claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.036
Jaws Premium hype, Stumbler mod excellence, John Wick licensing debate, and pinball community market dynamics.
Jaws Premium Edition had a second run and units are shipping out from distributors immediately, while other games are sitting in stock
high confidence · Josh and Matt discussing inventory movement at distributors; Matt states 'Jaws just had its second run of Pro and Premium Edition. And I don't know of many that are sitting in stock.'
The Keith Elwin pinball episode discussing Jaws had over 8,000 listens
high confidence · Matt: 'Based off the numbers of who listened to Keith, we had over 8,000 listens on that episode.'
Stumbler mod list had 300-400 people on waitlist within 2-3 days of opening
high confidence · Josh discussing Stumbler mod pre-orders: 'the list opened like two days ago or three days ago... there's our it's all right three four hundred people deep'
John Wick is rumored as the next Stern game with John Borg as designer, Tim Sexton on code, and Randy Martinez on artwork
medium confidence · Matt: 'i saw on on facebook from colin who's over kinetesis and This Week in Pinball... everyone's been hearing the rumor john wicks next from Sam Stern more than likely it's john Borg as designer tim Sexton on code... with Randy Martinez on artwork'
John Wick movies have a combined death count of 439 kills across four films
high confidence · Josh looking up data: 'John Wick kill count is 439. Yikes. That is a lot of people.'
The first Matrix film was given an R rating partially because of shooting/violence and parental/school shooting concerns
low confidence · Josh speculating: 'Honestly, I don't know if this rumor is true... matrix released really close to the combine shooting and they didn't want kids to go see this and think it was cool to do more shooting'
Stumbler's mods for Godzilla cost between $177-$304 per mod, totaling roughly $1,000 for all four
high confidence · Matt listing prices: 'the godzilla the lolly ufo mod is 177 the neo... the tokyo neon sign is 228 the subway building is 304 and the Bowie death 295'
“The Shark adds some depth adds some uh strategy there it's really cool... it feels more akin to a Godzilla rule set than anything else he's done.”
Josh Roop @ early — Josh's positive assessment of Jaws Premium Edition's rule design compared to Keith Elwin's other games
“Stumbler has made me a believer in mods. he is next level like the man is insane when it comes to mods”
Matt Scott Larson @ mid — Strong endorsement of Stumbler's mod quality and craftsmanship from previously skeptical co-host
“when i look at stumbler mods they do... it was meant to be in the game right”
Matt Scott Larson @ mid — Contrasts Stumbler's professional integration with poorly executed aftermarket mods like astroturf golf carts
“The Games behind me, excluding Godzilla, don't look at it, they don't have mods. I've had World Cup Soccer for almost a decade now. I've never modded the game. I don't see really a point.”
Josh Roop @ early-mid — Josh's initial skepticism about mods before Stumbler changed his mind
“if you're going to do a sequel, George Gomez, to Deadpool, do a Deadpool Wolverine. Yes. I am not kidding. Sell that. Package it. Get the licensing for it. That will sell.”
Matt Scott Larson @ mid — Clear design pitch to Stern for future Marvel IP leveraging Deadpool's success
“is John Wick too violent for Sam Stern Pinball's brand that they're aiming for nowadays?”
Matt Scott Larson @ late-mid — Frames the key debate about whether Stern has shifted toward more family-friendly content
“i have not watched Game of Thrones (Premium Edition) nor will i watch Game of Thrones (Premium Edition) because it is too much for me”
Josh Roop @ late-mid — Personal boundary statement that anchors Josh's perspective on violent themes in Stern games
“The beauty of living in a free country, folks... They are not catering to all audiences.”
