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Kaneda's Pinball Podcast Saturday Morning Spectacular Jan 10

Kaneda Pinball Podcasts YouTube Lives·video·1h 28m·analyzed·Jan 10, 2026
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Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.032

TL;DR

Kaneda previews upcoming games, criticizes Stern's strategy vs boutiques, and attacks Twippies/Colin.

Summary

Kaneda discusses anticipated pinball releases including Pokémon (George Gomez design), Beetlejuice, and Winchester, expressing skepticism about Pokémon's appeal and Stern's pricing strategy. He critiques Stern's quality and design direction relative to boutique competitors (Spooky, Jersey Jack, Barrels of Fun), predicts Sonic will 'crush' the market, and launches criticism of Colin/Kineticist's management of the Twippies awards. Personal commentary on wealth, anxiety, and community rounds out the stream.

Key Claims

  • Pokémon is the worst-kept secret in pinball and will be mostly a George Gomez design

    high confidence · Kaneda states definitively; this aligns with community knowledge of Pokémon's imminent announcement

  • Pokémon is not going to take off like Stern expects; it's barren like Star Wars

    medium confidence · Kaneda claims insider feedback from people at Stern; predicts mediocre reception despite theme appeal

  • All Stern machines at new in-box prices are stupid buys; nothing justifies the pricing

    medium confidence · Kaneda's opinion based on perceived lack of innovation and market failure (LE/Pro pricing model broken)

  • Sonic the Hedgehog will blow people away and have the most visually stunning cabinet

    medium confidence · Kaneda hints at insider knowledge; teases specific design innovation not seen before

  • Winchester will not ship until April at earliest; Dunes being completed first

    medium confidence · Kaneda's prediction based on production line visibility and discussion with industry contacts

  • Colin destroyed what was once the most fun end-of-year celebration by eliminating recognition

    low confidence · Kaneda's personal opinion/grievance about Twippies management changes; no factual support provided

  • King Kong didn't sell because of artwork and lack of theme integration, not gameplay

    low confidence · Kaneda's analysis citing Ed Robertson's feedback; subjective interpretation of market failure

  • Stern leadership is at war with each other, pointing fingers, no accountability

    low confidence · Kaneda claims insider knowledge of internal culture; speculative characterization

Notable Quotes

  • “99% of us are not into Pokémon... I just think all Sterns are stupid buys now at new in-box prices.”

    Kaneda @ ~08:30-09:00 — Core thesis on Stern's strategic failure and market positioning

  • “Colin destroyed what was once the most fun end of the year celebration... he is a vindictive, spiteful, annoying person in the hobby.”

    Kaneda @ ~09:45 — Direct personal attack on Colin/Kineticist; explains his boycott of Twippies

  • “Sonic's going to crush them... When you see Sonic the Hedgehog, it will have the most visually stunning cabinet that does something I've never seen any other cabinet do.”

    Kaneda @ ~26:00 — Strong endorsement of JJP Sonic; hints at undisclosed design innovation

  • “King Kong without the Empire State Building... there's just certain hard stops. What are we doing here?”

    Kaneda @ ~19:30 — Specific design criticism explaining King Kong's market failure

  • “These are the new foundational games of pinball collections: Beetlejuice, Potter, Sonic, Winchester. Stern needs a new Godzilla.”

    Kaneda @ ~24:00 — Frames boutique/JJP dominance and Stern's need to reclaim quality reputation

  • “Pinball will always be a direct to consumer product... You want an intimate relationship with the company.”

    Kaneda @ ~31:00 — Critique of Stern's retail expansion strategy (Amazon, Costco) vs JJP/boutique model

  • “The secondhand collapse of Stern pinball prices is concerning... love Stern machines on the used market, new in-box Stern machines a fool's purchase.”

    Kaneda @ ~34:00 — Data-driven observation of secondary market collapse; market signal of Stern weakness

  • “They cut corners and they cut costs and the games are looking even cheaper than they did before.”

    Kaneda @ ~25:00 — Quality/perception concern: Stern reducing production standards while maintaining price

Entities

Pokémon PinballgameSonic the Hedgehog PinballgameBeetlejuice PinballgameWinchester Mystery House PinballgameKing Kong PinballgameStern PinballcompanyJersey Jack PinballcompanyBarrels of FuncompanySpooky Pinballcompany

Signals

  • ?

    business_signal: Barrels of Fun's topper pre-order suggests cash flow issues despite $2M+ Winchester deposits; raises concerns about production sustainability

    medium · Kaneda: 'Winchester deposits like $2,000... took in over a million bucks. Why do they need to do this pre-order for topper development? That just has to be a cash flow issue'

  • ?

    business_signal: Stern's three-tier LE/Premium/Pro pricing model collapsed; LE now 2x Pro price with minimal differentiation, making Pro better value and destroying FOMO strategy

    high · Kaneda: 'LE is twice the price of the Pro. Well, this is stupid... Their whole model was built around Limited Edition FOMO equals premium demand equals Pro being the value.'

  • ?

    community_signal: Kaneda boycotting Twippies due to Colin's allegedly vindictive management; claims Colin destroyed award credibility and eliminated his recognition

    low ·

  • ?

    competitive_signal: Boutique manufacturers (Spooky, JJP, Barrels) establishing clear quality/design superiority vs Stern; repositioning collector expectations

    high · Kaneda identifies Beetlejuice, Potter, Sonic, Winchester as 'foundational games' vs Stern; 'These are what people want now'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: King Kong thematic execution failures: missing Empire State Building, subway car not integral to franchise, weak mechanical signature (static airplanes)

    medium · Kaneda: 'You make a King Kong pinball machine and there's no Empire State Building... Airplanes don't even move... I don't really remember a subway being a major moment'

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

2:11
What's up, gents? Pinball nerds. You guys want some Canada? Bet on Indiana last night. Hit. I'm back in the sports betting realm. won 800 bucks on Indiana last night. Hell yeah. You know, I just had a feeling about it. I haven't sports bet in a year, but I'm like, you know what? I feel like Indiana's going to take this game. Boy, did they take it. It's nice. Went in like 800 bucks and like like right away game was over. Game was over. What's up, dudes? Ah, how's everybody doing? We're a little bit crooked. We're always crooked. Oh, man. My my thing. I don't have my my my stand for this thing. I don't know. Let me put something underneath [clears throat] here. Little t-shirt. What's up, suckers? We doing this? We got We everyone going to get leave here with a with an Alice topper.
3:13
No pink glasses. What's up, nerds of pinball? Lend me thy ears. How's everybody doing? Did I knock this off? Is it Can you hear me, man? Man, oh man. Oh, man. Anxietyfueled week. Just general anxiety, man. Let it go, Dave. Let it go. Was it seeing Andrew Highway? Was that Was that Was that the trigger?
3:44
Is the sound glitching? Is it glitching for anyone else? Sounds fine to me. I need to I need to clean these glasses. How's everybody doing? How's everybody doing? We um we are all waiting for Pokemon. We are waiting for Pokemon. It is It is the worst kept secret in pinball. It is happening. It is mostly going to be a a George Gomez pin. And look, I don't I don't think it's going to be good. I think it's going to be whatever. Sad boy, baby. Crazy world we live in. It really puts things into perspective. I'm glad we can sit around and argue about trivial boxes of lights. C3PO topper blows, though. But what are you going to do? Take care of yourself, homies. Thank you, [snorts] Sad Boy, for the for the weekly donation of 50 bucks. here. You are a true man of your word and you uh you you you pave the way for being the most generous Patreon. Patreon Patreon Patreon I have. Thank you. I appreciate it. You basically give every week what people give in a year and you're very generous. I took Indiana minus three points. Put a grand on it. That was my limit. I guess I guess DraftKings has changed. It's uh but which is good. And I went back like 800 bucks. I think I'm just going to cash out. I was going to roll it over onto the Oh, man. I want to take the Rams, but it's minus 10 and a half in a playoff game. I don't know. At at another stadium.
George Gomez
person
Colin (Kineticist)person
Ed Robertsonperson
David (Barrels of Fun)person
Kanedaperson
Dutch Pinballcompany
Back to the Future Pinballgame
Transformers Pinballgame
Seth (Stern Pinball)person
Twippies (This Week in Pinball Awards)event
Elwin Pinballcompany
  • ?

