If you look at the playfield art, you will notice that as you move up the playfield, the "art" goes dark blue, as in solid dark blue. That is contrary to what I have seen on pins in the past, and makes me think that there is some reason that the art was toned down so as to not compete or conflict with "art" above the playfield. If I was going to design a pin with attention-getting details/toys/features mounted on the playfield, the last thing I would do is create a playfield below them with a lot of busy artwork.

Thoughts anyone?

I had thought that the "aim-able" outlane kicker was removed from the game in a subsequent update. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

LOL. You are now responsible for the Coke on my keyboard. Unexpected and great response.

WOZ was the easiest pin I have ever moved. Two of us took it apart into the playfield, the cabinet, and the head, easily carried each part up some difficult stairs, and put it back together. 30 minutes and no hernia. I wish all pins were this detachable. Good design IMHO.

This thread becomes incoherent when you put a certain individual on your "ignore user list", but it does make for some interesting reading.

P.S. Don't bother responding if you are ignored, I won't see it anyway.

Is the studio giving JJP the freedom to create new lines (i.e. Smaug taunting you like the witch in WOZ)? If JJP is limited to movie lines, then I would guess the repetition is going to be obvious at some point while playing. While denigrated by some, I think the custom lines for the characters in WOZ make that pin so much better, and there are so many different lines that any repetition is mitigated to a large degree. I know that the cost of hiring the actors seems prohibitive (I am not opening that "can of worms"), but wonder if the studio will even allow JJP to record new material by voice impressionists.

If it isn't obvious, my biggest concern with this pin is the limits that the studio is placing on JJP, not what JJP is capable of creating or producing.

I have been wondering this myself, then thinking I must have missed something as it is never brought up.

Clarification would be much appreciated if Alex or Keith or anyone else from JJP would like to comment, even if it is a "something exciting is still coming" comment.

The question is whether the pre-pay discount will go away as JJP gets to the point of rolling out pins more like Stern. There was a notable discount for WOZ and Hobbit if you were willing to take a chance with Jack, which has paid off. In the future, the "chance" opportunity may go away. So ... are the prices we see for Hobbit today ($8k+) going to be the starting price for Pat's game? We shall see.

Alex,
Is there a gold that you can point to at prismaticpowders.com that approximates the gold on the SE? I liked the gold on the early renditions on the JJP website, but the latest picture looks more brassy. I am curious what the color will look like in person.

Thank you.

Darin, You are I are in the same boat ... and both have orders with Buddy. I like the SE, but am wavering based on the color of the trim in the last pic which is the most recent. The first (older) pic is much better than the second in my opinion. Alex, any insight you can provide is much appreciated

hobbit_se_2-531.png
336127-i-98.jpg

I like the red Smaug, but he isn't really that red in the movie ... or the book. I am sticking with the gold Smaug in my SE.

My understanding is that Hobbit will be as WOZ in that it will have separate components that can be taken apart and reconstructed easily. Buddy's (Doughslinger) people helped me take apart my WOZ when it was delivered and it was very simple to move upstairs past some challenging corners. It went back together flawlessly in less than thirty minutes. There were three parts: the cabinet, backbox, and playfield. I will be doing the same with Hobbit.

Wow! +1,000,000
Thank you for so eloquently putting my feelings in words!

Every day I see the number of new postings in this forum and I can't help but look, thinking...
perhaps this is the day that we get a Hobbit update.

Every day I close the thread knowing that I was fooled once again.

I think this thread is making me neurotic.

Dang! I saw the posts and, not being able to stop myself, I checked again ... nothing.

This is becoming obsessive-compulsive.

I know this may sound like I am echoing a number of you, but the purchase of Hobbit is really coming down to a couple of issues that I have not yet worked out in my head. I would really appreciate any insights from those of you that have played the game, and particularly those that saw the raw WOZ early on and watched it transform into (IMHO) a great pin.
1) The videos on the Hobbit feels more like a chance for Peter Jackson to rerun Hobbit outside the movie theater. I am not a fan of the Wizard of Oz movie, but the clips from the movie augment the game nicely without taking over the LCD. I don't get the same feeling from Hobbit. I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, but am not actually going to see the last Hobbit movie as I thought the first two were meh, and I honestly figure I will see enough of the third Hobbit movie when I play pinball.
2) On the other hand, I am up against my self-imposed budget of $7500 on a pin. If Pat's game comes out higher (seems highly likely) then I am out on new JJP pin purchases. The Hobbit may be my last chance to get a JJP pin in a long while. I am currently in at $7500 for a Hobbit SE.
3) While the game does seem floaty, I do set my pins at 8 degrees, so that should speed things up. I am still unsure if that will be enough to make a difference.
4) I want to be immersed in the Hobbit story when I play. I love STTNG for that reason. WOZ is good at this, but not great. Hobbit should be great at this, but I am not seeing it in the current configuration. My tendency is to believe that Keefer will come through here, but it is not a certainty. The current modes seem pretty random.

