Good morning, good afternoon, and of course, good evening wherever you may be. I'm Gonzo. He's Enzo. Just to avoid any confusion screen for you, so you can tell us um apart. There's too many Zo, isn't there? Um Enzo, quick question. What's your favorite game at the moment? Don't think about it for too long.
Favorite game at the moment, I'd have to say uh probably uh would you would you believe I'm playing a lot of um uh World Cup 94.
I could believe that very much so. Yeah, of course. Yeah, very believable. Um
I'm going through this phase where it's not really a phase, you know, in the whole journey that is this crazy hobby. Um, you know, I've had uh a good time with all the modern Sterns and JJs and then I had a few older games and then I kind of got rid of the older games cuz I didn't really have time to maintain them and I didn't know too much about it back then. And but I'm I'm I've gravitated back to kind of like the '9s games because you know when you're not a good player like me and I keep telling everyone this, it's over and over. um games that are really deep and hard uh not for me like they're frustrating and and a bit of of it is they all feel very similar as well and 90 games and I've actually shot a video about this and I haven't finished I haven't sent it to you yet
but I just feel that 90s games have far more character and soul and I just enjoy them so much more. I really do. Um, you know, Dirty Harry, Johnny Pnemonic, uh, Adam's Family, Twi, uh, Twister, uh, Whirlwind, World Cup 94, Twilight Zone. Like, I'm loving Twilight Zone. Actually, I'm probably playing Twilight Zone just as much as I'm playing World Cup 94.
So, there you go.
I'm I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm I'm I'm actually playing Dra Magic as much as anything at the moment. And And Filthy Filthy Barry like yourself.
Um, a lot of that's getting getting played. Labyrinth to be fair that's getting a lot of uh getting a lot of action. Um I think Jaws will be getting played a lot but it's not here. It's not here at the moment. So um but yeah I I it's hard not to look back at those those old games and as you say they don't have the deep rule set and I find myself playing actually funny enough the magic I find myself playing it
to complete it.
So I fire it up and think am I am I going to complete it today? Will today I have done it before but you know it's maybe happens twice a month so I I fire it up. Will today be the day that I that I I complete the game which you just you just don't do. I don't think you have ever fired up Godzilla and thought oh I'm going to complete this game today. But see, that's the frustrating part. Like, I don't have a lot of time, right? Like, between working and uh basically being full-time dad, picking up, dropping off kids, all that stuff. Like, I've I've got 15 to maybe an hour, right? And to walk up to a game like Twilight Zone or Dolly Pardon or Johnny Demonic, I can just pull the twanger, play some games, and I feel satisfied. Whereas if I did that like with Godzilla, as much as it's a great Elwin game, like it aggravates me and I don't end up like in 15 20 minutes, I don't really achieve anything, right? But that's not the game's fault. That's me cuz I'm not that great of a player, right? But there's games where in 10 15 minutes you just don't even touch the surface and then you end up rage quitting, right? And then it pisses you off. Whereas like if I don't hit the surface on Twilight Zone or World Cup or Godzilla or um Sega Godzilla the 1998 one um you know whirlwind I'm okay cuz I had such a good time playing it.
It's it's fun to get to that final, isn't it? On World Cup Soccer. It's a fun it's a fun journey actually. Um yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And achievable. Absolutely achievable to get to the final. Um yeah. Look, I'm I'm sure many many people would would agree and if you're lucky enough to, you know, have two or three games, you you want to get yourself a nice balance on there and you it's good to have the depth. Even something like Labyrinth,
is it hard? Yes, I've got the lane extenders now, which made it a little bit easier. It might be hard, but the game is not super deep.
So, yeah,
it can it can kick my ass, but it's not it's not kicking my ass like Dolly Parton. Dolly Parton, you can have a game that lasts if you got it on three balls. If you ever have a game that lasts 90 seconds, it's not that you'll still play um Labyrinth for for 10 minutes. That's that's a perfectly achievable um game time on it. So, yeah, I'm I'm with I'm with you. I'm with you. Um so, we got a lot of games um being rumored. We've got the announcement of uh the Winchester Mystery House, which I've not given my opinion on yet, and it's it's great we're linking up today because I wanted to have a chat about it. Um, we've got obviously the expo which is on and as we understand it lots of talk about uh about Spooky and and and I liked what Carrie said in his video um what video it was. I was fascinated with his um his whole stance on getting rid of King Kong because I remember when he got that he got the Ellie and I remember him doing the the reveal video and and you know he did a really great video on it and very much when he did that video he didn't feel that the value was there on the limited edition. So it was really interesting to listen to him and his reasoning
for moving that on. Um I make him absolutely right and everything. King Kong shoots beautifully, beautifully. But actually, if you are looking at a complete pinball machine, if you want to look at maybe, you know, three others, um, Evil Dead, June, and Harry Potter in terms of a pinball machine, I'm talking light, sound, everything. It's not there.
Total package. Yeah.
It shoots the best out of all of them. But and I want to talk about this later particularly because obviously um you spoke to Jeff from Dirty Paul on this very channel and obviously got so much to do with the sound and it's something I wanted to talk about as well the way the sound is being elevated to such a high level and and the lighting was already there. So the the bar have been lit on lighting.
Bar have been raised on the lighting. That's what I want to say. Bar have been raised on the lighting. The sound's there now. And I think it's now so good on a lot of these games that when it's not there, you're thinking, well, hold on. Something's missing. I'm I'm now used to you get spoiled. You get spoiled in this hobby.
Yeah.
I think with these new games coming out, there's so luxurious and there's so much in Evil Dead and there's so much in Harry Potter and there's so much in June. I have no doubt that this Winchester Mystery House, in fact, I can you can tell you can tell just by watching the videos that the sound is going to be impeccable. There's a there's this beautiful effect where the lights um sort of travel up the playfield and and I think because you get spoiled that becomes the new standard and that becomes the new norm.
Um and I just think now just a particularly at the price point of new inbox games, just shooting well is not enough anymore. or we we want it because we we're we're spoiled and we're greedy and we want um and we want everything. Um yeah, sorry went off on a tangent there. Um so you got the um as anyway the thing that Carrie also said was he said he hadn't signed an NDA about the spooky thing. He said but he was pleased about that because it enabled him to talk about it which I like. I thought that's cool. Um and so we've got the we got the spooky thing. Um, we've also got possibility of Stern bringing out another game which is going to need to be a a hit. Um, I think really bearing in mind for all the reasons that I've just said. Um, lots go lots going on mate. What what what's going on um at your end? What have you got? I know you got some windows up on your computer.
