DIALED IN! LAUNCH PARTY

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Mar 8, 2017

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.023

TL;DR

JJP's Dialed In! by Pat Lawlor launches in Europe with innovative tech and positive reception.

Summary

Pinball News covered the European launch party for Jersey Jack Pinball's *Dialed In!*, designed by legendary Pat Lawlor, held at Freddy's Pinball Paradise in Echzell, Germany in February 2017. The article showcases the game's innovative features (Bluetooth, selfie mode with face recognition, Quantum Reality Theater toy) and Pat Lawlor's cabinet design improvements, while also profiling Freddy's Pinball Paradise, a 600 sq. meter venue housing 170 classic and modern pinball machines that hosted the 2013 IFPA World Championships.

Key Claims

Pat Lawlor designed eighteen games throughout his career, including The Addams Family (1992) and CSI (2008)
high confidence · Article states Lawlor 'produced eighteen games throughout his career' and lists these as among his works
Pat Lawlor came out of nearly ten years of retirement to design Dialed In! for JJP, officially announced in January 2014
high confidence · Article cites JJP newsletter account: 'In January 2014, to much excitement in the pinball community, JJP made the official announcement that Pat was coming out of nearly ten years of retirement'
Dialed In! software was only about 30% completed at the launch party but felt very polished with many modes
high confidence · Article states 'Software was only about 30% completed, but, surprisingly, the game felt very polished with many modes to try'
Dialed In! is the first pinball game to feature Bluetooth connectivity and innovative 'selfie mode' with face recognition technology
high confidence · Article notes 'It is also the first game to feature bluetooth connectivity, and the innovative 'selfie mode' showcased the game camera. It employs face recognition technology'
Pat Lawlor designed the Quantum Reality Theater toy in Dialed In! using technology similar to Pinball 2000
medium confidence · Article states the toy was 'very impressive with a bright and crisp interactive floating image similar to Pinball 2000 for which Pat Lawlor was also a major creative force'
Williams Defender (1982) had only 369 units produced
high confidence · Photo caption in Freddy's collection: 'Rare 1982 Williams Defender in beautiful condition – only 369 made'
Only 150 Dark Rider conversion kits were produced by German company Geiger-Automatenbau
high confidence · Article quotes Andy: 'Only 150 of these conversion kits were made'

Notable Quotes

“In January 2014, to much excitement in the pinball community, JJP made the official announcement that Pat was coming out of nearly ten years of retirement to design an unlicenced game for JJP.”
Pinball News (summarizing JJP newsletter) @ N/A — Marks the pivotal moment Pat Lawlor returned to active pinball design after a decade away
“Move the electronics back in the backbox for ease of access and added reliability. Redesign the cabinet for better acoustics. And Improve serviceability access of cabinet head.”
Pat Lawlor (from Pinball Magazine interview) @ N/A — Reveals Lawlor's design philosophy prioritizing serviceability and hardware improvements alongside gameplay
“Software was only about 30% completed, but, surprisingly, the game felt very polished with many modes to try.”
Pinball News @ February 2017 — Indicates early-stage software development but solid gameplay foundation, suggesting positive community reception likely
“With a constant line to play the game during the whole event, and judging from the very positive reception of the game, one may guess there were quite a few games ordered that day.”
Pinball News @ February 2017 — Documents strong demand and positive player response during the European launch event

Entities

Pat Lawlorperson Jersey Jack PinballcompanyDialed In!gameAlfred Pika (Freddy)personFreddy's Pinball ParadiselocationAndy HengstebeekpersonJack Guarnieriperson The Addams Family

