Well, I don't know about ONLY...

Oh, and I just plunked down a deposit for an LE, and Melissa at Cointaker had some pretty specific shipping estimates. Of course, this is the first time I've ever even purchased a new pin, never mind pre-ordered, so I may well have just fallen off the turnip truck. I figure if I can throw a pinball party on Alien Day, I'll be really, really happy.

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That's in line with what I was told by Melissa at Cointaker.

I will be the first to admit that I am utterly clueless, though.

Here's what the PayPal TOS says about that:

"No surcharges

You agree that you will not impose a surcharge or any other fee for accepting PayPal as a payment method. You may charge a handling fee in connection with the sale of goods or services as long as the handling fee does not operate as a surcharge and is not higher than the handling fee you charge for non-PayPal transactions."

You're right though, you should never pay for goods or services with F&F.

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/ua/useragreement-full#accepting-payments

For me, since my space is fairly small and rather awkward to navigate, I find it's useful to see how this pin is packed, so I can formulate a strategy to get it into place.

It's also kind of fun, the same way I like watching my kid open a present.

As has been said, though, diff'rent strokes.

Don't forget the five years he spent married to three different women! (Or was that the horde of Aliens you were referring to?) Seriously, I thought "Big Love" showed he had some real range. I always loved seeing where he'd pop up next. I'll miss him.

This was my first thought, and then I tried to imagine a time when I would actually convert an Alien-themed pin to something else. I may end up with a second Heighway cabinet in the future and switch that one around, but I just don't see myself doing that with this one.

Well, as someone who has plunked down a deposit with Cointaker for an LE, I find this to be completely satisfactory.

Thanks Andrew!

Even better!

Out of curiosity, has anyone seen an SE without the backbox LCD? That LE backglass is really making me wonder how critical it really is.

Sorry, I should have been more specific, it's just a very exciting day!

I mean, has anyone seen one (or better yet, taken video of one) on location? I'm trying to figure out if the effect is similar to that of CV, where the DMD being in the cabinet rather than in the backbox works really well, or if will be hard for bystanders to see what's going on.

Sorry for being off-topic, but I am totally incorporating that hashtag into my regular rotation!

#patientlywaitingfortheLEaweseomeness

I've only been following this thread for a few months, so I don't know if this has come up. My apologies if it has.

Would it be possible, if one were to purchase a game WITHOUT the 27" LCD in the backbox, to run an HDMI cable from inside the cabinet to an external monitor, say a flat screen on the wall? That would seem like a way to get the best of all worlds: The awesome LE art, as well as a (potentially much larger) screen for others in the room to follow the action. I'm envisioning something that would almost look like a PAPA tutorial, but in real life.

Is this realistic?

Is it actually possible that we've gone almost an entire day without a post in this thread?

Did everyone get that Ransomware thing that's been going around Europe?

#NeedMyFix

Completely agree. my take: With some difficulty, it managed to clear the relatively low bar of becoming the third best film in the series.

The continuation of some of the thematic stuff that was going on in Prometheus was disappointing.

Still can't wait for the game! (well, I CAN, but I won't enjoy it. )

I think what did it in for me was that Covenant followed in the footsteps of Prometheus in that people do insanely stupid things and end up dead. That's not scary, that's justice. The first two films, IMHO, were scary precisely because, for the most part, people were largely making good decisions and acting intelligently, and still got killed. To me, that's much a much more effective way to create fear.

Did anyone else with a deposit in at Cointaker get a call from Melissa today?

She seemed to be really impressed with the new management, and actually had what sounded like relatively firm ship dates.

We'll see, but it sure felt like glad news. I hope so, as I am now all in...

She said somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 days until it's in my house.

I'm a bit nervous about typing this, we'll see what happens. I'm just hoping that all the excitement and adrenaline didn't prevent me from hearing her correctly. She also mentioned that they are being shipped to Cointaker 4 at a time, which is, for them, not as good as getting 10 at a time.

Yeah, it's an LE. I specified green trim and my preferred LE number when I put my deposit down. I'm actually not terribly surprised that any factory is shipping greater numbers to distributors than to direct customers initially. There are economies of scale at work, as well as the fact that a wholesale customer who orders dozens of games at a time is by definition a "Big Customer".

My thoughts exactly. As a manufacturer, their wholesalers are by far their biggest customers, and have probably been committed long before most of the individual direct buyers. It also seems like a better way to get the games out in the wild: send them out in quantity in a container to one address.

Of course, the best news is that it sounds like games are getting ready to move for real. It's gotta be frustrating for someone who wrote a check to Heighway for the full amount months or even years ago, but hopefully the wait is almost over, and playing until dawn sure sounds like a good way to ease the pain.

I'm glad someone else said this first. As far as I'm concerned, I just don't have the basis to interact with someone who doesn't know where 20% of my habitual utterances come from. "It's the only way to be sure"

I just about lost it when I got the call that my LE was a month out, and I read my credit card number (more than a month ago). I don't blame Melissa, and I'm certainly still in, but your optimism is pretty cool...

And I was told my LE wold be in my basement by March 31st of this year ("The first ones are finally shipping"). That caused me to accelerate other things so I could have my Alien Day party on 4/26. That didn't happen.