    design_philosophy: George Gomez-designed Pokémon expected to be 'barren' like Star Wars; thematically weak despite IP strength; consensus from Stern insiders is mediocre game

    medium · Kaneda: 'From what I've heard from people inside Stern, it is a mediocre game at best... Pokémon will sell well because of the theme, but pinheads will find it underwhelming'

  • $

    market_signal: Secondary market collapse of Stern machines; new in-box prices no longer hold value as predicted

    high · Kaneda: 'The secondhand collapse of Stern pinball prices is concerning... new in-box Stern machines a fool's purchase' and cites data from Loser Kid market analytics

  • ?

    personnel_signal: Stern leadership (Seth) bringing in outside business team unfamiliar with pinball; internal culture reportedly dysfunctional with finger-pointing and no accountability

    medium · Kaneda: 'Seth just brought in like a whole new outside of pinball team... They are literally at war with each other. They are pointing fingers. They are blaming.'

  • ?

    announcement: Pokémon Pinball by George Gomez imminent; Kaneda predicts announcement within days/weeks, timed to Pokémon anniversary

    high · Kaneda: 'Pokémon is the worst kept secret... Pokémon anniversary is next month... This thing is happening any day now'

  • ?

    product_strategy: Stern release order: Pokémon first, then Beetlejuice, with Winchester delayed to April or later due to Dunes completion priority

    medium · Kaneda: 'Winchester is going to be until like April... They're going to build the remaining Dunes first because they're not going to do two lines'

  • ?

    product_concern: Stern reducing production standards (cabinet decals, lighting) while maintaining premium pricing, making machines appear cheaper than previous generations

    high · Kaneda: 'They cut corners and they cut costs and the games are looking even cheaper than they did before... Stern machines next to boutique machines make Stern look like cheap products'

  • ?

    business_signal: Jersey Jack eliminating FOMO model; offering bespoke machines without artificial scarcity, positioning against Stern's FOMO strategy

    high · Kaneda: 'Jersey Jack has sort of taken away the FOMO with their games... you're absolutely going to see the value... It's a beautiful thing'

