Free Show: EPISODE 1188: "Why Pokemon Might Be The Most Important Pinball Ever & The LE Will Hit $30,000!"

PodcastAnalysis updated 6d agoFeb 16, 202621 min listen

TL;DR

Pokemon Pinball LE units selling for $20K+ represent Stern's comeback moment with unprecedented crossover collector demand.

From the creator

The energy and enthusiasm for this game is unlike anything I've ever witnessed in pinball - and that's an AMAZING THING!

Listen on Kaneda’s Pinball Podcast

Synopsis

Kaneda delivers an enthusiastic analysis of Pokemon Pinball's unprecedented launch success, with LE units selling out immediately and commanding $20,000+ on secondary markets. He argues Pokemon represents Stern's strongest recovery move in years, praising the accessible-yet-deep design philosophy inspired by classics like Monster Bash and Junkyard, and predicts the LE could reach $30,000 as collector demand from the broader Pokemon community enters the pinball market. He positions Pokemon as a gateway game that will expand the hobby beyond traditional audiences while defending the 750-unit LE scarcity strategy against skeptics.

Highlights

Pokemon LE units are already being sold for $20,000 immediately after Friday reveal, with potential to reach $30,000
All 750 Pokemon LE units were spoken for within days of announcement (Friday to Monday)
Pokemon could become the best-selling Stern machine of all time
Pokemon's license comes from a $220 billion IP property making it among the most valuable licenses Stern has ever secured
The game was revealed Friday and by Monday all units were sold out, marking unprecedented LE launch velocity
Stern deliberately constrained LE production to 750 units (vs. 1,000 for John Wick and Venom) to drive scarcity and value
Pokemon game design intentionally draws from Monster Bash, Attack from Mars, and Medieval Madness as inspiration
Zombie Yeti and his daughter art-directed and designed the Pokemon playfield art layout
Sonic CE will have unconstrained production ('as many as people want') in contrast to Pokemon's 750-unit LE limit
Stern's work environment has been demoralized and toxic for approximately four years prior to Pokemon's success

Notable quotes

“I'm seeing people are selling their LEs for $20,000 instantly! This is maybe the biggest Stern LE launch of all time.”

Kaneda

“Stern is back baby like they are back this company's been taking lashes not just for me from everybody and rightfully so”

Kaneda

“If you have a Pokemon LE, I mean this when I say $20,000 is not the ceiling... I think this thing is going to hit around like $30,000”

Kaneda

“This is a callback to Junkyard... Don't need like Keith Johnson walking into the room with Avatar and handing me a diner menu that's like 15 feet long about the rule sets.”

Kaneda

“They could have easily made a lot of these which is the number of Pokemon. The fact that they only made 750 Pokemon LEs when they made 1,000 John Wicks and 1,000 Venoms.”

Kaneda

“When you put Sonic CE next to Pokemon, yes, it's going to make Pokemon look like a $3,000 item, but that's not going to change the fact that there's only 750 Pokemon LEs forever in the world”

Kaneda

“The hard part for each and every one of us is making enough money and finding enough room to put all of these exciting games into our collections.”

Kaneda

“Even like the John Wick and Venom LEs of the world, those things are going to crash down to like 6,500. There's just, everyone's just going to start getting rid of stuff.”

Kaneda

“It's loaded with charm. It's loaded with personality. And most importantly, it's loaded with love.”

Kaneda

“I think this could be Stern's best-selling game ever. If Stern knows that we've got like 15,000 people with Pokemon, I think they're going to keep adding stuff to it.”

Kaneda