Hobbit Update

As a WOZ owner I was grateful for the updates. I can't tell you how many times I almost bailed. Some of the updates kept me interested (or strung me along). Nothing wrong with all the people funding the game feeling a little bit entitled to and update.

Also JJP didn't have any track record for designing and building games. This was all from scratch. Jack had to show progress or WOZ would have never been built. He would have ran out of preorder money in the first year or two.

Now that JJP has show they can design and build a game (although very slowly and showing no sign of improving)
One could say there is not as much of a need to show progress on TH.

I for one will be waiting until the game is built before I commit this time.

Yea, I felt that kind of attitude too. There was a lot of smack talk being thrown down. But it's all good now, we all love pinball and love looking forward to the next game. I am really excited to see how TH turns out.

Buying pins is like buying DVD box sets.

You can preorder first edition.

You can wait and get the directors cut.

Or wait even longer and buy it in special edition.

So just wait on Hobbit until he announces 3 more versions and then waits to deliver yours til all other customers are cared for.....

I would say wait for the 50th anniversary edition but...

I keep looking at this thread for real updates. 1.5 months and nothing new but banter.

Carry on!

it will be nice when JJP gets to the point like stern, where they announce a title and bam!, it's available for [purchase] 2-3 months (not years) later

imagine what would happen if other other companies took this approach?

baskin robbins:
coming 2017, a new flavor of ice cream that will knock your socks off! keep your eyes and tastebuds peeled for some juicy reveals over the next 24-36 months

ford/gm/jeep/porsche/etc...
announcing the 2020 [x]. nope, you can't buy it now and you still won't be able to purchase it 5 years from now. but we'll gladly take your money to allow you to reserve one. as an added incentive, if you pay in full before 2015, we won't charge you a penalty when it comes ready to ship your vehicle! (hopefully within 6 months of the original promised date)

Has JJP made any comments about Hobbit code completeness at launch? I know he had said WOZ code would be "complete" at launch, and that was not the case. As someone who is thinking of pre-ordering, this is the biggest deal for me. I have no desire to buy a pin with incomplete code ever again.

Please don't turn this question into a bash JJP opportunity...thank you!

I hope they get to that point too but we have seen that starting a pinball company is not an easy thing to do and certainly not while building a pin like WOZ for a companies first machine. I don't mind waiting a year for a pin on the level of WOZ. Stern can come out with 3 titles a year but they are not on the same level of a game like WOZ or TH. Ford, Chrysler and GM all make more vehicles then Ferrari and McClaren but I would much rather wait for the latter if all the vehicles were the same price. Good things like WOZ that offer a lot of value for the money, and code updates, are worth waiting for in my opinion.

I doubt it will be complete at launch. Yes WOZ code wasnt complete at launch but Keith and Ted did complete the code for the game with 3.0 and then some.

^^^^Are you a "volunteer"?

Or the new PR guy?

Or own a collection of broken records?

Just wondering

A year really I don't think so. WOZ a Ferrari please look at all the problems posted on game threads.

The 458 has had as many problems as WOZ.

People are not having problems on the level you are claming. You make it sound like every owner is having light board issues and that can't be further from the truth. I've had my game since November 2013 and its been rock solid. While my ACDC Premium is awesome the quality level, and value for what you get, is no where near what JJP did withh WOZ. If I'm going to be spending $6.5k+ on a pin its only going to be for a JJP game from now on as their games are better built and you get far more game for your money.

Jesus...why does everyone in the world seem to need to pick a side and defend it to the death? I think WOZ sucks, but I think Hobbit looks cool and I'm on the pre-order. I bought a STLE, but I think a lot of Stern games stink and I have no interest in them. Why do people think this has to be all or nothing?

You are not the only offender, and pinball is not the only place this happens. This same idiocy happens in politics all the time. I mean seriously, how does someone blindly agree with EVERYTHING the democrats or the republicans do? Everything in life is a mixed bag...why can't we treat it that way?

