That’s more than STLE was. Granted that was years ago but goes to show that what people thought was expensive back then now gets you a pro level game.

pretty obvious that this roll out without a price was just so Stern can see the reaction and adjust as needed prior to the 6th.

They try to milk it for all they can and hoped people would jump. No details on real price and just 'leaked' stuff, lol.
Then they get guys like FUN to come on here and try and hype that it is super limited and half will be going overseas. "get it now, before it is gone" bs

Let’s just say if I had won the $1.6B mega millions jackpot, I still would have passed on this one.

Buy two, and keep one in the box to sell for $100,000 at Christmas!!!!

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M S R Pee?

Hmmm, just a question, but isn't the key Beatles market 70+ year olds (i.e. music fans from the '60's like my dad)? Not sure how much discretionary income that age group has, and certainly not sure what their priorities are when it comes to having high-end game rooms in their homes.

Now throw me down some '80's themed music pins and I'm all in (i.e. the 50+ year old crowd).

IMO this recalls the Pinside reaction to Stern The Pin.

No one was saying it was a horrible idea to sell a cheaper version stripped down pin maybe to non pinball people who didn’t want a 300 pound machine to move around. But then Stern was charging $4K for one and real pinball folks said heck why not buy a *nice* CFTBL or even a Transformers pro for the same money.

Maybe Stern is not looking to sell this to pinball people.

But I think was far more successful to cater to both crowds like with Metallica or Kiss maybe the Kiss army would buy some although they are not pinheads but it still made sense for real pinball people too.

Lots of Beatles fans are in their 60's. With money.

who can afford a hotdog at these prices!?

Exactly!

Paul is 76 and Ringo is 78. The last album was 1970. The Beatles club skews old. My mom is 74, was a huge Beatles fan, but would rather listen to Bruno Mars style pop these days.

However, nursing homes and assisted living facilities have rec rooms and it would be a really cool thing to have there. There are over 30,000 of these facilities in the US. If each bought one pin - just 1 - this will be bigger than TAF!!!

You heard it here first.

Well how do we know how well it will sell when it has not even been officially announced with perhaps a couple launch parties and pricing for all models. Honestly 1964 is not a huge number, especially if half go over seas. I am sure operators are chopping at the bit on this. They may pretend they are not interested-but they are. If it truly is up to distributors to decide how much they want to charge then you know the distributors that will try and bend people over. The question is where is the sweet spot for pricing? What did Stern charge for Pabst Can Crusher and Whoa Nellies? Beatles should be relative to those titles in terms of pricing. Also whoever keeps saying Beatles is for Beta Males? Beta males are sheep, Alpha males don't give a shit about other people's opinions and thus would purchase a Beatles without caring what other people think. http://tobealpha.com/alpha-vs-beta-males/

Also people stating that Stern screwed up on Star Wars? Sorry but Star Wars is a masterpiece. People say it does not have enough toys? Are you kidding me, the hyperloop is the biggest feature to come along in a long time. Exploding Death Star is one of the best feelings in all of pinball. Sorry but Star Wars kicks ass, and Stern did a great job with it. The Star Wars analogy is worst than the carguments.

Not trying to justify the Beatles(I still think it is ridiculous) but I think they will sell just fine.

What exactly is the alternative?

Who buys the theme for over a million dollars besides Kapow?
Who else deals with the licensing issues with songs, art, display etc?
Who?
Who does all of that and can ship your game
With production starting next week?
Who else does it and makes an profit?

I mean everyone is acting like there is some kind of easy alternative to making this game from someone else.

If you can't afford it then seak it out on location and play it. If you can afford it but don't like it then move on. Play some pinball!

Maybe with Topical songs like Back in the USSR, or Revolution, they could grab some more sales....

do try this now, with all the news in the world.

None of my concern. They ruined the Beatles pinball license by making a pinball machine not intended for pinball enthusiasts. Stern could have bought that license (lord knows they have the money) and made a proper modern pinball machine at their normal insane prices and still made a lot of money from Pinball people and Beatles fans alike.

Subsidized pinball machines for nursing homes....hmmm, you might onto something...

Additionally how long until we see these pop up on Ebay for $100k

It could have been a better psycodelic theme with Lucy in the sky with diamonds, yellow submarine and strawberry fields, throw in buffalo bill. The song list I saw draws zero attraction and I'm a Beatles fan.