    • 5:32
    Come on, G gang. 99% of us are not like we're not into Pokemon. Okay. like 99% of us are not really into Pokemon. Now, that being said, I don't think we hate Pokemon. I'm I'm like losing. I just think it's just it's for kids. It's for kids. It's not for adults.
    5:56
    Transformers to me is way more way more our our thing, but people might argue Transformers for kids, too. So, I don't know. Whatever. Uh yeah, Pokemon, man. I don't know. Is it lame or is it just like I think it's going to be I think Stern's going to be shocked. I think they're going to be shocked that it's not going to take off like they think. I don't know. I just think people are it to me it's like I can Can I be just candid? I just think all Sterns are stupid buys now at new and box prices. You know what I'm saying? I think all Sterns new and box now are just stupidly priced. I I I don't think they've done anything to justify the pricing of any of their machines and I I just nothing feels worth it. You I don't know what they're going to do. What like their whole model was built around Ellie Fomo equals premium demand equals pro being the value. Now it's like, you know, the LE is twice the price of the Pro. Well, this is stupid. It's so stupid.
    7:08
    Well, Spike 3 Hector turned out to be the lamest thing and and they just can't they can't justify the new platform being worth it. And and the way they rolled it out was bad. It's also just like I'm so much more excited for the boutique company games and JJP's stuff. I'm so much more excited. I can't say something, but I'll allude to something.
    7:38
    Sonic is gonna blow you guys away. Gonna blow you guys away. I have a a bunch to catch up on, too. I saw the kudos video. Saw it was three hours long. I was like, uh, it is not the Twippies. By the way, everybody, do me a favor. Just don't vote in the Twippies. I'm not voting. It's It's like the lamest Colin destroyed what was once the most fun end of the year celebration of everything in pinball because he is a vindictive, spiteful, annoying person in the hobby. And he was he did everything in his power to eliminate my recognition in this hobby. And it's crazy how far like my stock has risen and his stock is just at the lowest ever.
    8:32
    And this is what he does for a living. This is what he does for a living. He has no other income. [clears throat] Crazy. Yeah. No, he's made the whole thing irrelevant. And now I think he did some someone posted some silly story. He wants to go after the pinball database or whatever. like everything's like ah he's he's he's figured out like the like the bro should do a data analytics of his own site and how bad it's doing. But look, I think we're going to get like we clearly didn't get the Pokemon teaser yesterday, right? And I know that Stern went to dealers and I gave them a time frame. Look, it's I I don't know. It What is it? January 10th. The Pokemon anniversary is next month. This thing is happening any day now. So, I I I just I think we're going to have a lot to talk about within the next like month. So, we're going to get Beetle Juices. We're going to see what's the deal with like Winchester Manufacturing. I think is going to be longer weight than people expect. I talked about on my podcast the Winchester under the cabinet. Really lot of like lot of wires and kind of messy under there and it's it's a production game. I don't know what they're doing over at Barrels. I I sometimes I feel like they need to just slow down a little bit, pause, like do it right. And and they've got the community's on their side. I mean, absolutely community is on their side. Um I I just the the damn topper the the damn topper pre-order thing just really rubs me the wrong way. I I just I've never seen any company do it. I don't. Why would you need to do it when you just took in Weren't Winchester deposits like two grand? Okay. Right. Weren't they like $2,000? Okay. So, they took in over a million bucks. They took in over a million bucks on Winchester deposits. Why do they need to do this like pre-order for a topper development? I I'm really worried about I mean that just what it just has to be a cash flow issue.
    11:06
    Pokemon will be a big seller. I will pass on but I know people that will get it that do not buy pins. Pokemon will pay my car insurance gas. Okay. Um, yeah. I gotta get I gotta get my um I gotta get my thing up and running so I can sell you guys some Pokemons. It's coming. It's coming. I'm working on it. I'm working on it. Sub dealer Canada coming 2026. Get ready. No shill though. If you want to buy a game, I'll get you the best price possible. That's That's it. I'll beat anybody's price by a dollar. That's going to be my tagline. What? Free shipping. You got it. What What else do people give you? and you're going to get the customer service and the warranty and the help you'd get anywhere else. It's going to be good. It's gonna be fun. Why not? You know, just order from me and I'll I'll take care of you. And I've got the biggest some of the biggest dealers and dros like as as like we're going to be working together. It's going to be fun. It's going to be fun. Uh it's pissing some people off though. They're going to try to block it. Watch. It won't work though. won't work. Too much too much momentum behind it. Uh let's see. Kiss remake. I prefer in I prefer an overhauled Aerosmith. Huh. Well, here's the thing. the remastered games. This whole strategy is just it's the the spooky stickers are back on my Neo Geo behind me. Do you see that? What what Killian has done?
    12:53
    Um the the whole remastered strategy gang is is a losing strategy for Stern because for every new buyer they're pissing off an old buyer that really wants nothing more to do with Stern. And that's just like it's you know what you know what the reason why they have to do remasters is because the new stuff's not selling well. They never did remastered games before and and they were fine. They're just not these new games are their new current inventory is just not not a hit. And so they have to go back and remake games that they think have more demand. The thing about it is this though too. See, I always think that, you know, I I I I think if you're gonna do a remastered, how do you get it so wrong with like The Walking Dead? How do you get it so damn wrong? Like, what were they thinking? I I I don't get it. Kiss Remastered is going to be nice. It's It's gonna be It's It's a nice to remaster. It's not the best game. It's an okay game, but putting the music pin, putting it with the bigger screen and the enhanced sound system and lighting, well, it's going to it's going to look great. If you own a Kiss, you're pissed. And that's all it comes down to. If you own a KISS right now, you're pissed off.
    14:39
    Kong. Kong. No. No. Albert, Kong is not gonna have Kong is never gonna catch a second wind. It's Kong is never gonna And look, I had Ed Robertson reach out to me and said for 10 years he's been taking pinball machines on tour with him and King Kong gets the most plays he's ever played a game and he considers Kong to be the best Elwin game ever. Okay. So, why isn't it selling well? Why did King Kong flop if it's such a great game? See, that's just my question. Why? So, why don't people want it? What, you know, and he and but here here's the thing is Ed loves the artwork on Kong. And I I would not argue because I don't think it's an argument. I my opinion is Kong didn't sell because of the artwork and Kong didn't sell because of the lack of theme integration. Okay. And that's why I think people stayed away from it. I think it's got a great layout and I think the theme integration is a total miss on it. [cough]
    15:55
    It's real for me it's like real simple. It's like you make a King Kong pinball machine and there's no Empire State Building in it. You know, there's just like there's just certain hard stop. What are we doing here? King Kong without the Empire State Building. Airplanes don't even move.
    16:16
    [clears throat] I don't know. You know, it's not really like the subway car thing is not really Kong's storyline. I I I I've watch I don't know. I've watched the King Kong movies. I don't really remember like a subway being a a major moment. and the whole sort of the island stuff mixed with the city stuff. I I think they they should have done it. It would have been cool if like the left side of the playfield was the island and the right side was the city, but the way it's all just like lumped together just doesn't I don't know. I look I'm happy watching these Kongs plummet in value.
    17:07
    You didn't watch creature double feature? What is that? Anyway, you know, I still don't think Pokemon's going to I don't think it's going to sell like people think. I I just don't I really don't. I think that Pokemon's going to do all right, but from what I'm hearing, it's very barren like Star Wars gang. So, do do you really think people are going to be dropping 13 grand, 10 grand on a Baron game? I I think what's going to happen with Pokemon is the Pro is going to be the way to go. I think the uh LE is going to not be worth it. Pokemon is a location game. Sure, I guess. But here's the thing. It's like what? I don't know why we keep saying that, too. Like are most people on location like Pokemon fans as opposed to buyers? I don't know.
    18:10
    But we'll see. We'll see. From what I've heard from people inside Stern, it is a mediocre game at best. And that Transformers is the one with the wow. And I've heard that from multiple people over there. So I don't expect from what I heard is like Pokemon will sell well because of the theme, but Pineds will find it underwhelming. It is what basically the consensus I've been getting on the game. So yeah, I think what's going to be exciting is when Pokemon comes out, we are then going to get uh Beetlejuices making their way out the door. That's going to be exciting. I don't think we're gonna see Winchester on the line until when do you guys think Winchesterers will start really being on the line? I don't think it's going to be until like April. That's that's you know, so we'll see.
    19:15
