Well, to be fair, I highly doubt Kaminkow would say "These aren't selling at all, and it cost us 7 figures for the license."

There are NIB Beatles to be found EVERYWHERE here in the States, occasionally being priced around 6600, so sales aren't exactly booming.

I’ve been told Stern has built all the games but as posted above they are still available at Dealers.

80-85% sold could be based on less Gold's made, and thus...BS.

Has it ever been proven-all 1500 golds were built?.... and why THIS title to tell us how many would be made. Stern never does that.

Kam is also likely categorizing Stern selling to a distributor as a sale.
On that note, 80-85% sold could be right.
Count what remains in distributor's hands as unsold NIB.
This number easily falls to 65-75%.

Hard to say.

But it looks like the Golds may still be in production.

Screen Shot 2020-02-05 at 9.12.19 AM (resized).png
Screen Shot 2020-02-05 at 9.12.54 AM (resized).png

They thought this was going to be sell better than it did, after all it's the best theme possible. But while I'm one of the biggest Beatles fans out there, I didn't pick it up. Why?

Price is ridiculous
Art and photos suck
I already have a Seawitch

It's apparent Stern got greedy and overestimated the demand, otherwise these would have been gone a long time ago. How much does that carrying cost add up to?

Speaking of art, whoever did the design either has no history/knowledge of the 1960's, nor do they know anything about the Beatles or their work. Probably some millennial somewhere came up with this shit. It's ghastly, and I'm surprised that it was approved by Apple. I mean, you've got some of the best themed art/music packages in history (Hard Day's Night, Help, Revolver, Yellow Submarine, Sgt. Pepper, etc), and you put that out?

Its kind of interesting how this thread has progressed. The OP went from very critical to being a Beatles owner. People were predicting (with lots of thumbs up) that this game would be selling for under $4k within a few months on the used market. I would agree that the Diamond and Platinum models were ridiculously priced but those are apparently also the versions that are sold out.

I was a Seawitch fan who was hesitant to buy this at first also due to the cost and relative simplicity of the game. I'm now an owner after playing it a lot on location. The game goes way beyond Seawitch in my opinion. The problem with Seawitch is once you max the bonus there isn't a lot to do except go for the spinner which isn't worth much. Beatles makes it easier to make the upper loop shot, adds a spinning disc, a second spinner, and a jackpot shot. The game also has modes and rules that allow multiple scoring strategies. I actually feel they did a great job with the art and theme although I realize that is subjective.

This is a game that didn’t need to fly off the shelf to be successful.

Even with the high licensing cost I’m going to wager the margins on this thing are high enough that they are just doing fine with the pace of sales.

Every day it stays on the shelf is a day of opportunity cost wasted, which also eats at that margin.

Not for Stern...the distros have bought them all correct? They may be sitting at the distro but that wasn’t what I was saying.

Such a killer game. I love playing Beatles.

I'd be interested in a used one if the price got around $5K but I don't see that happening.

Whatever is ridiculous is such a subjective value. Someone in NY is going to think finding a closet to live in for "only" $2000.00 per month is a good value. Around here, $2000.00 per month will get you a nice large house to live in.

I have Seawitch, as well. I like it. But Beatles has more going on. Stern did a nice update.

I have a friend with a Beatles. I like that, too, but it is too rich for my blood and I am out of room, but it is a great player and when you are playing, all of the colors (at least for me) sort of disappear. It is not photogenic and looks much better in person. In person, the colors look more muted. It also looks good in a line up.

this

Put me down for a used one in a couple of years when it becomes affordable. Meantime, there’s one at Cidercade.

Me too. $5k would be the price for me. It is a great game.

sucks?! ghastly?!

Art appreciation is subjective and to each their own, but this criticism seems a bit harsh.

Granted, the art package doesn't reflect actual Beatles album artwork (which surely would have cost mega $$$ beyond the already expensive license rights obtained), but I think it accomplishes what it needs to - a colorful, fun looking, arcade GAME that captures the essence of other mass marketed early Beatles products - within a modern pinball machine geared for sales in a nostalgic sales market.

Just my personal opinion, but FWIW, I think Chris Franchi and Ka-Pow did a great job with this and I will be only too happy to add a Beatles to my gameroom!