While this is clearly not aimed at pinheads, I am really not sure who it's aimed at as those songs just aren't even in the top 50 of their best, at least not for me.

What do you mean by proper? What makes Aerosmith a proper game and this not?

Do you think ramps add insane costs to games? Do you want a giant Paul head you load balls into?

Do you want the balls whizzing around in a hyper loops? If rather hit the ball in a loop and repeat that then have a magnet do it for me.

What feature on dead pool. Iron maiden or star wars do you think cost a lot of money?
The games are all just shots.

Every single machine that is in collaboration with Kapow will have a higher price tag. That is a given. He tried to get the license for 10 years. And he finally did it.

Once again what is the alternative. You either have a Beatles game.... Or you don't. Would you be happier if it didn't exist?

I'd really like to have a Beatles. Just turned off by the price right now. Everything does not have to be for the hardcore pinball guys. In a modest size collection this would be a nice pin to have. LCD, 60's artwork with bright colors, and I'd assume a simpler rule set that ordinary civilians can follow.

Stern just put out 2 good, modern games with deep rule sets. And they are likely to introduce another in the next couple weeks. So what if they try something different. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

If this was $6200 delivered instead of $7600 delivered they'd sell out of the Gold editions in a week.

Sounds like someone who wants to keep having Stern guests on their podcasts. A million dollars spread over 2000 machines is only $500 dollars and even less if they sell more. Don't see how that alone justifies the price increases they made when it's a remake with some minor upgrades.

Beatles? Why make a pin about bugs.....

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at PRO pricing I would CONSIDER one for route, but any more and it is not an option.

Just too many other/ better and more recognized licenses for route if you are doing smart business.
If you go on route the general public playing pinball is more of the 25-45 range and not as many 50+
Sure Beatles is recognizable to the younger generations but they are not the core.

Put a Beatles next to GOTG, DP, SW, DI, ACNC, pretty much any newer release and those games will get played equal if not more. Given that, Beatles needs to be priced the same to even be in the running. Esp with so many classics that are proven to do better and so many other new games coming out.

Dollar for Dollar if this is price at AP or JJP prices then Beatles is bottom of the barrel on that price bracket.

Yes, GOT and BM66 , the latter was rushed and only behind red ropes.

Dude you are chopping at the bit on this one-I know you are

You will end up getting one and you will probably do a launch party!

It's all good

(Honestly if I was an operator, I would be on the Beatles like flies on shit-I predict it is going to be an earner)

I heard there is a chance they will get one.

Probably not the best comparison. I'd bet The Beatles would kill a DI in rout earnings and it costs less.

8k for Beatles I thought?

I can assure you that DI has done surprisingly well and for the duration.

JJP pins have proven to be consistent earners on route. Hard to justify the price tag up front but they earn their keep (Hobbit dropped off and left, but there is a reason both Woz and DI are still around )

interesting, where did you hear this?

If we did get one, you can be sure of a Launch party, they are a good time! (and we have 2 official Stern Army locations so makes sense)
I dont see it though as the prices I have heard are 8k for Gold and that aint happening.

If distributors really do have leaway with pricing on this one and no bottom, then it may make sense for them to buy the 10 pack and sell the diamond for 25k to offset the pricing on the golds to push them along.

As I said, at Pro pricing then it would be a contender for my personal money to put on route. Anything more and I would buy many other titles in advance.

They re-themed a seawitch! I think the savings right there pays for the license.
-Mike

It does, but Geoge Gomez just complains about how expensive drop targets are, LOL.

Are these even controlled drops?

Most people are getting quoted 7600-7800. And be reasonable, there's no way The Beatles theme is not going to draw in more plays. Add in that it's simple to follow and it's just going to be a lot more appealing to casual or newer players then DI. DI is a really good game and pinball people will like it. But mom jeans and cell phones are not going to attrack plays like The Beatles will be able to. If you can afford to buy JJP pins for rout then I think you are crazy to not be interested in this game just for it's rout potential. Is it over priced, you bet. Doesn't matter if it can earn as well as a JJP pin though.

I've shat all over Ghostbusters the same episode we had a guest on that worked on ghostbusters. So I'm not affraid to state my opinions.

And yes we have a Stern guest that worked on the mahcine coming on the show this coming week. Get your pitchforks out.
And then probably the next week too. So maybe 1 pitchfork for each hand.

