I skipped WOZ and bought Hobbit, I love MANY things about WOZ and the theme doesn't bother me. I do not like the layout though...so I'd say get Hobbit, and hope for a better layout...that's what I did..

Don't get out now. You're so close. After all this time at least enjoy your WOZ for awhile. Could end up being your favorite game ever. If you don't like it sell it, buy a nice LOTR, and pocket some cash.

Take delivery on the WOZ play it enjoy it and in about a year and a half sell the WOZ and use the money to buy the Hobbit, someone will always be ready to sell a pre-order spot as evident by all the WOZ LE's that show up.

There's no reason to buy a Hobbit right now. Wait a few months for your WOZ to arrive and enjoy it for a while and decide later if it's worth selling to fund a Hobbit later once you have more information. I'm in the same boat as I have a ECLEWOZ on order and am also interested in a Hobbit down the line and would most likely not afford to own both at the same time.

If you're in at $6500, I'd say just wait for your WOZ, play it, and then just sell it for 6500 when your hobbit $ is due? Being in since early Feb 2011 means you probably get your game in the first batch and can play it for a while before everyone has their game.

Maybe someone PMs you an offer you can't refuse because they want the game in a couple weeks?

But why struggle with it? It's just pinball. Do what you have to do and don't look back.

Julius

+1

Yeah, I agree that I would just stay in at this point. Play it for a while and enjoy it. Sell it later on....

In regards to the OP being in the "first batch" (the ones shipping this month), that doesn't look too good. I got in in late January 2011, and I'm told there's roughly 200 ahead of me, and to look for mine to arrive sometime in May.

live by simple rules. Don't buy what you havn't played. Wait until you play it, then decide if you want to buy it. This should be the rule for every pinball collector. WHen you prorder, your giving the power of price and quality in the hands of the manufacturers. If you wait until you play it, they are more forced to send out a better playing game, that's actually fun and more reasonable price to try and boost sales.

Play WOZ, play pinball!

Sell your WOZ in 2 years when Hobbit is in stock... Or keep WOZ & buy a Hobbit too. I'm sure you can save up for another game over the next 24 months or tire of an existing title or two to sell. A lot can & will happen over the next two years... To you, me, Stern, JJP & the hobby.

Why effectively wait 4-5 years for a JJP game when you can just change up your inventory at that time?

I think you're addicted to waiting on a preorder if you transfer your 2 year old preorder for another 2 year long preorder

I don't accept payment until they approve the art pics when the playfield is done. I do this for 2 reasons. 1. easier on the customer to get funds together. 2. Inspires me to keep working on stuff when I know it causes money to come in. If I collected before hand, it would be to easy to sit around and procrastinate.

the point is, pinball collectors didn't have to take risks. It's not until recently with the new group of collectors, that people feel the need to have to buy the min the word is out that it's being made. I'd say 90% of the long term collectors still run on the principle lets play it first. I'd even be more worried about Jacks stuff because he's new at making games. There are going to be problems anytime someone new starts. Bugs to work out, things that didn't go smoothly. it's going to happen. By game 3 or 4 i'm sure he'll have the system steamlined and the games working great. But if you think there won't be play problems and other glitches, your in for a surprise. Again, wait to play, buy only after a lot of play.

I would keep the Woz and play it, I am not too concerned if I were to get a LE Hobbit or a standard one, we don't even know what differences there will be, it could be just gold trim.

The Hobbit won't be out for 2 years and production may last a good while after that as JJP seems to want to sell a lot pins and not make several different pins every year,

There was a distributor a while back that would do an even trade wozle for the hobbit le. Not sure who he was though.

PM sent if you would like to sell I want a Hobbit but want to get my wife more into pinball. She played WOZ and loved it so I would like to to get one for us.

This is like guys in prison who are afraid to get out.

That made me laugh.

It's pinball, get the WoZ or LotR if you don't like it or like another pin better sell it for a different pin.

That's it and make her think the only reason you got it was for her.

I would take it, and give you one of my unsold Hobbit LE even though the price was different. I get calls or emails everyday for an ECLEWOZ and I only have standard one left. Full disclosure I have not sold James a pin only purchased one.

Buddy

Brother the number means nothing, the gameplay means everything. So play your game (WOZ)!

You are not going to pay another $1000 for a Hobbit in 2 years. I'd bet you'd pay over $1000 less. If JJP makes thousands the value will plummet. If he only makes a few hundred it's because it sucked.

Life is short, health is temporary & wealth is taxed. Tomorrow is not guaranteed so play your WOZ & sell a few games in 2015 to fund Hobbit.

The alternative is to wait.... Some more..... Lame

James, you have 11 games! Take delivery on the WOZ and then see if you want to keep it, sell it or thin out your herd of games to fund Hobbit. LOTR is a great game, but you can pick one up anytime. There is a slight chance that the price of LOTR will increase around the release of Hobbit due to increased demand. I have heard others say they want to pair up both Tolkien themed games. I think if you let WOZ go now, you will regret it.

it's not like there arn't enough going around. 1500 LE's is way more than most actual production games. Everyone who wants one will get one, and there will be plenty left over. Add that to the non LE's. I have a feeling we are going to see the Blowout pricing like we did in the B/W years.

There are 1000 LE's. where did you get 1500?

