News
Articles and updates about the latest pinball news in the pinball hobby. For more regular updates, be sure to check out our weekly newsletter, This Week in Pinball.
Get Ready for a Dungeon Crawler Carl Pinball Machine
Someone has the license for the massively popular LitRPG franchise. We don't know who — but we have thoughts.
Colin Alsheimer
How the Hype Index Got Smarter
We've been quietly rebuilding the Hype Index over the past few months. The scoring is smarter, the nostalgia model actually accounts for franchise eras, and your hype vote feeds directly into the rankings now.
Colin Alsheimer
The 2025 TWIPY Pinball Awards: Full Winners and Recap
The 2025 TWIPYs looked nothing like the eight shows before it. Seven categories, no sponsors, four arcades, and real conversations with the people who make the games. Here are the winners and what happened.
Colin Alsheimer
Melvin Williams Joins American Pinball as Creative Director
Melvin Williams has been named Creative Director of American Pinball, just over a week after splitting from Dutch Pinball. Here's what it means and why the history is wilder than you'd think.
Colin Alsheimer
Stern Pinball Reveals Pokemon Pinball
Stern Pinball has revealed their next cornerstone title, and it's the one everybody's been waiting for: Pokemon.
Colin Alsheimer
The Pinball Bet
The Pinball Capital of the World doesn't have a world-class place to play. Francis Wisniewski thinks he can fix that.
Colin Alsheimer
Dutch Pinball Exclusive (DPX) Is No More
DPX is shutting down and Melvin Williams is out at Dutch Pinball. Here's what we know and what it means for Alice owners.
Colin Alsheimer
American Pinball Partners with Planetary Pinball Supply to Produce Classic Williams and Bally Games
American Pinball is getting into the classics business—and they're not just doing straight remakes.
Colin Alsheimer
IFPA Announces Updates to Mission Statement & Leadership Team
Three new members join the IFPA leadership team, the mission statement gets a complete rewrite, and the organization commits to new TD resources and continuing the Women's Championship series.
Colin Alsheimer
14 Questions with American Pinball President Ron Lindeman
Ron Lindeman answers questions on the JB Vincent LP acquisition, what's next for product development, and how American Pinball plans to rebuild trust.
Colin Alsheimer
American Pinball Under New Ownership
American Pinball and Orbit Games were officially acquired by JB Vincent L.P. Here are all the details we know so far.
Colin Alsheimer
Is IPDB Dying? Visualizing the Slow Death of a Pinball Institution
IPDB.org has been the pinball community's go-to database for over two decades. But the data tells a troubling story: database updates are down 93% since 2020, 71% of major pinball releases since 2020 are missing entirely, and search visibility has collapsed.
Colin Alsheimer
RUMOR: A Young Guns Pinball is Coming Soon from Barrels of Fun
Colin Alsheimer
The Score Card: Season's Endings
On this edition of The Score Card, we're recapping the final SPC tournaments of the year, jumping from Florida's biggest arcade expo to a cozy convention in Ohio, before crossing the finish at a beloved arcade in Illinois.
Matt Owen
A Resident Evil Pinball Rumor, and the Swiss Company Behind It
A new pinball rumor began circulating today via French pinball influencer Paris Pinball Addict, pointing to a potential Resident Evil–themed machine developed by a previously unknown European manufacturer based in Switzerland.
Colin Alsheimer
Walking Dead Remastered Shuffles Out of the Gate
Gameplay streams, cabinet changes, licensor delays, and a still-forming code roadmap point to a launch that still hasn’t fully settled.
Colin Alsheimer
IFPA Outlines Early Changes After OBX Fallout
Before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, the IFPA released new statements intended to clarify its internal structure, bathroom-access expectations for sanctioned events, and its next steps following the OBX Fall Flippers incident.
Colin Alsheimer
2025’s Best Black Friday & Cyber Monday Pinball Deals (Updated Live)
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are here, and we’re tracking every 2025 pinball-related deal we can find.
Colin Alsheimer
Marino Zaccaria, Co-Founder of Zaccaria Pinball, Has Died
Marino Zaccaria, one of the three brothers behind Italy’s most recognizable pinball brand, Zaccaria, has died at the age of 89.
Colin Alsheimer
IFPA Issues New Statement; Starts Moving Forward
Colin Alsheimer
IFPA Women's Advisory Board Resigns; Issues Statement
Last night, November 19th, in response to the ongoing controversy around the OBX Fall Flippers Tournament and the response to it by the IFPA, the remaining members of the Women's Advisory Board, Crystal Cory, Karyn Kiser, Kim Martinez, and Zoë Vrabel, officially resigned.
