So I have to toadily apply for an 'opportunity' to buy a machine so you can merrily rinse me of my hard earned money, which I then cannot even sell on? Is it April 1st already??

I think the saying is at least Dick Turpin wore a mask...

Stern already said no pics/video until October 14. Four weeks more for the reveal....

So a full 2k more for LE. Stern already posted on their facebook page that premium and LE playfields for Batman are identical. So extra bling on LE is all cabinet and box box.

What do you think they could add to LE to make is worth 2k more than premium?

Maybe they will do what they did on Tron LE by adding a mode or two that is not included in the premium game?

Its a contest you can optionally enter to win the opportunity to buy one of the Super LE machines. Just like any contest, you have to apply. Just like pretty much any marketing contest you have to do some begging to show why you are worthy of winning. The selling part is to make it harder for the machine to go to a flipper who has no interest other than profit, they want the machines to go into the hands of someone who really wants it.

Sounds like you aren't the target audience for the contest, so just don't apply and move on. If you still want a Batman 66, then buy a Premium or talk to a distrib about a regular LE.

Not saying I think the contest is awesome, I personally have no interest in contests like this and would never enter. I also have no interest in Batman '66 at the prices they are charging (and not a big fan of the theme). Just not sure why this contest seems to be confusing/angering so many folks.

So it's a competition to win one? If so then I've totally misunderstood.

That was a mis-type, I corrected it above a minute ago. Makes no difference to the point though. Don't like the contest, don't enter. There are only 30 Super LE machines, not everyone can get one, so they made a contest to determine who can. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

The biggest "huh" for me isn't the contest aspect but the fact that the SuperLE was supposed to be a way for Stern to reward individuals. A 15k price tag alienates a lot of buyers and feels contrary to the original intention of this model.

All in the way you look at it I guess. From a marketing hype perspective, the reward is the opportunity to be one of only 30 people to buy a very rare, super awesome pinball machine. YMMV whether or not entering a contest and spending that 15k is much of an opportunity.

Personally, if they would've priced the Super LE at the regular LE price then it would be more interesting, but I am not in marketing so what do I know.

From the reaction I'm seeing all over the internet this doesn't look like it was a good marketing move at all for Stern.

If Stern priced SLE's the same as LE's, they could have held contests to select which LE owner will get a SLE instead. Buy a $300 lottery ticket or submit video for free and sign an application. I'll bet almost all the LE owners would have participated for chance to upgrade to SLE for free. Stern priced all models high, but the SLE is way too high, should not have been more than a $2k over the LE imho. I hope Stern continues to reflect on this price list now public and considers posting lower MSRP across the board. With a stroke of the pen they could slap GB level pricing on BM66 and the mood would lighten.

i think the above is a load of old codswallop. I know plenty of people interested, infact I'm one of them and have ordered a LE. UK dealers can't get machines quickly enough.

Neil.

UK market is minute though.

Also, I think people are generally far more clued up about what's going on with Stern (all the cost cutting, poor quality and defectiveness) on the continent (EU) and AUS/NZ, than the UK. A lot of people here seem to believe that if they're paying a lot of money, it is perfect, and it is their eyes that are deceiving them, not the product.

I paid $6600 for Metallica LE NIB at launch...and we got to see pictures lol. Premiums were $5800....and people were complaining then about the high prices and price dif between the Prem and LE. That was only a few years ago!!! Lol

indeed, but so is each individual european country... I think its hard for anyone to tell what the overseas real demand is.

Ah, the good old days.

Prems and LEs are always the same game...always. That's why I never understood the point of paying a flipper tons for an LE. It always comes down to cab/translite art and maybe the trim. Game is always the same. Tron LE came out before the Premium concept. It needed different code because it had different toys, mechs and features. With no Pro, all B66 will have the same features and they'll all have be same code. The Prem is almost fucking 8k now, they're not arbitrarily gonna strip modes out of it just to make LE owners feel like special little flowers! Lol. You're paying $2k extra for your stickers and plaque!!!

You had me at Old Codswallop....

you had me at (resized).jpg

No. Germany absolutely dwarfs the UK market. As does Australia.

I'd be very surprised if France, the Low Countries and Austria weren't much bigger too. Tons of collectors in Italy, but not sure many new Sterns are sold there ... prevailing view there seems to be that they're total crap.

Yep. They turned what could have been a great celebration into a lame marketing stunt based on bigheaded greed.

I might pay $15,000 for an Andy Warhol Edition...

AndyBatman (resized).jpg

Wow, you really have style.

I was stating my experience. Yours is different, so just post that like a educated adult.

Here is the application website, so get your 15K ready and fill out the following form! WTF

http://www.batman66application.com/

You forgot to mention that Tron VE is coming too.

See we're getting important info from this thread - what a great new word! I'll have to admit this new pricing model has left me gobsmacked....

Its been almost 2 weeks since we had a new Tron Ve speculation thread. I guess we are due.

