New Windsor, MD
Quoted from eabundy:I have to say I'm a bit disappointed in all the complaints about games that weren't dialed in, or had issues.
I brought 8 games to the show for free play. I did not have time to rebuild all the flippers on them, or shop them out before the show. I got the show a day early to set them up. I spent all day Friday keeping them running and fixing problems as they came up. By the time Friday night came, they had tons of play on them and the shopped out ones were downright filthy. I got to the show early Saturday AM. Cleaned and polished the games again, and fixed all the errors that I could. Games that were playing fine Friday AM now needed flipper kits as they received a few hundred hard plays on them. I bought and swapped in a new driver board because I had one game rebooting because of power issues, and wanted to make sure the game worked. I know I can fix the problem in the rebooting board but did not have time at the show to do cap work on it.
Bringing games to the show takes an enormous amount of work and time and is for the most part thankless. I've been bringing pins to the show for 4 years straight. I rent a u haul, drive 250 miles while leaving early in the am, and then spend hours getting them right. I love this show, and catching up with the pinsiders, but will take less pins to the show next year so I can possibly play a machine for a change.
EA....not sure what games you brought....but there seemed to be quite a bit of BEATERS at the show. There were games that wouldnt even start up...dead left or right flippers...and games that were so dirty I just walked away bc they played so slow and bland. Granted I didn't bring a game to the show (might next year) but if a game plays like garbage....and it's your time play said particular title....you get a bad impression of the game/theme.
That being said.....and I say this with all sincerity.....I would gladly help you (or any vendor) maintain these machines at the best of my ability at one of these shows during the day of the show. I would never look for anything in return but a solid hand shake. I'd pull flipper rubbers off a flipper and clean them....I wouldn't care how mundane the task (I actually do this at home....so to me it wouldn't be mundane). I dont say this to come off like a cool guy or overly nice....I just have much respect for the OPS on this forum who can fix up these torn and worn machines, bring them to shows allowing them to be played for free, and not complain about them being beat to crap after hundreds of plays. I hope no one disrespected your machines bc you always seem to sell quality pins that you breathe some new life into for other pinheads to enjoy...id hate to see that.
It's not all about playing the pins....there's much more to experience at these shows that some people don't seem to realize. I am no pinball tech with board skills....but I'm also not a noob to the hobby. I understand that people are looking for project machines on the cheap....but I don't want to play those. I actually turned off a couple games that weren't working properly.
Anyway....this is getting long winded. Thanks for bringing all those pins to play...don't be afraid to bring the same amount next year....it was awesome you did that!!!