    Uh they're going to build the remaining dunes first because they're not going to do two lines. No. So, this whole thing of like Winchester is on the line, I it I don't know what's going on over there. Like I if Winchester was on the line, wouldn't we see like 10 to 20 games go out a week to consumers? So, I I don't know. I don't know. I don't think there's anything to worry about. I think everyone's going to get their game. I think Winchesterers are going to absolutely hold value nicely and I think Winchesterers are going to be for me the whole thing with Winchester because most people haven't played it. I just am not sure the game play is going to excite a lot of the people who bought it without playing it. But there are some people who play it who consider it to be phenomenal layout and there's others that consider it to be a difficult game that's a little frustrating. I have not played it enough to make up my mind on I only played it once. I've only played it once. So, uh it's it's a stunning game, though. It's an absolutely stunning game. Like, you walk up to Winchester and it it puts a smile on your face. It is a world under glass. It is so unique in its execution. It it just crushes theme integration. The whole Pepper ghost screen is so awesome. And again, that's why I love I really love the game when I think about it because I love the uniqueness of it. I love that nothing you own is anything like it and I love how just stunning it will be in a lineup. And again, these Barrels games, these spooky games, these JJP games, they next to a Stern machine, they make Stern machines look like cheap products. And this is the part where like I just don't get what George and Seth are doing. They Stern needs to like up it. They need to up it. They need to up the the way they do their cabinet decals. They need to up the lighting in the game. They need to improve more than they have. And I think they went the other direction. They cut they cut corners and they cut costs and the games are looking even cheaper than they did before. So I I really worry about that. And I think it's weird that they have this kind of like, well, we're making this. Well, yeah, who cares? It's it's quantity over quality in my honest opinion.
    21:50
    So, you know, that's um that's like not a good thing. And with everything being the same price, this is why I don't understand like Stern strategy, man. Sonic's going to crush them. Like, is Sonic is just going to crush. It's going to be fun though, cuz we're going to get Sonic and Transformers around the same time. Like, that's going to be a fun moment. I'll tell you this. I can't say much, but I'll just tell you this right now.
    22:18
    When you see Sonic the Hedgehog, it is gonna it will [clears throat] it will it it is not a pin, especially the CE. It is not a pin you're going to want to put in between other pins. Let me just say that. And it is going to have the most, I think, visually stunning cabinet that does something I've never seen any other cabinet do. And you're going to it's just so gorgeous. They they nailed it. It it's just it's just just you know Harry Potter is just again I I I keep saying this. Beetlejuice, Potter, Sonic, Winchester. These are the new foundational games of of Pinball Collections. Stern needs Stern needs a new Godzilla. They they need a new game that reminds everybody what they can do best. Now, from what I'm hearing about the culture over there, from what I'm hearing about the the teams, they're I don't think they're ever going to get there because they are they are literally at war with each other. They they are pointing fingers. They are blaming. They are no one's taking accountability for terrible decisions. And then, you know, Seth just brought in like a whole new outside of pinball team to try to write the ship and and he's gonna get Exactly. he's, you know, you know what's funny is I really I I didn't realize this until I've been on some panel discussions or or like let me back up a little bit. when when I when you listen to like MBA and business executives, entrepreneurs if you will, you know, when you think about retail products, there's direct to consumer and then there's like direct to retail, right? And the retail space. And so what Stern is trying to do unsuccessfully is change their business model to being more of a direct to retail organization, right? So selling games at Costco is a good example of that. and they don't want to, you know, it's almost like they think they can create a whole huge new demand for pinball going direct to retail. We see the sales of Stern machines on Amazon as well. I don't just I just don't think it's going to work. They pinball will always be a direct to consumer a direct to consumer product. That is where the sales are at. That is where the goodwill needs to be established. It's not something it's not a retail experience. You want it's a it's a you want a you want a intimate relationship with the company. You want to feel proud about ordering from the company. Uh and I think, you know, you're going to see some new stuff from Jersey Jack in that retail space. That's going to be exciting. I I got a sneak peek at something they're working on. More details are coming shortly on that, but they're going to turn the launch reveal moment. They're going to turn something on that's gonna, you know, just be a more exciting way to sort of explore a game at reveal, which is super cool. I you know what I really do give Brett and Leonard and and the team over there credit is they are constantly looking for ways to improve the uh consumer experience with their product and with their brand. And you know what I'm happy about Jersey Jack and I've been saying this lately is I love that they've sort of taken away like the FOMO with their games. Like we we're going to make the world's most high-end bespoke pinball machines that are the most expensive, but you're absolutely going to see the value. And if you want the best version of it, we're not going to keep that from anybody. It's a beautiful thing with them doing that model and then the boutiques coming in with the rare FOMO kind of games like Beetle and Winchester. It really is like do you need do we need these mass-produced stern machines now trying to pretend to be collectible which they're not and then everything else is mass- prodduced so it's everywhere doesn't feel again love stern machines on the used market new and box stern machines a fool's purchase and all the data I think was it loser kid who does the the market data now they do a great analysis of all you got to do is look at the data. You know, Zach Manny used to say numbers don't lie. Numbers don't lie. I think he used to talk about that in the context of how many viewers um his show got. But he's right. Numbers don't lie. Like the numbers just don't lie. And the the the secondhand collapse of stern pinball prices is it's concerning. Now, for some of you out there, you don't care. Like, I I I know dudes here, these guys. And again, I'm looking out at my neighbors. I'm looking out at my friends who live in New Kanan, my friends who live in like Westport, my friends who live in Greenwich. I mean, I know people who live in like $8 million houses, okay? You know, I I know people that are worth hundreds of millions of dollars. I know people that are worth nothing. I know people that are worth a few billion dollars. So for a, you know, for there's a decent number of of this community, it means nothing. Losing, you know, what is losing $3,000 on a game to a man that makes like 40,000 a day? And I mean that like I know people that make like 40 grand a day after taxes and I end up paying for their whiskey. I don't make that. I wish. Um, [clears throat] look, a lot of anxiety in this household. A lot of anxiety. There's uh stuff's happening with Brenda's company that's not great. My company got acquired. There's just a a general feeling that like I don't know like 2026 is not a year where people are feeling optimistic and energized. Now I on the other hand I've adopted a little bit of a sort of loud soo sort of daqing feeling on all of it. My whole thing is this as I get older. I'm almost 50 in September. K Saras is my whole thing. Whatever will be will be. You know life's going to throw us all curveballs. Life's going to you you know you can't expect tomorrow to be as lucrative as today. And ultimately I I I sort of I you know my dad would always tell me this. Just plan for the worst expect.
    28:56
    Never live above your means is something my dad always said. My dad would and he's still alive. My dad's great. He's he retired at like 58. Uh forced into early retirement in corporate America, but he had a successful career uh in he worked in a pharmaceutical company. uh did M&A uh much much more lucrative career than a dude working in public relations like Canada, his son Chris. Um but I I know that it it it's I'm I'm I'm very proud of my my parents and they came from no they came from nothing. Both of them didn't come from any money. They sort of worked their asses off and they they grew um and they they took care of their family always first and foremost. You know, my dad would always say, he watched people in his position, buy a second home, buy a boat, like do all this, like always buying and then when the career ended, those people just got destroyed. Like their lifestyles were way more expensive that they needed consistent consistent income at that level to maintain it all. And they were stressed out. They turned to alcohol, a lot of them, you know, they, you know, and so I my parents never drank really. I I they don't really drink at all. Um, which it was, they were always present. I mean, my my mom was always the one who raised us the most because my dad worked a lot. But when he stopped working, he's he's been around. He's been chilling. He's been driving like the elderly around. Like, he does. He's he's very active in the community. You're stressing me out, Jamie. What's up, brother? Nah, man. I look I I feel blessed just to have two beautiful kids and a beautiful wife, a beautiful house in a beautiful town in a world that is chaotic and crazy and depressing. It It is I I don't think I've really I I don't think any of us really thought in 2026 where we came from, right, ' 80s, 90s, music, culture, the fall of communism, MTV generations, right? All the optimism of the 1980s and the 90s has been replaced. And it's not gang, I'm not going to get really political here. It's not it's not Trump's fault. The world the world is a disaster. Like it literally. So what everybody has to do though is find your pockets of peace and find your community within the chaos that is out there. And when you find your community and your people, which we're we're like a tribe here, all of us, hopefully you have it in the towns you live in and the school systems maybe or or your, you know, I don't know, your alumni groups or whatever it is. And that's it. Like what I I I'm not I'm under no illusions that I'm going to go save the world by not eating tuna, okay? I'm not going to go block ICE agents with a car. Like, you know, I see this stuff happening in the world. I'm like, well, like I what did you expect would happen? You know what I'm saying? Like I was always taught if a police officer like you you you you put your hands on the steering wheel, you turn the lights on, you say, "Yes, officer." Yes. Like what is what do people really think they're like going to in interfere with people with guns? Common sense. Common sense.