I don't like the contest, I'm totally opposed to the contest, it stinks.

I'd agree. Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Switzerland and The Netherlands are the main markets when it comes to pinball. Spain, Portugal & Italy has a great number of collectors, but less new games. You can see that very nicely on the German forum which is by far the biggest in EU - the sales offers for high end machines are mainly from first named countries, the others predominantly sell used games that need work. They have a tons of older games there due to their touristic history.
I do humbly think to have at least some knowledge about the market, I've bought many machines in all of the above countries except Spain and Portugal, most of them from friends for friends.

And yet they're all sold....so why should Stern care?

Your opinion. Others think it's great.

Yes, of course. I'm just not so sure if successful marketing should polarize the target market this much.

I take they are all "sold out" with a grain of salt. They were supposedly sold out before prices were even announced. I don't consider being sold out to distributors as counting.

65432936 (resized).jpg

I doubt the profit on these 30 SLE's is worth the negative PR they've produced.

Nothing Stern do PR wise is not going to look ugly and not get shit on, until they stop shafting their buyers and distributors with defects and terrible quality, and roll back some of the cost savings (absolutely not going to happen).

They care because every time a company communicates with its customers it's sending a message about the company. Sure they may have sold the 15 SLE's but what has it done to Sterns image?

Sure they may have "swept the GB playfield issues under the rug" by not officially acknowledging the problem, but what has it done to Sterns image?

The image I'm seeing is a company that's suddenly decided to milk the booming pinball market for all its worth. Lower production standards and higher prices......just because they can get away with it. Not because they are improving the product.

And that's fine, it's their prerogative. But it's a short term strategy in my opinion. Not a strategy you'd normally see from a 30 year old family owned business. More like a strategy from a 30 year old business that's just been taken over by private equity investors.

Like the MoPLE situation was going to stop people from preordering.... Yet look where we are today. The drama thinks too much of itself.

Complete BS. There will be plenty of 10K LE's available.

What about the Metallica play fields... They never made any announcements about those...
Or how about the peeling cabinet decals? Never made any announcements there either.

This was handled the same way every other on has been handled in the last few years and the projected damage to stern never appears because once the problem goes away... People get fixated on the next game.

Stern fixes the problem customers quietly and the world keeps spinning.

A lot of people are complaining about the price increase, and rightfully so. Those who think it is too expensive (myself included) simply do not need to buy it, and those who want it, will purchase. All of that is fine and dandy.

Now you have to ask, why (!!) have they raised the prices so much? Is it because the cost to build the machine itself went up, or are they simply exploiting the fact some people like to pay a massive premium based on the fact this title will be in limited supply?

I honestly think the reason the price is so high is because of the Stern Pinball / Ka-Pow partnership on this game. I am willing to bet that Joe Kaminkow had a lot of influence to build this machine, and may have brought the license to Stern. I am sure he demanded a pretty penny as well. Perhaps they are just trying to milk this game so Stern still retains their profit margin, and Joe will be paid. If that's the case, I would avoid purchasing the machine alone for this very reason- its a bad deal for consumers, period. This just going off of the business logistics behind the scenes, you are not getting more machine for your money most likely- but you are paying a premium because Joe is involved here.

Whatever your case might be, you will buy it sight unseen any way and have your reasons I am sure. When this Batman 66 hype dies off soon, perhaps when pics and gameplay is actually shown and emotions subside.. i'll be waiting for Stern's Iron Maiden to be released and hopefully prices will normalize a bit since there wont be two companies in cahoots with that pin (I hope)

apologies to my good friend from munich lol

i don't get the issue with a limited edition or charging more for it:

http://blog.caranddriver.com/u-s-only-bmw-m5-limited-edition-has-600-horsepower-special-silver-paint/

http://www.apple.com/uk/apple-watch-edition/

http://zrzhub.com/ps/all-the-limited-edition-ps4-consoles/

http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/xbox-one/consoles/halo-5-guardians

http://us.udiscovermusic.com/products/allman-brothers-limited-edition-vinyl-box-set

what is the problem?

Neil.

I see no way these wont all be sold despite the prices they are charging.

There's always negative attitudes about Stern, especially here on Pinside.

Doesn't affect anything.

Yeah right.....want to buy some swamp land in Florida?

And there would be 10 more pages of super pissed people if they had been priced identical to the LEs. "WHAT??????? Stern expects me to pay the same price for an piddly ole' LE when there were 30 SUPERLEs?????????????? A T T H E S A M E P R I C E!?!?!?!?!?!" I guess my point is that many people here just enjoy being super pissed and would do so no matter what.

With Nico as Cat Woman. Now you're talking !

LTG : )

So originally I thought the SLEs were for special friends only. Given that they have now made an application for it does this mean the special friends gave it a pass so they need to sell them some other way?

Oh, pinside!

"How...COULD you?!"

I think rageposts are coming. Found this submission.

For those of us that are gonna buy one of these there is a positive. It could have been released next year or later. We're saving money!!