(Topic ID: 176623)

Batman 66 - What's your impression?

By Barakawins1

7 years ago


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#1551 7 years ago

I played the exact same Rock Fantasy game as others are describing and thought it was very fun to shoot.

My walk-away impression was that Lyman will make this a really great game and i was excited for the future of this title.

#1552 7 years ago

I am the third owner of a premium and mabey that was good for me because I don't have any of these reported problems.

No balls flying off ramp,smooth orbit shots and little to no air balls, yes the code is rough and the road will be long but if you LOVE the theme and have the collection to enable you to be patient with a game that shipped with pre beta code, I believe Lyman will come through,I have no plans on selling my game but I also own a kiss le and am a original xmle owner so have been down this road before.

#1553 7 years ago
Quoted from gearheaddropping:

There are reports coming out that Aerosmith seems to have pretty much completed code (integrated animations, multiballs, etc). How did THAT happen with what is going on here?

Guess BM66 is a throwaway title like Mustang, WWE or Kiss Agree that BM66 code has a long way to go to make this pin tolerable.

#1554 7 years ago
Quoted from rockrand:

I have no plans on selling my game but I also own a kiss le and am a original xmle owner so have been down this road before.

Can Stern please help this man and deliver code? Look at this!

#1555 7 years ago
Quoted from Rarehero:

Why should they? People were willing to beg them to give them $15k for the privilege to own one.
As long as people do this, nothing will change.

When you look at the price of DI BM66 and The Jetsons I don't know what collectors are thinking

#1556 7 years ago
Quoted from JY64:

When you look at the price of DI BM66 and The Jetsons I don't know what collectors are thinking

They're thinking like COLLECTORS, not people buying games because they're good GAMES to play. "Rarity" sets off something instinctual in the collector brain...they don't think logically. If they're wealthy enough that these prices won't affect their day-to-day, they bite. It's the "high" of getting something before it's gone forever, even if you don't necessarily want it.

#1557 7 years ago
Quoted from rockrand:

I am the third owner of a premium and mabey that was good for me because I don't have any of these reported problems.

Game's been out a little over a month and changed hands THREE times? That has to be a record...

#1558 7 years ago
Quoted from PinMonk:

Game's been out a little over a month and changed hands THREE times? That has to be a record...

That's not the first 3rd owner I've seen. I think he's the second 3rd owner on Pinside. Patience is running low these days.

#1559 7 years ago
Quoted from PinMonk:

Game's been out a little over a month and changed hands THREE times? That has to be a record...

I think there used to be a Coasterguy on here who sometimes sold quickly. BM66 isnt for everyone though. It's nostalgia gives me the patience to wait on code. Without the nostalgia factor, probably not.

#1560 7 years ago
Quoted from taz:

I think there used to be a Coasterguy on here who sometimes sold quickly. BM66 isnt for everyone though. It's nostalgia gives me the patience to wait on code. Without the nostalgia factor, probably not.

Well the only choice there IS with Batman '66 is to wait on code because there's barely anything there at the moment. The game settings talk about a LOT of features not implemented that sound cool, so I think good things are coming, we'll just have to wait.

#1561 7 years ago

Coaster and a few others broomed there games a lot and I understand,I bought my amh from him and it sucks waiting for good code but I love the theme,I remember watching the show when it was first run and that is that,dam now that you know how old I am I hope I live long enough to see it through

#1562 7 years ago

Got to put some time on this at the Seattle Pinball Museum (free play, woohoo!). There's not much gameplay yet, even with the latest code update, which means the playfield itself was really highlighted, for better and for worse.

The better: the lazy susan is a really fun device, and it's a thrill when the game gets going and it keeps turning to new things. I'm excited to see where the code takes it. The shot into the bumpers is also oddly satisfying, and the Catwoman ramp is nice (no wiggling - I didn't check but the ramp may have been bolstered up). I'm super pumped to see more clips and callouts.

