11 different games, huh? And they’re going for licensed themes too. I wonder if they’re going for more modern, current themes. As much as I like the new releases coming from Stern, Jersey Jack, Spooky, and such, most of them are before my time, and I’d like to see some themes, besides movies, that came out in the 2010s. (For that matter, while it’s not a 2010s thing, I have been waiting for a full-size Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine for longer than I have been into pinball. It’s weird. SEGA made pinball machines, and Sonic is the game franchise most closely tied to pinball, but none have actually existed.)
I may also be insane for saying this, but I also would like one of Star vs. the Forces of Evil. Boy, that show is getting really good around now. And while I highly doubt it, I do hope deeproot gets at least one anime license. I have NO clue why, but there has never been any physical pinball release with an anime theme. (I’m guessing it has something to do with the strictness of the licensors. I know Toei is notorious for it, especially in regards to Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon. It may also be due to the production committee system requiring talks with several companies rather than just one or two.) I’d like one themed on One Piece, One-Punch Man, Attack on Titan, or JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, all four of which are quite popular. But who knows? Maybe they’ve secured the rights to a pinball machine of Pop Team Epic, which got really popular really fast. If they don’t make one, maybe I’ll give it a try.
(Yeah, I know, Pop Team Epic began as a webcomic. But it’s gotten more famous thanks to the anime. Also, it’s that sort of series that’s impossible to really depict with only one image, as it isn’t about anything in particular.)
I’m guessing not all of them will be licensed themes. As a startup company, I can’t imagine them having more than a few. They did themselves mention about having to build trust though, so they got that part in.
I forget which podcast it was (I think it was Coast 2 Coast), but I remember hearing about how J.K. Rowling herself does not want a Harry Potter themed machine, as pinball is associated in the UK with bars and she considers Harry Potter a kids franchise. I’m guessing if this is true, she might allow it if owners agree not to put it in places where kids are not allowed to enter.