Posted my thoughts tonight in the other thread. I am not a buyer but maybe have a read of what I have said tonight. I have not been drinking for days! Think about what I have said. Unless Deep Root pulls the plug I still think there is a good chance of production in 2022.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/twip-is-deeproot-the-next-misadventure-or-a-pinball-revolution/page/436#post-6432394
Further info on one of the contractors.

Just posting what I may know or not towards RAZA. Anyone in on it can decide for themselves. I will be around to guide groups if they seek out my pinball knowledge. Which is what I am doing now. There are likely a number of new pinball upstarts in 2022 with games. The waters are not cold anymore! Just like new Fathom games, & others in the pipeline.

So my other group has gone radio silent over 12 days ago. They were really picking my brain on production of new pinball machines. I still have a firm believe that they are either starting up or possible contractor for Deep Root. Deep Root has not been in official talks with me since the early days when I was interested in working remotely from Canada. If someone buys out Deep Root, likely games could be built in 6 - 12 months either by the new owners or contractors.
The group that bought out my playfield & glass business are up to interesting things. Should be a interesting announcement later this year. Also I will continue to guide any upstarts or existing pinball companies towards better production of playfields, & other parts.
Things have drastically changed since WMS exited the pinball market. There is room for more smaller upstarts, if they are properly funded & managed. If you look at Spooky & Haggis as a example you start at that maximum size or 50%. Grow the production from there. Wish there were inside pictures of Bader who works on Spooky games. But Spooky & Stern are keeping some secrets on playfield production to themselves. Put the heat on JJP, & Mirco!

Both groups want to remain quiet at this time. One is very active that bought me out & are getting prepared just like early Spooky stage. The other one could be Deep Root, a new up start company, or maybe someone is pulling a joke on me! Very strange with that group in that we were talking when things still seemed ok with Deep Root. Then Deep Root goes into the shitter & they pull out of talks. How coincidal is that along with some other facts I will keep quiet on for now.

Pinball is hard, but it can be done. A new upstart could sell 1000+ if everything looks mostly there. Or someone could buy out Deep Root & deep six anything they had planned. Time will tell likely next year.

I should of included all the other pinball companies, along with Stern that have manufactured games. Shows that most can do it, along with a few dreamers who failed (JPOP) & scammers.

Well it seems like Deep Root is in the shitter from their recent actions. What more do you need. They are not showing any production pictures, claiming major legal issues, furlough their employees, & no recent drive by the headquarters. Not a expert but seems like it is dire now! Maybe they should roll out the Raza built games that are there to inside the glass doors. That would be a sign that there still alive!

What I am saying is if you think Raza is totally dead you could be wrong in the long term. Only if Deep Root goes under, or if someone buys out the remains & shelves everything that was done over the years. We find out that Raza still needs more money to get it fully working (no pinbar), & fully coded.

A new upstart is likely to start with 1 or more other pinball projects of their own to get their name going. Raza if available & money backing could be done when ready. Either a small amount 100, or 1000+ run. Most new companies will follow the model of a title in production run only once & done. Move on to the next title for production, & never go back to it.

So if you are following there is likely 1 - 5 new companies getting into the pinball field for 2022. Not hard to believe with past history & the increased demand going on all over the world. Also you would think that all the big players will announce more production & titles soon moving forward. Dutch Pinball should increase their production even more & plan on another title next year. Homepin is a wild card for next year.

You guys are a laugh. People hate JPOP I get it. But someone will step up when the dust settles to roll the dice on what they either did or did not do all these years. Could be a pinball company just to see if there is anything of use, & or to make sure No One Else can be a quick competitor! Maybe if nothing there for pinball, they could sell off what video assets are there to someone else. Maybe make a movie, or American Greed episode. Deep Root & JPOP sounds like a winning combo for the screen. Or possibly a gaming system or platform, anything is possible.

Please show some respect Ben & others. I use my real name here John Greatwich. Seems like going back to early school as a child with the sandwich or witch comments. I try to show respect to others, & help out the industry. I even tried to help out behind the scenes of the early Zidware scam, but I am not a rich guy. Same with trying to guide Heighway Pinball in the early days. Another guy that would not listen to reason, & take it slow to conserve spending.