The worse: clunk! clunk! I can't remember the last pin that felt so brick-y. The left orbit in particular is a beast, I think because of the blue pad sticking out to the left of the Catwoman ramp. The ball smacks into something there and rattles around. The lack of stand-up targets at the entrances of the ramps feels kind of egregious, it means when you miss a shot, you're less likely to hit something that matters - rather, the ball just clatters off a piece of hardware. It does also feel notably sparse and a little flimsy. The lower playfield is almost entirely empty. The colors pop, and that's nice, but there's a kind of cheapness lurking around the corners. Could they not get someone to draft up some custom fonts for the video screen? Is that Times New Roman on the Mystery TV? They'll need to work on editing for the clips, as well, a couple played out to their very, very end with no transition, which brought the action to a halt.

#1563 7 years ago
Quoted from Rarehero:

They're thinking like COLLECTORS, not people buying games because they're good GAMES to play. "Rarity" sets off something instinctual in the collector brain...they don't think logically. If they're wealthy enough that these prices won't affect their day-to-day, they bite. It's the "high" of getting something before it's gone forever, even if you don't necessarily want it.

People also buy Kanye West plain white T- shirts for $120 that just tells me a fool and his money are soon parted

#1564 7 years ago

Where does that f&^%ing screw go?

QC (resized).jpgQC (resized).jpg

#1565 7 years ago

Left orbit needs some work. Not sure what's the best resolve yet. Every mm counts in that area because its so damn tight.
Would like to see if there's a way of smoothing out that ball path area against the left ramp. Maybe modify the blue bumper pad usage. Not eliminate its function, or flip the mount to the inside but maybe get that liquid rubber dip that comes in a can.

Dip the corner of the ramp in it a couple times to get a decent layer of rubber protection on the actual ramp metal itself. Eliminate the mounting of the pad altogether.

It wouldn't be a lot, but losing the metal tab where the screws tighten into on the ramps outer edge could be a better pathway and transition for the ball around that spot. Just spitballing an idea to fix it.

#1566 7 years ago
Quoted from Sethman:

Left orbit needs some work. Not sure what's the best resolve yet. Every mm counts in that area because its so damn tight.
Would like to see if there's a way of smoothing out that ball path area against the left ramp. Maybe modify the blue bumper pad usage. Not eliminate its function, or flip the mount to the inside but maybe get that liquid rubber dip that comes in a can.
Dip the corner of the ramp in it a couple times to get a decent layer of rubber protection on the actual ramp metal itself. Eliminate the mounting of the pad altogether.
It wouldn't be a lot, but losing the metal tab where the screws tighten into on the ramps outer edge could be a better pathway and transition for the ball around that spot. Just spitballing an idea to fix it.

Are the any other games with a similar design that we could take a solution from? I am just looking through ipdb now to see how it looks and compare it to other games with metal ramps from Stern like Transformers...

12
#1567 7 years ago

amazing how this really expensive and special pin needs the buyers to repair factory defects.

#1568 7 years ago

What was special about the super LE? I can't imagine paying $15k for this. I mean, it's your money if you bought it, but it feels like paying an extra six grand to confirm that you do, indeed, enjoy Batman.

#1569 7 years ago
Quoted from Texasff78:

Anyone else have the clear starting to chip a little in their shooter lane? Could be dumb luck but the software update seemed to lessen the flyers somewhat. I have noticed the ball getting caught in the left orbit on the wire/zip tie that is on the ramp. After another week there are a ton of dimples. As others have mentioned the gloss definitely brings them out. I recently purchased a BDK from another Pinsider and there are nowhere near the amount of deep marks on that game. Plays completely different and has a lot less flyers than 66.
I finally made contact with Stern and they were receptive and seem willing to work with me on a solution. I am sending more photos and speaking with them again this week.

Wow, that's is absolutely crazy that chipping in the shooter lane and that severe of dimpling is occurring on a new game. Ridiculous.

I hope Stern sends you a replacement populated playfield.

