(Topic ID: 335365)

insider connected?? worth it

By cnuts13

11 months ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 58 posts
  • 49 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 44 days ago by HOLT45
  • Topic is favorited by 4 Pinsiders

You

Linked Games

Topic Gallery

View topic image gallery

IMG_1311 (resized).jpeg
tmnt (resized).jpg

There are 58 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
#1 11 months ago

I have a avengers infinity quest. Doesnt have the newest code update. Is it worth coughing up 200$ for insider connected to make future updates easier? along with the achievements chalenges.

26
#2 11 months ago

Im in the minority but I don’t think it’s worth the money as it stands.

#3 11 months ago

Only you can answer that. If it takes you an amount of effort to update that’s worth $200 or more then it’s a good value for you.

If updating is an insignificant amount of effort but $200 is a significant account of money then it’s not worth it.

If $200 is insignificant to you and the achievements enrich the lives of you and all who encounter you then it’s worth it.

#4 11 months ago

It may not seem like it, but AIQ is kinda old now, software-wise anyway. Is currently at version 1.06 and hasn't got an update in about a year and a half. It's essentially done. So buying the kit for updates probably isn't a good idea. Just do it with a thumb drive and you should be good.

Look through the features it offers. Keeping track of high scores, lots of achievements to earn. Also, once you're on IQ, you can also use your QR code on public games. No charge for the free version.

#5 11 months ago

So you have to have Insider Connected to download updates with Wi-Fi?

#6 11 months ago

I would never bother buying one for an older LCD game I have at home, but it seems to make sense for operators.

People LOVE this thing. You can old man hate on it all you want but every regular player under 40 I see on location is always getting their "achievements" on Stern games.

#7 11 months ago

Insider connect is great. I added one to my SW and it's a good time. True i didnt pay for it, but I'm also cheaper then 89% of people on Pinside.

It's no different than a shaker. For $200 buy one and switch it between games as you get them. Although pro & premium not interchangeable

#8 11 months ago
Quoted from CrazyLevi:

You can old man hate on it all you want but every regular player under 40 I see on location is always getting their "achievements" on Stern games.

I'm in full old-man-hate mode on it.
Don't want, don't need.
But I'm a hateful old man anyway.

#9 11 months ago

I got a NIB Guardians this fall and liked it a lot, so much that I considered getting it for my Jurassic Park that I’ve had for a few years and doesn’t have it. It was very fun unlocking achievements but that soon went away. Within a month or less I had gotten 66/70 achievements. I haven’t had an achievement sound in a long time so I just logged in to see what I am missing and I should be able to finish them off in a day or two, they are the kind that you have to know what they are to go for them on purpose.
If I had more people come over that use insider connected maybe I would get it but I’d rather take the $200 and spend it on location. If $200 isn’t a big deal to you though I’d say sure go for it.

#10 11 months ago

Not worth it.

#11 11 months ago

Operators I know say it helps immensely with collections as players use it.

#12 11 months ago

I personally am not interested in it for home use games and don't intend to use it. It is also an eyesore on home games.

#13 11 months ago

It's not worth the cost for home but if you buy one game with it included you can use the scanner to setup home team for the rest of your Spike 2 games.

#14 11 months ago

It doesn't get much usage at the location I help maintain games at. Certainly no one goes there because they have Insider Connected games and they have 10 of the newest Stern / JJP games. The code updates and the malfunction warnings are great for ops though. I personally wouldn't pay $200+ for it. I have it on my JP because I got it for free and it came with my Bond, otherwise I wouldn't have it. I use it at home when I have my phone by me and I remember to so I can take it or leave it.

#15 11 months ago
Quoted from LesManley:

I use it at home when I have my phone by me and I remember to so I can take it or leave it.

Sunny just use home team?

I have IC on AIQ. I put it in thr coin door and like it. Not sure it's worth $200 but I do like it.

#16 11 months ago
Quoted from LesManley:

I use it at home when I have my phone by me and I remember to so I can take it or leave it.

Hold the left flipper you don't need your phone; that was a good move by them

#17 11 months ago

If IC comes with the game, great, have fun with what it offers. If having to purchase and add, I don’t think it offers enough to justify itself, for home use anyways.

Plenty of other things can be bought with that $200. Tools, mods, half payment for Pinwoofer speaker kit, ect... Items that would probably get more use and love.

#18 11 months ago

Wait, didn’t I just sell you my TAV Prem? That game isn’t IC compatible.

Did you buy an AIQ as well???

If so, I also had that game (HUO as well) over the past few months and also sold that Avengers game to a fellow Pinsider.

That buyer is a major player, has a collection that gets panties wet, and hosts a ton of leagues and tournies. He ended up putting IC in my former AIQ Pro because it fits the rest of his lineup that all have it, and he runs the game room leaderboards on one of his TVs.

For a single person home use, it’s borderline pointless. The rare code updates (esp. on a game like AIQ, which by all accounts is finished in code) can still be done manually, and then that just leaves the achievements board which is a one and done checklist. Cool for the first few games as you get things. Diminishing returns as you knock most off the list.

