Quoted from Shapeshifter:Darn it, time for another poll.
'Are you going to buy Food Truck or the Mandalorian?
Why does your poll only have one option?
(Topic ID: 203700)
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Alice in Wonderland
Zidware Pinball USA, 2013-
Celts
Haggis, 2021
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Magic Girl
Zidware Pinball USA, 2017
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Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland
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Quoted from Shapeshifter:Darn it, time for another poll.
'Are you going to buy Food Truck or the Mandalorian?
Food Truck has really taken on a life of its own.
I have a feeling if this game was ever actually released it would do pretty well. And not just among the Germans!
Pinside has Food Truck Fever and doesn't even realize it.
Quoted from CrazyLevi:Food Truck has really taken on a life of its own.
I have a feeling if this game was ever actually released it would do pretty well. And not just among the Germans!
Pinside has Food Truck Fever and doesn't even realize it.
Snakes on a Plane says otherwise.
Scoff all you want naysayers, like I said in January, he’s a man of his word and RAZA will be dropping any day now, any day now, any day now...
Quoted from Bublehead:If your definition of job satisfaction is getting paid to sit on your thumbs, then Deep Root has a job opening for you... personally, I can take just so much of a job where I do nothing and get paid for it. Boredom is overrated and not for everyone. I think I would rather make an honest buck and get beat regularly like a good serf as opposed to help perpetuate this Ponzi scheme / confidence game.
Just because pins arent coming out doesnt mean the designer's arent working.
Quoted from Bublehead:I stopped looking for a job in pinball when I landed a job as a programmer for a large national bank. I guess if DR really wanted to up their burn rate they could hire me, but that would be lunacy... there are so many more affordable programmers living in their parents basements right now who could do just as much thumb-sitting and twiddling at bargain rates, they could hire 4 of them and probably make out ok... thats a 4 to 1 savings on thumb sitting.
First Octo-Manufacturing, now Quad-Hiring. Innovation!
Quoted from Mbecker:That’s a lot of job openings for a company that’s about to sink. Maybe there’s a second life?!
More like HalfLife, which would be an amazing pin btw!
Quoted from Mbecker:What’s in Utah?
Loserkids. Mayby they can recon the Utah facility?
Just caught up on 360 posts of absolutely nothing. I’ll add some actual meat.
Robert has zero understanding, respect or reverence for manufacturing and production of any kind. To say he bit off more than he could chew here in Utah is an understatement.
When I was recruited to Deeproot back in 2019, the recruiter/employee lead with this
“well...there’s a rich guy that wants to start an animation and visual effect empire in Salt Lake City. He wants to hire 200 animation artists within the next year. He says he wants to be “a Sony”. He is first starting in pinball then wants to branch out and dominate in other fields. It sounds crazy but that’s what he says”
So many stories.
Robert inquired numerous times how many employees other Utah studios Had...cause he wanted to know when he could state that he had the “biggest animation company in Utah”.
Less than a few months later he informed us “the money pipeline has dried up”.
He’s a real planner.
His leadership team “the board” here in Utah had a number of back-biters and con-artists that bickered endlessly and had little competency to actually produce 3D animation. When Robert didn’t know how to manage them, he would hire a new outsider that said they could shape things up and threw them on “the board” as well. It became a lion’s den...hyena den.
These guys were pulling approx 200k each a year.
To be fair There were a few great talented guys in there too...but they didn’t have the leadership experience to keep their hands on the wheel and train Robert and guide his expectations. As a group they failed to establish budgets, schedules, and goals.
For all of us that worked there...it was draining. After my first week, I think 10-15 people individually asked me “what made you think coming here was a good idea?” I replied...
“I like pinball”
Quoted from Scandell:Just caught up on 360 posts of absolutely nothing. I’ll add some actual meat.
Robert has zero understanding, respect or reverence for manufacturing and production of any kind. To say he bit off more than he could chew here in Utah is an understatement.
When I was recruited to Deeproot back in 2019, the recruiter/employee lead with this
“well...there’s a rich guy that wants to start an animation and visual effect empire in Salt Lake City. He wants to hire 200 animation artists within the next year. He says he wants to be “a Sony”. He is first starting in pinball then wants to branch out and dominate in other fields. It sounds crazy but that’s what he says”
So many stories.
Robert inquired numerous times how many employees other Utah studios Had...cause he wanted to know when he could state that he had the “biggest animation company in Utah”.
Less than a few months later he informed us “the money pipeline has dried up”.
He’s a real planner.
