Episode 1186: "Pokemon Will Be The Fastest Selling Stern LE Ever...Good Luck Finding One"

PodcastAnalysis updated 6d agoFeb 10, 202615 min listen

TL;DR

Pokémon Pinball will insta-sell 750 LEs and appreciate to $16-17k due to IP strength, not game design.

From the creator

It's simple math. The world is much bigger than the cargo short wearing babies on Pinside.

Listen on Kaneda’s Pinball Podcast

Synopsis

Kaneda argues that Pokémon Pinball will be the fastest-selling Stern LE ever due to the massive cultural reach of the Pokémon IP, predicting immediate sellout of the 750 limited units and significant secondary market appreciation ($16-17k resale vs $13k retail). He emphasizes the theme's mass appeal across age groups, contrasts Pokémon's cultural durability with the fractured Star Wars fanbase, and critiques the pinball community for overthinking gameplay depth over fun factor.

Highlights

Pokémon is the biggest IP in the entire world ($151 billion franchise) with mass crossover appeal beyond traditional pinball demographics
All LE units are already sold out or extremely scarce across major distributors (Mad Pinball, Automated, Melissa, Zach/Flippin' Out)
Stern is producing only 750 Pokémon LEs vs 1,000 units for Venom and John Wick, signaling intentional scarcity strategy
Pokémon LE will appreciate to $16-17k from $13k retail, based on historical Stern LE secondary market performance
Pokémon has not experienced cultural calamity or franchise degradation unlike Star Wars, which Disney has 'messed up' through oversaturation
George Gomez designed Pokémon with mass-appeal layout prioritizing simple ball flow (A→B ramp mechanics) over complex layout innovation
King Kong has significant ball-out-of-sight issues ('balls constantly being out of sight'); Harry Potter also has this problem
Pokémon Pinball will be 'the only Pokémon pinball in history'
Stern is using official Pokémon artists rather than Zombie Yeti for art package
Pokémon Pinball (Pro tier) will begin shipping before LE variant by 1-2 months, allowing Stern to 'iron out the kinks'

Notable quotes

“This is the only Pokémon pinball in history. Once these people find out that if you want the nicest version of the pinball game, there are only 750 total ever for the world. Do you understand?”

Kaneda

“It's a toy. It was never meant to be a direct for 40 to 60 curmudgeonly alcoholic men who are very bored and have found a second life on the Internet with their pin personality.”

Kaneda

“I think Pokémon is A, going to sell out instantly. B is not going to go down in value. And C will never really go down in value. It is just that kind of IP.”

Kaneda

“As someone who bought a Gucci Xbox for $10,000 and sold it on StockX for $20,000 the next week, I'm here to tell you right now, this game with only 750 LEs, because you know the rich people want the nicest version this game has the potential to hit a new high.”

Kaneda

“It makes no sense. But it goes to show you how anxious Stern is. They want to inject some value into these LEs.”

Kaneda

“If I were to guess, a $13,000 Pokémon LE, if you got your hands on one, I think you're going to see them go for like 16 or 17. I mean it.”

Kaneda

“Day one, insta-sellout. It's going to be impossible for people to get.”

Kaneda

“I think we're going to get a lot of crybabies that are going to moan and groan that this game is too basic. It's too this. It's too that. Meanwhile, they're going to be selling like hotcakes.”

Kaneda