THIS WEEK'S ARCADE & PINBALL NEWS - 3/4/2022

Knapp Arcade·article·analyzed·Mar 4, 2022

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.023

TL;DR

Weekly arcade/pinball news: TPF returns, Spooky Ultraman update, Weird Al LE sold out, Deeproot auction

Summary

This March 2022 arcade and pinball news roundup covers venue openings, festival returns post-COVID, code updates, 2.0 kit releases, limited edition sales, and manufacturer production updates. Key items include Texas Pinball Festival's return, Spooky Pinball's Ultraman code stream, Multimorphic's Weird Al LE sellout, and updates on boutique manufacturers including Deeproot Pinball's auction and HomePin's Spinal Tap status.

Key Claims

Texas Pinball Festival returns for first live event since COVID began, scheduled March 25-27 at Embassy Suites in Frisco
high confidence · Article explicitly states dates and location
Multimorphic's Weird Al Museum of Natural Hilarity Limited Edition units sold out
high confidence · Separate headline announcing LE sellout same day as sales launch
Current Multimorphic P3 orders to be built over next 12 months
high confidence · Production timeline headline indicates significant backlog
Deeproot Pinball headquarters were shuttered with auction scheduled
high confidence · Multiple headlines reference 'shuttered Deeproot Pinball Headquarters' and auction coverage
Dutch Pinball Bride of Pinbot 2.0 Kits are back in availability
high confidence · Headline indicates kit re-release or restocking

Notable Quotes

“Despite a delay by the World's largest pinball manufacturer in launching its next game, the arcade and pinball news continued to flow like water this week.”
Knapp Arcade author @ Article opening — References Stern's game delay (likely Star Wars based on timeline) but indicates robust news cycle continuing

Entities

Texas Pinball Festivalevent MultimorphiccompanySpooky PinballcompanyDutch Pinballcompany HomePincompany Deep Root PinballcompanyUltraman PinballgameWeird Al Museum of Natural HilaritygameSpinal Tap Pinballgame

Signals

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business_signal: Deeproot Pinball headquarters shuttered with public auction of assets, indicating significant business failure in boutique manufacturer segment
high · Multiple headlines referencing 'shuttered Deeproot Pinball Headquarters' and 'Deeproot Pinball Auction Part 2'
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community_signal: Spooky Pinball actively streaming code updates for Ultraman, demonstrating ongoing post-release support and community engagement model
high · Headline: 'Spooky Pinball Streams the Latest Code for Its Ultraman Pinball Machine'
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event_signal: Texas Pinball Festival successfully returns post-COVID with first live event since pandemic began, signaling industry recovery and community re-engagement
high · Article headline and Dallas News report on March 25-27 event in Frisco
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market_signal: Multimorphic Weird Al LE units sold out same day sales launched, indicating strong FOMO-driven demand and potential scarcity strategy success
high · Separate headlines for 'Sales open today' and 'Limited Edition Units SOLD OUT' on same date
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product_strategy: Multimorphic P3 orders facing 12-month production backlog, indicating capacity constraints and sustained demand
high · Headline: 'Current Multimorphic P3 Pinball Orders to Be Built Over Next 12 Months'
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Topics

Boutique manufacturer production updates and backlogsprimaryCode updates and feature releases for recent pinball titlesprimaryLimited edition sellouts and FOMO-driven salesprimaryPost-COVID venue and event recoveryprimaryDeeproot Pinball business failure and asset liquidationprimary2.0 kit releases and classic game remakessecondaryStern Pinball game delayssecondaryHomebrew and indie pinball developmentsecondary

Sentiment

mixed(0.55)— Positive energy around event returns, new venues, code updates, and LE sellouts reflecting healthy enthusiasm. Tempered by Deeproot Pinball's failure and Stern's delays. Overall tone is upbeat about industry activity despite challenges.

