This has been the patern I see they hire a new PR person and they come up with the same idea more transparent they do it a time or two and then realIze that the artness of the code and shifting priorities and or the difficulty for approval make this an impossible task and the updates stop until then demands start or they hire new again.

Would people buy a car if the software was only 75% complete? Front windows roll down but the rear windows have yet to be coded? No, absolutely not. Yet people line up for NiB with seemingly zero regard for code. As long as they keep doing it Stern has zero reasons to change.

Let's be real about this....the games play "as advertised" and there is no guarantee on how deep or complete the code is NIB or at any point in the future. That's the facts when buying pinball.

Now I think any thought of Stern "lying" is a bit of a stretch but they promote their product as if it will get updated code. lets rephrase the question:
DOES STERN OVER PROMISE AND UNDER DELIVER?

I believe that the announcement of code updates was a strategic way for Stern to avoid confrontation and questions at Expo. I enjoy some Stern Pins and have owned four, two of which are keepers. I would love for them to come up with a game that deserves my hard earned money but the last pins felt stripped and were plagued with quality issues and the game play was lackluster at best.

Yep, GoT could be an absolute masterpiece with very little done to it (some score balancing and a few more sound and voice integration and make the castle multiball have an objective and a couple minor fixes and the game is gold). GoT could be the same level as TWD and Met, but Stern has pulled their team off it and forgot about it or so it seems.

stern (resized).jpg

There's a ton of BS in there, but this line is indefensible: "The games are going to be good out of the box, and then improve from there. "

Their most expensive game ever, Batman '66, was not fun out of the box, and is still in alpha code, 1 year after it was revealed. Literally zero possible, legitimate excuses for that. Zero.

As more things in this world rely on software, this will more and more be the case in our world - software is impossible to keep on schedule.

Updating code would cut into sterns profits.

Now why in the world would they do that when they sell out new titles sight unseen release after release?

If you have to ask you ain't been paying attention.

Lyman is on Elvira and not doing BM66 as much. It's a full year away. Rumor is no update on BM66 before Expo. I cannot believe it, but we will know next week. It's just a joke anymore as Stern had the opportunity to crush the competition. Instead, they opened the door and hurt themselves.

Prioritizing short term profit over long term brand growth is a strategy used by many companies sadly. Some refer to it as cash cowing.

Not all are selling out any longer though. They need to either dispose of the premiums altogether or make the LEs significantly different from the premiums (like Star Trek) and give them a real backglass or something to put some value back in LEs.

Lyman has not been on BM'66 full time since like February, so this is no secret. Gomez was the only one saying he was, but Gomez hasn't been truthful for a long time now, so the smart money just ignored him. I personally believe we'll get an update any day now because I can't imagine them not updating BM'66 before Expo. But I hope if an update isn't released before Expo, they really make Stern's Expo VERY uncomfortable for them. Somehow the customers HAVE to let Stern know this is not acceptable.

Even though I hate this as a consumer, it's smart business for Stern. They need to save money for when the market dips, so they don't go out of business. As much as I absolutely hate to admit it, it's entirely possible JJP could go under if the home market gets soft. (damn, this is a good reason for me to invest in a DI!!). AP, DP, Heighway.. forget it, they would be done. It sucks as a consumer, but imagine you had to make a choice between NO new games at all, vs games that are pretty good out of the gate, and maybe maybe maybe you'll get a code update someday.

Do not buy unless you've played it and know that the code is bug free & finished (or finished enough for you). That's the only thing you can do.

I find it difficult to believe that between strangling puppies and mugging little girls on the way to church, Stern would have time to lie to us about code.

They are so deliciously evil!!!!

I just heard the next pin is going to have sharks with frickin' laser beams on their heads!!

God, I hope not. Their last crack at that IP was terrible.

LOL!!

Lol! Surely poor theme integration that did not create a fantastical world under glass. It did give them a chance to reuse the toilet and poop multiball animation from South Park however.

Speaking of which can anybody tell me why they reused the poop multiball once again for CSI?! Never understood that one.

Because it's a shit game.

Actually the theme integration on AP was pretty good. Each shot got you a funny quote....the time machine multiball started with the ball hovering inside the time machine, Dr. Evil says "come, Mini Me!" and another ball shoots out to follow the other one as it goes thru the portal. When you've maxed out the pops, Austin says "and I'm spent".

Those left and right ramps almost look like they interchange.

My goodness, I knew they were similar but seeing them side by side like that...wow. It's not a FGY/Shrek type of deal but isn't super far from it...more similar than AFM/MM which shoots very similarly.

Acdc still more similar to T2 but this is all old news