Rmemeber when Robin was going to change the editing rules.. and everyone pitched a fit about how it's a solution looking for a problem???

Well there you go folks.

still better than what we had for the last 15 years.. which was "Hey I bought all this stuff and I'm just gonna let it rot in my barns"

I didn't read from Ricks or Kevin's post that films are going to be sat on.

What Kevin said was alot of the effort Stu was doing to pursue re-done art was no longer needed because of the original art in the hands of PPS now. So why redo what is already available? If it gets made or not really is the same as before... someone needs to commit to securing the licensing, including PPS's licensing, and produce it. The only difference is that the art doesn't need to be remade from scratch.. and because of that, that opens the market to more potential manufacturers who may step up and try to run the product.

Before CPR had a bit of the corner on the market where both art AND manufacturing were needed. Now, there is art (supposedly) that means one less barrier for people to make stuff.

It effectively opens up the market a bit more for B/W games... and reduces the demand for redoing art on certain titles.

But based on the past experiences with IPB assets... I'm sure there needs to be a lot of rework done and hand holding before someone has a perfect screen+ink set to run playfields. I don't think the barrier has fallen all that much, simply shifted where the bulk of the time needs to be spent.

Are you familiar at all with the past CPR projects and prices? Because what you speculate over.. is exactly what they've been doing for years. Selling playfields for $600-$700 for games that are typically $800-$2k games.

I'm not getting your point - the issue of inventory costs, forecasting demand, and actually selling the product vs sitting on shelves is the same for CPR now as it was when they started. Kevin has posted about their selection process many times.. and yes, sometimes titles were made out of a passion vs pure market demand. Early on, Kevin was more at the whim of his artists.

DE titles has plenty of decent titles that were made in volume - it's just their list of desirable titles isn't nearly as wide as other makes. While I doubt we'll see a Street Fighter playfield.. there are others like GnR, TFTC, etc.

The concerns about sinking $1k in restoration into a game is the same for a Space Shuttle as it is a TFTC - your ultimate selling price is going to be capped.. no matter how much money you dump into the game.

I'd wager most CPR buyers are buying parts knowing they will likely never recover the dollar amount invested - they bought it for the game, not to invest and flip.

I can say I love playing my friends Flight 2k with CPR playfield... because of what it does for the game, not because I think he'll make more money selling it when he decides to.

The 'hand wanting to be paid' for the rights has been there all along. CPR couldn't make games they didn't have licensing for - regardless of the source of the art. Nothing new here.. except there is a license holder now who is MOTIVATED to have parts made.

We said the said thing when NAPPA happened and Darren when he got access to Gene's stash... only to find out later there was much yet to be done to make the stuff usable. I doubt this is the floodgates opening.. but it is the removal of the old stick in the mud... that's for sure.

And none of that has changed from the day CPR started.. until today. You're preaching the basic premise as if it's some revelation - when its something everyone already understands

To a degree - certainly - but the vast majority of CPR's playfields (including some of the most popular - like Centaur) have been for games that were not high value.

Those 80s solid states.. and 80s stern games were not demanding 3-4k when CPR made playfields for them.. they were 800-1500 dollar games typically. If people want the game restored... they'll pick their own budget.

Much like cars - restorations are a passion - not a flip.

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I don't know where you get this idea that CPR having to deal with licensing is a new thing brought on by Rick.. but you're wrong.

I think the biggest concern for CPR now is the loss of their competitive advantage. They could make pieces others could not because they had the means to create art that others did not have. Now, if PPS has art readily available - that means CPR's lead has effectively been nullified and they will have to face competing with other manufacturers for the same limited market.

Like before.. the market is limited, so people would shy away from duplicating efforts because you are both fighting for the same customers.. and in doing so you've been less efficient with your limited art capacity/work-funnel.

I don't know who you are arguing that with.. because no one is saying otherwise. In fact, I've been saying to you 4 times now... 'duh.. captain obvious'.

But what you really said was people won't buy playfields for cheap games... your original post

Which doesn't hold water.. the majority of the playfields done by CPR have been for games that typically sold in the sub 2k price range. Already disproving your 'concern'. The people who have been doing the high value games like TAF, AFM, TZ, etc have been the other vendors.. Mirco, IPB, etc. Yes, CPR has done titles like whirlwind and other high demand games.. but those were still games that sold for sub 3k when the playfields were done.

Enough people are buying the CPR reproductions because they want them for their game - not because of the game's street value. Not all old games are equally desirable to restore.. even if they are the same street value. Hence the risk CPR takes on... seems like so far they've done decently at avoiding total duds.

Flash Gordon has been a sub 1500 game for ages.. yet CPR did it, both playfields and plastics, and as far as I can tell, has done ok with it.

You've stated that this will somehow radically alter the makeup of games... because somehow you and others have read Kevin's post to mean "we won't make B/W parts" - which is NOT what he said.

It's virtually a given that's not reality. Things are incomplete, unusable, lost, etc. But there is more available now than there was before.. that we do know.

I think what you have is.. PPS will require a standard of qualify (like they've been doing)... and maybe that requires using original art if available?? Dunno.

I still think the bigger issue is 'who gets what work' - not the licensing fee structure. If PPS wants a certain playfield made and has the required art... who is going to be a more effective way to get that product to market? CPR at their home-grown production volumes.... or Chicago Gaming with their industrial production volume?

Fees CPR can just pass through - its more a disruption to how they compete in the market and what products they can target to make.