Yeah, it's uh I mean crazy with barrels of fun kind of just two days, three days before expo just dropping the mic all of a sudden out of nowhere. uh you know bringing bringing a whole new game which ironically you know I I didn't know until Jeff had told me but this is a game that they've had before Labyrinth that they were working on and and working on how to bring it you know obviously um it's helped them work on Labyrinth and June to fine-tune this game um and the fact that in two days that game sold out and I think that is an element of the theme being uh quite niche uh spooky themes are you know They're popular. Um there's no doubt that Spooky Pinball has put that on a you know up on the pedestal, but it I think a lot of it had to do with the like you said the total package, right? So you've got a very unique game. It was designed by one of the best players in the world. Um Carl is a whiz not only on pinball, you know, skills and shooting. He's a sniper, but he has a way of looking at something and dissecting the code and the modes. Um, and you give him a white wood and tell him to, you know, even um, David Van Es said, you know, he spent more money on this than he did on June and Labyrinth. So, you know, he said he won't get this opportunity again. He's going to re him in on the next one. But, um, you know, there's that there's the sound. You know, I said to Jeff in my um interview with Jeff, I said, I think as of right now, that bar of cinematic music experience is going to change forever in the pinball landscape because you you can't make a game like that and then not make the next one like that, you know, cuz like you said, we get sport and people going to know what's missing, right? Uh and Jeff's sampled the sounds, they're captivating. The call outs are done by a guy who is like passionate about voice acting. There's a lot of passion behind those. You know, the multiball, you know, that that was a captivating call out.
That wasn't it, was it? That was just you saying multiball, right?
That was just me saying. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm going to I'll turn that into a little um thing on the keyboard later. Um so, you know, two days later, the game sold out even before they anyone saw it at Expo, right? Nobody had played this game. It was purely based on it came out. Yes, there's only 525 games. Fully understand that. Um but it kind of proves that boutique niche low number is the sweet spot, you know. Um and m the expo all three days the cues were like 80 people deep all day till midnight wanting to play that Winchester house. Right. Stern. I mean, Harry Potter was still popular. They had a bucketload of Harry Potters. Um, and I'll show you actually while we're talking. We'll bring it up. Um, so, you know, I think it's one of the things where, you know, Stern's booth wasn't as big this year. Um, I've sped this up so you can you can see. Um, and can you see that?
I can. Yeah. Alvir if I can see it. Yeah.
Yep. It's going really fast for some reason. I don't know why. Speedy Gonzalez. Um, so Stern's booth was a little bit smaller than normal. Um, I'm really happy that the homebrew section, right, had such a fantastic presence this year. It was basically the the the man, the main, you know, hero of the show. Um, and, uh, you know, ultimately it really shows that there's a community out there that are in, you know, working together to build something pretty special. Um, so between the popularity of the homebrew and uh Winchester House, mate, the they they've really stolen that show. Um,
and you know, it's I'm really happy for Barrels of Fun because it's a passionate group of people that are building something that is not just a pinball machine, but a full-on experience. Um, so, you know, for us it was just such a pleasure to see all this content um kind of come all, you know, for the last three days, everyone's been doing tours. Everyone's been doing uh walkthroughs, showing um play, you know, um Predators, been getting a lot of love. Um what do you call it? Um Big Trouble Little China. um which everyone just thought it was absolutely amazing and felt it was so refined and so complete and it had Scott Denisian music and it had um you know uh proper pinball artists and everything doing the artwork like that that was a game that you could literally build 500 of them and sell them tomorrow.
Sure.
Um and and it would sell out. So
um but yeah, look I I just think that whole uh Winchester which I've got here somewhere. Let me see if I can find it. Um, and the thing with, you know, Carl D'Python Anghelo, for those that don't know, I mean, he makes, uh, he basically makes any game um, look easy, um, to shoot. But, uh, where is it? There it is. Let's pull it up.
I've I've watched pl I think I've watched everything on it so far. Um,
yeah. I mean,
actually, I I No, this is the 12minute video, isn't it, that he did? Yeah, this is the he just did.
Yeah, three balls. Showed the modes. Showed how the multiball works. Showed the the integration of the screen at the back, which they've got their their screen that's in Labyrinth and June. This one's mounted differently, so it acts more like a hologram. Um, and you know, obviously gives that ghostly impression. Uh, the light show is fantastic. The game's got a turntable in it, a bit like Popeye. Um, it's got inline um, uh, drop targets. It's got um uh the game's loaded. It's got a tower that collapses. I I think they've knocked it out of the park. Um I would have loved to grab one. Um unfortunately timing and everything. I'm lucky though that um family members picked one. So, we're going to have one in the in the community, which is good. Fantastic.
Um which is which is fantastic. But um you know, we were we only got 24 of them in Australia and I think a hundred of them internationally only. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I heard I heard heard the same thing.
Yeah. So, you know, 425 stayed in the US and sold out in two days, mate. So, um you know, again, I think um in relation to uh the expo in general, um man, I'm disappointed that I wasn't It was a bit of a tough week for me. I should have been there unfortunately due to multiple reasons I couldn't be. um one of them because it's like 34-hour flight after all the connecting flights and everything. Um but you know seeing the community get together um seeing everyone celebrate barrels of fun. A lot of people loved Star Wars as well. I know that's a touchy subject for you but um you know it's uh Star Wars uh people loved it. You know it wasn't Stern was pretty quiet this year. They didn't obviously have a game at um Expo that like they did last year with Metallica, but um every everyone was I think they had like 30 Harry Potters. Did you see how many Harry Potters are on the floor?
Um yeah, but I mean the thing is it's it's been out. I mean it's it's what was it? We we got we got it over here in June, didn't we? So I mean so many people have played it now,
you know. So So that it's not even I mean it's a great game, but it's it's not a new release um in that sense. So, they probably didn't need 30 there, you know.
No, but you know, it's it's just good to see. There's a lot of people that just haven't had a chance to play any of these games. Um, and everyone, you know, everyone fell in love with um with Win I don't think I heard one negative thing about Winchester. Uh, same about Harry Potter. People love Harry Potter. And to be honest, the amount of people that just really liked Predator, which is which is disappointing because, you know, they they had such a botched release. They're only making a certain number now. They're going to stop making them in December apparently due to licensing expiry. I don't know if that's true or not, whatever. But, um, we'll never know. Uh, it's a shame the game's popular. It's a little bit expensive like you said when you compare it to Evil Dead and um uh you know what the competition's doing but you know it is what it is.
Yeah. Look, I mean I we just I think we're absolutely blessed at the moment. I really do with with choice. I quite like the um I quite like the idea of the limited numbers as well because I I there was for so long you felt like everybody like for instance everybody bought a Godzilla. Everybody bought one. So, everybody had a Godzilla. I think it's quite nice, you know. Um, I think it eventually filtered down and helped the secondhand market, which again, it was interesting listening to Car's video and him saying the secondhand market is is bad on um over in the US. It's certainly the case over here. You probably can't see it in the video. I've got a Star Trek Next Generation just there. I've got to do a video on it and I'm going to sell it. I'm gonna take a hit on that. And and normally they would sort of hold their value. The secondhand games obviously new in box you'll lose money. I would expect that. you know, the secondhand ones, um, particularly that. So, I'm going to take a little bit of a hit on there, but I do think with these new in box when there's limited numbers going around, whatever, you know, 900 Labyrinth, um, whatever it is, 1100 Evil Dead, 500 Winchester eventually, I think that's quite good because not everyone's got the same game. Um, and you wouldn't if if if I put and wanted that up now for a um a used Godzilla Pro or Premium, I'd be undated with people saying, "Oh, I'll sell you mine. I'll sell you mine." So, it's not an issue. So, I actually think that's that's quite good. Um, I don't Yeah. So, I don't mind it. I I was It was really nice. So, I didn't have
I didn't have FOMO. I had JMO, right? I had the joy of missing out because these games are so good now. Whenever anyone produces a theme that I don't really like, I think
that's that's lucky. That's lucky, you know, cuz cuz June June was a June was a problem because it's such a big theme for me and the game was so good. I just have to I've got to get it. I'm I have no I have no choice. Um and Labowski had to go to to get that. That's that's just what what's had to happen. Um, and I love Labowski, you know, a dream theme amazing pinball machine has gone to get a dream theme amazing pinball machine. L, you know, what really nice problem to have, isn't it? So, I I was I was I was worried. So, I don't mind the um I don't mind the Jo actually because Well, okay. Okay. So, I was able to look at it from afar, think, okay, haunted house. Yeah. Um, and again, I'd listened to Kerry's video and he did it start of his video. I think it was a featurette. He told the story of the Winchester house and about the lady that kept on building the rooms and I didn't know anything about it. So, I was grateful for that information and um okay, I get it. I understand. I thought the lights looked amazing. I think the shots, the turntable looked great. The little um lamp on uh ramp on the left. Fantastic. The sound I heard everything that Jeff had to say. And I am in Well, what did I do yesterday? I sent you a video, didn't I? Yesterday and said, "Can you send this to Jeff, please?" It was a video.
