Maybe something like what color DMD has done. A specific hardware add-on that can have released versions controlled so there aren't 100 versions of KISS out there. Just one, done by somebody who nails it and can get some kickback from hardware sales.

Do you have a link to the IJ one? I know of DESW and JP, but those were either rom hacks or done by the original coder? The Twilight Zone Home Rom, for instance, was done by the original developer.

I can never understand why Stern doesn't just open source their games after a few years. Especially tons of their older games would get a nice price boost from people improving the code.

With older machines this is possible (see FreeWPC and the custom Demo man rom), but PPS has issues with licensing. It's probably not that feasible to hack the newer stern roms (probably easier to hack the OS and get custom code on there, but not likely either)

Even a lot of older games could benefit from just releasing the source code. Imagine how much more desirable Gottlieb games would get if all their rules didn't suck. Too bad the copyright owners have cracked down on them too.

I think Gary said in a recent talk that operators were still the majority, but not by much

Ah, with P-ROC

Pretty much all of Stern's games are licenced, and the use of that IP has to be cleared with the owners of the licenced content. So for legal reasons this will never happen.

not to mention bad code could easily lock on a coil, and possibly cause a fire. I don't care if it's a few years, or 10 years.. If someone was ignorant and started messing with code, they could do something bad and blame it on stern. I worked for a battery charger company, and you wouldn't believe how negligent people were (splicing in their own cables with lower gauge wire, making them longer). Every case I saw come in was proven fault of owner, but every case was tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees. Stern purposely encrypted spike code so pinball browser wouldn't work with it (even though it was defeated) because they don't want people posting videos on youtube of alternate songs and having some record company guy complain that they didn't authorize that song.

Even Ben Heck said with rob zombie "swap out songs if you want in your own gameroom, but the moment someone posts a video of alternate songs on youtube I'm locking it down".

It would have to be done Underground and kept to ourselves.I don't think this is too far away.
Mike

Stern should commit to and finish the code themselves and do it in a reasonable amount of time since they have around 4-6 programmers on staff and are charging anywhere from $5k-$15k for a pinball machines of all things.

We've seen Keith Johnson and Ted Estes over at JJP crank out substantial updates (new modes, new features, not just bug fixes) on a monthly basis for games like WOZ and TH, both of which have a more complex platform to code on versus Sterns. Stern with more people and a simpler platform to code on has no excuse to not properly support their games.

I think the problem lies with Stern management not giving a crap about creating unique and deep code and instead rushing programmers to the next project before they can properly finish the last.

Someone posted that Stern uses Sourcery CodeBench with the Atmel SAM9G platform(Spike) on Linux kernel 2.6.30:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-software-development-platform#post-3449311

It's a C++ envoirnment for ARM processors. So long as you can get past the encryption, someone that knew what they were doing could certainly write their own code. Every Spike system is updated through usb.
https://www.mentor.com/embedded-software/sourcery-tools/sourcery-codebench/overview

Can't wait to start jailbreaking my pinball machines...

I agree with you but the guys at JJP have been working on one game for 3 years. It that time Stern has put out 9-12 titles.

Kiss needs an update, WWE needs an update, Star Trek needs some bugs fixed, Ghostbusters is being worked on. What else needs to be done?

I would love to see a finished WOF code. The Wizard Bonus isn't even programmed.

Stern has updated code on 22 games in 2016 some more than once how many games JJP have out two

Reverse engineering compiled C++ code is not easy. It's not just encryption you have to get past, you also need to get from compiled code to source code. Otherwise all you will be able to do is little "hack" fixes, like changing a value, or bypassing a routine, or exiting a method early. That is not at all the same as being able to "code your own game" - and it would be *very* slow going.

Swapping out resources, like songs, text or video is nothing compared to changing actual code. This is NOT something that is going to happen. The only way it would happen would be:
A) a whole new platform that uses the same pinball hardware -> entire game is re-coded from scratch - like CCr was done
B) if the original code used it's own scripting language -> the script could be discovered and changed (not C++ code)
C) Stern decides to release the source code

It's more than possible for someone to write an updated code for a Stern game. Now....there are some legal issues if it were to be sold or distributed and some risk if coded wrong.

Pinball Browser is a great example to show that the code can be hacked. Those features are not allowed. Pinball browser is pretty much set up to only modify/edit files you own or create such as songs/sounds/images and only provides the index points. So think of it as a means to enhance/tweak a few things to your taste. If other features were enabled such as to edit code then you are giving people access to proprietary information controlled/owned by Stern so that will never be allowed as Pinball Browser would be shut down for sure. As long as those guidelines are followed its a no harm/no foul situation. Plus the folks running pinball browser are not giving out any code which is free from Stern. They only provide an editing program. For this program to work this means the code has been read to know the indexes of sound an image files.

One way code could be done is if someone changed platforms and used something that was open source. But that would require a complete code from ground up. If any copyrighted images/logos are used without permission then you have copyright issues so it gets complicated......Now if someone created a add on "Kit" that could interface with Spike/Sam and only add rules....it might be Ok as long as all other copyrighted material ran from the original system installed as intended. Would be way too much work to develop this and probably a fee to Stern to sell anything that "interfaced" with Spike/Sam systems.

Unless Stern allows their platform(s) to become open source don't expect to see this happen.

The short answer is yes someone could easily write code but copyright/patent laws get complicated so don't expect to see anyone that does this freely advertise or distribute it. Stern will have Negan shut that shit down!

Stern won't even give us information on the number of pins manufactured. Zero chance they'll give out any source code.

Yeah that would be nice.

Swapping in a P-ROC is your best bet.

P-ROC is actually sounding like the easy way to go.
Mike

Transformers is far from complete. Practically no status screens on a game that requires you to revisit modes is criminal. Also, what the hell is the Special lamp for ?

Unfortunately, this is neither the short answer nor the correct answer. Pinball browser allows changing resources because those are stored within the Rom file that pinball browser is browsing. This does not enable code modification (changing rules and fixing bugs) and certainly not "easily". While it certainly is possible to decompile someone's binary file and make changes, this is extremely difficult. Why do you think projects like CCC spend a year implementing the whole game as is before they can even get started on code modifications?

Transformers is plenty complete. Status screens are not required for a game to be compete. The modes are all there, mini wizard mode is there and wizard mode is there. That's a completed game.

Lonnie usually doesn't put them in.