Captain Nemo

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Oct 1, 2012

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.014

TL;DR

Quetzal Pinball reveals Captain Nemo prototype with embedded LCD display and open-source rules.

Summary

Quetzal Pinball, a Spanish collector group based in Murcia, has unveiled plans for Captain Nemo, a custom pinball machine featuring a 9.7-inch LCD display embedded in the playfield center. The machine will include multiball, LED lighting, Wi-Fi connectivity, and open-source rules running on a custom QPC controller board. With an anticipated price of €4,000-€4,500 and planned production of ~30 units, pre-orders are open with delivery expected 10 months after October 2012 production start.

Key Claims

Captain Nemo will feature a 9.7-inch LCD panel positioned in the center of the playfield to show animations and game feedback
high confidence · Official prototype specifications from Quetzal Pinball
Quetzal Pinball plans to manufacture approximately 30 machines in a short production run
high confidence · Stated manufacturing intention from the company
The machine will have open-source rules code available to developers for extension and modification
high confidence · Feature description of Captain Nemo's software architecture
Production is expected to begin in October 2012 with delivery taking up to 10 months
high confidence · Production timeline stated in article
The anticipated retail price is €4,000-€4,500 plus 18% tax
high confidence · Pricing information provided by Quetzal Pinball

Notable Quotes

“Quetzal Pinball is not a coin-op manufacturing company, but is more a group of collectors and enthusiasts who have come together to create the Captain Nemo pinball”
Pinball News article @ N/A — Establishes that Quetzal is a boutique/hobbyist operation rather than commercial manufacturer, contextualizing their limited production run approach
“the source code for the game will be made publicly available to allow developers to extend or modify the rules”
Pinball News article @ N/A — Highlights open-source philosophy, distinguishing Captain Nemo from commercial manufacturers and appealing to homebrew/modding community

Entities

Quetzal Pinballcompany Captain Nemogame Antonio OrtuñopersonGustavo DíazpersonQuetzal Pinball Controller (QPC)productTorneo Madrileño de PinballseventVisual Pinballproduct

Signals

?
business_signal: Boutique collector group entering pinball manufacturing with limited production run of ~30 units and open-source development philosophy
high · Quetzal Pinball described as collector/enthusiast group rather than commercial manufacturer; planned 30-unit production; €4,000-€4,500 price point; open-source code availability
?
announcement: Official reveal of Captain Nemo prototype with detailed specifications and production timeline
high · Quetzal Pinball publicly released prototype details, backbox image, playfield diagram, flyer; announced May 2012 public debut at Madrid tournament
?
technology_signal: Embedded LCD display technology in pinball playfield center represents novel approach to digital integration in physical pinball machines
high · 9.7-inch LCD panel positioned in playfield center to show animations and game feedback; custom QPC controller board running embedded PC operating system

Topics

Embedded LCD/Digital Display TechnologyprimaryOpen-Source Pinball DevelopmentprimaryCustom/Boutique Pinball ManufacturingprimaryPrototype Development and Playfield EngineeringsecondaryPricing and Production Economics of Custom MachinessecondaryEuropean Pinball Scenesecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.75)— Article presents Captain Nemo as an innovative technical achievement with novel LCD integration and open-source philosophy. Tone is enthusiastic but measured, focusing on technical specifications and production logistics without hyperbole. No critical concerns or negative sentiment expressed.

Transcript

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26th March, 2012 Following our exclusive report on the P3 machine from PinballControllers.com, another team working on a pinball machine with an embedded LCD display have come forward and revealed details of their game. Quetzal Pinball are based in Murcia in Southeast Spain and have produced a prototype of their Captain Nemo machine which they are planning to reveal shortly. The backbox image for Captain Nemo So far they have only released computer-generated versions of the game, but many of the prototype's parts have now been made and they are progressing towards having an actual machine available to play at the Torneo Madrileño de Pinballs in Madrid in May. The main talking point is the 9.7 inch LCD panel positioned in the centre of the playfield which will show animations and reveals during the game, as well as providing scores and other feedback to the player. The Captain Nemo playfield with the LCD in grey Quetzal Pinball is not a coin-op manufacturing company, but is more a group of collectors and enthusiasts who have come together to create the Captain Nemo pinball with the intention of manufacturing a short run of around 30 machines. Apart from the LCD screen, the game also features multiball with up to 5 balls, LED lighting, a headphone jack on the front of the cabinet, a five-bank of drop targets, a captive ball, and steel ramps and wireforms. Wi-fi connectivity is included to allow scores to be uploaded or software downloaded, while the source code for the game will be made publicly available to allow developers to extend or modify the rules. Those rules run on an embedded PC operating system which drives a custom controller board, called the Quetzal Pinball Controller or QPC. The Bally-style backbox contains two speakers, and the cabinet houses a 6.5 inch sub-woofer through which the game's heavy metal soundtrack plays. The anticipated price for the game is €4,000-€4,500 ($5,300-$6,000) plus tax of 18%, and it will be available with or without a coin mechanism. The flyer for the game The project leader for Captain Nemo is Antonio Antonio Ortuño, while artwork for the game comes from Gustavo Díaz, a.k.a. Lord Hiryu, who is very active in the Visual Pinball community recreating machines for the VP platform. Pre-order reservations are being taken now through the Quetzal Pinball website, with production expected to begin in October 2012. Delivery could take up to 10 months, although machines will be shipped as soon as they are completed rather than all together. Deposits of one third of the final price will be due in September, with the balance due when the machine is ready to ship. We'll have more information about Quetzal Pinball's Captain Nemo machine as it emerges, right here at Pinball News. Back to the Learn page Like this page? Share it with your Facebook friends: Back to the front page