    32:17
    Anyway, so this hobby of ours is awesome and we don't give ourselves enough credit. It it is this is like the best of when you think about the gaming world. We're a subculture within the gaming category, right? We're a subculture even within the arcade category. But what I love about pinball, man, it it's it's so analog. It's so still relevant and new and there's so much new stuff happening every year. And I love that the the like product is this finite amount of space that these organizations need to get super creative on what to put under that glass. You know, you know what I'm saying? got like 6 in and whatever it is like I don't know like 4 feet. You have to sort of put so much into such a tiny spot and then you're charging so much yet there are days in which I see someone on the train with a $100,000 Ptech watch on and I'm like man pinball's underpriced. You know what I'm saying? There's just moments where I'm like, why is that thing $100,000?
    33:46
    Why? It just does the same thing every other watch does. It's just jewelry for rich men to be like, "Look at me and my finance job. I got a seven figure bonus and my wife is banging the Pilates instructor."
    34:05
    You know how many divorced people are here? It's amazing. Like there's like so many rich divorced people here. Kids are with the ex and they they all you know what's funny about rich people is they tell you they tell you their life story without asking. I I've noticed this about rich people. They they have to tell you all the things that they should hold private. I didn't ask. Like you know what I'm saying? Like they just they just start telling you and then they tell you stuff that you shouldn't be telling people. Like you know what I'm saying? Like they it's like they're proud that their lives are these fractured family disasters. A family should stay together at all costs. No, unless unless it's bad, get a divorce. You know what I'm saying? Just don't murder anybody. I listen to so much true crime. I'm always like, why why did why don't these people just get divorces? Why do they murder people? Like, you really think you're going to get away with walking home one day and blowing away your wife? Like, yeah, man. Like not no back to pinball. Let's talk about Let's talk about Let's Let's let you guys call the shot. Spooky Pinball is in the house. You know, I saw the underside of Beetlejuice next to the underside of Winchester. What are you doing, David? David, it looks like I called it the spaghetti incident. What are you What's happening underneath Winchester? What What's going on? Like, can we Where where the cable harnesses? Where where's the It It looks like a prototype. It doesn't look like a production game.
    35:41
    So many hot married cheating women in dairy. Um, is that true, man?
    35:53
    I am so happily married. I love not I have no I would never I would never mess up what I have. I don't care how much I you could you couldn't no no no no no.
    36:09
    But you know what it is man Charles is like a lot of people get married for all the wrong reasons. Like they they marry the country club girl whose daddy is on the board and they they married for money and they earned every penny and then they're miserable. Brenda comes from no money. Like, and I I don't I don't I don't mean like she's they're like, you know, but they don't have like money. They They're just getting by. The First Church of Canada.
    36:38
    Franchie. Franchie and Brenda. A match made in heaven. Um, what do you guys want to talk about? [clears throat] You want to talk about Dutch real quick? I've been kind of elbowing Dutch a little bit. I I think Dutch needs something to happen. What's up, Don? Welcome to the party. But Dutch with this whole like topper gate and they're they're they're kind of radio silent again and they've instilled no confidence that they can handle Back to the Future. I I just worry about all of it. I worry about all of it because, you know, Melvin needs to sell those 333 Razas or they're you can kiss Back to the Future goodbye. I I I don't I think this thing is it's still like a 5050 if they don't really start being more open about the plan. And that's just the way it is.
    37:45
    They they really Frenchie. Have they been communicating with you, bro? Like I I feel like I don't know. I I feel this whole thing is going to be the Chinese democracy of pinball. And from, you know, I talked to someone who saw Back to the Future, the Whitewood, and you know, they they kind of were like, it needs more. And this is this is where I'm getting a little worried now because I just think it's getting designed in a little bit of a vacuum. And I don't I don't know, man. It's like it's really got to be hard for them. A company that hasn't continued to make game year after year. They haven't like constantly been improving. And that's what I think is going to be the big challenge for Back to the Future is like, you know, it's like Barry hasn't been honing his skills for 12 years and he hasn't been learning and and improving. And I think that's that's that's going to that's going to impact when I think about Back to the Future and it's going to be all three movies, which again makes me a little nervous. I don't really want the third one, but I guess it is a trilogy. Um, you know, it needs a hoverboard. I don't think it's going to have a hoverboard. It needs the clock tower. It needs the Delorean. It needs 88 mph. It needs a Delorean where the door opens up maybe and that's where you lock the balls. Um, or, you know, it'd be cool to have like the big flux capacitor would be neat. You know, maybe the one with the food processor, you know, and the and that's where you lock the balls and they come out. I don't know.
    39:37
    Winchester's Mystery House got made in a vacuum. I mean, look, I think Winchester's Mystery House, it'll always be a mystery how it really clicked the way it did with the community. It's um it's definitely, you know, it's it it's definitely um gonna make David feel overconfident about these obscure themes. So, we'll see what happens. I heard like I think it was Ralph said that maybe The Last Dragon is the Bruce Leroy movie is like the Shogun of Harlem is one of the themes they're considering. I mean, I kind of like that movie. You got the glow, you know? It could be cool.
    40:28
    For me, like what makes a pin cool is like you walk into a room and you see it, you're like, "Oh, man, that's cool. I want to I want to play that." Not sure I'm going to feel that way about Pokemon. Yeah. I saw in Pinite people are like, "Well, what happened to Indiana Jones?" John Borg fully designed an Indiana Jones game and then the license sort of had a kurfuffle with Disney and Stern pulled the plug on it. So there's a fully designed Indiana Jones Board game. It was Raiders of the Lost Arc. It was just that movie and it got shelved. Robocop would be cool, I think. Yeah, Robocop would be great. [cough and clears throat]
    41:12
    Disney wants more Crystal Skulls. Probably Labowski was a masterpiece. Is it still a masterpiece? I think like Labowski is um is a is a really cool pin. It really is. I I think it's a little shallow for a lot of people who are used to some of the more modern coded games. I think the intent was to make it more of like a Bali Williams sort of coded game. You can kind of see more of the game uh as you you know you can get through it more than some of these newer games. Labowski was the slowest. Yeah, the flipper feel. Dutch has got like those optical flippers or something. They're not the leaf switches. Not a fan of of of of their flipper feel compared to other machines.
    42:12
    Um, rich people are so interesting. Just ask them,
    42:29
    collector games like Big Labowski are looked at far more than they are played. Possibly. Uh possibly. I I think you definitely want to have some backups of the rug mechanism and the maybe even a backup of the lower bowling alley. But like, let's be honest, the lower bowling alley playfield, even though it does get a little old, is so cool. To to me, that's still like the coolest lower playfield in pinball history. Why not themes like the boys, Peacemaker, or something current? Well, because the current stuff just doesn't it doesn't have nostalgia. That's what it comes down to. And this is what's going to be the challenge for Fallout is like the problem with a lot of it and you know even like Stranger Things is like some of this stuff comes in and out of culture now. It just doesn't stick in culture and have like an indelible impression on people the way stuff from back in the day did. And it's just because now we are inundated with so much content that we long for simpler times and when movies and TV shows it just were simpler. And also they just introduced some of the coolest characters ever that we just don't get anymore. Like when was the last time you went to the movie theater and saw something as original as Back to the Future, right? or saw something as cool as The Matrix or something as unique as Fifth Element or something can't campy fun like Big Trouble and Little China. You know, there's a there's a there's a big problem in Hollywood now because everything is either these monster million dollar Marvel movies. There's no there's nothing getting green lit anymore that's like just camping fun. [snorts]
    44:36
    The Exorcist. I don't know. I think that would get kind of old pretty quickly. [clears throat] It's hard to do scary movies that aren't campy. You know, it's much better to do like Nightmare and Elm Street than The Exorcist.
    44:51
    You know, I I always think, and I'm just gonna look, I'm just gonna say this [clears throat and cough] because I think it would make an awesome pinball experience, and I think it would be the coolest world under glass. I think Titanic would work.
    45:07
    I think Titanic as a pin would be like would crush. I I'm serious. I'm not even joking. I think Titanic would be such a cool pin pinball machine. They would never be able to get the the rights probably, but I'd rather have a Titanic than an Avatar. That music on a pin and have the whole like ship lift up and the balls fall down. Like, think about how cool that would be.
    45:47
    I also think Phantom of the Opera, I keep saying like the fact that no one's made like a musical, whether it's Phantom or Wicked or you know what else is uh would be
    46:13
    the Pit. No, the office. We need The Office. There needs to be more comedic pins. I think comedic pins would do really well. Rocky Horror, maybe. Not really. As a boutique, maybe. I think Rocky Horror is a a three to 500 unit seller. Maybe.
