I love Pinball, but I can't help thinking how lucky some of the manufacturers are in this industry with how they are treated by buyers.

There are very few other industries that say they are going to bring out something new, you can't try one yet, you can't see one yet, we can't give you too many details yet, we're not sure when it will be ready and we're going to need lots of your money upfront to build it.

Admittedly with this game people do know what it's going to be like, because it was already made once before, but imagine if you wanted a new car and went to look at one by Jaguar, Audi, BMW, Mercedes Chevrolet etc, the brand doesn't really matter (and indeed, perhaps it's a new brand who has no previous track record at all).

Picture this: You walk into the show room and say you are in the market for a new car, what did they have to offer. They showed you a photo of a vague shape covered in a blanket and said "This is our new one, it's going to be really good. We don't have any real details yet, but it's bound to be really great. We know some bits, but licensing stops us telling you, plus we're really busy and don't have time to update you as you're only the guys buying it, so are not really high on our contact agenda, however, like I say, it will probably be really good we think. Possibly".
"So, what do you think? Just pay us some money (because to be honest, we're a bit short and need the cash to keep us afloat and keep up the development), then when we think it's getting close (although again, to be honest, we won't really be sure it is close, it will just be a guess, and anyway, if we're late, it will be someone else's fault) we'll ask you for pretty much all of the rest of the money". "So sir, can I sign you onboard?"

I'm pretty sure if any car dealer asked you that, you'd have to be stretchered out because you'd be laughing so much you wouldn't be able to walk.

And yet, the laughable PR given by the manufacturers of the new Thunderbirds game do just that - in their opinion the buyers are second class citizens, JJP were much nicer about it but worked in a somewhat similar way (and we won't mention those poor soles down under who lost all of their money because of the distributers), even Stern buyers sit and wait patiently for updates to some games that appear to play as if the code is only half finished (here's your car sir, sorry about the lack of steering wheel, there'll be an update coming for that at some point soon, honest) and now it seems again, MMr is suffering along some of the same lines.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not in the financial market where I can buy a new game, so this experience is something I can only form an opinion about when I read what has been said by my fellow Pinsiders.

But really, I can't help but wonder if these manufacturers realise just how lucky they are in this financial market to get looked after by such a trusting well meaning bunch of buyers. Because if they don't, it's about bloody time they did!

I fancy one of those. Although I did specifically avoid saying the only industry. One of the very few in fact were my words. Also, the full details, shape and photo's (and it does look really good!) of the actual product have been available since first announcement or certainly when I first looked over a year ago. Plus I'm pretty certain that when you speak to them, they speak to you like a prospective client and not like someone who is interrupting their busy schedule.