[Note: There are some changes coming to some Patreon supporters of TWIP, where some states in the US will be applying a sales tax to contributions starting July 1st. That is what prompted this post to be shared now.]
The Future of TWIP
This Week in Pinball is just about ready to turn three years old! And it has never been a more exciting time for the TWIP website. TWIP recently partnered with Will Oetting, a Webmaster Extraordinaire, which has opened up many new opportunities for This Week in Pinball.
In the first half of this year we have launched the Pinball Promoters Database where you can find and support all of your favorite pinball content providers! We have also opened up comments on posts on TWIP. We are planning a LOT of new things coming up in the second half of 2020, including:
Pinball University
This large undertaking will be focused on providing education and tips to those new to the hobby, and provide in-depth resources for pinball hobbyists and enthusiasts that are interested in learning something new, such as rebuilding flippers or doing a playfield swap, etc.
PinQuery Questions and Answers
A Q&A resource modeled off Reddit or Yahoo Answers where people can ask a question and the best answers get voted to the top for easy navigation and viewing. Several of the best troubleshooting technicians in pinball will also be providing their expertise to help hobbyists tackle and troubleshoot issues they are having with their machines.
Initial Impressions of New Pinball Machines
A Rotten Tomatoes-esque way to compile the community’s First Thoughts on new reveals.
Pinball Promoters Payback Program
See below!
Pinball Promoters Payback Program
As a way to support the pinball content creators that are helping expand and grow this hobby, in the coming weeks TWIP will contact the pinball promoters in the database and will be giving a percentage of profits each month directly back to those Pinball Promoters as a way to encourage content creators to keep promoting this hobby!
FAQs about the Pinball Promoters Payback Program
Can any pinball promoter be part of this?
Yes! We are going through the Pinball Promoters Database to contact everyone we can and see if they would like to opt-in. You can also email us at thisweekinpinball@gmail.com to be included.
How much will each pinball promoter get?
It depends on how many want to be part and receive money. It won’t make anybody rich as our resources at TWIP are limited, but as TWIP grows the amount will increase. Even it if isn’t a lot, it is a gesture of support for those that spend their free time creating awesome pinball content for the community to enjoy.
How does TWIP benefit from this?
While TWIP does create a lot of original content and resources for the pinball hobby, each week we promote and link to amazing content that podcasts, streamers, videographers, and other websites put out there each week. As those content providers get more support and grow, it will also help pinball and TWIP to grow as well.
We also hope to get more exposure by supporting a large number of content providers and potentially reaching their viewers and fan base that may or may not have heard of or support TWIP.
TWIP Support
A huge thank you to those of you that support This Week in Pinball – your support is hugely appreciated and we cannot thank you enough – you are the reason that TWIP and the TWIPYs exist!
This Week in Pinball is supported by you – the pinball community. As a way to encourage monthly support of TWIP, we started TWIPerks which are Tiered Support Levels on Patreon.
A major part of starting these tiers was also starting the MONTLY GIVEAWAYS on TWIP. Each month our generous partners in the pinball industry such as Pin Stadium Lights, Stern Pinball, Jersey Jack Pinball, Spooky Pinball, American Pinball, PinSound, Comet Pinball, Titan Pinball, Silverball Swag, Hooked On Pinball, PINQUEST, Pinball Life, Pinball Photos, and more, provide hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of giveaways. Every month! A small monthly donation to TWIP gets you an automatic entry into each month’s drawings.
The main differentiator between tier levels is the amount of cool pinball swag you get – from keychains to premium t-shirts and sweatshirts to high quality polo shirts and more – just a small thank you from TWIP for the support.
TWIP+
As a new way to encourage monthly support of TWIP and as an added benefit to those that currently support TWIP, we will soon be having a very small percentage of content on TWIP be exclusive to TWIP supporters at the $5/month level (or higher). This is similar to sites like ESPN, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
If you choose not to support TWIP through Patreon you won’t notice a big change – you will still get great weekly content you are used to. The TWIP supporters at the $5/month and above level will get some hidden and extra content as well. Also keep in mind that a portion of any support will be used to help a wide range of other pinball content creators.
In Conclusion
We love pinball and love sharing awesome content on TWIP! A huge thank you to every reader and supporter of This Week in Pinball, you are all the backbone of this operation and help keep TWIP and the TWIPYs going!
We look forward to providing more and more helpful resources to this community and doing our little part to help grow this outrageously fun hobby!
If you have any questions or feedback, please contact me at thisweekinpinball@gmail.com!
And while we’re making some changes, we decided to share our official “TWIP mission”!
TWIP Mission
This Week in Pinball’s goal is to help grow the outrageously fun modern game of pinball by providing the latest news and happenings in the world of pinball, highlighting new machines and new innovations and features in the pinball world, and supporting all hobbyists and enthusiasts that promote and help grow this great hobby.