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Kaneda discusses Predator, Avatar CE criticism, and Harry Potter delays on Saturday Morning Spectacular 8.
Predator is coming as a widebody from Pinball Brothers
high confidence · Kaneda, Saturday Morning Spectacular 8 – 'so it's gonna be a widebody pin and that that is interesting'
Pinball Brothers' previous games (Queen, ABBA) were poorly received with weak gameplay and artwork
high confidence · Kaneda – 'Queen pinball when it came out it looked dated' and 'ABBA is atrociously... everybody who plays Abba walks away with a negative opinion'
Avatar CE does not feature any 3D mode or elements despite the 3D focus of the Avatar films
high confidence · Kaneda – 'I am shocked that there's no 3D mode at all in the pinball machine... how do you decide not to have any 3D elements to Avatar'
Avatar CE lacks toy interaction with the ball despite $12-15K pricing
high confidence · Kaneda – 'there's not a single toy in Avatar so you want me to spend 12 to $15,000 and there's not a single toy in the game that interacts with the ball'
John Wick premium topper is priced at $1,500 and shooter knob at $200 with minimal material cost
high confidence · Kaneda – '$1,500 for flat plastic Toppers' and 'the shooter knob that is $200... probably cost Stern Pinball to make that in China less than $5'
Harry Potter will not release until May 2025, with production prioritizing Avatar CE completion
medium confidence · Kaneda – 'Harry Potter is not going to come out until May and they're going to build all the Avatar CES and then that's it'
Predator will be Pinball Brothers' make-or-break game that will determine the company's future direction
high confidence · Kaneda – 'this game is the make or break game for pinball brothers... if they nail it... I think pinball Brothers is gonna start a new chapter'
Avatar CE will not sell well and secondary market values will decline when Harry Potter releases
medium confidence · Kaneda – 'Avatar is going to be another game that doesn't sell very well... the value of them is g to go down because I think Potter is going to embarrass it'
“how do you in a boardroom at Jersey Jack pinball how do you decide not to have any 3D elements to Avatar I I don't get it I don't get it”
Kaneda @ ~0:10:30 — Core criticism of Avatar CE's design philosophy, questioning a strategic decision that contradicts the theme's core visual identity
“this game is the make or break game for pinball brothers because if they nail it and they surprise and Delight us with an awesome Predator machine... I think pinball Brothers is gonna start a new chapter in that company's history”
Kaneda @ ~0:18:45 — Frames Predator as critical inflection point for Pinball Brothers' reputation and future trajectory
“I think Predator is going to be a dog I'm buying it I think it's going to be a dog because I love dogs”
Kaneda @ ~0:35:00 — Kaneda's prediction despite personal interest; demonstrates skepticism about Pinball Brothers' execution capability
“for $15,000 and there's not a single toy in the game that interacts with the ball... I find it to be sterile and lacking in depth”
Kaneda @ ~0:48:15 — Crystallizes Avatar CE criticism around value proposition and perceived lack of mechanical innovation
“you found a community that absolutely has no expectations of getting what they're paying for and you can't blame Stern for charging $1,500 for flat plastic Toppers because people bought them”
Kaneda @ ~0:30:20 — Commentary on John Wick topper pricing reflects broader market criticism of premium accessory margins
“the whole point of Avatar is 3D this the whole point the thing was 3D IMAX Masterpiece that is the whole point the story sucks”
Kaneda @ ~0:10:00 — Articulates fundamental mismatch between Avatar IP's core appeal and the pinball game's execution
“when you get a dream theme for a lot of people like Predator just it's just an awesome cool badass movie right you get a great theme like that and then you hand it to the pinball brothers”
Kaneda — Emphasizes the concern that exceptional IP (Predator) may be wasted by developer choice
machine_intel: Predator confirmed as widebody from Pinball Brothers with sustained rumor presence for ~6 months; Kaneda provides detailed intel on game mechanics, theming expectations, and design philosophy discussions
high · Kaneda states 'it's gonna be a widebody pin' and discusses internal mechanics like chopper entry, Gatling gun, thermal vision, UV lighting requirements
product_concern: Avatar CE criticized for fundamental design decision to exclude 3D elements despite 3D being the core appeal of Avatar IP and Jaws precedent
high · Kaneda: 'how do you in a boardroom at Jersey Jack pinball how do you decide not to have any 3D elements to Avatar' and 'I am shocked that there's not even a moment where the game is in 3D'
