"Sure it'd be easier to grab an off the shelf solution for our boards, and it'd certainly be easier to build a plain old cabinet, but that's just not what we're about."

This should end well.

The only Dr. Phil that I care about is the one currently ranked 99th. https://www.ifpapinball.com/player.php?p=16540

http://www.phillipgrimaldi.com/

He may be a pinhead, but he's no doctor.

More pinball manufacturers, huh?

Not going to be pretty when the next economic downturn or recession hits.

Is it weird that I'm reading the entire article as if Dennis himself were dictating it to me?

Sort of. Imagine a better voice instead. Christopher Lee is a good pick!

Nah, we've been getting a lot of good podcast content with you hopping around everywhere. Keep talkin' pinball!

"Market Trends" should spin off into it's own podcast. It's just that good.

You know it's the background music that makes Market Trends so awesome.

Plus you'll have to do the next episode in ALL of your accents. Ahhhnold always has me dying!

I thought Head2Head was taking it over. @falconpunch and @martymainframe can add it, and @zmeny compete against it. Like Coca-Cola Classic versus New Coke (I'll leave it to everyone to decide which one gets labeled New Coke).

I think I've probably been on a bit too much. Not bad to dial things back. But EGP does have a new episode planned this Sunday so that's a given regardless.

Could use the time to focus on a different writing style. Interesting criticism this go-around, wanting more drama or focus on the experimenting of boards. Good ideas, though not a narrative strong-suit for me. I'm less of a written drama guy and more of a here's-data-organized-in-a-clear-way guy. Or neither, I might just be terrible. Regardless, more focus is a good thing!

...

"Joanie Loves Chachi" is probably a better comparison.

IMG_0306 (resized).jpg
scott danesi game no. 2 teaser

obviously "mickey mouse house party!"

Great Marketing research for Stern.

Ah yes, Addam's Family.

JJP POTC is a top 10 of the 35 and under crowd even though they don't really exist yet. Jeez. what a joke.

How many voters total?

Imnsio not many.(in my not so Informed opinion )

I must be from a different planet and maybe even a different species cuz each top 10 bracket makes me kringe. Sure I like a couple of pins in each list but for the most part none of the lists represent my taste in pinball.
If only I had voted.....

I’ve played it quite a bit and it doesn’t even make my top 100.

What really shocked me is the best pin ever made (The Walking Dead) didn’t make anyone’s list. Have people not played it?

Maybe they are like me and have played it on location where it is half broken or set-up incorrectly. There's brutal, and then there's unfair.

Tends to hint that, as many suspected, there will be no new title at Expo from JJP, given the delay in getting PotC to market and potential unreadiness of a new one.

Question is ... when will it be announced? Maybe they go to CES, or maybe they wait for TPF, hopefully with release shortly thereafter?

If they're actively working on the development of 5 titles, as Jack seems to suggest, then they can't possibly be sticking to the 1 release per year forever. That would be an insanely long (& costly) development cycle, with 5 in the pipeline.

Yellow Brick Road (& possible WOZ code update) and DI code update have to be the Expo assumption. I'll be most curious to see how the YBR edition shakes out, since there are quite a few rumours about what it will and won't include (mech removals for example).

So #WOZ is Jack's favorite game. Great, it's actually mine too !

The quote from TWIP is, "We are working on five different model games now..."
That doesn't have to mean five games not yet announced. It could easily mean they are still building the four in production ( Wizard of Oz The Hobbit Dialed In Pirates of the Caribbean ) and also working on one that isn't yet announced.

I think they will announce - but if not then iAAPA isn't far away.

I don't think JJP has to use a show at all for a reveal. If anything, revealing it outside of a show might actually help a lot better since the focus would be on a real reveal video (polished up), marketing materials, etc.

According to Jack, at DI unveiling, Pat already had both of his next games shootable, and we obviously know Eric was working on PotC. We now know Eric's been working on his second since earlier in the year. That makes at least 3 unannounced games being worked on, and I'd expect preliminary work to be being done on at least one more. So I don't think your explanation really makes sense.

Had forgotten about that. But does that really give PotC enough breathing room? Guess it's a question of how much they value its sales over the schedule of their future line up. Personally, I'd like to see them announce at Expo or later this year. It would demonstrate confidence in their existing product, and the future of the business.

The PotC reveal was excellent ... unlike DI. Problem was the delay.

Here is my free JJP non-show announce schedule:

Day 1: Jack tweets "WE'RE READY AND YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT!! See you at jerseyjackpinball.com in 7 days"

Day 2 to 7.... obscure tweets that Pinside obsesses over.

Day 7: Countdown clock, Sizzle video, flyers, professional photos, ordering opens up.

Day 8: 3 hour Buffalo Pinball stream.

After... bring games to whatever shows are on the schedule at that point.

lol, just realized this is sort of Stern's M.O. at the moment, but swap Buffalo Pinball for Jack Danger.

Obviously if it works for Stern it will work for JJP. No Expo required.

Nice reply from Jack there.

I have posted this since last Expo & TPF and was told I had no clue what I was talking about.

And repeat the POTC... and hobbit delay failures? AND undercut their own new 'must have' title at the same time?

That seems like putting a gun in their own mouth.

JJP can't build in volume still. They basically trickle out one game at a time. Promising a future title won't drive sales NOW, only hurt them. Everyone knows they can design a game... no one needs to be reassured about that. It's a question of SUSTAINING - and the best way they can do that is by showing strong sales and VOLUME. Promising futures that undercut yourself is the opposite of what they need.

Showing strong and consistent profitability is what matters the most, especially when it comes to having a sustainable business. Volume isn't necessarily relevant, even more in the pinball industry where scalability has some limits and high structural costs can quickly turn into a major nightmare.

No buzz on the deeproot article yet? Thanks for posting it Jeff! deeproot seems to be taking things seriously based on what you've written. Looking forward to see what they are planning at TPF.

Yep. Was posted about 2 hours ago. https://thisweekinpinball.com/deeproot-tour/

bleh, will see when they actually have something to show off and play.

I expect the line "TEASER: The license is an 80s movie many people have been craving!" will get the rumour mill churning

Crave - Name of a diner/restaurant from a 80's movie.

If it’s what I think it is I am in!

That’s the power of licenses. New company that has never shown anything and never produced anything and has no customers can still hype up something with just a mention.

We already have a new speculation thread.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/back-to-the-future-pinball-by-deeproot

How come this thread isn't updated any more?

Jack Danger's layout needs a bit of a think. My immediate thought was, those pops are going to wreck any ball guides they're placed that close to, if not possibly scuff the ball and damage the playfield. Not sure either about a pop with that close line of fire to an exposed upper flipper bat. Rails between the pops and guides would work, but also nerf the amount of pop activity in the game.

My suggestion would be: try and place the lower two pops far enough from the shot walls to be able to put rubbered posts in between, and create chamber areas between the pops and rubbers for maximum pop activity. The upper one, I'd turn into a passive bumper and then see if there was a way to squeeze an additional pop into the game.