Quoted from Monster_Bash:It's already been done. (Gottlieb King Of Diamonds - remake)
Yes and No.
This looks like an EM but is an SS based system which is a very good system by the way, just not EM.
Also these guys were not truly successful and sold only 100 machines that took a few years to sell and are no longer making these which is sad as if they were successful they certainly would have made more titles which was the closest thing you could get to an EM currently.
Quoted from o-din:If it was affordable (by todays market), say under $4000, would you buy it, and what features would you like to see? Detroit has had no problem selling recreations of classic cars, I don't see why pinball should be any different.
I think $4000.00 may be feasible for parts alone but I am not current with costs of that type of production. Wiring, Relays, Switches, Bells, and Score Wheels would not be a problem but Steppers,Score Motors, and wiring harnesses might be as they were all set up different. If someone could design a universal Stepper/Score motor/wiring harness then I think that would be the key.
The hardest part to me would be figuring out the Ruleset of the game and then applying the electrical functionality of it to the game IMO. You need folks who truly understand how to put this together and at the same time make it fun if it is a new title. Also do you use old technology from one of the big 3 manufactures of the EM era or design your own or intertwine the technology?
An idea to cut costs if someone was to entertain this idea of a NIB EM may be to sell it as a kit to keep costs down which would also appeal to the true pinball project guys such as myself. You assemble the wood cabinet/head, Cabinet Relays would be compete and you just solder the wiring harness to the switches, etc to them. You assemble the Playfield completely as well which would have all artwork and clearcoating done already from the factory.
If you could work out all of the details on how to put the whole package together it sure would be nice huh? I would like to see it happen but...................................
The reality is trying to sell it. It will not happen anytime in the near future or maybe not at all because as long as people can buy project EM games for $200-$500 they are not going to pay $4000 for a NIB EM as most pinball folks tend to be frugal in this regard IMO.
EM's would have to get to the point that it costs $1500.00 or more in the U.S. for a project EM which is most likely 25 years from now or more because of supply (still plenty) and demand (low) and most of the people who are interested and grew up with these types of machines like myself sadly will no longer be around to see it IMHO.
The bottom line IMO is to enjoy and try to save the EM's we have now from the dumpsters because once they are gone, they may well truly be gone for good.
Ken
