I visited the American pinball factory and met with the team during expo. They were hard at work building Oktoberfest and busy attending expo. I did see the redemption game they’re working on and it is much larger than a pin. Very interesting concept. It should be revealed soon. The team at American pinball was very inviting and extremely nice, I enjoyed my visit. Unfortunately the doors to PIN number 3 was locked......

Franchi is a contractor and is currently working for CGC.

American Pinball will be releasing more info next week. Special when lit will have some pics up Monday

Here’s some pics of the prototype redemption game. I have been told they will reveal today at the IAAPA show in Orlando. 81CEB240-388F-4237-883E-4A0CF7F306C5 (resized).jpeg8B26672C-2DDE-40F2-B0A1-49D1E2CF8424 (resized).jpegDE270A3E-D5BF-4FBF-94FE-6803E68CD33B (resized).jpeg

Here is the redemption game by American Arcade- the game division of America Pinball

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Found this video in another thread- here it is in action. Video from 904 pinball zine

Joe Balcer said that American Pinball’s new pin will be revealed at Texas Pinball Festival in March. I reached out to DanDanDAN and he informed me that is the scheduled reveal, they will release more info soon.

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/12222692

There is already a new hot wheels redemption game. It’s an interesting theme. It has potential

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American Pinball has a plan on the next few titles. Game 4 is by one of the “junior designers”, game 5 is by Dennis nordman, game 6 is a Joe Balcer game. They also said the goal is 2 new titles in 2021. I’m rooting for AP - they make great quality games.

I’m not sure how many “junior designers” they have on staff now. I assume game 4 will be some form of home brew or previously designed game. Dennis Nordman can mentor these new designers as well. This game will be next as game 4, then Nordman will have game 5. They will still release the Joe Balcer game as game 6. That is what I was told by Michael Grant at AP. Their focus is on pinball as they look to release 2 games this year! Looking forward to seeing these new titles. Also don’t forget, artist Chris Franchi announced he was working on a project for American Pinball !

This is a quick interview with Michael Grant:

Coz -How long are you expecting to make Hot wheels, Houdini and Oktoberfest?

MG-HOUDINI AND OKTOBERFEST ARE SELLING WELL AND CONTINUE TO GAIN IN POPULARITY, AND THUS, WE CONTINUE TO BUILD THEM. HOT WHEELS HAS JOINED THE RANKS AND IS SELLING VERY WELL AND CONSISTENTLY. WE CONTINUE TO SATISFY THE DEMAND FOR ALL THREE AMERICAN PINBALL GAMES.

Coz- Will you be announcing their new title before June this year? Will there be 2 AP titles released in 2021 ?

MG- THE GOAL IS 2 NEW TITLES IN 2021. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT RELEASE.

Coz- With no shows anytime soon, Will you be announcing the next release via social media (ie Facebook) or through a streamer or other media outlet ?

MG- WHEN WE ANNOUNCE THE NEXT GAME, YOU WILL BE SURE TO LEARN ABOUT IT.

Coz- Who is the lead designer on the next title? Is this one of the referenced “junior designers”?  We assume Dennis will take a while to have a game ready.

MG- THE NEXT TITLE (G4) WILL BE FROM ONE OF OUR JUNIOIR DESIGNERS WHO DENIIS IS WORKING WITH. DENIIS IS CURRENYLY WORKING ON HIS NEXT GAME (G5) WHICH WILL BE RELEASED AFTERWARD.

Coz- Will AP produce a new Joe Balcer designed game? Was his current project canceled and replaced with one of the junior designers games?

MG- AP WILL FINISH JOE BALCER’S MOST RECENT AP DESIGN, WHICH MOVED IN THE PRODUCTION SCHEDULE AND WILL COME OUT AS G6.

Coz - Are you experiencing any major supply chain issues that may be affecting their release / announcement date on the next title due to covid/weather?

MG- WE HAVE A NEW PURCHASER WHO IS IN CHARGE OF OUR SUPPLY CHAIN WHO COMES FROM GOTTLIEB. THIS PERSON HAS EXPEREIENCED MANY SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES IN THE PAST. WE WILL ANNOUNCE AT A LATER DATE THE NEW ADDITION TO THE AMERICAN PINBALL TEAM.

Coz- What is the component that is giving you the most problems these days to source ?

MG- WE HAVE NO MAJOR ISSUES TO REPORT

Coz- What is the thing you are most excited about on this next release - theme, code, playfield layout, new mechs ? Will there be something completely new to pinball?

MG- YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE!