Colin Alsheimer
New Information and an IFPA Statement on the OBX Fall Flippers Incident
Internal IFPA Slack discussions reveal new details about the OBX Fall Flippers incident and the organization’s response.
Colin Alsheimer
An Update on the IFPA and the OBX Fall Flippers Event
Providing more information and context around the handling of the harassment incident at the OBX Fall Flippers tournament.
Colin Alsheimer
Spooky Pinball Reveals Beetlejuice Pinball
Everything we know so far about Spooky Pinball's latest pinball machine release.
Noah Crable
Developing: What’s Going on With the IFPA and the OBX Fall Flippers Event?
Tracking a developing story coming out of the recent OBX Fall Pinball Tournament held at Flippers Arcade in Grandy, NC.
Colin Alsheimer
Stern Pinball Reveals The Walking Dead Remastered
Everything we know so far about Stern Pinball's latest remastered pinball machine release.
Noah Crable
Over Ten Years in the Making, Scorbit is on the Verge of a Breakout
A conversation with Jay Adelson and Ron Richards of Scorbit on the latest iteration of their connected pinball platform.
Colin Alsheimer
Barrels of Fun Reveals Winchester Mystery House
Everything we know about the surprise new game reveal from Barrels of Fun.
Colin Alsheimer
Stern’s Fall of the Empire is the Definitive Star Wars Pinball Experience
Taking a detailed look at Stern's new Star Wars: Fall of the Empire pinball machine.
Colin Alsheimer
Stern Launches Star Wars Fall of the Empire Pinball
Everything we know so far about Stern Pinball’s latest game, Star Wars Fall of the Empire pinball.
Colin Alsheimer
Today is The First International Pinball Day
Celebrating the first International Pinball Day.
Joe Ciaravino
Jack Danger Accepts New Role at Stern Pinball; 8 Quick Thoughts on the Move
Yesterday, Stern Pinball officially announced that fan-favorite game designer and pinball personality, Jack Danger, will be taking on the new role of Head of Community for Stern Pinball. Our thoughts on the move and more.
Colin Alsheimer
An Update on Harry Potter and the Order of AI-Gate
A follow-up to the Harry Potter AI artwork controversy, plus new comments from Jack Guarnieri.
Colin Alsheimer
What’s Going on With JJP’s Harry Potter and the AI Art Controversy?
Just when it seemed the Harry Potter launch from Jersey Jack Pinball couldn’t get more controversial, on Sunday, a previously unknown pinball enthusiast broke open what could wind up being the biggest pinball scandal of the year.
Colin Alsheimer
Pinball Brothers Launch Predator Pinball
After what felt like an exceptionally long teaser campaign, today we're finally seeing the full reveal of Pinball Brothers' fourth title, Predator pinball.
Colin Alsheimer
Jersey Jack Launches Harry Potter Pinball
Everything we know so far about Jersey Jack's latest game, Harry Potter pinball.
Colin Alsheimer
![Predator Teased by Pinball Brothers; First Playfield Photo Revealed [Updated]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.kineticist.com%2Fposts%2Fpredator-teased-by-pinball-brothers-first-playfield-photo%2Fmain%2F683c9a5bc60275602cfc719b_Pinball_Brothers_Teases_Predator_Share_Playfield_Photo.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Predator Teased by Pinball Brothers; First Playfield Photo Revealed [Updated]
Earlier today, Sweden's Pinball Brothers put out the official teaser video for their upcoming game launch for Predator pinball, based on the 1987 action film of the same name.
Colin Alsheimer
Jersey Jack Drops Harry Potter Teaser Video
Not long ago, Jersey Jack Pinball released the official teaser trailer for its much-anticipated next release, Harry Potter Pinball.
Colin Alsheimer
Review: No Surprise, King Kong Is Another Great Keith Elwin Game
Keith Elwin’s King Kong delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect: pinball greatness so polished it feels routine. Learn more about Stern's latest release in our hands-on review.
Colin Alsheimer
Dune Pushes the Envelope for the Cinematic Pinball Experience
Our review of the latest release from Barrels of Fun, Dune.
Colin Alsheimer
Stern Launches King Kong: Myth of Terror Island
Everything we know about Stern's latest release.
Noah Crable
Barrels of Fun Reveals Dune Pinball as Game #2
Everything we know so far about Barrels of Fun's latest release, Dune Pinball.
Colin Alsheimer
Barrels of Updates from Barrels of Fun
Highlighting a few small updates from the Barrels of Fun team coming out of Texas Pinball Festival 2025.
