We have gotten clearance from WMS to produce playfield overlays - these were previously prohibited by them. Given the acquisition of the IPB (WMS) artwork films, we have a number of titles of games which are not popular enough to justify wood playfields but can be done reasonably well with Playfield Overlays.

These overlays are Ink-Up on Adhesive backed Mylar with the Inserts in Clear, so this will eliminate the old-style overlays where the inserts require a separate process. What is required is that a clearcoat be applied, which is usually the best outcome anyway.

The limitations will be that a) exotic colors cannot be (easily) done, b) while usually the artwork films callout the colors, color matching will be best available, c) fit sometimes may vary due to original variations in production as well as variations in the playfield itself - so there may need to be some help required with someone to get a blank playfield that can be matched against for colors and fit.

We have started with a supplier to make Jokerz, and then more quickly - these do not take alot of time to do ...

We are still inventorying WMS Artwork films and so more titles will be available, but at this point here are some of the titles we could produce - so we will look for any interest. The price of an overlay would generally be around $200 +/-

Some of the titles that we have that may be able to be done:
- 8 Ball
- Air Aces
- Algar
- Alien Poker
- Beat The CLock
- Big Guns
- Black Pyramid
- Bow and Arrow
- Carousel
- Circus
- Cybernaut
- Flip-Flop
- Game Show
- Hard Body
- Heavy Metal Meltdown
- Hi-Lo Aces
- High Speed
- Hurricane
- Hyperball
- Jokerz
- Joust
- Kick-Off
- Lost World
- Monte Carlo
- Motordome
- Nip-It
- Odds & Evens
- Police Force
- Pool Sharks
- Quarterback
- Ro-Go
- Scorpion
- Sky Kings
- Space Shuttle
- Space Station
- Strange Science
- Supersonic
- Swords of Fury
- Thunderball
- Time Fantasy
- Transporter

We have the art films for Strange Science plastic set so we can look the interest in them ...

Most all of these titles we are coordinating with CPR and the several other playfield suppliers. These are the titles that a) either will likely never be done, or b) have been done but are sold out and likely will never be done again (or at least not for several years).

It's as durable as Mylar is - pretty durable. PPS has a professional art dept, and as I've said - many if not most of these titles will never have a wooden playfield made of them.

rick

I have cleared up the confusion by changing the post title

we will have multiple entities making overlays, including pps (but we are quite busy on many projects).

Overlays will be from original wms artwork films - so the art would be excellent

As for quality, when we don't have a bare playfield to compare to we (or one of the suppliers) will solicit for a discount someone to either provide a bare playfield and/or take a proof and check for any issues, etc.

or ... you can always choose not to buy one.

rick

Well Stu, then i suggest CPR contact me so we can discuss - as things are several years out, it will be better to have 'a' solution vs no solution. People will not always wait years for a playfield. We have reviewed most of the titles with Kevin as well as titles that have already been done that are out of stock and will not likely be re-run - so I prefer to make solutions available to customers than to hold them hostage for years.

btw ... i am working from the CPR list with Kevin directly - but as i said, it's just fine if we have an interim solution years before a playfield were to come out. CPR generally only makes 10+ playfields a year, so I hope you are not advocating a 5 year wait for many of these ... I'm certainly not down for that long of a wait.

thanks,
rick

we are looking for others, we still have alot more films to go thru.

baby pacman - we have the artwork, but need to check to see if any other rights holders are involved ...

rick

Yes, for playfields which have been run already there are some on the list as we've reviewed most with CPR (and others) so that overlays will be available for playfields that have sold out and will not be available (at or -or- for at least a very long time) ... better to have a solution vs no solution ...

the list is a preliminary list so it's a little fluid ... as we map out what others are 'really' going to make, as well as the demand of what people want/need the list will be updated.

I need to check on nitro ground shaker, but we have artwork i'm pretty sure, so one or both options may be in the cards for that title.

rick

I think it might be, will look around.

There are several different ways to do an overlay and they have their pro's and con's. I think I answered incorrectly on the previous question about the mylar - the mylar is in this case between the ink and the playfield (via adhesive). The advantage with this approach is that you use adhesive backed mylar, and print on the mylar, cut the holes in the mylar, and you also get inserts as they are clear with any lettering, etc. The disadvantage is that you have to clear the playfield - BUT I think it's better to clear a playfield than to have some mylar type material that can get scratched and cloudy, etc.

We are looking at other approaches as well, but that will require some design/testing.

So, YES in what would be available first, the playfield is prepped, the mylar is adhered to the playfield, and the hardcoat is applied.

rick

See my other posts, it's confusing as some of the 'older' overlays were on a vinyl/paper, and then the inserts were cut out (as the material is not clear). Part of the advance is the ability to print white, etc, which helps with various options making the 'newer' approach better as the inserts are able to be included, etc.

rick

We'll talk with CPR for Taxi and if no re-run planned soon, then yes, as I think we have the artwork for Taxi as well - so long is the inventory of CPR playfields is out and CPR is not intending to run them anytime soon, then we should be doing what we can to offer a solution.

Paragon at least we've already sent the films to CPR to run. We have Embryon and Flash Gordon I believe as well ...

Playfields take months to do, Overlays take days ... the approach is to offer the 'best' (playfield vs overlay) balanced against time ... waiting years for something is no fun ...

rick