Turner Pinball is Almost There...ALMOST!

Cary Hardy·video·16m 17s·analyzed·Oct 26, 2023

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.025

TL;DR

Turner Pinball's Ninja Eclipse impresses technically but faces adoption hurdles due to unconventional cabinet design and app-based payment model.

Summary

Cary Hardy provides an in-depth technical walkthrough of Turner Pinball's Ninja Eclipse at what appears to be Pinball Expo, praising the machine's engineering, maintenance accessibility, and playfield design while acknowledging aesthetic concerns about its non-standard cabinet (no coin door, shorter profile). He highlights innovative features like integrated lighting, tool-free glass removal via a handle mechanism, and a modular playfield frame, but expresses skepticism about the Pin Access app payment system for operators and notes the $9,700 price point.

Key Claims

Ninja Eclipse cabinet uses plywood rather than MDF, with a modular frame that can be worked on without a rotisserie
high confidence · Direct technical walkthrough shown in video; speaker verified by removing components and examining construction
Playfield glass removal is tool-free via a handle underneath the cabinet that lifts the glass and lockdown bar as one piece
high confidence · Demonstrated in video walkthrough; speaker calls out the mechanism as superior to Deep Root's hydraulic approach
Ninja Eclipse is priced at $9,700 for the current model
high confidence · Speaker explicitly states price at end of video; notes arcade edition with coin door would be ~$1,000 cheaper ($8,700)
An arcade edition with coin door is planned but requires reengineering of the glass removal system
medium confidence · Speaker reports Turner Pinball team discussed this; describes it as something 'they are speaking about doing'
The cabinet design resembles Zizzle Pinball machines (like Pirates of the Caribbean), creating negative perception of cheapness despite quality internals
medium confidence · Speaker's observation based on visual comparison and public reception; not confirmed by Turner Pinball
Turner Pinball has made significant progress from TPF (March) to October; speaker saw earlier homebrew-stage version and now sees polished version
high confidence · Direct personal experience; speaker attended both events
The Pin Access app payment system is unlikely to gain adoption among operators compared to coin drop methods
medium confidence · Speaker's opinion based on low Stern Insider adoption rates at arcades; not factual claim about Turner Pinball's product
Playfield gameplay had minor tweaks needed (e.g., post placement in front of upper flipper), which Turner Pinball team is already aware of and implementing
medium confidence · Speaker mentions raising concern during walkthrough and team confirming they've already been made aware

Notable Quotes

“I'm liking what I saw. I'm seeing the potential. I don't think they're ready for mainstream yet. Not quite, but they're getting there, especially going from what I saw at TPF to what I'm seeing now in October.”
Cary Hardy @ ~4:30 — Overall assessment of Turner Pinball's progress and readiness; balanced optimism about trajectory
“These are toys. They're really expensive box of lights. They're toys... whether you want to admit it or not these are big toys okay so but seeing this style with ninja eclipse it's very reminiscent to the zizzle pinball machines... you kind of get that at least vibe that it's something like cheap and cheap hardware”
Cary Hardy @ ~2:00 — Addresses the core aesthetic concern: cabinet design creates perception of inferior quality despite actual engineering
“everything is easy to remove including the play field itself in case for whatever reason you had to do some kind of major overhaul to it or whatever... the ease of access to getting the play field glass off i thought that was pretty nifty”
Cary Hardy @ ~3:15 — Praise for maintenance-focused design; highlights competitive advantage over traditional cabinets
“I don't like those... let's take this fucking fan out of this damn power supply”
Cary Hardy (quoting someone at walkthrough) @ ~11:45 — Light criticism of power supply fan noise (noted to also be issue on Stern machines)
“I didn't hear a click. There was no satisfaction. I need that kinetic satisfaction where it's like, ka-chunk!”
Cary Hardy @ ~9:15 — Minor UX concern about backbox installation feedback; aesthetic/tactile issue
“For me like for instance On this vacation Going to Pinball expo I could have gotten like I don know like a 10 or uh deduction from one of the hotels... But it required me to download a separate application... I was like, no, fuck that.”
Cary Hardy @ ~15:30 — Illustrates skepticism about Pin Access app adoption by citing personal behavior aversion to app downloads
“if they did go to a standard cabinet like the arcade edition I was talking about then essentially the game would actually be like a thousand dollars cheaper so if you're okay with having you know like a regular plate filled glass removal and stuff like that... then you could get the game for like $8,700”

Entities

Cary Hardyperson Turner Pinballcompany Ninja Eclipsegame Pinball Expoevent TPFeventZizzle PinballcompanyDeep Rootcompany

