Casino Royale was more than decent, it's one of the best Bond films ever made (8.0 imdb rating). The chemistry/energy between Bond and Vesper was actually believable, unlike most of the other cartoonish women in other Bond films.

I grew up with Sean Connery and Roger Moore...loved Connery and couldn't stand Moore (or his campy movies).

Casino Royale is modernized Bond from front to back (and I thought Craig was brilliant). Don't really know why you think they "dumbed down Bond". The music score is also best-of-breed.

You don't think this interchange is great acting?

That's largely a function of the time period...has little to do with Bond specifically. Many movies from 1960-1970 depended on wits and charm (since the special effects and technology were fairly primitive). Kind of like pinball machines from that period when compared with today's games

Agreed. Craig reportedly didn't want to do the film, but they bribed him with a big pay day. Oh well...

My distributor estimates end of October for first batch of Premiums (my preference).

George Gomez is one of the thought leaders in pinball...one of the lead architects of Pinball 2000 and the current leader of Stern engineering IIRC. Definitely has the chops to innovate...fingers crossed, since this is a big license and the expectations are very high.

I'm not a royal watcher/loyalist/fan, but that's some sick shit you're spewing. Wow.

Meh...experiencing the kinetic satisfaction of Premium/LE mechs is often worth the headaches. If you don't like headaches, you don't really like pinball!

One of the things I love about my TRON is having 3 Stern developed translites (3D, CLU, and Chicks). Seems like the Bond franchise lends itself to having many translites (which are inexpensive to produce and would be nice money makers). I'm sure collectors would gobble them up...

Just hope they've licensed some of the great theme songs...

Obviously...theme songs from the movies included in the game.

Agreed, but TS4 is a great example of one of pinballs most prolific artists (https://pinside.com/pinball/machine/john-youssi) doing a great job with integration. I'm not a fan of TS4 as a game, but the art package looks great (to me, at least). I'm still grappling with what I think of cabinet art for 007...retro is fine, however I'm not sure I like the execution. Would love to see what Youssi would come up with the Bond...pretty sure it would rock. For me, Paul Faris (Paragon, Centaur) and John Youssi are 2 of pinballs greatest artists over the years.

Couldn't agree more. Decided to go RushLE for the expression lighting and the price justified the goodies. With Bond, the LE doesn't justify the price hike. Fortunately, I love my current collection and after this Premium purchase, I'm going to be on the sidelines for awhile. At the end of the day, the tech in these games is starting to get long in the tooth. Bond on a wand looks hoaky, to be honest. Much of the excitement seems to revolve around the license...

Man, now I want the Elwin 60th anniversary model...looks classy If the game & movie content ends up being awesome (when compared with the Gomez design), folks are going to be really, really bummed if they only build ~250 for the US! Maybe Stern can pull a JJP and decide afterwards (based on demand) to build more?

I've been a Stern buyer/watcher for 20 years, and my intuition says the gameplay & rules of the Gomez Bond are going to be a let down. Not because of Gomez, but because of the team and the limited Connery licensing.

MANY of us (that have watched Elwin revive Stern) are going to want Keith's game with ALL the Bond content. I'm also a fan of the more old school design and it will be intriguing to see what Keith comes up with...it's a design space he hasn't explored yet.

If the demand is great, Stern would be silly to limit production to 500 worldwide.

Gluttony is sucking the soul out of our great hobby. Fortunately, I love my current lineup and would be happy if I never purchased another game!

In terms of business model, Spooky has is right...make "x" games and let the buyers decide what goodies they want. Sure, they don't have the tech prowess or manufacturing capabilities of Stern, but they are right minded. Stern's bizarre decision regarding the Keith 60th anniversary couldn't be more of a slap in the face.

Exactly. Pinsiders blaming inflation are delusional.

With the Premium/LE, absolutely. With the 60th anniversary it's even worse, since they will apparently build so few. Smart move...get your beloved A-team (led by Keith Elwin) to develop a special game and build so few that almost none of your devoted fans will EVER own/see. Building a small batch of games makes total sense for niche titles, but this is the only game that will cover the spectrum of Bond! It's just asinine on so many levels...and no, it doesn't even make sound business sense...

