Dutch Pinball Secures Big Lebowski Licence

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Dec 27, 2013

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.016

TL;DR

Dutch Pinball secures Big Lebowski license; preorders open for 2015 release.

Summary

Dutch Pinball announced on December 27, 2013, that it has secured an exclusive global license from Universal Partnerships & Licensing to produce The Big Lebowski pinball machine. The company teased the announcement at Pinball Expo with flyers and a countdown website. Pre-orders opened immediately with pricing at €7,550 (EU) or $8,500 (US) plus tax, with first units scheduled to ship in Q2 2015 approximately 15-18 months away.

Key Claims

Dutch Pinball has obtained an exclusive global license from Universal Partnerships & Licensing (NBCUniversal) to manufacture The Big Lebowski pinball machine
high confidence · Official press release from Dutch Pinball dated December 27, 2013, announcing the licensing partnership
First units of The Big Lebowski pinball are scheduled to ship in Q2 2015, approximately 15-18 months from the announcement date
high confidence · Official press release stating 'first units due to ship in the second quarter of 2015'
The Big Lebowski pinball will be manufactured at a new Dutch Pinball facility in the Netherlands
high confidence · Official press release: 'Machines will be made in the Netherlands at a new Dutch Pinball facility'
Pricing for The Big Lebowski pinball is €7,550 (including 21% VAT) in Europe or $8,500 in the US plus tax
high confidence · Official pricing information in press release
The Big Lebowski was initially released as a film in 1998 and has become a cult classic
high confidence · Quoted from official press release describing the film's cultural status

Notable Quotes

“The Big Lebowski Pinball gives Pinheads and Achievers an unprecedented opportunity to experience the film first-hand by immersing them in the storyline and allowing them to interact with the classic characters we all love. As tremendous fans of the movie, we are all thrilled to have received this license from Universal so we can finally bring The Dude where he belongs, to the playfield.”
Barry Driessen, Creative Director and Chief Designer of Dutch Pinball @ December 27, 2013 press release — Official statement establishing Dutch Pinball's enthusiasm for the project and design philosophy emphasizing immersion and storytelling
“With stunning visuals, in-depth rules, full stereo sound and classic film clips, Dutch Pinball's The Big Lebowski Pinball Machine brings players directly in The Dude's world.”
Official press release description @ December 27, 2013 — Describes the core feature set and design approach for the machine

Entities

Dutch Pinballcompany The Big LebowskigameUniversal Partnerships & LicensingorganizationBarry DriessenpersonJaap NautapersonPhilip WeinbergpersonPinball ExpoeventNBCUniversalorganization

Signals

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business_signal: Dutch Pinball's facility expansion indicates confidence in manufacturing capacity and market demand for licensed titles
medium · Press release states 'new Dutch Pinball facility' being built in Netherlands for production
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licensing_signal: Dutch Pinball secures exclusive global license from NBCUniversal for The Big Lebowski IP, establishing the company as a legitimate licensed manufacturer and opening access to major film IP
high · Official press release from Universal Partnerships & Licensing dated December 27, 2013, confirming exclusive global production rights
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market_signal: Dutch Pinball pricing The Big Lebowski at €7,550/$8,500 establishes entry point for modern licensed pinball machines in the mid-range premium tier
high · Official pricing announced: €7,550 including VAT for EU, $8,500 for US plus tax
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market_signal: Coordinated teaser campaign at Pinball Expo with countdown website and themed flyers (Twin Peaks references) demonstrates sophisticated pre-launch marketing strategy
high · Article describes teaser flyers distributed at Pinball Expo and dudepinball.com countdown clock reaching zero on announcement date
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announcement: Official announcement of The Big Lebowski pinball machine with confirmed specifications, pricing, and timeline
high · Press release with manufacturer details, pricing structure (€7,550 EU / $8,500 US), and Q2 2015 ship date

Topics

Licensing and IP acquisitionprimaryNew manufacturer product launchprimaryPricing and preorder strategyprimaryManufacturing facility expansionsecondaryMarketing and teaser campaignsecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— Announcement is celebratory and forward-looking. Dutch Pinball expresses genuine enthusiasm for the license ('tremendous fans of the movie'). No negative commentary or concerns are present. Professional press release tone combined with excited creative director statement creates optimistic sentiment about the project's future.

