If that's that they're saying, that's just a bullshit copout. You don't make super expensive Premiums, LEs, and Super LEs for locations. What happened to the "three legged stool"?

They SHOULD be making quality, tested, finished GAMES....period. That will appeal to all of their markets. Whenever the insinuate that most of the players don't know the difference between good/bad games, that's so shameful....you're a GAME company - take pride in making FUN GAMES.

I think you're giving new game sales too much credit for its influence on "the hobby". This hobby has always been about old games, restoring them and keeping them running. When I started paying attention to it (around 2005), all of the established collectors I met were ALL about the old games. They barely cared about Stern. Some of them bought a LOTR because it was by Gomez (B/W legend) & the deep code - but even my friends with a LOTR complained about it (feels cheep, it's clunky, cabinet and plastics resolution sucks, sound isn't as good as DCS or WPC'95). In the hobby scene, Sterns were something you picked up cheap at an auction or from operators almost out of a curiosity...just to have something new. But they weren't any kind of focus. Collectors started respecting Sterns more when SAM improved the games significantly over Whitestar & their B/W legends like Dennis Nordman, Steve Ritchie & Pat Lawlor were making SAM games with themes they liked. They still complained about the plastics/can resolution & Photoshop art...but they were coming around and buying NIB more. Still - that was 2 or 3 Sterns in 20+ game collections with all classics. The hobby would have been existed without Stern.

I think you're still confusing the pinball
business for the pinball hobby. Stern kept the pinball BUSINESS alive. Sure there's some crossover, as hobbyists will buy new games - but pinball & the people who love it don't cease to exist without new games.

Even the hipster barcade scene would be fine. They go for the retro experience. All the video arcade games are 80s and 90s at barcades and the crowd loves them. Most of the normal people who go to barcades don't know or care if the pins are new. At one of our local places, Button Mash - they have a mix of old
and new. Aerosmith didn't earn at all despite being new and looking more modern.

Don't put words in my mouth. I've always given Gary credit. I own 7 Sterns. I'm happy they're around. That doesn't change the fact that THEIR business isn't THE HOBBY.

It's a total deflection and a cop out. They manufacture games. If their manufacturing is sub-par & the games aren't complete, they've failed at making a product regardless of where it ends up. One of the perks of pinball for ops is resale value. If the games don't hold up or gain a good reputation, ops lose out too.

Yeah, first LE with different features was Avatar. AC/DC was the first of the Pro/Prem/LE deal.

That is foolish...mediocre is too kind for that list.

GOT = Sub-Mediocre
SW = A mess
AS = Mediocre
BM = BM
GB = Box of vomit

The SPIKE era has been massively disappointing. Most of the SAM games were really great...and if not great, really damn good. Whitestar had some gems, too.

No one said to go back to SAM....just that the games were better during that era.

Pimp gets me.

Here's a BM66 I saw over the weekend. So much for that giant stupid magnet thing. Worn to the wood in front of it. They can't charge this much if they can't up their quality game. BM is the best acronym.

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Or it'll be a giant plastic sculpt that does very little or nothing (Magneto, Gene head, Well walker)

Earth, where lots of great pinball machines exist and will be a point of comparison for new games.

It's OK for a couple bucks on location, but I wouldn't want to own it. Yes, artwork is a huge factor...but also lack of any interesting toys & features. I already have fast Steve Ritchie games...ones with cool features, too. GOT is just too cheap & ugly...I don't think it implemented the theme as well as it could have, the red DMD with video footage looks like ass, the video mode is one of the worst ever....so, all its got left are the math-chess rules, which are great if you like them - but I don't really like them or find satisfaction in them.

Since I love Hobbit, I'm very glad Stern did not do Hobbit.

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I'm actually very excited for you - one day you're going to play the AMAZING games that were made before 2015, and your mind is just going to be BLOWN. I can't wait!

I actually play games & understand them. Most people here understand and respect my opinions and knowledge of games...even if they disagree with me, they get where I'm coming from & know I'm coming from a place of experience.

Way to misconstrue my point. Who Dey thinks GB and GOT are the greatest games ever made. My point is that he hasn't played the breadth of games that are out there, then he claims my opinions can't be trusted. I've played everything. Experience counts for something when forming opinions, and even if you don't agree with my opinions - they come from a place of experience.

Speaking of pure greatness....gonna fire up some Super Mario Odyssey! No more pinball lol byeeeeeeeee

It's so good...it's SOOO GOOOOD. I had the cart pre-ordered but buckled and bought it digitally so I could play it at 9pm last nite...lol. Guess I'll ebay the cart!

Well, I just turned 41 - maybe that has something to do with it? Almost everyone I know is super hyped about Mario and bouncing off the walls about it. I was 6 or so when I first saw Donkey Kong & Mario Bros. in the arcade - they've been part of my life ever since. Anyone who grew up during the NES, SNES, or N64 eras are going berserk for this game....and it's not just nostalgia, the game delivers. Just so imaginative and clever and fun.

I felt the same way - until I got to know it. Hobbit is a "whatever" layout, but it's all about the rules, sights and sounds that brings it all together as a phenomenal experience. Unfortunately for Hobbit, it's a true "Home Use" game - you won't get a real sense of it in a noisy location or at a show.

I'll take your word for it.

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There's nothing "lower end" about a $5000-ish purchase. They need quality standards on all levels of game. They'll never give up Prem/LE - it's tons of extra money for something that really doesn't cost them much more to make than the Pro, but the people they market those games to will pay the premium to get extra features or exclusivity.

...at the end of the day it is competing. Once they're all for sale simultaneously, they're competing. Not showing at Expo doesn't change that.

You're talking about design and features, not quality control. GOTG looks enticing, but there still may be the usual Stern problems: playfield issues (ghosting, cratering), cabinet splitting issues, decal issues, node board issues, code issues.

It made sense in the ACDC/Met days when the LE was "only" $800 more than the Premium. That seemed fair for what you got...unique art package, unique powdered armor, mirrored backglass, "collectibility" (even if fake)

Now they charge more and give you less...doesn't make sense now when the Premiums are more than the LEs used to be.

This is the "cratering" I've been talking about. This is not normal dimpling that will smooth out. A playfield that looks like this will always look like this. From what I've heard, Stern is using different playfield suppliers....so, you got lucky and got a good one on your SWLE. It's a crapshoot when you buy NIB if you're gonna get a crater playfield or a normal one. I've seen lots of SW's on location - some are smooth and nice, some are lumpy. They're not equal, and don't let the "it'll smooth out crowd" tell you it's no big deal.