Yep...many long-term, deep-pocket collectors are fed up. I am in on a Premium, but seriously thinking of not going through with it after the 60th anniversary stunt. Will depend on seeing some gameplay and possibly playing it myself.

Why spend ~10k on a machine if the one I end up really wanting (because it's old school AND more inclusive of all the Bond movies) is unattainable? Did anyone at Stern for a moment consider that anything Elwin is going to compete with the standard Pro/Premium/LE lineup? When SLE's are simply aesthetic differences, it's no big deal...but this is an entirely different game done by their top designer with more complete Bond content. Hello?

And I couldn't agree more with your delt31 pushback (was about to write the same thing). This idea that removing ramps makes a game cheap and/or lame is just wrong. I understand why really young players/collectors might feel that way, but it's odd/confusing coming from folks with a larger lens. Considering all of Elwins games to date have some common shots/ideas, I imagine he is jazzed to get a new palette to work with! I really liked what Stern did with Beatles, but it had shortcoming (as you listed). I'm glad 80's style gameplay with modern tech is a theme Stern is going back to...I just wish they weren't making it so few.

Spot-on.

Kind of dim, since people don't want a 17% increase for 0 added value. As Thunderbird says, Stern has become the scalpers...the 60th anniversary full spectrum Bond being an entirely different game (with very limited production) is the biggest slap in the face (compounded by the fact that it's being designed by their top designer!). Not smart from a biz perspective...

Makes sense...food prices are certainly sky high (effected by fuel, transportation, etc.) In the end, the market will decide. I'm rarely an LE buyer, so the 17% bump doesn't really effect me personally. At 7%, the price bump on Premiums isn't too crazy (what I usually buy).

What effects me is the bizarro decision to introduce an entirely new game as the "SLE". In the past, SLE buyers had a unique game, but the general population would still get to play the game by owning Premiums/LE's. In this instance, an entirely new game will only get to be played by a very small group of people...ok for a very niche title (like Supreme, Whoa Nellie, Primus), but for full-spectrum 60th anniversary Bond? C'mon. That's the major bummer from my perspective...

One of the more ridiculous carguments I've ever heard! I could try and explain why it's a poor analogy, but I doubt it will go anywhere (so I'm not going to bother).

Yeah, but you WILL be able to play a Bond Premium, which is the same game as the LE! All mainstream titles to date have versions that the general pinball population can play (aesthetics aside). Very, very few of us will ever play a 60th Bond if they only make 250 for the US. Hopefully, they will make more than is being talked about!

This is 100% true, I'm not arguing Stern isn't free to do whatever they want. I believe it's bad business on many levels, but don't need to say more than I've already said in other posts. Your position is crystal clear...it's all about ponying up the cash. Since you appear to have 42 games listed in your profile, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by your reaction. Whatever...

Good for you.

Gomez is arguably a designer, but he runs the engineering group @ Stern and doesn't take the lead on specific games very often.

I predict the gameplay video for the Gomez Edition will not live up to the hype. The KME 60th anniversary design is highly likely to live up to the hype, given his teams track record.

Well, the upside of lackluster code is more money in your pocket I guess...nobody is forcing us to buy it. I love the rules/code in Stern's KISS (led by Lonnie), but it took the team 1 year to finish it (and it was VERY incomplete).

JJP recently put more money in my pocket when they designed Toy Story with no kinetically satisfying toys (one of the most anticipated pinball licenses in years). Instead, large LCD's and very annoying audio to drive you nuts

Such a great point. A game like STTNG has more going on than any new game and is still fairly affordable when compared with NIB Premiums/LEs. True for WH20 as well, both games have been in my collection for a decade. Great playing games.

I heard that as well, however the 5 programmers listed are Lonnie, Tanio, Waison, Jack, & Mike.

The turnaround from a "meh" ruleset to pretty awesome is rare, but they did it. Was worth the year wait...so glad I was patient.

Just too bad the dots suck so bad. Stern should port it to Spike 2 and add some kick arse concert footage. Would be a strong seller...

Rush is a blast The expression lighting on the LE is impressive/immersive...

