Leaked Cheddar

This Week in Pinball·article·analyzed·May 15, 2026

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.025

TL;DR

Stern leaks Transformers; World Pinball prices Resident Evil; Pedretti confirms Arabian Nights remake.

Summary

Stern officially announces Transformers pinball (G1-based, code-named Cheddar) and immediately leaks playfield details via the Insider Connected app due to content management platform coordination issues. World Pinball reveals pricing and premium features for Resident Evil (haptic feedback, vibrating platform). Pedretti confirms Tales of the Arabian Nights remake at $10,000–$11,000. Paul Melio's debut feature examines the homebrew-to-pro pipeline via Pinforge.

Key Claims

Transformers pinball is based on early G1 cartoon with Peter Cullen attached
high confidence · Stern official teaser trailer, reported by This Week in Pinball
Stern leaks were sourced from Insider Connected app going live prematurely, not from a distributor or employee
high confidence · This Week in Pinball analysis of leak mechanics
Stern maintains content across four separate platforms: SternPinball.com (Wordpress), shop.sternpinball.com (Shopify), Insider Connected (custom app), and Webflow landing pages
medium confidence · This Week in Pinball editorial observation based on prior research
World Pinball Resident Evil Collector's Edition ($22,353.64 USD, 100 units) includes vibrating platform, haptic-feedback flipper buttons, and mini-playfield with on-playfield camera
high confidence · World Pinball official pricing and feature details reported by This Week in Pinball
Pedretti Tales of the Arabian Nights remake priced at $10,000–$11,000 in two trim levels
high confidence · Pedretti official confirmation reported by This Week in Pinball
Elizabeth Gieske is the Lead Programmer on Transformers (her first as lead coder)
high confidence · Leaked Transformers game credits from Insider Connected app
Rob Blakeman is Lead Mechanical on Transformers
high confidence · Leaked Transformers game credits
Tom Kyzivat is Lead LCD Artist on Transformers
high confidence · Leaked Transformers game credits
Stern dealer/distributor visit scheduled for the 19th, media day on the 20th
high confidence · This Week in Pinball reporting on Stern reveal schedule
Pedretti and Team Pinball dispute described as 'fairly routine business dispute' with limited concrete information available

Notable Quotes

“Like typical Stern teasers, we don't learn a whole lot beyond the theme and a few nuggets — in this case, that the game is based on the early Transformers cartoon (I'm gonna say G1, though I'm admittedly not up to snuff on my Transformers lore), and that Peter Cullen seems to be attached.”
This Week in Pinball editor — Confirms Transformers is G1-based with voice actor Peter Cullen; shows editorial self-awareness about IP knowledge gaps
“Not even an hour after the trailer dropped, people noticed playfield and translite photos were live on the Insider Connected app. Oops.”
This Week in Pinball editor — Highlights the accidental leak mechanics and Stern's operational misstep
“That's a lot of spinning plates, and when you're updating all of them multiple times (teaser, then full reveal) with the need to preview staged assets before flipping the switch… it's kind of amazing this hasn't happened before.”
This Week in Pinball editor — Provides technical context for why the leak likely occurred, based on industry platform knowledge
“Soundwave physical ball lock — balls launch from his cassette door for multiball”
This Week in Pinball (leaked game details) — Key Transformers game mechanic, references classic Soundwave cassette feature
“Optimus Prime, despite looking like it could/should transform, apparently does not”
This Week in Pinball (leaked game details) — Design trade-off note suggesting mechanical constraint or deliberate design choice
“So while the game is quite expensive (and it's always risky taking a chance on an unproven pinball manufacturer), World Pinball does seem to be taking some interesting swings with this title. I'm keeping an open mind, at least.”
This Week in Pinball editor — Editorial cautious optimism about World Pinball's ambitious feature set despite risk profile
“After those conversations, though, I really don't have enough concrete information for a full piece — both parties mostly declined to elaborate further.”
This Week in Pinball editor — Transparency note on editorial restraint due to information vacuum in Pedretti/Team Pinball dispute

Entities

Stern PinballcompanyTransformersgamePeter CullenpersonElizabeth Gieskeperson Rob BlakemanpersonTom KyzivatpersonWorld Pinballcompany Resident EvilgamePedretti

Signals

?
announcement: Stern officially confirms Transformers pinball with teaser trailer; G1-based with Peter Cullen voice talent
high · Official Stern teaser trailer followed by playfield/translite leak via Insider Connected app
?
leak_detection: Transformers playfield and translite photos leak via Insider Connected app less than one hour after teaser trailer, attributed to content management platform coordination failure rather than employee/distributor leak
high · Photos live on Insider Connected immediately post-trailer; This Week in Pinball analysis of Stern's four-platform content infrastructure
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product_launch: Stern dealer/distributor visit on 19th, media day on 20th for full Transformers reveal
high · This Week in Pinball reporting on scheduled reveal events
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machine_intel: Transformers pinball features Soundwave ball lock (cassette door launch), Energon optical spinner, Megatron cannon, stationary Optimus Prime toy
high · Leaked game details from Insider Connected
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personnel_signal: Elizabeth Gieske named Lead Programmer on Transformers (her first lead coder role); Rob Blakeman Lead Mechanical; Tom Kyzivat Lead LCD Artist
high · Game credits leaked from Insider Connected
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product_strategy: Stern teaser includes new 'Buy for your Home' and 'Play on Location' calls to action, marking apparent shift in messaging strategy

