For many years, Team Pinball has been a significant contributor to the pinball manufacturing industry, collaborating with Pedretti Gaming on hardware and software solutions for their Funhouse and Whirlwind 2.0 kits, as well as the Funhouse remake machine. Their involvement extended to multiple upcoming titles, including the highly anticipated remake of Capcom’s classic, Big Bang Bar. In a recent public statement, Team Pinball has outlined their perspective on the dissolution of this particular project, citing significant financial and developmental disagreements with Pedretti Gaming and a former collaborator, Melvin Williams.

Genesis of the Big Bang Bar Remake

The Big Bang Bar remake project officially commenced in 2022, bringing together three distinct entities with specific roles: Pedretti Gaming / Manufacturing for the physical manufacturing aspects, Team Pinball for software and electronics development, and Melvin Williams for all prototyping and redesign work. This tripartite collaboration aimed to resurrect a beloved Capcom title, leveraging modern manufacturing capabilities and contemporary pinball technology.

The initial phase of the project, as described by Team Pinball, involved the creation of prototypes by Melvin Williams. These prototypes served as the foundational blueprint for the remake. However, the collaborative efforts between Williams and Pedretti Gaming reportedly faltered due to unspecified disagreements, leading to the cessation of their joint work on the project. At this juncture, Melvin Williams was stated to have completed the prototypes and retained all associated documentation.

Despite the breakdown in the relationship between Williams and Pedretti, Team Pinball continued its established partnership with Pedretti Gaming on other ventures. This ongoing collaboration, which Team Pinball characterized as amicable and enduring for nearly four years, fostered a sense of partnership that extended beyond mere business transactions, with both parties considering each other friends. Even during periods of intense production demands or unforeseen challenges, the working relationship remained marked by mutual respect and collegiality.

Acquisition of Prototype and Development Progression

A pivotal moment in the narrative occurred in October 2024 when Team Pinball acquired one of the original Big Bang Bar prototypes directly from Melvin Williams. This acquisition was reportedly made with the full knowledge and agreement of Pedretti Gaming. The understanding, as articulated by Team Pinball, was that they would undertake the completion of the game, providing essential software and electronics support. Furthermore, Team Pinball was to furnish the manufacturing PCB files for the project and receive a royalty payment for each machine sold.

In early 2025, Team Pinball transported their newly acquired prototype to Pedretti Gaming’s facilities. A team from Team Pinball traveled to the location personally to finalize the machine, integrating version 2 PCBs into the hardware. During this critical development phase, Pedretti Gaming reportedly made several substantial updates to the physical components of the machine. These modifications included changes to the cabinet design and the replacement of the initial whitewood playfield with the final printed version. This finalized playfield design was itself a collaborative effort, having been developed in conjunction with Melvin Williams back in 2022.

At this stage of the project, the Big Bang Bar remake was described as being nearing completion, with only software fine-tuning and final adjustments remaining to bring it to a production-ready state. The development team continued working remotely, maintaining communication with Pedretti Gaming.

Communication Breakdown and Prototype Dispute

The collaborative workflow, however, experienced an abrupt halt when communication between Team Pinball and Pedretti Gaming suddenly ceased. Initially, Team Pinball surmised that this interruption might be attributed to concurrent production demands related to another Pedretti project, the Predator pinball machine. Subsequently, they were informed that the Big Bang Bar remake would be postponed until 2026, a delay that Team Pinball stated they accepted, viewing additional refinement time as beneficial for the project’s quality.

Following this notification of postponement, Team Pinball formally requested the return of their prototype. The rationale behind this request was to enable them to continue the software polishing and finalization process independently, thereby preparing the machine for mass production. Team Pinball emphasized their intention to return the completed machine to Pedretti Gaming thereafter, a practice consistent with their normal business cooperations.

The response to this request was a categorical "NO." This refusal, according to Team Pinball, came as a profound shock, particularly in light of a subsequent statement from Pedretti Gaming indicating their decision not to proceed with the manufacture of the Big Bang Bar remake at all.

Conflicting Statements and Financial Claims

Further complicating the situation, Team Pinball was subsequently informed that the prototype could potentially be returned, provided they covered the costs associated with the cabinet swap, playfield modifications, and other development changes implemented by Pedretti Gaming. While acknowledging this as disappointing, Team Pinball expressed a willingness to meet these financial demands to reclaim their prototype. This conditional offer, in their view, implied that the prototype was still recognized as Team Pinball’s property.

However, after another period of silence from Pedretti Gaming, Team Pinball received the definitive statement that the prototype would not be returned, as it was now considered the property of Pedretti Gaming. This final declaration directly contradicted the earlier conditional offer, creating a significant point of contention.

Team Pinball has quantified their estimated financial loss due to this dispute at approximately €90,000. This figure encompasses the cost of the purchased prototype, custom electronics, colored DMD frames, PCB development, and the cumulative value of years of software development invested in the project.

Team Pinball’s Perspective and Community Transparency

Reflecting on the sequence of events, Team Pinball expressed a sentiment of being potentially sidelined after investing significant resources and expertise. They stated, "Considering how events unfolded, we cannot help but wonder whether we were only expected to recover the prototype and finish the machine before being pushed out of the project entirely. We truly hope that was not the case, but from our perspective, it is difficult not to feel that way after everything that happened."

While Team Pinball indicated no immediate intention to pursue costly legal action, they asserted their belief that the pinball community deserves a transparent account of their experience. Their public statement aims to explain their withdrawal from the Big Bang Bar project and their subsequent disengagement from other Pedretti-branded projects.

Team Pinball maintains that they possess documentation, including agreements, screenshots, photographs, and development records, to substantiate their account. They stressed that the purpose of their statement is not to instigate controversy but to ensure transparency and to present their side of the narrative to the wider pinball community.

Furthermore, Team Pinball hopes their statement will shed light on the persistent rumors surrounding the Big Bang Bar remake over the years and clarify the occasional mention of Melvin Williams’ involvement, given his role in creating the original prototypes and possessing Capcom’s original parts and molds.

Broader Industry Implications and Future Outlook

The dispute between Team Pinball and Pedretti Gaming highlights the complex dynamics inherent in the pinball industry, particularly when it involves collaborations between multiple parties, intellectual property, and the resurrection of classic titles. The financial stakes in such projects can be considerable, and the clarity of agreements and ownership is paramount.

The financial claims made by Team Pinball, if accurate, represent a substantial loss for a specialized industry segment. The value of intellectual property, including software code, custom electronics, and unique playfield designs, is often difficult to quantify, but its loss can significantly impact a developer’s capacity for future projects.

The incident also raises questions about the industry’s mechanisms for dispute resolution and intellectual property protection. While legal recourse is an option, the preference for transparency expressed by Team Pinball suggests a desire for community-informed understanding rather than protracted legal battles.

The future of the Big Bang Bar remake remains uncertain. If Pedretti Gaming does not proceed with its production, the prospect of this iconic game returning to the market diminishes significantly. For dedicated pinball enthusiasts and collectors, this outcome is a disappointment, especially given the years of anticipation and the investment of multiple industry players.

The situation serves as a cautionary tale for all parties involved in collaborative game development, emphasizing the importance of clear contracts, robust communication channels, and well-defined exit strategies to mitigate the risk of such disputes. The pinball community, which thrives on passion and shared enthusiasm for the hobby, will undoubtedly follow further developments and the implications of this public statement on future industry collaborations.