Episode 1192: "Rumors I'm Hearing & Why Transformers LE Buyers Will Get Burned"
Kaneda surveys 2026 pinball pipeline and warns collector speculation at $15k+ will crash
Somethings never change accept the incredible value of KANEDA'S PINBALL PODCAST!!! LET'S GO!!!!!
Synopsis
Kaneda discusses the pinball industry landscape in 2026, analyzing rumors and upcoming titles across all major manufacturers (Stern, Jersey Jack, Spooky, CGC, Multimorphic, Turner, American Pinball, Dutch Pinball, and smaller studios). He emphasizes that the collector market cannot sustain itself at $15,000+ price points, warns that Transformers (LE) buyers will face significant losses, and argues that speculation-driven secondary market pricing is unsustainable despite short-term FOMO-driven peaks.
Highlights
- Brian Eddy next Stern game will be an original IP, possibly a sequel to Attack from Mars or inspired by Monster Bash/Dracula
- Jersey Jack's next Mark Seiden game is expected to be a Warner Brothers licensed property, possibly Superman, Batman 89, or Barbie
- American Pinball first remake will be a 1990s game by a designer who 'now drives a bus,' contradicting the 'Bally Classics' announcement which was a smokescreen
- Dutch Pinball to the Future game will have significant physical elements including a 'super interesting physical ball lock' and licensing gaps (no Pepsi Perfect, Nike sneakers, Coca-Cola rights)
- Spooky's next two titles will be Goonies and Gremlins, with potential horror franchises (Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th) in the pipeline
- Transformers G1 LE buyers will lose significant money because Stern will likely produce 1,000 units with minimal visual differentiation between Premium and LE tiers
- The $15,000+ collector price ceiling is unsustainable; games like Pirates of the Caribbean remain overpriced and aren't moving
- Barrels of Fun hired the homebrew designer who created Big Trouble in Little China, and their next game is rumored to be Neverending Story
Notable quotes
“So I think this is a huge, huge gamble if Stern Pinball is allowing Brian Eddy to make something along those lines.”
“I guarantee you right now, you're going to lose thousands of dollars on that Transformers (LE). You have to understand the variables of Pokemon are different.”
“This hobby cannot thrive on a collector level if the prices are $15,000 or more. Stuff does not move.”
“But I just wanna make a very clear, bold, simple statement. The pinball collecting community... there is no way the pinball buying community will be able to sustain itself.”
“If you kept making games that were as hard as Jurassic Park, that had code like Godzilla that you can never see the end of it, it wouldn't invite more people into pinball.”
“I think Winchester was a little bit of a fluke. He's going to take the success of Winchester as an indication that his judgment is spot on.”
“Sonic the Hedgehog is going to crush, ladies and gentlemen. I can't wait for that game to come out.”
Entities
- American Pinball· company
- Barrels of Fun· company
- Chicago Gaming Company· company
- Dutch Pinball· company
- Jersey Jack Pinball· company
- Multimorphic· company
- Pinball Brothers· company
- Spooky Pinball· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Brian Eddy· person
- Cale Hernandez· person
- Chris Turner· person
- David· person
- Dennis Nordman· person
- Eric Meunier· person
- Franchi· person
- Jack Danger· person
- Jason Knapp· person
- Kaneda· person
- Keith Elwin· person
- Mark Seiden· person
- Melvin Williams· person
- Steve Ritchie· person
More from Kaneda’s Pinball Podcast
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Episode 1229: "Something We Can All Agree On"
Kaneda condemns Stern's incomplete game launches and urges community to withhold support until quality improves.
Everyone wants the same thing, but we won't get there if we keep buying right away.