I appreciate any thoughts and comments.

I should add that I liked what I saw in the battle of Bilbo and the dwarfs against the three trolls. When the video reacts to target hits, that is cool. That would immerse me in the battle and motivate me to hit targets within a certain time. That has been my favorite reveal from the pin so far, but I no longer see it on the videos of the live game.

I am also excited to see what Keefer does with the drop targets, which is yet to be revealed.

It makes for one hell of a fun game that way

It looks like I will be setting the incline of the playfield to 15 degrees on this pin.

True, but what are the options at this point? If you step out of your order, you will lose the discount from getting in early ... and the game seems to be getting better.

There has to be a good colloquialism to use here ...

Good things come to those that wait ... er ... patience is a virtue ... er ...

Wait, I got it ... nothing good ever came out of a pre-order.

I hope so. The major missing piece is the callouts ... and that is absolutely critical. A Gandalf sound-alike would be fabulous.

Jersey Jack doing an Orc impression would not be so fabulous.

This message solidified my purchase. I am not looking back now. Thank you Ted

They need this guy ...

I can imagine Keith making the shots illuminated in Smaug's fire breath as negative point shots (i.e. You want to avoid being turned into toast.)

I can't wait to see how he is going to program all of this. This may well turn out to be Keith's magnum opus.

Ted Estes just indicated that the guy from the video (I posted earlier) is on the audition list and is being considered for the voice talent for the callouts. Yeah!

He does make a good point. There should be something to regularly aim at with that top flipper. Perhaps it is coming in the code, but I don't see it. With WOZ, there are shots from that top right flipper that are difficult but only possible from that flipper (i.e. into the haunted forest) and shots that are best taken from that flipper (i.e. the witch). I don't see that in Hobbit ... but I trust that Keith will find a way to incorporate the flipper somehow. He deserves the benefit of the doubt here.

I am sure hoping that one of the modes in the game features the skirmish between Galadriel, Elrond, Saruman and the nine witchkings at Dol Guldur. That is a great scene. As much as I dislike Saruman in LOTR, he kicks a$$ in that scene:

C'mon Keefer, make it so.

That will be better memories than the nightmare of those who may eventually manage to have a Magic Girl sitting in their house.

I probably prefer the LE overall with more scenes ... I just can't stand looking at nutsack king and remembering that stupid part of the first movie (IMHO) and my wife does not want to see the white orc. So ... the decision is made for me I guess.

You know, for movies titled The Hobbit, there wasn't really a lot of Hobbit in them. Frodo and the other hobbits had more interesting parts in the Lord of the Rings movies, and that didn't even have Hobbit in the title.

DP

I think that an upgrade to the current left top of the pin is wishful thinking ... but that does not mean that you are the only one wishing.

Not for my wallet.

How long do playfields need to cure after clearcoat is applied? Can they be installed in a pinball machine within weeks?

Any updates on the voice talent?

I know I personally am losing faith. I was hoping for at least an update on production and some news about voice talent.

What bothers me is that Jack trumpets an accomplishment when it occurs, but has nothing to trumpet now. At this point, no news implies bad news as in that nothing has progressed, not that there is no news.

I was excited that he found new investors, and that information was shared and celebrated. But now, no news at the open house doesn't sit well as I know if there was good news, it would have been shared.

Has anyone been keeping track of the modes we have seen to date? I haven't seen the troll fireside battle in action, but the videos showing it proceed as you get hits was impressive. I am not sure what you have to hit though and assume that it is still in the software.

Not so impressive was a mode I saw on a video that requested you alternate sides on hitting targets. Also bash the orc repeatedly on the orc interogation seemed pretty simplistic. I know pins need a blend of mode dificulty level, but I haven't seen any modes on any posted videos yet that grabbed my attention.

What have you all seen? It would be nice to have a feel for the level that these modes are embedded into the story. I think that is what gets me on the early release of videos. It is "get three locks and fight Smaug" over and over again. It makes the pin look less interesting than it probably is.

I think Alex indicated that it is not realistic to powdercoat ramps, but the habitrails are supposed to match.

My thinking exactly. My WOZ was okay when I first got it, but the code kept getting better and better over time. While I would not have likely kept it if it still had the initial code, it is not going anywhere now. It is too deep and compelling at this point.

That's funny, my midlife crisis is probably why I am buying pins.

GLWS