Signals

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event_signal: Dialed In! European launch party benefited local kindergarten through admission fees and donations; professional tour scheduled across multiple European locations following initial launch
high · €3 admission fee and food/beverage donations benefited local kindergarten; game scheduled to travel to Milan, Le Treport, Austria locations through April 2017
?
design_philosophy: Pat Lawlor prioritized cabinet serviceability and accessibility improvements alongside gameplay innovation; cabinet redesign moved electronics to backbox and improved LCD mounting with swinging arm mechanism
high · Article quotes Pat's design goals: 'Move the electronics back in the backbox for ease of access and added reliability. Redesign the cabinet for better acoustics. And Improve serviceability access of cabinet head.'
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market_signal: Strong demand for Dialed In! at European launch event; article notes constant lines to play machine and suggests multiple advance orders placed during event with discounted pricing
high · Article states: 'With a constant line to play the game during the whole event, and judging from the very positive reception of the game, one may guess there were quite a few games ordered that day'
?
personnel_signal: Pat Lawlor's multi-decade return to active pinball design after ~10 years of retirement; JJP successfully recruited legendary designer for new original title
high · Jack Guarnieri invited Pat to tour JJP facilities in 2011; official announcement of Pat's return made January 2014; Dialed In! is his first design since CSI in 2008
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Topics

Pat Lawlor's return to pinball designprimaryDialed In! innovative features and technologyprimaryJersey Jack Pinball European launch strategyprimaryFreddy's Pinball Paradise venue and collectionprimaryPinball history and legacy gamessecondaryRare pinball machines and conversion kitssecondaryCabinet design and serviceability improvementssecondaryPinball hardware technology evolutionmentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— Article conveys enthusiasm for Pat Lawlor's return, positive reception of Dialed In! at launch, and deep respect for Freddy's Pinball Paradise collection and community contributions. Neutral/factual reporting tone with implicit admiration for craftsmanship and history.

