claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.034
Bash Pinball plays King Kong at Stern factory, praises design and crew culture.
King Kong is based on the 1933 public domain film, not the Legendary Pictures Monsterverse Kong
high confidence · Keith Elwin explained the game uses the 1932-33 King Kong and the novelization from 1932 which never had its copyright renewed, giving Stern free reign creatively
The Pro version lacks the gong mech but is otherwise nearly identical to Premium/LE in gameplay
high confidence · Hosts played both Pro and Premium versions and noted the Pro plays the same shot without the gong rejection mechanic, making it arguably more fluid but losing signature tactile feedback
King Kong features a train multiball lock system where Kong physically knocks over the train with his fist
high confidence · Premium/LE versions have physical train lock; Pro version uses right orbit instead, making Pro slightly more difficult
The gong shot is a full mechanical kickback, not a spinner or gate
high confidence · Hosts describe tactile gong mechanic that rejects the ball back toward flippers; initially appeared in video as minor element but felt substantial in person
Stern staff at factory tour were approachable and enthusiastic, including George Gomez and Dwight Sullivan
high confidence · Hosts encountered multiple designers casually during event; noted Stern hires people who genuinely love pinball
Kong does not eat the ball, unlike the expectation of some players
high confidence · Hosts acknowledge Kong does not consume the ball as mechanic; cited as humorous negative point
King Kong's upper left area functions like a mini-playfield with its own flipper, drop targets, and ramp
medium confidence · Hosts compare it to Swords of Fury integration; describes feeling of separate playfield zone that integrates into main game
“The movie fully based on that movie. Indirectly. Basically yeah. The movie still has a copyright on it. However, in 1932, actually the year before the movie came out, there was a novelization based on the movie and there's no copyright for it. They never renewed it.”
Host (explaining licensing) @ early in licensing discussion — Explains the legal mechanism allowing Stern to use 1933 King Kong without licensing fees, enabling creative freedom
“He could have jaws for lunch fish fillet jaws would be like a snack fish fillet”
Host @ Kong mech description — Humorous comparison of Kong toy scale relative to Jaws game
“It's like a gong like a gong um which was really really cool man because it is rejecty you know what i mean like it literally will reject the ball”
Host @ gong mechanic discussion — Describes tactile quality of gong shot that photos/video don't capture
“I was just so focused on hitting that gong for a while did you remember that yeah yeah you're like man you love hitting that gong i don't know why i just like and that's how i learned that's how you start the modes”
Hosts @ gameplay reflection — Documents organic discovery that gong starts modes through repeated play, not strategy
“These guys just love pinball, and that's why they're there. And it seems like Stern hires people who love pinball. They're doing it right.”
Host @ factory culture reflection — Positive assessment of Stern's company culture and hiring philosophy
“There's no villains at Stern. There is no villain, dude.”
Host @ Stern perception discussion — Dismisses criticism of Stern as corporate villain; positions company positively based on factory visit experience
“The video does not capture the feel of that shot. I know. When I saw the video, I was just like, okay, yeah, it's kind of whatever. It's a spinner.”
Hosts @ gong shot comparison — Highlights disconnect between promotional video and actual tactile experience of playing Kong
community_signal: Stern Pinball executives and designers were actively present and approachable during factory event, engaged with visiting content creators; demonstrated pinball passion from leadership
high · George Gomez, Gary Stern, Rick Nagel, Dwight Sullivan all encountered casually during event; described as 'pinball fans' who love the product
competitive_signal: Kong's shot layout emphasizes discovery and ball routing mystery over obvious visual challenges, requiring multiple plays to understand optimal strategies
medium · Hosts describe needing 4+ games to understand left side diverter logic; gong shot mystery; ramp timing learning curve
design_philosophy: Keith Elwin's Kong departs from his typical design pattern; incorporates subtle ball routing mysteries and mini-playfield integration rather than overtly dramatic shot layouts
high · Hosts note Kong 'had a lot of differences to his other games' and describe subtle routing tricks vs X-Men's obvious visual design language
licensing_signal: Stern obtained creative freedom with King Kong through public domain novelization (1932) that never had copyright renewed, enabling unfiltered artistic vision without licensor approval gates
high · Keith Elwin explained the 1932 novelization copyright loophole; hosts emphasize this enabled Stern artists to execute vision without license holder constraints
manufacturing_signal: Stern Pinball conducted exclusive factory tour for media/podcasters, demonstrating manufacturing complexity and cost justification for premium pricing
groq_whisper · $0.101
“I think you just had a better game on the Pro, so you liked it better. I mean, but you know, after I warmed up and stuff and I came back and forth, I saw myself playing both games for different reasons. Like at my house, sure, I'll take the one with the bells and whistles. At the arcade, I'll take the Pro.”
Hosts @ Pro vs Premium conclusion — Nuanced take on version differences; suggests use-case dependent preferences
“I cannot imagine how much it would cost from what we saw to build a game. The level of detail, the staff. There's an enormous cost going into these things. They're doing it the right way.”
Host @ Stern economics reflection — Acknowledges manufacturing complexity and justifies current pricing model
“So they got to have free reign. What does Keith Owen want to do? What does Jeremy Packer want to do? What do the other artists want to do? They can do it.”
Host @ licensing freedom discussion — Emphasizes creative advantages of public domain IP vs licensed themes
high · Bash Pinball given factory access, VIP treatment, exclusive playtest time; hosts reflect on manufacturing costs and staff scale visible during tour
market_signal: King Kong Pro positioned as value-competitive alternative to Premium/LE without major gameplay loss; hosts suggest Pro satisfies most player segments
medium · Hosts note Pro 'doesn't feel incomplete' and both versions are 'worthwhile in their own right'; one host prefers Pro for arcade use despite Premium at home
personnel_signal: Jeremy Packer confirmed as artist/designer on King Kong; George Gomez, Dwight Sullivan, and other senior designers actively involved in playtest/presentation
high · Jeremy Packer named as presenter; Dwight Sullivan encountered teaching game rules; George Gomez casually present during factory event
announcement: King Kong officially revealed at Stern factory; hosts provided exclusive early playtest access before public release
high · Hosts describe official presentation by Keith Elwin and team at Stern showroom; exclusive 15-minute private play sessions with each group
product_strategy: Pro/Premium/LE differentiation relies on mechanical additions (gong, train lock, spider toy) rather than removing entire playfield sections, maintaining complete gameplay experience across tiers
high · Hosts explicitly praise Kong for avoiding Jaws/Foo Fighters upper playfield removal strategy; Pro plays 'almost exactly the same' with center ramp shot and accessible core mechanics
product_concern: Video marketing of King Kong gong shot failed to convey tactile quality and mechanical sophistication; significant perception gap between promotional content and actual gameplay
high · Hosts describe thinking gong was 'spinner or gate' from video; 'the video does not capture the feel of that shot'; actual mechanic much more impressive in person
sentiment_shift: Hosts revise previous skepticism about Stern's corporate culture and attention to detail; factory tour converted negative perceptions to positive regard
high · Host explicitly states 'One thing that I was totally wrong about was their attention to detail, their level of care, the fact that they are pinball people'
licensing_signal: Public domain status of 1933 King Kong character enables Stern to create original game without franchise-specific story constraints, differentiating from modern Kong IP
high · Hosts emphasize Stern avoided Legendary Pictures Monsterverse licensing; created original game inspired by 1933 film with full creative control