Am I the only one that thinks JPP should sign a similar agreement?! since they are still trying to fill the preorders of WOZ this many years later?

Meh. Offtopic:

The issue I have with JJP is the following:

The benefit to taking PreOrders for any game is to PreOrder material for said games prior to building them.
So; lets say they PreOrdered 1000 LEs and 1000 standard WOZ.

Once they took final payment on the preorders; they should have ordered 2000 parts to build 2000 machines. This is where preorders make financial sense. You order 2000 CPU boards because it's cheaper to build/assemble PCBs in volume.

If I were running their MFG line; I would have ordered enough volume of Cabinets, decals, wiring harnesses to keep my production line running.

This BS about them NOT having control over their suppliers concerns me greatly. It reads suspiciously like JJP is "out of money" and is ordering handfuls of parts simply to keep the finances in line. IE a Cash Accural method of accounting. IE using hobbit pre-orders to fund WOZ builds they already spent on R&D. This just seems STUPID to me.

Until JJP can demonstrate *REAL* manufacturing capability in order to keep games shipping on time means they will *NEVER* get my money.

To put this rant back on topic... It seems that Rick @ PPS has learned from that behavior and is attempting to approach the MMr project in the correct way. IE Getting an experienced subcontractor (Stern) to do the MFG line assembly for them. Hopefully that means PPS is priming their line with sufficient qtys of sub assemblies to make the shipment's on time and with some degree of quality. IF this translate to a great experience by the MMR pre-orders... then PPS has a good chance of earning my support and $$$ on some future project... :Cough: AFM :Cough:

Proably better for PPS.
Not having to equip a manufacturing line or pay workers benefits directly. All they really have to do is source parts and manage deliveries. I'm guessing it will increase their already massive profit margin by a significant percentage.

Stern probably has some idle time at the moment given the way their games seem to ship in waves. I'm thinking for Stern this is Biz as usual... just means they can hire a handful of more people to help increase their throughput. I don't see Gary/Stern slowing their releases one bit... except to maybe convert to new architectures (read color lcd).

Which IMHO is the right thing to do. Its a surprise to me that PPS is attempting to "bring back" older games and continue to support new mods for these games. I'd have thought that PPS was in it completely for the money... while I'm sure they are; it does at least APPEAR that PPS and the community can work together to improve the availability of the non-licensed themes.

Of all the comments here... you choose this to try and debunk or explain away? In another vendor's thread?!

Address the real problems... Why the hell can't you get control of your damn manufacturing line?
You may think it makes no difference - but I guarantee you the fact that you can't ramp production puts a lot of question marks on your future financial well being. (IE pre-selling future titles).

All these announcements of pre-funding / 3rd party biz partners and you STILL can't ship machines? Humm...

No - I'm not biased. I have Zero skin in the game. I didn't / won't order WOZ or Hobbit because you have yet to demonstrate you can run a real manufacturing biz.

The verdit is still out on PPS; but at least Rick is making headway. He may have a customer here if he actually ships near his launch date.

From what I've seen in pictures posted to FB by Stern and others who have taken their tour; they have multiple lines.
A line is a serial "conveyor belt"... so they have many people working at the same time on different machines. I don't know how many machines they built at a time... but if the quoted 400/max capacity is to be believed; then yeah... they probably put have capacity for 100 at a time. Ofcourse; in a give 8hr shift that number is smaller.

IDK if it's officially confirmed; but there was a thread here about Stern moving. It could be to get more space for more lines... or could just be that their current digs are just rundown and outdated.

Not a stern fanboy... I only own the STLE... but regardless; PPS made the right move here.

Ummm. Ok. It took me a year and a half to design and build that Star Trek Game.
So why is it taking him so long as a company to build them? Yeah; I had issues and delays... but I made the TPF'14 deadline I committed to. It cost me in $$ and in time... I worked overtime to do it. So he's a COMPANY with employees and he still can't make deadlines or manufacturing goals?

So no; I don't think it's harsh one bit.
If I had preordered it... or hobbit - I'd be mad as hell that he hasn't shipped yet.
He's been in manufacturing for what... a year? and still hasn't filled demand.
Something's off here guys. JJP is picking and choosing his battles which means nothing in the long run if it takes him 6 freaking years to ship preordered games.

So; you guys tell me... has Jack came to a show anywhere (or posted here) and shown a plan for when he will finish shipping WOZ?
If you say no... then that's a real problem. It means one of two things:
1) he doesn't know.
2) he doesn't care.

del me

I suspect there are two reasons for this as I've stated before:
1) Jack/JJP is unable to keep the line running due to piss poor management
2) They don't have the cash to prime the line.

I suspect they are living month-2-month... picking and choosing exactly what to buy.
It's just sad really. Cause they have potential... but they don't seem to have the expertise to make it right.

Haters are gonna hate... and the Internet is full of haters ... that simple.