Colin Alsheimer
A Tale of Two Launches: How Portal Upstaged Merlin and Revealed the Limits of Original Pinball Themes
Why did Multimorphic's Portal pinball gain mainstream attention, while Turner Pinball's original Merlin's Arcade stayed niche? We break down how licensed themes amplify coverage, audience reach, and marketing impact.
Colin Alsheimer
The Electric Playground Reveals Pulp Fiction “Double Tap” Topper (plus an interview with Rob Rath)
Learn more about the latest release from The Electric Playground, plus an interview with co-founder Rob Rath.
Colin Alsheimer
DPX Releases Early Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Rules
DPX published an early draft of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland code. Did you see it?
Colin Alsheimer
Turner Pinball Launches Merlin's Arcade
Learn more about the latest release from Turner Pinball, Merlin's Arcade.
Colin Alsheimer
Multimorphic Launches Portal Pinball
Portal Pinball is the latest full game kit release for Multimorphic and their P3 platform. Learn more in our detailed rundown.
Colin Alsheimer
Number Crunching the Pinball Class of 2024
Analyzing public market data of pinball machine releases in 2024 to get a better read on the pinball landscape.
Colin Alsheimer
First Impressions of Blues Brothers Pinball by Homepin
Dr. John Cosson took delivery of the first Blues Brothers pinball machine off the Homepin line, and put it through its paces.
Dr. John Cosson
Hands on with Stern's Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye
First impressions of Stern's latest pinball machine release, Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye.
Colin Alsheimer
Stern Pinball Teases Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye
A few minutes ago, Stern Pinball officially dropped the teaser for their latest cornerstone release, the much rumored Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye.
Colin Alsheimer
Spooky Pinball Reveals New Evil Dead Pinball Machine
Everything we know about Spooky Pinball's latest release, Evil Dead.
Colin Alsheimer
Stern Drops Metallica Remastered
Everything we know about Stern's latest offering, Metallica Remastered.
Noah Crable
A Day at Jersey Jack Pinball for the Avatar Launch
Recapping a day spent at Jersey Jack Pinball following the launch of their newest game, Avatar: The Battle for Pandora.
Colin Alsheimer
First Look at JJP’s Avatar: Battle for Pandora
First look at Avatar: The Battle for Pandora, Jersey Jack Pinball's latest game release. Rules, key features, release storylines, and more.
Noah Crable
Stern Reveals Uncanny X-Men Pinball
After a week of anticipation, Stern Pinball just announced their newest pinball machine, The Uncanny X-Men. Here's everything we know about the game!
Noah Crable
Avatar Eats the Ball
The latest picture from Jersey Jack's newest game, Avatar.
Colin Alsheimer
![The Ultimate Roundup of Pinball Manufacturer News [Updated 11.20.24]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.kineticist.com%2Fposts%2Fpinball-manufacturer-news%2Fmain%2F66b2c0ee3087e82a0f25d088_The_Ultimate_Roundup_of_Pinball_Manufacturer_News.avif&w=3840&q=75)
The Ultimate Roundup of Pinball Manufacturer News [Updated 11.20.24]
Keeping track of pinball manufacturer news and updates so you don't have to.
Colin Alsheimer
Next Level Levels Up
Next Level Pinball Museum adds expansion to become the 4th Largest Public Pinball Collection in North America.
Colin Alsheimer
Barry O’s Barbecue Challenge is the Next American Pinball Machine
Barry O’s Barbecue Challenge is the Next American Pinball Machine
Colin Alsheimer
TWIP Joins Kineticist!
Hi. Colin here for a special edition of This Week in Pinball.
Colin Alsheimer
Elton John is the Next Jersey Jack Pinball Machine (Photos, Rules & More!)
The rumors proved true, and Elton John has been confirmed as the next Jersey Jack pinball machine, their second release of 2023.
Colin Alsheimer
![Labyrinth is the First Pinball Machine from Barrels of Fun [UPDATED 10.17]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.kineticist.com%2Fposts%2Flabyrinth-barrels-of-fun%2Fmain%2F6525d1149e0d6bbbfa9acdad_labryinth_mystery_revealed.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Labyrinth is the First Pinball Machine from Barrels of Fun [UPDATED 10.17]
After months of speculation, the first game from Barrels of Fun Pinball (Mystery Pinball Company) is based on the 1986 cult-classic film Labyrinth.
Colin Alsheimer
Drew Robishaw Broke the Pinball Playing Record at 48 Hours; Then Kept Playing
Drew Robishaw can play pinball far longer than you can. And he now has the official Guinness World Record to prove it.
Colin Alsheimer
Sizing the Used Pinball Market; How Big is it Really? (Hint: Bigger than you think!)