4 LE's right below your post already listed for 15.5-16.5k. Wow. No gameplay footage, not a team Elwin production, software team unclear, PF kind of cool (but far from mind blowing), etc. Considering the yet to be disclosed Elwin 60th anniversary is in the wings, it will pay to be patient. For the FOMO crowd that love throwing money around, have fun! I have a buddy that's getting one @ MSRP...I'll be happy to play his. If it's great, will decide how to proceed. Since the software will likely be baking for 9 months, there is plenty of time to sit back and see how it unfolds. If mortgage rates start approaching 9-10%, the shit will start hitting the fan...the average 30-year fixed is already 7.6%.

But that would benefit us, not them...they are selling every one of the 1k LE's to the vast distributor base. Hard to turn back the clock now, Stern is loving the extra margin they are pocketing.

Makes sense...thx for the info. That's what I heard through the grapevine as well, but it's undocumented on ipdb. They killed it...most impactful software update I've ever made to a game.

This was how I felt after suffering through that video...except,

The ramps do look sweet/smooth, but I have sweet/smooth ramps in many of my games! So, again, nothing new or interesting.

I love the license, but have a feeling I'm not going to love the game. I owned BM66 for awhile...loved the license & video content, hated the (boring) gameplay.

Man, that software is early/simplistic...so impossible to get a feel for the game at this juncture.

Bring on the 60th anniversary old-school KME design!

Wasn't private an hour ago...someone apparently decided to take it down.

Apollo18 isn't "raining on everyone else's parade". You've been here for 9yrs and this is what upsets you? Give the dude a break!

The Christies reveal is just marketing...people care, or else Christies wouldn't host the reveal. I owned Beatles for several years and don't feel the license was "wasted". I understand some folks wanted a different era Beatles or different game, but no pin is going to meet everyones checklist.

No doubt I support your cry for more basics and less fluff, however Stern's investing in marketing doesn't imply they aren't building great games. Let's face it, some great games have been produced recently. All about the passion of the team building the games...I couldn't be happier with Borg and Elwin's latest efforts. Going to be tough for Bond to live up to GZ/Rush (in terms of gameplay and fun factor)...hoping for the best.

It's clearly prototype code...which is likely why the video was removed.

Code makes or breaks all modern games...in don't think Bond is unique.

Agreed, but 99% of the pinball I've played in my life has been solo. Video content is cool, but it would be great if the LCD could be better used for game status. Some games are better at this than others...all over the place. On one hand, it's cool that Stern designers have creative freedom to do what they want, OTOH, it would be nice if they could standardize on some UI that spans games (which includes reasonable fonts, to help read what's on the screen

From my perspective, the "art" of a pinball machine isn't solely about the ink/decals/artist. The "art" is the entire package...including audio, video, shot choreography, mechs, etc.

More importantly, MANY collectors on Pinside already treat their games as art pieces. In other words, they don't play the games, so the only reason they exist in someones home is to display them as art! I know folks cut from this cloth, and they aren't any lesser than those of us that play the hell out of our games.

Freaking out over Christies, or reading into it is misguided...sorry.

Palms to face makes total sense

Wondering what Gary's father thinks? A slight freak out

It's game dependent. On Rush, the left side of the screen has a HUGE "Rush" graphic that mimics the status on the PF...it provides little added value. Not a big deal, but it takes away valuable space that could be allocated to status that ISN't displayed on the PF. Some of the Rush modes involve a ton of shots to complete and the status on the screen just isn't that helpful (hard to read/follow). Same is true for GZ...in terms of bridge/tank status.

Other than pricing and pinmister obsession with Christies, I'm just not hearing repeated negativity. Considering the early state of the game, seems like a majority of the posts are upbeat. When we get to see actual game footage (endorsed by Stern), the negativity/positivity will amp up. It's really unfortunate that people get offended and take things personally. Just because someone is voicing their opinion doesn't imply they don't belong on a hype thread.

I wasn't referring to you, btw (in terms of being offended)...my comment was directed @ J85M.

We are in violent agreement on the KME 60th edition! 4 days ago I said:

"Stern's bizarre decision regarding the Keith 60th anniversary couldn't be more of a slap in the face." (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/bond-james-bond-stern-007-hype-club/page/85#post-7155344). I also said:

"With the 60th anniversary it's even worse, since they will apparently build so few. Smart move...get your beloved A-team (led by Keith Elwin) to develop a special game and build so few that almost none of your devoted fans will EVER own/see. Building a small batch of games makes total sense for niche titles, but this is the only game that will cover the spectrum of Bond! It's just asinine on so many levels...and no, it doesn't even make sound business sense..." (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/bond-james-bond-stern-007-hype-club/page/85#post-7155556).