Transcript

raw_text · $0.000

Date: February 2017 Location: Freddy's Pinball Paradise, Echzell, Germany As the European Jersey Jack Pinball Master Distributor, Alfred Pika, aka Freddy, hosted the European launch of JJP’s latest Dialed In! pinball machine designed by the legendary Pat Lawlor. The venue was Freddy’s Pinball Paradise In Echzell. !Freddy looks on as attendees try out Dialed In! Freddy (left) Attendance at the launch party was by pre-registration. The modest entry fee of €3 ($3,17/£2.60), as well as any donations for the available food and drinks, benefited a local kindergarten. There was one prototype LE machine for the couple of dozen attendees to try out. Software was only about 30% completed, but, surprisingly, the game felt very polished with many modes to try. !All eyes on the game All eyes on the game Pat Lawlor is one of the greatest pinball designers of all time, having designed many beloved tables, including the record selling 1992 The Addams Family, and his last Stern game CSI in 2008. Lawlor began designing pinball machines in 1987 and produced eighteen games throughout his career, including many of the best-selling games in the history of the industry. Jack Guarnieri recently recounted in the JJP newsletter how Pat’s return to pinball came about. Back in 2011, Jack rented a building in Harvard, IL from Pat and invited him to see the work JJP was doing on the The Wizard of Oz. As Pat witnessed first-hand JJP’s vision embodied in the making of their first game, he started toying with the idea of coming back to the industry. In January 2014, to much excitement in the pinball community, JJP made the official announcement that Pat was coming out of nearly ten years of retirement to design an unlicenced game for JJP. !Pat and Jack Pat and Jack (picture: Jersey Jack Pinball) During the design of the game, Pat took the opportunity to revisit the actual cabinet design. In an interview with Pinball Magazine, Pat outlined his initial design goals: Move the electronics back in the backbox for ease of access and added reliability. Redesign the cabinet for better acoustics And Improve serviceability access of cabinet head. One of the most impressive serviceability design we saw was the new LCD mount. After you remove the translite, the LCD screen is mounted on a impressively smooth swinging arm which extends and pivots to either side to provide full access to the cabinet head electronics. !Andy Hengstebeek, Freddy's right hand pinball man, shows the underside of the playfield Andy Hengstebeek, Freddy’s playfield It is also the first game to feature bluetooth connectivity, and the innovative ‘selfie mode’ showcased the game camera. It employs face recognition technology to capture portraits of the player and close bystanders. This mode and the cascading ’emoji mode’ were big hits with the attendees. !The innovative selfie and emoji modes The innovative selfie and emoji modes The crossing hashlines inserts in the playfield are a familiar sight from the Wizard Blocks prototype game that Lawlor sadly never got to complete due to WMS Industries shutting down their pinball division in 1999. The Quantum Reality Theater toy in the middle was very impressive with a bright and crisp interactive floating image similar to Pinball 2000 for which Pat Lawlor was also a major creative force. !Dialed-In! overhead view Dialed-In! overhead view The event was also the last day to order the game from Freddy at specially-discounted advance ordering prices. With a constant line to play the game during the whole event, and judging from the very positive reception of the game, one may guess there were quite a few games ordered that day. In addition to the monthly openings of Freddy’s Pinball Paradise, the game will also be travelling around Europe to these upcoming events: March 15th – 17th, Milan, Italy, Double Pinball showroom. April 1st & 2nd, Le Treport, France, Flip Expo. April 8th & 9th, Oberösterreich, Austria, Comic Con. April 13th &14th, Badendorf in der Steiermark, Austria, ‘Auf Die Kugeln Fertig Los 3.0’ tournament. Freddy’s Pinball Paradise On the outskirts of the small village of Echzell, a 45- minute drive north of Frankfurt, it’s hard to miss these two pinball machines, beacons to all aficionados of the silver ball. !A welcoming sight A welcoming sight A closer inspection reveals no coin doors, leg mounts or bracket backbox hinges. We can all breathe easy as it seems no game was sacrificed for the making of these ingenious props. !Screen capture of a drone video from Freddy’s facebook page Screen capture of a drone video from Freddy’s Facebook page The store is on the left side, while the pinball hall is on the right. The hall is impressively spacious at 600 square meters (~6,500 sq. feet), a hint of its previous incarnation as a supermarket. The walls are adorned in a country and western decorative theme, with horse saddles, wagon wheels and horseshoes. It houses about 170 pinball machines on free play, from 1960s electromechanical games to the latest Stern and JJP machines. The shop was founded in the summer of 2012 and the Pinball Paradise hosted the 2013 IFPA World Championships. !Alfred Pika, a.k.a. Freddy Alfred Pika, aka Freddy Freddy started buying and fixing games in his basement when he was just 14-years-old. Along the way he also started a successful business, Pika Autoteile GmbH, which sells parts and accessories for US made cars. His right hand man for all things pinball related is Andy Hengstebeek. Andy is the main caretaker of the collection and he also looks after the shop. !Dark Rider conversion game for 1979 Bally Star Trek Dark Andy told me about the rare Dark Rider conversion game in the collection from German company Geiger-Automatenbau. Only 150 of these conversion kits were made. Andy found this game in an old gym. The playfield was completly white from rubbers having disingrated, but the playfield was pristine underneath. He explained that these Geiger conversion kits came out a few years after the originals, and by then usually people had moved on to the latest pinball playfield layout and feature gimmicks. In addition to all the popular WMS and Stern DMD games, the many solid-sate and Electromechanical machines there are many notable games at the Paradise, such as Cactus Canyon Extended, Atari’s Hercules, Akkon Automaten’s Sexy Girl, and the following games: !Rare 1982 Williams Defender in beautiful condition - only 369 made Rare 1982 Williams Defender in beautiful condition – only 369 made !1985 Bally Cybernaut 1985 Bally Cybernaut !1979 Bally Paragon, European version with only 3 flippers 1979 !1984 Bell Games Tiger Rag conversion 1984 Bell Games Tiger Rag conversion !1984 Bell Games Super Bowl conversion 1984 Bell Games Super Bowl conversion !Geiger La Retata LA Police conversion kit for 1986 Williams High Speed Geiger Speed !Geiger Lady Death conversion for 1978 Bally Mata Hari Geiger Freddy also sells the convolux plastic protectors which Pinball News had the opportunity to review in 2014. !Convolux plastic protectors Convolux plastic protectors Many of the games at the Paradise were outfitted to showcase these protectors. Here, on two 2013 Stern Star Treks*, you can see how much Convolux protectors can change the mood of a playfield. !Star Treks with the Convolux plastic protectors Star Trek with red Convolux plastic protectors yellow Convolux plastic protectors Here are some pictures of the inside of the Paradise. !Inside Freddy’s Pinball Paradise Inside Freddy’s Pinball Paradise Freddy’s Pinball Paradise is open once a month, usually the last saturday of the month. Current admission prices are €18 for adults and €10 for children aged 12-16 years. More details are available at: !A nice last look at the end of a fun day of pinball A pinball