Signals

?
business_signal: Pin Access mobile app payment system faces adoption headwinds; low Stern Insider uptake at arcades suggests operators/players resistant to app-based payment vs. coin drop.
medium · Speaker expresses skepticism based on Stern Insider adoption rates and personal app-download aversion anecdote; notes Turner team aware of need for arcade edition with coin door
?
design_philosophy: Ninja Eclipse cabinet proportions and lack of coin door evoke low-quality perception despite high-quality internals; aesthetic design doesn't convey premium positioning.
high · Speaker analyzes visual comparison to Zizzle machines and discusses how shorter profile without coin door reads as 'cheap product' to public despite sophisticated engineering
?
design_philosophy: Turner Pinball prioritizing maintenance accessibility and modular construction (tool-free glass removal, separable backbox, rotisserie-free playfield frame) over conventional cabinet aesthetics.
high · Entire technical walkthrough demonstrates this philosophy; speaker explicitly praises engineering from technician/operator perspective
$
market_signal: Non-standard cabinet design creates perception barrier despite superior internal engineering; aesthetic/familiarity concerns outweigh technical advantages for public buyers.
high · Speaker explicitly notes public negative reaction to cabinet, compares to Zizzle's cheap perception, acknowledges polarizing nature of design departure from Stern standard
$
market_signal: Ninja Eclipse premium engineering (modular frame, tool-free glass removal, integrated lighting) commands ~$1,000 price premium over potential standard-cabinet version ($9,700 vs. ~$8,700).

Topics

Cabinet design and aestheticsprimaryMaintenance and serviceability engineeringprimaryPricing and value propositionprimaryOperator adoption and coin-free payment modelssecondaryPlayfield gameplay and design tweakssecondaryTurner Pinball's manufacturing and product development trajectoryprimaryComparison to other manufacturers (Stern, Deep Root, Zizzle)secondaryCommunity perception and reception challengessecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.75)— Speaker is genuinely impressed by Turner Pinball's engineering and maintenance design, praising technical execution and progress trajectory. However, acknowledges legitimate aesthetic and adoption concerns (cabinet style, app-based payment). Not uncritical—raises specific feedback (post placement, fan noise, backbox click feedback, app skepticism)—but fundamentally supportive and encouraging of the company's direction.