His leadership team “the board” here in Utah had a number of back-biters and con-artists that bickered endlessly and had little competency to actually produce 3D animation. When Robert didn’t know how to manage them, he would hire a new outsider that said they could shape things up and threw them on “the board” as well. It became a lion’s den...hyena den. To be fair There were a few great talented guys in there too...but they didn’t have the leadership experience to keep their hands on the wheel and guide Robert.
For all of us that worked there...it was draining. I have so many stories to share.
Well, this thread is here for any and all stories. None are too outlandish!!
Quoted from Scandell:Just caught up on 360 posts of absolutely nothing. I’ll add some actual meat.
Robert has zero understanding, respect or reverence for manufacturing and production of any kind. To say he bit off more than he could chew here in Utah is an understatement.
When I was recruited to Deeproot back in 2019, the recruiter/employee lead with this
“well...there’s a rich guy that wants to start an animation and visual effect empire in Salt Lake City. He wants to hire 200 animation artists within the next year. He says he wants to be “a Sony”. He is first starting in pinball then wants to branch out and dominate in other fields. It sounds crazy but that’s what he says”
So many stories.
Robert inquired numerous times how many employees other Utah studios Had...cause he wanted to know when he could state that he had the “biggest animation company in Utah”.
Less than a few months later he informed us “the money pipeline has dried up”.
He’s a real planner.
His leadership team “the board” here in Utah had a number of back-biters and con-artists that bickered endlessly and had little competency to actually produce 3D animation. When Robert didn’t know how to manage them, he would hire a new outsider that said they could shape things up and threw them on “the board” as well. It became a lion’s den...hyena den. To be fair There were a few great talented guys in there too...but they didn’t have the leadership experience to keep their hands on the wheel and guide Robert.
For all of us that worked there...it was draining. After my first week, I think 10-15 people individually asked me “what made you think coming here was a good idea?” I replied...
“I like pinball”
Holleeee shiiiit. How many people’s lives did this F up? Did a lot of people pick up their families & move there planning on making a new life there? Homes sold/purchased? Did people end up staying in Utah or going back to where they moved from?
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:Ever think of doing a podcast interview, Scandell?
I’ve been approached but haven’t set anything up. I was working as an art director at Google in Northern California when I decided to chase a pinball job. The siren’s call to Pinball adventure was too great for me to stay at the highest paying job I ever had. Hahaha
Quoted from Scandell:I’ve been approached but haven’t set anything up. I was working as an art director at Google in Northern California when I decided to chase a pinball job. The siren’s call to Pinball adventure was too great for me to stay at the highest paying job I ever had. Hahaha
Bummer. Sorry how that turned out. Hope you've landed on your feet. And hope you'll spill the beans on this food truck fuck up someday
Quoted from Scandell:The siren’s call to Pinball adventure was too great for me to stay at the highest paying job I ever had.
3m2p7l (resized).jpgQuoted from Scandell:Actually does sound like a decent podcast conversation. Hahaha
I’ll start a podcast just to interview you. Artist to artist, real talk! 
Villejuif
Quoted from Scandell:After my first week, I think 10-15 people individually asked me “what made you think coming here was a good idea?” I replied...
“I like pinball”
I like SLC - got friends at University of Utah, seems a good place.
And not too far away from good ski resorts. I used to go to a conference organized in Snowbird every April... before Covid.
Quoted from Scandell:Just caught up on 360 posts of absolutely nothing. I’ll add some actual meat. Robert has zero understanding, respect or reverence for manufacturing and production of any kind. To say he bit off more than he could chew here in Utah is an understatement.
Yikes. This really helps drive home that Spooky pinball is doing things 100% correctly with slow and steady growth.
Quoted from JimWilks:Exactly this. If I'm working for DR and still getting paid regularly -- who cares what management is doing or is not doing?
Thank you for finally participating in this thread.
You simply down voting us solely because some of us use cuss words is confusing.
Quoted from Scandell:Actually does sound like a decent podcast conversation. Hahaha
May I go so far to suggest to reach out to Kaneda's Pinball Podcast? I am sure he would love the opportunity.
Cheers,
Quoted from Scandell:Actually does sound like a decent podcast conversation. Hahaha
As far as production goes how many pins worth of content do you estimate your group produced?
From what I've seen of RAZA its animations wouldn't require an entire staff to produce.
With all the job offerings it looks like money is still available. That's good news.
Question will be if they will find good people and be able to manage them, or just think if you hire all these people things will suddenly materialise without good guidance or experience. At least we can talk extra months about that.
I do wonder why they expect in every job offering you need to be able to lift a certain weight ????