product_concern: Avatar CE lacks toy interaction with ball and perceived depth despite $12-15K price point; described as 'sterile' with insufficient mechanical innovation
high · Kaneda: 'for $15,000 and there's not a single toy in the game that interacts with the ball' and 'I find it to be sterile and lacking in depth'
market_signal: Avatar CE inventory issues reported with units sitting unsold at distributor locations; demand deterioration anticipated upon Harry Potter release
medium · Kaneda: 'Ellie sitting in boxes at dros all over the world' and 'Avatar is going to be another game that doesn't sell very well... the value of them is g to go down because I think Potter is going to embarrass it'
product_strategy: Stern Pinball pursuing aggressive premium accessory pricing strategy on John Wick toppers ($1,500) and shooter knobs ($200) with perceived manufacturing costs of $5-50
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Jaws previously included 3D glasses, making Avatar's lack of 3D even more notable
high confidence · Kaneda – 'Jaws comes with the glasses and then you get Avatar no 3D again'
Predator Rumor mill has been circulating for approximately 6 months
medium confidence · Kaneda – 'this is a title that's been in the rumor mill for a long time we've heard Predator floating around for man maybe six months'
“the creativity underglass was far superior in the 90s than it is today”
Kaneda @ ~0:52:00 — Reflects broader community sentiment about modern game design versus historical innovation
“release the numbers why wouldn't you release them if you have them release them that's all I'm saying people transparency”
Kaneda @ ~1:04:30 — References TPPY awards voting concerns, suggesting opacity in community award mechanisms
“Ellie sitting in boxes at dros all over the world”
Kaneda @ ~0:55:30 — Suggests inventory management issues for Jersey Jack Pinball with unsold Avatar inventory
high · Kaneda: 'that thing probably cost Stern Pinball to make that in China less than $5 five' and 'you found a community that absolutely has no expectations of getting what they're paying for'
competitive_signal: Pinball Brothers positioned as weakest choice among 5+ manufacturers (Stern, JJP, Spooky, CGC, Dutch Pinball) for premium IP like Predator; significant capability gap evident
high · Kaneda: 'there are five companies in front of them that you would rather have make Predator' and 'Pinball Brothers is really not even on one hand of who you would want to make Predator'
community_signal: Community skepticism about Pinball Brothers' Predator execution despite strong IP; audience poll shows majority 'fail' predictions; concern that excellent theme will be wasted
high · Multiple audience fail votes and Kaneda: 'I think Predator is going to be a dog... floaty I think it's going to be a little empty I think it's going to be clunky'
product_launch: Harry Potter delayed from anticipated release to May 2025; production sequencing shows Avatar CE prioritized over Potter completion
medium · Kaneda: 'Harry Potter is not going to come out until May and they're going to build all the Avatar CES and then that's it right'
design_philosophy: Gap between IP potential and game design execution noted for Avatar (no upper playfield for flying sequences) and Predator (concern about flipper feel and artwork quality)
high · Kaneda on Avatar: 'the whole most iconic stuff happens up in the air and there's not even an upper play field' and on Predator: 'floaty weak flippers in a widebody right away it's going to be unsatisfying'
sentiment_shift: Avatar CE's premium reception appears hollow; owners struggle to articulate specific modes/moments that justify pricing; community segment questions value proposition
medium · Kaneda: 'people still can't articulate what exactly is so mesmerizing about what they're playing' and 'I just felt like a disconnect with what's happening in the game'
industry_signal: TPPY awards voting methodology questioned for lack of transparency; suspicion of vote weighting manipulation suggested by unreleased second/third place vote data
medium · Kaneda: 'Colin Never released... how many second and third place votes people got' and 'easy to put your finger on the scale there Colin right release the numbers why wouldn't you release them'
historical_signal: Community perception that underglass creativity and imaginative game design was superior in 1990s versus modern era; modern games criticized as thematic rather than mechanically innovative
medium · Kaneda: 'the creativity underglass was far superior in the 90s than it is today' and discussion of modern games relying on theme licensing over mechanics