2016 only new game was GB

Just saw deadpool( I know it's Ben out for a long time) with the humor, chicks, and overall badassness, might be a sleeper pick.

Elvira probably a re-skin of BJM or another similar layout/style. Would be shocked if it were anything else.

I interviewed George Gomez at Pinball Expo (see www.pinball-magazine.com for a free download). In that interview he talks about 3 cornerstone titles for 2017 and 1 studio title. The studio title would appear to be Elvira 3, which (similar to previous studio titles) is likely to be more expensive than a Pro.

Aerosmith seems to be a 2017 game, but from what I hear we may not see it in January. The January focus could just be Batman.
Star Wars is no secret either, only question seems to be "when?"
For some reason John Trudeau's game seem to have the most secrecy around them. Curious what he's working on.

I see what you did.

If all that comes out at CES is Batman66 gameplay I'm gonna be pissed

with Zombie Yeti doing art

The next Stern title is "Zidware".
Collect pinball parts throughout the game and beat Jpop with a stick in the wizard mode to force him putting the parts together.

Iron Maiden

Star Wars and Jaws I hope, the rest meh....

I predict the new games, just like Stern's most recent releases, will suffer from poor quality which does not nearly reflect their silly pricing.

I also predict that the guy who came up with the idea of submitting a video where the winner(s) would be granted the right to purchase a 15K machine will be fired.

This would be interesting.....That movie is a trip indeed!!

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What's considered a 'studio' title? Whoa Nellie and Pabst or more like Spiderman VE?

Whoa Nellie is considered a studio title as it was partly developed by a designer working outside Stern instead of being employed. Think of it as a thrid party design. The VE's have all been developed inside Stern.

Let's hope not.

I mean I like Whoa Nellie but Elvira deserves to have her own layout and design. Even the 3rd time around. I really wish Spooky would do this theme.

Elvira just has to be a Whizbang title. Nobody else is interested in an old lady's big melons. LOL!! She is an old-ass lady.
Aerosmith is happening--we've seen the art. I'm in on Pulp Fiction, if they make it. Sounds like a winner to me. But if they go "premium TV series" again, it had better be Westworld!

I would be in on a seventies movie Westworld pin.

don't you mean piranha DD?

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10k by Christmas?

BM66
Aerosmith
AC/DC VE with LCD screen
Tron VE with LCD screen
MET Hardwired edition with LCD screen and all new songs from latest release.

Careful, last time that happened we got WWE.

In no particular order, other than the first:

Aerosmith
Attack From Mars re-make
Pulp Fiction
Queen
Star Wars

George michael

1) Moneyball
2) Richie Rich
3) Mad Money
4) Brewster's Millions
5) Slumdog Millionaire

All in prices ranging from $9-15K. Stern may want to go for the themes that appeal to those who are willing to pay such prices.

I'm going to presume Starwars and Aerosmith are a given. The studio release is probably going to be with wizbang. Not gaurenteed to be Elvira, got to rember that wizbang titles are already going to be expensive as there are multiple parties that need to be make money, add on license costs and artwork license costs and the price will be steep. I could see them continuing on the modern EM vibe but maybe step it up a notch, with Amore appealing orginal theme.

The big movies releases for 2017 are

- guardians 2
- Wonder Woman
- justice league
- the mummy
- transformers
- pirates
- planet of the apes
- world war z
- Star Wars
- the dark tower

Of the above I would say Kong Skull island could be a real potential winner if they go for a new release movie tie in. Justice league could also be a winner however it's still an unknown quantity, wouldn't want to release a pin tied into a flop like the last fantastic 4. Maybe a new pirates, with Dennis designing can't see them doing VE editions without LCD and VE with LCD is a total new design. So might not see VE in 2017.

For TV based tie ins the picking are pretty slim. One needs to take into account that past HBO tie ins are all massive series that entered the public consciousness. Westworld is hardly a water cooler show as yet. The only shows that I can think of that fit the bill and havent been done are breaking bad and lost, can't see either of those being made.

The obvious choice for the third title would be another classic movie tie in after the success of GB. However one needs to rember the development cycle for games means that this release will have before the success of GB.

Personally I don't see a third title making this year release. I think it's going to be

- batman 66 at CES could place to focus on Sterns move to LCD

- Aerosmith at TPF

- maybe a summer VE edition most likely just wizbang studio release.

- Starwars for pinball expo.

With Metallica still on the line Stern knows that successful games can have a much longer production run then in the past. There is also TWD and GOT on the line. If GB gets a killer code update that takes it to another level then it could also take up a lot of the production capacity for the coming year.

Who cares!

Not me.

Maybe they'll surprise us with an old classic title like Seawitch or Star Gazer....

I'm not sure why you can't. They did two VEs with old board sets and they'll still be using DMDs for the foreseeable future. VEs aren't meant to be big sellers but to help keep the line busy. They could do a straight remake like Iron Man, sell it for a premium price and be happy with a couple hundred sold. There'll be some bellyaching about price but that won't stop some people from buying them.