Everyone needs to help assemble games ?
Where I live It's probably not even legal to demand that for such type jobs as it looks a way to not hire women/disabled people..
Quoted from aeneas:With all the job offerings it looks like money is still available. That's good news.
Question will be if they will find good people and be able to manage them, or just think if you hire all these people things will suddenly materialise without good guidance or experience. At least we can talk extra months about that.
I do wonder why they expect in every job offering you need to be able to lift a certain weight ????
Everyone needs to help assemble games ?
Where I live It's probably not even legal to demand that for such type jobs as it looks a way to not hire women/disabled people..
They can post job listings all day...alert us when they actually fill any of them. Until then, it is window dressing.
Quoted from Scandell:I’ve been approached but haven’t set anything up. I was working as an art director at Google in Northern California when I decided to chase a pinball job. The siren’s call to Pinball adventure was too great for me to stay at the highest paying job I ever had. Hahaha
Sorry to hear you left a good job for a bad one. This is what makes me the most sad, all of the employees that put trust into Robert who clearly should never be starting a company since he doesn't know how to lead one. I could give 2 craps about Robert or deeproot as a company.
Quoted from toyotaboy:I could give 2 craps about Robert or deeproot as a company.
That's very generous of you. 
Toronto, ON
Quoted from trueno92:blow the top off of this.
I don't think there is much top left to blow off this smoking crater of a dumpster fire inside a train wreck inside a sinking ship... but you never know, this could reflash into a barn burner at a moments notice.
Quoted from Scandell:Actually does sound like a decent podcast conversation. Hahaha
While I think I would really enjoy hearing the dirt, I'm sure you know the risks of getting more involved just to satiate the crowd's desire for entertainment.
Quoted from Wolfmarsh:While I think I would really enjoy hearing the dirt, I'm sure you know the risks of getting more involved just to satiate the crowd's desire for entertainment.
Yeah, Kaneda has already said that Robert has threatened him...and I wouldn't be surprised if Scandell has some type of NDA. I'd love to hear the story, but we might have to wait until DR is officially gone.
Leaving google to get rooted by R is one thing but but he’s also the type of guy (in fact he is the guy) that will start a nice little suit against you for too much talk. And for sure, you signed docs when you worked for him - you should read those. Not saying I wouldn’t love to hear all about it on Kaneda(!), and you’re free of course to persue whatever actions you want, but just make sure you know what you’re getting youself into. Pinball is great but not worth anything. If you’ve got boatloads of cash and lawyer friends then ignore but proceed with caution. Just a heads up from fellow pinballer.
Quoted from Bublehead:I don't think there is much top left to blow off this smoking crater of a dumpster fire inside a train wreck inside a sinking ship... but you never know, this could reflash into a barn burner at a moments notice.
Seeing how many jobs are posted, I am beginning to think this is going to slow smolder the rest of the year, if not more. UnlessRobert really has zero clue still what the cash flow situation looks like — which is Entirely possible given what has been seen and heard.
Quoted from Scandell:Just caught up on 360 posts of absolutely nothing. I’ll add some actual meat.
Robert has zero understanding, respect or reverence for manufacturing and production of any kind. To say he bit off more than he could chew here in Utah is an understatement.
When I was recruited to Deeproot back in 2019, the recruiter/employee lead with this
“well...there’s a rich guy that wants to start an animation and visual effect empire in Salt Lake City. He wants to hire 200 animation artists within the next year. He says he wants to be “a Sony”. He is first starting in pinball then wants to branch out and dominate in other fields. It sounds crazy but that’s what he says”
So many stories.
Robert inquired numerous times how many employees other Utah studios Had...cause he wanted to know when he could state that he had the “biggest animation company in Utah”.
Less than a few months later he informed us “the money pipeline has dried up”.
He’s a real planner.
His leadership team “the board” here in Utah had a number of back-biters and con-artists that bickered endlessly and had little competency to actually produce 3D animation. When Robert didn’t know how to manage them, he would hire a new outsider that said they could shape things up and threw them on “the board” as well. It became a lion’s den...hyena den.
These guys were pulling approx 200k each a year.
To be fair There were a few great talented guys in there too...but they didn’t have the leadership experience to keep their hands on the wheel and train Robert and guide his expectations. As a group they failed to establish budgets, schedules, and goals.
For all of us that worked there...it was draining. After my first week, I think 10-15 people individually asked me “what made you think coming here was a good idea?” I replied...
