How many racist stereotypes do you have to collect in that Sushi game?

Here's my honest criticisms regarding what I've seen of Punny Factory.

I think overall it's a cool project, and I love seeing simpler games getting made. Not every modern game should have to be more complex than the last. However, there are two big issues with this one, the artwork and the theme execution.

The theme execution falls flat because it's played too straight. Look at Dr. Dude. It's a super cheesy theme, but it works because the team behind the game did the whole thing with a tongue in cheek. Punny Factory needs to loosen up a bit, become more self aware, and develop a bit more personality beyond just "a pun factory gone wrong" to succeed.

As for the artwork, it's certainly competent, but pinball has had a standard of having fantastic artwork for decades. As a result, simply competent artwork looks pretty bad in comparison. Either the artist needs to be to told to draw in a style they're better at, or just replaced with a better artist, one that can compete with the standard set by other pins.

I think improvements in those two areas could really improve people's reception of the game, but as it is now I honestly don't see very many people being interested in this.

'Tongue in cheek' is more of the direction I'm hoping to be able to get the Sushi game taken to, where the elements of the concept that PA wants to take themselves seriously as player-goals also become funny because the whole thing would also be wrapped in genre-pastiche; an option not available to a 'brand' game like Punny Factory.

Think about what Creature From The Black Lagoon does. It's licensed from the film, it retains the plot and iconic monster, but it's a stepping stone to a game that's really about '50s drive-in culture. Without straying from what Pinball Adventures want the game to do and to focus on, I think we can achieve something similar here. Style would be absolutely crucial to making it work though.

Hope you’re getting paid in advance.

If a person wanted a simpler game that shoots great they could buy a lz pro for pretty much the exact same price. Just saying.

But where is the pun in that?

I think what you mean to say is. “Thank you to everyone for all the feedback, we appreciate your support and insight and will work to incorporate it all as best we can.”

One video was more than enough punishment for me.
Who do think is going to watch these?

My unsolicited opinion.

MacBain (couldn't make up a better villain name) is getting slammed for his past posting history. Nothing more.

You don't see the vitriol for a starter company like you do for the MacBains, Kuleks, VonnieD's, Heighways, etc for our small hobby.

People like Charlie Emery and Gerry Stellenberg have our admiration for good reason.

Dave Fix...Take note.

Edit...How did I forget Mueller????

Is there an approx. retail price on this machine?

Much like Gamestop stock I hope to rally people to shoot this pin to the #1 when it comes out for no good reason.

I dont care what it is its got to better than MM and thats been #1 for years on here.

Must have had second thoughts because he took down the video for the sushi pin.

Where did you get that awesome old school art look

Using a Don Knotts impersonator to narrate this game is a great way to expand the market to people in their 80s. It's an unexplored and unexploited market segment for pinball!

Other suggested future themes to capitalize:

Lee Greenwood: Not in This Lifetime (seriously, time is running out)
Beaver's Pinball Party
MATLOCK!
Pinball She Wrote
Ensure!

I'm in! As long as it has a Larry Mondello bash toy.

My granddad would have found it hilarious!

My granddad passed away seven years ago.

Can we get a Munsters pinball machine first? Talk about an unexploited market. Next thing you know, they will be doing one about the original Batman TV series.

I believe it was around $5500usd

retro-a-go-go........we have their huge masks in monster ally in our arcade..look killer under black light

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The Punny Factory would suit someone with too many friends. Buy Punny Factory and problem solved.... no more friends

Damn, Levi. You act like the only people that know those characters are really old. I'm 34 and I watched plenty of the Andy Griffith Show reruns on daytime TV, and I loved The Incredible Mr. Limpet. Mom recorded it off the TV and I watched it all the time.

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Plus, I watched a lot of Matlock and especially Murder She Wrote when they were still airing new episodes.

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We only had a handful of channels most of my childhood. Didn't get cable until I was a teen. So you watched what was on. Plus, if I was visiting the grandparents. We were lucky to get 3 channels through on the antenna.

That's why I hate when people call Munsters an old-time theme. I watched that damn show in reruns all the time as a kid, and loved it.

This is a game I would only buy if it got a really good reception. I watched the video and it just seemed off. The basic issue is that you want to have fun here, and a Don Knotts impersonator just doesn’t scream fun. This is the kind of theme you either knock out of the park or fall on your face. I hope it’s the former and not the latter.

Awesome!

Well then, Punny Factory is the game for you.

I always wanted to buy a pinball machine from Wish.com Billy Mays

So they would be pun-ished for buying the game?

My purchase depends on the quality of the paper the manual is printed on.

I'd consider a game that included the puny kid.

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Some gameplay footage has been updated. nice light show.

Yeah, Funhouse, Road Show, and Junk Yard are weird, but they aren't cliche 50s Pleasantville family humor. How many people are buying pins solely for little kids? It's like jjp family games on steroids. They're learning the family route doesn't bode well in this industry. I honestly can't think of a worse theme.

