(Topic ID: 236763)

American Pinball Sherlock Holmes simmering in development!

By PinMonk

5 years ago


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    There are 82 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
    14
    #1 5 years ago

    So American Pinball has officially registered Sherlock Holmes trademark for pinball last month. VERY excited for this pin - has tons of potential!

    EDIT: Somehow I missed that there was already a thread about four AP pinball registrations: Robin Hood, Valkyries, Poker Run, and Sherlock Holmes. Apologies for the redundancy but we can talk about just SH here.

    #2 5 years ago
    American Pinball Sherlock Holmes (resized).jpgAmerican Pinball Sherlock Holmes (resized).jpg
    #3 5 years ago

    Holmes could be interesting. Perhaps something like Who Dunnit, but with a deeper ruleset and less elevator / roulette action.

    #4 5 years ago

    Well if this happens, I think it will be cool! Great news pinside sleuth!

    #5 5 years ago
    Quoted from FlashDaddy:

    Holmes could be interesting. Perhaps something like Who Dunnit, but with a deeper ruleset and less elevator / roulette action.

    That was exactly what I said when I saw it. A cooler whodunnit with limitless potential for cases and hurryups, etc. Heroin mode should be amazing.

    #6 5 years ago

    With American Pinball's flair for humor and digging up obscure facts. This could be a really great and interesting pin.

    LTG : )

    #7 5 years ago

    Steve Marsh still doing AP's legal work? Guess he didn't follow Zidware to Deeproot.

    #8 5 years ago
    Quoted from LTG:

    With American Pinball's flair for humor and digging up obscure facts. This could be a really great and interesting pin.
    LTG : )

    Like I said, Heroin mode. I think AP would go there, and it has the potential to be weirdly glorious.

    I just hope they get someone hired from the video game field to get the art direction on-track moving forward. Houdini could be excused and the art kind of worked, but they will not get much of a pass if the next games look like Oktoberfest. They need an experienced hand to handle the art direction and animation.

    #9 5 years ago
    Quoted from CrazyLevi:

    Steve Marsh still doing AP's legal work? Guess he didn't follow Zidware to Deeproot.

    Steven. The name is Steven. And don't forget the "P".

    #10 5 years ago

    Question for all you IP experts:

    Can you trademark a public domain property? Wasn't Deep Root threatening to do their own Houdini?

    #11 5 years ago

    Rath-Bone. Rath-Bone.......

    #12 5 years ago

    Heard that it's based on the Will Ferrell movie...the pin is already ranked 659th all time. J/K.

    #13 5 years ago
    Quoted from usandthem:

    Heard that it's based on the Will Ferrell movie...the pin is already ranked 659th all time. J/K.

    Yeah, AP wouldn't pay for a license, and that movie was clearly terrible before release.

    #14 5 years ago
    Quoted from CrazyLevi:

    Question for all you IP experts:
    Can you trademark a public domain property? Wasn't Deep Root threatening to do their own Houdini?

    You can copyright your variation (Disney Alice in Wonderland style), but trademark is a little different. I like this question. Maybe a trademark in the pinball/gaming category is to block others from doing the same game. Not sure how much upside that has, but whatever. Might be just in case a company gets wind of it and AP hadn't filed in the pinball category, and the other company does file and that blocks them. Sleazy, but "just business" I guess.

    Another thought. People are pretty good at snooping around the filing services and scoping out games and ruining the surprise pinball seems to like so much. Stern was found out in a Walking Dead or Game of Thrones disc case, Dialed In on trademark filings, and more since then. I wonder if these companies are ruining their own reveals by doing this, and if they absolutely have to.

    #15 5 years ago
    Quoted from desertT1:

    You can copyright your variation (Disney Alice in Wonderland style), but trademark is a little different. I like this question. Maybe a trademark in the pinball/gaming category is to block others from doing the same game. Not sure how much upside that has, but whatever. Might be just in case a company gets wind of it and AP hadn't filed in the pinball category, and the other company does file and that blocks them. Sleazy, but "just business" I guess.
    Another thought. People are pretty good at snooping around the filing services and scoping out games and ruining the surprise pinball seems to like so much. Stern was found out in a Walking Dead or Game of Thrones disc case, Dialed In on trademark filings, and more since then. I wonder if these companies are ruining their own reveals by doing this, and if they absolutely have to.