Um, it was a Denerve video about the making of June, but just from an audio perspective. So, it's all the sound engineers. Um,
cuz I'm just in love. I'm in cinematically and from all the audio. I'm just in love with with June anyway. I think it might be
it might be the the best thing yet in terms of cinematic and audio. It's just
I've watched I've watched both films four or five times. It's a bit unhealthy actually. But um
uh so anyway, it was just it was just a case of that. But yes, um, sorry, what I was just just to say I could admire I could admire the game. It's beautifully made. It looks beautiful. I love I love the sort of greens that are in it as sort of almost aqua green. It's not similar to this actually. Um, I love those um in it. I love the sound,
but okay, I don't I don't I don't have to get this. Um, so I'm now, you know, I'm the same. And then everybody's teasing this spooky thing. And I in many respects a bit of Joo Mo from um from Evil Dead because it was sold out.
Sold out. So Oh gosh.
Okay, that's good. So there's there's no temptation. So every time there's not any temptation, I'm pleased for it. I think uh just to touch on what you said, one of the things I think helped Barrels of Fun uh apart from obviously being a good company and having Carl D'Python Anghelo and having Jeff who's just doing phenomenal work with sound effectses and and sound and everything. Um but was that was that video Kerry did because he's sold Kerry has a way of storytelling. Um, and even though it's in that Texan accent and you know, it's like he's therapeutic and he has a way of like getting the message across and it's a bit like he's like the David Adam of Pinball, right? Like he I watched that like he educated me on that house. Like I knew about
I didn't have a clue about it. Yeah.
But but I didn't know the full extent of that house, right? So, uh, you know, there was that and that gave you a bit of FOMO and a bit of Jo cuz you're like, "Fuck, Kerry's Kerry's getting me a little bit excited here, right?" Um, and and I actually said to him, he's got to do more of these type of videos cuz he's actually really good at them, you know? He's really good at them.
Yeah. Um but yeah, look, I think between that and obviously everyone knowing and you know, it's a pretty big um uh we say big dig big dick energy in Australia when someone's got a lot of confidence and it's a lot of uh uh BDE from Barrels of Fun to drop this game like a week out like we're we're going to see Beetlejuice anytime now, right? That's whatever it's rumored to be. it, you know, it's very risky to just drop this Winchester house, which is a spooky theme. You know, it's a scary theme, uh, you know, days, weeks just before Beetlejuice, right? And Beetlejuice will sell out. It was going to sell out day one, 100%.
Oh, yeah.
Right. Because of the FOMO that Evil Dead has created. So, um, but yeah, look, fully agree with everything you said. You know, I'm a bit surprised you're getting rid of Star Trek Next Generation, though.
It's got to go. I don't have any more. I've got no more space. Honestly, and this this this hobby is evil evil hobby actually. So, um
my friend John posted up a Batman cat
Catwoman edition Batman 66
with
candy purple armor. I don't need another pinball machine. I I I I don't want to, you know, it's almost like I'm trying to, you know, try not to
I'm not looking.
Sorry. At the moment, I don't even look at marketplace anymore because I can't I can't get anything. So, you the first thing is what can I sell?
That's that's that's a disease.
How many kids do you need?
Exactly. Um
just sell one of them.
Well, they just need they more of them need to work. That's that's to be fair, two of them are, but I can't put the 11-y old out to work just yet. More's the shame. Um
and I did and I I thought So, it's I have nothing. I'm now getting rid of games. I have nothing bad to say about them. I'm not I couldn't say a bad word about Star Trek Next Generation the same way I couldn't tell you a bad word about Big Labowski. Um
do you think do you think that's because like I've leared to tell myself I used to have bad separation like having to sell something to get something in. That's the only way I can get games in now. Right.
For sure. For sure. But I've I've leared to say to myself, don't worry, you'll be able to get one again because there's plenty of Star Treks out there. There's plenty of big Labowskis out there and even Evil Deads, right? Even though they're sold, right? People will need to sell an Evil Dead to buy Beetlejuice. People will need to sell an Evil Dead to buy whatever the next spooky game after Beetlejuice is. So, we will see more on the market eventually. I don't think they're going to be like uh they'll hold that value. I think you'll get what you paid for it in two years time, right? But I think they'll be out there, you know? I think it's just about being patient. But, you know, I've had to really learn learn that it's okay to let Star Trek Next Generation go because you can get one again next week if you had to.
I've already had one before. I've had one before. So, I I I will. It just It just needs I've got Taxi coming in
next week. Yeah, I think it's I think it's coming in next week. Um, which I'm I'm really looking forward to to playing it, but you get these games you don't like Fathom. I didn't expect to get Fathom. That wasn't in the plan. And you can't get rid of a Fathom once you've got a Fathom.
It's fantastic.
That can't go. Um, so you got these wonderful problems. You can't get rid of Attack from Mars, obviously, for obvious reasons. You can't get rid of Deadpool. Can't get rid of Jaws. You can't um you got these
See, I got rid of Deadpool.
Did you?
Yeah. I traded out of Deadpool to get two older games because I've had it for so long that I just wasn't playing it. And to be honest, like between having that, Venom, X-Men, and um Avengers, I was like, they all feel the same.
Oh, like
that. Don't put thumbs down.
Got a better layer out of all of them, right? And maybe then X-Men. But I just was like, I've had it for so long, it's time for it to go. I can get another one. I can get another one.
You can You can definitely get another one.
Yeah. So,
but yeah, I know where you're coming from.
You sold the best one. Don't worry. Avengers went I traded in Avengers.
You're talking You're talking Infinity Quest.
Yeah, Avengers Infinity Quest. I traded both gone. Yeah. Go on.
Yeah. Um, so Avengers. Um, what else? Um, Guardians of the Galaxy.
No, Uncanny X-Men will never leave.