Transcript

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This Week in Pinball has been busy. Stern teases Transformers, then leaks it themselves (code name: Cheddar). Plus, new teases from Pedretti and World Pinball, and Paul Melio's debut feature on Pinforge. Pinball News of the Week Stern Teases (and Promptly Leaks) Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye On Wednesday, Stern officially confirmed the heavily rumored Transformers pinball machine with a (mostly) standard teaser trailer. Like typical Stern teasers, we don't learn a whole lot beyond the theme and a few nuggets — in this case, that the game is based on the early Transformers cartoon (I'm gonna say G1, though I'm admittedly not up to snuff on my Transformers lore), and that Peter Cullen seems to be attached. Separately, the "Buy for your Home" and "Play on Location" calls to action at the end of the clip caught my eye. They appear to be new for Stern. Then, photos of the game promptly leaked. Unlike past Stern leaks, this wasn't sourced back to a loose-lipped distributor or employee. No, this was 100% a Stern goof. Not even an hour after the trailer dropped, people noticed playfield and translite photos were live on the Insider Connected app. Oops. It's kind of easy from where I sit to speculate on how this probably happened. Last time I looked into it, Stern was updating web content across no fewer than four different platforms (yikes): SternPinball.com (Wordpress), shop.sternpinball.com (Shopify), Insider Connected (custom app), and a new landing page system (Webflow, which we used to use!). I'm sure there's other stuff too, like whatever CMS powers their email list. That's a lot of spinning plates, and when you're updating all of them multiple times (teaser, then full reveal) with the need to preview staged assets before flipping the switch… it's kind of amazing this hasn't happened before. A few things we know post-leak: Soundwave physical ball lock — balls launch from his cassette door for multiball Optical "Energon" spinner Megatron cannon that shoots balls into the catch basin on the left side of the playfield Optimus Prime, despite looking like it could/should transform, apparently does not Lead Programmer: Elizabeth Gieske (her first as lead coder) Lead Mechanical: Rob Blakeman Lead LCD Artist: Tom Kyzivat Expect to see more next week. Dealers and distributors head to Stern on the 19th, media on the 20th. We'll have our own coverage from Media Day. We Rebuilt Kineticist — And Paid TWIP Members Get Ad-Free Browsing The new Kineticist has been live for a few weeks, and one of the features we shipped in the rebuild is ad-free browsing for paid TWIP subscribers. Every article, every page, no ads. If you've been paying for TWIP, you already earned this. Here's how to turn it on: Link it to your TWIP subscription from your profile Browse ad-free for as long as your subscription is active Not a paid member yet? TWIP is free to read but not free to write — a paid subscription starts at $25/year, unlocks ad-free Kineticist, exclusive content, our Discord, and helps keep an independent pinball publication running. Most people join at $60/year. More Details Surface on World Pinball’s Resident Evil Since sharing a new teaser for the upcoming Resident Evil game from upstart Swiss manufacturer World Pinball, we've learned a few new details. The big one is pricing. A 100-unit Collector's Edition clocks in at $22,353.64 USD (or 17,475 CHF), and the 400-unit Limited Edition runs $21,164.12 (or 16,545 CHF). Both prices exclude Swiss VAT and add-ons. Speaking of add-ons, we also got a few tidbits about the planned features and upgrades. What is it, you may ask? A platform that players stand on. And not just any old platform. This one hooks up to the machine and vibrates at key moments, like a triggered explosion or something similar. The game will also have an option for what I'm dubbing haptic-feedback flipper buttons, where the flipper controls vibrate for things like left- or right-side zombie bites. All together, it’s supposed to simulate a 3D vibration effect. Finally, it sounds like there will be a mini-playfield (reading between the translated lines, probably a lower playfield) with a special video mode that involves an on-playfield camera. So while the game is quite expensive (and it's always risky taking a chance on an unproven pinball manufacturer), World Pinball does seem to be taking some interesting swings with this title. I'm keeping an open mind, at least. Pedretti Teases Rumored Tales of the Arabian Nights Remake Following Dust-up with Team Pinball Boy, it feels good to be talking about new games! On Tuesday, Pedretti officially confirmed their long-rumored Tales of the Arabian Nights remake. We have all the details in our write-up, but expect to see the game in two trim levels and priced around $10,000–$11,000. There are also rumors of one or more copies showing up at the Golden State Pinball Festival this weekend. An Update on Team Pinball v. Pedretti Speaking of Pedretti, last week we briefly mentioned the public spat between Pedretti and their former software/engineering vendors, Team Pinball. I was hoping to have a more detailed article this week following conversations with representatives from both companies. After those conversations, though, I really don't have enough concrete information for a full piece — both parties mostly declined to elaborate further. All told, it sounds like a fairly routine business dispute (and, currently, a one-sided account at that). Homebrew and You Excited to welcome Paul Melio to the Kineticist team with his first piece — a banger of a feature on the homebrew collective Pinforge and how it ties into the broader homebrew-to-pro pipeline in pinball. Paul talks with the Pinforge crew, plus Aaron Davis (FAST Pinball), J Bryan Vincent (American Pinball), and Mark Seiden (Jersey Jack Pinball).