2016: The year of 2nd games Heighway, JJP, Spooky, DP, and PPS

Was just thinking about new pinball companies. We are lucky enough to have real competition for our attention in pinball these days. But it's been a slow build to get to this point. Lots of delays, it's not an easy business to scale up. Lotta ins and outs.

This is going to be the first year where we should see such a multitude of games all hitting in the same year, but also also games from veteran companies. Lots of game 2s! Very cool.

Just to break it down in own place:

Heighway of course has Full Throttle out, and Alien will be out this year. I suspect at least one more game this year after that too, but I'm not involved in any way, so just a guess.

JJP has WOZ, and Hobbit looks like it will be shipping pretty shortly. We don't know when, but we're seeing pics of assembly, so hopefully soon. Looking forward to crashing NimblePin's! (And if you do that don't miss the chance to play his Stars, he has it tuned up beautifully. Just like he's beautifully tuning games [well at least making them work!] at Arcade Expo every chance he gets.)

Dutch Pinball put out BOP 2.0, which while not a full pin was original code, music, voices, animations, new hardware, internet support, etc. Maybe it's not a FULLY new game, but I think it counts towards a lot of experience. And now from what I'm hearing TBL is close to shipping. I dropped out on that one, but I wish I could have made it work, because I think it's going to be a super cool pin. For this one I'm crashing Rarehero's!

Spooky is rolling with great momentum, America's Most Haunted is closing in on being fully shipped. And Rob Zombie totally sold out, with a long waiting list. People will still pre-order games, you just have to make your terms reasonable, and prove that you can do the job. Spooky has proven it big time. And name someone who makes pinballs with more integrity than Charlie.

PPS is technically not doing the remakes, they're the license bridge to companies like Chicago Gaming who do the actual work. And are remakes even something that counts as new? It's new hardware, we're seeing new color screens, gonna just say yes. PPS is clearly the central factor, and Rick and Co are going to be deciding which games get made, and controlling the plans. So I'm going to lump that all in with PPS, whoever they're working with. I think we all expect the next game to be announced at TPF. And supposedly ready to make. If that's true then they get on the game 2 board too.

Have we heard the last of Whiz Bang after Woah Nellie? Is there a stay tuned ... ?

On top of that there are interesting projects that might be first games, we'll see what comes out. Like perhaps Lexy on the P3? Maybe something out of left field.

A trend: every single second game is licensed, even from the companies that launched with an unlicensed pin. (Will Whiz Bang follow suit?)

Who's going to have the balls to pull off an unlicensed game again? (Jack apparently.) Will Spooky go back to unlicensed roots? (Would Ben's Age of Adventure game count as licensing the old testament stories?) Will Pat Lawlor's game be the first new unlicensed game in a long time to sell a few thousand games? (What will it cost??)

At the end of 2016 you could set up a tournament that consisted of nothing but new games that were not designed by Stern. Though maybe built by them! And who knows what else Stern might build? I hope Woah Nellie was a success.

We've come a long way from 2008. Here's to a great year and success for all those games.

#2 8 years ago

POK

smokedog

Pokeys Pinball Cafe

Saskatoon, SK

13y 114K 2,561 15 9

OP
Quoted from Aurich:
At the end of 2016 you could set up a tournament that consisted of nothing but new games that were not designed by Stern.

I think I've heard something similar every year since 2004 from the 'Linux on the Desktop' crowd (Ars has a front page?). I hope to be proven wrong.

I personally think Stern is crushing it right now. It would be great for more companies to jump into the ring.

#3 8 years ago

ABB

Aurich

LOTD LOL

I'm not saying anyone is going to overtake Stern. But if these companies are Linux, then Stern would be OS X, and Windows is slot machines.

We're in a niche hobby. I'm hoping all this new growth means an expansion of the market for all the game makers. They don't have to be #1, but maybe they can aspire to be Chromebooks or something.

Surface tablets? This metaphor is getting really shitty.

#4 8 years ago

8=D

Barron

Frozen

11y 29k 1,219

OP
Quoted from Aurich:
For this one I'm crashing Ranchero's!

Will TBL be on location at Rancheros?

