Played both this weekend. The hobbit looks great and I love the LCD but that is where it stopped. The game played so slow it just seemed as if there was never any danger of loosing the ball. I suck at pinball and was able to have pretty decent ball times, which was cool but also attested to how slow it was playing. I overheard some other person saying the same thing after walking away from it. I have read that the game was set up wrong. IDK. Even if the game was pitched for more fast play, I don't think I would enjoy it much more. Seemed like there wasn't as many toys to hit or interact with or fun things to do. The trolls were pretty neat at first, but got annoying quickly. I will admit, I didn't have them jam up on a ball the times I played it. Hobbit is a more code based game, something that would take a long time to understand and appreciate.

Ghostbusters was the complete opposite. It was fast and furious. It kicked my ass so quick I had no time to realize what happened. The Slimer toy is really cool looking and I was pleasantly surprised with the art work. Looks much better in person in my opinion. There is a whole lot of stuff to do and interact with in Ghostbusters. I love the the music and call outs, takes me right back to the movie which by chance is a favorite of mine. I love the lines from the movie on the playfield such as "we got one" Just seeing that takes me again back to the movie to her Janine yelling it and slamming that alarm button. I had such an awesome time playing Ghostbusters, I didn't want it to end. I found myself going back to it a few times when there wasn't too many people there. Of the people that I talked to at the show, they were all positive on the game.

So if I had to choose between either game, in my opinion, the clear winner is Ghostbusters. It is fast paced, immersive. Time flies when you are playing it, while time seemed to go on forever when I played the Hobbit. I found myself day dreaming while playing the Hobbit and almost had to force myself to try and concentrate on the game to understand the code. While playing Ghostbuters I found myself really locked in on the game and the nostalgia it brought back from the movie but as I said, I am a fan of Ghostbusters and never got into the Hobbit so that may play a little into it, although I tried to be fair to both. I think both games can be just as enjoyable for the right players. Pinheads that love extensive code and modes will enjoy The Hobbit, while pinheads that love fast paced play with enjoy Ghostbusters.

The slow side-to-side ball movement and the lack of viscerally satisfying shots in THe Hobbit drain much of the energy from the experience.

You're left with a beautiful and cerebrally entertaining game, but for many that isn't enough to captivate them the way Ghostbusters seems to be doing.

Yeah I only put 3 games on GB, but loved it much more than the Hobbit. I can understand owning a pin and "figuring it out over time" but satisfying shots on TH are lacking. Of the pins I have at home, I went through just some of "satisfying shots" and there are lots...

SM: Doc Ock, Sandman, Venon
RS: Bunker, Blast Zone, Ted, Dozer
TSPP: Garage, Couch, Mode Start, Left Ramp
CFTBL: Slide, Kiss, Snackbar, Left ramp
IJ: Mode Start, Both Ramps, Scoop
MET: Cross, Piston, Snake, Sparky, Scoop, Captive Ball

I swear The Hobbit plays even wider than it is. Every toy is outside and feels miles away from the flippers.

I finally got to play Ghostbusters Pro and I'll just add fuel to the fire that it's better than Hobbit in layout and all around fun factor right now. It wasn't a life changing experience or anything like playing WOZ for the first time after understanding the game, but it seems like a solid game.

Hope I'm wrong, but it sounds like Woz is a much better game than TH and therefore will be a bigger seller for JJP so unless they can have a back up game that will ship soon-ish they're going to be in a world of hurt. Or maybe JJP will continue to sell Woz to fill in the gap from TH sales.

Agree. Theres nearly zero "buzz" around TH. ESPECIALLY from those not already emotionally tied to one with a pre-order.

Stern releasing a very well-done game at the same time certainly didn't help...

That's kind of true. What is the delivery status on TH? Is it shipping to people in 'Merica now? I remember some videos when Europe was getting theirs but haven't heard much since. I only know 1 person that had it on order and dumped out of it recently.

Because TH was out for the past 2 years. By the time it finally got here, it was old before it even existed. No shock value or presentation. The way JJP reveals his games, is going to hurt his company more than help it.

Yeah basically everyone I know that bought WoZ initially had a pre-order in for TH and has since dumped it. I don't think I know anyone who is still in and waiting on TH. The flop at Expo and the re-design by committee that followed is tough to stomach I guess. Best to sit on the sidelines. There will always be plenty of time to grab one while they are still in production should it morph into a decent game with software updates.

