A Conversation with Deeproot Pinball

The “man behind the curtain” at Deeproot is Robert Mueller.  His name will be recognized by some in the pinball industry.  TWIP had a long conversation with Robert which covered a wide variety of topics in the pinball industry, focusing on his thoughts on John Popadiuk and plans for Deeproot going forward.

On Plans to For Zidware Customers to be “Made Whole”

Given John Popadiuk’s inexcusable past mistakes, the first issue discussed was his Zidware customers.  John does not have money to refund Zidware customers or the means to build the Zidware machines, so any form of restitution would have to come with the help of an outside source (like Deeproot).  Robert indicated that Deeproot is aware that in order to work with JPop, they would have to take care of “each and every” Zidware customer.  Robert assured that this “comes first” and is the first priority.  No specifics were discussed, however, they plan to have multiple options to make sure Zidware customers are made whole.

On John Popadiuk

Robert has been working with John for many months now.  He enjoys working with John, and describes him as remorseful, eccentric, and someone that “needs to be managed”.  Robert is very confident in John and his abilities.

On Pre-Order Money for Machines Built by Deeproot

Deeproot Pinball told TWIP that not only are there no plans to take any pre-order money or any deposits, the plan is to only sell a machine when it can be shipped within two weeks.  In addition, they also plan to self-impose a daily refund penalty to refund customers for any late shipments.

On Possible Upcoming Games

As mentioned in the above section, John has at least three pinball machines he has designed that have not been produced: Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland, Alice in Wonderland, and a KISS pinball machine that was designed but not licensed.  Then there is Magic Girl which was released in very limited quantities.  Although Robert could not comment on possible future releases, he did mention they may change the title or the layout of these Popadiuk designs.

On the Future of Deeproot Pinball

On the Deeproot Pinball website is the following quote: “Every family needs a Pinball…every Pinball needs a family.”  Deeproot is planning to manufacture machines “different from anyone else” in a way that will make it easier for more machines to make it into more homes.  The machines will be more focused on families than hardcore pinball enthusiasts.

On Misinformation

Robert has read some of the information on the forums and listened to podcasts that claim to know the full story and intention behind Deeproot Pinball, and adamantly stated they do not know the whole story or the plans for Deeproot.

On Timeframe and Announcements

Deeproot hopes to make a public announcement in the coming weeks. After the initial announcement, the plan is for them to disappear for a significant period of time (years) until everything is ready for manufacturing machines.

Robert was friendly, confident, passionate, and enthusiastic for the future of Deeproot Pinball. Obviously there are a lot of unanswered questions regarding this situation, and Deeproot has a long road ahead of them. TWIP will keep you updated as we find out more.