I've done a couple of pinball rumors articles over the past several weeks. The funny thing about this stuff is rumors beget rumors. The more you talk about things, the more people reach out to you about them. After those articles I've had several conversations with people "in the know" so to speak. I'm going to refine my predictions a little in today's article.
To quote a famous American economist, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”
Rather than starting with the big dog Stern, let's change things up and start with some of the other players this time.
Spooky Pinball's next game is not based on The Goonies as was the chatter in mid-2024. In fact, if they have the license, I don't think that it is in their next two games. Word is that Spooky does have some big themes in the queue. I have not heard this specifically from anyone in the know, but given the fact that Christopher Franchi is now an exclusive artist for Spooky pinball and the fact that he has done art for this theme in the past, I'm leaning towards the 1988 film Beetlejuice as being Spooky's next game. If not next then likely in its upcoming lineup. I personally am not a big Tim Burton guy, but a lot of people love that movie so I think that it will do well for them.
Chicago Gaming Company's run of Medieval Madness is going to be bigger than I expected. It will likely be at least 1,000 units and according to distributors there's demand for significantly more than that. That will push CGC's next new title back until at least around Pinball Expo in mid-October and given its history very possibly later than that. The next Raw Thrills / Play Mechanix game is most likely a multi-level game based on Halo by Mark Ritchie. I would think that would come before a Twilight Zone remake, but I don't know that for certain.
Despite my gaff last year briefly wondering if Harry Potter had passed Avatar in Jersey Jack's order of games (and being mocked for it), Harry Potter is 100% next from Jersey Jack Pinball. Vendors are already working on parts for the game. Prices will remain the same as the last release. I'm guessing that Harry Potter will see a March reveal.
Dutch Pinball is hard at work gearing up to produce its first game under the Dutch Pinball Exclusive brand (DPX), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Last week, Dutch showed off parts for the game from Lior's The Art of Pinball. This morning it showed playfields for the game being printed.
Dutch has committed to producing all of the Alices in 2025. That probably does not leave much room for its rumored upcoming game based on the iconic film franchise Back to the Future. DPX is also rumored to be working on a myriad of other remakes of classic games.
OK, now we get to Stern. First, let's take a look at its current production schedule. Dungeons and Dragons LE will be on the line at Stern this month. From what I hear from distributors, the LE is selling well, better than the JAWS LE sold during the whole "he doesn't eat the ball" nonsense. D&D LE production will be followed by Pro for locations and then Premium production in February. In addition to the newest Cornerstone, from now through the end of April Stern will also build Godzilla Premium (not the 70th) and Pro, Metallica Premium, Jaws Pro and Premium and X-Men Pro and Premium.
That brings us to May and 2025 Cornerstone #2. I still strongly believe that the next Stern game will be King Kong by Keith Elwin. By May, new import tariffs and a crackdown in undocumented workers will likely have input and production costs rising for the pinball industry. Given the fact that Stern almost raised prices for Dungeons and Dragons but decided not to at the last minute (thank goodness since I'm getting one), Kong will likely come with a price increase as well as possibly the new Spike 3 system.
I'm hearing that the game that Stern is bringing back in October is more along the lines of Metallica Remastered than a traditional Vault like Ghostbusters or TRON. If it is another Remastered game, I don't know the specific title. That won't stop me from speculating though lol. A remastered AC/DC makes a lot of sense.
Cornerstone 3 of 2025 is probably going to be a John Borg game. He's due for another full Cornerstone. I still strongly believe that it is based on Lucas Film IP. I've been told that by at least four unrelated knowledgeable people over the past several months. However, the game most likely is not based on the new Disney+ series Skeleton Crew. That is fortunate for Stern because while I watched and enjoyed Skeleton Crew, it's ratings were abysmal. I'm stumped as to the exact property that Stern will use for Cornerstone 3, but I'd be shocked if it was not some form of Star Wars or Lucas Films IP.
I've been reading a TON of historical pinball magazines over the past couple of months, including the PinGame Journal, Pay Meter Magazine, RePlay Magazine Game Room Magazine. Despite conventional wisdom that rumors are a new thing. There is a long tradition of pinball publications talking about games that are not out yet and sharing rumors about potential future games that dates all the way back into the early 1980s. I personally don't think that anything that generates publicity and excitement for the hobby is a bad thing. I love pinball and I love talking about it. That's why I write stories like this.
Of course, none of these pinball rumors are set in stone. Manufacturers' plans change. And sometimes rumors are just flat wrong. I strive to be as accurate as possible and to convey how much confidence I have in a rumor when I write. It's fine to call someone out for being incorrect about something. If I'm wrong about something, I'll be the first to admit it, but doing so respectfully is the key to fun discussion about the hobby that we all enjoy.
