BDYETP 64: Valhalla, Elvira's 40th, Funhouse 2.0, Pinball Misadventures, Getting Connected, Pins of the Decades

TL;DR

American Pinball's Valhalla launches; Elvira 40th costs $25k-28k; Deep Root collapse recounted.

Summary

Key Claims

• American Pinball increased Valhalla limited edition from 300 to 500 units after initial sellout, breaking their limited promise

  high confidence · Hosts explicitly state the initial 300 sold out immediately, then increased to 500, noting 'you don't do that' and comparing to Stern's similar practice with Munsters

• Elvira 40th Anniversary quoted at $25,000-28,000 with only cosmetic upgrades over the $8,000-9,000 Premium version

  high confidence · Nick and Kevin explicitly state pricing quotes from Pinside forum and note the only differences are glitter, purple color, artwork, and accessories

• Stern's Thanksgiving code update broke the Magic Spinner mechanic on Led Zeppelin Premium and Black Knight Sword of Rage

  high confidence · Kevin describes personal experience updating his dad's new Led Zeppelin game where the Magic Spinner started releasing incorrectly after code update; confirms Black Knight also broken and later fixed

• Deep Root's Robert was a sociopath/narcissist who constantly changed designs, wasted millions of stolen money, and never shipped a game

  medium confidence · Deep Root correspondent Blueberry Johnson's emails summarized by Nick describing Robert's pattern of tinkering, rejecting work, changing specs, ordering expensive components unnecessarily

• Gladiator (Deep Root's game) was supposedly based on 3D Space Cadet but looks nothing like it

  high confidence · Hosts show video comparison of Space Cadet virtual table versus Gladiator physical design, noting significant layout differences

• Multimorphic's enhanced flipper kit with end-of-stroke switches improves accuracy and strength, allowing forehand shots previously impossible

  high confidence · Kevin beta-tested the kit before Sorcerer's Apprentice release and describes improved ramp accuracy and shot strength on Heist

• Funhouse 2.0 upgrade kit costs approximately $2,500-2,700 and includes Fast Pinball CPU, PinSound board, LCD mystery mirror, color display, and new artwork

  high confidence · Hosts detail all components from official announcement including pricing range

Notable Quotes

• “I was like, nah. I go, there never is. I've never had a code drop and had an issue on a pinball machine ever. And I've got to figure that they've had this code done for a while because they released like eight games or something ridiculous, right?”

  Kevin @ ~24:45 — Sets up the irony of his confident decision to immediately update his new Led Zeppelin Premium, immediately followed by a major bug

• “You do this to incentivize people to buy it, right? That's the trade-off, right? You just limit it, but you take a risk, but you also... The incentive's in your favor, but then when you're winning and it's tilting towards you, then you just jack it up again.”

  Nick @ ~12:15 — Articulates the business logic of limited editions and the frustration with moving goalposts once demand proves demand

• “Why not put some fucking glitter on it, change the color, charge like three times as much? Somebody's going to buy it. I would do that.”

  Kevin @ ~20:00 — Cynical but pragmatic take on Stern's luxury edition pricing strategy

• “Robert's just a complete sociopath narcissist, right? And, like, he had so much money and they didn't even produce a game.”

  Nick (summarizing Blueberry Johnson emails) @ ~31:00 — Encapsulates the Deep Root dysfunction narrative

• “You have people producing pinball machines in their basement and selling it, and he couldn't even do that.”

  Nick @ ~32:15 — Stark contrast emphasizing the absurdity of Deep Root's failure despite massive resources

• “There's a code update, but Led Zeppelin still messed up. So don't update Led Zeppelin until they fix that.”

  Kevin @ ~26:30 — Practical warning to listeners about a broken code update affecting new purchases

• “They got really nice one for the photos of this, but there's some of the modes. Yeah, that's cool. Looks really neat.”

  Kevin on Funhouse 2.0 @ ~17:45 — Acknowledges the visual appeal while implicitly noting the playfield condition required to use such a kit

Entities

Signals

• ?

  business_signal: Deep Root Entertainment narrative encapsulates complete startup failure despite massive capital injection; dysfunction attributed to leadership incompetence, scope creep, perfectionism, and possible fraud

  medium · Blueberry Johnson's insider emails describing Robert's constant design changes, rejected work orders, expensive component overspecification, zero shipped products despite years of operation and millions spent

• ?

  community_signal: Valhalla launch included coordinated location testing and streaming at multiple arcades simultaneously, suggesting manufacturer commitment to pre-release player exposure

  high · Hosts note game available at Jack Bar NYC and multiple other locations day-of-announcement; reference Buffalo Pinball Twitch channel 2+ hour stream with Riot Pinball tech Dave

• ?

  community_signal: Strong negative community sentiment on Pinside regarding American Pinball's limited edition bait-and-switch (300→500 units); hosts validate frustration as breaking trust

  high · Hosts reference forum discussion and state 'people were not happy,' criticize the practice as dishonest marketing despite actual product success

• ?

  design_philosophy: Gladiator's supposed basis on 3D Space Cadet layout is unrecognizable in physical form; hosts note raising glass mechanism is impractical for home ownership

  high · Video comparison showing Space Cadet virtual playfield vs. Gladiator physical layout with minimal correspondence; Kevin notes glass raising system prevents glass removal for ceiling-mounted playfields

• ?

  leak_detection: Deep Root's Gladiator and other unreleased machines detailed extensively through Blueberry Johnson's insider correspondence; detailed playfield photos and design documentation available despite non-release