#19 11 months ago

Must be different out here in Ca. As an operator I have seen zero benefit to earnings. I talk to players a lot at my locations, and have yet to have anyone request I add it to a title it didn’t come preinstalled in. I’ve never actually seen anyone check in to play. The amount of information to log in and check out is pretty useless as an operator. can see an often inaccurate number of plays, and it doesn’t tell me if those are paid plays or not. The only time I bother to log in anymore is to register new games when I get them.

Maybe one day they will add to it, but so far I’d rather save $200 on the game price and not have it, if that was an option. Or trade the connected for more reliable flippers, and fuses protecting the node boards.

#20 11 months ago

No

#21 11 months ago

Is it worth it? Thats up to you, and I may be in the minority but I really like it... and yes on home machines. It makes updating easier and automatic when you get a game with early code (cough cough Bond) so the latest is always there. Avengers code may be mature, but as I understand it you get access to the special topper mode with the Insider Connect kit, so thats one extra mode at least for the purchase. The big thing for me though is the achievements. You may or may not have fun chasing them down, but I personally enjoy it. I will also state that there are a few locations near me that have IC kits on their games but no internet access (can't get the achievements on Foo). I'll admit I was a little disapointed.

On the flip side, Pinballmap and Pinside are not everything. I actually found a new to me location nearby because it showed up in the App. There are a handful of pins in a local card trading shop I never would have found otherwise. I am assuming that to an operator finding a new location via Insider Connect may be as valuable as a few extra games from an existing customer. I don't know that IC makes me more likely to spend more money at a location, but it does make me more likely to find it. If you are the only location in an area with little to no competition I don't necessarily think it would be worth it but if you live in a pinball dense environment I think it would be a wise decision.

#22 11 months ago

Omg yes! Pinheads will pay thousands for mods that do absolutely nothing, many down right gaudy but then question this?!? Locations are crushing that have them in Wisconsin and I'll even choose a connected location over one that isn't cuz they show you them on the website. At home many advantages, home team is great and leaders boards will be coming. There are several games that even have extra modes available just for being connected. Goat Mania on JP for example. I mean if you're a collector that sells his 6 year old game with 94 plays, dont bother, stick to adding those hobby lobby trees, but if you play your games YES!

#23 11 months ago

Yup! Auto updates is worth the price for me alone.

#24 11 months ago

Will definitely be worth it once home leaderboards arrive.

Pros:
It’s cool earning achievements- Hope more are added.

Home team is a nice touch.

Updates are effortless and easy.

Cons:
Desperately need home leaderboards!

Aftermarket add on is rather ugly if the red doesn’t match your apron/game well.

#25 11 months ago

This thing is a joke for what it costs. I got my first game with it a month ago. All I can do is look up my friends high scores? I don't care about virtual trophies, neither does anyone in league. I even have to ask my friends what their ID is, you can't find anyone by name.
I expected it to be further along and hopefully I can connect with friends for a night of pinball together for 3p minutes. I expected graphs showing my progress and stats like averages. I can look up someones high score on their game. Whoopy! I would like to see this go away at its present state and pinball prices drop because of it. Better yet make it an option that can be purchased and plugged in for thise that want it.

#26 11 months ago

Gary says yes... he needs the money.
Please put in all your Stern games

#27 11 months ago

My kids liked it from the start but it took me some time to warm to it .For now ,I like updating through IC and also like turning a game on and just going for a couple achievements to get away from the normal paths I take in a game .Shake things up a bit :)This being said , I definitely want to see more out of it .I was thinking of waiting on IMDN to see if they do add but my luck they will and the price will double ,so I’m just ordering it as I only need 1.

#28 11 months ago

Personally, it doesn't interest me. I never activated IC on the two games I have that came with it installed, and even removed the scanner from one of them to give the apron a cleaner look.

#29 11 months ago

I'm unclear on something. Do you need insider connect to do firmware updates?

#30 11 months ago
Quoted from CrazyLevi:

I would never bother buying one for an older LCD game I have at home, but it seems to make sense for operators.
People LOVE this thing. You can old man hate on it all you want but every regular player under 40 I see on location is always getting their "achievements" on Stern games.

As an under 40 (if just barely) I have to agree with this. I won’t lie, my wife and I gravitate to IC games and locations because it’s easier to compare scores at the end of the night and achievements are just fun. Achievement hunting gives you clear goals to work towards which usually means focusing on specific skills and gives us something else to have a friendly competition on. It's an integral part of good modern game design.

We’re probably early adopters and there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done on IC, but it has a ton of potential and I think it’s already decent and worth the money.

#31 11 months ago

Yeah, the wifi update is pretty nice but it's not like you update every other day. It keeps track of all your high scores which is kinda nice but so does the game. Achievements are kinda cool but don't really pay attention to them or change how I play. Basically it's a nice feature on newer games but wouldn't pay money to put in older games.

#32 11 months ago
Quoted from JBtheAVguy:

I'm unclear on something. Do you need insider connect to do firmware updates?

No. Without insider connect, you just need to use a USB stick to move the updated code from the website to the game.
With insider connect, it connects wirelessly.