What has the community learned over the years with prepaying in full or a deposit on future pins. Next to nothing - it is a gamble! Almost lost money on JJP twice myself. People want to help out new guys they hope will actually produce games & that the customers get them. The odds of that is not great!

The group that bought me out I would think want nothing to do with building Raza machines. The other group remains silent, I wonder why? Could they be Deep Root, another new company that is taking in the shit show & scared off I do not know. Or someone has a big joke going on with me before the latest problems.

Raza could still be built like I have suggested by a contractor, a small team, & proper funding. Good management, production team, & vendors. Time will tell if the assets become available, & if someone is a serious gambler. No one is likely to continue with JPOP in the pinball business, but who knows he might find another home.

Had 2 buds earlier repairing a pin for a friend. I drink beer like most Canadians! The hard stuff is good, but I prefer beer. Funny how you can post & people think you are under the influence of something. Weed is legal in Canada, but I do not smoke. Must be some more insults coming my way.

I agree a nice looking pinball machine. If the samples & info became available. The first thing that would be done is to play test & tweak the design a little I think for the ramps, mechs, farris wheel. Leave the art alone. Make sure full rule set is ready to go. Anyone going forward would do this ASAP, & not waste a lot of time. If the worst happens & we never see this game made I hope the prototypes go to a museum so they can be seen.

There is still many things we do not know from Deep Root or their employees. How many playfields were made, cabinets, parts, etc. You would think there has to be something, & not nothing with all the millions & staff there all these years.

Yes someone will buy the rights. It is stupid to think no one would step up & finally cash in the multi millions spent. I like $500k to buy in & screw out vendors owed money line. If you use that logic, only similar to a offer for what Deep Root has done over the years. Maybe a supply issue for some things, but lots of stuff is still being made around the world. Like I keep saying anyone could move forward & actually build Raza pins if they were smart. I build up my contract vendors & paid them over the years. There are cabinet builders around the world like Bader looking for a steady source of income. Even if Deep Root goes tits up, someone will be selling off stuff to make a buck. Unless it is a real pinball manufacturer going to shelf most of the stuff after buying what is left. Then you guys that hate JPOP will finally have the last laugh, & screw anyone with money in for JPOP & his dream games.

It would be nice if Deep Root was more open with their customers. Show them what parts are there, & what state of production is going on. He needs to be more transparent about his problems, & what is taking place. You would think that with what he has stated that there are cabinets, playfields, backglass, & all the other stuff needed for production. All he has to do is show some of this stuff needed to get games going, & not actual line work or production processes.

If he still remains silent that is further evidence that nothing is really being produced the last 8 months. If he has not telling the truth on what is actually going on. Get a good PR person to try & get out of this mess. Own up to your mistakes, & look for people to get Raza pins built. I still cannot figure out if UL, ULC, & other safety approval is the problem or not. Same with there should be 70 - 90% of parts needed to build games even with parts constraints. Even myself & a few others in a production team would have pins either fully built out or waiting for missing stuff. 100 Raza build should not be a hard thing to do.

I am still not a buyer, not looking for a Deep Root position. Just would like to see the pins actually get built for people to enjoy.

Standby Raza owners maybe Deep Root does a Phil refund play like Dutch Pinball. Anything is possible in this saga of pinball production is easy.

My best guess is they might force refunds to new Raza buyers that bought in December 2020. That either paid a deposit or went all in. That is if there is no realistic goal of manufacturing the 100+ games starting by the end of 2021. Time to pack it in & either do a restart on the game for 2022. The goodwill people you would hope for a payout also with any previous vendors owed. Clean up the mess, & start over with a new company & name - less JPOP. Let him find another home. This would not be a easy task with all the crap that has gone on over the years. Almost like a fresh start with Homepin which we will see soon with the new pinball machine. Anything is possible with the pinball biz.

Glad to hear if most get a refund on their credit card.

Glad to see most Raza customers are getting a refund on their credit card. My prediction that Deeproot Pinball would do forced refunds did not happen. No surprise there, since that would of been the honorable thing to do.
Overall the years I have not given Dutch Pinball a pass on their we will look after our early achievers. This shit continues on with very few pinball machines going out to them, while they pump out new sales. They should find another investor & finally get these people made whole. Talks about hiring more staff for future projects does not go over well with games sold & very few EA made whole.