#5 8 years ago

8=D

Barron

Frozen

11y 29k 1,219

OP
Quoted from Aurich:
Dutch Pinball put out BOP 2.0, which while not a full pin was original code, music, voices, animations, new hardware, internet support, etc. Maybe it's not a FULLY new game, but I think it counts towards a lot of experience. And now from what I'm hearing TBL is close to shipping. I dropped out on that one, but I wish I could have made it work, because I think it's going to be a super cool pin.

PPS is technically not doing the remakes, they're the license bridge to companies like Chicago Gaming who do the actual work. And are remakes even something that counts as new? It's new hardware, we're seeing new color screens, gonna just say yes. PPS is clearly the central factor, and Rick and Co are going to be deciding which games get made, and controlling the plans. So I'm going to lump that all in with PPS, whoever they're working with. I think we all expect the next game to be announced at TPF. And supposedly ready to make. If that's true then they get on the game 2 board too.

So DP gets the approval, but CGC just gets a pass? I don't think you know what you're talking about on this one. CGC sourced and rebuilt MMr from the ground up. I think you're talking for the sake of talking. A very Kaneda-like post from you.

This said, kudos to everyone. All really nice people!

#6 8 years ago

ARS

Robotoes

Pinside member

Rutland, VT

9y 48,650 1,250

OP
Quoted from Aurich:
I think we all expect the next game to be announced at TPF. And supposedly ready to make. If that's true then they get on the game 2 board too.

Even if not at TPF (which it probably will be), it will for sure be this year. AFM likely =)

It's a great time to be playing pinball.

#7 8 years ago

JCD

WaddleJrJr

Pinside member

Avon, OH

9y 91,900 2,738 22 20

It seems like the licensed second games are the ones to really be securing things for these companies. Although AMH, Full Throttle, and BOP 2.0 are all excellent from what I've heard/played, I rarely see them around anywhere, and if it weren't for me owning AMH I wouldn't have seen any of these games anywhere except at an occasional pinball show.

But from what we've seen with the licensed second games, sales seem to be going much better. Rob Zombie sold out wildly quick, and I've heard of many people who are in on TBL and Alien. Plus overall interest of these games seems to be much higher than the unlicensed games that proceeded them. One thing licenses seem to do extremely well is bring in very deep interest from those who are fans of the respective license. If someone's say a big Alien fan (which there certainly are many of), they're very likely to be following all the Alien details like crazy and have the game on order, even if they never cared about Heighway Pinball previously. That's also why JJP is able to pull off its unlicensed theme so well, because their "unlicensed" game still carries a "license"--Pat Lawlor. There are many people in this pinball community who are huge Lawlor fans, and operators know Lawlor has a great history of making unlicensed games that excellent earners, so all that comes together to make a pin that although unlicensed, still carries some of the ties that a license usually brings to a game.

#8 8 years ago

LUV

RandomGuyOffCL

Pinside member

9y 83,800 2,075

Quoted from Barron:
I think you're talking for the sake of talking

Seems like more of a diversion from the Alien deal, couple pages of that thing yesterday and I was done!
Had to take my five seven to the range and blow off some steam...

But yeah, 2nd pins a commin in this pin fun bun year of 16'

#9 8 years ago

TBK

xTheBlackKnightx

Pinside member

8y 128K 4,097 137

A prototype TimeShock! would be nice to see from Silver Castle Pinball at the Chicago Expo this year.
I have zippo idea what is going on with this project now since Dennis Nordman agreed to join the project in OCT 15.

#10 8 years ago

ZIT

Zitt

OP
Quoted from Aurich:
Who's going to have the balls to pull off an unlicensed game again?

Well; I for one hope we will see a Lexy from Multimorphic show up this year. I'm itching to get my hands on the machine so I can start playing with Borderlands layouts and what not.

I think TPF is going to be a watershed announcement for several titles. Some expected; some surprised. It'd be awesome if TPF became the replacement "trade show" for Pinball. Screw that joke up north.

#11 8 years ago

ABB

Aurich

Quoted from Barron:
So DP gets the approval, but CGC just gets a pass?

I'm lumping all the remakes under PPS for the sake of convenience. Rick might have several different groups working on games, I know he wanted to do that at least. We don't know if Chicago Gaming is even doing the next game yet, or what it is. It's just likely to be in 2016. So I included it.

#12 8 years ago

ABB

Aurich

Quoted from WaddleJrJr:
But from what we've seen with the licensed second games, sales seem to be going much better.