I'm done with Stern until these issues are fully resolved and there's a pattern of quality playfields being put out consistently.

28
#1570 7 years ago
Quoted from trunchbull:

What was special about the super LE? I can't imagine paying $15k for this. I mean, it's your money if you bought it, but it feels like paying an extra six grand to confirm that you do, indeed, enjoy Batman.

-Manufactured rarity
-Metallic cabinet decals
-A batman flashlight on top
-Red stripes in the trim
-A handful of $5 Hotwheel toys on the playfield
-The ability to say you're one of 80 people who had to beg to give Stern $15k for an untested, uncoded pinball machine.

#1571 7 years ago
Quoted from Sethman:

Left orbit needs some work. Not sure what's the best resolve yet. Every mm counts in that area because its so damn tight.
Would like to see if there's a way of smoothing out that ball path area against the left ramp. Maybe modify the blue bumper pad usage. Not eliminate its function, or flip the mount to the inside but maybe get that liquid rubber dip that comes in a can.
Dip the corner of the ramp in it a couple times to get a decent layer of rubber protection on the actual ramp metal itself. Eliminate the mounting of the pad altogether.
It wouldn't be a lot, but losing the metal tab where the screws tighten into on the ramps outer edge could be a better pathway and transition for the ball around that spot. Just spitballing an idea to fix it.

Moving the rubber nib to the inside of the left cat woman ramp has done the trick for me. And funnily enough, the exact same rubber nib setup is on the inside of the far right ramp on GB - from the factory. They had to put it there because it would interfere with the right orbit exit.

Again, the only question are the 2 screw threads left on the outside of the ramp. I've had them covered in a small piece of tape and after 50 or so games, the tape is untouched. So I'm thinking of covering them in a small amount of silicone or glue - the rubber dip you mention might do the trick.

Would love someone else to try moving this to get a second opinion, but at the moment I can't see the downside.

#1572 7 years ago
Quoted from Rarehero:

-
-The ability to say you're one of 80 people who had to beg to give Stern $15k for an untested, uncoded pinball machine.

Not everybody had to beg - in fact I'd guess only a handful of people fell for that.

The person I know who got one simply got an email saying it was his lucky day and he could buy one. He agreed.

14
#1573 7 years ago
Quoted from CrazyLevi:

Not everybody had to beg - in fact I'd guess only a handful of people fell for that.
The person I know who got one simply got an email saying it was his lucky day and he could buy one. He agreed.

I almost fell for one of those emails too; you know, where you give someone $15,000 and they say theyre gonna give you something cool but never do. I think it was from Nigeria.

#1574 7 years ago
Quoted from CrazyLevi:

The person I know who got one simply got an email saying it was his lucky day and he could buy one. He agreed.

Yeah, another SLE buyer I know just sent an email and was able to buy one. It was REALLY late too. Games were already in peoples' homes when he got in. I don't think these went as quickly as we like to accuse the community of for snapping them up. Of course, maybe someone dropped out late and his timing was just right. I don't really know.

#1575 7 years ago

quality-control (resized).jpgquality-control (resized).jpg

#1576 7 years ago

saw this in gary sterns office.
you coulda sent in a blank video and 15000. instant approval i can guarantee you.

IMG_9990 (resized).PNGIMG_9990 (resized).PNG

#1577 7 years ago
Quoted from cooked71:

Moving the nib to the inside of the left car woman ramp has done the trick for me. And funnily enough, the exact same nib setup is on the inside of the far right ramp on GB - from the factory. They had to put it there because it would interfere with the right orbit exit.
Again, the only question are the 2 screw threads left on the outside of the ramp. I've had them covered in a small piece of tape and after 50 or so games, the tape is untouched. So I'm thinking of covering them in a small amount of silicone or glue - the rubber dip you mention might do the trick.
Would love someone else to try moving this to get a second opinion, but at the moment I can't see the downside.

Did you use longer screws? Without the threaded nubs, it doesn't seem possible to affix it on the inside left - the screws don't extend past the rubber slab.