Coz- Is the price point in this game going to be higher than hot wheels? It was nice to see a less expensive game similar to stern pro prices. Will you follow that price model with different trim levels?

MG-WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING OUR MODEL STRUCTURE.

Coz- Why do manufacturers keep their games under such tight raps (in your opinion) - would you like consumers to know your next 5 titles or keep it secret? Would that help or hinder potential sales?

MG- WE DO NOT WANT TO OFFER A GAME THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE YET. WHEN WE ANNOUNCE A NEW TITLE, THERE WILL BE GAMES IN STOCK AND READY TO SHIP.

Coz- What happened to American arcade? Will “the Flying Dutchman” ever come to production. Will there be other “redemption” or arcade titles similar to raw thrills products?

MG- NOT THIS YEAR. OUR FOCUS IS PINBALL.

Coz - Where do you see American pinball in 1 year?  

MG- WE WILL CONTINUE TO SURPRISE THE MARKET WITH NEW GAMES.

Coz- Thank You for your time- I look forward to seeing the next big thing from American pinball.

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-dvvce-fe29b5

I was a guest on The Pinball Show midweek edition episode 25 to discuss American Pinball with Craig Bobbie.

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I played Hot Wheels out on location today- it’s a fun pin! Bright and colorful, fast and fun layout. Great American Pinball build quality. You should definitely check one out! Definitely looking forward to the new title.

Bader playfields just like Spooky- they have been very good quality. I have reached out to numerous owners/operators and they say the quality is some of the best in pinball

David Fix, Mukesh Vasani and Nirmal Vasani were guests on the latest Pinball News and Pinball Magazine podcast. There was some interesting news:

-Aimtron fully owns American Pinball
-American Pinball will possibly have their own board set
-the discussion of Bader playfields
-small supply chain issue with new title, will announce as soon as it’s ready to ship
-new unlicensed title is very soon (late spring/summer 2021)
-unlicensed title this fall around Expo 2021
-licensed title in spring 2022
-licensed title in fall 2022

new games will have 2 models: Classic and Deluxe. Classic for operators and Deluxe for home owners/collectors that comes with additional bling/upgrades such as a mirror back glass. Both playfields will be the same with only small differences.

American Pinball looks to continue to improve and wants to deliver 2 games per year going forward.

Great interview if you’re a fan of American Pinall, I suggest you listen.
http://www.pinball-magazine.com/

Very cool!! I’ll have to make the trip to Atlanta!! Definitely want to play the next title

As of now, AP game 4 will not be at SFGE (of course all things are subject to change)

Per Michael Grant: “To clarify, the listing of 'AP's 4th Game' was not supposed to be published on the SFGE website. It has not been confirmed by AP that the game will be there. This was a miscommunication with SFGE. The listing has since been removed. We will release more info at the appropriate time about the next game. The team is hard at work for the next game.”

I was really looking forward to playing the new title. Hopefully the game will be available soon and possibly still be able to be at SFGE, we will have more info available soon.

I recently asked Michael Grant a few questions for an update with American Pinball.

Coz - Will there be a price increase??

MG -We have implemented a temporary surcharge on our games to help offset some of the added costs due to the global supply chain issues that is affecting all industries. We prefer not to implement a permanent price increase at this time, as we are dedicated to offering the best value possible for our customers.

Coz - Any comment on Joe Schober working with CGC? Is he still helping at American Pinball?

MG- Joe Schober’s professional relationship with American Pinball has not changed. Joe is still working with American Pinball on a contract basis in support of future titles and existing ones.

Coz - Any updates on game 4/Pinball expo ?

MG -As for our Expo seminar, you will have to wait until the seminar to see what we have brewing.

-Thanks Michael-

As of now, American Pinbal is scheduled to have a seminar at pinball expo in Chicago on Thursday October 28 at 7:00pm. Will the new game be released before expo or shown for the first time there?? Hopefully there will be a few games available for us to play!

The new update is CO-OP team play on all American Pinball games. They also mentioned Houdini, Oktoberfest, Hot Wheels and a new game will be at pinball expo. Very cool news

I was told that game 4 is currently on the line as they get ready to ramp up to full production for the reveal. I assume that the main reveal will be at pinball expo with games available to play. There is a trade show that Aimtron will be at this week in Las Vegas called G2E - it’s possible that the game will be shown there???

Also Houdini, Oktoberfest and Hot Wheels will be getting new code updates along with the team play co-op modes.

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Game 4 reveal should be at or before expo with games available to play!!

American pinball has a seminar Thursday October 28th at 7:00pm. Maybe they will have games available for sale?? We will find out in just a few weeks.