Licenses sell. End of story. It's been true since the days of early solid state Ballys.

But even Bally and B/W mixed up their licensed games with unlicensed ones. I think there's space for boutique pinball to do it still.

#13 8 years ago

8=D

Barron

Frozen

11y 29k 1,219

OP
Quoted from Aurich:
I'm lumping all the remakes under PPS for the sake of convenience. Rick might have several different groups working on games, I know he wanted to do that at least. We don't know if Chicago Gaming is even doing the next game yet, or what it is. It's just likely to be in 2016. So I included it.

Isn't it against Pinside rules to speculate?

#14 8 years ago

ABB

Aurich

Quoted from Barron:
Isn't it against Pinside rules to speculate?

I'm a rebel!

#15 8 years ago

AMS

Saveleaningtower

Pinside member

Morristown, NJ

11y 77,550 2,576 2

full throttle - who has one? anyone near new jersey. i would love to see it. and won't even ask you to play, i will just watch you have a few games on it.

#16 8 years ago

S V

solarvalue

Pinside member

11y 107K 3,514 8

Quoted from Zitt:
I think TPF is going to be a watershed announcement for several titles.

Was just thinking this in bed this morning. Just over two months till TPF, what will we see there?

Ghostbusters released
Hobbit shipping
Rob Zombie shipping
Alien prototype
Big Lebowski shipping
P3 production games
A new PPS game revealed?

#17 8 years ago

ZIT

Zitt

Quoted from solarvalue:
Ghostbusters released
Hobbit shipping
Rob Zombie shipping
Alien prototype
Big Lebowski shipping
P3 production games
A new PPS game revealed?

I just don't see Hobbit or TBL shipping by TPF... they'll make noise; but I figure they'll disappoint us.
PPS reveal - I've heard simular; but rumors are just that.

I hope you are right about P3... that'd be excellent news.

#18 8 years ago

JFC

2Kaulitz

Pinside member

Baltimore, MD

10y 71,050 2,832 2

It's Def going to be good year in pinball. Now time sit back see how it all plays out. I'm interested in alien game because the fact you can swap out play field for another game is awesome.

Does anyone think stern well come out with color display and rgb lighting ?

#19 8 years ago

POP

Nevus

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 129K 6,681 1

I don't know about shipping, but I'm looking forward to playing these games st TPF.

Rob Zombie should be there. Hopefully Alien. If Heighway brings an alien, they will sell the crap out of them. Spooky can vouch for that!

It's time for JJP to step up beyond one the one hobbit game with a giant line. I have totally passed the last few shows. Get a big ass booth and bring 3-4 of them!

Exciting times indeed.

#20 8 years ago

ZIT

Zitt

If TBL makes an appearance at TPF... they need to do much better than they've done in the past.
One machine with limited hours... and massive lines is frustrating for the pinball fan.

I haven't been following Alien; because well - IRDK. I did see they posted PF art... I'm guessing we WONT see Alien at all at TPF.
Rob Zombie - I haven't been following Charlie closely... I know they wanted to be in production asap. And I think I remember Ben saying he was going to be here. But TPF has been quiet with their announcements so don't know if Spooky will make an official appearance.

The TPF crew is awesome; I hope they have so much great reveals that they grow even bigger. I have mixed feeling about that tho; because I want the TPF to remain a friendly honest place for people to have fun.

#21 8 years ago

ABB

Aurich

We'll see what makes it to TPF. Whole lot of 2016 to go after that.

#22 8 years ago

???

rubberducks

Inactive member

8y 76,150 3,031 1

Quoted from Zitt:
Well; I for one hope we will see a Lexy from Multimorphic show up this year. I'm itching to get my hands on the machine so I can start playing with Borderlands layouts and what not.
I think TPF is going to be a watershed announcement for several titles. Some expected; some surprised. It'd be awesome if TPF became the replacement "trade show" for Pinball. Screw that joke up north.

Interesting you say that. Was thinking what video game licenses would work and work best in pinball and with P3 last night. Thought of Borderlands immediately. I'd expect Gearbox would be very willing to license the property to the right people (whether they'd consider Multimorphic the right people I don't know).

