Episode 1096: "My Harry Potter CE Art Feelings"

Kaneda's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed)·podcast_episode·17m 55s·analyzed·Jun 3, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.022

TL;DR

Kaneda critiques Harry Potter CE artwork while discussing music, pricing, and upcoming Predator release.

Summary

Kaneda discusses the newly revealed Harry Potter Collector's Edition cabinet artwork, expressing mixed feelings about the colorful but artistically underwhelming design. He also covers David Thiel's massive 50-song music package for the game, anticipates the Arcade Edition selling out quickly due to limited availability, and speculates about Pinball Brothers' Predator machine release timing and Arnold Schwarzenegger's potential inclusion. The episode touches on broader industry dynamics including Stern's continued dominance despite boutique manufacturer competition.

Key Claims

David Thiel has recorded 50 songs for Harry Potter, the biggest music package in pinball history
high confidence · Kaneda, stated as factual information about the game's music
The Harry Potter Arcade Edition is priced at $10,000
high confidence · Kaneda, discussing edition pricing structure
If Jersey Jack opens Arcade Edition pre-orders, it will sell out in minutes
medium confidence · Kaneda, prediction based on limited availability model
If Arcade Edition is limited to 100 units, it could generate $1 million in revenue from that unit type alone
medium confidence · Kaneda, calculation based on $10k MSRP
The Harry Potter CE artwork features two dragons, both with wings cut off by armor elements
high confidence · Kaneda, visual observation of the revealed artwork
Arnold Schwarzenegger is not visible on any Predator artwork revealed so far
high confidence · Kaneda, observation of leaked Predator images
Stern makes more games in one week and sells more in one week than Barrels of Fun, Spooky, or Pinball Brothers does in an entire year
medium confidence · Kaneda, comparative market claim about manufacturer scale

Notable Quotes

“If David Thiel doesn't deliver on the music front, I'm just done with Jersey Jack and their approach to theme integration”
Kaneda @ ~3:45 — Indicates music quality is a critical redemption factor for Kaneda's opinion of JJP games
“If they legitimately sell out Arcade Edition, if they legitimately open the door to Arcade pre-orders, this thing is gonna be gone in minutes”
Kaneda @ ~5:30 — Prediction about Arcade Edition demand and FOMO-driven scarcity
“It feels very John Papadiuk, this feels very Magic Girl with the blue, the aqua, the purple—it feels very bright”
Kaneda @ ~7:00 — Comparison of Potter CE aesthetic to other JJP designer's style; indicates design lineage
“There's just nothing large about it. Nothing interesting. It really is a very uninteresting looking side cabinet art package”
Kaneda @ ~8:30 — Direct criticism of the revealed artwork aesthetics
“Every time they do gold on the armor, what happens? The oil from your hands stains the gold lockdown bar”
Kaneda @ ~10:15 — Practical concern about gold finish durability and maintenance on premium editions
“If Arnold is in the game and they have the clips from the first movie and we get that theme translated the best possible way, that game's gonna sell out in a thousand games”
Kaneda @ ~15:30 — Assessment of how Arnold's presence or absence determines Predator's commercial success
“Early Stern buyers are guinea pigs for issues with the game. You spend all this money and you gotta wait six months for the code to be done”
Kaneda @ ~24:00 — Criticism of Stern's release strategy and quality control issues

Entities

Kanedaperson David Thielperson Jersey Jack Pinballcompany Pinball Brotherscompany Harry Pottergame PredatorgameJohn PapadiukpersonMagic Girl

Signals

?
product_launch: Harry Potter pinball launching Thursday (3 days from episode date of January 2nd)
high · Kaneda: 'This game is coming out in just three days. It'll be out Thursday'
?
design_innovation: 50-song music package by David Thiel represents largest music production in pinball history
high · Kaneda: 'David Thiel is doing the music... has recorded 50 songs for this game this is the biggest music package he's ever done'
?
collector_signal: Arcade Edition at $10k priced for rapid sellout if truly limited; potential $1M revenue from single unit type
medium · Kaneda: 'If they legitimately open the door to Arcade pre-orders, this thing is gonna be gone in minutes' and revenue calculation
?
product_concern: Harry Potter CE artwork criticized as uninteresting, with poor integration of design elements (dragons with cut-off wings)
high · Kaneda: 'There's just nothing large about it... very uninteresting looking side cabinet art package' and 'both dragons have one of their wings cut off by the armor'
?
product_concern: Gold finish on lockdown bar prone to hand oil staining; potential durability issue on premium CE
high · Kaneda: 'Every time they do gold on the armor, what happens? The oil from your hands stains the gold lockdown bar'
?