#1578 7 years ago
Quoted from jar155:

Yeah, another SLE buyer I know just sent an email and was able to buy one. It was REALLY late too. Games were already in peoples' homes when he got in. I don't think these went as quickly as we like to accuse the community of for snapping them up. Of course, maybe someone dropped out late and his timing was just right. I don't really know.

I think the 30 went fast. The extra 50 not so much. But they moved 'em.

#1579 7 years ago
Quoted from robotron:

saw this in gary sterns office.
you coulda sent in a blank video and 15000. instant approval i can guarantee you.

LOL, like people sent in physical tapes. NFW.

#1580 7 years ago
Quoted from robotron:

amazing how this really expensive and special pin needs the buyers to repair factory defects.

Kind of reminds me of TBL and Woz

#1581 7 years ago
Quoted from PinMonk:

Did you use longer screws? Without the threaded nubs, it doesn't seem possible to affix it on the inside left - the screws don't extend past the rubber slab.

No need - the existing screws are long enough to reach into existing threaded nubs, but obviously from the other side.

#1582 7 years ago
Quoted from cooked71:

No need - the existing screws are long enough to reach into existing threaded nubs, but obviously from the other side.

They barely reached when I did it, so I just got slightly longer ones from the hardware store. Seems to make a huge difference on that left orbit shot already. Not 100% sure, but it does seem to make slightly off left ramp shots less successful. In any case, I'll take the trade. It should be like this from the factory.

16
#1583 7 years ago
Quoted from iceman44:

Kind of reminds me of TBL and Woz

Yup, some early WOZ's had problems Iceman, we know...we know. That was over 4 years ago. A few games had playfield issues and there was the lightboard issue too. Both were resolved coming up on 4 years. It was also JJP's first game and the most ambitious pin ever created as well. Similar things will likely be said about TBL as its Dutch Pinball's first game and some of the early games have had mechanical issues. DP will learn as well (I hope!)

However, Stern Pinball has been around for 30 years and is having major playfield issues and is communicating poorly about the whole matter while charging more money then ever for games. There's no excuse and it's a crappy way to treat customers. Stern should at least let customers know what the situation is and be more transparent.

#1584 7 years ago

I have a Dialed In on preorder, but I'm almost expecting some sort of issues with it. The Hobbit was nowhere near "the most ambitious pin ever created," and it had all kinds of crazy issues with balls falling off ramps, ramps breaking, pop ups getting stuck, and plenty more. Eventually they got worked out, sure. Side note: WoZ wasn't the most ambitious pin ever created, it was just the most ambitious for a while.

All that said, Batman '66 is supposed to be a premium machine. All the fine details should have been aggressively obsessed over. Testing should have been doubled or tripled up. It's pretty obvious that the game didn't get any extra level of care than any other game. That's a shame.

I really hope that Dialed In and Aerosmith buck the trend for problematic game releases. This is getting ridiculous.

#1585 7 years ago
Quoted from jar155:

I have a Dialed In on preorder, but I'm almost expecting some sort of issues with it. The Hobbit was nowhere near "the most ambitious pin ever created," and it had all kinds of crazy issues with balls falling off ramps, ramps breaking, pop ups getting stuck, and plenty more. Eventually they got worked out, sure. Side note: WoZ wasn't the most ambitious pin ever created, it was just the most ambitious for a while.
All that said, Batman '66 is supposed to be a premium machine. All the fine details should have been aggressively obsessed over. Testing should have been doubled or tripled up. It's pretty obvious that the game didn't get any extra level of care than any other game. That's a shame.
I really hope that Dialed In and Aerosmith buck the trend for problematic game releases. This is getting ridiculous.

Honest question to not just you, but other preorder collectors out there; but why continue to punish yourself believing in a 'scent of Hope' that the next new pin won't have issues. GBLE, Woz, hobbit, BM66, MMR, the list goes on...