Providing QC issues are addressed I would be interested in Jaws, Guardians and I would go on a Fast & Furious pin, would also go in on a Tron VE if it happens next year.

Deadpool for the win. Ok, so I can dream can't I?

Nobody wants an Iron Maiden that's coming?

Forgot to list that Ster has been teasing Iron Maiden, but I wonder whether they will do two band-themed games in a year.
Pulp Fiction has indeed also been mentioned, which, if I have to believe the rumors, could be the studio title George referred to. If Stern would stick to just 3 cornerstone titles and 1 studio title, Elvira or PF may see a 2018 release.

Odiner wants a Suicide Squad pin.

Yeah, I can't see Stern doing two band themes in a year. People already complain about an abundance of old guy rock pinball machines (not me), so they will space them out.

Aerosmith (maybe reveal will be pushed back)
Elvira 3 (seems like it's happening with the focus on Elvira/Cassandra Peterson at 2017 Texas Pinball Festival)
Star Wars

Apart from those solid rumours, everything else seems to be just chatter....Iron Maiden sounds like it's firm, but being worked on in the background.

Stern hit us with the Slayer rumour and the banner at the Slayer gig. It could be a digital title as I don't see that theme having broad appeal. Especially with current pricing.

Pulp Fiction sounds like another title we will see in the next year or two, but who is designing it and when will it drop. Too many people "in the know" keep mention that it's coming. Mark Ritchie as a designer is questionable as someone else said that he works for someone other than Stern?

Regardless of titles released, Stern is going to have another successful 2017. People are ravenous for pinball.

I still want a Back to the Future machine in my collection, so I hope that happens in the future. Even at current Batman 66 pricing. I must own it.

Edit: Suicide Squad would make a great pin.

Stern released one new pin in 2016 (excluding vaults, reskinned games, and home versions). If they're going to have 3 new pins this year, one would have to think it would be BM66, Aerosmith, Star Wars (Gomez/Lyman, Borg/Lonnie, Ritchie/Dwight). That's my best guess for stern 2017.

Gary has said in a couple of interviews that VE will use the same boards etc as the original. That being said technically they could definitely update old games. There would have to be some additional work to integrate the LCD with new animations etc... but old Pro's at premium prices means the profit is there to do the work. As long as prices for old stern titles remain strong then anything is possible. Still not sure if we would see one in 2017.

I'm excited about what's coming in 2017.

Is there a single person that is happy with the price of new pins?! I thought not. Are they being purchased?! I thought so. Can we move on?? I doubt it!

Stern has had QC issues. They are addressing them, and taking care of customers.

JJP has had QC issues. They are addressing them and taking care of customers.

Heighway has had QC issues. They are addressing them and taking care of customers.

You are not going to see George Gomez on Anderson Cooper with tear streaked cheeks discussing the GB ghosting issues, because NOBODY cares!!! Why would Stern issue a statement about a small issue that they are taking care of?!? It's ridiculous. If you're still focused on Stern QC issues, it's not pinball you love, it's drama!

Gottlieb had them, Bally Williams had them. You know who had TERRIBLE QC issues?!! Interflip... I will never buy another NIB pin from Interflip.

It's become a joke here, but building pinball machines ACTUALLY IS hard!! Haha. Building pins is difficult, and REALLY expensive.

Stern Pinball is home to many of the industry's greatest pinball minds. I'm really excited to see what they're cooking up for us. We love pinball, and they love pinball. Can we try to be a little more positive about it???!!

Nobody will be happy about the price. Somebody will have QC issues.

We will all get several (3-4?!) new pinball machines this year. I personally can't wait.

***Edit*** I didn't mean that we'll all be BUYING 3-4 pins this year! I meant 3-4 will be available! Maybe 5-6 if you count Dialed In! And Alien (assuming there aren't more unforeseen delays with either project)

According to the images we've already seen, it looks like Dirty Donny knocked the Aerosmith art package out of the park. I'm no fan of that band, but I'm genuinely excited to play the pin. I despise the music of Metallica, yet it's my fav Pin of all time. 2nd fav is TWD... never seen an episode of the show! (I have read every issue of the comic though!)

I wish you all a safe and Happy New Year. Keep Flipping, and keep it fun!

Aerosmith is borg and Tanio

I dare say William Hagerty IV and Dan Peterson should be fairly happy about their ROI right now.

Having torn down to individual pieces and rebuilt to better than factory dozens of various machines over the years I can assure you that building a pinball machine itself isn't hard.

It is the initial fabrication of the thousands of parts that is the difficult aspect.

Stern already has these fabrication systems in place for over 90% of the generic parts that go into the recipe for making a pinball machine yet they continue to experiment with ways to screw around with the basic ingredients using cost saving methods (cheap glue, cabinet decals, thinner clearcoat et al) and then cross their fingers that the end consumer won't kick up too much of a fuss when their $8,000 toy starts breaking down within a few weeks of purchase and leaving a very sour aftertaste.

