Homepin announces open source Blues Brothers pinball machine – updated
Editor
Posted on April 20, 2024
Taiwan-based pinball manufacturer Homepin is working on the world’s first open source commercial pinball machine, which will be themed around the Blues Brothers. Pinball Magazine received a press release from Homepin stating the following:
“Homepin is pleased to announce the release of our new “Blues Brothers” licenced pinball machine. It is a full sized, mechanical machine that runs on open source software that can be played as supplied from the factory or changed at will by the end users. The recommended retail sell price for the incredible Blues Brothers pinball machine is US $4950 (AU $7700).
Buyers will be able to register on the dedicated Homepin Blues Brothers forum and discuss software changes, even those with no programming knowledge will be able to get different versions of software that have been tested by the moderators to try in their own Blues Brothers machine.
An early prototype machine will be displayed at the Taipei GTI Arcade Machine show April 26-28 2024 and more pictures and details will be available at that time. Final artwork is waiting approval by the licensor and manufacturing is expected to start in July 2024 with first machines being shipped to Australia early August for display at Pinfest Newcastle 2024.”
The press release also addresses the pricing of the Blues Brothers pinball machine:
“For some time the price of new pinball machines has slowly been creeping up to the point where a new machine these days is out of reach financially for many buyers. In particular, our investigations have revealed that the average family that has a games room with a pool table, video game etc would really like to own a pinball machine but prices well over AU$10K puts them out of reach for these potential buyers.”
With Blues Brothers, Homepin founder Mike Kalinowski is aiming for the ‘Average Joe’ that is looking for a pinball machine for his home, rather than veteran pinball players. More images of the prototype machine will become available later this week. On the Pinball Magazine & Pinball News PINcast, it was announced months ago that Homepin had secured a big movie license, which now turns out to be Blues Brothers.
Homepin Taiwan Co Ltd is a 100% Australian owned and run company manufacturing high quality pinball machine replacement parts and arcade & real mechanical pinball machines in their own Taiwan factory. Homepin is based in Kaohsiung, Taiwan
UPDATE (April 25,2024): Homepin just shared the following image from setting up at the Taipei arcade machine show, which starts April 26,2024.
Update 26-4-2024: The Taipei show has opened and Roger Svanevik, formerly an investor in Pinball Brothers, posted the following images of the game in the Pinball Enthusiast Facebook group.