It is the best looking game Stern's ever made. And I just love the layout too much. And I'm just hoping the code will get there. Right. But I've just have a really really like the comics were a big part of my childhood growing up as well. But it's such a beautiful game to look at. You don't even have to play the bloody thing, right? And mine's dialed in really well. Like it plays beautifully. Um but yeah, Guardians of the Galaxy. Um uh what do you call it? Um uh King Kong didn't last long. I traded out King Kong um for a Tales of the Crypt and a NBA Fast Break, would you believe?
What fun. What fun.
You know, because I just struggled with the as much as King Kong and we've had these conversations on the channel, but for those that didn't watch those other channels, and shame on you, but if you haven't, um the the game is shoots beautifully when you hit the shots. I found when you're not a good player and you don't nudge a lot and you don't move the game a lot, uh, is a bit of a drain monster. No pun intended. Um, but yeah, I just just struggled to really engage with King Kong, unfortunately.
And I think they're struggling with sales.
I think
I think they're struggling because if you saw the new accessories that came out for King Kong,
I did,
right? There's a lot of recycled bits from the game. I feel there's like the plunger is the gong and the animated Kong on top is like you could have a King Kong Pro that doesn't have an animated Kong, but he is animated on your topper, right? So, they they must have a lot of parts. I mean, that's the only thing I can think of. Um, like they're good accessories, but I just think, you know, anyway,
well, here's here's the things. I've been thinking quite a lot about this and it was really, as I say, read nothing into the fact that I won't get a Winchester. I was very impressed. As I say, I was relieved. I was relieved that the theme didn't appeal to me.
I I and I'm there. I can't remember I can't remember who's meant to have Matrix and who's meant to have Goonies, but I am myself for when that happens, thinking, "Oh no, I'm in trouble. I'm in trouble. What's what's going to go to make those come in?" So, every, as I say, every time a game comes, and I'm not bitter about Star Wars not coming over here now. I think it's done me a favor. It's fine. It's another one I can't have. Leave it. Good. Go away. Evil Dead. Fine. Go away. Um,
I was going to send you a Star Wars cuz I worked out with the exchange rate and the shipping, it's still cheaper to get it from me than it is to get it in the UK.
Well, here's here's the point. Thank you. Don't don't don't. Um, I don't owe you money, do I? Um, I the thing is as as nice as it looks and it's not up to the level of the games that I've just mentioned, it is not 100%
it's not up to the level of the thing is I'd get Harry Potter first. It's not up to the level of Harry Potter. It's not up to the level of Evil Dead. It's not up to the level of June. It's not up to the level of Winchester. They they have they have superseded it. They've gone too far. Um, they don't they've gone too far. They've just done what they've done. Okay. They are just making as said on this channel for years and years now the best pinball machines they possibly could. Um when you've got the balls roll not just wire forms you're using three magic wands which are lit for the b balls to roll along and you're you know and you've got a twisting staircase changing staircase changing ball paths or changing a wheel in winter house and you're doing all of this stuff and you've got a in in in the Evil Dead you've got this ridiculous topper a lower playfield um lots of different flippers all these me
a worm that eats the ball
a worm that eats the all this is we we just get spoiled and this is the new standard and we've already said at the start of this video we love our old games. We love having a quick game of Dolly Parton or World Cup soccer but we're talking about new games now. We're talking about new games and the bar has gone from there to there
on everything mechanisms sound um everything the beauty of it. Look at the artwork on Evil Dead. What's what's Franchie going to do with Beetlejuice? It's going to look brilliant. And I think the problem is now where I look at Star Wars, I think,
I just know that if anybody else had done Star Wars, I'm not even talking about shots. Now, forget the layout. Just forget the layout. I'm talking about sound. I'm talking about I'm talking about sound and toys. And I'm talking about being immersive. Now, I might not I might not like the haunted house theme of Winchester, but I I'm damn sure if I started playing it, I'd feel haunted, right? That's the whole point of it. Um I you you feel you I got goosebumps first time I played Harry Potter. This is this is different stuff. It's it's different level stuff. And you got to remember in in the UK here there's no difference in the price point. You all those games I've said are the price of a Stern Premium.
That that's that's what that's what we're talking about here. So I I started thinking about this and and I started thinking about Kong which I think out of all the games that we've mentioned Kong is probably the best shooter out of them. Um obviously I've not winter I haven't played obviously let's let's say that but obviously um I think he's probably the best shooter but
even over Harry Potter
look I mean high level Harry Potter Harry Potter and June I thought shoot shot really really well but yeah I I think I think it's a genius layout but um King Kong I really do and I could I could hit them all day long and I'm not a brilliant player either um and I got to enjoy I got to play the pro and the premium had them both in here did the sideby-side comparison. Again, I don't have a bad word to say about it, but it's not immersive.
It didn't It didn't It didn't I didn't feel that I was in the world of King Kong. And for that reason, the shots aren't as good on Jaws, but they, as I say, it's not an anti- stern thing. Jaws, they did it. Jaws drew me in. Now, the sound is improved on Jaws because I I've changed the speakers. All right. So, you've got you got that John Williams thing going on. You got all the movie clips. You got a shark's fin thing coming out of out of the playfield that you got to hit. It's it's there. But this this is this is the problem and this is what I think Stir may have to do is they were never going to give Keith Elwin Star Wars and more is the shame. Not that John Borg did a bad job of it. But here's the thing, nobody would buy if John Borg did John Borg King Kong. No one's buying it. what what they do. And and even I would even argue Godzilla was not a great theme. A brilliant pinball machine. Yes. And did Keith do really well on it? Yes. But but Keith isn't Keith doesn't get the big IPs. Keith doesn't get John Wick. Keith doesn't get
because he he'll sell them. He'll sell them crappy IPs.
Exactly. But but what m here's my point. If what Stern want to do now is start matching these others and take Winchester out of it because it's not really an IP. I I get it and I listen to Carrie's explanation of the house. I get it. But I'm talking about IPs. I'm talking about like Goonies is an IP and you know what I'm saying? Harry Potter is an IP.
Yeah. Yeah.
If if if what they want to do
is is really start competing with this because I know people now um and funny enough this is off the back of a conversation that you and I had yesterday anyway just about finances and about work and stuff like that. I know I know people that used to buy three pinball machines a year new in box that now buy probably one new inbox pinball machine every two years. One of those person one of those people has just bought a Winchester, right? Um, another one of those people I know the first pinball machine they bought in the last two years new in box was an Evil Dead Stern no longer everybody's first choice and and here's the point. So if what they want to do is get back up there actually they're going to need that IP that might be Star Wars they're going to need to give it to their best designer and they're going to have to rinse every every ounce of sound quality they can from their upgraded Spike 3es. They're going to have to be on on absolute point with the art
with everything. They can't be leaving things out. Um they can't have missing
sections of the licenses. I don't mean missing out on Europe. What I mean is they can't
you know you know you know what I mean? You can't have you can't have no whatever. I I don't know if the guns on John Wick was a licensing thing. I I don't I don't mind. It's not I don't really care. But whatever it is, they can't have these big holes in the licenses and if there's five big characters in an IP be missing three of them or this this is this becomes an issue. The bar has been raised and that's that's what I'm saying with the stuff now.