If buyers want to pay for the privilege of being Stern's beta testers then good luck to them and all the more power to Stern for pulling off one of the oldest marketing strategies in the book by creating in the consumer's mind a perception of value on what is in reality a mass produced novelty, but in the meantime they saved $100 BOM per machine and Hagerty Peterson are laughing all the way to the bank.

On topic for 2017, one music machine with 0.6 code that will be little more than a jukebox upon release and which will take two years to get to a decent challenging playable state, B66 which will be underwhelming once people get past the colour display and realise most of the shots already exist in TDK, a vault edition to keep the production line busy with slightly different cabinet artwork and translite but with a $3000 price hike over the original title MSRP, and Star Wars strategically released as a direct counterattack to Dialed In in the second half of the year.

that would be so lame. I haven't played BJM or the can crusher variant. I love the other two Elvira machines the 3rd should be something great, not a rehash of whats already been done.

Do you have any more rumor detail for Pulp Fiction? Mark Ritchie is a rumored external designer? I thought that Stern would never touch a risqué license such as that ( drugs, blood, f bombs). Dutch Pinball Yes, but not Stern. That excites me but I hope that they don't water down its potential.

Mark works for Raw Thrills, I work for Raw Thrills.

Rumor 1 - Mark put in his 2 week notice to leave Raw and work in pinball. He was in our last engineering meeting last week so I'm gonna go with NO on this rumor.

Rumor 2 - Raw Thrills is getting into pinball, which if it's happening I don't know about it yet. Considering I keep track of all the project costs for the company I would know if a project like this was on the books.

Rumor 3 - maybe I'm lying about either rumor 1 or 2 not being true

Dirty Donnie said in a podcast it was Lonnie. Maybe it's a dual effort, Lonnie/Tanio?

I don't know what to tell you here. There is a vast difference between taking apart something somebody else designed, engineered, and manufactured, ordering parts online that somebody else fabricated etc etc... and producing 50 brand new pinball machines a day. Scalability is a major hurdle. I would wager that the BOM of any given machine, is a small part of the equation in getting a pin to your distributor. It's a bit ridiculous to say, "I could build this pin for $X"... yes, theoretically, one skilled person could assemble a pin for relatively low money. But it's not about producing a single pin.

It's about a manufacturing process that employs over 100 people. A factory. Machinery. Insurance. Distribution etc.

I buy pinball machines because I love pinball. Not because I want to "Pay for the luxury of being Stern's beta testers" or whatever other noise you're spewing here. My modern Sterns are my favourite pins. I also love late 70s Gottleib EMs, early SS Ballys etc.

This may read as hostile. It's definitely not intended as such. It's just such a downer to read SO MUCH negativity about something that's supposed to be fun!

Why not find a hobby that's fun for you??!! If modern Stern pins are not your thing, why expend so much energy ranting about it?!

I simply don't get it.

I know the responses will be the same as every thread, "It's a pinball forum! We're here to discuss things. We can talk about whatever we want". Yes, that's true... but it's kind of shitty.

It just makes this place feel Less and less like a community, and more and more like a bunch of ranting outcasts. The same people screaming over and over from their rooftops "I hate Stern!", "Ya, well I hate JJP", "Well, the rich guys are ruining everything", "No, it's Stern that's ruining everything!!"... it's tiresome. That's all.

I really love pinball. I love playing. I love working on my machines. I love bringing a busted pin back from he dead. I'm not a museum piece guy. I'm a get it working 100% and play the crap out of it kind of guy. I love buying pins. I love selling pins. I love the community of pinheads. I love it all. It really makes me happy. I just wish Pinside didn't so often feel like this negative cesspool of complaint, and misery. Again... this is supposed to be fun, right??!!

Happy New Year Everybody.

Keep flipping. Unless it makes you really unhappy!

I disagree with Stern's current manufacturing and pricing philosophy so therefore I should get out of the hobby altogether? Seems a rather extreme position to take.

Everyone approaches any hobby in a different way. Some like to wear rose coloured glasses and put manufacturers up on pedestals in effect never questioning their underlying motives and blindly accepting their reasoning, whilst others prefer to look at it from more of a practical, forensic and critical standpoint.

This should not be confused with negativity and considering this is a prediction thread as it is I prefer to analyse and attempt to foresee how pinball is ever going to transition to the next generation when the major player keeps raising the barrier to entry, the quality of end product keeps lowering and the choice of themes become more anachronistic and segmented with each release.

In any event, I have more than enough machines in the restoration queue to keep me happy in the interim though.

That's great. Certainly not looking to squabble.

I don't think I'm a rose coloured glasses wearing type. I just love my modern Sterns. I place a LOT of value on code. Yes, they take a while to mature (I'm not a big fan of that either, but that seems to be how it goes). Once complete... Wow!

MeT? TWD? Pretty tough to beat codewise. That has tremendous value to me.

The last two additions to my collection were Centaur II and Fathom. LOVING them. I really do love all pinball.

Didn't mean to get grumpy, or target you in particular Pinsanity. Just venting a bit, I suppose.

I don't recommend that anybody gets out of the hobby. I'm always looking for more ways to get people in to it. I would recommend that people figure out what they love about it, and stick to that!

Peace Out!

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