    I don't think it's really necessary in licensed cases - the "non compete" is in the license itself so what's to be gained by registering that early?

    #16 5 years ago
    Quoted from CrazyLevi:

    I don't think it's really necessary in licensed cases - the "non compete" is in the license itself so what's to be gained by registering that early?

    But SH is in the public domain. So as long as they don't violate the copyright of others who have told the story, or movies, then I'd say they don't have to file anything. Patents let you file up to a year after first publicly showing the item, but I have no idea if trademarks allow the same.

    #17 5 years ago

    Wow didn't know about this my wife absolutely dig this theme she loves Holmes!

    #18 5 years ago
    Quoted from desertT1:

    But SH is in the public domain. So as long as they don't violate the copyright of others who have told the story, or movies, then I'd say they don't have to file anything. Patents let you file up to a year after first publicly showing the item, but I have no idea if trademarks allow the same.

    Right. None of this seems needed at all!

    But then again I ANAL!

    if you know what I mean

    #19 5 years ago

    Registering a trademark means squat. Many companies register marks and not use them for various reasons. Calling it a “Go” may be premature. It would be a fun theme.

    #20 5 years ago
    Quoted from CrazyLevi:

    Right. None of this seems needed at all!
    But then again I ANAL!
    if you know what I mean

    I sort of see it that way too, why file this now, if ever? Public Domain titles seem to be one of those "just keep it quiet and don't use previous versions that are protected" things.

    As you mentioned, licensed IP would give you exclusive/non-compete rights, and original IP isn't exactly high risk for c@ckblocking from another company releasing it before you. All are a little different, but if anyone is uncertain enough, then make sure you are really close to revealing before you file or you will ruin your reveal. If that's important to the company that is. Maybe AP doesn't care, but OK hasn't even started shipping yet.

    #21 5 years ago

    Sounds boring but they made Octoberfest into a cool theme so more power to them.

    #22 5 years ago

    I might change the thread title if I was you. I’m sure that people are clicking on this assuming you have confirmation that this is the next game out of the four possible being discussed.

    #23 5 years ago
    Quoted from PinMonk:

    Robin Hood, Valkyries,

    Personally, I'd rather see these 2 first.
    But calling Sherlock Holmes a "GO!" Is a stretch for now. Talking to Dhavel at shows it seems they have about 20 titles and directions AP could go.
    Regardless, exciting times for all of pinball.

    #24 5 years ago

    Just doesn't interest me at all.

    #25 5 years ago
    Quoted from Ericpinballfan:

    Personally, I'd rather see these 2 first.
    But calling Sherlock Holmes a "GO!" Is a stretch for now. Talking to Dhavel at shows it seems they have about 20 titles and directions AP could go.
    Regardless, exciting times for all of pinball.

    But they've actually registered these four, which is ahead of the other 16 titles and directions they could do. Of that list, Sherlock has the most potential.

    #26 5 years ago
    75F81817-293D-4A51-A741-CF33E82DB8BB (resized).jpeg75F81817-293D-4A51-A741-CF33E82DB8BB (resized).jpeg
    #27 5 years ago
    Quoted from PinMonk:

    But they've actually registered these four, which is ahead of the other 16 titles and directions they could do. Of that list, Sherlock has the most potential.

    It seems so generic to me. There's no one (to me) identifiable at Holmes and Watson (well, except Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton, Jr. above). Seems boring.

    Now Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are generic too, but I could see pinball potential in that. The machine completely could change lighting/mode if you knock down HYDE targets or something. At least that has an "edge."

    #28 5 years ago

    This has to happen.

    51OJ0mKCM+L (resized).jpg51OJ0mKCM+L (resized).jpg
    #29 5 years ago

    Hard pass.

    #30 5 years ago
    Quoted from Guinnesstime:

    It seems so generic to me. There's no one (to me) identifiable at Holmes and Watson (well, except Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton, Jr. above). Seems boring.
    Now Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are generic too, but I could see pinball potential in that. The machine completely could change lighting/mode if you knock down HYDE targets or something. At least that has an "edge."