This is not something new in pinball. It's been going on for as long as I've been in the hobby (10+ years). LOTR, TF, TRON, XMEN, MET, avengers...all of them had their issues from the start. Some more than others.

My best owner experiences have been with pins that are proven rather than believing that it will be a proven game based on a 'scent of hope' that the theme, design, support, and even increased price would equate to a good game.

So why must we continue to punish ourselves in believing that we must have the next new pin before out neighbor gets it believing that it'll be the next big hit. Why not wait and find out that it's the next big hit first then get it? Save yourself the torture? Or are we at a point in the hobby where getting kicked in the nuts is not just a privilege, but an honor?

#1586 7 years ago
Quoted from Eskaybee:

So why must we continue to punish ourselves in believing that we must have the next new pin before out neighbor gets it believing that it'll be the next big hit. Why not wait and find out that it's the next big hit first then get it? Save yourself the torture? Or are we at a point in the hobby where getting kicked in the nuts is not just a privilege, but an honor?

I think the Batman disaster put the lid on that behavior for a lot of eager collectors. Ghostbusters put them close to the edge, but BM'66 seems to have pushed a number I know over. Aerosmith is an easy skip for most, but we'll see if they can stick to it when Star Wars arrives.

#1587 7 years ago
Quoted from PinMonk:

They barely reached when I did it, so I just got slightly longer ones from the hardware store. Seems to make a huge difference on that left orbit shot already. Not 100% sure, but it does seem to make slightly off left ramp shots less successful. In any case, I'll take the trade. It should be like this from the factory.

Because the nib is rubber, I was able to compress it enough to get the screws to bite. As long as the head on replacement screw you used is the same as the original and doesn't sit proud of the counter sunk hole.

#1588 7 years ago
Quoted from cooked71:

Because the nib is rubber, I was able to compress it enough to get the screws to bite. As long as the head on replacement screw you used is the same as the original and doesn't sit proud of the counter sunk hole.

I wanted to make sure it was secure, so I went for the longer grab and just saved the original screws. Definitely the best available solution, but no idea why there just aren't two posts at the ramp entrance like normal with some rubber sleeves on them. Feels like more cost reduction.

#1589 7 years ago
Quoted from PinMonk:

I wanted to make sure it was secure, so I went for the longer grab and just saved the original screws. Definitely the best available solution, but no idea why there just aren't two posts at the ramp entrance like normal with some rubber sleeves on them. Feels like more cost reduction.

2 posts, like the good 'ole days, would've made a lot more sense.

16
#1590 7 years ago
Quoted from PinMonk:

I think the Batman disaster put the lid on that behavior for a lot of eager collectors. Ghostbusters put them close to the edge, but BM'66 seems to have pushed a number I know over. Aerosmith is an easy skip for most, but we'll see if they can stick to it when Star Wars arrives.

:Rant start:

As much as I like my B66LE, and I honestly do, I'm pissed at the way Stern cut corners on this. The nasty Hotwheels batmobile, the rattly clear Perspex cover on the ramp to stop air balls, the rubber nibs on the left ramp blocking the left orbit, the cheap-ass red bat sticker around the gadget button, and the same cheap-ass red pin-striping on the $15k SLE, the multitude of basic fixes owners have had to do out of the box. All these things can be fixed, and the game is great once they are, but they shouldn't have to be.

The way Stern marketed this as the ultimate collectors piece, a game worthy to mark the milestone of 30 years, it should be of a standard over and above anything they've done in the past 30 years. Not only should it be worth the $9k - $15k, but it should be better than that. A gift to the Sterns customers for supporting them over the past 30 years. Instead it's turned out to be all one way - it's a multimillion dollar gift to Stern from their own customers.

At the very least, it shouldn't require owners to complete basic quality control that was meant to happen in the factory.

It makes me wonder if Stern are aware of this? Do they feel in any way ashamed or embarrassed? Are they aware how their customers feel about this? I feel like calling Gary or George directly and having an honest conversation about it. To discover what the thought process was that led to this game being sent out like this. I can't imagine they sat in a meeting room discussing how many ways they can screw their customers.