Topics

Harry Potter CE artwork reveal and aesthetic criticismprimaryMusic and audio package quality (David Thiel involvement)primaryLimited edition pricing and FOMO strategy for Arcade EditionprimaryPredator pinball machine development and Arnold Schwarzenegger licensingprimaryStern vs. boutique manufacturer competitive dynamicssecondaryCode quality and release-day issues in modern pinballsecondaryCabinet artwork design philosophy and executionsecondary

Sentiment

mixed(0.35)— Kaneda is enthusiastic about Harry Potter's scale and David Thiel's music involvement but genuinely disappointed by the Collector's Edition artwork aesthetics. Critical of Stern's quality control and Pinball Brothers' communication. Resigned skepticism about limited edition strategies and FOMO.

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.054

On the ice of rocks, do you need this now? Do away, oh rulers, how we need this now? Free the land, free the people! I don't sit up, sit up, sit up, sit up, sit up, sit up, sit up! Happy Harry Potter week everybody! It is Monday, June 2nd. I gotta be honest, I waited. I waited because I thought somebody was gonna strike First today and actually reveal more than just cabinet artwork. We're gonna talk about it. I didn't even realize this was real. I was working today and in my Patreon chat, I saw these images being shared and I thought they were like AI generated images that someone made based on the other images we got of Harry Potter. Now we know what the collector's edition artwork looks like. Let me ask you a question, grown Men 40 to 60. How excited are you by that side cabinet artwork? We're going to talk about it. But man, man, nothing. Where are the pinball brothers? I don't know what's going on right now, but I guess it's just going to be the week for Harry Potter. And this game is coming out in just three days. I'll be out Thursday here's what we know I've been giving you some details on the game we know that David Thiel is doing the music not just that dude has recorded 50 songs for this game this is the biggest music package he's ever done this is going to be the biggest music package in the history of pinball and by that I don't just mean music it's sound effects. Atmicetheless at the atmosphere that David creates in his games, if you don't know is work, go play a Pirates of the Caribbean and go play in alien and come tell me that sound doesn't truly matter in pinball Dartmouth the other thing is this people might forget this Jersey Jack pinball machines used to have the best sound in the world and that was because of David. And then he left. And then Capture Plays Medi molecule Textures Script Tre nên ni TheHair from the Harry Potter movies. Will it have synced up clips from the actors from the moments in the movie? That still remains a very big question mark. Kaneda and the rest of you are excited to see because if it's another muted clip journey, I'm just done with Jersey Jack and their approach to theme integration. Okay, so we know that. We know there's going to be three versions of this game in arcade Edition that is $10,000. Crapman paso, pinball For a fair and significant amount of time And I also think regardless of how long it is open Jersey Jack is not going to tell us the truth about how many actual orders they got because again think about it they going to lock in thousands maybe of non CE deposits and you not going to know what the total number is until it too late to get your money back and so if they legitimately sell St拜拜 Family socialist equivalent N out pinball wieluice Old million dollar litter�� Jinping GarciaFR đã bên họ cuộc neil empresa cynweise, Good Harmく��hall годbook conditionedultipclaasент This is what you think of this feels very when I saw it it feels very John Papadiuk this feels very magic early with the blue the aqua the purple it feels very bright and I get it maybe somewhere in the Harry Potter art world this is what the art looks like the thing that I don't like about it and I'm looking at it right now there's just nothing large Knapp Arcade, Spike 2 Knapp Arcade, Spike 2 Knapp Arcade, Spike 2 The game again, this is just my first impression. It feels very colorful, very inviting, very childlike amazement. And I get it. You could argue that's the world of Harry Potter, but just nothing interesting. It really is a very uninteresting looking side cabinet art package. And I'm thinking about all the games we've seen recently over the last few years. I'm thinking about all the amazing illustrated cabinets we've had. And I'm just thinking about the ones that just you saw it and it just made your jaw drop and this just isn't it. It's somewhat interesting because of the amount of details in it but again this must be going deep into the Potter lore. I don't know, I don't know but I will say looking at this now, looking at this now I 100% expect there to be rainbow LED light shows going on So that wraps, is it brands 我imentos tribe's shopping yards advanced on a pricely PC of a to compete in 2006oi xxx developed white box Apple works and the other part that I'm worried about is this gold armor. We've seen it before, right? Every time they do gold on the armor, what happens? The oil from your hands stains the gold locked out of your hands. The oil from your hands stains the gold lockdown bar. And so seeing this, I wish it was brass plated. Even looking at it, again they're going for that sparkly Elton John gold kind of look. Is this the same gold that's in the Elton John CE? I'm not sure. Is that even gold? I think it is gold. but you know just stepping back knowing that it gonna be jjp radcals knowing that the colors gonna pop in person I