I was also told my LE would be "In the first container". That didn't happen.

I was told "You'll have it in 30 days". That one got me excited, because suddenly I was looking at the possibility that my AFMr and my Alien would show up ON THE SAME DAY. The AFMr has almost a thousand plays on it now.

So while I admire your enthusiasm, there isn't a great track record for what people are told and what actually happens.

Now, I'm trying to figure out if CGC "Game #3" will be in my basement before Alien (I actually doubt it. ).

This is so very true. My AFMr LE has taken away a lot of the pain of waiting.

Sounds like about 1/8 of the soothing you have seen.

Congratulations! Oh, and drive carefully!

When I picked up my AFMr, it was a 10-minute drive from my house, but I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure it was still really there.

That's exactly it. If there's a silver lining to being all-in for an LE, it's the hope that it'll show up problem free, and maybe even have some mylar installed at the factory.

That and the hope that my Hallowe'en/Alien Day party disappointment cycle is at least close to being over.

I got my AFMr in black, because I ordered my Alien LE in green, and I thought it would be way too much green in my 3-game collection. I'm liking what I'm seeing. It could probably still be a shade darker, but I keep the lighting in my pin area dim, so I think it will work out nicely.

Meanwhile, I keep reminding myself that every day I still spend waiting for my game is another day for The New HP to get new reports from the field and tweak the production line.

I know, I know, but right about now it's the best hope I've got.

Uhhhhhhh... What???

I haven't had much to say lately, but I finally got a chance to play Alien at a local arcade.

I have to say, after one game, all is forgiven. I put down a deposit almost exactly a year ago, and paid in full a few months back when Melissa called to say that the LEs (including mine) would be delivered within 30 days. I wasn't a math major, but I'm pretty sure it's been longer than that.

I've been a bit nervous, sure, but my hopefulness and excitement were greater than my apprehension. I stayed in quietly, and played a lot of AFMr, which I ordered long after I ordered Alien, and which I have been enjoying for months.

Gotta say, and this is just me: I think it's gonna be worth the wait. I think the SE is beautiful, and with the topper, shaker and illuminated blades, the LE is going to be a great complement to my AFMr. The play feels a bit leisurely compared to my lightning-fast Attack, and the theme integration is absolutely stunning. I don't even care for wide-bodies normally, but since this is a dream theme for me, I took a chance, and it sure looks like they got it right. I can't wait to play this in a dark room with no other sound going on!

I know this is no news to those of you lucky enough to have your games, or to even have one nearby, it just seemed like a good time to share some low-key enthusiasm for the whole adventure.

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Hunh. She called and I paid at the end of last June...

Still no Alien in my game room.

I'm not complaining, but there isn't exactly a direct relationship between payment and delivery a couple weeks later.

It does, but the bar is really low. It still hasn't reached the "looks good" threshold.

Wow, this is a truly depressing development.

I haven't heard from Melissa yet, but I suspect I will be soon, as my LE has been paid in full with her for the last several months.

Now I gotta see if there's something else on CT's site that can fill the void. Maybe CGC's remake #3 will be announced soon!

Just curious if anyone else has gotten this email? It looks like I can still add an Alien to my cart on CT's website.

I'm not necessarily doubting the truth of any of this, but I always like to look for evidence, or at least fallout.

I just heard from Melissa. Yeah, it's not sounding too good...

I am just a little bit heartbroken.

Well, I'm out... I don't feel good about it, but I think it's the right thing to do...

Even with all the "ifs" associated with that idea, it's hard to imagine someone actually writing the page on their website:

"$8,000 plus options, but it may not work out of the box. If you have any problems, you're just outta luck. Some folks have had no problems though, so your odds might be ok".

I have to say, while I am deeply disappointed that I won't be getting an Alien LE anymore, I am just as deeply impressed with the way CT has handled the situation. Melissa was very honest and forthright with me, and I am convinced that they made a difficult call to protect their business and their customers.

They're doing it right, and I'll definitely be a customer again in the future.

Started out with C, then moved to A.

Thought about B a LOT, but realized I could score a Funhouse AND a RFM for the money. Anybody in the PNW looking to part with either one???

If it's printed in ABS, I'd suggest putting a little bit of teflon grease on the teeth. If it's PLA, it probably isn't necessary. In any case, I'd print a bunch of spares. It's SO much easier to have them handy when they eventually wear out.

That is currently my favorite thread on Pinside. No exceptions!

#3 is pretty close to what Melissa told me: The container was ready to go, but CT wouldn't authorize payment without assurances that HW would make good on spare parts and support.

Maybe it's the "Supreme" edition???

Here, here!

It looks like I'll be getting my money back (THANK YOU MELISSA!!!), but all things considered, I'd really rather have had the game. Beating each other up accomplishes nothing. Wanna be right? Fine, you were right, and you told us so. My take: I got to play one (which is now down with a broken proprietary board), and it was everything I hoped for. I won't be getting one, and I'm more than a little disappointed. I don't really see how being pissed off at another nerd is going to help anyone...

That's all I've got, I'm going back to drowning my sorrows...