Transcript

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Despite a delay by the World's largest pinball manufacturer in launching its next game, the arcade and pinball news continued to flow like water this week. As the kids would say, this week's News is Thic (do they still say that?). Here you go... A new arcade opened this weekend in Tigard, Oregon… Reset Button Arcade opens in Tigard https://www.kgw.com/video/news/local/reset-button-arcade-opens-in-tigard/283-d911131b-9e7c-4a0c-b052-26ccffe7a2c9?fbclid=IwAR3EM418qrEBtlLmge7v8F_pLz2Ex2NHw8_OFzimwK_hez10Zk006kI2qHU I’ve stopped buying arcade minis cold turkey, but this thing is pretty freaking cool… Hardware: The Taito Egret II Mini Is A Doorway Into True Gaming History https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/02/hardware-the-taito-egret-ii-mini-is-a-doorway-into-true-gaming-history?fbclid=IwAR3PxqvMUihAip2t3yZHIJvmRGchiAXTXsh4xUCGpHWTKfuiYvFNwkQta1Y Texas Pinball Festival returns to Frisco this month for its first event since COVID began The festival will take place between March 25 and March 27 at the Embassy Suites in Frisco. https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/2022/03/03/texas-pinball-festival-returns-to-frisco-in-late-march-for-its-first-live-event-since-covid-began/ Another Cactus Canyon Remake 🌵is on location! Remember Q*bert? We hung out at Galloping Ghost Arcade with the Chicagoan who created ‘80s video games — here’s what he @!#?@ showed us https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-warren-davis-qbert-retro-gaming-20220302-dksrqovdebanbdchzsrdet3vai-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3VIBk9K24hlVlMoLkFmhEpNH-c2iPR8jJLQCH6VraJ40NqMbRggYl5I78 Spooky Pinball Streams the Latest Code for Its Ultraman Pinball Machine https://www.knapparcade.org/post/spooky-pinball-streams-the-latest-code-for-its-ultraman-pinball-machine The First RocketCPU Williams Replacement Board in the U.S. https://www.knapparcade.org/post/the-first-rocketcpu-williams-replacement-board-in-the-u-s Dutch Pinball Bride of Pinbot 2.0 Kits are Back https://www.knapparcade.org/post/untitled The First Williams FunHouse 2.0 Rudy’s Nightmare on Location https://www.knapparcade.org/post/the-first-williams-funhouse-2-0-rudy-s-nightmare-on-location Update On Spinal Tap Pinball From Distributor https://www.knapparcade.org/post/homepin-publishes-update-on-spinal-tap-pinball ‘Cannon Arm’ and his quest to play an arcade game for 100 hours https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/cannon-arm-and-his-quest-to-play-an-arcade-game-for-100-hours-1.4810236?fbclid=IwAR1nwnVP0lU6p8TMRZSphjkMZ3xcr-ZDPmYFQt04EGxca17I8Li39hrYehs Sales of Multimorphic’s Weird Al Museum of Natural Hilarity Open Today https://www.knapparcade.org/post/sales-of-multimorphic-s-weird-al-museum-of-natural-hilarity-open-today Multimorphic's Weird Al’s Museum of Natural Hilarity Limited Edition Units SOLD OUT https://www.knapparcade.org/post/multimorphic-s-weird-al-s-museum-of-natural-hilarity-limited-edition-units-sold-out Pinball Sighting in NASCAR Legend Tony Stewart’s Mansion https://www.knapparcade.org/post/pinball-sighting-in-nascar-s-tony-stewart-s-mansion An In-Depth Look at the Upcoming Pinball Adventures Game, Punny Factory https://www.knapparcade.org/post/pinball-adventures-teases-punny-factory Pinball Sighting…In this House With a Huge Basement Ice Cream Parlor https://www.knapparcade.org/post/pinball-sighting-in-this-house-with-a-huge-basement-ice-cream-parlor Auction Date Set...Pictures from Inside the Shuttered Deeproot Pinball Headquarters https://www.knapparcade.org/post/auction-date-set-pictures-from-inside-the-shuttered-deeproot-pinball-headquarters The Unusual Backbox Design of the Potential Elements Pinball Machine https://www.knapparcade.org/post/the-unusual-backbox-design-of-the-potential-elements-pinball-machine Current Multimorphic P3 Pinball Orders to Be Built Over Next 12 Months https://www.knapparcade.org/post/current-multimorphic-weird-al-orders-to-be-built-over-next-12-months Deeproot Pinball Auction Part 2 - The Good Stuff https://www.knapparcade.org/post/deeproot-pinball-aiction-part-2-the-good-stuff The Awesome New Homebrew Pinball Machine - Elf https://www.knapparcade.org/post/the-awesome-new-homebrew-pinball-machine-elf