still think it gonna be beautiful but it just a really awkward image There's like two dragons, and what I don't like about the art package is both dragons have one of their wings cut off by the armor. One is cut off by the armor at the top and then one is cut off by the leg. I just don't like it when the art isn't designed to fit within the physical space of the pinball machine. On the Wizard Edition, they took into account where the stuff would be and they designed the art around it. Clearly, I think we might have two different artists lending their talents to this Harry Potter machine. Knapp Arcade, Spike 2 Knapp Arcade, Spike 2 Knapp Arcade, Spike 2 Franchi Picasa, Franchilvaniaa, Franchiexpensivea, Franchi Palestina, Franchiexpensivea, Franchiientôta, Franchi Warria, Franchieszczea, Franchiotiationa, Franchiariesta, Franchi슷a, Franchiariesta, Franchiariesta, FranchiMANDa, Franchi슷a, Contents, category recycling, LEGO I always like having the name of the game. I do. I like having the name of the game on the side of the machine. Even if it's not huge, I just prefer that. It just always feels a little bit unfinished when it's only just an image. Alright, so we got that. Pinball Brothers didn't give us anything new today, did they? We're still kind of looking at this blurry image of the playfield. We know that on the apron, it's got the Predator's countdown clock. There's a machine gun mech that's gonna be a ball save on the left out lane. There's a post that pops up. The big question with Predator is this, is Arnold in the game? And everybody knows how I feel. If Arnold is in the game and they have the clips from the first movie and we get that film translated the best possible way, The Out of a thousand games pretty quickly if he's not you're not gonna sell out it's just that simple and I'm feeling really worried because Arnold's not on any of the artwork that we can see so far even though it's blurry We know he's not up there, and I'm a little bit worried Here's what I'm worried about if the Predators Countdown clock is on the apron bar I'm a little bit worried that you might play as the predator. I don't want it to be that. Okay, can't be that right? It can't be that So I think what's gonna happen in this game if Arnold isn't in it it's gonna be a lot like alien when it first came out before they got the Sigourney Weaver rights and You're gonna play as Dutch the way you played as Ripley and I think that's how they're gonna execute it I felt like after all of the teasers last week that we were gonna wake up on Monday and see the full game Now I don know what you do this week Are they really gonna release this game during the same exact week that Harry Potter comes out I don know I don know I so curious everybody I know you curious too I just don see any FOMO happening on either game if the CEs are unlimited Toto and it should be the sch trout londonite colombian style T rough vamuole lapel and line all of us should be pinspiel and told to bring casl scrunchie horrid de jom it We always think someone's gonna put Stern in their place. We do we think it's over. We think they're done It's over Stern's failing as a company. Everybody else is destroying them and then meanwhile they make more games in one week and Sell more games in one week then barrels does all year then spooky does all Year then pinball brothers does all year So you know what I'm saying is like they're not done. They definitely open the door for these boutique companies and these boutique companies have been delivering they've been getting some good themes. They're about to get better themes but more than the themes These companies have been putting a lot more in their games more Creativity King Kong is a good game people. I mean I've been reading the threads, but the thing about Kong is this it's kind of just like more of the same from The game's code isn't anywhere near complete. The mechanisms in the game aren't great. They're not. They're not magical, everybody. And the damn gorilla arm has fallen off. And people are troubleshooting the mechs in the game already. It's like, once again, early Stern buyers are guinea pigs for issues with the game. And then you spend all this money and you gotta wait six months for the code to be done. The You've been the guinea pig and later builds are going to be built better than your day one L E's It's a big problem, but they're still gonna sell a lot of King Kong's the whole notion of le CE I think that's kind of over now. I do I think the only next evolution of that will be super rare super limited edition versions of games The game's. So, for example, if Back to the Future comes out and there's only 88 SLEs, I think that's how they're gonna do it and everybody else gets the other version of the game. So, that's where we're at. That's where we're at. We got some new artwork, man, that wasn't what I was expecting, not in a million years. If you asked me to tell you what I thought the collector's edition of Harry Potter pinball would look like, would any of you land it here? Juhians, Out Pinball Umwelt Instrument tyces, Out Pinball lectures Leadership, Out Pinball BorisạTishios ,Ax ngo fox, Out PinballAx.tv ,Anahe clamp, Out PinballLant9k , centre ужasj hij muutr Pensioner4 , Out Pinball merew in the chat, Tristan and Paul, Root seem had nothing worse than 18 years into being a pinball enthusiastsil now 13 years later, Hartmann a pianist yang contrario noch live in antagonist are gelate Lee announced no retribution for 10 years at mostrar Dog pra DONO TV Belgian nonalgu colors noch de ser un gai person gile at plus 2020 disneythis getta los Jackick forbidden pinball and art, light, simple and silly.