Nucore Near

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Mar 6, 2009

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.023

TL;DR

Nucore Pinball 2000 replacement system clears IP hurdles, heads to market.

Summary

Nucore, a PC-based replacement computer system for obsolete Pinball 2000 games, announces a major licensing deal in March 2009 that clears the path for commercial release. Developed by Steve Ellenoff, Chuck Hess, and Don Weingarden, the system overcame significant patent and licensing hurdles by securing agreements from both Gene Cunningham and Wayne Gillard, the licensees of Williams's pinball intellectual properties. The article details the two-year development journey, including software refinements, alpha/beta testing, and the resolution of legal obstacles that nearly derailed the project.

Key Claims

Nucore licensing deal announced, enabling sale as early as March 2009
high confidence · Opening paragraph states 'announcement of a licensing deal which could see Nucore on sale as early as this month' (March 2009)
Development team initially believed they did not infringe Williams IP and could proceed without licensee involvement
high confidence · Article states 'At that time the trio believed they were not infringing on any of Williams intellectual properties'
Larry DeMar provided patent expertise at Pinball Expo, advising that agreements with ALL patent holders were necessary
high confidence · Quote: 'Larry DeMar has a lot of experience in patent cases and informed us that he thought we would need permission from all patent holders in order to be safe'
Both Gene Cunningham and Wayne Gillard signed licensing agreements within three weeks in January 2009
high confidence · Quote: 'In January we contacted Gene and Wayne to propose a joint agreement... both Gene and Wayne were willing to enter an agreement... Over the course of three weeks our lawyer drafted an agreement and both of them signed it'
Nucore hardware includes USB module I/O board; software includes jukebox with network music access and hidden Easter eggs
high confidence · Article describes jukebox rewrite allowing 'almost unlimited number of songs with access to music on any drive on the same network' and mentions hidden Nucore credits and Breakout game
Nucore base system pricing is $400, including software, USB module I/O board, USB cable, and installation CD
high confidence · Final section states 'Nucore system including the software, the USB module I/O board, USB cable, and an installation CD for $400'
Project took nearly two years to complete and involved approximately seven attorneys
high confidence · Quote: 'After two years and seven attorneys, Nucore is finally here!' and 'We never thought legal issues would take us nearly a year to resolve'

Notable Quotes

“What an incredible event. I want to thank everyone for the kind words, support, and general enthusiasm about Nucore... I want to thank everyone for the kind words, support, and general enthusiasm about Nucore. The seminar was incredible. Don and I were honored to have Larry DeMar, Cameron Silver, and Duncan Brown help us with the event.”
Chuck Hess @ Pinball Expo presentation retrospective — Demonstrates community and industry support from legendary pinball figures including Larry DeMar, establishing credibility for the project
“Larry DeMar has a lot of experience in patent cases and informed us that he thought we would need permission from all patent holders in order to be safe.”
Chuck Hess @ Post-Expo discussion — Key turning point: industry legend Larry DeMar's patent advice shifted the team's strategy from single licensee to securing all patent holder agreements
“In January we contacted Gene and Wayne to propose a joint agreement. We were prepared for everything but what actually happened; both Gene and Wayne were willing to enter an agreement to make Nucore a reality.”
Chuck Hess @ January 2009 — Breakthrough moment: unexpectedly smooth resolution with both licensees, removing the project's primary legal obstacle
“Nucore can soon be released and no one has to worry about any legal issues getting in the way. After two years and seven attorneys, Nucore is finally here!”
Chuck Hess @ March 2009 — Celebratory confirmation of legal clearance after extended development cycle, emphasizing scope of legal complexity
“We never thought legal issues would take us nearly a year to resolve and at times we thought this project might die.”
Chuck Hess @ Project retrospective — Reveals existential threat from patent/IP complications and the team's sustained commitment despite near-cancellation risk

Entities

NucoreproductSteve EllenoffpersonChuck HesspersonDon WeingardenpersonLarry DeMarperson Gene CunninghampersonWayne GillardpersonCameron SilverpersonDuncan Brown

Signals

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business_signal: Successful resolution of complex multi-party IP licensing agreement demonstrates viable path for third-party vendors to support legacy Williams pinball infrastructure without infringing copyrights
high · Two-year IP negotiation resolved through securing agreements from both Gene Cunningham and Wayne Gillard; Williams itself proved 'very helpful and supportive' in guiding proper licensing framework
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community_signal: Nucore team cultivated industry relationships through Pinball Expo presentation, securing endorsement and technical guidance from legendary pinball figures (Larry DeMar, Duncan Brown, Cameron Silver)
high · Larry DeMar 'skipped a Cubs playoff game' to assist; team met original Pinball 2000 developers at Expo; feedback loop with alpha testers incorporated community-driven improvements
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licensing_signal: Williams pinball patents and copyrights fragmented across multiple licensees (Gene Cunningham, Wayne Gillard), requiring unified agreement for legal protection against potential IP infringement lawsuits
high · Team initially misunderstood IP landscape; legal advice emphasized need for 'permission from all patent holders in order to be safe'; required agreement with both licensees, not just one
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market_signal: Affordable pricing ($400 base system) suggests strong market opportunity for affordable Pinball 2000 modernization solutions, with distribution through established pinball retailer (Pinball Life)
medium · Base system priced at $400 including software and hardware; additional ready-built options available; Pinball Life handles distribution, indicating confidence in retail market
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Topics

Intellectual property and patent licensing for pinball systemsprimaryPinball 2000 replacement/modernization technologyprimarySoftware development and Easter eggs/hidden featuressecondaryHardware design and USB interface for pinball controlsecondaryPinball industry licensing ecosystem and business practicessecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.82)— Overall tone is celebratory and optimistic about project completion and market launch. Developers express relief and satisfaction at overcoming legal obstacles. Some initial uncertainty/concern reflected in retrospective discussion of near-project-death moments, but resolved positively. Industry support from legendary figures (Larry DeMar, etc.) creates goodwill sentiment.