#23 8 years ago

ABB

Aurich

Quoted from rubberducks:
I'd expect Gearbox would be very willing to license the property to the right people (whether they'd consider Multimorphic the right people I don't know).

Assuming Gearbox would/could license out Borderlands to a pinball version, they'd probably want a lot of assurances in place that there was an art team etc that could correctly duplicate the look of the game. They can't have a half-assed version come out with their game's name on it.

That, plus the license cost would probably be pretty expensive.

I just wonder if the P3 installed base can grow large enough, fast enough, to provide a big enough market to sell games that can absorb those kinds of costs.

I'd personally think that the P3 would be a great platform for original content. It would be cheaper to develop, and would offer a lot more freedom. And freedom is something I think you want when you're exploring a new platform paradigm.

The P3 needs its Mario, its Zelda, its Metroid. It was original games that make a company like Nintendo matter.

Tell a story with it that has never been told before, using a medium that could easily be the best story teller in pinball. I mean, the whole playfield is practically an LED. You've got to do something new with that. That's the whole point right?

People should of course do what they're passionate about. Borderlands is a cool theme. But it would just be cooler, to me, to see someone tell a story that we don't already know, and aren't familiar with.

It takes so much time and energy to make a game. Why not spend it doing something that's all yours? And then you don't have to answer to anyone. Because forget the cost of the license in money. You also have to account for the cost of other people telling you how your game should play. What you can show. What you can do. You're beholden to them.

Fine if you're Stern, and you're keeping a factory going. But if you're an indie dev exploring a new market with an audience eager for content? That's when you can forge your own path.

My two cents at least, because I'd just love to see some new things on the P3.

#24 8 years ago

ZIT

Zitt

Because I love the Borderlands Franchise. That simple. I think it has a lot of potential as a standalone game. Gearbox has a documented past of supporting unique marketing and projects - a much different story than CBS/Paramount for Star Trek. When I have something concrete to show; then maybe I'll approach them for a license. There a lot of work between now and then.

Gerry has had a long row to hoe with Lexy... completely new platform which he couldn't really borrow from. I've been a fan of his since his first TPF show with that weird ash prototype with the barnyard. I've been to his last Open House - and know his team is actively working on Game#2. I hope he get so many people buying Game#1; that he can't work on Game#2 & 3 for 3-6mths.

#25 8 years ago

ABB

Aurich

http://www.dayonepinball.com/

Quoted from Zitt:
Because I love the Borderlands Franchise. That simple.

Good enough then, that's what counts.

#26 8 years ago

BRC

jellikit

Pinside member

Plainfield, IL

11y 106K 4,453 6

There was another company that incorporated last year and built an unlicensed game:

Brad

#27 8 years ago

ABB

Aurich

http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=4457

Quoted from jellikit:
There was another company that incorporated last year and built an unlicensed game:
http://www.dayonepinball.com/
Brad

This is very true, and I've played it.

If we count their game as a pin, I guess the real question is are they going to do something else after it?

#28 8 years ago

JCD

dmbjunky

Pinside member

Odon, IN

8y 96,400 6,791 91

Quoted from Zitt:
If TBL makes an appearance at TPF... they need to do much better than they've done in the past.
One machine with limited hours... and massive lines is frustrating for the pinball fan.

They had 3 or 4 machines at Expo this past year. The lines weren't long at all but for some reason I just skipped playing it. I wish I would have.

Heighway had 3 or 4 Full Throttles at Expo also. There was no line when I played it and was able to play a couple of games. It was great.

There was only one Hobbit and the line was huge. If they're doing that at every show, that's disappointing.

#29 8 years ago

BRC

jellikit

Pinside member

Plainfield, IL

11y 106K 4,453 6

OP
Quoted from Aurich:
This is very true, and I've played it.
If we count their game as a pin, I guess the real question is are they going to do something else after it?

Those like it is where the name 'pin games' came from, right? And I don't know if they will be producing another machine, but I will say I think they know where to get parts that are needed.

Brad

#30 8 years ago

JEK

rosh

Pinside+ Frequent

10y 109K 3,565

OP
Quoted from Aurich:
If we count their game as a pin

Dont need flippers to be a pin, and as jellikit said, it is games like this that gave us the name pinball. Plus it is a remake of a Harry Williams game, so you can't get more pinball then that.

#31 8 years ago

ABB

Aurich