The Great British Pinball Podcast Episode 15 - Pinfest 24 aftermath

Pinfest 24 aftermath: American Pinball struggles, game design philosophy, and UK market challenges.

Synopsis

Scott Rundell and Neil McCray discuss Pinfest 24's aftermath, covering David Fix presentation on American Pinball business challenges, newly played games including Labyrinth and Galactic Tank Force, and broader industry concerns about pricing, game design philosophy, and distribution. They critique manufacturing decisions that inflate costs without adding value and debate whether American Pinball strategy of creating original themes versus licensing is sustainable.

Highlights

• David Fix let slip that another manufacturer will be doing a Harry Potter pinball machine
• American Pinball became profitable starting with Galactic Tank Force after years in the red
• Pinball Heaven resigned as American Pinball distributor after learning about competing distributor David Retro Arcade through social media
• Stern is now the cheapest option in the UK market to buy a new game, which is unusual historically
• Labyrinth (Barrels of Fun) didn't break down once during entire Pinfest weekend despite heavy use
• American Pinball manufactures only approximately one game per year
• Harry Potter licensing will likely be expensive, potentially millions, given IP scope and rights complexity
• Spooky games had reliability issues at Pinfest with Looney Tunes and TCM breaking down more than staying playable
• American Pinball created custom manufacturing parts (special legs) for Galactic Tank Force that reduce margins without clear benefit
• CGC's Cactus Canyon Remake required three iterations of drop target redesign for location reliability

Entities

• American Pinball· company
• Barrels of Fun· company
• CGC (Chicago Gaming Company)· company
• Heighway Pinball· company
• Jersey Jack Pinball· company
• Pinball Heaven· company
• Spooky Pinball· company
• Pinfest 24· event
• Barrios (or Barry's Barbecue Challenge)· game
• Cactus Canyon Remake· game
• Elton John· game
• Galactic Tank Force· game
• Harry Potter· game
• Labyrinth· game
• Legends of Valhalla· game
• Looney Tunes· game
• Medieval Madness· game
• TCM (The Cabinet of Mysterious Wonders or similar)· game
• Alan O'Grady· person
• Butch Peel· person
• David Fix· person
• Kerry Hardy· person
• Neil McCray· person
• Phil (Pinball Heaven)· person
• Scott Rundell· person