Transcript

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Date: 6th March 2009. The Nucore replacement computer system for Pinball 2000 games took a major step forward today with the announcement of a licensing deal which could see Nucore on sale as early as this month. Nucore is the brainchild of Steve Ellenoff, Chuck Hess, and Don Weingarden who devised and developed the PC-based alternative to the obsolete Pinball 2000 computer, as we first reported back in May last year. At that time the trio believed they were not infringing on any of Williams intellectual properties and were free to produce and market Nucore without involving either Gene Cunningham or Wayne Gillard who were the licensees of Williams's pinball patents and copyrighted materials. By October the team had revised their opinion and decided a tie-up with one of the licensees was the preferred way forward to avoid costly and lengthy legal wranglings. At the 24th annual Pinball Expo the same month, Chuck and Don held a presentation to demonstrate and answer questions about Nucore. Chuck relates how the Expo "fireside chat" led to he and Don meeting some of the original Pinball 2000 developers. "What an incredible event. I want to thank everyone for the kind words, support, and general enthusiasm about Nucore. The seminar was incredible. Don and I were honored to have Larry DeMar, Cameron Silver, and Duncan Brown help us with the event. Larry even skipped a Cubs playoff game to help us out. It's not often that you get to stand side-by-side with some of the most respected people in pinball." Duncan with Chuck and Don at Pinball Expo But after the presentation it was suggested only having one licensee's agreement might not be sufficient, as Chuck explained: "We talked to everyone after the seminar and a group gathered around Larry. We were all discussing patent issues. At that time it was our understanding that if one of the patent holders licensed us we would be covered. Larry DeMar has a lot of experience in patent cases and informed us that he thought we would need permission from all patent holders in order to be safe. This was definitely something we needed to investigate." Larry talking at the Nucore presentation While they waited for the verdict from their legal advisors, Don and Chuck took the opportunity to work on completing the software, fixing any outstanding bugs and developing Nucore's added features. A new configuration system was added keeping the look and feel of the original Pinball 2000 menus, the performance of the existing code was improved and the jukebox software was rewritten to allow an almost unlimited number of songs with access to music on any drive on the same network. The Nucore Jukebox They signed up a number of test users in the neighbouring area to try the first (or "Alpha") release of the system and report their findings. Several minor issues came up and were fixed, while the feedback included several suggestion for improvements or new features which could be added to improve the product. With the software now working, Don turned his attention to developing the Nucore hardware while Chuck added a few extra hidden features into the software. He told Pinball News: "I decided it was time to have a little bit of fun. I wrote a routine to capture flipper button presses to enter codes for hidden goodies. The first thing I added was Nucore credits. We wanted to make sure to thank everyone who helped us and gave us support. I'll give you a hint on how to get to it: it's the drum beat for Living After Midnight (Judas Priest)." The secret credits sequence After that was completed, Chuck added another "Easter egg" in the form of a secret game: "I didn't want to spend a whole lot of time writing it in case we had some major issue to take care of. I decided to write a Breakout game. About a week of coding and a little tweaking later it was done, nothing Earth-shattering but a nice little diversion. You'll have to find the code for this yourself." The secret Breakout game While the software and hardware development continued, the problem of the patents continued to cast a shadow over the project's future. The legal advice they received was unanimous in telling them to make sure they were properly protected against potential lawsuits, since defending any lawsuit could cost them dearly and potentially spell the end of the Nucore project. They consulted regularly with Williams who proved to be very helpful and supportive. However, their guidance culminated in the advice to get agreements in place with all the interested parties, not just some of them. That meant getting an agreement with both Gene and Wayne. It didn't seem likely such an agreement would be possible but it actually turned out to be relatively painless as Chuck told us. "In January we contacted Gene and Wayne to propose a joint agreement. We were prepared for everything but what actually happened; both Gene and Wayne were willing to enter an agreement to make Nucore a reality. Over the course of three weeks our lawyer drafted an agreement and both of them signed it." As unlikely as it might have seemed, that indefinite agreement removed the single biggest obstacle to making Nucore a reality. As Chuck put it: "Nucore can soon be released and no one has to worry about any legal issues getting in the way. After two years and seven attorneys, Nucore is finally here!" A Star Wars Episode One running on Nucore As of March 2009, the audio amplifier has been build and will begin testing shortly while the software has progressed from "Alpha" testing to "Beta" testing - one step away from the release version. It is hoped to get Nucore on the market next month and sales of the system will handled by Pinball Life. Prices have been announced on the Nucore forum with the Nucore system including the software, the USB module I/O board, USB cable, and an installation CD for $400. Several other options including a ready built system are also available. With the end now in sight, it finally looks like all the hard work will finally pay off. "We never thought legal issues would take us nearly a year to resolve and at times we thought this project might die" said Chuck. "A lot of blood, sweat, tears, and caffeinated drinks were expended during this project but the end is near and we're glad to report it will be a happy ending." 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