I don't think any company could maintain a 3 year buzz for a pinball. Does everyone really think that people would be raving about GB if it was announced in 2012 and just coming out now?

Really like how you tied the car leds into the game modes. My car should arrive this week. I tried 4 more Walmarts last night and came up completely empty. Still need Winston with the ghost head. Guess I need to bite the ebay bullet

Not as much as they are, most likely. But that's just the forum buzz.
The interesting part is that people have actually PLAYED them both by now and this would have been the chance for TH to blow GB away. But it didn't, even though JJP had a whopping 4 years to get it right.

If the timeline for TH & GB would have been identical there would be less buzz, but I'd still prefer GB.

Agreed if we're just talking about "marketing, pre-release kind of buzz"

But TH's are in the wild now.... people are playing them. There's no buzz from folks that are actually playing the game. 3 years to get out the door and they stubbed their toe (again) with qc issues AND, (completely inexplicably) way incomplete code.

I can't imagine theres many people that walk away from playing a TH (right now) saying, "damn, I HAVE to have one of those, where do I order." I've played one quite a bit locally and seen people walk away before they even finish the game.... That's NOT the walk-away experience that leads to success.

The first 30 sec of that video summed up a majority of my GB play time: Scoleri Brothers, random super jackpot, drain.

I'll be curious to see what the opinions are on both games in a year. TH is really old news as it's been revealed so long ago and so goes most of the excitment and hype. GB hype right now is nuts as with most games when first announced. The GB hype for me has already began to wear off with constantly hearing the same modes over and over, while TH code is beginning to heat up. Not picking sides, I like both. Just how I feel, and really looking forward to both games.
Aside from the same production date, these are apples to oranges different. Not sure why one has to be a winner over the other, as both look great in very different ways.

Wasn't judging the play, more my experience with GB. Was actually surprised how quickly he got Scoleri and a super jackpot. I am still not sure how I feel about random Supers popping up throughout games.

Well think of it this way, you'll probably never get one in MB which has been a total waste of time drain fest so you might as well pick them up somewhere

I don't think I've played The Hobbit under ideal circumstances, but even with that, I'm just not a big fan of the shot map. There's not much to hit, and it's made worse by spreading the shots out across a widebody. Combine that with the fact that it's broken all the time (seriously, something always seems to be breaking down), and I would easily take Ghostbusters over The Hobbit.

The Ghostbusters vs. WoZ is a more interesting debate, because I feel like the differences are more subjective. GB vs. TH, I think it's hard to pick TH if you're being objective.

I'm *raises hand* this is me; not sure why you consistently preach that no one whos not invested doesnt like this game. Perhaps thats your psycological way of getting people who dont post often to post and get reamed down by the sharks. But ill bite....

I played hobbit for a day at pin party a couple mos ago that Jack attended - probably got 8-10 games in. I was surprisingly blown away. I had a great time on the machine. I'm a rules guy and I could tell people that were playing had no idea what to do except start smaug mb and I don't blame them. As I dissected what was going on with the code, and figuring out shots - I fell in love with the game. I think it's awesome and something special. But I do agree the code needs more, the trolls need to be fixed, and that wire form ramp needs to be fixed...all of which are coming and I think those 3 items will put hobbit back on the map.

There's plenty of flipper action in this pin and a lot of technical 'make you think ' shots.

When I was done, I told the distributor I'll give you $8500 right now if I can have the game next week. He couldn't make those arrangements. I've since spent the $ elsewhere (not pinball), and will look to revisit purchasing a hobbit again when my wallet seems fit. But if I had $8k to spend on either hobbit or GBLE, I'd go hobbit. Now if it were GB PREM + the extra cash, I'd go GB PREM. $8k is just too dam much for a pinball machine for me. Even the premiums are stretching the limits now too as they creep into the 7k range.

No offense to the guy playing in the video but uncontrolled shots/flailing will and should be punished in any game... Gotta control your balls

Edit: Just saw that it was a Kid playing in the video above, not bad for a 10 year old at all!

Watching some of these GB videos...what a drain monster. What's the point of deep code if you are never going to get a chance to see the end? Kind of a waist of programming effort...

...Unless the code is built something like "finish 5 of the possible 30 modes" to get to one wizard mode...then that would give multiple paths to achieve an ending and keep games fresh...

I believe the code is like that. Each ladder has its own wizard mode.

I had the opportunity to play TH and GB. Both are great in their own ways. The Hobbit is an awesome looking game, and I love the huge LCD. Gameplay is fun, but I would need more time to really get into exploring the modes.