$500 is a lot isn't it? That's if they sell all of them. If they sell half that's $1000 a pin.
Factor in splitting costs between 2 companies.

Then your art, lcd artists (they hired someone else just for the machine) code, design (don't think this is a direct copy and paste of sea witch because there are differences).

Obviously they are planning to make a bucket load of money too. I'm not That niave... But I don't usually hold that against a company. It is a company after all.

All true.

Beatles is going to cost less money, be more reliable, and make more money than any JJP on route. Seems like a much more sound investment for a location kinpin to bring in the cabbage!

Stern simply should have released a Seawitch 2. Enhanced rules, lighting and effects. Then sold it at a lower price point. They wound have sold TONNES of them.

Totally WASTED opportunity on a great playfield layout. Everyone wants a classic redone - and we get this overpriced nonsense.

It is overpriced but they did limit the numbers so it should turn into a desirable 'location' pinball, where people seek it out to play it. I think it is overpriced but operators can re-coop their investments( I think it will do well). Now an average Joe who wants an $8000 Seawitch in their basement is a whole other story.

I didn’t see an actual proper coin door in some pics. Could you even route it or will it be home only?

Im in on a SLE

Apparently, just to confuse the hell out of everybody, Stern released "mock up" photos of the game without coin slots. When in fact it will have coin slots.

or something. I guess we'll find out next week?

All I know is I'm glad we have 4 different threads to make all the same statements.

I THINK BEATLES IS GONNA SELL GREAT!!!!

The picture was a proto, they will have coin doors, which is HUUUUUGE! Trust me I owned an Iron Man Classic and I know first hand what not having a coin door does for valuation. These are commercial vending machines, designed to take a beating and earn some cash. If they are unable to generate cash-forget about it. People saying Harry Potter would not have a coin door because J.K. Rowling would not want people to 'gamble' -sorry but I will never buy a machine without a coin door ever again.

I hope they sell out in a week so we can move on to The Munsters.

curious, do you hobby operate? just trying to frame if your opinion is based on doing it your just a WAG?

My experience after over 5 years is that this is not the case.

We REALLY need to stop with hit BS line. Stern has you hook line and sinker if you think 1964 is limited in any way! Even their absolute best games only sell around 2000 games (and that is when they have PRO pricing on the base model).

Take a comparable grade A title like SW. It had 3 model and the pro, pre, le price points. It has more mass appeal for route and the generation that plays on route. It still only sold <2000 copies by all account (being VERY generous you can simply double the number accounted for on Pinside and compare to other tracking sites).

Simply put a GREAT blockbuster title for Stern with 3 price tiers of Pro, Prem, LE only sells around 2000 games. A really good one may do 2500 games over a 3 year period with multiple runs and re-runs.

1964 is not limited and esp so at 8k for the base model.

My guess is, they released that picture to see how badly everyone would freak if it didn't come with a functioning coin door.
Mass freak out occurred, so they're going to be putting 38 more dollars into the BOM to give everyone their goddamned coin door!!!!

Hey it worked with MMr.

Errr.....

That was just coin mechs....

Yes, no doubt about that. I guess maybe I was thinking the inverse - people who are into pins that like the Beatles enough to spend the money on the theme vs. people who are into the band that will spend money on anything branded Beatles. Even so, I would think the vast majority of that group would be more into memorabilia than a post-contemporary pinball machine. However, never know what people are willing to spend money on to add to their shrines.

Just an FYI, beyond the silliness of the "audition tape," Distributors reached out directly to customers with Batman SLE too.

I know because a friend bought a Batman SLE after receiving a "you are a priority customer so here's your chance to spend $15K on Batman!" email. He even forwarded it to me. Exact same come on as what Tex is talking about.

So this is nothing new, and no sign that BEATLES sales are BAD so far.

Not sure why anybody would be surprised that people who make a living selling pinball machines are trying to sell pinball machines.

I am a huge Beatles fan. I have thousands of $$ in Beatles vinyl alone. I have a huge box of 50th Anniversary White Album stuff coming in within the next couple of weeks that I ordered the day it was announced.

I love Seawitch...one of my favorite classic Sterns of all time.

I have no interest in this game at its current price point.

Sales are BAD on this title? I didn't think its even for sale yet. I didn't see the flyers and grid yet.