The Pinball Show: Top Stories - September 19, 2022

The Pinball Show·podcast_episode·8m 54s·analyzed·Sep 19, 2022

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.027

TL;DR

Stern's James Bond reveal implodes after queen's death and community leaks dominate narrative.

Summary

Stern Pinball's delayed James Bond reveal became a chaotic PR disaster after the game was unveiled at the IAAPA trade show in London just days after Queen Elizabeth II's death. Low-res leaked images sparked community panic about design quality, which Stern failed to address, while Kaneda's Pinball Podcast filled the void with daily leaks of pricing, features, and rumors of a mysterious 60th Anniversary Edition redesigned by Keith Elwin. By Friday, high-res images restored confidence in the game's design and gameplay, but the entire rollout was characterized as one of the worst reveal strategies in the modern Stern era.

Key Claims

Stern Pinball cancelled the official James Bond launch out of respect for Queen Elizabeth II's passing
high confidence · Craig Bobby reporting on the cancellation and timing relative to Queen Elizabeth II's death just days before IAAPA trade show
Low-res cell phone images from the IAAPA unveiling immediately circulated on Pinside and social media, sparking negative first impressions
high confidence · Craig Bobby describing how leaked images reached the community within minutes of the unveiling
Kaneda's Pinball Podcast revealed pricing, features, and gameplay details daily through leaked information and live Facebook discussions
high confidence · Craig Bobby explicitly crediting Kaneda for filling the information void with multiple daily leaks and bombshell revelations
A rumored 60th Anniversary Edition of James Bond would be redesigned by Keith Elwin as a single-level EM-inspired game
medium confidence · Craig Bobby flagging this as 'rumor has it' with caveats about design approach and pricing model similar to Beatles and 40th Anniversary Elvira
Dealers reported customers pulling out of LE pre-orders and cancelling commitments after seeing low-res leaked images
medium confidence · Craig Bobby citing reports from distributors that 'customers were pulling out of LE spots early last week' after initial leak
High-resolution images posted to Stern's website after a troll guessed the correct URL revealed much stronger art and gameplay than low-res leaks suggested
high confidence · Craig Bobby describing Friday leak via URL guessing and its impact in restoring customer confidence with 'glorious high resolution' images
George Gomez designed the James Bond machine, with Keith Elwin rumored to have designed a separate 60th Anniversary Edition
high confidence · Craig Bobby referencing 'Gomez designed Bond machine' and rumored Elwin redesign for 60th Anniversary
This was 'probably one of the most chaotic and poorly planned reveal strategies' in the modern Stern Spike 2 era

Notable Quotes

“much like the unveiling of any work of art, fumble the first impression of a reveal and it's easy for buyers to get spooked in a climate of sky-high prices and expectations, and oh my, did they get spooked, and oooh, did it get ugly”
Craig Bobby @ early in episode — Frames the core problem: first impressions matter, and Stern's botched leak/reveal triggered buyer panic in an already price-sensitive market
“Stern awkwardly tried to put the genie back in the bottle, which felt like your favorite performer hitting the stage in full flight as the curtain is pulled back only to apologize and back off the stage with their tail between their legs”
Craig Bobby @ mid-episode — Vivid metaphor for Stern's failed damage control and passive response to the leak crisis
“Kaneda's Pinball Podcast literally holding court for the last week in live Facebook forum, virtually taking over the release from Stern as he revealed and leaked more and more information daily about art packages, pricing, features, gameplay, sometimes multiple times a day, while Stern, forced into their lane by their delayed release decision, rightly or wrongly, sat back and did nothing”
Craig Bobby @ mid-episode — Highlights how Kaneda and community podcasts filled the void left by Stern's communication failure, becoming the de facto voice on the release
“The result of that new leak? Back in came those doubters that left the party prematurely as they could finally see, in glorious high resolution, that in fact the new Bond game was not only packed with new and exciting mechs, but the layout was fresh and interesting, and that the art wasn't nearly as bad as people had thought”
Craig Bobby @ late episode — Shows how high-res images reversed the negative sentiment and restored buyer confidence
“The whole thing was just a complete and total mess and was probably one of the most chaotic and poorly planned reveal strategies I can remember in the modern Stern Spike 2 era. Very uncharacteristic for Stern as the leader in the pinball industry”
Craig Bobby @ late episode — Direct editorial verdict on the entire rollout as a historical failure for a major manufacturer
“Despite the fumbling of the ball on the one line allowing the opposing team to run back for a touchdown to tie the game, Stern still has a certified winner on their hands here in the Gomez and soon-to-be-revealed, but still-rumored Elwin designs”