Transcript

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Date: 27th December, 2013 They stirred up a lot of interest at Pinball Expo by distributing teaser flyers and set up a website with a countdown clock which ended today, now the big secret has been at least partially revealed. Python with the girls from Twin Peaks distributing flyers The flyer hinted at a pinball based on the movie The Big Lebowski starring Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey Lebowski (a.k.a. The Dude) and John Goodman as Walter. The teaser flyer The dudepinball.com website featured a countdown clock which reached zero today and right on cue, a press release from Dutch Pinball arrived in the Pinball News inbox revealing, if not all, then at least something. Dutch Pinball - makers of the Bride of Pinbot DMD conversion kit - will be obtaining a licence from Universal Partnerships and Licensing (part of NBCUniversal) to make a Big Lebowski pinball. Now TheBigLebowskiPinball.com has launched to take the familiar pre-orders with this equally teasing video... ...and this press release: UNIVERSAL PARTNERSHIPS & LICENSING SIGNS DUTCH PINBALL BV AS GLOBAL LICENSEE FOR THE BIG LEBOWSKI PINBALL MACHINE REUVER, THE NETHERLANDS, December 27, 2013 — Dutch Pinball BV announced today that they will partner with Universal Partnerships & Licensing (UP&L) as the exclusive licensee for the global production of The Big Lebowski Pinball Machine. The announcement was made by Dutch Pinball President Jaap Nauta. The Big Lebowski, which was initially released in 1998, has become a cult classic, elevating The Dude to cultural icon status. With stunning visuals, in-depth rules, full stereo sound and classic film clips, Dutch Pinball’s The Big Lebowski Pinball Machine brings players directly in The Dude’s world. “The Big Lebowski Pinball gives Pinheads and Achievers an unprecedented opportunity to experience the film first-hand by immersing them in the storyline and allowing them to interact with the classic characters we all love,” said Barry Driessen, Creative Director and Chief Designer of Dutch Pinball. “As tremendous fans of the movie, we are all thrilled to have received this license from Universal so we can finally bring The Dude where he belongs, to the playfield.” Preorders for The Big Lebowski Pinball Machine are now available on www.thebiglebowskipinball.com. About Dutch Pinball Dutch Pinball’s global headquarters is in Reuver, The Netherlands. By bringing together a team of creative, expert and fun-loving pinheads, it has quickly established itself as an innovator in developing and delivering players ground-breaking, and fully immersive pinball experiences through state-of-the-art interactivity, exciting and indepth rules, and most importantly, engaging storytelling. About Universal Partnerships & Licensing Universal Partnerships & Licensing (UP&L) oversees Universal’s consumer product licensing, film and home entertainment promotions, and all corporate alliances for Universal’s theatrical, home entertainment, theme parks and stage productions. This dedicated division is also responsible for monetizing the Studio’s vast library of films and characters through licensing, branding and marketing opportunities. UP&L is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. Contact Philip Weinberg (Director of Marketing and Communications) Dutch Pinball BV info@thebiglebowskipinball.com Machines will be made in the Netherlands at a new Dutch Pinball facility, with the first units due to ship in the second quarter of 2015, approximately 15-18 months away. The cost of the game will be €7,550 including European VAT at 21%, or $8,500 in the US plus tax. In both cases shipping is extra, although US and Canadian orders will ship from Park Ridge, Illinois. Buyers outside the EU and US can buy the game for €6,240 but must pay all applicable taxes and shipping themselves. Pre-order payments are staggered with an initial €800/$1,000 deposit followed by five more payments of €1,350/$1,500 starting on 1st April, 2014. Until then, the deposit is fully refundable. As more is revealed, we'll bring you all the latest news about Dutch Pinball's The Big Lebowski pinball right here at Pinball News. Back to the News page Like this page? Share it with your Facebook friends: Back to the front page