Batman 66 by Stern new info

Yeah, I don't know. I know everyone *loves* LCD screens, but seriously how much time do you actually spend looking at the thing? Besides, frankly, I really really like the hand rendered animations on TWD and GB. There's a sense of artistry to them that gets lost from just copy/pasting frames from the movie. If I wanted to see those clips I'd just watch the TV. Plus, ColorDMD is doing such an amazing job on color conversion for these old games I think I almost prefer color dots over some of the high res stuff I've seen on JJP games. To each their own.

Between that and the obvious truth stretching about no premiums until the LE demand was met (on the previous titles)... I can certainly agree with that. People need to be cautious at taking them at face value.

I'll play. $15k got me...
Tron, LoTR LE, SM, lucky hand EM, Grand Prix EM, EBD. $4+4.5+4+1k+.5+1k

Granted, the first 3 were street price I got NIB back 8 years ago - But that's a pretty nice 7 game collection for the same $15k.
But I know guys that paid $15k for a collector quality MM, MB, BBB or HEP AFM - so different markets.

I don't understand all the posts that try to justify different prices - there are reasons each person has for paying up, or buying cheap and restoring, or routing - it all depends on the buyer's use and budget, right? I ignore the "its worth this much to me, or shouldnt be worth that much to you". Price and value is individual.

I truly think that the animations have evolved into something that is meant more for the spectators of the game, making pinball a more social event.

simply put, there so much information conveyed with the newer pins, it serves more as sort of a "guide" for those watching, giving them hints as to what to do, rather than for the person currently playing.

heighway's alien may be an interesting evolution and a look at things to come [from other companies] with the 10" display located in the playfield directly above the flipper area (and who knows, stern might be doing the same thing with batman '66).

to me, it's in the perfect position to indicate objectives needed and/or accomplished without the player having to take their focus away from the flippers.

Where did you see/hear lower price - and what is it?

Air Pinball apparently works for Stern and is getting sloppy in trying to keep his idenity hidden.

Price you sell at has little to do with cost. They were capitalizing on the buying frenzy of people willing to pay for artificial scarcity.

IMO - They should have made the SLEs for friends and rewards... had a contest to win a game as part of the 30th promo.. and then made a feature-ladden version with special 30th anniversary decor to sell only this year... 'get in while you can..'. Then settle back to a 'normal' Premium Vault game for the remainder of production.

It would have been similar to the Smaug Hobbit and you get enough of a teaser there to get people to commit and buy early... with some upside.. then go back to normal production after the window closes. People would still have special editions... Stern would still pull orders forward at special pricing.. and they'd still promote the 30th and reward their long time partners/friends. Happiness all around...

Doubtful.. probably just someone close to someone. There are plenty of loose lips in pinball.. they just like to keep their insider stuff off the online sites typically.

Kirk is a pumper.. I just don't think on payroll.. more like the personally motivated type.

All right.....all right....I admit it.

I'm Steve Ritchie.

Nice try in avoidance. Where did you hear/see - and what is the lower price?

I thought of that concept yesterday...

30 x $15,000 = $450,000

80 x $12,999 = $1,039,920

With a price drop, they could look like heros and still coin up.

(Hey, it's still a $12,999 pinball machine though...)

rd

I know Steve Ritchie. Steve Ritchie is a friend of mine. Kirk, you're no Steve Ritchie.

-Lloyd Bentsen

Sooo...if the SLE is dropping in price, this then makes the LE even a more foolish choice at $9500.00......dammit...pushing me to the edge w this shit

You know you f*cked up when the only person left defending you is Air_Pinball.

I'm Steve Ritchie from Cheboygan. Postal worker.

Hardly.

I personally like the LE package over the SuperLE myself.

Just my assumption.

Rotordave nailed it.

on it >>> https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/2016-pinball-expo-trip-report

That's the best line in this thread!!!!! LMFAO!!!!!!

Actually called my distro again.....he said he had no idea wtf they were doing w the SLE's (#'s or price point), but LE's were locked at 240 period.....and reassured me (again) that my deposit is completely refundable, if I didn't like the game.......reconfirmed he had a waiting list on the LE's, so this is the best I can go with.......

Then said a great thing...pinball is supposed to be fun!!!!...how true......

Just wanted to ask again, I started to look for replies but was bested by all the same posts of the Batman/Wonder Woman pic and gave up.

Does anyone know of any pinsiders who were selected as the Batman 66 super le chosen ones?

CHEERS
PCHOP

The one I know of bailed on it. He thought it might be a good idea to see what he was buying first.

did you apply ?

Please don't post my private Facebook conversation with Stern.

No, I'm not looking to ask why they are buying Batman 66 SLE, just want to know if any pinsider is and if maybe they'd consider taking some extended video of it. I doubt I'll ever get the opportunity to play it and would enjoy some looooooong vids of it.

Hey Labnip, was that you watching movies over the weekend on that 100ft inflatable outdoor screen. Looked fun chilling out with Cigars, booze, ect...

I heard no videos can be taken or posted for 18 months.

LOL, I hope this is a joke.

Is this a joke?

It's a time joke. Laugh when you have time.

I've been asking the same thing since it was announced.

You and I think alike.

Dot lovers? No thanks. Color DMD, while they do a great job, no thanks versus an LCD.

When you've played a pin enough such as Woz, you actually glance at the screen a lot.