I apologize in advance to folks that think comments of this ilk aren't appropriate for a "hype" thread.

I agree with the last sentence, but it seems to contradict your earlier assertion that "You most definitely need ramps to do the theme justice".

It's interesting...BM66 had broad video content from the TV show, but the ramps killed it for me (they felt dull). Shots and flow just seemed clunky...didn't last long in my collection. An example where it covered all the villains and many episodes but just didn't have a fast, flowy feel to it.

Just seems like we all love fast games with flow. Some of GZ's cooler shots & flow have nothing to do with the ramps. If someone can design a fast, flowy game without ramps it's KME. Will be a blast to see what they come up with!

Very cool that you innovated in the area of PF LCD integration. I think it's an interesting domain, since so many of us play alone at home and we rarely benefit from all the wiz bang graphics on the backbox. As you say, it requires clever coordination. I've never played Alien.

Thanks! Wild that BM66 was your first game purchase and you are already up to 25 games...nice collection. Yeah, I decided a couple years to downsize and only keep the games that really turn me on. BM66 is a beautiful game, but the gameplay did nothing for me. I didn't find it "clunky", I just didn't like the lack of flow or shots. The video content and audio was cool, however. Just my opinion. I'm glad you like it, along with many other people...

Yep, and it's possible is system library/platform code that is shared between games intentionally.

Must be a new thing at Stern...my Rush and GZ are much longer play games than I'm use to. If Bond is even longer playing than Rush/GZ, it's going to be a big bummer. I guess if you are playing it in an arcade, it's cool, however I prefer challenging games for the home.

Rush is actually much longer play than GZ. Yep, I've played more TRON than any other game and it routinely rejects me after 3-5 minutes Rush is the new pin in the lineup and my games are typically 15 minutes long or more. Actually tiring The combos, shots, light show and music are awesome...so it's not a hardship.

I can't stomach the theme, unfortunately, but I trust it's a sweet playing Borg game, for sure.

When leaked, prototype footage is released on a beloved license, people are going to comment. It's what Pinsiders do. No matter how much people squawk at the squawkers, they ain't changing. In fact, some of them probably feed off folks like you getting so bent out of shape over something so incredibly harmless.

Hearing everyone's perspective is goodness, even for a so called hype thread. Chill out. Might want to take your own advice...i.e. "ask yourself if the world needs any more pointless negativity in it.".

I agree that "Not all opinions are valuable"...you've been here 1yr and somehow you think your opinions matter more than guys that likely have tons more insight than you? Give us all a break. Society? If you come here to "relax and enjoy", then you need a new tude, dude. Pinside ain't conforming to your world view, no matter how much you moan and groan. As you say, these are toys after all, and you are showing all of us how you take this way too seriously! If you don't like someone's take, move on...it's really pretty easy (and healthier...stressing out as you are doing isn't good for the gut).

Paragon Porn for the day One of the most beautiful PF's ever done...thanks Paul Faris!

Back in February 2015, put my name on the CPR pre-order list for a Paragon reproduction they were planning. Received this in August 2020. Definitely worth the wait...CPR took their time and got it right. The colors are accurate & the clearcoat is perfect. For now, it's just wall art in my office.

SORRY, WRONG THREAD...
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I'm the perfect demographic for Connery Bond (on the older side, but agree that it would be great to see more modern titles. Rick and Morty is a perfect example of the creators collaborating on the callouts/game and it results in a better product. Hard to imagine the Bond license holders care much about pinball and Connery is dead. I thought it was cringy when Gomez was implying the licensee is partly/largely responsible for the software delays. Please.

It could end up being a fun game, but it's really impossible to know at this point since so much is missing. As you'd expect, folks that love the license are hoping for the best. This is how I felt with Led Zeppelin...hoping it would be great. In the end, I had to pass...the game just didn't rock.

Thanks for the post. Makes sense. Now that so many of these games are being used privately, in homes (vs. public places), isn't the business model closer to customers buying one digital copy of a song/movie/etc. for home use? Just seems like the licensing terms (and cost) for public use should be different than for private/home use. Most of us are buying cups of coffee, NOT selling coffee (to use your analogy).