You are correct that art is subjective. I just don't believe it capture the essences of their early career, not the album artwork, the flyers, the press photos, the stages, etc. What it is, is a 2019 perspective. I get that the artists probably were given marching orders. I don't think it works at all, in fact it actually distances me from the game. I was really wishing for something similar to what the Rockband package was. They got it dead on. Even the videos were top notch, but since George's son was spearheading that project, it isn't a surprise.

Some one mentioned this several months ago: It has all of the colors of those teen beat magazines of the era.

Stern tried to go for the money grab it backfired. This game isn't worth 25k and there is NO difference really between the three versions to warrant that kind of price. Stern was banking that the Beatles are rated the best band in music history... but their music doesn't really go really well with pinball for starters.

I bought a Beatles brand new in the box for $6800 dollars. The game is very nice, the artwork is incredible, and overall the game is very fun!

From a theming standpoint I think its one of the best games Stern has ever done. The game didn't sell I think because of the price and the Beatles just don't sit well with pinball.

if Led Zep game is made I'm curious how that would go over as well... not sure I could play pinball to Stairway to Heaven honestly.

The groups that are screaming for a pinball is Nirvana, Queen, Beastie Boys, or try something different MJ, Prince something in that lane.

Either way Beatles is a very nice game if you can get it at the right price.

Art package is great and reflects the "Beatlemania" early 60s theme.

Stones is covered in Stones LP covers and everybody hates it.

Doing a quick web search...
$8,299 game room guys Gold
$10,000 Hammer Schlemmer. Either the gold edition or that’s just the photo they used.

At the time of Flip N Out's Beatles stream w/ Mike Vinikour last week, Zach Meny was offering a Beatles Gold "special" of $7,500 w/ free shipping. Sales tax extra presumably.

And would have been great for a Herman's Hermits or a Peter & Gordon pinball, not (possibly) the greatest band in human existence.

Hate to break it to you, but they were basically the Jonas Brothers in 1964. Phenomenal music, yes, but image wise?

Beatles lunchbox.jpg

I would buy one for around 5k as well

Yes - but how much would you pay for a Beatles if Stern had been able to include one of these "certified" actual bed sheet scraps (ala Elvira SLE)???

beatles-slept-here (resized).jpg

Hmm...can't agree with the Joanas Brothers comparison, but that's for another day.

Just because something looks like shit once, doesn't mean that you have to repeat it. In the end if people dig it and they are happy with their purchase, then that is all that matters.

0006954_beatles-lunch-box-magical-mystery-tour_105 (resized).jpeg

For a while there, GameRoomGuys had Beatles Gold for $6799 shipped...but I need to see one at 6000 or less, and I'm a player. Love the game, everything about it, but the price.

But that's the era they licensed.

And FWIW I think the game looks great.

I am convinced that Stern's decision to create the Diamond and Platinum versions was a consequence of the eye-raising prices fetched by Stern's Supreme. I am likewise convinced that Stern's decision in this regard was misguided.

Notwithstanding, I find The Beatles Gold version to be a successful design on all fronts. I suppose that I hold the minority view that it's a good value, in light of the bill of materials and licensing costs.

The only other British Invasion band theme that appeals to me more than the Fab Four is The Zombies. Regrettably, nobody is ever going to make a game based on The Zombies. Too bad because a She's Not There disappearing ball feature could be fun and a Time of the Season jackpot mode could be epic.

Maybe they should have gone with the album art for the white album? Wait, I guess the Supreme game already did that!

For me personally, never cared for Yellow Submarine art; although I do like Revolver. However, when I look at the songs in the game, it's the early stuff and almost all of those early albums like A Hard Days Night, Help, With the Beatles, and Meet the Beatles don't have art per se, just a pic of the Beatles. I think they did a good job capturing the feel of the 60's.

Not an owner; however, if I see one close by for a good price, I'd be very tempted. Seems like a fun game with short ball times (a good thing sometimes)

I agree with the apparent majority that they picked the least desirable era of the Beatles to base the pin on. I'm sure they had reasons that made sense on paper, earlier songs were shorter more pop like that maybe seemed more suited to a fast paced pinball machine but it sucked all my interest out of the pin. If it had been the later songs with a more surreal art and playfield design I might have talked myself into spending the premium amount to get one.