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.049

because certain things that i was seeing i thought that there was a problem with the machine but it was like the upper flipper was stuck up he's like no that's what the boss does i'm like oh oh that's cool okay or is it a problem with the machine don't you lie to me man it's not gonna be good so turner pinball was there with their ninja eclipse they had two games there and this was honestly something that I wasn't expecting to play or do anything like that with but I was like oh you know what this was here at TPF last time and I failed to get a chance to play it it was one of those where when I first saw it it was like very obviously early stage of like homebrew development of the game and I was like I'll come around and play it but I never got a chance to play it at TPF So going from what I saw at TPF in March to October of right now, they've come a very long way. And honestly, I like what I see. Now, of course, the big thing that everyone sees, of course, is the cabinet on any machine. That is the first thing that we're going to judge a pinball machine by is what we can aesthetically see right in front of us. So, if we are accustomed to the typical, like, let's just say stern as being the default cabinet, hinges, side rails, the way the glass comes out, lockdown bar, coin door, we're just accustomed to that being the standard. It's only natural that when we see something else, we kind of get the little bit of a, I don't like this vibe. Now, from the public, it's like they just weren't liking the cabinet. That was the main thing that I heard. And I think it's got to do with the fact that when we see this style of cabinet, no coin door, the cabinet is basically shorter. It makes it seem like it's a cheap product, like it's a mere toy. And let's just face it, guys. These are toys. They're really expensive box of lights. They're toys. That's what they are. They're for entertainment. whether you want to admit it or not these are big toys okay so but seeing this style with ninja eclipse it's very reminiscent to the zizzle pinball machines like you've seen them with um like pirates of the caribbean i remember seeing that uh years ago i've even seen it on for sale recently and stuff so you see that and you kind of go uh you kind of get that at least vibe that it's something like cheap and cheap hardware and stuff like that. But once you look inside, which I'm sure a lot of you didn't when you were there at the show, I managed to get a complete walkthrough of removing the glass, but it's actually plexi, and the whole process of lifting up the playfield and maintenance and stuff like that. And that's where I was like, you know what i i'm liking what i'm seeing from a technician perspective maintenance to operate on this game i'm liking what i'm seeing because everything is easy to remove including the play field itself in case for whatever reason you had to do some kind of major overhaul to it or whatever and the ease of access to getting the play field glass off i thought that was pretty nifty at first too it's like at first i didn't understand how it was working i was thinking it was kind of like the deep root glass that they were wanting to do with the hydraulics that lifted up um this is not the case you have like a hook i say a hook you have a handle underneath where the coin door would be underneath the bottom of the machine that you would pull and that releases your playfield glass and the lockdown bar all in one piece now if you had a stuck ball then you be able to just reach down pull up lift up go underneath there get the ball loose and put it back down good to go you wouldn't have to slide it all the way out put the glass somewhere or anything like that a part of me wants to just geek out and you're gonna think that i am like totally just trying to like chill for something here but i'm just being real when i say that i like what I saw. I'm seeing the potential. I don't think they're ready for mainstream yet. Not quite, but they're getting there, especially going from what I saw at TPF to what I'm seeing now in October. I'm liking a lot what I'm seeing. You've got the built-in lights. It's kind of like, let's just call them PinStadiums, but the built-in PinStadiums that are attached to the top panel that you can remove and they have contacts near the lockdown receiver bar that basically make contact i almost it's it would be easier if i just kind of showed you the video as they're walking me through how everything works so instead of me just jibber jabbering uh let's just do that so you see that kind of just pops up yeah there you go is it on hand like This is riding on the edge of the wood here. There's a route carved into the back here that kind of keeps it captured when it's down. So if I could let go of this, it would be bad, wouldn't it? That's what I'm trying to say. Oh! Oh! Alright. And you can just pull. Oh! So the objective isn't to raise it up, it's like to... I was thinking deep root. Okay, alright. Yeah, you can raise it up if you just want to do it with the ball in it. Yeah, you get in there and then you lower it back down again. Okay. Our trough is all here on the top side, so you can just grab all your balls in one go. You don't have to stick your hand inside the coin door and try to tilt them. That was too far. Yeah. Thank you. Once all your balls are out, then just raise it up without a hand in it. Go ahead. Add a little handle. Mm-hmm. Just go on the edge. Pull it out until it stops. This wooden frame is built into the back of the playfield. This actually holds it all in place. It rides on the bottom of the cabinet. The cabinet itself is actually plywood, not MDF. This frame, you can work on it outside of the cabinet if you want to. You don't even need a rotisserie. This playfield was actually built using this frame, and we actually didn't even put in a rotisserie to build it. It'll sit standing straight up on a bench. It'll sit on its side on a bench. If you have it laying flat on the table top, it will actually sit about 5.5 degrees. You can even test the straps and the roll of it. It all comes unplugged with 3 wires and you can just pull it out. Let's break this down. I want to give you a build of the backbox. The backbox is very organized as well. Alright. It's smooth. Like the movement is smooth. Oh yeah. You know like the normal revs are real jerky. There's that hump you gotta like get over. I always have the light lifted up so I can... I just feel strong. Oh, God. My favorite shot is... Yeah, sure. Go ahead and just carefully grab it kind of towards the middle. And then carefully rest it on. You can slide it back. Rest it on there. Yep. And then put it down. Just kind of get it centered. And then take your hand and a firm press right in the middle. There you go. Got it. There's no way. I didn't hear a click. There was no satisfaction. I need that kinetic satisfaction where it's like, ka-chunk! Like oh yeah, it's on there. I thought... Yeah, I heard it was shouting this really loud in the background. Okay, alright. I was like, something's missing. Go take a look at the back. Alright. So, we've got a power supply, we've got our main router board, and then the computer. And it's kind of unbelievable because you don't know what other pinball machines look like, but it's just power. This is the subwoofer and the cabinets and that's... Your serial, yeah, yeah. That's it. That's the power