I see you have a JP2 Premium...so do I (one of my favorite games). Tim Stiles enhanced version of the audio/video is brilliant and brings the game to life. I understand why getting all this audio/video content would have made the license more expensive for Stern, but so many of these games are being used privately and shouldn't really add much to the cost (*if* there were 2 licenses...one for private/home use and one for public/arcade use).

Well, this is the solution for the movie industry, which is substantially larger than the pinball industry. A pinball machine that accepts $$ in a public place isn't that hard to police when compared with the arbitrary public consumption of a DVD. Sure, it's imperfect, but if it's good enough for the movie industry, it should be good enough for pinball.

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Yes, I am aware. Again, it's good enough for the movie industry. Pinball can easily cope with the same level of imperfection...the glory days of public pinball everywhere is over. My overarching point is this: Since pinball consumption has shifted from largely public to largely private, you'd think the licensing terms would need to be modernized to accommodate the shift. Make sense?

Hmm. Your comment makes no sense, since the movie industry has decided otherwise (whatever...).

The answer for pinball is much more likely to be the license holder doesn't have much motivation, since pinball is no longer all that relevant (in terms of numbers). Fortunately, pinball software is able to be hacked and Tim Stiles JP2 work is a shining example of how much A/V assets can add to a game. Just a shame it requires so much personal effort to give the community something cool. If Bond doesn't contain the Bond songs for licensing reasons, it will detract from the game experience (which is a shame).

None of us really know the cost to acquire songs...I would bet not as much as most think. Realize that Stern has a long history of micro managing the BOM (which is consistent with your analogy). Don't know if you were "around" for the Pro pegs The "upgrade" to real PF supports for Pro's occurred in 2017 after years of haggling and resistance. These supports are arguably necessary for servicing the flippers/mechs and cost Stern ~$2!

My point is simple, the machine has 2 very different usages...one public, one private. Now that private home use is more common, paying for the public license seems wrong. Since none of us know the cost of licensing, the issue might not be that big a deal. All depends on the cost, obviously. If I'm paying $100 for a public license I never use, then it's moot (no doubt).

Meh. I'm not buying it. You can stream it on YouTube for free. I just don't think it's a priority for Stern. A Bond pin without Bond music is just lame...they need to try harder. The John Williams audio on JP2 makes the game, and it sucks to rely on heroic hobbyists to fill the void.

Stern makes "home pins" for price sensitive consumers that aren't pinball enthusiasts (i.e. not Pinsiders). It's a very small % of their market/output.

A majority of the pinball machines built in the past couple decades are going into private homes, not public places. Sure, they were originally developed as public amusement devices, but without the home market, Stern wouldn't be in business.

Really? Ok...where are your "stats" coming from? I have no problem being wrong if you have actual data! No doubt that public places to play pinball have improved over the past decade, however it still seems like the home market is responsible for a majority of new pinball sales.

Interesting numbers. The other obvious issue is the huge COVID spike in pinball demand & prices. COVID brutalized public arcades/barcades...many didn't survive. OTOH, homeowners were looking for ways to enhance their game rooms and rediscovered pinball.

Long ball times seems to be "in" @ Stern. Yesterday, I played GZ & Rush after installing the updates and was struck my how long the ball times are when compared with all my other games.

All my games are setup "stock" with tilt bobs. The newer games are just a lot more forgiving. I've gone back to playing some of my older Sterns (AC/DC, Met, TRON) and the difference in ball times is striking. May also account for why so many folks gush about GZ/Rush...it makes them feel like they can play pinball AC/DC has been kicking my arse so hard that I'm sometimes shocked I've owned it for over 10 years. No doubt nice to have a mix...not complaining, just observing

OMG...yes, you've called out the obvious. Gold star for you. My point is the bob is installed...not left in the coin box.

All of us value different things, but I'm a sucker for interesting layouts/geometry (and tend to prefer 3 flipper games).

Keith Elwins games have energized Stern - his innovative layouts are a big reason why his games are so loved. No doubt software brings the hardware alive (as you say), but a boring layout is hard to get excited about. Both JP and GZ have really fun layouts with unique shot feel. LOTR is a good example of a standard fan layout with exceptional rules/dots/sounds and shot choreography, so it is possible to have a great game with a boring layout (but it's less common).