Easy to criticize though, much harder to actually create something. At least they made a game that a lot of people find really fun.

3 Golds at Player One in Toronto for 9000 Canadian.

My second favorite British Invasion band is The Zombies. Had the opportunity to see them three times in the last few years. They made some amazing music in a few short years.

I was fortunate to snag front row tickets to see The Zombies at the Borgata casino in Atlantic City in about 2001. Back then, the band actually autographed compact discs and souvenirs. Vocalist Colin Blunstone was very gracious to have posed for this photo with me.

About 2 years ago, my teenaged daughter, an old soul, accompanied me to see The Zombies just a few miles from our house in southern New Jersey. She loves the band so much that she utilized their song, Telescope (Mr. Galileo), during the credit run in her film school application short film. Check it out:
https://vimeo.com/373118593

20200206_001058 (resized).jpg

In that era, all/most all of the magazines were printed in color on the cover page only. Look, Life, MAD, etc. Open that rag up and all of the pages inside were in black and white. The Beatles on TV were black and white. The Beatles trading cards were black and white. Fan magazines were B&W The pics on the back of the album covers were B &W.

If Stern has made The Beatles B & W I would probably liked that better than the color bomb but as I noted earlier, in person is looks fairly good, IMO.
But I think a B & W Beatles would have kicked.

That is super cool. I think they are respected enough for what they created, since they were not together long enough. I'm just thankful I got to see Chris White perform with them.

I was very critical of this game when it first came out, thought it was a blatant rip off in just about everyway you could name, but having had a lot of time to play one, my opinion of the game itself has changed a lot. I still think the pricing was ridiculous, and there are a few things I don't love on the game itself, but I do really enjoy playing it, and I think Stern did a very good job of taking a classic single level playfield, adding a few wrinkles, (spinning disc, magnets, target behind the drops) and crafting a ruleset that really works, and always makes you think you can do a little better!!

I plan to add one to my collection at some point, it will probably never get down to the price where I thought they should be, but sometimes you just have to give in.

George Gomez said he wants to do a Yellow Submarine version. That's probably what Stern will do in 2021/22 after they sell 1,964 units of the current version(s).

image (resized).jpeg

Hope not. Yellow Submarine is by far the worst Beatles album.

Hard to disagree but seems unlikely they'd base it on the soundtrack album, which is largely made up of obscure instrumental background scores. The title track (from Revolver) and Nowhere Man (from Rubber Soul) are both standouts.

Other than "Hey Bulldog" , there is not one song on YS that I would want to play pinball to.

Best song on YS, by farrrrrrrrrr....I agree.

I have wanted this pin since the first time I played it at a dealers. I am an unabashed beatles fan but this pin has the most 'one more game' vibe to it of any that I have ever played. Desperately want one but they are so damn expensive (which I totally understand is because of licensing etc) I have zero income since Covid 19 and a large mortgage but am still considering buying one every day to ease the isolation! Re another beatles pinball, In terms of songs and art, Sgt Peppers would have to be the obvious choice?

They really aren't "so damn expensive" relative to other modern Stern titles. This was recently listed for $6,300.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/for-sale-the-beatles-gold-edition-22

you can get a used pro of most games for 5k or less and they have alot more to them.

Comparing it a Pro is silly, sorry.

The game is outfitted like a Premium (not interested in digging into the details, which I've done in other threads).

I've had my eye out for awhile. I've seen a a few at around $6k for the gold and platinum's around $8k. Nothing local, however. If one came up around here at that price, I'd be very, very tempted.

Agreed. I've had mine since it was released in 2018...bought it NIB for $7,500. When I purchased it, I justified the price based on the costly license and limited/fixed number of games being produced. The license is timeless and I believe this game will grow in popularity.

I'd love to see Stern do more 80's reworks/rethemes...80's games are a bitch to maintain and having a modernized, much improved Seawitch inspired design is awesome. Very fast, tough game. Short ball times which makes it a great multi-player game.

Good luck finding one...highly recommended!