And sure, I know I shouldn't buy any more Stern Nib games until they change things ("you've only for yourself to blame"), but I like Stern games, and I like buying new ones. I don't want to miss out on buying Star Wars LE or whatever in protest. Once I have other options for buying fast playing games with great themes, I'll be buying those instead. But at the moment I'll be buying Sterns, and cursing them every time I think about what I had to do to get them to the standard they should have been when they shipped.

:Rant over:

#1591 7 years ago
Quoted from PinMonk:

I wanted to make sure it was secure, so I went for the longer grab and just saved the original screws. Definitely the best available solution, but no idea why there just aren't two posts at the ramp entrance like normal with some rubber sleeves on them. Feels like more cost reduction.

Yeh, posts would make sense. Even better, stand up targets like GB, but I think they felt there wasn't enough space for either -the rubber nibs are there because they are narrow. The cost saving comes from the fact they didn't completely re-design the pf from BDK to properly accommodate the changes that were made.

#1592 7 years ago

"However, Stern Pinball has been around for 30 years and is having major playfield issues and is communicating poorly about the whole matter while charging more money then ever for games. There's no excuse and it's a crappy way to treat customers. Stern should at least let customers know what the situation is and be more transparent."

I know you know how many times I've said
The exact same thing.

EVERY release by every pin maker is gonna have some issues.

It doesn't bother me, didn't with Woz either at the time, when I was a huge JJP supporter

And btw, your comment about Andrew taking his time so he can deliver the perfect error free pin is crazy. He could delay another 5 years tweaking it and it will still have problems

Despite what everybody is saying, the PF issues will pass and Stern will keep selling a ton of pins in 2017.

Why? Because pinheads are some of the most fickle people on earth, myself included

#1593 7 years ago
Quoted from cooked71:

:Rant start:
It makes me wonder if Stern are aware of this? Do they feel in any way ashamed or embarrassed? Are they aware how their customers feel about this? I feel like calling Gary or George directly and having an honest conversation about it. To discover what the thought process was that led to this game being sent out like this. I can't imagine they sat in a meeting room discussing how many ways they can screw their customers.
And sure, I know I shouldn't buy any more Stern Nib games until they change things ("you've only for yourself to blame"), but I like Stern games, and I like buying new ones. I don't want to miss out on buying Star Wars LE or whatever in protest. Once I have other options for buying fast playing games with great themes, I'll be buying those instead. But at the moment I'll be buying Sterns, and cursing them every time I think about what I had to do to get them to the standard they should have been when they shipped.
:Rant over:

IMO

Yes - they are aware of how unhappy people are and how they rushed out a game that they promoted as special with lots of design flaws and poor quality control. Ironically the very reason they rushed it (to celebrate 30 years) is a large part of why its turning out so poorly.

No - they don't feel ashamed or embarrassed, the money's in the bank and that's 99% of what matters to management and ownership at Stern. I don't think they sit around thinking how they can screw customers but they also don't really care too much about the customers. Although I have no first hand knowledge of this, I would bet that the design teams do care but can't do much about what management tells them to work on.

Why should they care? People keep buying the pins regardless of how many debacles happen.

I'm sorry you feel you have no option but to buy Stern. There are lots of options.

#1594 7 years ago

You know, something just occurred to me about how many people here react to different situations.

While these are very different situations in scope, attitude and details, the recent Treasure Cove debacle is a case where much of the community destroyed the guy for surely poor behavior in his treatment of a customer. Most everyone says they will never do business with TC again.

Stern issues a series of pins with crappy code, many quality issues, etc. Generally they have very little communication with their customers (outside the overworked staff who deals with the customers) about these major issues and often they abandon the pins to move on to the next one. However much people trash Stern's business practices and complain, they keep coming back for more.

