Pictures of Merlin's Magic, The Who and more Deeproot Pinball Prototypes

Knapp Arcade·article·analyzed·Mar 12, 2022

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.012

TL;DR

Deeproot bankruptcy auction reveals Merlin's Magic and The Who pinball prototypes

Summary

Deeproot Pinball's upcoming bankruptcy auction is revealing prototype whitewoods of unannounced games, including one labeled 'Merlin's Magic' (reportedly a Jon Norris design based on 8 Ball Deluxe) and possibly The Who themed game. The auction photos show multiple prototypes in mismatched cabinets with unclear labeling, adding to the documentation of Deeproot's failed projects.

Key Claims

Merlin's Magic was a Jon Norris design based on 8 Ball Deluxe's design
medium confidence · Article states this 'supposedly' based on whitewood prototype labeled with the name
Deeproot was rumored to be working on a The Who themed pinball game
low confidence · Article notes playfield 'may have been' for The Who game, never confirmed to have secured license
Multiple Deeproot designer whitewoods are appearing in the bankruptcy auction
high confidence · Article directly references pictures in Mel Davis auction listing showing whitewoods
Deeproot prototypes are in mismatched cabinets with wrong game names
high confidence · Article explicitly states 'whitewoods seem to be just slapped into random cabinets that have the wrong game names on them'

Notable Quotes

“the upcoming Deeproot bankruptcy auction is the gift that keeps on giving in terms of interesting pictures to look at”
Knapp Arcade article author — Characterizes the tragic bankruptcy as revealing interesting prototype documentation
“Merlin's Magic was supposedly a Jon Norris design that was based on the classic game 8 Ball Deluxe's design”
Knapp Arcade article author — Documents alleged prototype design lineage and designer attribution
“The playfield in one of the other pictures with the van on it may have been for a pin based on The Who, which Deeproot was rumored to be working on but was never confirmed to have secured the license for”
Knapp Arcade article author — Highlights uncertainty about The Who game license status and prototype identity

Entities

Deeproot PinballcompanyMerlin's MagicgameThe WhogameJon NorrispersonMel Davis Auctionscompany8 Ball DeluxegameKnapp Arcadecompany

Signals

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business_signal: Deeproot Pinball bankruptcy auction reveals failed product pipeline including Merlin's Magic and rumored The Who game
high · Multiple whitewood prototypes visible in auction listing showing designer work on unannounced games
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leak_detection: Prototype details and game names surfacing through bankruptcy auction photos
high · Whitewood labeled 'Merlin's Magic' and potential The Who playfield appearing in Mel Davis Auctions listing
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licensing_signal: Uncertainty about The Who licensing status for Deeproot prototype; license acquisition never confirmed
high · Article explicitly states The Who game 'never confirmed to have secured the license for'
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product_strategy: Evidence of Deeproot's planned product pipeline including games based on classic designs and major IP
medium · Whitewoods show Merlin's Magic (8 Ball Deluxe-inspired) and The Who game development underway

Topics

Deeproot Pinball bankruptcy and asset auctionprimaryUnannounced/prototype pinball machinesprimaryWhitewood prototypes and game design documentationprimaryMerlin's Magic prototype designprimaryThe Who pinball licensingsecondaryDeeproot designer and staff projectssecondary

Sentiment

mixed(0.35)— Article expresses sympathy for investor/employee losses while framing auction documentation as entertainment/historical value. Tone is matter-of-fact with light criticism of photo quality.

Transcript

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While obviously horrendously sad, both in terms of the money that investors lost and jobs that employees lost, the upcoming Deeproot bankruptcy auction is the gift that keeps on giving in terms of interesting pictures to look at. Mel Davis auctions slowly continues to add to the listing. This latest round of pics included a number of whitewoods that Deeproot designers were working on, including one that is clearly labeled "Merlin's Magic." Merlin’s Magic was supposedly a Jon Norris design that was based on the classic game 8 Ball Deluxe’s design. The playfield in one of the other pictures with the van on it may have been for a pin based on The Who, which Deeproot was rumored to be working on but was never confirmed to have secured the license for. All of these whitewoods seem to be just slapped into random cabinets that have the wrong game names on them, so who knows for sure what was what for sure. Good old Mel and his team might want to invest in a camera that has a few more megapixels, but the pics are interesting nonetheless. https://mtdauctions.hibid.com/catalog/352536/mel-davis-auctions-232---deeproot/