    46:39
    Come on. And in Phantom, you could have the chandelier topper. You could have the the monkey, you know, when he plays Masquerade. I mean, come on. It's like right there. You could have the lower playfield be the boat, right? And have the smoke effect. You could have the g You could have the if you had the candalabbras come up from underneath the playfield. Can you imagine Phantom with like lighting like on a JJP pin like D, you know, the organ could be playing itself? I mean, it's all there. It's like the greatest world under glass. Phantom would sell tremendously well.
    47:19
    Office Seinfeld. Seinfeld would be great. Like his apartment and all the different moments.
    47:31
    You know, it's funny, too, because it's like almost every pinball person has a wife, right? And nobody makes anything that makes the wives go, "We're getting that." It's like there's moments when I look and I see like Jod Dankberg and I'm like, and you wonder why Stern's themes have been such a miss. It's Jody, man. Jody and Gary picking these themes. What should we get, man? Let's do Let's do Let's go to Slayer concerts. Mhm. You think they're on Broadway? No. Women do love Beetlejuice. Women do love Beetlejuice. The the the Deo the Deo mode in Beetlejuice is probably the coolest pinball moment I've seen all year. Would Would you guys agree? Is there a cooler pinball moment we've seen that beats the deo moment in Beetlejuice? And to me, that's all pinball is. Like, give me give me a series of moments that I want to get to time and time again. That's it. And then you have a great game. The Harry Potter wizard modes are pretty freaking awesome, too. But they're hard to get to.
    48:55
    We've been hearing Futurama for years, people. Where is it? Just make it. [clears throat] I'm going to go to the gym after this. Not going to lie, a little a little hung over today. Had a fun night last night watching Indiana, baby. Put a grand on it. One back 800. Woo. Woo. I should cash out. Should I take the Rams? I don't know. Do you think the Rams are going to cover a 10 and a half point spread? Does anyone follow football? Are the Rams going to cover? I just I I would not want to start a game down 10 and a half. I think it's a bad bet to make before the game starts. Is it raining in Carolina? [clears throat]
    49:37
    Yeah, the Jags are on on Sunday. Carolina money line. I know. It's just um [clears throat] I don't want I don't want to take it. I don't want to sports bet. I don't I gave up sports betting for a reason. For this reason. It's just so annoying watching games and it just d it's just degenerate behavior. So, I think I'm just going to cash out my 800 bucks and then do what I always do and just delete the app and just watch the playoffs and have fun and spend the $800 on, you know, food and drink this postseason.
    50:31
    Yeah, UFC [clears throat] bets is where it's at. I don't know, man. I think all betting is degenerate.
    50:40
    No, look, because because because I'm a degenerate better. All right. I I I I don't I see I'm I'm not the kind of guy that can bet like 50 bucks and just have 50 bucks on it. No, I I need a thousand on it because I'll hit the $50 bet, I should have bet a,000. That I have a problem. You know what I'm saying? Like, and so I know that. And so I I I don't sports bet.
    51:15
    Well, I I have an addictive personality, right? So, if I'm going to have I'm not going to go out and have one glass of wine. I'm not going to go buy a V6 Challenger. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm not going to do anything halfway. And because I know that I also like I work out a lot. I watch what I eat. I exercise. And it's like I try to find the balance.
    51:48
    You know, there's a great GQ article about it. It was written by their fitness guy who gave up drinking for three months. And he wrote a story that was basically how going sober kind of ruined his life. How it it it started to make his relationships with his friends all disintegrated. His relationship with his wife got really bad because it just he's like we just became I just became boring.
    52:20
    And you know, he talked about the cycle of like when you go sober, you kind of become a boy scout, how proud you are of yourself. And but the the thing is this is like there are, you know, and if you have a problem with it, yeah, like there's no there's no option like but [clears throat]
    52:44
    yeah, everything in moderation. But when I do drink, I'm like, "Yeah, I'm drinking." Like I I probably legally like binge drink. But always Uber. [clears throat] And if you're going to drive, make sure you don't drink too much. That's the key.
    53:08
    I think stress is the biggest killer. It's not It's nothing else, man. Stress is what kills everybody. And that's why I say like when you um like if you cheat on your partner, you're going to be stressed. You're going to think about it always. This is why you don't cheating stupid. It's like so simple. If your kids are not happy, you're going to be stressed. If you lose your job, you're going to be stressed out. All these things I am. [clears throat] But you can't control everything. Um, where's Pokemon? What do we think? When? We think it's going to be I think it's going to be next week or the week after or the week after that. I love when people on Binsside try to shame me like, "Well, can I just I'm just reporting when people are telling me, man. Like, I don't really care. I don't care if I get it right or wrong. You don't you don't listen to Canadas Pinball Podcast because you want like my to for me to be 100% accurate on the Pokemon teaser date. Nobody because here's the thing like 95% of my audience does not care about Pokemon. And you're probably happy for me to tell you that Transformers is the better game and just wait for Transformers. that that's I think I would say over half of my listeners really tune in because I'm their therapist that tells them they don't need to buy. You know what I'm saying? It's like you kind of just want like someone else to tell you like, "Yeah, it's cool, man. It's cool not buying these things. New inbox. It's cool. Be cool, man. Just chill and you you'll be happier."
    54:56
    It's an interesting thing, right? When you you you're happier in life with the less you have. It's just like a weird simple thing. The less you have will make you happier. Less to worry about, less to think about. [cough]
    55:16
    I think the sweet spot for pins in a home is like five or less for sure.
    55:25
    When I see these people with like 20 games, 30 games, I'm like, [clears throat] why? Why? You can't play them. Can't play them. Can't possibly play them. Stress can be controlled. Don't take things personal. Yeah. It's easier said than done, right? I think it's more about being able to share the things you have. [clears throat] Yeah. You know what makes me happy? Going out. Going out with my family. Going out on adventures. taking trips. Like I booked Japan. I am so like I don't know if I'm gonna have a job come September. Who knows? Brenda might not. I might not. I don't care. Tickets are paid for. [clears throat] Come hell or high water, we are going. I bought the non-refundable business class on ANA Airlines. It's called The Room. We got the seats by the window 5A. Uh to and from Tokyo to JFK. I'm going. I'm turning 50 once. I'm going for like two and a half for like 15 days. Something like that. I don't care. I only live once. You know, I say this to all you guys. Go to Japan. [clears throat] The money you are going to spend on a pinball machine, go to Japan. It will change your life. It will reset you. And you will see the last country in the world that has class. And I mean it. The rest of the world is a sh just psycho. The rest of the world is is rude. The rest of the world is selfish. The rest of the world is idiotic. They are not. You think Japan is letting people just like come on in and ruin ruin our Japanese culture, right? Like not like the Irish are doing that right now. Come into Ireland [clears throat] and ruin the Irish culture. Yeah. you know, for some weird thing going on in the world these days, like these these countries just want to hand over their culture. It's never the other way around. [clears throat and cough]
    57:36
    I I think it's beautiful when when you go to Japan and like 99% of people in Tokyo are Japanese, right? It's beautiful. It's beautiful. They don't bump into you. They don't curse at you. They don't spit at you. [clears throat]
    58:00
    You know, America is a melting pot. It's what makes America great. And I love America. But you also kind of feel like we're kind of good, right? I mean, you know, at what point are we just like, you know, like we're we got we got everybody from everywhere. We're good, aren't we? Good at this point. [clears throat]
    58:26
    You know, I it's it's it's like when I look at what's happening to Ireland because it's, you know, Brenda's country, I'm like I'm shocked at what they're doing. Like literally how they're just handing over their country to people from other countries. And you think the IR those those Irish people cannot go to like the countries and and do the same. They don't want they don't want you there. But you'll let everybody in, let them take, you know, take over, you know, and then they what happens is they they take over politically and that's that's the scariest thing is when I mean we're seeing it happening here too at times, but to watch like like what's happening in England, you know what I'm saying? where like England is being governed by non-English all the like like what what's like it's crazy it's crazy you know it's like being English you know this is and this is the byproduct of of like wealthy elite people they they literally are ashamed of their own heritage and so they just like come come take it and then yeah good luck
    59:38
    I mean, New York City is just just get to kiss it goodbye. I [clears throat] still love New York City because it's New York City. It's still the best city probably in America. Um, but yeah, what's what I love about New York is you'll never destroy it. Like, it'll get bad. It's going to get bad, right? It's going to go very socialistic. It's going to go like this. It's Mandani is going to destroy is going to like but then they'll get voted out and someone will come in and clean it up. I mean that's kind of like New York's thing and you know it's the yin and yang. You you'll take it all the way in that direction. [clears throat] You'll go bankrupt trying to give everybody free everything. You'll and then you'll push out. [clears throat] [cough]
    60:28
