Episode 974: "My Thoughts on Godzilla 70th"

Kaneda's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed)·podcast_episode·16m 48s·analyzed·Jul 10, 2024

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.031

TL;DR

Kaneda praises Godzilla 70th monochrome variant while analyzing Stern's shift from LE to unlimited production strategy.

Summary

Kaneda discusses the newly announced Godzilla 70th Anniversary limited edition with Shane Black and Dick White artwork, praising it as Stern's best machine while analyzing community polarization over the aesthetic redesign. He explores Stern's strategic pivot to unlimited production runs following backlash over previous limited editions (Jurassic Park, Elvira's House of Horrors), examines the secondary market implications, and speculates on upcoming anniversary variants (Metallica 40th, X-Men) while defending Stern's production flexibility against competitors.

Key Claims

Godzilla 70th Anniversary edition was originally conceived as a 500-unit limited edition but became unlimited due to distributor pressure from previous LE variants
medium confidence · Kaneda's inference from George Gomez video, noting foil decals and premium production but unlimited availability strategy
John Wick Limited Edition units are now selling on secondary market for ~$10,500
medium confidence · Kaneda citing current secondary market pricing as evidence of John Wick sales weakness
Godzilla has sold 'thousands of machines' and maintains #1 ranking on Pinside Top 100 after 3 years in production
high confidence · Kaneda direct statement about Godzilla's commercial and critical success
Stern will release specialized accessories designed specifically for the Godzilla 70th Shane Black/Dick White edition
high confidence · George Gomez mentioned this in official Stern Pinball video per Kaneda
George Gomez emphasized 'Premium Edition' ~18 times in the reveal video and stated Stern will continue producing the game as long as there is demand
high confidence · Kaneda's direct observation of George Gomez's messaging in the reveal video
During COVID, people were spending ~$18,000 on Godzilla Limited Edition units on secondary market
medium confidence · Kaneda citing historical secondary market pricing during pandemic scarcity
The monochrome Shane Black/Dick White aesthetic is more faithful to original 1950s Godzilla film posters and movies
medium confidence · Kaneda's subjective aesthetic analysis and interpretation of design intent
Stern is likely planning Metallica 40th Anniversary and X-Men variants in addition to Godzilla 70th
low confidence · Kaneda speculation based on historical pattern of anniversary releases and 'long-running rumor'
Stern is the only major manufacturer capable of quickly pivoting production to new titles or variants when others fail

Notable Quotes

“I absolutely love this version of Godzilla...you could tell, like, when George Gomez is doing this Stern Pinball video, it's so obvious that when the inception of this game happened over at Stern Pinball, they wanted to make this a 500 version limited edition of the game.”
Kaneda @ early — Central claim about Stern's original intent vs. final strategy shift due to distributor pressure
“The game has been out for 3 years now. And it is arguably maybe Stern's best pinball machine of all time. It is ranked number one on the Pinside Top 100, and they sold thousands of Godzilla machines.”
Kaneda @ mid-early — Establishes Godzilla as franchise's most successful modern title
“There's a lot of hate towards this version of Godzilla is that if you have one you're never going to admit that it's nicer than the game you have, and I think so many people are reluctant to do that, because it's just a little bit upsetting.”
Kaneda @ mid-early — Psychological analysis of collector resistance to aesthetic variants
“I haven't felt this way about a Stern machine in a while, but seeing this game today really made me want one.”
Kaneda @ mid — Personal endorsement of the 70th edition's design and appeal
“They probably wanted to, for the 70th anniversary of Godzilla, make 700 Shane Black and Dick White additions to commemorate this property...and now they can't because they pissed off everybody with the way they did Jurassic Park with what they did with Elvira's House of Horrors and all those variations.”
Kaneda @ mid — Directly connects current unlimited strategy to fallout from past limited edition strategies
“There's no other company that has the ability to pivot and put something else on the line so quickly. And I think when we start to see unboxings of this new Shane Black and Dick White Godzilla, they're going to get more orders.”
Kaneda @ late-mid — Establishes Stern's competitive advantage in production agility
“This was a long-running rumor in the pinball world. And now it's like, where's that Metallica? I thought Metallica would come now, and I thought that Godzilla would come later in the year. I think what they might do is go Godzilla 70th, Metallica 40th, and then Jack Danger's X-Men.”

