You played it at Ohio and have it already? Wow.

Yes. Played it on Friday and ordered then. Emailed on Tuesday to get a feel for timeframe and they had one sitting there. Paid in full on Wed morning and shipped same day. I picked up today at trucking center instead of waiting 2-3 days for at home delivery. Got lucky!

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Just curious, but who did you buy it from?

That's gotta hurt someone that's been waiting for 3 years.

Brucipher - I sent you a PM.
Falcon Punch - I agree; I would be pissed.

I have no idea JJP's order of making these. Dealer I bought from may have had a customer back out, I simply don't know. When I put down deposit, I expected a 2 - 4 month wait.

At Ohio show there were 2 X Smaug Gold SEs and 1 x LE.

It's understandable, I think everyone knew it was going to happen.
Code still isn't complete so I don't think an extra month or so is that painful for those that have been waiting that long.

Not sure why, maybe because it's so close but the last month has been the worst for me. Been in since November 2012. Found out this October my distributor wanted to wait until a couple hundred games shipped out before his were built...I get it, just sucks. Been told late April but not holding my breath. Glad some of you guys are getting your games!

Had this happen on a local machine, it was like that when I stepped up to it and no amount of wailing on it could get it unstuck (even rolling over the lit Spider inlane didn't free it, the popup just kinda wiggled under its trapdoor). Kinda surprised the game wasn't going into ball search. Played two decent games on it anyways, even with the handicap it's fun. I can't think of another game like it.

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I don't believe the machine you played has the latest software version. The game I played over the weekend has version 1.01 and when a ball jammed in a pop up the machine performed a ball search.

Um beta code had ball search too. And the machine I played got a ball stuck in a popup once the whole night it was played and the ball search wouldn't free it up. Curious if this will be a widespread problem. Once every 50 games isn't bad for a HUO game, but I couldn't imagine it being good for location games.

The code update states "Beast mechs now check up switch". I assume that to mean a fix to the jammed ball issue. On the game I played, the ball jammed twice, and both times it went into ball search to successfully release the ball. I had played the same machine previously with old code and a ball jam required the tech to remove the glass.

Good to hear!

I'm actually curious to find out if this does fix ball jams. Come to think of it, the machine I played beta code on was trying to cycle Orc pop ups but failing due to the ball be so lodged in. Guess we'll find out with more up to date code reports.

It's interesting that the machine could start a game with a missing ball.

Most multi-ball games will start a game with a missing ball with some software compensation to deal with it; it often goes wrong if the stuck ball gets unstuck in hilarious ways. Heck, there's some 80s games had a spare ball in the trough in case one went missing.

The game will start if is missing a ball. When I played,a ball was stuck on the right plastic and was firmly lodged. I hit start 3 or 4 times to get it going.
The same machine also had a broken spring on a drop target. Easy to fix and no big deal but it will probably be smart to keep extra on hand given the amount of cycling they see.
This was in a high volume arcade so this may never be an issue in the home.

It seems that some of the modes have this audio attached and some at this point just have video. I'm sure eventually it will all be there.

That should teach them to preorder.

Couldn't you bang it out with another ball?
The games I played had a ball get stuck in the same place but ball search got them out.

Nice review and discussion, I believe this pin is starting out with a handicap.

Horrendously late, like late, to make people not care about it. It's announced at same time as The Avengers pin.

People (some) don't like the movies. I'm not alone in who have watched one film and kind of could care less about the other two. Might be the other two are better but Peter Jackson butchered the movies in so many ways as to make it into a whole different animal than the book.

Some people don't like the gameplay, ramps, layout whatever. I've played a grand total of 2 games on it (2-ball at that). I was not blown away in the least. However that was last year at a pin show and didn't really get much of a feeling for it. Much like TWD I think some people would dislike it initially and later do a 180 after code and more play time.

I've had many experience where I love a game from the get go: Tron, IM, Met. But I've also had games I was meh or disliked initially that later I love such as tspp, ST, XM. I think TH is for me in the side that I'm on the fence/dislike but I wouldn't doubt given time my opinion could turn on a dime.

I hit it a couple dozen times hoping to do just that but it was pretty well lodged in there, and the pop-up itself was jammed.

I just had the spider trap door grab a ball for the first time. I am running software 1.01 and after a few seconds a ball search began, the spider popped up and freed the ball. No problems! Except of course that I was so surprised that I let the ball drain - oh well. Looks like the new software has addressed this issue.