    I'm like, "Okay, feel better now." You'll just push out all the wealthy. It's like, look what's happening in California. All the billionaires are leaving. They're going to Florida.
    60:39
    There's a reason my boy Brett lives in Miami. You know, you go where the you go where they're they're not trying to steal your money.
    60:51
    Yeah. Look, Connecticut's not much better, but my taxes in this town are not too bad, but [clears throat] you know, I already saw they approved the uh speeding cameras now. They're going to put all over Connecticut. So, great. Cool. Just keep making it so we can't go above the speed limit.
    61:14
    Um, yeah, Nashville's beautiful. Nashville's fun. It's really fun. Nashville is like it's like the I think it's the bachelorette capital of the country, too. It's so much fun. There's that Nashville hotel in downtown that has the pool. I think it's the Hilton or maybe it's the other one, the internet. It It's got the pool at the top. It's like my favorite place to stay. And it's just you're just there. You got a cold beer in your hand. There's all these bachelorette women in bikinis just chilling. Everyone's friendly, you know, no one's creepy and it's And then you go downtown, all the live music, the barbecue, it's just like good old America, you know? It's like, yeah, it's beautiful Canada rightwing. I'm I'm a moderate. I'm a moderate. Like I I've watched Okay, how many of you out there have made it through all six episodes of
    62:17
    Heated Rivalry? You couldn't do it. You most of you couldn't make it through. I mean, it is it is graphic. Like the sex scenes in it. It's about two gay hockey players that fall in love. It is it is like as soft porn as it gets. But it's a good story. I'm very moderate.
    62:43
    I have more diverse friends than probably most people in pinball. [clears throat] [clears throat] I don't I don't like brag about it. I I don't I don't like brag about it. I don't show. Maybe you think I am right now, but I'm just saying I'm very moderate. But I just think I just my my politics is common sense. That's it. Common sense is my political point of view. Just common sense. Common sense, you know? And and I apply it to my thoughts on pinball. I apply it to my feelings about corporate America. Like common sense. Like for me it doesn't make sense if someone drives a company into the ground and then leaves with a $50 million golden parachute. Like I to me that doesn't make sense, right? It doesn't make sense, you know, if you're going to like cut people's benefits and then ask them to be motivated to push, you know, growth. Like common sense. like you everything's common sense. You know, when you um if you hire a team of people that are from New York City to give you marketing advice for a middle America brand, you're not going to common sense. That doesn't work. They don't know what it's like to live in rural America and like pound beer and go to rodeos, you know, common sense. It's like you when I talked about Jameson stripping out the Irish from its marketing, they did there was a Jameson TV commercial where they went down to the Dominican Republic and shot a Jameson commercial. The world's number one Irish whiskey. Every single person in the spot is Dominican. Common sense. Common sense. This is not why people love Jameson. But again, like this is like the the agenda and the pushing like woke culture doesn't make sense. It it is trying to strip what makes a man a man, a woman a woman, and what makes culture tick. And it like it had it had its two to three years. It swept through culture. It swept through Hollywood. It swept through the college campuses. It went it went into everything. And you know what? So many people caved. So many organizations caved. So many uh studios caved. They all caved to the pressure and it failed. And we're back. It's over. It's over. And the people holding on to it like the kids who poor kids who had to grow up and think like, yeah, man, this is this is normal. Like there's no such thing as gender, you know? Like you can you can identify as a furry and we're going to put a you know a cat bowl in the classroom for you so you don't feel left out. This shit's happening. Common sense. You're not a cat. Common sense. There's two genders. That's it. You can switch if you want. Cool. I'm not going to stop you.
    65:51
    But people are, you know, it's got crazy. It got crazy. Look, I I I always, what is it, Gandhi? You know, you got to be the change you want to see. Treat people the way you want to be treated. You know, all that. Like, if you're a man of God and you believe in Jesus and you know, you you you got to accept what people want, you know. But, you know, I think we got to a point where it wasn't about acceptance. It was about forcing people to accept things and forcing people to experience things that are unnecessary. You know what I'm saying? It's like, so I can watch Heated Rivalry and I go into it knowing that this is the story, but I don't want to go into like a Disney movie with my kid and like everything happening in it is like just an agenda pushed, you know, shoved down my throat. And I I don't want to have to explain to my kids at two or three complex sexual things that shouldn't be in these stories. It's just not cool. Like they're kids. They're not I I think the brain's not even fully developed to 22. So anyone making any like any of this stuff, like you're not really there yet. And we have to protect childhood at all cost. I mean, that's my thing, too. Common sense. It's just common sense. childhood is the most precious period. And these kids, they just, you know, and like they'll learn things like we have we have two amazing gay friends. They're getting married, right? And Killian says to them, "How can you get married? There's no woman." You know, he says it, right? It's like it was adorable that he said it. It was their their response was adorable. And it's like that's how you learn. You know what I'm saying? like in real life, like through people in in in safe spaces where it's you're comfortable to have these conversations. I you know, you shouldn't have to go and like just go see like Zootopia 2 and they're going to like throw it in your face.
    67:57
    The Stranger Things, like the whole Stranger Things, man, like it's like you know Will is gay. We knew it. But the fact that they had to like make that such a focal point of an entire like I feel like the whole season was about Will coming out and it's like and again it's like and the Duffer brothers are like we spent more time writing that than we did. Yeah. And it shows and that's why your final season sucked, you know? So it's like what? So why did you like you had all this great narrative going and you didn't answer most of it and you just spent so much time. It's like we didn't watch Stranger Things because we wanted to know Will's sexuality. And we watch Stranger Things to hear to to unravel the mystery of the upside down and you know how like Henry got to Hawkins and how Eleven got her powers all the like you know what that's why we watch Duffer brothers like come on but again common sense you go down this direction it's is what it
    69:05
    [clears throat] You know, but this is like this is why You know, but this is like this is why gang we grew up in the last period where there will ever be common sense. The world post internet, the world posts social media, it's destroyed everything. It's destroyed everything. It just like because everyone's so afraid now of the backlash of leaving stuff out. So they over they overcorrect, right? And I I think that's just what we're witnessing now is like this overcorrection to the point where look at what they've done to I know I'm on a little bit of a soap box, but look at what they've done. They really want people to believe that physically men and women are equal in strength, right? So like like they literally like you could have like if you watch The Last of Us, an 80 lb woman can beat up and kill a 250 lb muscular man, right? Okay. Okay. Like common sense. Women are amazing. I love women. Women Women make this world go round. Women are beautiful. Women are smarter. Women are have better attention to detail. Women like can multitask better. They they almost can do everything better than a man. They just can't kick a 60ard field goal. Even if you tell them they can, they can't. Like, and that's okay.
    70:51
    But, you know, look, these I I I I just think too the inability to have any like conversation around anything anymore too is is is tricky, right? There's a really good um really good [clears throat] podcast uh you know who one of one of um you know, one of my very liberal friends got me onto it on Pinside um and it's called Calm Versations, C A L M Versations. And it's just like a great podcast where they just talk about contemporary things in in a place where they're not afraid to say what is on their mind. And that's good. Like I think dialogue and conversation is great. This is why I love the pinball conversations we always have because it's like it's important that we look at things with a critical eye and we analyze stuff and we have a safe place to discuss it. Now, you know me, I never I never say like like hateful things. I don't really hate anybody. I mean, I forgave Dave Fix for what he did to me, you know? I I don't hate the guy. I don't I don't hate Andrew Highway. I don't like I don't I think a lot of there's a lot of flawed people in pinball, right? I think I think there's a lot of people that have made really bad business decisions, but I don't I I I think almost every crook, if you will, that came through pinball, Robert Mueller, Kevin Kulick, they were all self-inflicted gunshot wounds, though. There there is not a single crook in pinball. Okay, answer me this. There's not been a single crooked pinball where it wasn't immediately obvious that that they were never going to get it done. You know what I'm saying? Every single name me one croo pinball where there were not immediate red flags and people chose to ignore them because they had stars in their eyes because they wanted a machine. They let their their pinball love cloud their judgment. Okay, Scotty Haggus had nothing but red flags. Nothing. Nothing but red flags. They made a crappy game in Kelts and then they they when he did the factory tour, it should have been a red flag immediately. The second Damian showed what was behind his there was nobody working there, bro. Right away. And he missed every single deadline. And people still gave money. They went in on Centaur. Like literally, people gave money on Centaur when the entire Fathom was on fire. [clears throat]
    73:44