Entities

Godzilla 70th AnniversaryproductStern PinballcompanyGeorge Gomezperson Jeremy Packerperson Kanedaperson John WickproductGodzilla (original game)product

Signals

?
product_launch: Godzilla 70th Anniversary monochrome (Shane Black/Dick White) edition officially announced with unlimited production model
high · Kaneda viewing and analyzing official George Gomez reveal video; George Gomez emphasis on Premium Edition and unlimited run status
$
market_signal: John Wick Limited Edition trading for ~$10,500 on secondary market, indicating weak sales and price depreciation
medium · Kaneda citing current secondary market prices as evidence of John Wick commercial failure
?
product_strategy: Stern shifting from traditional limited editions (500-700 unit targets) to unlimited production runs due to distributor and collector backlash over Jurassic Park and Elvira variants
high · Kaneda's inference from George Gomez messaging; explicit reference to distributor pressure and past variant controversies
~
sentiment_shift: Community divided over Godzilla 70th monochrome aesthetic; some praising it as faithful to original 1950s films, others viewing it as sign of Stern's troubles or expressing reluctance to upgrade
high · Kaneda citing polarized feedback; noting some believe it signals Stern in trouble; psychological resistance from existing Godzilla owners
?
rumor_hype: Long-running rumors about Godzilla 70th Anniversary release; speculation about upcoming Metallica 40th Anniversary and X-Men variants
low · Kaneda: 'This was a long-running rumor in the pinball world...I think what they might do is go Godzilla 70th, Metallica 40th, and then Jack Danger's X-Men'

Topics

Godzilla 70th Anniversary edition aesthetic design and receptionprimaryStern's strategic shift from limited editions to unlimited production runsprimaryJohn Wick commercial failure and secondary market weaknessprimaryCollector psychology and resistance to variants of existing owned gamesprimaryGodzilla's status as Stern's most successful modern titleprimaryCommunity polarization over monochrome vs. full-color aestheticprimaryUpcoming anniversary variants (Metallica 40th, X-Men)secondaryStern's competitive advantage in production agility vs. other manufacturerssecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.78)— Kaneda is strongly enthusiastic about the Godzilla 70th design itself but expresses mixed feelings about Stern's variant strategy and its market implications. He defends the new aesthetic against community criticism while acknowledging legitimate concerns about limited edition fatigue and collector backlash. His tone is analytical and optimistic about Stern's agility but cautious about long-term market sustainability of the unlimited variant model.