Yep, that model is dead.

Or A distributor bought a bunch of them on day one and he's got them in stock. Nothing Wrong with that.

If it happens again and it frees, let us know. The trap doors can grab a ball and ball search could free it on the earlier code, but the problem is that when the ball gets really lodged in the door, the ball search would still engage but the pop-up was so tilted because the ball was lodged in that it doesn't have enough to go back up to release the ball. So it really depended on how far back the ball lodged in the pop up.

Nah. Don't make excuses. The same thing happened on my woz. Local distributor calls up an says he will pay for 10 games but needs them now. He will get them preorders or not.

Look at what I will have Friday night to play. My hobbit will be landing tomorrow.

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Best score I can do so far.

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I hope to own TH some day.

Beautiful pin

Very good points. 1.01 to 1.10 is a huge improvement. I love it. Smaug definitely has alot more callouts. It's fantastic.

There boils be no need to preorder. The loca distributor called and ordered a few last week and low and behold they're on the way. He will have some in stock next week it sounds like. You should be able to call around and find one. Just like with WoZ, new order distributor cash is taking priority over preorders. JJP rule: preorder and you're last in line.

I do remember something in regards to callouts from a actor but it's been awhile.

Very cool TH is definitely on my radar. I would really like to get some quality time on one before I jump.

Wow...the ultimate slap in the face. Hard to believe JJP didn't "fix" this practice after doing it to early WOZ adopters.

Don't forget, there are some of us that are intentionally putting off our Hobbit delivery until manufacturing issues are worked through ... on advice of our distributor. Not sure how much of an effect that is, but it is something.

I called my distrib and he purchased more than half of his games for inventory day one. Not hard to see why games are available. It comes down to order date.

Once the software is mature this game is gonna really shine. Jersey Jack is doing awesome things.

Bobby,,, I have a similar story: (but this was from a few years ago. About a similar JJP experience)

I have an Amazing story to tell. This just happened to me. This is a 'Happy' delivery story to bring smiles to all who read it, and especially my wife, whom will never read it, but has the biggest smile of all.
So, as the story goes, I have been interested in the Wizard of OZ for a little bit. Kinda started with my interest in The Hobbit and my questions and concerns regarding pricing, ordering, pre-order cash installments, wait times, etc. Throughout the reading of many posts it was decided that I should wait on The Hobbit. Perhaps I could take my money and do more with it until the actual product is released and reviewed. So I focused my efforts towards WOZ. Reading, discussing, calculating differences among the various models, pricing, and delivery times. Should I put a deposit on a Standard?, a Ruby Red?, or purchased a used Limited Edition (which are all sold out, however not all have been delivered as of the date of this posting).
Hmmm,,,,, what to do. This has been on my mind for awhile now. Should I pay a Premium for a used WOZECLE, place a deposit on one of the others, or outright purchase a NIB from a distributor that has one in stock. So, I have been going back and forth, trying to make a decision. Been keeping in touch with a distributor that has them in stock but just needed to get the nerve to pull the trigger.
I have read nothing but GREAT reviews of the product, and customer service of JJP, but have read so much from folks expressing displeasure with the actual delivery schedules. In fact they are downright mad about not receiving a product that they had preciously paid for. (and rightfully so.)... But those that have finally received their pinball machines quickly went from dis-satisfied to extremely HAPPY!... So there lies my indecision and where can I just smile through the whole process and not deal with the frustration of 'waiting'. Hmmmm.... back again, to the distributor, NIB, in stock.
I had full confidence in the distributor, I had the funds available at the moment, the wife has given her blessings, and the stars were aligned and brighter on this night then I have seen in along time. Time to pull the trigger!
And so I did! Pulled the trigger!.... Contacted the distributor Saturday AM (04-26-14).... Received WOZ in my home at 9:58AM Sunday AM (04-27-14), NIB, numbered plaque, signed by Jersey Jack himself. Invisiglass, Shaker motor, and 5 bright new shiny balls!......... WHOO- HOOO!
I cannot express my appreciation enough to Buddy Heron of Mountain Entertainment (authorized JJP distributor), David Wagers, and Dakota. These are fine people that you want to meet someday.
In my home: 9:58AM Sunday.....

(like I mentioned this was a few years ago when WOZ was first released.,, I think I might pull the trigger on Hobbit.)

Buddy it the greatest!

I have had nothing but good things to say about my RR woz, and it still amazes me. I'll be pulling the trigger on th tomorrow hopefully.