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Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Nov 6, 2005

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.016

TL;DR

The Pinball Factory reveals Crocodile Hunter Outback Adventure details; production targeted for 2006.

Summary

The Pinball Factory announces details about its first game, Crocodile Hunter Outback Adventure, licensed to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo and Animal Planet series. Development continues with finalized cabinet artwork, production planned for 2006 after Williams licensing delays. The machine will feature surround sound, a removable backbox design inherited from Pinball 2000, and four-button coin door controls.

Key Claims

The Pinball Factory's first game is called Crocodile Hunter Outback Adventure
high confidence · Official announcement from Wayne Gillard to Pinball News
The game is tied to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo and Animal Planet channel
high confidence · Stated in article as licensing basis for the game
Cabinet artwork is 'pretty much final' with no significant changes expected before production
high confidence · Direct quote from Wayne Gillard, The Pinball Factory
Production was delayed due to a Williams licensing deal and parts manufacturing requirements
high confidence · Wayne Gillard explanation to Pinball News
Production is targeted for 2006
high confidence · Wayne Gillard statement; dated November 6, 2005
The backbox will be removable like Pinball 2000, not fold-down like traditional designs
high confidence · Wayne Gillard confirmation
The production game will feature front speaker cutouts for surround sound
high confidence · Wayne Gillard clarification; not visible in preview images

Notable Quotes

“pretty much final”
Wayne Gillard, The Pinball Factory @ November 6, 2005 — Indicates artwork is locked and no major changes expected before production
“This should be in 2006, having been delayed by the deal with Williams and the consequent need to manufacture parts.”
Wayne Gillard, The Pinball Factory @ November 6, 2005 — Explains production timeline and external factors causing delays

Entities

The Pinball FactorycompanyWayne GillardpersonSteve IrwinpersonCrocodile Hunter Outback AdventuregameWilliamscompanyAnimal PlanetorganizationAustralia ZooorganizationPinball 2000product

Signals

?
business_signal: Williams licensing deal created manufacturing delays and parts supply complications for new manufacturer
high · Wayne Gillard explanation: 'delayed by the deal with Williams and the consequent need to manufacture parts'
$
market_signal: New pinball manufacturer (The Pinball Factory) entering market with inaugural licensed title
high · Described as 'the first game by The Pinball Factory' with dedicated development coverage
?
announcement: Official announcement of The Pinball Factory's first pinball game, Crocodile Hunter Outback Adventure, with finalized artwork and 2006 production timeline
high · Direct quote from Wayne Gillard stating artwork is 'pretty much final' and production 'should be in 2006'
?
licensing_signal: Licensed game based on Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo attraction and Animal Planet television series
high · Game explicitly tied to Steve Irwin's brand properties and Discovery Channel's Animal Planet

Topics

New game announcement and development progressprimaryLicensing and IP integration (Steve Irwin/Australia Zoo/Animal Planet)primaryManufacturing delays and Williams licensing complicationsprimaryCabinet design and technical specificationssecondaryProduction timeline and market entrysecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.75)— Enthusiastic coverage of new manufacturer's first title with clear development progress, exciting IP pairing, and concrete production timeline. No negative criticism; tone is supportive of The Pinball Factory's entry into the market.

Transcript

raw_text · $0.000

Story dated November 6, 2005 . The development of the first game by The Pinball Factory continues and some new pictures of the cabinet artwork have been released. Now called Crocodile Hunter Outback Adventure the game is tied in with Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo attraction on Australia's Gold Coast and with his series on Discovery's Animal Planet channel. The Pinball Factory's Wayne Gillard told Pinball News the artwork is"pretty much final" so we shouldn't expect any significant changes before production begins. This should be in 2006, having been delayed by the deal with Williams and the consequent need to manufacture parts. Although the game in these images does not show it, the production game will still have the front speaker cutouts in the cabinet to provide surround sound. Wayne also confirmed that at present the backbox is removable like the Pinball 2000 version and doesn't fold down onto the playfield like more traditional designs. One aspect that will be retained is the four button coin door controls for the menu system. This survived the Pinball 2000 changes and is well understood by operators and technicians, though the range of options is likely to expand. Back to the news index Back to the front page