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.050

osity databasesrospectpng, Parts 2 Welcome everybody to Kaneda's Pinball podcast it's 1 o'clock in the morning here So i'm going to have to be a little bit quiet As everybody sleeps in the casa de Kaneda Godzilla 70th Anniversary I'm going to give you my opinion on this game. I'm looking at it right now. I'm looking at it next to the full-color version that Zombie Yeti put out there. I mean, this is Zombie Yeti too. It's just in black and white. And I'm looking at the Godzilla name in red Japanese lettering, a throwback, if you will, to the old Godzilla movie posters that had his name in red. And I must say, you know, it's just so different that I freaking love it. I absolutely love this version of Godzilla. And you could tell, like, when George Gomez is doing this Stern video, It's so obvious that when the inception of this game happened over at Stern Pinball, they wanted to make this a 500 version limited edition of the game. They so did. I mean, they gave it the foil decals. They went the extra mile by making all the mechs and everything in the game. The Godzilla figure, everything in the game is black and white except for the name Godzilla. Like it's really freaking cool. I love it. I love like every angle I see this game. And it's interesting when I'm looking at the feedback because it's very polarizing. I mean, some people love it. Some people hate it. Some people think this is indicative of Stern being in trouble. And yes, John Wick sales are abysmal. We're now starting to see John Wick LEs sell for like $10,500. But here's the thing when I look at this Godzilla black and white edition for $90,000. The game has been out for 3 years now. And it is arguably maybe Stern's best pinball machine of all time. It is ranked number one on the pinsidetop100. and they sold thousands of Godzilla machines, and the reason why I think there's a lot of hate, and I mean this. There's a lot of hate towards this version of Godzilla is that if you have one you're never going to admit that it's nicer than the game you have, and I think so many people are reluctant to do that, because it's just a little bit upsetting, You know, you have your game, you love your game, you've probably enjoyed it for three years, and I think for a lot of people, Godzilla is a keeper because it's so damn good. And now they've made this version, which I think, again, this is just me and it is subjective, I think this is the nicest version of the game. And did you hear what George Gomez said? They're going to make accessories that go specifically for this black and white version of the game. The pinball machine is a black and white inner art blades and I wish they would just install these inner art blades at the factory because it's 10,000 times easier if they do it when they make the game versus asking us to do it after the game has been sent to us. But if they make all of these accessory lines for this game, I think it's going to look even better. I mean this I haven felt this way about a stern machine in a while but seeing this game today really made me want one And it interesting right When George Gomez was doing the video he must have said the word premium like 18 times and reminded everybody that we going to make this game as long as there demand And that another really interesting thing about today because this is really new territory for Stern Normally they would Oliver green tagline by luxurychatting for people ugasa but it's use code EASY wise be Alors a CD for effort plus 24 hour postcode internet lunch时间 precautions forIP and sales which you should always pay at this time on the newspaper old dilesh Professional.ما ask a publisher come on s nodes phone in mile 눌러� importantlyắ� degres temperament card is They probably wanted to, for the 70th anniversary of Godzilla make 700 Black and White additions to commemorate this property, this game, and this iconic franchise celebrating 70 years, and now they can't because they pissed off everybody with the way they did Jurassic Park with what they did with Elvira and all those variations. What was the single näch읱 Schwar adults 你会 implication souvenirs вы You've got over three years of people buying all these Godzillas and not just that because Godzilla is such a popular game so many people out there Invested in a lot of mods and made their games Uniquely amazing to the way they wanted them and now you've got this new version And so what's amazing for the Godzilla mod makers, and you know who they are I'm going to make black and white versions of all the mods I've made for Godzilla and I think when you see this black and white version with all the mods that are out there, with the topper on it, with the shooter rod, with the armor, with everything that makes Godzilla amazing and when you see it in black and white and you put it next to the super colorful The most popular game in the game is yeti. Yeti is not only a game that stands out, but all the colorful stern games in your lineup all blend together. Yeti stands out when you put something so unique like this. Yeti totally makes sense for the theme. 