Just saw this on Twitter from Ben:
“More news: I'm parting ways with Spooky Pinball due to my 2nd game being delayed beyond my liking and the usual "creative differences". The whitewood I designed may get turned into something by them down the road however.”
Oh wow. Picking up some animosity from that tweet.
This may be good in the long run if Ben was being held back creatively.
Spooky is in the TNA business now. It would be foolish for them to do anything else until that stops selling.
Looking forward to what Ben comes up with next!
He has some great ideas and I am pretty sure we will see him in pinball in the future.
Quoted from InfiniteLives:what kind of bearing will this have on the boards that spooky uses?
none.
If nothing else, Spooky is losing a brilliant electronic mind. I hope this doesn't cause Ben to step away from the game forever because he has all the right skills to be a great game designer. Perhaps he will get picked up by another company. Either way, I hope the split was amicable and everyone has success in the future.
Edit: bad comma
The transition from fun to business is fraught with problems. This upends my theory that Ben was moving to pinball full time from TBHS.
There's not much info in that post but it does show what would seem to be one side of the problem. "Delayed beyond my liking" and "Creative differences'" seem to suggest Spooky had to make hard business decisions and Ben seems to want to be able to influence that more than a contributor can normally expect. That's bound to be an irreconcilable problem in any project.
Its all speculation, but hope that they can still be friends if they can't work together. There's a lot of good history there. I certainly support both, together and separate.
Quoted from pin2d:Just saw this on Twitter from Ben:
“More news: I'm parting ways with Spooky Pinball due to my 2nd game being delayed beyond my liking and the usual "creative differences". The whitewood I designed may get turned into something by them down the road however.”
If not with Spooky then I hope Ben can find another avenue to make his games.
Quoted from radium:Kind of bad form to vent on the way out the door like that, but wish him the best regardless.
Speculation/rumour regarding this hit a heavily listened to podcast a few days ago, I would guess that this is likely just him addressing that.
Quoted from Pahuffman:Perhaps he will get picked up by another company.
Perhaps Deepgroot! 
Dont read too much into this people.
Spooky is kicking ass with TNA sales, ACNC is just around the corner. Ben's game would have likely come after both of those >> a while out in the future.
Ben is a smart dude and has plenty of irons in the fire.
I am guessing this is a long time coming based on the art on ACNC featuring a tombstone with "RIP Ben Heck"
Quoted from radium:Kind of bad form to vent on the way out the door like that, but wish him the best regardless.
I feel the same way, but you know how this bunch tends to speculate wildly when not given an explanation with substance...
Small businesses are scary things. My brother has a lot of things he wants to do with the family business and my dad is just happy with it being a profitable enterprise and taking it real slow. Small businesses don't get mulligans. I would not be surprised and this is just speculation, that the owner either wanted to slow down development or something else that was risk adverse like put together more of the same. That is hard for someone like my brother who has a ton of ideas but can't implement them.
Good luck to Ben and Spooky. You guys made a go at selling wooden boxes with ball bearings and made it work. Not by any means an easy task.
I doubt there is a lot of bad blood or anything else. It has been rumored heavily so Ben just needed to make a statement about it and move on. Spooky will be tied up with TNA and AC for likely the next 24 months, maybe longer. If Ben didn't want to wait that long you can't really blame him and with Spooky having a coder now, and others helping with boards, and Charlie designing games, etc, it might just be the right time for Ben to bow out.
Ben is a great dude... and we think the world of him. We couldn't finalize the license we hoped to have for him months ago, and that's the bottom line.
If Ben chooses to work with us again in the future, I have absolutely no problem with that and the door to this shop and our house is always open to the guy. I'll even keep the beer fridge stocked with Cow. 
Regardless, we wish him nothing but the best, and nobody at Spooky has a bad word to say about Ben now or ever.
Quoted from SpookyCharlie:Ben is a great dude... and we think the world of him. We couldn't finalize the license we hoped to have for him months ago, and that's the bottom line.
If Ben chooses to work with us again in the future, I have absolutely no problem with that and the door to this shop and our house is always open to the guy. I'll even keep the beer fridge stocked with Cow.
Regardless, we wish him nothing but the best, and nobody at Spooky has a bad word to say about Ben now or ever.
