Pinball enthusiasts and Dungeons & Dragons devotees are in for a treat with the launch of a new, visually stunning — and admittedly pricey — pinball machine.
I have a soft spot for pinball machines. They might seem like relics from the past, yet they’ve managed to stick around, becoming increasingly elaborate with each passing year. Honestly, owning one would be fantastic, just to save on the steady outflow of my quarters. But the catch is I’d have to shell out quite a bit more to purchase one, particularly if I wanted to snag this newly announced official Dungeons & Dragons machine. Created by Stern Pinball, the world’s largest maker of pinball games, this piece of art looks nothing short of spectacular.
This machine is the fruit of a collaboration with Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, in celebration of the tabletop RPG’s 50th anniversary. It takes players on an “epic and thrilling journey” through the forgotten realms, featuring classic foes like a red dragon, a gelatinous cube, a mimic, Sammaster the lich, Xanathar the beholder, and an owlbear. It also highlights famous locations within Faerûn, such as Arabel and Westgate. Adding a cherry on top, the game includes notable D&D personalities like Matthew Mercer, Laura Bailey, and Marisha Ray from Critical Role, not to mention Luke Gygax, son of Gary Gygax, one of D&D’s creators.
Now here’s the kicker — Gerard Way, yes, the Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance, is among the voice cast. I won’t pretend to understand the hows and whys of his involvement, but it’s a fun tidbit to share if you ever decide to buy this machine. Speaking of purchases, brace yourself for some hefty price tags.
The starting point is the Pro edition, priced at a steep $7,000. If you’re eyeing the Premium version, be prepared to cough up $9,700. And then there’s the Limited Edition, limited to just 740 units, which comes with an astronomical price tag of $13,000. As remarkable as this pinball machine is, I think it’s safe to say I’ll be sitting this one out.