When I played Ghostbusters, I was immediately sucked in. The lightshow is one of the best I've seen recently (I just sold my STLE) and the sounds are great. I was worried I'd hear too much of the Ghostbusters theme - but once you progress into the first mode you hardly hear it. In fact, the music is surprisingly good. I've been on the lookout for a new pin. Had they been priced closer, it would have been a tough choice, but, I purchased a GB Pro, and it was delivered last Friday. ...can't wait to get off work and go play it some more.

And yet, you DIDNT buy/order the game, so while you may be disagreeing with my assumption, you certainly are supporting it with your actions....

My point was simple:
I've heard of few people that after PLAYING the game, have fallen in love with it.

btw, that in no way makes it unique in the pinball world... I don't recall hearing very many love-at-first-sight stories about Stern WWE or Mustang either, so it's a simple observation- not an indictment.

I guess I'm one of the few. (Without sounding like an add for the army recruiters)
I chose TH over ghost busters. I may buy GB too down the road.

Can't say I "loved" either one, but I felt I had a better chance for a long term relationship with the Hobbit. Besides, it had a "ring" button on the front. I guess that would be fitting for any long term relationship. (Excuse the pun)

Thought you wanted to here from people that had no pony in the race. I guess I have no idea what you're saying anymore, carry on...

People also didn't overwhelming enjoy MET, Star Trek, and WOZ for a while until the code was further along / completed. TH has two of the best pinball programmers creating the code for the game, it's going to be a masterpiece when finished

Don't ever doubt the power of the Keefer! That man has a gift for telling a themes story and making you feel like you are on a quest through his code work.

I don't think that The Hobbit will ever be a masterpiece, regardless of code. The shot layout just isn't there.

this is the main reason why I'm still interested, but I am not jumping in until I see how it develops. I am sure it will be very good/great code.

Thought you wanted to here from people that had no pony in the race. I guess I have no idea what you're saying anymore, carry on...

He doesn't want actual discussion about it. He just wants to keep giving the same opinion over and over. He has 26 posts in this thread, most of them saying basically the same thing. lowepg has spoken and Hobbit sucks. Don't give a contrary opinion!

I'm looking forward to trying The Hobbit, because I dig drop targets. Having just bought a TWD Premium and a WOZ it's going to be a while before I can even think of another new machine though without selling a portion of my really nice arcade games. In a year or so GB and Hobbit will still both be available. It's not like we all have to make a decision now.

You don't have to appreciate Lowepg or his posting habits but you have to agree: the Hobbit sure as Hell isn't winning any popularity contests at the moment.

In all fairness, everyone has been waiting for this game for so long now, to see it released with very limited code after such a long wait was such a letdown. For JJPs sake, I hope Keefer releases monster code in short order and we don't get another Xmen on our hands, where the game isn't given its fair dues purely because everyone's already given up.

Yes, but theres a big difference between those games and TH.... layout.

In fact, there was guy here on pinside, I forget who, who was VERY passionate about about the number of awesome toys JJP put in WoZ... not sure why, but TH seems almost bare compared to WoZ (toy-wise).

I just don't see software making that playfield less lonely

Now- the trolls are the one wildcard I see as being a way for him to "change" the playfield. I know many have complained about the trolls (deservedly so), but they *DO* represent a way to alter the playfield a bit. I think they will become a big plus for this game eventually (vs somewhat of an annoyance now).

Wait a minute...stop the presses!! Now the layout on WOZ is good? Pinside has claimed the WOZ layout blows for years. Good to know people have finally came around.

If you've been around here long enough, you learn the pattern of things.

People never stop making proclamations, even if they've been wrong in past threads.

Nothing stated in this thread has proven a thing about either game. Time will tell, not all the prognosticators.

The only takeaway here is GB is favored over TH at this early stage.

no they were right. WOZ layout does blow. So does TH.

ummm, how you suppose to see the lanes now? They reflect up on that plastic piece as kind of a ghost image.

You don't have to appreciate Lowepg or his posting habits but you have to agree: the Hobbit sure as Hell isn't winning any popularity contests at the moment.

Oh good, I'm glad that you used my post as an opportunity for you to repeat what lowepg has already stated 26 times in this thread.

ZUUL!

Well I guess that makes it 27 then, huh.

I agree. Anything new creates a buzz. GB will be just another Stern, the buzz will go away and everyone will be on to the next pin.

You BETTER not tell us you found the Zuul at Walmart.