I think I think an issue uh and I'm not saying it's an excuse that Stern have used cuz they've never said it themselves but they very strict on the bomb which is the builder materials for those that don't know what that stands for. um they're very strict on that and I think they need to like change that because they're they're you know stuff got pulled out of certain games when you hear interviews and and things about the making of Kong or the making of this you know they've had things pulled out of games because it went over budget now my question there is is how come Evil Dead can do it how come June can do it how come Wchester can do it right so there's obviously something not lining up here and now when you're a big company it's all about profit so maybe they're very strict and it doesn't matter if they go over by 500 bucks like it does with um you know um Spooky because their overheads are really low and they don't have a massive warehouse that they got to pay for. I get it. Like I understand, right? But the fact of the matter is is that unfortunately you are playing in the same playground as everyone else. And just because you've got all those expenses and very strict and you got to show high profits and you got a board of directors and all that stuff, uh, unfortunately you're playing in the same space as games that are the same price, right? That are far more jam-packed.
Um, far more captivating. I was going to ask you a question, Ry. M
you said that you weren't captivated by King Kong. Like it did nothing for you themewise. It didn't pull you in. Right.
Well, when I was playing it, I didn't feel I didn't feel pulled into a world. I I I love the shots, but I didn't feel pulled into a world where
Jaws I know we feel that we get pulled in. Did you feel pulled in with X-Men? Uncanny X-Men?
Not at all.
Right. So,
after the shots,
right? Do you think it's because of the theme or because
like because the theme doesn't do anything for you?
Just for me. Just just for me. That's all I'm saying here. Just
So here's the thing, right? Evil Dead
not a theme for me,
right? Like it's not a I'm not really into horror. I'm not really into I couldn't even tell you the last time I'd watched an Evil Dead film. Um but it didn't stop me from like getting one. Right. Because
the story is simple, Enzo. The story is simple, right? You you can explain what happens in Evil Dead in 20 seconds. Okay? I can't explain to you
the details of the uncanny X-Men with the Sentinels
in 20 seconds. Not Not with any detail that's going to help you um understand a game. You you understand that. So, you don't have I don't I don't feel you have to know to understand. I've always I've always said this. Um a theme of a game should teach you the rules. Okay. attack from Mars. Flying saucers are under o over a lo basically lots of cities on Earth. You have to destroy the flying saucers over each city one at a time. Okay, you basically you now understand the rules. Is there more to it? Yeah, there is. But that's the story. The story of the pinball machine must tell you the rules. You know, you might not have watched um Evil Dead. You might not be into horror,
but you can get it. Okay. Yeah, I get it. I understand it. This this this is this this is the dude. This is this is the the horrific stuff. This is and it's so in so in your face and I think this is um
but it's so easy to understand. It's so easy to understand the game and the modes, right?
I don't have that with like I love Jaws. I love the theme integration. I love the simplicity of it. It's easy to understand, but it's not like someone that walks up to a Jaws has no idea what they're doing, right? It's not easy to understand how to start a mode, how to uh close beaches, how to save. Like, it's not it's not easy, right? Like, it's my daughter who's 10 years old will walk up to um uh certain games and know straight away what to do, right? Evil Dead super easy. Like, you know exactly what to do. The it tells you what to do. It's really straightforward. It, you know, theme integration with modes are spectacular. And I think there was that element where I was trying to get it. The reason I wanted to get an Evil Dead was because there was so much excitement by what was in it and how well it was put together. Right. I can't tell you the last time a Stern game had that impact where everyone in the community was saying, "Oh man, the game's loaded. The artwork is fantastic. The callouts and music are fantastic. Uh it's a total package." I couldn't tell you the last st game that I heard that Jaws the art was a miss. Most people reckon, right? The um Uncanny X-Men had teething problems and the code X-Men the sorry um uh John week the code the shots were too hard and it and it was empty like mechwise. Uh Dungeons and Dragons absolutely one of the most captivating code and call out storytelling pinballs. Jaws has ever uh Stern has ever made. But it is an extremely hard shooter.
It's It's got to be It's got to be Godzilla. It's got to be the Godzilla premium. I think I think I think that that is it. And probably
and that is a theme that nobody wanted.
Yes. Yeah. Of course. No. No. Listen, you're absolutely right. But there was there was enough in it.
Well, first there wasn't the competition that it's got now. So, let's let's let's let's say that now.
But it was pretty jam-packed. The collapsing building was was magnificent. Again, I know that
the bridge, the bridge that breaks
was was brilliant.
Collapsing building, the wire forms, the mecha Godzilla, the
magnet catching the ball, the magnet catching the ball in the way that it is. People people really really really liked that. Um, no, I mean it was it was a game and people were excit people were excited about it. Um,
there's no doubt about that.
You know, Chris, it hurts me like I I love what Sten do. I've been, you know, I've been accused of being a stern shill. Um, people think I have a stern tattoo on my butt cheek. Um, I can show No. Um,
I got the ST on one butt cheek. Yeah. Yeah.
Correct. Yeah. And then the squeeze the whole ass together to just be able to spell the word.
That's it. Um, so, but I just I think maybe that's why I'm really upset because you know it's like you It's like when um you disappoint your dad, right? and he's really disappointed cuz he's your dad, right? Or your son or and you you take it personally because it's family, right? And it's like and like I just feel that there's been miss after miss after miss and this thing about this big old machine that they've got to keep the wheels moving to keep everything going and you know it's a lot of pressure and I feel for everybody that works there
pressure
because I don't think it's their fault, right? And I think they need to re it in a bit, right? They just got
scale it down. They need to scale it down. That's what I was going to say.
What I'm What I'm excited to hear, right, is that they had a panel at Expo where George and Jack were sitting down and George Gomez announced that he is collaborating on Jack Danger's last game. So, he's taking over the design process cuz Jack has stepped down as a designer, which is a huge hit for Stern. Huge hit for Stern. Right. But Gomez is now
Do you know why? Can you say why on here? Can we say why?
No. Look,
is it secret stuff?
Nobody really knows the full story, but I think it's very obvious.
Talented in his in his shot layout. So so talented.
I think it's really obvious and Jack is a friend. Like I send you I get along with Jack really well and I hope I'm not overstepping here. And he hasn't said anything to me. He hasn't said anything to anyone, right? But I've been watching Jack Danger Dead Flip for a long time, right? He has the p he has one of the most charming personalities, the most uh bubbly personalities, the most um he's probably the most approachable person. He he's the person that put Pinball on on the map for streaming. You can't take someone like that and chuck him in an office that he can't talk to anyone about what he's building, right? He he he basically went from being in everyone's house on TV, streaming on Twitch, talking to every content creator, being friends with every company to all of a sudden being stuck in an office, right? At some point, something's got to give. And I think the the pressure, the um the the stress of what it takes to build a game, the the negativity that comes with it because the community sometimes can be very pressure, you know, that the the issues X-Men had unfortunately would have taken a toll mentally. You can't
you can't overshadow that. Like you can't pretend it didn't, right? So I think it was all those things and Jack wants to be Jack, right? And we're starting to see Jack be Jack again, right? There's little elements there. We're now in this new position. They don't want him to go to their competition, right? If he was to quit as a designer, he could go over at Spooky and build one game every two years and be able to still do
Spooky would let him do whatever the hell he wants, right? He could go to JJP.