Maybe maybe not.. I was at TPF.. the game drew a lot of excitement.. and everyone was discussing how or whether or not to start turning an order in for one.. myself included..
It is much better to see and play in person.. the videos and pics do not do it justice..

I guess he is thinking about the Hobbit LE?

Your talking about the hobbit? 1500 le and over 900 are sold according to jack. Will they still be available 15 months from now? It all depends on what happens with woz imo.

Exactly, Alex, you guys have to get a killer WOZ code out there! Then JJP will really sell pins.

We are working on it. But what most people don't realize is there isn't going to be 3,6,9 months or in some games cases, a year between code releases.

Releases will be done regularly and the updates mechanism is smooth and takes just seconds. Even a full reinstall is just a few mins.

So as code matures frequently it will be a walk in the park to update

Keith and Ted are rock stars... The game will be awesome and the ruleset is amazing.

I'm not doing game code. Not my specialty. I'm doing OS, update mech and underpinnings as well as ancillary stuff outside the game itself in support of the game.

I've been a big WOZ supporter and ordered a year ago. My first chance to see or play the game was at TPF this weekend. The game blew me away! I know it is not ready yet, but you are right - the videos don't do it justice. The impact this game has is amazing. The guy behind me asked me who the distributor was so he could order one on the spot. The line for WOZ never went down. It was always the longest line, by far. I made a point of standing near the game listening to the various player comments. Jack has a real winner!

JJW,
You're absolutely right.. it was highly sought after in tournament also..
It was amazing to me that I didn't notice repetition like I thought I would.. call outs from the witch, lion, etc... I don't recall any "follow the yellow brick" song playing over and over again..
video from LCD is the ultimate attract mode and when done will look great...and the toy quality is over the top.. wide body may have influenced this a little...

Same as in Louisville last weekend.

WOZ has its detractors like any pin, but it appears to be a hit with the people at the show. I think it will do very well on location too.

I have your answer. Trade me your WOZ for my TOTAN.

I'd sure like to hear more comments/reviews from people at the show.

Sorry to ask this because if it is something cool you probably won't say... But how will we update it? Is this the usual USB thang? Or something better like a network connection in some way? Just curious because it sounds like we will get lots of them (which is great).

Updates via USB and internet.

I don't think it's been posted whether internet updates will be available right away, or whether the game will include a WiFi adapter to complement the wired network jack.

Thanks for the update! Regular updates will be a huge plus for WOZ.

On a side note...what do you think of having player profiles WOZ? A profile could be loaded up at the start of a game for a specific player. The player would also have the ability to view scores of recent games and track how their overall score has improved (or not, haha) over time.

Curious on the update method. USB stick from downloaded files?

I did the exact same thing. I knew from 2 years ago that Jack was pursuing the Hobbit from talk at Allentown. I knew I'd have to have it, so I skipped WOZ so my funds would be available. It will sit right next to my LOTR, so I'm planning on doing the pairing too.

Jamespin, it might be possible to flip a 6500 WOZLE spot directly now into a fully paid 7500 Hobbit preorder if you find someone who really wants the WOZ right now. Hindsight being 20/20 that would be my play if I were in your shoes. You might be able to get more than 6500 down the line if you play it, but I think with Jack making standard WOZ for some time that it might be more realistic to think you'd get 7000 (it's not like the LEs are rare with 1000 made).

People will weigh having the LE vs playing the first several hundred games on a new standard machine - which from experience I know are different than the next 1000 plays. You have to decide which is more important to you. Getting those magical several hundred WOZ plays or possibly not getting the extra cash.

-Jim

I've been on the fence of selling my WOZECLE #20, as Tax refund was teeny tiny this year. May get a standard later? I don't know. Not even sure what it would be worth as presently not in hand.

Rick. "I'm gonna have me some fun." #190

james, sell right now while you can get the most for the Oz...and not have to worry about shipping. Get the Hobbit you want. You can always get a HUO Oz down the road. If Hobbit and LOTR is your thing...strike when the iron is hot. Just MO

I'll buy for $7500

Exactly how I make all my purchases moving forward. WOZ looks like a game changer that hopefully will make Stern step up their quality control issues, however it is again another new game that isn't finished yet. I'm excited to see and play one but I decided against the title since the theme wasn't a draw for my liking. Either way you seem to be in a good spot as to not loose any $$.

Wow, some of you guys are gluttons for punishment! After waiting over 2 years for the thing, I don't think I could give it up so soon before finally getting it... only so I can begin waiting 1.5+ years for the next one! Life's too short!

I'm not in for The Hobbit. I lived my last two years, wait for ECLE was just background noise.

Like I said, considering selling my spot due to money better spent elsewhere. Not to hijack op's thread; he just made me think about things.

Rick. "I'm gonna have me some fun." #190

You may decide you don't want either game after playing WOZ. No need to rush into dumping money into a game so far away.

I think this may be a good choice for you.

The game will be out in a couple weeks. Pinside servers are going to be taxed with the amount of traffic that will be on all things WOZ. Review the reviews.

Then by Hook or Crook get yourself to an opening party or a friends or a wild game and play the hell out of it. If you love it take delivery of your WOZ in a couple months. If it not trade out your WOZ position for a Hobbit position.

Hope this helps.

I hope for all the buyers of the game and the long extended wait that it kicks butt.