This kills Punny Factory:

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Honestly, I'd rather own Mafia than this game even putting aside how cringe Andrew is. Wow I can build my multiplier by completing lanes, how original, plus I get to hear a grating Don Knotts impersonation the whole time. How could anyone resist? I really hope Dave Sanders can get some real work sometime in the future, he deserves better.

“Cringe.” That should be his next theme.

“Oh no! Dad found internets and the cringes are loose!”

Food Truck. Maybe not worse but on par

Mafia is the absolute worst modern game I have every tried to play - just awful

lol ... was at the same show
I could not even finish 1 game of Mafia it was so bad but played a few games of Thunderbirds

Yes, I have no doubt. Thats how bad this looks to me. Even if Andrew wasn't a complete clown, everything about this game baffles me. This has to be some sort of ploy to just get a tax break or something. Theres no way somebody dumped this much money into such a terrible idea.

You could fight back by posting boomer memes and fighting "trolls"

I'm not sure what to tell you people. My friend and I met Andrew a couple of times over the past couple of years buying / selling pins. He has always been friendly and loves talking pinball. A real family guy from the seems of it, which perhaps is a force behind his theme. He has indicated this theme is the one he wanted to build.. his own personal passion project.

What I did see of the ideas and the build for the machine felt and looked excellent.

At some point people need to get over things. With regard to personal attacks, I just wanted to raise some awareness that through my interactions, this is a decent human being, has a family, works hard and has a passion for pinball. Behind a keyboard, we can sometimes forget humanity it would seem.

Also, as a idea like this takes wings, it's important to remember it has become bigger than one person. A whole team of people, respected industry experts and so forth. I have not had the opportunity to flip Mafia, but I have played Full Throttle and Alien, and have to say they are fun games to shoot and play!

It's not the pin although it looks pretty simple for the price...it's the way he interacts with people.

Dave Sanders gets nothing but love on here because he doesn't talk down to people, nor does he boast about his accomplishments, threaten to sic lawyers on those who give their opinion on his work, etc.

The Todd Tuckey book thread is a prime example, albeit not the only one. In the almost 10 years I've been on Pinside, I've only seen a handful of people with a single digit approval rating. In my opinion, they were all deserved.

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I'll be honest - being on the ASD spectrum with various underlying issues there's a lot of 'imposter syndrome' that goes on inside my head. I need the right sort of environment and encouragement to thrive. I've accepted that I'll never be a Keith Elwin, so to speak - I wouldn't be able to handle the pressure of somewhere like Stern.

ASD or not, I think imposter syndrome is rampant currently thanks to social media and some of the insane expectations that the masses thrust upon industry personnel.

It just takes on home run to get that wild frenzy behind you. You’ll get there, just keep believing and trying your best!
A friend of mine is an artist for Dark Horse comics and she constantly talks about how she doesn’t feel like she’s “legit” and battles feelings of inadequacy as well. Like she’s just there and riding off of coworkers talents. But seeing her work is incredible and I hope that after some time without holding yourself to impossible standards, that you realize your own work speaks for itself and carries weight!

You’ll get that project soon and you’ll keep doing a great job!

Dude...You're part of the one percent of the one percent on Pinside with the talent to design a pinball machine. Most of us wish we had your skills.

Here's hoping that American Pinball, Spooky or another company hires you. You deserve better than the likes of Andrews Heighway and MacBain.

Sounds like she fits the parameters for a "dark horse" (a participant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but still might).

Andrew deserves some credit for actually producing a working game.... something most of us can only dream of doing. And he hasn't taken any money from anyone yet either.

Unfortunately once they are produced and ready for sale I don’t think he will be taking any money from anyone still...

Dave, I suffered from crippling imposter syndrome for many years, that estranged me from my business partner and cost me millions of dollars. I'm recovered now. I want to share this with you:

You can't feel like a fake unless you've actually done something. That imposter feeling is actually the evidence of your impact.

You have 2 physical pinball designs released into the world.
You have a 3rd one coming out (that will tie you with Keith Elwin for games released).
You have umpteen virtual designs released.
You are held in high esteem within our community. Even in a thread that is somewhat toxic as this one, and the Heighway ones, you never take flack from the community. It's the opposite, they support and value your work.

One can "fake it till you make it" but once your foot is in the door you must deliver results. You have delivered time and time again.

Please accept what I write here with complete sincerity. You deserve it.

That's like saying Diner is as bad as Punny Factory. It's just not. Yes, Deeproot is easy to hate, but Food Truck could be a good theme in the right hands. I'd buy an Elwin JJP (before price increase) Food Truck sight unseen.

Face it, Punny Factory is the king of turds. Name a full release title that can even compete. Maybe Juicy Melons?

Deeproot is JJP and Robert Mueller is Charlie Emery compared to this horrendous idea of a game and clown of a owner. Again, this has to be some sort of tax scheme because theres zero chance of recouping any sort of investment on this.

Diner was 1990. That's thirty-one years ago and an odd comparison.
Food Truck might get more orders than Punny Factory but both will have fewer orders than RAZA. (130)

It's a race to the bottom IMO.

Why did the Youtube videos stop? I thought we were getting a new one every month?

I was wondering where any updates were