How big is the used pinball market? Probably bigger than you think! Ted "Doc" Finlay of PinballPrices.com breaks it down.
Ted "Doc" Finlay, Ph.D.
Vermont’s Pinball Co-Op Completes Expansion (Plus a Chat with Owner Mike Havens)
Vermont's Pinball Co-Op completes an expansion and we chat with owner Mike Havens.
Colin Alsheimer
![Venom is the Next Stern Pinball Machine [Updated 7.17.23]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.kineticist.com%2Fposts%2Fvenom-is-the-next-stern-pinball-machine%2Fmain%2F64abf4acbe85c90205adae9d_venom_pinball_machine_next_stern_pinball.avif&w=3840&q=75)
Venom is the Next Stern Pinball Machine [Updated 7.17.23]
The open secret has finally been confirmed by Stern. Venom will be their next cornerstone game release.
Colin Alsheimer
Centaur is the Next Haggis Pinball Machine
Kaneda calls it.
Colin Alsheimer
Connecting Balls to Bells: Is the "Mystery Pinball Company" Stern's Amazing Spider-Man (AKA Venom)?
Purely speculation. But if the spider-web sticks...
Colin Alsheimer
A New Australian Pinball Champion is Crowned
Congratulations to the new 2022/2023 IFPA Australian Championship Series! Mitch Wilkins breaks down the big win.
Mitch Wilkins
Pinball Map New Locations Update: April 2023
Highlighting some of the best new pinball arcades submitted to Pinball Map in April 2023. Brewhalla, Drekker Brewing, Axecadia, Super Champ, and more.
Ryan TG
Hello, is this thing on?
Kineticist launches a newsletter.
Colin Alsheimer
Breaking: Jersey Jack Severs Partnership with Scorbit
Connected pinball startup Scorbit launches new partnership with Chicago Gaming Company.
Colin Alsheimer
Pulp Fiction is the Next Chicago Gaming Company Pinball Machine
Pulp Fiction is the next Chicago Gaming Company pinball machine.
Colin Alsheimer
Pinball Hype Index Updates: March 2023
Recapping the Pinball Hype Index updates for March 2023.
Colin Alsheimer
Texas Pinball Festival 2023: An Attendee's Guide
The Texas Pinball Festival (TPF) is set to be held in Frisco, Texas, from March 24th to the 26th, 2023. There’s a lot to see and do there - so we’ve broken it down with a short guide.
Jose Irizarry
The Godfather is the Next Jersey Jack Pinball Machine
Jersey Jack officially confirms a very poorly held secret. Coming March 2023.
Colin Alsheimer
First Confirmation of Jersey Jack's The Godfather?
Did Pintastic New England accidentally spill the beans on Jersey Jack's next game (The Godfather)? Check out their post on Facebook, and draw your own conclusions!
Colin Alsheimer
Galactic Tank Force is the Next American Pinball Machine
It wasn't much of a secret before, but it's definitely not a secret now! Galactic Tank Force is American Pinball's next pin.
Colin Alsheimer
Foo Fighters Pinball is the Next Stern Cornerstone Release
Surprising very few in the pinball hobby (particularly if you've been paying attention to our Hype Index rankings), Stern Pinball has officially confirmed that The Foo Fighters will be their next cornerstone release.
Colin Alsheimer
Pinball FX Now Available On Xbox and Playstation Game Consoles
Zen Studios’ digital pinball collection has officially left early access today and is now available on Playstation 4/5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X in addition to the Epic Games Store.
Jose Irizarry
The Undying Charm of The Addams Family
The Addams Family has always been on the radar for pinheads thanks to the 1992 Pat Lawlor classic game. But for the culture at large? Not as much. Until recently, that is, as The Addams Family has risen back to life in the wake of several recent media projects.
Jose Irizarry
Recapping the Winners of The 2023 PiNbALL DeGENeRaTE Awards (AKA the DeGENies)
The 2nd annual Pinball Degenerate Awards (aka The Degenies) were pulled off without so much as a hitch.
Colin Alsheimer
Tackling South Carolina’s Pinball Ban
Learn about the efforts to overturn South Carolina's pinball ban for minors and why it should be removed from the books.
Jose Irizarry
Axe-Throwing and Arcade Games Come Together at Axecadia in Lapeer, Michigan
A new entertainment center is coming to Lapeer Michigan in Spring 2023. “Axecadia” will feature pinball machines, arcade games, drinks, board games and of course axe-throwing.
Jose Irizarry
IFPA: Competitive Pinball Bounces Back in 2022
The International Flipper Pinball Association just released its annual “State of the Union” address recapping 2022. How did they fare? Read on to find out.
Jose Irizarry