Exactly, I think STLE sucks, SM is 10x better, yet I don't feel the need to go into every STLE thread and state that it sucks over and over again. I just don't care about it because I don't own it and have no desire to play it.

If you don't own a pin AND have no desire to play one, why would some people who feel that way, want to go into every Woz thread and waste their time by posting the same tired BS over and over again.

Here's a fact for you, Woz is getting produced, in a few months they will be caught up in production, the overwhelming majority really loves playing Woz, get used to it…….just check a box or something that a faction hates Jack and/or JJP and/or Woz. After three years, we get it.

I'm not picking sides. I like a lot of Stern games and think they make some great products. I enjoy my ACDC Premium whenever I play it.

It has more to do with his business model then it does his game.Saying what the game is years before he is ready to put the game out and taking money years before he is ready have been the cause of all Jacks problems that may be why game three is still a mystery.

I'd think it has a good chance of being complete at launch. They're going full force now on it since WOZ is done, besides the random bug fixes.

The Jersey Jack Whack Pack. Protectors of the realm and defenders against negativity till their warranty is up.

I disagree here. The world has changed and banks are not "giving" money away like they use too! It is very hard to get loans to fund start ups at this level. I collect hotels and right now, unless you have a ton of cash, there is just no way banks will help you out no matter how good the numbers are. Jack has done something on the backs of others, and his own, that would be very tough for someone to do unless they were funding 50 points or higher themselves. Did he make a few tactical errors on the way....sure, but in no way do I disagree nor hate the way he went about it. If you did not want to help someone create a new company in the USA then fine I get that too, but the constant shit slinging about someone that is willing to put his balls and ours, to some extent, on the line and make a go of this really needs to just go away. If you disagree with it don't order simple. I for one am extremely impressed hes made it this far and lets hope for all pinheads sakes he keeps going. End of rant

Well the back of the tube still suggests otherwise.

Well, looking at the glass half-full... WoZ WILL be code complete for the poor bastards that are finally getting them over the next XXXX-ish days

I really like all The Hobbit updates and all the non topic related stuff that has not been discussed before.

Thanks everyone for your well appreciated and constructive contribution and keeping this topic clean from bullsh$t.

yea sorry just tired of the slinging from arm chair entrepreneurs. Back to NO Hobbit updates!

Check your e-mail guys finally some hobbit whitewood updates!!!

There is a Hobbit update now.

Just got an email from JJP....

Going to just cut and paste it for now......

======================

Greetings Pinball Fans,

We had a great time at the Michigan Pinball Expo this past weekend! JJP Distributor, Abel Electronics had 3 WOZ Pinball Machines in their booth which remained extremely crowded throughout the weekend.

Jack and Butch will be heading to the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown this weekend where they will be speaking on Saturday, April 12th at 2:00pm. For more information on this show, visit - http://www.pinballshowdown.com/index.html

The Midwest Gaming Classic is also this weekend! JJP Distributor, KingPin will be at the show with 2 WOZ Pinballs in their booth. For more info on the Midwest Gaming Classic, visit https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/

John Kosmal, Gary of Abel Electronics, Jack and Butch Peel at MPE

Pinball Earnings Rankings from April 2014 Play Meter Magazine - WOZ Ranked #1

Crowds at Michigan Pinball Expo

We are very excited to release an early version shooting whitewood of The Hobbit Pinball Machine! There is much more not revealed including JJP's proprietary target banks as several of them are not populated into this earlier whitewood. Also not shown is Smaug and how he will integrate with game play.

"Joe Balcer created another great game with a lot to shoot for and a lot of challenges. This is a Pinball Battle game" said Jack. The level of player control and strategy in The Hobbit is a departure from what WOZ is. Between Keith and Ted, we can promise a game packed with the depth, modes, and rules that they are well known for.