802- installer I have not seen a lot of older Godzillas go up for sale. And I think that's just indicative of people pushing against this move from Stern. Like, I'm not going to sell my old machine and lose a few thousand dollars to get this new one. And that makes sense, you know, because if you love Godzilla and you have Godzilla and you're enjoying Godzilla, are you really going to try to sell your game? Do you really want to start over on the Godzilla journey through I think for most people the answer is easily no This game is meant to attract new people to the Godzilla game It a great game to attract new people If you a newbie in pinball and you walked into pinball today the fact that you can get this Godzilla for $9,600 is pretty awesome. Because remember, during COVID, people were spending like $18,000 on Godzilla LEs. CONCLUSION OF EXCHANGE OF And 3214!!simple.com We're going to be talking about the pinball industry and how they're going to change. They're just not going to be able to release these things as LEs. And it's going to be very interesting. I'm not sure what's going to happen. I don't know if games like this Godzilla Black and White are going to be met with open arms. I don't know. You know, as someone who only owns one pin right now, I kind of find this stuff somewhat exciting because nothing they do right now is going to upset me. You know, I'm kind of glad I got rid of my Batman SLE because I'm also worried that they're probably going to make a 60th anniversary of that game. And then what happens, right? If they put the topper back on it and they do something new with the artwork, you know, it's just all these variations are coming. And I think now we know that you sort of should just buy a Stern machine because you love it. There's always going to be a chance down the road they're going to make another version. I'm John Papadiuk, Black Water Podcast, Twippies Awards, and I'll see you next week. I'm going to be talking about a game that was weird. All throughout the 10 years I've been covering this industry, a game that was launched like this, if they launched it the way they wanted to, this is the kind of game that would have sold out in one day. But now, because it's unlimited and George is emphasizing we're going to make these as long as there's demand, it gets really interesting because I also think Stern is going to start Hi, it's me, Jeff. I'm the creator of the I think they're going to start to say, like, well, this is the final run of this make of Godzilla Black and White. I think they're going to start to create, like, FOMO about getting in on this run of the game. Now, here's the problem. I think they're going to do stuff like that to sell X amount of games right now. And then when they sell all those games, they're going to be like, congratulations, due to strong demand, we're doing another run. Comment your thoughts below. Comment your thoughts below. causa personas causa personas causa personas I John Papadiuk Black Water Kaneda Pinball Podcast Twippies Awards transliteelectronic I had all this great ability to make collectable versions of the games but they didn really think it through and now they overdid it and now they can't go back and that's really not where you want to be and it's not where they wanted to be, but the distributors spoke They herself makes his debut film myself. So they found this weird middle ground and we'll see the way the market responds to it. But you know, Kaneda is a huge fan of this version of the game. I think it looks phenomenal. I think it looks great. I think there's a lot of people that just want to say it doesn't look great because they don't want to trade up for it. But if this thing were available on day one, remember all the criticisms on day one of it being too colorful, this and that. I think this erases a lot of that and makes this look more like the original Godzilla and the originalGodzilla movies that everybody loves. But look, Stern does it again, right? They just keep making stuff. Nobody else is doing stuff. Stern just keeps doing things. I mean, they've got John Wick failing, Dead on Arrival, and now they need to keep the line going? Okay, we'll make more Godzillas. We need to keep the line going? Okay, we'll make more Metallicas. There's no other company that can do this. There's no other company that has the ability to pivot and put something else on the line so quickly. And I think when we start to see unboxings of this new black and white Godzilla, they're going to get more orders. And it's not the kind of game you're going to have to wait years on. You're not going to have to wait that long to get it. It's going to be available here and now. And that's why Stern keeps winning. And no one else can do it like this. Absolutely nobody else can do it like this. So I look forward to seeing the way people respond to this. Everyone's opening up their mouth and giving their opinion about this game. Will people open up their wallets and buy this game? You know in the context of how expensive everything is, you know, it's crazy, right? I'd rather have a $9,600 black and white Godzilla than a $15,000 Elton John collector's Edition. It's almost $6,000 more for that Elton John and not for nothing people this Godzilla black and white So, we'll see. I think we're all waiting for other things to happen in the pinball space. I think we knew this was going to happen. This was a long-running rumor in the pinball world. And now it's like, where's that Metallica? I thought Metallica would come now, and I thought that Godzilla would come later in the year. I think what they might do is go Godzilla 70th, Metallica 40th, and then Jack Danger's X-Man. And I think that might be what we see and I think we might see it in that order. But what do you think about this Godzilla black and white? Are you going to order one? Do you think it's a good value? Do you think it's a sign that Stern is in trouble? Let me know at kanedapinball at gmail.com. I'm curious to see what you guys are thinking. I'm reading the Patreon chat and it's very divided camp. Hi, this is David David Van Es. I'm here to talk about the new Godzilla game. It's a very divided camp, but I think it looks good. I think it looks really good. And if I wanted a Godzilla right now, knowing what's out there, man, this is really appealing to me. I would absolutely pull the trigger on one. Everybody get some sleep. I need to sleep. I'm flying to North Carolina tomorrow. I got a new business pitch on Thursday. I'm back at work. I miss being on paternity leave, I have to be honest. I mean, it is heaven to just wake up as a grown adult for like eight weeks straight and not have to worry about work. I felt like I won the lottery. Everybody have a great night. We'll talk to you soon.