Damn bastards at Fox...

I hope so. I need to see the full package before I can be even begin to want this game.

A few years ago, Heighway's plan was to release 4 games per year. Alien was supposed to ship in 2014. Had the original proposed production pipeline been true, there should have been like 10 Heigheay games by now. Theoretically those games should have been in development, and with the Alien delays - you would think that the schedule would have been shifted and other games announced and released first. I wonder, why hasn't this happened? Now, we all know pinball is hard - and Heighway releasing games at a Stern pace is unlikely ...but surely a couple games should have been in development simultaneously with Alien, and at this point one of them should have been completed and released to keep the factory churning. Right?

Heighway really struck me as a company that had its act together ....call me a skeptic at this point.

I was in this same boat and just pulled the trigger on another title that has been out for a while...feel the exact same way about JJP #3 (which I had been told, several times, would be unveiled this Spring)...

Some of my choice to put $$ elsewhere came from the wait...some of it came from some of Aurich's comments on C2C and his overall level of enthusiasm about some of the art issues (perhaps I read into it...don't know...but some of it came off uninspired)...and some of it came from feeling so-so about my playing experience with Full Throttle (which, as a package, just didn't do it for me). So, my coin is going to a completed game with advanced code. Perhaps Alien will be at that stage sometime late next year (purchasable production, good code). Who really knows?

I'm definitely intrigued by the title and think that the revealed playfield looked very cool...just not ready to (A) Wait endless months for deadlines that may or may not come and (B) pay thousands to become a beta-tester.

All that being said, I hope they get it out sooner than later...that it rocks...and that my budget will open up to allow one into the collection.

....in the meantime....

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HOT10676&mode=retail&utm_source=retail_news&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BigBadToyStore-Retail&utm_content=

Sorry Ted if you glue that to your machine Fox might send a rep down on you!

If I had $10k the possibilities ...

alien-figure-table-furniture-statue-scrap-metal-art-for-sale_(resized).jpg

alien-figure-statue-sculpture-replica-full-life-size-for-sale-2b_(resized).jpg

alien-statue-sculpture-full-life-size-for-sale_(resized).jpg

Wonder why they never made a Traci Lords action figure

Guess I'll check back in August

Yep, good update, expectations set!

OT city until then

Let's hope "released in September" doesn't turn into Heighway's new "released in April" all over again.

Sean-Hannity_(resized).jpg

3 more months of Traci it is.

I'm sure if you had money in on this game and were skeptical Andrew or a team member can show you some teasers via Skype. Obviously recording would be prohibited and/or an NDA would need to be signed. A private showing doesn't constitute a public viewing and would be within the guidelines set forth by Fox.

Other folks like me who have no money in this are just whiners tbh.

Did Heighway get Sigourney Weaver?

*too many pages to read, just a yes or no will do

yes or no

So, i wonder what this means for any showing of the LE art or even any revised playfield art? It would really blow to have to wait so long to at least see that stuff...

Waste any money on Kaneda lately Ted?

No word on that but it sounded positive. We stopped getting detailed info like that when Aurich stepped back from the thread.

Thank You for an informative answer. Much appreciated.
Cheers

Wow, won't see it until Sept? I'm not buying the blame it on Fox routine....All i can say are negative things, so I will keep to myself.

I recommend that you carefully read the whole thread... there's too much important info here, especially on the last pages!

Thought they made one that inflated?

I'd put one in my game somewhere, maybe holding a cobbled together flamethrower

Just wanted to mention that I played Full Throttle on the weekend at the YEGpin show in Edmonton. I've played the game before so nothing new to report there (fast & fun, I don't dig the artwork), however, the full size display in the backglass is really nice. Sharp and bright and *really* dark blacks, like plasma TV blacks, which should bode well for a dark theme like Alien.

If you ordered it you won't be disappointed.

Doesn't Ted have a machine that can make those?

Heighway has become the new JJP, and Alien is this year's Hobbit.

Based in the info I had at the time I placed my LE order, I was expecting Alien production to start around Fall 2016, so Andrew's recent comments about August/September are not surprising at all.

And I'm totally cool with that. Get it right, go for broke & knock it out of the park guys! Just gives me more time to save up some cash anyway.

Sure it would be nice to see something. I'd LOVE to see the finalized schematic layout drawing (would that really hurt?), but I get the restrictions placed on Heighway. Honestly they'll have a much larger impact showing the finalized product in a big reveal.

In the meantime, I'll just find pleasure in other things..... like playing Full Throttle for the first time at PAGG this weekend

Well the Hobbit is a hell of a machine so we can only hope it turns out so well

I don't get the waiting complaints however... you guys wanted to be in the "inner circle" and see how the sausage is made and amazingly this company has allowed it. I can't think of another company that has shared this many details with their customers. Takes a lot of confidence on their part to share info on licensing, planned toys, early art, yadda yadda.

Now you're getting to see the kind of roadblocks they face - don't blame them... they WANT your money.

