(Topic ID: 106728)

ALIEN PINBALL - Game Over, Man, Game Over

By HeighwayPinball

9 years ago


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  • Latest reply 20 hours ago by Averell
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Topic index (key posts)

53 key posts have been marked in this topic, showing the first 10 items.

Display key post list sorted by: Post date | Keypost summary | User name

Post #9151 Insight from Alien's programmer on tournament mode Posted by Ferret (7 years ago)

Post #9234 Update on distribution Posted by HeighwayPinball (7 years ago)

Post #9660 Here we show you a short clip from the 'Ambush Multiball' mode Posted by HeighwayPinball (7 years ago)

Post #10128 Photo of Alien at UK Trade Show Posted by unigroove (7 years ago)

Post #10230 game play video from EAG UK tradeshow Posted by Join_The_Cirqus (7 years ago)

Post #10231 game play video from EAG UK tradeshow Posted by Join_The_Cirqus (7 years ago)

Post #10914 Alien ships Posted by ZenTron (7 years ago)

Post #10916 Alien ships Posted by HeighwayPinball (7 years ago)

Post #11230 Key posted, but no summary given Posted by ezeltmann (7 years ago)


Topic indices are generated from key posts and maintained by Pinside Editors. For more information, or to become an editor yourself read this post!

You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider benheck.
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#802 9 years ago

Neat layout but I have to ask - why is it a wide body?

Full Throttle was fun and fast as a wide body, just not sure why every boutique game feels the need to be one.

#807 9 years ago

Oh right I completely brain farted that they're modular.

2 weeks later
#831 9 years ago

How are they going to tie the two films together? They take place half a century apart, are thematically very different and share only 2 characters.

The second one lends itself well to simultaneous actions (modes) as most the film involves "survive/get off planet"

It's also infinitely more quotable, more iconic in its imagery and just all around more remembered.

Whoah. I just realized Aliens is the second time James Horner adapter a Jerry Goldamith score for a sci-fi sequel. And that's why much of Aliens score sounds just like Wrath of Khan.

#834 9 years ago

That makes sense!

#842 9 years ago
Quoted from sed6:

Ripley and Jonesey? I've seen Aliens 100+ times but Alien only a dozen or so times. Guess which I like more?

Ah, good point about the cat. I was thinking Ripley and the Alien.

The important thing here is this will be the 3rd official game with Bill Paxton, tying with Arnold (T2, T3 LaH) and Gary Oldman (BSD, Lost in Space Batman Dark Knight)

4 months later
19
#1564 8 years ago

If the playfield turns out to be a disappointment and doesn't make sense they could always re-theme it to "Prometheus"

#1586 8 years ago

Prometheus was OK. Just seems like it was over-developed into something not as interesting as it could have been.

#1617 8 years ago
Quoted from drinkduffbeers:

And another thing(s)
1.That screen is hand drawn 2.just look how convoluted the instructions are. Freaking awesome

image.jpg

Last time I watched Alien I noticed that's a grammatical mistake on that panel.

It says "INSURE" instead of "ENSURE"

Still a good movie

6 months later
#4664 8 years ago

In Prometheus they also say "this mission costs a trillion dollars" and later the pilots are betting "credits" as to whether or not they'll find anything.

It's like the script didn't even read itself, so to speak.

What about the biologist who is scared of a dead alien, then tries to touch a living one after getting lost with the guy in charge of making maps?

Abortion scene was great. BUT how did the creature grow that big so fast inside a 90 lb woman? And then grow even bigger locked in a chamber with nothing to eat?

#4667 8 years ago

I actually enjoyed watching it the single time I watched it. Just doesn't stand up to any amount of scrutiny.

2 months later
5 months later
15
#7794 7 years ago

Looks sweet!

Heighway has a nice system and great price underappreciated thus far solely because of theme.

Think that's gonna change!

4 months later
#11572 7 years ago

I'm of the opinion the playfield LCD should be removed, save the $75 it probably costs and use the difference to help make the main screen standard.

I never looked at it in FT or Alien. They've done a fantastic job with the text, typeface and feel of Aliens but it's hard to read on the little screen.

Or perhaps if their SoC can do dual screens, if large screen installed make the PF one just have mode shot arrows and basic, large text info.

1 year later
#20753 5 years ago

Since I no longer have to be "pin-litically correct"...

HP is going to crash and burn. I suspect they were bailed out by "dentist rich" people and not "stupid rich" people (like JJP was)

They probably had to re-acquire the license at least once from Fox it's taken so long. That's fine if you're Jack and WOZ is an evergreen hit, but embarrassing for a game you've barely built.

Building in the UK and dealing with a roller coaster exchange rate after Brexit probably didn't help either. At least the Dutch ran to China after getting their new sugar daddy.