supply. And then the computer. And then the computer. And then the computer. And then the computer. And then the computer. And then the computer. And then the computer. But it's just power. This is the subwoofer and the cabinet Your serial yeah yeah That it That the whole connection between the backbox and the cabinet You can just disconnect these three This is just the circuit board here It stays there You just pull them out and the backbox comes off Comrade Warrior, together we can stand against... I'm kind of curious, so is this just a board? Is this just like a pass-through? It is. On the other side, there's three more connectors. So it's a male going in? Yeah, you got it. I just thought it'd be nice to have that there instead of just running off. So this is the computer running off right here? Yes, sir. Alright. And we got our power supply, the power filter. Is that fan loud like Stern's? Or the one that Stern uses? I say Stern. Alright, well, let's just put that fucking fan. I don't like those. Yeah, let's take this fucking fan out of this damn power supply. She's locked in. She's like, what is that sound? That's the new game I haven't changed the fan on yet. Yeah, so we got power, that's the sub, and that's the communication bus. So we just disconnected them all and closed this up. Two screws on the back. And then from there, it just slides forward. See what that gives you? It's pretty tight because it's got like a latch at the front. But if we just separate it like that, it's got some holes. It's pretty light weight. I can see it because you don't have the hole. Yeah. It's got a handle right on the top. So really, I mean, it's hard to be able to transport a machine like this. It's so much easier. This is going to fit in a lot of cars, but normal cabins are not going to get all the benefits and features of the full-size machine. We fit it in a smaller box. So there you go that just kind of shows you the things that I found interesting mainly when it comes to from a maintenance perspective on this now of course the big concern a lot of people have with this is the no coin door especially for you operators out there how are you supposed to be able to utilize this machine to make money and that's where they bring in their pin access app that they would like the public to download learn how to use and use it for payment methods. I don't see that taking off really quick. So I highly recommend that they do this. They are speaking about doing it, and that is making an arcade edition of said machine by adding the coin door and giving people the ability to use coin drop methods. But that is going to require a little bit of reengineering when it comes to how the playfield glass comes off and on and stuff like that. And so there's just going to be some reengineering that's going to be required. in order to make the cabinet have a coin door and give the operators the ability to use coin drop. But if you are a home user like myself or you out there and you can do without the coin door, then you can have the cabinet that you see currently right now. And I bet there's concerns about what you see in the backbox, the fact that it's kind of like open in the back and how that's not going to look very appealing from behind. That depends on where you place it. Like I would never see it if I had it against a wall right here. And that would probably do a little bit of a light show against the wall. Maybe. I don't know. But that's the way I look at it from that perspective. Otherwise, they may need to put something back there to kind of, I don't know, make it a little more aesthetically pleasing. But then wanting the public to download an application to their mobile device in order to play this game. I do not see that going well. There are plenty of people out there right now going to arcades and stuff like that that have Stern Insider connected that gives people to utilize it online that don't do it, let alone only be able to play the game if you use the pin access app. For me like for instance On this vacation Going to Pinball expo I could have gotten like I don know like a 10 or uh deduction from one of the hotels that we stayed at But it required me to download a separate application for this particular provider of services or whatever to get the 10 or $20. And I was like, no, fuck that. And I was like, I'd rather pay the $10 or $20 more to not download another application in order to save money. It's an inconvenience for me. Like, oh, it's a convenience for us to provide you a $10 or $20 reduction on your hotel stay. It's an inconvenience for me to download your app. But that's just me. So in a nutshell, when it comes to Turner Pinball, I would just urge you people out there that do not like the way it looks to give it a shot. That's all I'm saying And hopefully they're able to engineer a cabinet With a coin door to satisfy you guys out there But all I'm saying currently Is that I like what I see With what they're doing And I urge them to continue To keep engineering, to do what you're doing And who knows guys, they may come up with something That is going to be satisfactory for all of us But I can understand how polarizing it can be for what you're seeing right now, because mainly it's different. And a lot of us do not like change. But aside from the engineering aspect of the cabinet and everything, how did the game play? Honestly, I didn't have any complaints with it. I would like to get more time on it to really feel everything out, but it's a very obtuse layout. It's not your standard. It's definitely not a fan layout or anything. but um there are still some little tweaks that need to be done i was going to bring up a particular point about putting a post in front of the upper flipper but they've already been made aware of that and that they are going to implement that so there's probably still a little couple of design tweaks that they're going to be doing in the future but when it comes to like even the theme for the game i don't have any kind of issues with it either i can understand how a lot of you may not find it interesting or aesthetically pleasing but for me I really like playing this game called Mark of the Ninja and for me the artwork style of that really reminds me of Mark of the Ninja. It's a very fun game if you haven't played it and if you care to I suggest you really check it out. So guys judging by what you have seen and heard in this video what are your current thoughts with Turner Pinball? Let me know in the comment section down below guys later. I thought I was done recording but i realized that i completely like didn't have information in here that you guys may want to know and that is the price for ninja eclipse the model that you see is 9700 dollars it's up there let's just say that and i know a lot of you are thinking what's going on you got less materials in the backbox less materials in the cabinet why is it so much more expensive I mean by all means that's that's up to them and the pricing for everything the way it is they did state that if they did go to a standard cabinet like the arcade edition I was talking about then essentially the game would actually be like a thousand dollars cheaper so if you're okay with having you know like a regular plate filled glass removal and stuff like that like completely disregarding some of the engineering things that they've added to the game, then you could get the game for like $8,700. So there you go. you