#1595 7 years ago

I was wondering why at expo, the game was shown, with code "not ready".
90 days have past, and one can see the updates coded in 2 weeks.....what happened in the
previous 90 days?...and for 2016?
All that time completed, and some of these issues werent found?

Not sure how "rushed" it was?

#1596 7 years ago
Quoted from dmesserly:

IMO
Yes - they are aware of how unhappy people are and how they rushed out a game that they promoted as special with lots of design flaws and poor quality control. Ironically the very reason they rushed it (to celebrate 30 years) is a large part of why its turning out so poorly.
No - they don't feel ashamed or embarrassed, the money's in the bank and that's 99% of what matters to management and ownership at Stern. I don't think they sit around thinking how they can screw customers but they also don't really care too much about the customers. Although I have no first hand knowledge of this, I would bet that the design teams do care but can't do much about what management tells them to work on.
Why should they care? People keep buying the pins regardless of how many debacles happen.
I'm sorry you feel you have no option but to buy Stern. There are lots of options.

Not looking for sympathy. Of course I know this hobby, at whatever level, is a complete luxury and anyone who can afford to buy their own pinball machine is by definition wealthy (on a global scale). The fact I can afford to buy NIB Sterns probably means I shouldn't complain at all.

Just disappointed in Stern. B66 is a dream theme . The art is perfect. The whole LE collectible thing is great. The whole package on paper is perfect. But to a certain extent they tripped at the line.

You're 100% right - they are controlled by investors, but I guess I'm seeing first hand how this is overriding their passion for pinball (or at least the people who work for them that have a passion for pinball). They're targeting collectors, and their market research has told them what collectors want, but in reality it is not getting past the idea stage. It's not translating into a real collectable product. They give lip service to the product being high end and collectible with X & Y features, but by the time it gets to the production line, they cut back.

I said when this game was being hyped originally that Stern set a really high bar with B66, and it remains to be seen whether they could jump that high. They got close, but not quite.

And in most cases it's for ridiculous things that are inexpensive, yet make all the difference to a collector. Like the Bat Symbol sticker instead of laser cut alloy (what, $1 part?) or the crap Hotwheels car instead of a high quality one ($5 upgrade?), Perspex instead of wireform over the left ramp ($10 upgrade?), lack of another support on the left wireform ($10 upgrade?). It's these authentic details that make the difference. AUTHENTICITY! Cut back costs by all means by making the production line more efficient, moving the power supply to a location that overall makes more sense, improving the electronics to be smaller and more powerful. But why skimp on the small authentic details that mean something to a collector?

You say I have lots of options? My original post said I want a great theme, that plays fast and NIB? So my options are....?

I can still express my disappointment in Stern and continue to buy their product. I want to continue buying Stern but I also want them to lift their game.

At the moment they know there is no option. To a certain extent they are cashing in their huge goodwill. Obviously you can only do that for so long until the goodwill dries up or there are other viable options.

I think Im going to sit down and write a Dear Gary letter. Might enlist KPG's help.

#1597 7 years ago

If this were a DMD instead of an LCD pin, I'd think it was a budget machine.

#1598 7 years ago
Quoted from trunchbull:

If this were a DMD instead of an LCD pin, I'd think it was a budget machine.

Have you seen that pic of the turntable mech? It's huge and complex. Unfortunately - the player never sees that, so it seems like an empty and mechanically ho-hum playfield. Players want to see the mechanical fun up top if possible.

#1599 7 years ago
Quoted from Rarehero:

-Manufactured rarity
-Metallic cabinet decals
-A batman flashlight on top
-Red stripes in the trim
-A handful of $5 Hotwheel toys on the playfield
-The ability to say you're one of 80 people who had to beg to give Stern $15k for an untested, uncoded pinball machine.

And a special translite. I mean that's gotta be 2k of value right there.

IMG_0561 (resized).JPGIMG_0561 (resized).JPG

#1600 7 years ago
Quoted from DaveH:

And a special translite. I mean that's gotta be 2k of value right there.

you get 3! holy bat sh#t

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