product_launch: Jaws Premium Edition second production run shipping immediately from distributors; other games sitting in stock by comparison
high · Matt: 'Jaws just had its second run of Pro and Premium Edition. And I don't know of many that are sitting in stock.' and 'all the distributors I talked to said they're literally coming in the door and shipping out them'
design_innovation: Stumbler's high-end mods (Bowie of Death, Tokyo Neon) represent professional-grade mechanical and artistic integration with motorized effects and synchronized lighting; waitlist demonstrates strong market demand
high · Josh: 'the craftsmanship even down to the packaging like the man is just meticulous' and mod waitlist of 300-400 people within 2-3 days
rumor_hype: John Wick pinball game rumored for Stern with designer John Borg, programmer Tim Sexton, and artist Randy Martinez; community debating violence fit with Stern brand
medium · Matt citing Facebook post from Colin at This Week in Pinball about John Wick rumor with specific team composition
licensing_signal: John Wick franchise being actively pitched/rumored for Stern; Matrix highly desired by community but only Matrix 1 considered quality; Deadpool/Wolverine sequel concept pitched as natural follow-up
medium · Matt pitching Deadpool/Wolverine licensing strategy; community demand for Matrix discussed; John Wick license rumor circulation
market_signal: Some collectors buying Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition versions of same game to mod and compare before selecting which to keep; suggests high engagement with aesthetic customization
groq_whisper · $0.290
Some collectors buy Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition versions of the same game to mod and decide which to keep
medium confidence · Matt: 'travis murray had mentioned that he knows people who they actually get like a Pro version a Premium Edition version and a James Cameron's Avatar (Limited Edition) version... and they mod up the Premium Edition version'
The Jaws Premium Edition Bowie of Death mod features a buoy with a motorized rocking motion and integrated DMD display showing game state
high confidence · Josh describing the mod: 'you replace that plastic and it looks like waves and then this buoy is actually floating it it rocks back and forth like it's in water and at the top of the buoy is a dmd and it will tell you like encounter or multi-ball'
Jaws Premium Edition feels 'next level' compared to Pro version and has rule depth comparable to Godzilla
high confidence · Josh: 'I like the expansion of rules that Keith is doing, and it feels more akin to a Godzilla rule set than anything else he's done.'
Josh Roop @ late-mid — Josh articulates acceptance that different games appeal to different demographics
“John Wick kill count is 439. Yikes. That is a lot of people.”
Josh Roop @ late — Establishes quantitative context for violence level in John Wick franchise
“if you made it just off of 1, it was a soft R. But the only reason it was an R was because of the violence. It doesn't even say the F word once.”
Josh Roop @ late — Josh defending Matrix's R rating as primarily violence-driven, positioning it as less objectionable than other R-rated content
medium · Matt: 'travis murray had mentioned that he knows people who they actually get like a Pro version a Premium Edition version and a James Cameron's Avatar (Limited Edition) version'
product_strategy: Premium Edition pricing strategy validated by immediate market adoption; second production run of Jaws Premium already shipping indicates consumer preference for higher tier despite $9,699 MSRP
high · Josh chose Premium for $9,699 over Pro; Matt reports Premium units shipping immediately while Pro potentially sitting; Keith Elwin episode 8,000+ listens
sentiment_shift: Matt observes general community tendency toward negativity despite strong actual sales/demand metrics; describes bimodal distribution of opinion (all-in vs. all-out)
high · Matt: 'feels like A lot of people want to hate pinball or hate what it's become' and 'it's easier to channel negative energy... people are either all in or all out'
gameplay_signal: Jaws Premium Edition rule depth compared to Godzilla in complexity; bounty hunt background mechanic allows parallel objectives during modes/multiball, increasing strategic layering
high · Josh: 'it feels more akin to a Godzilla rule set than anything else he's done' and detailed explanation of bounty hunt mechanic with simultaneous play
design_philosophy: Debate about whether John Wick's 439-kill violence level fits Stern's current brand; Stern has precedent with Game of Thrones, Deadpool, Sopranos; discussion of industry norm shift toward adult content
medium · Matt: 'is John Wick too violent for Sam Stern Pinball's brand that they're aiming for nowadays?' followed by discussion of precedent and market positioning
content_signal: Keith Elwin podcast episode achieved 8,000+ listens, indicating strong audience engagement with designer-focused content and Jaws theme
high · Matt: 'Based off the numbers of who listened to Keith, we had over 8,000 listens on that episode'
technology_signal: Integrated DMD displays in bumper toys (Stumbler's Bowie mod) and synchronized lighting effects represent emerging aftermarket tech integration with base game electronics
high · Josh describing Bowie mod: 'at the top of the buoy is a dmd and it will tell you like encounter or multi-ball... it actually tells you what's going on in the game'
collector_signal: High-end toppers (Rush topper $1,800+) represent major collector investment tier; aesthetic toppers and mods seen as experience enhancers separate from gameplay mechanics
high · Matt: 'I didn't tell her it was $1,800' regarding Rush topper; discussion of topper as valuable experience upgrade