NO DIRT??? Drain!!
Quoted from radium:Kind of bad form to vent on the way out the door like that
TBH I read it as pretty matter-of-factual. Way too little namecalling to be a proper vent.
My only concern is who is going to manufacture Bible Adventures? When I told my wife the title and that there was a foam core being worked on, she said "TAKE MY MONEY, NOW!" I can't imagine anyone crazy enough (or with enough guts) to make this title other than Spooky.
I spent a lot of time with Ben and Charlie back in 2015. I respect both immensely. As someone who has to separate personal from business on a daily basis, I fully understand how these things happen. Both of them will continue to rock in their own ways. Best to both.
--Robert dT
(edit: And out of for respect for both...I have not talked to Ben in years. I am shocked about this like everyone else and had nothing to do with this).
Quoted from SpookyCharlie:Ben is a great dude... and we think the world of him. We couldn't finalize the license we hoped to have for him months ago, and that's the bottom line.
If Ben chooses to work with us again in the future, I have absolutely no problem with that and the door to this shop and our house is always open to the guy. I'll even keep the beer fridge stocked with Cow.
Regardless, we wish him nothing but the best, and nobody at Spooky has a bad word to say about Ben now or ever.
Very Classy Charlie! You run a great shop and It is obvious you truly mean every word you said. Best of luck to you and Ben!!!! Keep the games rollin!
Quoted from o-din:Off to Deeproot?
Pretty sure Ben wants nothing to do with that guy... After his BS pulled with Bible Adventures.
Granted, that guy seems to like tossing money around...
So what was the license that Spooky couldn't finalize? No harm in saying what it was since it ain't being made, right?
Quoted from SpookyCharlie:Ben is a great dude... and we think the world of him. We couldn't finalize the license we hoped to have for him months ago, and that's the bottom line.
If Ben chooses to work with us again in the future, I have absolutely no problem with that and the door to this shop and our house is always open to the guy. I'll even keep the beer fridge stocked with Cow.
Regardless, we wish him nothing but the best, and nobody at Spooky has a bad word to say about Ben now or ever.
Two class acts - Spooky and Ben - I'm sure just timing and business decisions but these both these guys are great folks and as expected carry themselves like the gentleman they are. Wish every company and former employees can act like this in and out of pinball.
Quoted from PoMC:So what was the license that Spooky couldn't finalize? No harm in saying what it was since it ain't being made, right?
Taking a wild guess at Meatloaf......
Quoted from SpookyCharlie:Ben is a great dude... and we think the world of him. We couldn't finalize the license we hoped to have for him months ago, and that's the bottom line.
If Ben chooses to work with us again in the future, I have absolutely no problem with that and the door to this shop and our house is always open to the guy. I'll even keep the beer fridge stocked with Cow.
Regardless, we wish him nothing but the best, and nobody at Spooky has a bad word to say about Ben now or ever.
Sooooo...you're saying the odds of us getting Ben laid at a Benton street dance are still possible?
Quoted from Bryan_Kelly:Sooooo...you're saying the odds of us getting Ben laid at a Benton street dance are still possible?
Ummm.... no comment, except you are one weird old dude.
Quoted from SpookyCharlie:Ummm.... no comment, except you are one weird old dude.
But we were soooooo close the last time!
I hope Ben gets snapped up by another company. If he goes back to making non-pinball things the industry will be slightly worse off for it!
Quoted from Shapeshifter:Taking a wild guess at Meatloaf......
Yeah...Meat is known to play hardball with potential licensees!
Quoted from cait001:I hope Ben gets snapped up by another company.
Deep root might need another person to hold the JPop leash.
Quoted from Whysnow:...
I am guessing this is a long time coming based on the art on ACNC featuring a tombstone with "RIP Ben Heck"
I wouldn't read ANYTHING into that AT ALL. Just good natured ribbing, status quo for all involved.
Ben and Spooky are both incredibly good for pinball and have massive passion for what they do. Both will continue to do great things for many years to come.
--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com
Quoted from stevevt:I heard God was making unreasonable demands on the Bible Adventures license.
God wanted Ben AND Charlie’s souls. Charlie said no.
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