#20755 5 years ago
Quoted from epotech:

as we're not...
The new investors are the old investors. Now, if they were so blind as to let it get to the situation it did, why would you think that having them throw good money after bad was going to fix the situation?

Probably the classic "sunk cost" trap - "If I don't invest more, I'll lose what I already invested!"

Have newer shipped Aliens improved at all? I've played Whysnow's prototype unit on location many times and find it fairly.... thin. Hilton would say it's because I'm not a very good player (true) but something still feels off.

#20948 5 years ago

BTW it's ALIEN DAY tomorrow!

We've started ordering our yearly cakes!

72
#21134 5 years ago

I agree the "Pinside Defense Force" needs to stop. People should be allowed to be negative. It's like those signs in the subway "If you see something, say something"

I was chastised by a moderator for dumping on Skit B back in the day, guess who was right? And over in the Alice Cooper thread someone was just moderated for suggesting the game might have issues (which I assure you it does).

Why it is only acceptable to bash Stern, the company most likely to get you a game on time and not steal your money?

#21195 5 years ago

Ultimately there are only *so many* billionaire pinball-loving sugar daddies to go around. HP drew the short straw so they die while DP lives (they allegedly have new money)

28
#21325 5 years ago

Andrew wanting to make a Playboy pin in 2018 shows you just how clueless he is.

10
#21329 5 years ago
Quoted from PoMC:

Very enlightening podcast this morning about who knew what about what on Pinside regarding this fiasco.

A lot of people hear a lot of things.

But they don't SAY anything to stay in the good graces of pinball companies they want to be buddy-buddy with.

16
#21409 5 years ago
Quoted from Manic:

I'm sure this is true but just to play devil's advocate here... didn't you just do this right in this thread (I think)?
You stated Spooky's new machine "has issues" but when somebody else asked you to elaborate you stayed mum (unless I missed the answer).
No offense... your post simply reminded me of your previous statement. And I'm sure this is related only to gameplay/layout gripes, etc...

I'd just say that concerns raised (and then shot down) in the ACNC thread line up very much with my own thoughts on the game. Granted I have an extra level of bias seeing as ACNC got pushed back into my game's slot, dooming it to an Elvira-3-like oblivion.

My game was better, and we'll probably never see it.

#21415 5 years ago
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:

Hey Ben, call American Pinball.

Did it on retainer so the design is owned by Spooky.

10
#21435 5 years ago
Quoted from FalconPunch:

Ben,
Don't you think it's a bit unprofessional to say that 'spooky game has issues' in a thread about a Heighway going under. Loosing hundreds of 1000s of customers money.

I wanted to give an example of "dissent being shouted down" and since I'm closely following the ACNC thread it was the most recent one I could remember.

15
#21450 5 years ago
Quoted from Rarehero:

I used to be swayed by the “must have theme” only to be disappointed at best, almost ripped off for $8500 at worst.
Here’s the best thing to do when tempted by a theme you love. Just watch your $10 Blu-Ray. DONE.
(Also consider buying a projector or huge TV to enjoy your “favorite theme” ...much cheaper than a pinball machine and you’ll enjoy it more)

The pinball market has a nostalgia problem. Redneck idiots can write the name of an 80's movie on a plywood cabinet and walk away with a cool half-million, tax free!

#21487 5 years ago
Quoted from Shapeshifter:

I doubt Alien can ever be made again , unless FOX grant a new licence to a new company and the chances of that are slim indeed.
Allegedly, it may be the case that Pinball Brothers hope to make Queen as the game was finished, hence why Deeproot tried to buy it.

Rubbish. Write Fox a check and show a path to manufacture and you could get it.

HP got a "shit license" of basically just the word "Alien" and everything else was extra. (see also: TBL, Jetsons) The dev time was so long they probably had to re-license it by now. And no doubt Fox wasn't happy with the lack of progress.

RE: "new" Pinball Brothers company. Just put a bullet in its head. Give people closure instead of false hope.

#21500 5 years ago
Quoted from Rarehero:

I’m shocked people still hold false hope for Dutch.

They have new money and moved manufacturing to China. Not dead yet.

And yes, somebody else could license Alien but they'd have to make their own game from scratch. Honestly they should have just made Aliens it lends itself much more to pinball.

#21504 5 years ago

Oh I'd agree DP will most likely go under. As for ARA's games they are most likely indeed that - ARA's property until DP ponies up the cash for them.

Now, regarding veganism. I believe that many of us will live long enough to experience a point in the future where the raising and consumption of meat is no longer environmentally / economically feasible. Therefore I am going to eat animals while I can

#21515 5 years ago
Quoted from Lamoraldus:

Not sure if I understand what you mean.
You say instead of doing the movie Alien they should have done the movie Aliens? Or did I just misunderstood your post?

Yes just do Aliens.