    See, Kelts was the bait. This is what crooks do is they they hustle people because they have it's like Andrew Highway, you know, what was it? Full Throttle. it it they even though they've achieved some version of success, that's what they bait you in with. But but remember like Kevin Kulick said he had the Predator license and was making the game in his mom's basement and people gave him money. Kevin Kulick, everyone knew that Arnold was beyond licensing. Everyone knew that. And yet Kevin Kulich, a redneck nobody from the middle of nowhere, secured the biggest movie star in all of Hollywood. And people, not only did they give him money, the pinball community rallied around him. Like we love Hilton now. It's spooky, but Hilton was his biggest cheerleader back in the day, right? Andrew Highway when he missed deadline after deadline and Canada was telling people it's going to collapse. People got mad at me, not him. Robert Mueller was the easiest. The thing about Mueller is he didn't really rob the pinball community. Everyone, you know what I'm saying? Like only like this many people lost because they bought a Raza. He robbed old ladies of their retirement money. He He robbed $61 million. And the last I heard, he's not even he hasn't even spent a day in jail.
    75:26
    The Alien Day video that Andrew Highway put up was incredible. Remember that Dave? if it was like the end of the day and it was like a dude with a screwdriver like
    75:40
    you know and that is why I'm glad that making pinball is hard because it's it's so easy to just like get hoodwinkedked and you know when we we haven't talked about the return I know we're almost at time they I I I went on more of like a personal hope you hopefully you guys enjoyed it I don't There wasn't much pinball news, but the return of American Pinball, to me, it's going to be a joke. It's going to be a joke. And I don't even understand. Again, common sense. They have a fully designed Cuphead game. Why don't they just release it? Why don't they just release Cuphead? I think they're going to I think they know that pictures are floating around. I Why would they not release Cuphead?
    76:32
    Cuphead looked good. It looked good. It looked like their best game to date. Maybe dial down the yellow a little bit, but it looked good. I've seen Jack Danger's prototype. It looks cool. The the tank girl game he's working on. I think Jack Danger will never design a bad game.
    76:51
    It's just that simple. I love Jack Danger. You know, if anything, American BMW should hire Jack Danger [clears throat] and give him, you know, give him the reigns. He's over there, right? They're in Chicago.
    77:08
    I My thing with American VIMO is I just don't think Mukesh really h knows what he's doing and I don't know how that's going to change. It seems like, you know, going through the door at American Pinball every day would be like a bad job.
    77:30
    Well, you know, it's funny when you hear the story and Josh Cougler about how David Fix thought that like Tank Force would also have like a prequel game and he went all in on it like thinking it would be the next big thing. It's just, you know, David had so many opportunities to make it work and he just never did.
    77:59
    It's just like it's a shame. But he, you know, is all talk. Remember when he used to say like, "Oh, we're going to add ramps to Hot Wheels." Never did. Loop-de-loop. Never did. Well, yeah. And I and I, as I said in my show, I think the karma is just going to be the big problem with them. Dan says there's licensing problems with Cuphead. Great. Good job, guys. Not securing the license. Just like it's just going to be a mess. It's going to be a mess. You know, in the end though, and I mean this, Galactic Tank Force will turn out to become a kind of like a cult pin amongst pin heads because I read people who have it, they kind of enjoy it. It It's It's like so weirdly different than everything else. And the code is so strange that it like I don't know. It's like it's can't be stupid. Like it's it's it maybe is one of these like it's so bad it's good pins. And again, I would much rather I would rather have a Galactic Tank Force than Stern's new Star Wars. I I I I'm being serious. I would rather have a Galactic Tank Force than Stern's new Star Wars. Because if you buy Stern's new Star Wars, you you've like you you've like reinforced a game that was rushed, a game that like John, hear me out, but if you buy Galactic Tank Force, and I mean like buy a signature edition Galactic Tank Forest for like 6,500, a game that was once 17,000, right? That's what I mean, though. I I would rather just buy it at its bottom and just have it as a It's a It's a conversation, man. And it it tanked the whole company and the stupid cabinet, it turns into a tank. Stupid. I I would put it in my, you know, where GNR is and just keep the backbox down and just, you know, make love to Brenda on it every day. Be beautiful. Be beautiful thing to do. Can't do that with Star Wars. Can't Can't put the backbox down and make sweet love to on a tank to your beautiful Irish wife. Can't do it. Can't do it. So, why you guys listen to Canad? What is What is he saying? Why do I give this guy $5 a month? Why do I feel compelled to sign up for a show right now as the other guys talk about wizard modes?
    80:25
    Wizard. I I really, you know, I I don't know, man. I feel like wow. It's it's it's it's
    80:38
    uncanny. It's uncanny the inaness of the directions I go in and that's what makes it fun. Makes it fun for me too. I have no idea what I'm gonna say. I don't even know. Barely played pinball this month. Who needs more coffee? Note to self, never played Canad's GR. Oh man, my G&R, man. I turned it on last weekend. Kids came over and it's just like and I turned it right off. I don't want to play it anymore. I I just I have I there is nothing left to see. [laughter] I don't care to get to No Sympathy for the Devil. I just don't even care. I don't want I I've seen it all. Like I'm Yeah, I I'm good. I'm good. It's still a It's still fun when new people come over and see it, but it's just Yeah. I need you to just like, you know, like, you know, I I'm dying for a game that I'm dying for like a Beetlejuice in here. I'm dying for Transformers. I'm dying for something like I mean, Fallout might even make its way. I think Fallout's going to be bigger than Pokemon. I said it. I think I think you guys are gonna like when you see the world of Fallout under glass and it's Elwin. It's got Hot Lucy on the back box. Yeah, you'll be into it. It's going to get you.
    82:08
    I'd rather be looking at Lucy all day long than freaking Pikachu. I'll tell you that.
    82:15
    I mean, Elton John is a way better pin than G&R. Way better pin. It's more fun to flip. Every shot's more fun to hit. The G&R is G&R is a dog. It It shoots like a dog. You It's such a slow shooting game, too, because you're always you're always like going up, you know, backhanding up the ramp to get the guitar lock going, but like it's just not fun. And then like all the balls are hitting you at the same time. Where Elton is like it's exhilarating. Elton John. It's exhilarating to start the multiballs. It's exhilarating to when the rocket she multiball happens. It's just the whole pin is just like you from the moment you plunge you're like it's so much fun.
    83:11
    No, Halo's stupid. Come on, guys. Halo. Halo's dead on arrival. They're They're not coming out with Halo. CGC is also another company that's like, who's left to care? They they do nothing. They do nothing to build a community. Why would you want to invest in CGC games? Why? Why? I I just I just as an organization, I don't know why you would support them. They they Who's like in charge? Why don't they talk to us? Why don't they get us excited about what's coming down the road? They don't do anything. Where's Mark Richie? Why isn't he out there talking? You know who's over there? Isn't like is Tim Son over there? Who's over there? Um M other Sharp is over there. But what? Like they don't do anything. They literally don't do anything to build a community.
    84:06
    Um no, I have not announced how we're giving away those Beetle Juices. It's coming. Don't worry. I will do something fun. You will get a shot at it. Franchie said, "I did art for a game for CGC six years ago. Still hasn't seen the light of day." Geez, Franchie, what game was it? Is the statue of limitations up on that, Franchie? Is it Halo?
    84:50
    The stuff that's in Franchie's head. I love it. Well, just call me up and I'll say it, Br. I mean, I don't even think you care anymore, right? It's like what? Like, they don't even like what could they do?
    85:15
    They I asked they stopped. Oh, then share it. [clears throat]
    85:22
    So weird. Like what's with like the lack of response? Like what? Like I don't understand. Like what? Like especially someone who's like working on stuff for you who has sensitive information, you stop responding. Like what a weird approach.
    85:43
    Everybody look, have a great Saturday. It is a little bit of a gray day here today, but it's fun. The football playoffs Indiana last night. We get to see football today, tomorrow. Playoff games are the best. Winner go home is such a fun time in football. Um, everybody, I love you guys. Thank you for subscribing to Canadians Pinball Podcast. If you are not a subscriber, please sign up on Patreon. It's only $5 a month. You're going to get shows galore. We have a shower. We have a shower. Come in here. Come in here. We have a shower. We have a shower. You had a shower. You had a shower. Byebye. Byebye. Bye-bye.
    86:23
    I will say being an older dad is it's exhausting, but it's fun. It's fun. Like, they're just so amazing. I The way kids are, I love it. We never really grow up. We never really mature past 16 as men. We don't We fool women into thinking we have, but they know. They know. They They know what we are. We're We're just teenage boys with more money. That's it. That's it. Sure, we can wisdom flex. We can like dress up. We can hold intelligent adult com. But we're still just like meow meow meow meow meow meow like like oh she's hot, [laughter] you know, like doesn't change. Doesn't change.
    87:17
    Yeah, we learned. Yes, boys do love their toys. They absolutely do. I it is funny. Sometimes I see like um and please don't take offense to this, but sometimes I'll see like uh dads that only have daughters and you could just see it on their faces like they're just like
    87:38
    but daughters are amazing. Like having daddy's girls is incredible. Um but you can see that some of them are like oh you know they're just like who's going to get into Porsche with me? [laughter] Everybody be good. Love you guys. Happy happy Saturday. Let's Let's Yeah. I mean, when they turn 16, everyone becomes a jerk. Later.