Entities

Stern PinballcompanyGeorge Gomezperson Keith ElwinpersonCraig BobbypersonKanedapersonJames Bond (pinball machine)gameIAAPA trade show (London)eventQueen Elizabeth IIperson

Signals

?
business_signal: Dealers reported customer pull-outs from LE pre-orders and cancellations after low-res leaked images created confidence crisis, requiring distributors to go into 'scramble mode'
medium · Craig Bobby: 'some distributors reporting that customers were pulling out of LE spots early last week or getting out of line for a pro or premium until they saw more'
?
community_signal: James Bond reveal became a 'chaotic and poorly planned' PR disaster that was 'very uncharacteristic for Stern as the leader in the pinball industry,' characterized as worst reveal strategy in modern Spike 2 era
high · Craig Bobby: 'The whole thing was just a complete and total mess and was probably one of the most chaotic and poorly planned reveal strategies I can remember in the modern Stern Spike 2 era'
?
community_signal: Kaneda's Pinball Podcast filled information void left by Stern's silence, becoming de facto voice on James Bond release with daily leaks and live Facebook forum discussions
high · Craig Bobby: 'Kaneda's Pinball Podcast literally holding court for the last week in live Facebook forum, virtually taking over the release from Stern as he revealed and leaked more and more information daily'
?
leak_detection: Low-res cell phone images of James Bond leaked within minutes of IAAPA unveiling, circulating on Pinside and social media before Stern could control the narrative
high · Craig Bobby: 'within minutes of being unveiled on the floor, low res cell phone images and video of the Gomez designed Bond machine were circling pin side in pinball accounts across the globe'
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Topics

James Bond pinball reveal and rollout chaosprimaryImpact of Queen Elizabeth II's death on Stern's launch strategyprimaryLeaked images and community information managementprimaryRumored 60th Anniversary Edition with Keith Elwin redesignprimaryDealer concerns and customer pre-order cancellationssecondaryStern's communication strategy failuressecondaryCommunity podcast influence on release narrative (Kaneda's role)secondaryPricing and model tier strategy (Pro/Premium/LE)mentioned

Sentiment

negative(-0.72)— Craig Bobby is highly critical of Stern's execution and communication failures, repeatedly using harsh language ('complete and total mess,' 'poorly planned,' 'chaotic'). However, sentiment toward the underlying product (the game design itself) is positive, with confidence that Stern 'still has a certified winner on their hands.' The overall tone is disappointed criticism of a competent company's uncharacteristic failure in crisis management.

