Pinball Magazine & Pinball News PINcast January 2025 recap
2025 really started with a bang with a new game reveal by one company and big changes at another, while the show season got off to a flying start in both the US and the UK. So, Jonathan from Pinball Magazine and Martin from Pinball News are back to bring you all the exciting news from the industry throughout the month of January in their Pinball Industry News PINcast. Last month’s PINcast anticipated the reveal of Stern Pinball’s first new release of the year, and sure enough Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye duly launched, with public premieres soon after at CES in Las Vegas and EAG Expo in London. Jonathan and Martin were at EAG to play it, but they also got to sit down with Gary Stern, John Buscaglia and Doug Skor from Stern Pinball to talk about the new game, the latest news from the company as well as the state of the wider industry, while Gary also shared his cooking tips. Big changes at American Pinball where their EVP David Fix is one of many staff no longer working there as the owners look to transition the company into a contract manufacturer. Whith hardly anyone left, what does are the prospects for their seventh title which is ready to launch? To find out, the duo speak to David Fix about his departure and those of his fellow employees, while exploring the convoluted way American Pinball has been managed in recent years, where the business is now, and which of their many development projects might yet see the light of day. One feature being newly integrated into one American Pinball game is the Scorbit scores and achievements tracking system. But they aren’t the only ones adding Scorbit, as Pedretti Pinball announce it will also feature in the next code update to their Funhouse Remake game. Speaking of which, there are lots of new code updates this month, including Jersey Jack Pinball’s Avatar: The Battle for Pandora reaching feature-complete v1.00 status and Spooky Pinball’s Looney Tunes getting its new wizard mode.
Kineticist’s take
D&D launches amid mixed early impressions; Gary Stern discusses licensing, market segmentation, and industry strategy.
Synopsis
Pinball Magazine and Pinball News editors Jonathan Houston and Martin Eyre recap January 2025 pinball industry events, including Stern's Dungeons & Dragons launch at CES and EAG Expo in London. The episode features an interview with Gary Stern discussing D&D's design philosophy, market positioning across collector/operator/casual player segments, and Stern's business strategy. Notable concerns emerge about D&D's early code showing easy multiball access and mechanical issues (dragon head jamming, sensor problems), though both editors emphasize the early build nature.
Entities
- Electrocoin· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Wizard of the Coast / Hasbro· company
- CES Show· event
- EAG Expo· event
- Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye· game
- Metallica Remastered· game
- Brian Eddy· person
- Doug Skor· person
- Dwight Sullivan· person
- Gary Stern· person
- Greg Mott· person
- Jerry Thompson· person
- Joe Kamenka· person
- John Buscaglia· person
- John Greskelia· person
- Jonathan Houston· person
- Lloyd Dorton· person
- Lyman Sheets· person
- Martin Eyre· person