Early Version Whitewood - The Hobbit Pinball Machine - JJP
Video 1 - Early Version Whitewood - The Hobbit Pinball Machine
Be sure to set video quality to 1080p

Early Version Whitewood - The Hobbit Pinball Machine
Video 2 - Early Version Whitewood - The Hobbit Pinball Machine
Be sure to set video quality to 1080p

Also, see below for a another LCD Animation clip JP DeWin has been working on!

Hobbit Pinball - LCD Animation
Hobbit Pinball - LCD Animation

ECLE WOZ Owners, Brian and Denise Hein just picked up #822 at the factory today!

Pinnovators
Check out some new Mods Pinnovators will be unveiling at the Allentown Pinball Show this year

Ok, now when's the NEXT update...

TH is looking better and better. Really looking forward to seeing this baby finished. Good work JJP team!

hmmm. right flipper seems weak.
But on the "bright side" it looks like they resolved the GI issues...
lol...j/k.

sigh. i really dont want to look at the incremental progress- but then I still click the videos... damnit.

Looks neat! A wide variety of shots, and the orcs to interfere with shooting the same ramp over and over... One might say that they stole it from MM; but why not - It works great!

I wish I were on the list for this game...

Whoa. Troll popups?

Guessing those are just place holders.

Liking the battle axe on the right sling.

Multi - ball animation is cool.

This game already looks so much better than WOZ.

The shots already look so much more interesting. I can feel myself wanting one!

So here's a good look at the playfield...

hobbwhitewood.jpg

Initial thoughts:

Standups and not drops? I assume this is for testing and drops will take their place. Kickback appears to aim at right VUK. Troll popups as expected. Assuming Trumpers are test only and did not get tornadoed to Middle Earth. Big area for Smaug to live in. Like the metal ramps and wide open center area. Slingaxes are cute.

Everything looks great! and thanks JJP for sharing the vids and info. Couple comments on the gameplay videos.

-Top right under Smaug looks like a POTC style spinning disc?

- What do you shoot for with the top left and right flippers?

- Looks like there is a ramp divertor in the top middle ramps to divert the ball L/R I bet that is player controlled ala shadow.

- Pin apron looks like a map "very cool"

what are others thoughts from watching the videos?

From the JJP release:

"There is much more not revealed including JJP's proprietary target banks as several of them are not populated into this earlier whitewood."

--Luke

Mixed metaphors? Are those the WOZ pop bumper trees in the upper right corner?

The far left wire form is not used currently. I assume some way the ball will be diverted onto this left wire form by Smaug's tail or something? down to the left kick back.

That's what I get for looking at the pics before reading the blurb

Want to order a Hobbit LE (Limited Edition) ? $ 8,000. Payment plans available.
Sales@PinballSTAR.com
Or call Joe at 570-357-0042

PinballSTARlogo.jpg

Yepz... hope they don't make it in the final version!

How about the scoring? Isn't it a bit lame to have such a low scoring increments?

I took this for a piece of plastic covering the hole where Smaug will be, not necessarily something that will be in the final version.

Looking at the drawings, I always thought that diverter would be Smaug's tail.

I was thinking the same thing!

--Luke

LOL

It's easy to skip over when there's videos to watch!

--Luke

Again, looking from the drawings, I've always thought that Smaug will be a physical ball lock. When multiball starts, I think the balls will come out of his mouth like fire and end up on the habitrail. If you watch the new multiball animation in the update, it looks like the balls come out of his mouth.

--Luke

Good thinking. That is only one of the things that Smaug is

what are the details are these target banks?

Already some GI present

Good because WOZ is DARK!!!! Hope this is lit well

Go on...

I wonder how similar the entry to Smaug will be to the boss ghost in AMH.

I believe it is mentioned that he not only affects the top but also the bottom of the playfield. I think he will become pretty challenging and difficult to beat and he will give a twist to gameplay and strategy. He is fitted with AI