They don't want him to go. So, they've given him this new role,
you know, content um community leader, right? And he's perfect for it. But the fact of the matter is he was in the middle of designing a game rumored to be Pokemon, right? And he's had to stop because he's stepping down from the design. George Gomez is taking over, right? This could be the turning point. This could be the Godzilla 2.0 because we know what George can do. They know they're in trouble, right? And if they don't think they're in trouble, then they're And I'm sorry, this is going to sound really bad, but if Stern doesn't think they're in trouble, they're possibly blinded by a bit of ignorance and arrogance.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, listen, we we don't know cuz we're not privy to the
the sales. We we we don't know about the sales. So all I all I can offer you is anecdotal evidence and that is a lot of people I know know now are buying games other than Stern
and these are the same people who I knew it's not like they're new friends. These are people I've known you know for the whatever for the last 10 years.
They were buying Sterns and now they're more excited by this other stuff. And as I as I I keep saying it and I maybe just saying this about the UK, but actually I often thought it was just a UK thing because I say because there's a middleman because we have the import tax a stern premium is the same price as a big labowski or or or a Harry Potter or a June. It's they're pretty much the same price a couple hundred pounds in it. Not much.
Um but I always thought that was maybe maybe just to do with the UK to hear Carrie
talk about Stern to do something. Um, so because I always just thought, well, in the States, I just thought it was just what it is. Stern is almost like a a budget pinball machine. Stern is like a Ford car if you want and and everything else is a
a Mercedes, you know. I don't know if that's a great example, but um and and that's that's what it is. But over here, they're not that they are Mercedes price over here, St. I just thought that was but to to then to hear Kerry say it and to hear that there are some frustrations out there. Um, and just to hear the excitement as a what a great question you asked. When was the last time big excitement about about a game? Um, and and and and I I'm I'm a big fan of Jaws. I'll always defend Jaws. But thinking about it, Jaws actually had to be and I'll even defend what you said. I think because of the because of the fishing reel and because of the fin coming up, I think people can go up and play it. They might not necessarily know what they're doing,
but people, oh, I want to honestly people come play. I want to get that fin again, you know. So, but I think it was a sleeper. I think because the the ball the shark didn't eat the ball, it's now when you start looking at the pinside top 100, it's it's been ever since then, whatever it was 25 and now it's up there and now it's up in the top 10. So, I think it's a it's a sleeper and I think it matures and people appreciate it over time. But what you was right
when it perfect example though, you mentioned the fin, right?
Yeah.
My daughter loves when that fin comes up. She's got no idea how to get it up.
For sure. For sure. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I don't like it took me ages to go how do I get that fin back up again, right? Like I want to show people this fin, right?
Yeah. Yeah.
But you know and I and I fully get I think my comment was more about the content creators or or friends in the community, right, that have had a chance to play an Evil Dead or a June or a Jaws or and there was so much about those particular games that that everyone was saying, "Oh my god, it's a total package." I couldn't tell you the last time a Stern game did. You hit the nail on the head. My thing was the same as you was Godzilla. And I want to touch back. I'm going to look at the camera when I say this, right? Cuz we have a lot of Stern friends that watch this channel, right? From MXV to I'm pretty sure most of them do, right? And I meant what I said before with all the love and respect in the world. But I think if you guys don't really think that there is a problem at the moment, like we maybe need to have a conversation. Uh because I I generally think like Chris said, everyone else is at a different level and unfortunately you're swimming at the same price point, right? So um
but they can they can
they they build a fantastic product, mate.
And the most reliable that I I would suggest the most reliable on site in your house.
If you look at the Evil Dead layer, which is just a simple fan layer, but a real I know everyone's going to say everything's a fan layout. Yeah, but it's a very traditional seven shots.
You put that in front of Jaws, it's identical,
right? You argue that Jaws is very similar. Jaws has an upper playfield whereas the other one had a lower play field, right? Jaws has a bigger upper playfield, right? Theme integration on Jaws is probably as good, if not better than the Evil Dead one, right? But there's something that's not on the same. And I think the Evil Dead artwork is fantastic. I think the Jaws one, not so much, right? The goriness and the yelling and the screaming and the swearing, you don't get that in Jaws. So, there's a few things, right? But the littlest things will still make the biggest impact. Um, but anyway, we went off a tangent, right?
No, I like I like the tangent, but this this is this is what is this
I wanted to touch on some of the things that were announced at uh at Expo. Have we got time to do that?
Yeah, come on. Let's do it. Um, so, uh, one of the things that was announced was Hexa. Hexa, for those that don't know, um, is basically, um, French company, uh, French. I think they're French. Yeah, French. Um, they announced they're going to do the Three Musketeers from based on the book, would you believe? Um, so can I pull that up? Maybe. Let's see. Where is it? That one. There you go. Can you see that?
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
Yeah.
So, they've announced HEXA they're going to have a working model of this at TPF. Um, so that was interesting. Uh, you know, they done uh space hunt and hunt, not the other word. Um,
that's uh space hunt. And then we got um something which was really interesting which I I thought was like we heard a rumor about it and um they did announce it. Our friends at Dutch who obviously make a very good um
uh what do you call it? Um Big Labowski as they say.
Yes, of course.
Um have announced Raza, right? They're doing 333 of uh John Papadiuk's Deep Root. um money grab as some people called it. Um without getting into the negativity of it all, they're going to be releasing this after they finish with Alice and Wonderland. Um
this is this is more this is more of the same. This this is more of what what we heard from from Barrels of Fun. So this is now obviously barrels have come in and and just started producing loads and loads of games but obviously um Dutch Pinball as well took an additional unit an extra unit on on the you know a fac on factory unit basically. So they're going to run these other smaller games where they're going to basically almost like a small production line alongside their main one which we know will stop being Labowski and will start being Back to the Future and then they're going to produce these side games. It just seems like a it's what barrels of fun are doing. seems like a sensible model
and I think at 333 there's no doubt this is going to sell out.
Yeah.
Um because of how different how different it looks. Uh Winchester we know came out. Um Stern released the the toppers and everything. Um that's pretty much it. I mean look for me the biggest take on all of Expo and everything was the the home brute uh Big Trouble Little China. I I it's one of my favorite films growing up. Um, we I made my wife watch it the the other day. Um, and she was like, "What the hell am I watching?" Um, but like what like and okay, people are like, "Oh, it's such a niche genre. Who like who's asking for a, you know, a big trouble little china, right? Everyone said that about Labyrinth, though. Everyone's like, nobody's asked for a labyrinth pinball, right? But even if you made 6700, you're telling me 600 700 people don't want a
big trouble little I just say it. It drives me mad that that phrase. It drives me mad. It's like it's like going into a restaurant.
Okay. True. It's like see it's it's like see it's like reading through the menu
and seeing that there's a pasta carbonara in there and and calling the waitress over. Excuse me. Who asked for pasta carbonara and I don't care mate. Have the sausages. Have a pie. Have some chicken.
It's on the menu.
Do you know what I mean? You don't have I'm so sorry for not giving a whole menu which is exactly how you like it. Yeah. Yeah. you know. Oh, I I I didn't ask for Star Wars. What?