You're getting to see the good, bad and ugly here and I wouldn't make them regret spilling the beans to you guys. Accept that there will be delays but that hopefully you'll get the best possible product. So far this has only COST them money so I know they have to be anxious to ship the machine to you guys.

Just did another Podcast about the Allentown Show and other stuff....

Thats all I needed to know, 3 months and we should have some major updates, gameplay, pics etc. Its hard to wait when ur told maybe Alien Day or hopefully soon after and nothing transpires, now that I know, its all good.

Stop it...we've all seen plenty of hobbit videos

And you have become the new ____

Thanks for the update Andrew.

Please send Alien kits to Texas next year so I can pick one up to go in my FT!

This all seems quite reasonable. Stern doesn't preview games. They've been around longer and have multiple titles in development at at time. I'm sure it takes quite a bit of manufacturing and selling to get to that point. Keep up the good work.

Nah, I call you someone who can see clearly in this dark room filled mostly with folks bumping into each other looking for the light switch...

The spectacle of this once great thread is well deserved of a company who hasn't delivered on their word many times now....Much respect to Nordman who tried to warn us.

I see that a bunch of the guys who already put money down on the long delayed Alien pin gave you thumbs down.

A few years ago, Heighway's plan was to release 4 games per year. Alien was supposed to ship in 2014. Had the original proposed production pipeline been true, there should have been like 10 Heigheay games by now. Theoretically those games should have been in development, and with the Alien delays - you would think that the schedule would have been shifted and other games announced and released first. I wonder, why hasn't this happened? Now, we all know pinball is hard - and Heighway releasing games at a Stern pace is unlikely ...but surely a couple games should have been in development simultaneously with Alien, and at this point one of them should have been completed and released to keep the factory churning. Right?
Heighway really struck me as a company that had its act together ....call me a skeptic at this point.

Lots of good points made and I agree. The air has been let out of my sails when it comes to the excitement of this pin, starting with the less than impressive art for the PF combined with all the broken promises and delays.

Heighway has become the new JJP, and Alien is this year's Hobbit.

Correct.

Genius? Billionaire? Playboy? Philanthropist?

Heighway did take time to make the Barcadi game in 2014.

so there's that.

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http://www.pinballnews.com/news/bacardi.html

The irony of it being that i'm one of those money down guys too....my mom tells me stories of how I used to spit out the pacifier all the time...

Those darned millennials and their 'I want it sometime before 3 years has past' knee-jerk ADD!

If the game really is shipping in September I have no problem at all waiting until then. In fact I did not and still do not expect this to happen by then.

Judging by experience, if the game really is finished in August, they will not start shipping in September.

Waiting for parts, small hiccups in the start of production etc, will always happen.

Full Throttle took much more than 1 month from when the game was finished until they started sending out games.

Granted, they have learned a lot since then and have much more in-house equipment now, but Alien looks to be a far more advanced layout, with much more stuff on it than Full Throttle.

I hope I am wrong, but if they say finished in August, I will choose to be a bit cautious and expect it to be finished in late September, sending out the first games from ca November.

This is just me setting the bar a little lower, so that I can be pleasantly surprised if I am totally off.

Please do not read to much into this. I could be totally wrong here. Progress seems to be shaping up nicely. A lot of pre-orders have just learned me to not set my expectations to high.

Those two choads showed up on my Facebook feed today, much eyerolling was done

The Hobbit is terrible, an unreleased Alien pin is still better than that thing. Its only now starting to become overdue regardless of what was promised as we all knew April/15 wasn't going to happen, when it reaches April 2018 then it will be that years Hobbit.

Agree. Wasn't Dennis Nordman contributing to this Alien project at first, but later on didn't believe the time span was a capable one and then moved on to other stuff?
Maybe Nordman is working on Heighway's other projects in his garage?

Don't they have an app that lets you send an message and video to people to view for a few hours before it disappears? Why couldn't Andrew shoot a few videos and have them on hand to send upon request? I am seriously wondering what the hold up is since they evidentally are not restricted from showing anything to people at shows. Why not add an electronic option at the same time Has anybody seen pics of complete Alien prototype with art? "That is something I would love to see" said Captain Obvious.

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Wasn't what we were thinking. Starts with an I and ends with a T. Figure it out.

Well, at least when we pay for and receive Alien, 1) the theme is F ing awesome and one of the best ever, 2) we should still receive it long before the TBL disaster 3) it will be better and cheaper than TBL and TH, 4) GBLE is coming to fill the time void.

So its still a boom boom no brainer! What's not to like?

Andrew didn't say how many on weekly production. "Time is money".

Plenty of things. A great theme does not a pinball make.

It's a great start though. And we don't have to pay for it until we get to see the finale.

I chose not to get the "sneak preview" because I want to see the full reveal when its ready.

I'm betting on the jockey Andrew.

We all know everything could turn into a shit sandwich. I've eaten a few of those.

I'm thinking glass half full, don't bring me down Lawman.

No spoilers...I can get with that.