I’ll be there for Expo too. Hope to stop by the new factory as well. Looking forward to seeing the team unveil the new game.

Looking forward to playing LOV at pinball expo. Love 3 flipper layouts

Just a reminder: American Pinball open house Wednesday October 27 and American Pinball seminar at Pinball Expo Thursday at 7:00pm.

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Newest team member at American Pinball!!
Steve Bowden
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Met the team from American Pinball and attended the seminar. I even won a backglass - the team signed it for me! Everyone was very nice and they seemed genuinely happy! Very excited for the future of American Pinball !

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Great news for American Pinball- hopefully they can capture some of the magic of the 90s Bally/Williams era with Dennis Norseman and Barry Oursler

Jeff Teolis let me know that Barry Oursler will be on Pinball Profile podcast this Thursday.

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Sad news

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/rip-barry-oursler

https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2022/02/22/barry-oursler-dies/

Pinball designer Barry Oursler has died.
Barry had recently started working for American Pinball as a game designer, having previously been employed at Deeproot Pinball.

He is understood to have been undergoing treatment for cancer and died yesterday as a result of complications. Barry had a long and illustrious career designing pinballs for Williams, starting in 1978 with his first game, Phoenix and ending in 1996 with Junkyard. In-between he designed many landmark titles including Gorgar, the first speaking game, Space Shuttle – widely credited with saving the pinball business in the mid-’80s – as well as the Comet-Cyclone-Hurricane trilogy based on rides at the Riverview amusement park in Chicago, and Pinbot which also went on to spawn two sequels.
Barry quickly developed a reputation for speed and flexibility in his work.

He could rapidly create game designs, always had numerous design ideas in his head, and often collaborated with other designers and artists to help complete their projects, most notably working with Python Anghelo on titles such as Jokerz!, Bad Cats and Popeye Saves The Earth.
After leaving Williams, Barry moved to Betson as a Purchasing Manager before spending time working remotely on game designs at Heighway Pinball. He came to the UK to visit the factory in 2014 and be the special guest at the UK Pinball Party where he was inducted into the UK Pinball Group Hall of Fame.

It was also in 2014 that Barry made an appeal to the pinball community for help paying medical bills. He had been diagnosed with bone cancer in February 2013, while his wife, Donna, was suffering from kidney failure. His initial target of $20,000 was quickly achieved, with the total of the donations reaching $33,718 by the end of the fundraiser.

When Deeproot Pinball began their operation in San Antonio, Barry was one of the four game designers at the company alongside John Popadiuk, Dennis Nordman and Jon Norris.

He remained there until the company ceased operations at the end of 2021, before taking up his recent position working on game designs at American Pinball.

We are expecting an official announcement with more details from American Pinball shortly and will bring that to you as soon as we have it.

Jeff Teolis sent me a message : “His wife asked that I release our Pinball Profile ep. I'm going to add to it with update. But it will happen.”

Hopefully we’ll hear from Jeff soon. He does such great work with Pinball Profile

https://www.facebook.com/groups/pinballprofile/permalink/2045948812250728/
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https://www.knapparcade.org/post/rest-in-peace-barry-oursler?fbclid=IwAR1eiOq8GJyOgCV2QgArp_eB6hFPiFxEyOjHeWbUGEvI2AEJWZBfEbHEdQM

"American Pinball Lost a Good Friend

American Pinball and Aimtron Corporation are saddened to announce the passing of legendary game designer, Barry Oursler at the age of 70. Barry designed more than 40 pinball games over his long and illustrious 40-plus year pinball career. Among them, his Space Shuttle game released in 1984 is said by many to have saved and revitalized the pinball industry.

“I was looking forward to designing new games and new mechs with you. I had a wonderful time working on all your games.” – Zofia Ryan

“I will always remember Barry’s brilliant, dry sense of humor, and always having me in stitches.” – Jack Haeger

“I was looking forward to him coming to American Pinball to work with him and enjoying all of the good cooking that Barry made.” – Dennis Nordman

“What can one say about one of the true pinball design masters of the past forty years. Barry established himself as not just a creative talent but a genuinely humble individual who never sought the outside accolades but rather the internal contentment of what he was achieving. From the first time we worked together with Phoenix and Barracora to many subsequent projects, Barry remained a very special coworker and friend. I will miss him dearly but know his legacy will endure forever.” – Roger Sharpe

Those who have had the honor of working with Barry know of his dedication, his efficiency, his kindness and great enthusiasm for pinball and its players. His games are easy to understand, fun to play, and difficult to master, the perfect combination that earned him admirers from all over the pinball world.