You know,
what about the other way?
What about the other way? Cuz Jerry Seinfeld used to always say like, I don't want to know the restaurant specials cuz if they were special, they should be on the menu.
Hold on. Hold on. What are you saying? What's he saying? I don't get it. What's he saying?
Well, he's he's like, you go into a restaurant, they go, you want to hear the specials of the day, right?
And Jerry Seinfeld's like, no, if they were special, they should be they would be on the menu if they're that good.
Yeah. You know, I love Jerry Seinfeld. I love Kirby enthusiasm, by the way, as well. Um, but yeah. Yeah. He's he's he's wrong. He's wrong on that one. Particularly down your coast. You don't know what they don't know what fish they're going to catch and you know.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Special. So, I like the specials. I asking for the specials. Yeah. Yeah. This is
Yeah. Look, I think special, isn't it?
No. Well, yeah, you you hit the nail on the head. I think um you know the thing with Stern is uh it's a very different playing field and you know you can see just by and Stern would have seen it at Expo because the show wasn't about them. Barrels of fun stole the show and so did the homebrews right
so Stern knows
and they know that everyone's live up the game now. Uh, and I mean, how much of a again, uh, big dick energy, as they say it, was Spooky not even appearing at Expo? They didn't even go.
They even pick up the mic. Didn't need to drop it. They didn't pick it up.
They didn't pick it up.
Bug just looked at the mic and said, "I'm not touching that. I'll touch it in a couple weeks, though."
Um, you know, that that just shows the confidence of a company that knows
so much money. So that expo, so for instance, we've got the um we got the expo over here, which is it's not just pinball. It's it's arcade games and it's a lot a lot of a lot of lot of the stuff that that you'll get this year.
No, it's not pinfest. No, pinfest. Just a chance for everyone to enjoy themselves and have have a great time.
Um
Oh, I can't I can't I can't It's um it's at the the London Excel Arena. Um I can't remember, but it's it's it's you know, like the claw machines. It's the claw machines. It's the redemption machines,
gambling machines, it's it's the the motorbikes, it's it's and pinball machines. It's it's everything, right?
That that cost to put a stand there. Thousands and thousands and thousands
for Pinball Heaven,
it was actually just
to have the open day.
It It was actually cheaper to have the open day um to get everybody there to to pack it pack the open day full of whatever it was, 30, 40 pinball machines. Pretty much all of them knew. um get a pizza van down
and give everyone free pizza. It that was cheaper. It was cheaper than sending all So actually Spooky probably saving themselves a fortune not taking however many games they would they would normally take there. Um that that would have cost Jersey Jack a fortune to send all their games all their games there. So yeah, I don't think they've gone I don't think it's a necessarily a bad thing to do. I think they've been smart by not knowing I think barrels barrels of fun have been smart by doing what they've doing and and it allows I mean because people are playing Alice there aren't they? Um
but Alice Alice is all sold out anyway as well isn't it? So there's another example.
No no Alice is I think a lot of people pulled some people had the opportunity to pull their deposits. I think there's still Alice's available. There was only two there was only two Alyses at the expo. Um there wasn't massive lines for it. You know I think
Alyses turned out to be a little bit underwhelming. A lot of people are saying that it's uh a little bit repetitive and easy um with the shots. Yes, it's a good-looking game. I haven't played one. I'll play one in a couple weeks at the Australian Melbourne Expo um um in November, but um yeah, I think there's just um you know, like you said, it's just easier. One of the things about the Expos that get me right is especially when you're not a good player, you queue up for an hour to play Winchester, right? And then you lose three balls in 5 minutes cuz you're not a good player. Yeah.
And then actually the the Mad Max homebrew guy, right, said at the Texas Pinball Festival, their game was so hard that he felt so bad because people had queued up 45 minutes and they he reckons the average person at showed on there, whatever, that lasted like under a minute. So they had to make the game easier, right? Because a homebrew is designed to experience at shows, right? You can't buy them. No,
it's different when the game's at home because you can just push start over and over again, right? Um, so it was interesting seeing that, but man, there was some fantastic homebrews like Invaders from France. There was a guy that bought a game all the way from France. Um, big trouble
as a sore subject in this country at the moment.
Yeah, mate. Don't even go there as well.
Yeah,
bad joke.
They're rowing over. They rode over. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm surprised that he was even allowed into America to be honest. Um but um there was a fantastic game made by uh Jake I can never pronounce his last name. Um which it was a combat pinball where you played against someone. It was a hockey table version
and it was a flat game and it had stand up targets and everything. It was pinball hockey. Uh excuse I cannot remember the name.
Yeah. Yeah. So basically two player but not air hockey as in like the traditional pucker. You got to hit it. Obviously they've got two flippers. You've got two flippers. Um it will come to me right now. Give me a second cuz I've got to do it justice cuz he won game of the show. Uh even over big trouble little China.
Oh wow. That sounds great. I mean you could make a football game on that. That would be great.
Yeah. I'm going to pull it up. I got to pull it up because if you haven't seen it and you could and I actually was going to say to him this would be fantastic to do a fool's ball table, right? I don't know if that's what you used to call it over there. Um
yeah, I mean yeah
uh where is it? Um I can't remember what it's called now. Pinball monster league hockey.
Monster League hockey. I mean any game like that is going to work as long as there's two goals, right? could be
league hockey and basically
hockey whatever any game's gonna work.
I had a picture on my phone. I don't think you can see. There it is.
I can see two two people. Yeah, I think. Yeah, it's flat.
They're illuminated. Yeah,
they're Yeah, he had some fantastic lighting. Uh and that was just, you know, you're trying to get the ball into their goal. They're trying to get into you. They both had a screen. It was an It was a You know, that's a game that I think if you put on an arcade, it's going to do extremely well.
Um, really captivating. So, it was so cool to see some uh uh there was a Sonic Hedgehog game, there was a Pokemon homebrew, Mass Effect, um so many homebrews. Uh it was so cool. So cool.
And it's at the moment it's it's great. I mean despite I I I'm sure if you're a manufacturer and and it's it's well particularly on a big scale it's probably tough but actually from a hobbyist point of view and I know it's you know it's it's harder and money's tighter no doubt about it at all.
It's a good time to be in the hobby actually. It re it really is not not a great time to be selling a game granted but but probably a good time to be buying one particularly a secondhand one. Um you know and all these great games coming out and and I think they will get get shared around. Even if you're not one of the people that can get hold of these five one of these 500 games, then then someone else will bring out a range of games with 500 and they'll just they'll start you you you'll eventually you'll eventually get hold of one and and even if you don't you haven't got to have every game, have you? Let's be fair. So, um you know, it's it's there's such good games, just having one that
that you that you like is really good. And I just wanted to say that on Stern as well. Um particularly with that Batman 66 coming up today. It was quite funny that coming up um what we're talking about. What a great game that was. Had all the assets all of them. The artwork I Christopher Franchi on the artwork Gomez shots. Stern can do this stuff. And that was well I think that might be was that 20? I don't know. I don't want to say the date now in case I got it wrong.
