that and it also like if you've got any inventory I think it helps clear that inventory out a little bit I think that that's a very SM it gives it encourages like somebody to buy because once we're out of elvir House of hores we're out yes exactly we're out yeah so like I I think I like that I I I I think it's a very smart business move um and I it's a little nicer than depleting 20% I think it's good for the hobby yeah yeah I'm okay with that to I think it's good for the hobby though too I I really do uh they also they retired Beatles and God still 70th so those are those done gone American pinball looking a little shaky had that day fix interview on loser kids did not sound good yeah they asked uh I think Scott asked like where where's American pimpal are they going to be in business next year and he said that's a good question H yeah it's kind of scary supposed to have cuphead coming up we'll see yeah December cgc is just now starting to [ __ ] Pulp Fiction L after two and a half like still a beautiful game Stern Pinball just announced Dungeons and Dragons and I don't want to get into that too much here because that's like 2025 yeah and we'll do First Impressions and stuff with that but interesting good and then Greg bone what' I do starting in 2025 working fulltime fulltime for flipping out pinball joining the team you're lead well you're doing sales too but leading teeken warranty department and now you're a lead in sales yeah whoa so if you need to buy any pinball Machin come to Greg bone at flipping out Pinball it's a lot of work isn't it did you realize it's a lot of work well I mean we discuss a lot like like we obviously talk with everything yeah like literally every day I love morning meeting I do too sometimes on top of it we talk about Netflix we talk about like we get into life stuff a little bit but so I sort of knew what to expect but then until you're dealing with it and you're dealing with all the issues and you're just dealing with you know all the phone calls the back and forth interest and questions yeah the questions and everything you know some say that being a pinball dealer is simple it's not it's not at all it's not at all and that's no [ __ ] like it is not at all it's very stressful the 24 hours a day how many messages you get on Christmas Day great bone Christmas Day I got messages Christmas Eve messages New Year I got coup I got I got two calls last night like 2 a. they respect me a little more than they they'll call you yeah but yeah I wake I mean it's like I said that like that one day I woke up you know I had 17 plus game issues going on across all of our sales with with manufacturers and stuff um you know and just different things so I'm hitting my morning from that and then things just compile and come in and you take sales on top of that you know because you got somebody that's questioning games you can be on the phone for 20 minutes you can be on the phone for 45 minutes with somebody answering questions and and you know making them feel comfortable about their purchas you know we got a lot of new people that are coming into the hobby that really need to be walked through every aspect of the hobby with shipping how it's delivered what to expect setting the game up you know sending them setup videos doing all these different things we do I mean it's no [ __ ] we do more we just do more like that's that's our goal is to provide more yeah whether it's providing the number one rated Tech in the the industry um or it's the number one reviewed dealer in the industry or if it's creating content that nobody else does like we're trying to provide more yes always more and and and that's where that a lot of it comes up to where that you could you could simplify and just sell games and say [ __ ] it and be done a lot of people do that and that that would be fine and you could be fine and dandy but you're not going to grow you're not that sucks if you're buying a machine and you we know what that feels like you're not going to be successful and it's even one of those things you know we continue to be there for you you know sometimes like I'm not a no like I I didn't build these games I didn't do these things so you know a lot of times if it's a particular problem yeah we we'll have to help you with you know the manufacturer and talk to Engineers talk to their tech support a lot of times just because again we didn't build you're tight with like Stern all the people at Stern you have more relationships at Stern Pinball and J all these than I do I like but I like building those relationships I like to know you're talking to them a lot I'm talking to them a lot I'm very you know I'm very respectful of them like I I I appreciate their time I appreciate their help dud you know what I thought we need to do for any of the manufacturers out there and even viewers if you think it's a good idea let us know I think that me you and maybe Nicole maybe we should do a tour maybe we should like tour the country going to the different manufacturers going to visit oh it would be and just talking to our connections meeting them talking to them about the things that we've yeah yeah have a pizza party maybe we th maybe we bring down some fried chicken or something no that would be bring it with us buckets buckets chicken go to uh what is it what's the chicken up here Joes Jews Jews the chicken oh bro that shit's good that's a that's a supermarket it's a supermarket CH yeah Jews that Jews chicken they don't even know what Fried Chicken is up K cry steep Beady yeah they know I'm I'm talking they old cold chicken but yeah I'd like to get down to Houston with barels I'd like to go hang out that would be fun yeah I do agree all right really quick they had accessories announced Foo Fighters accessories the $2,000 topper the head that moves