If i'm going to glance at something i want it to be an LCD, not a DMD of any kind.

Besides, its over, no going back now.

Clips from the movie or the show integrated into the pin is what is very cool!

This is also why Las Vegas slot machines are now VIDEO driven and the old style will be out the door with the older generation.

Just MUCH more fun, but yes, to each his own.

ya know me and inflatables...

batcan-1 (resized).jpg

I heard the Soupedup LE has TWO cranes?!

d012dbaaf25aadb98eb810d3da28d29f (resized).jpg

Yes, yes, you play the game, not the LCD screen. But you can do things with an LCD screen you can't with a DMD, and it opens more possibilities for new rules and new ideas. And pinball could use those things frankly.

Doesn't mean you can't make a great game with just numeric displays, because of course you can. But if you want more depth and possibilities for a more expansive play experience (something key for home ownership) the LCD will take you further.

Don't you mean more expensive?

Either way, if they are using clips from the original show, I'd rather see Miss Newmar in full living color. Can't believe I missed Saturday nights Batman which had her in it. They moved it to midnite and we must have got sidetracked.

Any of you bat-fans check out the new batman 66 style animated film at the theaters today?

Looks like they really captured the tone of the show.

Julie in dots is no bueno.

Gonna be watching full blown clips of Ms. sexy on full color LCD

Purr-fect...

66-batman-catwoman12 (resized).jpg

meh... the art direction feels all off there. The computer generated 3d space effects.. the anime style jet exhaust.. the effects in the tunnel just seemed completely out of character.. just feels like a hodgepodge/mashup. Is it retro or is it realistic tones? Is it camp or is it batman beyond?

So, I pop into this thread, behind some 300 posts, and jump to the image gallery.
Maybe, just maybe a picture or part of the playfield has been released.....

Heres what I see:

Madness here on this thread!

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Lol they bumped the "limited" production amount and I guess the price is the same. I've said all along stop buying crappy stern games and they pull that stunt? Hahaha!

This is all just so stupid. What a crock of crap. All of this LE and Super LE non-sense. Many moons ago (several years past) Nate Shivers joked about a Super LE version of some game and it sounded so silly... and here we are. People worried about LEs and Super LEs.

This reminds me of what happened to baseball cards back in the 80s. Baseball cards got uber popular - truly rare (old cards that survived attics and shoe boxes) cards got super expensive and new young player cards from newish standard run of the mill yearly releases were gaining value. Think of those newer players as the Trons and IMs (pre Vault Edition) of the pinball world.

Know what happened?

Companies got greedy. They started releasing special sets, sets with foil cards, extended rookie sets that captured rookies that had unexpected good rookie years... all kinds of craziness...and prices skyrocketed. Things got super expensive.

New companies started popping up (Fleer and Topps were challenged by Score and others).

Collectors started buying complete sets in the box and storing them - keeping them mint and untouched.

And guess what happened?

Well, for one, the card collecting craze ended. And all of the nonsense manufactured during those boom years is completely worthless. None of it ended up being special in the long run - it only felt special during the "forking over more money" and immediacy of the "fear of missing out" limited nature of card run IN THE MOMENT. There's nothing special about the special cards made during those years because it was all a completely manufactured limited nature....and too many collectors bought and mummified the regular run of the mill stuff.

Don't believe me? Go call up a card shop (if you can find one) and tell them you have a complete set of Topps 1988 cards - never opened, Mint - see what they say.

Sound familiar?

Just step back and look at the crap that modern pinball companies are starting to pull... there's an end game coming to this nonsense, and these LE and Super LE games are not going to deliver on their faked limited nature. Go ahead and trick yourself now, if you must, but a wake up call is in order IMO.

The very essence of pinball collecting and playing has been completely overridden by an industry that is creating a false market of demand...and they are tweaking that false market right before your very eyes to make more money.

One of the best posts in this thread is above, an eye opener. Very true.

This is a deceptive business practice on behalf of Stern and it gives the consumer firm ground to have their nonrefundable deposit refunded.

You win Pinside today.

Didn't Stern just hire a guy that used to work for one of the card companies? Or something similar - an "expert" in limited run marketing bullsh*t.

This analogy still doesn't apply. A baseball card is an object you look at and hide away. Its entire value is that someone else might want it.

A pinball machine on the other hand, is a game. Sure, I collect them, but I play them. And Tron is a perfect example. I bought mine NIB, and it lost some value the moment I opened it. Later it was worth more, then less, and then more again. And none of that mattered because I think it's a very fun game. Right now, I could sell it and make a nice profit, but I wouldn't have Tron to play.

In the end, the "value" of my. Tron could drop to $2000, and I wouldn't care. It would still have the value of fun. This is the difference between this and cards. When MMr was announced, I almost jumped on it, but even though it was a big drop in price, I never considered MM to be 8k worth of fun, so I passed.

I have no idea.... sure feels the same.

Go listen to Coast to Coast Pinball Episode 221 "An Evening with George Gomez". It has all of the signals in it. Stern knows it's not manufacturing to a commercial audience any more. He details it... and we are seeing the result of the shift.

"Cargument", "cardgument".. same thing. Yeah it's all BS, but so was tulip mania a few hundred years ago, etc, etc. The difference here is that "worthless" is not where it all ends up. Cheaper, sure, maybe, but these things have utility that a stupid card does not. You can't route a card.