11
#21552 5 years ago

HP had some cool stuff like the modular, tiny inductive sensor switches for balls.

But there was a lot of over engineering and waste. Connectors everywhere, which cost a fortune and are less reliable than just soldering wires on.

Each of the node boards had a fairly beefy PIC32 on it. The same MCU we used to control the pinHeck games. Except HP games had 5 of them! Some doing tasks as mundane as reading the flippers. (bias alert: I hate node boards in any game)

Also the modular cabinet is ultimately pointless. This is a hobby where people worship at the altar of edition # and rarity. They see games as a complete package not a Lego set.

#21656 5 years ago
Quoted from PinSinner:

What I don't understand is shouldn't they have done their due diligence? Surely there would have been some red flags before buying the business.

The new investors were the old investors.

#21768 5 years ago

Ripley has tons of great lines in Aliens. Again, should have just made Aliens (not a dig against first movie but 2nd is much more "pinball")

That said, they did a pretty amazing job of making an Alien game without her

HP is like an Alien. If one scrap remains there's still danger. Should just nuke the whole site from orbit. Only way to be sure. (Ripley line)

#21930 5 years ago
Quoted from billsfanmd:

sounds like the I/O boards are key. need someone to make these

More so than that, the code running on the IO boards.

And not to freak anyone out but I want to say the inductive switch modules have micros on them as well?

#21990 5 years ago
Quoted from DCFAN:

I would like to know how they can run off with the Queen license without liquidation bidding for remaining assets.

Pretty sure you can't "sell" your license to make something. Also most of a license cost is on the backend anyway (royalties per unit).

Also who the hell wants a Queen pin? Or Playboy?

#22001 5 years ago
Quoted from DCFAN:

They are a whole lot bigger and more timeless than RZ or Alice Cooper.

Hey I didn't pick up those themes.

#22029 5 years ago
Quoted from RobT:

Yeah, *nobody* likes Queen!
» YouTube video

Didn't say nobody likes the band. Said who wants it as a pin.

More importantly what's the art package? Since that's all that matters nowadays.

#22047 5 years ago
Quoted from Sonny_Jim:

It all depends really, I would have thought Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper wouldn't sell at all, but Spooky made the right choice to start small and sell in 50-100 quantities, rather than saying '200 per month'.

Art. Art. Art. (the "location location location" of Pinball)

I may not agree with all of Spooky's choices but they have and continue to design games with their money, not yours. This means what they take in is used to build the games not develop them.

#22057 5 years ago
Quoted from spfxted:

I couldn't name ONE!....but I can now! Band is great!

Run To the Hills, Number of the Beast (from Rock Band)

2 minutes to midnight (from Heavy Metal)

So yeah, mostly by association for me!

#22069 5 years ago
Quoted from fosaisu:

Precisely! Couldn't have named another Iron Maiden song before playing the pin. Seems like good pinball music, nothing against it, just not something I ever listened to.

BUT it's very video-gamey music, which makes it great for a pin.

Unlike Jimmy Buffet, the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Rush and half a dozen other bands people think should be pins.

-1
#22108 5 years ago
Quoted from jwilson:

Ugh, what a turd. Makes the Stern one look classy.

Probably stepping on somebody's toes here but the LCD at least looks more straightforward than the tiny dark font Alien.

License is beyond dated though. And it's completely antithetical to the current zeitgeist in culture.

#22130 5 years ago

Quality of band = irrelevant to pinball.

"AC/DC is trailer trash music... OH MUH GAWD THE RULES!"

"Metallic sucks and killed Napster OH MUH GAWD LOOK AT THE ART!"

"Aerosmith sucks... OH MUH GAWD LOOK AT THE ART!"

"Iron Maiden sucks... OH MUH GAWD LOOK AT THE ART!"

#22137 5 years ago
Quoted from DCFAN:

What is your point? It is important in pinball for manufacturers that do games in volume such a Stern to have themes that cater to large groups of the people that buy pinball machines. It is obvious that AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Metallica resonate with a decent portion of the pinball buying audience. The art and/or code help but they would have sold ok initially without those aspects.

My point is the quality of the band has no effect on the resulting pinball.

I don't think Queen's music fits pinball. Neither does the Beatles. Guess we'll see.

12
#22173 5 years ago

At Stern:

"My God, Star Wars was the worst license we've ever had to deal with!"

"Hold my beer" (contacts Beatles agent)

2 months later
#22948 5 years ago
Quoted from iceman44:

[quoted image]

That's a stock Stepper motor module the kind you might find on a Chinese 3D printer.

You're more adjusting a screw its actually a potentiometer that increases current. Don't go too far or you'll blow the module (they are easy to find)

It's also a bit laughable that they're using an entire MCU to control the DC motor driver on the right. It's also laughable because that motor driver can also do steppers but they're got a different module for it.

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