around so cool so expensive Godzilla 70th accessories all black and white Metallica remastered accessories people kind of crapped on the L LCD or the topper I'm telling you looks good wait yeah I mean in person there's a lot like every song you do yeah it's a different light it's fitting like you didn't need anything more but we gave best accessory the best accessory award to the new expression speaker lighting system by Stern Pinball it is good that's awesome it integrates perfectly into the topper and the lighting on the Playfield we sold ton of those things they like perfected it it's really nice Stern Pinball the Pinball Alley sign returned a big old like 9 foot that original that original that's what it it's the same thing same size yeah but it's like not made Metal yeah so it's a little lighter it's a little lighter yeah and then we're still waiting for Venom accessories John with accessories on Candy X-Men accessories Venom access come on I still don't know if they're going to make them Market in general before we announce game of the year the market in general everybody for the last 3 years has been telling me the sky is falling Chicken Little everything's [ __ ] uh everything's horrible nobody's buying pinball machines maybe we're just a different uh experience yeah cuz IB sales I think this has been our best year yeah it's it's it's been good like you said we've been just people are buying a lot of P machines that's why to bring me on yeah like just the overwhelm him on yeah yes yeah he runs our shop yep yep shop delivery stuff Nicole does all of the billing all the accessory shipping all of that it takes a lot to run and again like I just know what you were I know how I just find it hard to believe that sales are that far down forever like well so they're developing awesome products that are selling so I think that we s saw a shift I I saw it in real estate too with with real estate and people to where that it was was a very bad year for a lot of people in real estate um and a lot of people who still had a a a good year they were down significantly from their previous years but your number one real estate teams your number one agents still captured their same number of clients and hom sold or more so I think that Tri down I don't know if it was something to doing in the bottom yes I don't know if it was something to do with maybe election stuff I don't know if it was something to do with being a little tighter with your wallet so now you're going to more trusted people in companies or maybe the people that are on the top are working harder so that they can maintain and the people down here are like eh I'm good yeah to where they kind of kick them in the nuts economics straight down the middle so yeah so I so yeah I I do think I see the secondary market and we see the prices have come down substanti but they're going to after co co was such a weird Co was a bubble like nobody can ever deny that pinball I don't think is a bubble but we've been supposed to have this whole crash for 2 years I just haven't seen it no that's what saying I don't think it's like what it did was it it it slowly has returned more to normal 2019 numbers and the at the at the end of the day Greg and viewer if you make I I tell manufacturers this whenever we do consultations with them if you make a superior fully loaded wonderful product yes it's marketproof yeah people who can't afford pinball machines are going to buy that's their entertainment that's their Joy that's what tickles our balls so push comes to shove not all humans are the most responsible people so we're still going to have fun we're still going to have a find a way to find joy and life and that comes that's pinball for a lot of us exactly so people are still people are still going to buy their sports cars that are into that people still going to buy video games that are into that like to me to me if pinball starts the face out a't going nowhere no we won't let it no no that's the truth that's the truth guarantee yes that's the truth that's a good way to end that that's a very good uh best game of this year is Jaws it's Jaws it's absolutely Jaws what's to come in 20125 a lot we've already seen a lot and I can tell you very much so with with confidence 2025 done said hold my beer 2024 it's got some good [ __ ] coming uh check out an upcoming video where we give our you know maybe our our predictions into 2025 we we did pretty good last year problem see you next time bye you it off with bumping I straight down the middle g Middle again you had a fling with a slingshot you're rolling out the [Applause] out high energy high energy I started watching a show called Animal Kingdom on TNT it's six seasons in oh it's great only you find shill on like TNT I didn't even know it's a network still six six seasons didn't they just get rid of Charles Barkley horrible well Charles he Boke his mind he's good I like Charles I do too why does Charles sound like Po but just a a different tone Subaru stop dropped again why do you care about superu stock you got stock in superu yeah man having stock and car car manufacturer seems like a a slippery slope oh it is I'm heavy in Ford like real heavy in Ford which they've just never done anything but they P good dividends I don't have any Nissan Subaru is a very well ran company but like I read that the reason that their stock they they develop cars that are ugly yeah but but they have a very all the WRX people are but they have a very loyal following so they actually have plenty of cash on hand like it's I know what you're going to say no I'm not okay I don't get canceled but it's like they're like but they just don't they don't reinvent like they don't do a bunch of weird outside [ __ ] so they're just a very stable company but for their that's like Volo yeah yeah mhm