“Barry’s game, Space Shuttle, was my introduction to the pinball world. It was a privilege and an honor to work with him as a new member of the pinball industry and then again here at American Pinball.” – Steven Bowden

“Barry has always come across as a gentle giant. He was a guy I was happy to bring on to American Pinball. I am greatly saddened for his family.” – David Fix

“I will always miss Barry for his soft spoken nature and his support of Pinball Expo since day one.” – Rob Berk, Pinball Expo

“Barry was a great friend and an early mentor for me in the Pinball biz. We spent 15 years working together at Williams. Barry was always willing to help me out with anything I needed while cutting my teeth in Pinball design. He was also a really fun guy. We made friends almost immediately. He had a sharp mind for humor and would jab me with practical jokery from time to time. I have nothing but fond memories of our time together.

Barry had a heart of gold and was a good man. I had the pleasure of working on a game with Barry -- that game was Police Force. We would jokingly lament together regarding Python's crazy ways during development. It was a great experience and I am thankful to have had that opportunity.

There were so many good times over the years. Suffice it to say – Great Friend, great person, and I shall miss him a great deal. Rest In Peace, my friend.” – Mark Ritchie

“It saddens me that we lost one of the good guys. He was known as a prankster on some occasions and possibly playing with fireworks in the offices. A great designer and a good friend. He will be sadly missed.” – Ken Fedesna

“It was a great privilege to host him at the UK Pinball Show and to have him speak at the banquet about his amazing career in gaming.” – Gary Flower - UK

Our deepest condolences go out to his family, many friends and the pinball community. He will be truly missed."

https://projectpinball.rallyup.com/slightlyused-great-condition-oktoberfest-pinballmachineraffle/Campaign/Details?fbclid=IwAR0UGvpdl7EesftMyi7h7kvSPiOT2PBa5_dXGWW4j9w06DAeUxGe0ArEkzE

Oktoberfest raffle

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Jeff Teolis has his interview with Barry Oursler up now.

https://www.pinballprofile.com/episode-337-thank-you-barry-oursler/

Also if you’d like to help with the family’s medical bills, you can contribute to the go fund me.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/barry-oursler-memorial-fund

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American Pinball will be at the AMOA show in Las Vegas booth 1448.

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Steven Bowden informed me that he and the team will be at TPF. American Pinball will have all 4 games available for play. Houdini, Oktoberfest, Hot Wheels and Legend of Vahalla- hope everyone has fun

Update from TPF - from Knapp Arcade

https://www.knapparcade.org/post/american-pinball-announces-artist-for-next-game-production-schedule-more?fbclid=IwAR3U8m9wwtw9_r3GWeTUJ1q5HU8oLHxFxgqTrKEBEZILI8c3IMxbwRrQHxg
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More American Pinball updates/rumors from Knapp Arcade

https://www.knapparcade.org/post/american-pinball-has-big-plans-for-the-future?fbclid=IwAR1XGtS2MUXx7b283sDbNz9GcZC1ub_gce7--xVOsIO4s5Mqb6ksjV58mA8

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Will American Pinball make Sonic ?? I think it would be a great theme for pinball. The homebrew Ryan made is a fun game

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Interesting news from AP

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I hope the lunch boxes are available to purchase at expo! Come on American pinball…here’s a good way to market the new game!

I’ve been told the game is ready and playable. American Pinball has invited a few local fans to check it out. If you’re in the Chicago area, reach out to them. Maybe you can get some early access

designer at American Pinball. Creator of the Sonic homebrew game

https://www.youtube.com/live/FZB43Uhs5Dc?feature=share

I agree. The more options the better. I like different. American pinball does not need to operate just like stern.

I agree!! Are we getting a GTG lunchbox??

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Exactly. A “teaser” trailer is not the full reveal. It’s just enough to gain interest and get people talking

Franchi confirmed GTF lunchbox with thermos available at TPF!!

Can someone get one and ship it to me please!!!

https://www.youtube.com/live/ZdXh3PhA1dM?feature=share

Lots of discussion about GTF last night with Joel.

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A new GTF playfield as a prize at the IFPA Woman’s world pinball championships at Enterrium in Chicago.

Shared by Venetic
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Here’s some Franchi art from Expo 2019. Feels like it could be in GTF

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https://www.knapparcade.org/post/details-on-american-pinball-s-new-game-galactic-tank-force?fbclid=IwAR2LFB4FA3INbKp8MgzfKsJtB8gkpEcoL0kqwW5_qJYFU-77uPske7K1tVY&mibextid=ykz3hl

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https://www.youtube.com/live/cc7tnZw75e8?feature=share

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