    Watch the BBC Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The first couple seasons were EXCELLENT. It ended badly, but by then the stars had gotten huge internationally in other things and I'm sure they were distracted.

    There is HUGE potentential for a Sherlock Holmes pin to be extremely engaging.

    #31 5 years ago
    Quoted from PinMonk:

    Watch the BBC Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The first couple seasons were EXCELLENT. It ended badly, but by then the stars had gotten huge internationally in other things and I'm sure they were distracted.
    There is HUGE potentential for a Sherlock Holmes pin to be extremely engaging.

    This^^! This series was/is awesome! From an 11year old to me, the 4 of us all watched this many times. Very well done. I'm in on a SH from AP.

    #32 5 years ago
    Quoted from PinMonk:

    Like I said, Heroin mode. I think AP would go there, and it has the potential to be weirdly glorious.
    I just hope they get someone hired from the video game field to get the art direction on-track moving forward. Houdini could be excused and the art kind of worked, but they will not get much of a pass if the next games look like Oktoberfest. They need an experienced hand to handle the art direction and animation.

    I doubt they would have a cocaine mode, Sherlock's 7 percent solution, or an opium mode, which would have been at the time. Why bother with a family pin when the machine itself is cocaine?! Potentially great theme.

    #33 5 years ago
    Quoted from dts:

    I doubt they would have a cocaine mode, Sherlock's 7 percent solution, or an opium mode, which would have been at the time. Why bother with a family pin when the machine itself is cocaine?! Potentially great theme.

    They've got naked chicks in Houdini and a monkey with his balls cut off on the match screen, so heroin/opium mode for Sherlock Holmes isn't that far-fetched, especially if it's an out-of-the-way mode or a wizard mode.

    #34 5 years ago
    Quoted from PinMonk:

    Watch the BBC Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The first couple seasons were EXCELLENT. It ended badly, but by then the stars had gotten huge internationally in other things and I'm sure they were distracted.

    There is HUGE potentential for a Sherlock Holmes pin to be extremely engaging.

    Just can’t get excited for a BBC pin. Too Dowton Abbey for me.

    #35 5 years ago
    Quoted from Guinnesstime:

    Just can’t get excited for a BBC pin. Too Dowton Abbey for me.

    Watch Sherlock. It's nothing like Downton Abbey. REALLY well done and the first two seasons, especially, a joy to watch.

    #36 5 years ago

    Wow! Sherlock Holmes and Robin hood! Thats awesome!

    I still cant wait to play oktoberfest. It is supposed to be at TPF. I cant wait!!

    #37 5 years ago

    No... you know it's the LE "Elementary" version.

    I personally just don't see the value of doing these titles TBH.
    It sounds like they just don't want to pay to get a good theme.

    Glad they have some customers with these themes to-date... but call me when they have a real (interesting) theme.

    #38 5 years ago

    Trademarks are for use in a particular domain. That's why there could be an Apple Computer and an Apple Records co-existing peacefully, until Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) started selling music.

    #39 5 years ago

    Very generic imo. When I think of Sherlock Holmes, I cannot picture any specific characters, villians, or story line. There have been so many books, movies, tv shows, and part of common expressions like "no $#%@ sherlock". Any pin can be fun but sounds like an uphill climb. AP already has a struggle breaking into the pin market so this just doesn't make sense to me. With all the movies, tv shows, music, and things in pop culture that get people excited this is the best you can do?

    #40 5 years ago

    If they keep the mystery random enough I can see it doing very well home market. Imagine if you could collect clues then before all of the clues are given you could guess the outcome of the mystery advancing you faster toward the next mode or costing you points as a set back. Maybe a chase mode like the symond says game having to memorize shots and completing them in sequence to catch the criminal. Lots of possibilities. We all know they will research it to death and implement it well. Look forward to it next fall.