That was 20. No. I was talking to Chris in the Discords. Chris L watches this channel. He's going to crucify me for this because um I have a thing. He loves Batman 66, right? And I love the game. I love the all of it. The thing I struggled with it is I just didn't watch that show and I find it way too campy for my Batman, right? I actually prefer George Gomez Dark Knight, which was basically the same layout as Batman 66, but actually had more stuff in it. Um, and uh, Batman 66 pinball was 2016, 10 years ago.
There you go. Yeah. So, so you know, they they have the they have the technology now as as well. So, they can do this stuff. They they have the team. They don't have to go and hire these guys.
They they have the team there. They have the team. They have the designers. They they have the back catalog of titles. They they know how to get licenses. Stern can e easily inhouse up their game. They they really they really really can. But yeah, I just think
if if listen, I'm not saying you don't make stripped out pinball machines. You can, but but on on budget, but I think if you're going to start competing for these games where people are going to buy maybe one pinball machine a year or one pinball machine every two years, you're going to you're going to have to um like my somebody I know used to say, look, if you've got £9,000 to spend on a pinball machine, you've probably got £10,000 to spend on a pinball machine. the fact that it might be a little bit cheap is probably not going to do it. So at that point you've got to make make it everything, all the bells, all the whistles, all the trimmings. Just quickly before we go, um, so have I got this right that they're talking about Walking Dead might be the next Stern one. So, the the rumor was Walking Dead was meant to be at Expo and uh people are saying that because King Kong and Star Wars didn't do so well that if they had released The Walking Dead, it would have taken the spotlight off those two games, right? So, they've held it back for now and they're probably going to show it a little bit later.
Um because if you recall,
a new Walking Dead or the same
it's the same one. It's going to be a remaster because remaster is a thing now, right? Like, you know, if you've got a catalog of games that were bangers 10 years ago, 20 years ago, why not use them again? Yeah.
And make them modernized, right?
Like, I'd love to see a Tron remaster, right? I'd love to see a um an AC/DC remaster. Like, great. You've already got all that stuff. You've already got all the plans. You've got all the Whitewood stuff, right? They can put all the stuff. Now, Walking Dead, to be honest, is a fantastic shooting game. It's brutal. It's hard sometimes to understand for some people, but I'm not excited by them including a, you know, a 20-in screen and like putting the TV show assets. I don't really care. Like, you know, I would have preferred Tron, right? But I think it's because of the popularity of the game and the fact that Stern know that a current secondhand Walking Dead premium still fetches the price of a new Stern and that's why they've remastered.
That's a really good point.
You think about it, right?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
You Metallica Metallica Premium before the remaster come out was the same price as a brand new new inbox on the secondhand market.
A new box pro.
Yeah. Yes. GoPro. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. No, no. A secondhand premium would be the same price as a new inbox pro.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
In Australia, in Australia, there was a Metallica crate edition, right? Which was the old game with the red DMD, right? But it was fetching $15,000,
right?
Because of how rare it was, right? And as soon as the new Metallica Remastered came out, what happened? That was $15,000 and the others went to $10,000.
Sure. Sure. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. You know, it's a smart business move. It's a smart business move. My hat goes off to Stern on that. You know, you remaster AC/DC, um, KISS, um, Tron, Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Rings will print money, right?
It will, but they need they they can't. But the trouble is, and with that being, you know, sort of my favorite, if if you if I had to pick one title for re-release, it would be that because I do think that would benefit from having the movie clips in it. Um, and and I love the layout and I love the rules. Um,
it would say it would be that sound.
It would be because I would still be thinking I want that sound to be as good as a sound
that that Jeff's improved on June, for instance. Yeah. Um that that's that that that would be it you know there's no point having
Lee and Ian Mckllen
saying this stuff it's coming out of a paper speak which I know they don't have anymore but you but even even now you know uh so yes you're you're right you're right so it's not like yes I don't want to be hated on Stern as I say I still wouldn't
they won't go Jaws and Deadpool will not go and look even today I was looking at ways to get a Batman 66 bag it's it's not that just to To summarize it again, it's just the levels of these brand new in box ones just going crazy. And whatever is going to come out now. So whatever spooky is if it's Beetlejuice, you know, it's going to be brilliant. You know, Jersey Jack's next game is going to be absolutely packed as well. Um, barrels of fun. They've done the Winchester. They'll be doing something else. I don't know what their next licenses after. I'm not sure who's got the Matrix. Not sure who's got Goonies. I don't know. But they're just going to be packed. whoever does these games and we haven't even heard much from CGC. CGC are pumping out remakes of Medieval Madness now which are brilliant you know and the last you know their last original game was was Pulp Fiction which was brilliant.
So what at some point they are going to make another game she CGC and that's going to take a large share of the market as well. So yeah, this is um
and you know, like I said to you, you know, when you've got people like Kerry Hardy who have seen the next uh spooky game, have played it and they're saying it's that good that he sold a game to get that game. That just creates the FOMO right there.
That that wasn't he wasn't talking about that as an NDA then. He was talking about something else. He he mentioned in one of his videos where he said he'd sold King Kong that about an NDA and he he said he said I haven't yeah was it wasn't that it was another game. I I can't I can't remember. I watch I watch sort of three three videos in a row, so they might have sort of blended into one sort of thing. But yeah. Um no, I mean, yes, he sounds very very very excited about it, doesn't he? And and and that's the thing. And this and I always I always say this I always say this when I've got games stacked up in there and I'm reviewing games, you'll always know what game I really like because I'll I'll bend over backwards to get it.
Yeah. Or just bend over. Well, I have to do that a lot of times. I think certainly to get um to get one of these these modern games anyway on that.
Thank you for tuning in everybody. Um going to press end recording now. Enzo, lovely to chat to you, mate.
Go now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It has. Um we'll be doing more more coming up. Um I've got got two got three three big videos coming up actually just of pinball machines. um rather than that and I think Denzo's having a chat with Don from Don's Pinball podcast and Carrie I understand next next week after they finished
I'm hoping they're both I've got a couple videos so I've I've sent you one about the pin lights I did a really cool video about pin lights I did a really cool tour I went I drove for like 5 hour 10 hours in total to go see a Williams collection the middle of nowhere in the middle of Australia is already in the middle of nowhere this is even more in the middle of nowhere um so we got heaps of content heaps of content I've
been looking at a lot of Australian IA recently my girlfriend come over
my girlfriend well you know my girlfriend's a well she's not Australian but she Australian citizen right um she she lived and worked over there but she's been watching what's the program called Married at first sight Australia and she's been watching that right honestly she's been watching that I think she punished me because I made her watch the Grand Prix qualifying um so yeah so I've seen a lot of over the last few days I've seen a lot of Australian IA um cuz they they take them to these um really nice locations and
it's a show.
It's a lot. It's a funny concept to be fair. Who who'd have thought it? They never they don't meet each other. They never met each other before. Then they get married in front of the TV cameras having never seen each other before. And and would you believe it? Some of them don't like each other. There's a there's a shock.
There you go.
So, it's a normal day in paradise.
Absolutely. But let's be fair, there are a lot of us who have all bought pinball machines before without seeing them, haven't we? And that is where the FOMO is. And that's why I'm particularly liking the Joe Mo. The joy of missing out means you don't have to worry about any of that stuff. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. Nice one, Enzo. [Music]