“I like pinball”
Unfortunately the business world is full of self promoting charlatans that talk their way into positions of leadership “to clean things up” or “get things moving”. Only they don’t know WTF they’re doing. If they ever succeeded at anything it was either a “right place, right time” situation, or, maybe it was at a time when they still had a shred of integrity and actually put out some effort for fear of exposure. But now, these self-aggrandizing a-holes exist only to toot their own horns, bully and demoralize their co-workers, waste a shit load of everyone’s time (and money) and, basically “fail up” until someone gets wise and sends them packing. And then these jerks simply write a love letter to themselves on Linked In, BSing that they “raised revenues 3,000%” or some other stat impossible to check and start the whole process over.
Man, I should hire myself out to businesses to suss these jokers out, because I can smell them from a mile away.
Quoted from Mbecker:Seeing how many jobs are posted, I am beginning to think this is going to slow smolder the rest of the year, if not more. UnlessRobert really has zero clue still what the cash flow situation looks like — which is Entirely possible given what has been seen and heard.
Those job postings are a total smokescreen. Why he even bothers is the question. Maybe for his ego...but more likely the last ditch effort to sucker some gullible investor into buying all his crap.
Quoted from aeneas:I do wonder why they expect in every job offering you need to be able to lift a certain weight ????
To carry around all that bull$#1+
Quoted from trueno92:You need to reach out to Kaneda and blow the top off of this.
https://www.facebook.com/KanedaPinballPodcast/
He just did. Pinside has 30,000 members. Kaneda might get 3,000 listeners on his best day.
Quoted from TheFamilyArcade:He just did. Pinside has 30,000 members. Kaneda might get 3,000 listeners on his best day.
I guess nobody should ever do interviews then, just type out a huge novel on pinside and then continue typing huge novels answering further questions. Sorry everyone that has a podcast, no reason to ever interview anyone ever again just have them come on pinside.
Quoted from trueno92:You need to reach out to Kaneda
I think you mean Reach Around...
this is Kaneda you are talking about.
Quoted from TheFamilyArcade:He just did. Pinside has 30,000 members. Kaneda might get 3,000 listeners on his best day.
Of which about 1% click on this thread
There are serious consequences to lawyers that bully or threaten litigation and/or file frivolous lawsuits. Many years ago I counter sued a lawyer and won. Fairly simply I will add.
Lawyers come with varying capabilities and the majority I've known comply with the code of ethics that govern them. But there are some that abuse their title using insinuation and intimidation. Fight back.
Quoted from Bublehead:This smoking crater of a dumpster fire inside a train wreck inside a sinking ship.
So the deeproot master plan is hidden right next to the Juicedratic Equation for Starburst candy?
Quoted from benheck:Just a daily reminder, Spooky was started with around 50k total investment and the "break even don't go out of business" floor for AMH was 100 units.
Robert spent $20m+ and sold 130.
Maybe Robert could have done better had he relocated to Benton WI?
Quoted from benheck:Just a daily reminder, Spooky was started with around 50k total investment and the "break even don't go out of business" floor for AMH was 100 units.
Don't forget Spooky had something that a lot of companies could use. A man that had a dream and worked hard, no matter what. To make it happen. He didn't take short cuts. He sacrificed. He worked hard. He built Spooky Pinball. And built a loyal following of pinball fans.
I give you Chuck Emery.
People wanted something. He provided it. Every time you touch a Spooky pinball machine. You become part of that experience.
LTG : )
Quoted from benheck:Just a daily reminder, Spooky was started with around 50k total investment and the "break even don't go out of business" floor for AMH was 100 units.
Robert spent $20m+ and sold 130.
Deeproot sold 130 - that is probably inflated. No Question though as to how many games out the door - 0
Quoted from LTG:Don't forget Spooky had something that a lot of companies could use. A man that had a dream and worked hard, no matter what. To make it happen. He didn't take short cuts. He sacrificed. He worked hard. He built Spooky Pinball. And built a loyal following of pinball fans.
I give you Chuck Emery.
People wanted something. He provided it. Every time you touch a Spooky pinball machine. You become part of that experience.
LTG : )
didnt his early workers also voluntarily work extra hours for no extra pay because they believed in the company? theres no doubt that if you ask "whats the best strategy for starting a new business", spooky could write a novel on the subject. also making a pinball company work in rural Wisconsin is amazing.
Quoted from Haymaker:I guess nobody should ever do interviews then, just type out a huge novel on pinside and then continue typing huge novels answering further questions. Sorry everyone that has a podcast, no reason to ever interview anyone ever again just have them come on pinside.
I'd be okay with that. Podcasters talk to much.
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