    #41 5 years ago
    Quoted from jawjaw:

    Very generic imo. When I think of Sherlock Holmes, I cannot picture any specific characters, villians, or story line. There have been so many books, movies, tv shows, and part of common expressions like "no $#%@ sherlock". Any pin can be fun but sounds like an uphill climb. AP already has a struggle breaking into the pin market so this just doesn't make sense to me. With all the movies, tv shows, music, and things in pop culture that get people excited this is the best you can do?

    No specific villains? I had no idea of the general Holmes illiteracy. I assumed most people were at least generally familiar with the stories and main characters. Over time, Professor Moriarity has become THE de-facto arch enemy in Holmes universe with some GREAT stories. Imagine Whodunnit with much better cases and a cool supporting cast. Loads of potential.

    #42 5 years ago
    Quoted from PinMonk:

    ... Over time, Professor Moriarity has become THE de-facto arch enemy....

    Yeah but they cant to it better that STNG did.
    "Computer, Arch."

    #43 5 years ago

    Hound of the Baskervilles, a study in scarlet, the sign of four, scandel in bohemia

    #44 5 years ago
    Quoted from PinMonk:

    No specific villains? I had no idea of the general Holmes illiteracy. I assumed most people were at least generally familiar with the stories and main characters. Over time, Professor Moriarity has become THE de-facto arch enemy in Holmes universe with some GREAT stories. Imagine Whodunnit with much better cases and a cool supporting cast. Loads of potential.

    Our culture is more amused by Thanos than Moriarty, sadly..... Short term memory pop culture entertainment.

    #45 5 years ago
    Quoted from wesman:

    Our culture is more amused by Thanos than Moriarty, sadly..... Short term memory pop culture entertainment.

    I'm all for a good superhero movie (they are not many, actually), but I blame the schools more for the lack of a good base in the classics of literature.

    #46 5 years ago

    Big Sherlock fan. If this is produced and it ends up as fun and deep as Houdini, I’m getting it.

    #47 5 years ago
    Quoted from wesman:

    Our culture is more amused by Thanos than Moriarty, sadly..... Short term memory pop culture entertainment.

    <shrug> Thanos is new to most people; Moriarty is not.

    #48 5 years ago
    Quoted from lowbeau67:

    Rath-Bone. Rath-Bone.......

    Yep, I don't want the modern Holmes, I want the Rathbone, Bruce duo. I hope they pick that game and I sent AP an e-mail saying so earlier this week. Regarding relevance, I think the 16 movies they made set the standard.

    21
    #49 5 years ago

    I am certainly a bigger fan of Holmes than Houdini. I have been a fan since I was a kid. I've read all of the original stories and dozens of stories written by other authors. I once wrote a Holmes story for a college course (and yes I got an A). I got my first deer stalker in High School and wore it throughout my college years (although none of the ones I own still fit my head (insert giant ego jokes here), and while Conan Doyle never said he wore a deerstalker hat, the hat described by Watson in the books, would most assuredly was a deerstalker, and it is certainly the head gear we all associate with him. I also have a meerschaum pipe.

    While Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett, Robert Downey Jr, and Benedict Cumberbatch might be the first that come to mind, there have been over 250 actors who have played Holmes, more than any other literary character. I've seen dozens of these and I'd have to say Rathbone and Brett are among my favorites, of course part of the large number of movies/episodes they did. Rathbone established how many picture Holmes, but many consider Brett's portrayal as being truer to the original stories (with Burke and Hardwickes' version of Watson less 'bumbling' then Nigel Bruce's). I think Cumberbatch has done a good job in bringing that same haugtiness to the role as Brett did. Regardless, we would not be basing it around any one specific actor or their take on the character.

    Obviously this is a title I have had interest in and the company grabbed it to at least humor me. If we do it, and there is certainly no guarantee we will, it has to be done right and while I do have a ton of ideas, until I have it mapped out in way a way that makes it truly special, it will remain on the back burner. It certainly would not be like most other machines, so, I already know some will love that and some will hate that. Having said all of this, most of you know I will happily take good ideas from anywhere and take credit for them -- odds are I already thought of it anyway , so, feel free to make suggestions and I'll tuck them away for future use.

    #50 5 years ago

    I would love to see AP do a Sherlock Holmes pin. It might even be my first nib. Cue the take my money gif

    There are 82 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.

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