I sure hope so. I'm shocked they're getting anything out the door, even if they're just putting together the box of lights that was handed to them. If they have an actual flippable new game at TPF, will say a lot about them. If they don't.....it will also say a lot about them.

Be careful if pre-ordering. I'm sure any game called Houdini can make deposits disappear into thin air.

It's supposed to have new art from a new artist, I've heard. Maybe an issue with transferring the IP or original files??

I thought the original was great. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with.

Take a bunch of other people's money, now!

(I do hope that Jpop's banishment doesn't mean we will never find out what a "real quickstep solenoid" is.)

I don't know about that, in the end it is the same company. They were the ones that showed up in Vegas with "American Pinball's Houdini" and had flyers for it, went to Expo with it, etc.

If the game has changed, it is all part of the story documented in the first thread.

Hobbit changed a lot since Balcer left, but did the game get a new thread?

Alien changed a lot after Nordman left, but did it get a new thread?

You know that they haven't taken a penny in preorder money, right?

Sure. I want to see a preorder!

But when they do, will it be another disappearing act?

I don't normally post in these threads because I will not be buying anything new from any manufacturer but damn give them a break. They haven't asked for a dime of anybody's money and already the Debbie downers are kicking in.

Looking forward to what they have to show. Competition at the "Pro" level price points is welcome.

None of the projects you mention have the stink of JPOP attached to them. That's the critical difference.

To borrow Ben Heck's folksy aphorism, American Pinball inherited a "pig in a poke". That they didn't end up slicing ham and feeding it to consumers is commendable, and I think they deserve the respect of opening a new chapter in their lives, than being stuck as being "that company that JPOP worked with".

I don't know, my crystal balls are fuzzy.

So far all we have to go on with AP is the disastrous Jpop/Houdini rollout, the most amateurish and silly pinball machine flyer in history (it made Croc Hunter look good), and their confusing Expo appearance. So really, it's only up from there.

Still, I can't be the only one who really thinks the last thing we need in 2017 is yet another pinball company, right?

The cynicism in my heart is not unearned - I've seen us go from 1 manufacturer to about 8 in seven short years and the results have only blackened my soul.

So will these guys become the second pinball manufacturer since 1999 to be able to churn out fun, reliable, fairly priced pins on a regular, timely basis, without expecting buyers to crowd fund it? Hey, maybe they can surprise me.

I'm all for more pinball. I just hope for the love of God they don't take pre-orders. If AP can demonstrate they have their shit together and it's cash & carry, then I can get behind there being a new player in the scene.

So, come show the game, let people play it, and tell people they can buy one on Date X and leave it at that.

whom are the affiliated parties with this?

Rosh is coder?
Balcer is designer?

Whom made the board set?
Art?
DMD or display and artist?

Is it safe to assume this will be using pinnovators sound components?

100%. No pre-order!

All will be revealed at TPF

you coding also Frank?

No that's Rosh.

ok let me ask a different question...

frank >> are you working on American Pinball in any way (please say yes!)

I have to ask why anyone would be negative about another pinball company making games? No one is forcing any of us to buy from them. The more manufacturers producing games the better the chance of someone's dream pin being made.

So you want another company throwing out games with unfinished code, questionable quality? Why does it even matter if they make one every few years or make 10 a year. As a hobbyists we should support new ideas, new manufacturers not bash them every chance we get.

I highly doubt there will be a pre-order option!

Implying something about WOOLY + AP? One can dream!

No I have nothing to do with AP. I am just cautiously optimistic of what could be knowing the talent hired. Plus I think Houdini is a great theme.

I'm fine with Stern's "code and quality" so not an issue for me. And I'm not into "new ideas" when it comes to pinball, pretty much all of them post DMD have been terrible. As "hobbyists" I don't see why blindly supporting every johnny come lately who is trying to hop on the gravy train before it skids off the mountain is some kind of holy obligation. In my opinion things have only gotten worse in the last decade for "hobbyists."

Nothing has changed. You can't stop people from having opinions. Nobody is "forcing you" to consider them.

Oh, I don't know.....Hobbit, FT, Alien, Nemo, Rob Zombie, Jetsons, etc.....

It will be impressive if they are going to show a flippable pin if they completely re-designed the pin as they say. I don't expect to see anything that is playable.

I am looking forward to seeing what they reveal and how this one plays out.

It would be nice though if they have turned it around @robt. Probably would be well received at the show if they have....time will tell, tick tock. I like the theme, anything magic has a huge potential in pinball.

There won't be a flipping game in Texas. No way, no how.

Maybe artwork displays? But no game.

I understand where you are coming from, but I really hope you are wrong.

They only started on it in November, and it's a clean sheet design, so all the JPOP "work" doesn't count. That's not enough time to make anything you'd want the public to see.

So if JPop doesn't have anything to do with this newly designed Houdini, I'm curious what American Pinball got in exchange for making MG.

loss of time and money, like everyone associated with jpop

they got bent over

Ok boys, start two lines.
1) dumb f nerds in the first line.
2) Investment flippers in the second.

Myslef...maybe when I have a NIB sitting next to me. I will pull my card.

If it looks good, plays good, and is of good build quality, I am in. I love the theme and am intrigued to see what hey do with it

It'd be nice to see them really use new technology to their advantage. I feel like a magic themed game has a lot of potential.

I'd like to see a design that leaves the player with a "Wow...How did they do that?" effect. Pinball Magic gets close to that with their levitating ball routine, ToM to a lesser extent did that with their ball locks and ball vanishes; but in this day and age, I feel like a lot of ideas can be borrowed from actual magic tricks that one can easily buy at a magic shop, or done with software and hardware.

Like incorporating a lens that bends light around objects (in the case of a pinball machine, it'd be a pinball) for a TRUE vanishing (or appearing) trick like in this video:

A significant amount of redesign work in just a few months, possible, but grindstone furious.
Aggressive timeline since Expo 2016.

If AP moves the bar for quality and price, they will force the market to shift in a different positive direction.
Stern games do not offer acceptable quality for price now.
Other manufacturers believe they can exclusively cater to the affluent.

AP may even gain a few supporters from the pinball "Old Guard".

Otherwise, the market will continue to slowly stall, until manufacturers close.

There are many gates to pass in a very short time.

well, lets hope for a lot videos at the TPF.

will never buy a pre order pin, if this game looks and play nice i'd love to have one, i think it's a great theme.
if they make it happen at TPF they will be the fastest new company to come up with a new pin and that will be a big step.

they have the opportunity to take a good part of the market if the price and quality is good.
whatever the deal they made with who ever it is i think we should wait and see before we throw them under the bus.

Has Joe Balcer designed any good games? Was he with DE?