boring as but um the xt90 is not a boring vehicle yeah like um I had a subar when we went to Wisconsin that was my rental that thing was actually really nice oh I remember riding in that yeah I liked it it was fun I try to support anything I got stock in you know I watch uh watch Full Throttle it's a car thing yeah yeah Full Throttle and uh they just named their car of the year M and it was an EV that's like in the car world that's the big no no you don't you don't like you're not supposed to like e they don't like EVS really but this one was so good mhm and it was a [ __ ] Hyundai a Hy oh like a Sonata or something but no it's like a Hy ionics they say like the most fun car to drive ionic n6 or something like that expensive it's like a hatchback but and it was like up there with like Porsches and stuff like oh [ __ ] yeah H used you should watch full throw it's the whole the stick the the two white guy that look the same stick MH that we the the archetype I've seen some up before that we started in pinball yeah seems like every industry's got it Greg we're just the the pinball archetype of that we just W up in a niche hobby a fat boy I think it's just dudes are nerds that's why oh yeah that's why we start this two best friends talking about cars or figurine or anything it's going to be two nerd men oh yeah there's there's wom nerdy women but to find a nerdy woman that still like kind of dumb enough to put themselves out here in front of people like women are a little smarter there's a few in like but they're in they're in Ultra nerd like I won't say Ultra but like Dr Park stuff there's a big big girl in it that she's pretty big a big girl not a big girl big in the hobby I know you like it big girl and Jurassic Park like [ __ ] dangerous get off there what on my child get out his child is climbing get out I still don't trust those cats I'm always was afraid they're just going to like I like if I got one behind me have you seen the videos the Instagram videos and [ __ ] unprovoked they just all of a sudden climb up and he he doesn't attack unprovoked but if if you make him bad you hold him too long or something he don't like it he does like a and then once he gets down he'll he'll come back up to you he'll bite your leg or smack you and then bite you real quick get him he's creeping There's Something About Me Doom scrolling uh at night and I always end up oh God was that him or your stomach I always end up Doom scrolling like monster does he still have claw God see I'm scared of him like a crocod yeah you don't touch his feet he I touch No don't touch his feet well how in the hell am I supposed to know do my dogs I could like chop their P off they don't care I don't want to touch him he's not real soft up there down there oh where is he soft soft he's a pretty guy a good boy he's terrifying but I'll Doom scroll and then like I always like the videos where cats beat up on little kids like oh my God best got all I do is C cat videos like I love cat videos
Zach Menny@ 19:22 — Addressing community controversy over John Wick gun aesthetic and its impact on sales
“Haggis man God oh well God damn I had such high hopes for them yes you did like you did from day one you were really had a KS for a minute and ah man life sucks sometimes it do”
Greg Bone@ 26:58 — Expressing emotional impact of Haggis Pinball liquidation on the community
“People are eating it up man they love it so like and they've retired like it's it was just for 2024 so those sold out they're sold out I think that's a very smart move”
licensing_signal: ABBA theme for Pinball Brothers game perceived as excessively niche with limited North American market appeal
medium · Zach Menny: 'I mean, it's ABBA...it's so niche...you've eliminated so much of your market...why?'
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market_signal: Jaws achieved exceptional sales performance across all model tiers, outselling all other continuously-manufactured games in 2024
high · Greg Bone: 'Out of any title that's even still being made...Jaws collectively through the Pro, Premium, and all models, collectively was the best seller'
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community_signal: Greg Ferris, head of Stern Pinball art department, retired mid-2024
high · Hosts explicitly noting 'we've seen the retirement of Greg Ferris legendary iconic artist...he was running the Stern art Department'
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announcement: Stern Pinball returned to three cornerstones strategy in 2024 after previously doing two cornerstones
medium · Greg Bone stating 'In 2024 they said you know what we're going to go back to the three cornerstones because prior they were just doing like two cornerstones stuff'
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product_concern: Barry's Barbecue Challenge's animation quality criticized as worse than horror-themed Texas Chainsaw Massacre
medium · Zach Menny: 'I was more grossed out watching Barry's Barbecue Challenge...than Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Not even lying. Because you've got squirty juicy meat'
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sentiment_shift: Community perception of John Wick improved post-launch as code updates addressed initial shortcomings, though sales damage from poor launch persists
medium · Zach Menny: 'you've got to secure those check marks as much as you can at launch, because going back up that hill...it's not as easy'
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business_signal: Stern Pinball's Godzilla 70th Anniversary Premium Edition variant with limited 2024 exclusive release and subsequent retirement was strategically successful
medium · Greg Bone: 'I think that's a very smart move' in reference to limited variant strategy and sell-out success