Great British Pinball Podcast Episode 10.2 - TPF Special
Send us Fan Mail Scott and Neil talk to Paul and Colin about TPF, BBQ, Dangerous Dave and all things Texas and pinball.
Kineticist’s take
TPF recap: UK players praise new games, criticize pricing, highlight Turner Pinball turnaround and JJP's Elton John.
Synopsis
The Great British Pinball Podcast hosts Scott Rundell and Neil McRae conduct a detailed recap of the Texas Pinball Festival with guests Colin MacAlpine and Paul. The episode covers new game impressions (Pulp Fiction, Jaws, Labyrinth, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Princess Bride, Ninja Eclipse, Elton John), pricing frustrations in the UK market particularly around ElectroCoin's distributor margins, manufacturing quality comparisons between Stern and newer builders like Spooky and Turner Pinball, and standout games of the show including Elton John (Game of the Show) and Jaws (Surprise of the Show).
Highlights
- ElectroCoin adds approximately £2,000 markup on top of US pricing for UK distribution of Stern machines
- Premium pinball machines in the UK are priced around £10,000-£12,000, making them economically unviable for UK collectors
- Texas Pinball Festival 2025 was held during Texas Spring Break week, making it quieter than previous years
- Turner Pinball Ninja Eclipse was perceived as a joke at Chicago six months prior but has been completely redesigned and improved
- JJP Elton John fixes flipper responsiveness issues previously present in Guns N' Roses
- Stern Jaws Pro lacks drop targets present in Premium version, making it feel 'barren' by comparison
- Bally/Williams had 50% of their sales come from overseas markets historically
- JJP Elton John is priced at $13,000 USD for the Platinum Edition
- Spooky Pinball games (Labyrinth, Texas Chainsaw Massacre) are built to appeal to both casual/family and hardcore player audiences
- Stern games are pricing UK collectors out of the market despite their quality and features
Entities
- ElectroCoin· company
- Jersey Jack Pinball (JJP)· company
- Spooky Pinball· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Turner Pinball· company
- Elton John· game
- Jaws· game
- Labyrinth· game
- Looney Tunes· game
- Ninja Eclipse· game
- Princess Bride· game
- Pulp Fiction· game
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre· game
- Venom· game
- Colin MacAlpine· person
- Gomez· person
- John Borg· person
- Kerry Hardy· person
- Mark Ritchie· person
- Neil McRae· person
- Paul· person
- Rob Turner· person
- Scott Rundell· person
- Seth Davis· person
- Steve Ritchie· person