Transcript

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Warning, the following episode contains adult language and screaming goats. Listener discretion is advised. The Pinball Network is online. Launching the Pinball Show. Hello and welcome to the pinball show's top stories. I'm Craig Bobby Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong Gong What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here? Well, just a crazy week in the world of pinball as the world's largest pinball company, Stern Pinball, cancels its official launch of Stern's pinball's newest title, James Bond, out of respect for the people of the United Kingdom after the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Now, while delays in pinball sort of go hand in hand, this particular delay seemed to be a series of baffling missteps by Stern as the presses were stopped and the brakes were pulled at the 11th hour as the game was literally being unboxed and unveiled at the IAAPA trade show in London, Robert Englunds. Yes, it was unfortunate and sad timing that one of the world's most popular and well-known heads of state and one of the most recognizable people on the globe in Queen Elizabeth passed away just days before the event, throwing the entire UK into a state of mourning. However, the reality is that as a veteran and leader in the world of pinball releases, Stern should have known better, choosing to deviate from their tried and true, some might say boring, but very controlled and successful release formula in favor of a more splashy simultaneous trade show launch where inevitably things could go awry And go awry they did You might as well have been giving the world an invitation to come see the machine as within minutes of being unveiled on the floor, low res cell phone images and video of the Gomez designed Bond machine were circling pin side in pinball accounts across the globe leaving pinheads to do what pinheads do best, give their first impressions on what they were or were not seeing, with no context, no high-res images, and no gameplay, and no code, just going off your basic cell phone, horribly glass-reflected pictures. Much like the unveiling of any work of art, fumble the first impression of a reveal and it's easy for buyers to get spooked in a climate of sky-high prices and expectations, and oh my, did they get spooked, and oooh, did it get ugly. Now instead of trying to just run with it or go into damage mode, Stern awkwardly tried to put the genie back in the bottle, which felt like your favorite performer hitting the stage in full flight as the curtain is pulled back only to apologize and back off the stage with their tail between their legs, leaving those leaked images and continued rumors about the title lingering out there unchecked, barring any further delays for at least another 10 days. And in another bizarre example of how when that horse gets out of the barn, man, it's really gone, we had Kaneda's Pinball Podcast literally holding court for the last week in live Facebook forum, virtually taking over the release from Stern as he revealed and leaked more and more information daily about art packages, pricing, features, gameplay, sometimes multiple times a day, while Stern, forced into their lane by their delayed release decision, rightly or wrongly, sat back and did nothing as just about every single piece of their Bond pinball puzzle was unfurled as leak after leak became public, culminating in the final Kaneda bombshell. That in fact, there would be another 60th anniversary edition of the game which would be unveiled at the British Film Institute tribute to James Bond. Say what? But wait, it gets better! Rumor has it that this 60th anniversary machine would be different from the other Pro Premium and Ellie models in every way showcasing all of the James Bond actors with possibly even the inclusion of Daniel Craig and sold through dealers with no ceiling on the price, much like what they did with the 40th anniversary edition of Elvira. Say what? The game would be a single-level, only EM-inspired game, much like what Stern did with the Beatles. But the most interesting part of this rumor is that this new 60th edition version would be completely redesigned by none other than the top pinball designer in the world, wait for it, Keith Owen. Say what? Meanwhile, back at poor dealer control, little if any information was still being shared officially from Stern about pricing, the delay, or when this title might ultimately be revealed, leaving dealers looking foolish as they went into scramble mode to try and assure potential buyers not to leave the reveal party just yet, and that all would eventually be well once Gomez and the Stern reveal train got back on the tracks, with some distributors reporting that customers were pulling out of LE spots early last week or getting out of line for a pro or premium until they saw more. And saw more they did as more high resolution images were finally leaked again on Friday after a clever troll once again simply guessed the relevant URL web address that Stern would use to eventually post the images on their website and voila, there they were, already pre-posted, waiting for the release date and for a link to be added to the Stern website. The result of that new leak? Back in came those doubters that left the party prematurely as they could finally see, in glorious high resolution, that in fact the new Bond game was not only packed with new and exciting mechs, but the layout was fresh and interesting, and that the art wasn't nearly as bad as people had thought from those previously leaked low-res images. The bottom line? The whole thing was just a complete and total mess and was probably one of the most chaotic and poorly planned reveal strategies I can remember in the modern Stern Spike 2 era. Very uncharacteristic for Stern as the leader in the pinball industry But have no fear true believers have no fear Despite the fumbling of the ball on the one line allowing the opposing team to run back for a touchdown to tie the game, Stern still has a certified winner on their hands here in the Gomez and soon-to-be-revealed, but still-rumored Elwin designs that will ultimately win back the game on September the 22nd at 10 a.m. Central when Stern officially releases James Bond. If the last week's boiling fervor tells us anything, it tells us that the world of new-in-box pinball is still alive and well, and that there is unprecedented interest in the next, stern release. God bless the queen, and long live the king. For the Pinball Show, I'm Craig Bobby. Catch you on the flip side. Hey, thanks again, Craig. And yes, everyone, there is a lot to talk about in pinball, but I will not be doing so today. rest assured that I will be jumping right back on this mic once more information is revealed about Stern Pinball's James Bond and as more official information is given and yeah I can give you my first impressions of what we've seen or what we haven't seen or the rollout and all of that will come but you all know me I've got to see this LE I've got to find out if there is any truth behind the rumor swirling around about an additional trim model so just know that that is coming and it's coming with some really hard takes as well it'll be worth the wait but the great news is that later on this week maybe even as early as tomorrow i did a guest appearance on a new podcast that's landing right here exclusively on the pinball network that episode is going to knock your socks off it was a blast and this is an up-and-comer that will be jumping into the ring as a major mainstay on your pinball podcast list of weekly content. Thanks again for the support of the Pinball Network, the industry leader in pinball broadcasting. Don't psht me. Numbers don't lie. I only report the facts. But that James Bond art, though? Oh! God! Ah!