Why Pulp Fiction Pinball Was Announced So Early, Pulp Production Update, New Gameplay Video & More

Knapp Arcade·article·analyzed·Jul 25, 2023

Analysis

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TL;DR

Pulp Fiction's early announcement was licensing-mandated; shipping targeted for October 2023.

Summary

Chicago Gaming Company announced Pulp Fiction pinball early (pre-March 31, 2023) due to licensing agreement requirements. The license is valid for many years. Josh (CGC) confirmed the game is code-complete and inventory is ready, with October 2023 target shipping date. The game's distinctiveness from other March 2023 releases mitigated early announcement concerns.

Key Claims

Pulp Fiction pinball had to be officially announced prior to March 31, 2023 per licensing agreement
high confidence · Direct conversation with Josh (CGC), reported by Knapp Arcade author
Pulp Fiction license is 'good for many years to come in the future'
high confidence · Direct quote from Josh via Knapp Arcade interview
Code for Pulp Fiction is functionally complete and has been for over a year, almost two years
high confidence · Direct quote from Josh regarding game development status
Inventory is ready for Pulp Fiction with October shipping target
high confidence · Josh stated 'bunch of inventory ready to go' and 'October shipping' mentioned
IFPA will likely eclipse 10,000 sanctioned pinball tournaments in 2023
medium confidence · Josh statement during interview, using 'likely' qualifier

Notable Quotes

“In terms of code [being] functionally complete, the entire game is in and has been for over a year. Almost two years probably. It will be done when it ships, as it should be.”
Josh (Chicago Gaming Company) @ N/A — Clarifies development timeline and readiness status of Pulp Fiction code
“I would love to be able to tell you. I don't know. I know that there is a bunch of inventory ready to go and stuff is happening. They said October shipping...so I hope before October 1st games will start to leave the factory.”
Josh (Chicago Gaming Company) @ N/A — Addresses shipping timeline uncertainty while confirming production readiness
“the Pulp Fiction license is 'good for many years to come in the future'”
Josh (Chicago Gaming Company) @ N/A — Confirms long-term licensing security for continued support and updates

Entities

Chicago Gaming CompanycompanyPlay MechanixcompanyRaw ThrillscompanyJoshpersonPulp Fiction PinballgameGonzo's Pinball FlipperamaorganizationIFPAorganization Knapp Arcademedia

Signals

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business_signal: Strong sales and positive community reception of Pulp Fiction validates early announcement strategy despite market saturation from March 2023 release avalanche
medium · Given the strong sales and rave reviews for Pulp Fiction pinball, that seems to have been the correct read on the situation
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competitive_signal: Chicago Gaming Company differentiated Pulp Fiction as distinctly different from other March 2023 announcements to mitigate competitive cannibalization concerns
medium · Companies decided that Pulp Fiction pinball is so different than any of the other games that were announced in the March 2023 pinball avalanche that they weren't very concerned about losing out on business
?
licensing_signal: Licensing agreement required mandatory announcement prior to March 31, 2023 deadline; demonstrates IP holder control over announcement timing and commercial strategy
high · Per licensing agreement for Pulp Fiction, they had to officially announce the game prior to March 31, 2023. If not, company would be forced to amend the licensing agreement.
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announcement: Pulp Fiction pinball receives new gameplay video release; continued media support and promotional activity
high · Josh sent link to brand new Pulp Fiction gameplay video uploaded to YouTube
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product_strategy: Pulp Fiction shipping delayed; October 2023 target mentioned but uncertainty expressed by Josh ('I hope before October 1st')
medium · Josh: 'I would love to be able to tell you. I don't know... They said October shipping...so I hope before October 1st games will start to leave the factory'

Topics

Licensing agreements and early game announcementsprimaryPulp Fiction pinball production timeline and shippingprimaryGame development status and code completionprimaryChicago Gaming Company business strategysecondaryIFPA tournament ecosystem growthsecondaryMarch 2023 pinball release avalanche and market differentiationmentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.75)— Article is favorable toward Pulp Fiction's prospects, with 'strong sales and rave reviews' noted and author expressing anticipation for shipping. Josh's statements convey confidence in the project despite timeline uncertainty.

Transcript

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Pinball people are always asking, why did Chicago Gaming Company and Raw Thrills / Play Mechanix' announce their Pulp Fiction pinball machine so far in advance of it going into production. Well, I have an answer for you! Per the licensing agreement for Pulp Fiction, they had to officially announced the game prior to March 31, 2023. If the game was not announced prior to that date the Company would have been forced to amend the licensing agreement. Announcing it then was the path of least resistance. According to a recent direct conversation that I had with Josh on the subject, the Pulp Fiction license is "good for many years to come in the future." The Companies decided that Pulp Fiction pinball is so different than any of the other games that were announced in the March 2023 pinball avalanche that they weren't very concerned about losing out on business to the other launch titles. Given the strong sales and rave reviews for Pulp Fiction pinball, that seems to have been the correct read on the situation. When asked the question about when is Pulp Fiction going to "hit the streets" Josh responded: "I would love to be able to tell you. I don't know. I know that there is a bunch of inventory ready to go and stuff is happening. They said October shipping...so I hope before October 1st games will start to leave the factory. On the rules of Pulp Fiction: "In terms of code [being] functionally complete, the entire game is in and has been for over a year. Almost two years probably. It will be done when it ships, as it should be." Also of interest in the interview, Josh stated that the IFPA, which he is head of, will likely eclipse 10,000 sanctioned pinball tournaments in 2023. Kudos to Gonzo's Pinball Flipperama and Josh for the great interview. I can't wait to see Pulp Fictions start to ship out and be available at more locations and on more streams! I have embedded the YouTube video of the interview below for anyone who is interested in checking it out. Also, hot off the press, Josh sent me a link to a brand new Pulp Fiction gameplay video that he uploaded to YouTube an hour ago. I've included that below as well.