American Pinball and Planetary Pinball Supply announced a long-term partnership today under which AP will manufacture, sell, and distribute classic Williams and Bally pinball machines under license.

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The deal covers seven titles, though specific games and production timelines haven't been announced yet.

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"Our owner, Bryan Vincent, is a huge Williams and Bally fan, and we wanted to bring some great games back to the community and to operators," said Ron Lindeman, President of American Pinball.

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The press release uses the word "reimagined" rather than "remakes," and that's intentional. I checked in with Lindeman, and he clarified that AP plans to offer both: traditional remakes for customers who want that new-old-stock feel, and reimagined versions with new elements—additional mechs, updated code, enhanced sound and video.

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So rather than competing head-to-head with CGC's remake approach, AP appears to be carving out a slightly different lane. Same Planetary license pipeline, different product strategy.

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"AP has a reputation for delivering quality games, and PPS is thrilled to be working together to deliver timeless classics to today's players," said Rick Bartlett, President & CEO of Planetary Pinball Supply.

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No word yet on which seven titles are in the agreement, or when we'll see the first one. Stay tuned.