#33 11 months ago

I like it, but I am also not in my 60's.

#34 11 months ago

I think Insider Connected is great and is an evolutionary jump for pinball. Stern made a great proprietary platform for wireless code updates, game leaderboards, player profiles, achievements, etc. If a new game comes with it, as all current Stern's do, it's a no brainer to leverage it IMO.

#35 11 months ago

I like it. I installed it in the one game I had that didn't come with it. Was worth the $200 In my opinion since besides updates there's "Hometeam" and Leaderboards coming as who knows what else since they've been focusing on this as a feature for the future. Unless you're planning on getting rid of it soon, it makes sense and adds value in resale to some.

#36 11 months ago

I love not having to enter “SWAMPFIRE” for a high score (my games are set for 10 letters). People visiting my gameroom love it. What’s not to love?

Home leaderboards please kthx Stern!

#37 11 months ago

Isn’t there a way to just install a dongle and then you can have your home team. You can still get achievements but don’t need the qr reader.

Again no idea, just thought I seen something like that on here.

#38 11 months ago

I like it on my TMNT

tmnt (resized).jpgtmnt (resized).jpg
#39 11 months ago

I like it on location, but highly doubt I will install in any of my home games

#40 11 months ago
Quoted from RCA1:

I'm in full old-man-hate mode on it.
Don't want, don't need.
But I'm a hateful old man anyway.

Self reflection is so important. This post made me smile.

IMG_1311 (resized).jpegIMG_1311 (resized).jpeg
#41 11 months ago
Quoted from timtim:

Isn’t there a way to just install a dongle and then you can have your home team. You can still get achievements but don’t need the qr reader...

I dont see why not. Left button let's you enter profiles...I haven't used the reader since. I gues you could just stash it in the cab?

#42 11 months ago

I only have one on one game and it came with it. I like having it. Would I pay for it to add to my existing games? Probably not, but it’s a cool feature. I’ll admit probably half the time at home and on locations I forget to log in anyway, but it’s neat.

#43 11 months ago
Quoted from MikeS:

It's not worth the cost for home but if you buy one game with it included you can use the scanner to setup home team for the rest of your Spike 2 games.

Do you have a link for a thread that shows how to do this?
Thanks

#44 11 months ago
Quoted from Parkshow30:

Do you have a link for a thread that shows how to do this?
Thanks

There's a bunch of discussion and info in the IC thread.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-insider-connected/page/74#post-7065036

#45 11 months ago
Quoted from MikeS:

It's not worth the cost for home but if you buy one game with it included you can use the scanner to setup home team for the rest of your Spike 2 games.

This is what I did on a older LCD game. Added the WIFI dongle and connected the QR reader from GZ with a long cable to setup. Then use home team to use it without the scanner.

Only downside is if you forget to start with home team you cant scan in later.

#46 11 months ago
Quoted from KJL:

This is what I did on a older LCD game. Added the WIFI dongle and connected the QR reader from GZ with a long cable to setup. Then use home team to use it without the scanner.
Only downside is if you forget to start with home team you cant scan in later.

That's true. The positive is that you don't have to look at a light or a hole in your apron. You can run Insider Connected in "Stealth" mode.

#47 11 months ago
Quoted from LesManley:

It doesn't get much usage at the location I help maintain games at. Certainly no one goes there because they have Insider Connected games and they have 10 of the newest Stern / JJP games. The code updates and the malfunction warnings are great for ops though. I personally wouldn't pay $200+ for it. I have it on my JP because I got it for free and it came with my Bond, otherwise I wouldn't have it. I use it at home when I have my phone by me and I remember to so I can take it or leave it.

I'm curious though, are operators more likely to purchase a game because it is installed in the game (vs. buying a game secondhand that lacks the Insider Connected)? Meaning, does it boost the value of a HUO game for possible resale?

#48 11 months ago

Nah. Not at home for me any way. Collect all the achievements and then what?

#49 11 months ago

No

#50 11 months ago

I wasn't a fan of it at first, but since our GZ had it, I signed us (wife, me) up to try. Surprisingly, the wife went 'all in' once she figured out it gave her an opportunity to show me how much better of a player she is compared to me. Then she she wanted all our Spike 2 enabled since I could do the 'hack' for ~$20. Wifey even logs in at locations too.

I wouldn't buy a QR kit for each of my Spike 2 pins tho.

Promoted items from the Pinside Marketplace
$ 5.95
Playfield - Protection
The Pinball Scientist
Protection
6,000 (OBO)
Machine - For Sale
Lynchburg, VA
From: $ 79.00
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Lermods
Toys/Add-ons
$ 125.00
Playfield - Other
Precision Pinball prod.
Other
$ 26.00
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
The MOD Couple
Toys/Add-ons
$ 49.99
Cabinet - Toppers
Lighted Pinball Mods
Toppers
$ 12.00
Tools
Nezzy's Pinball Prints
Tools
From: $ 64.95
Cabinet - Sound/Speakers
PinSound
Sound/Speakers
From: $ 6,999.99
Pinball Machine
Pinball Pro
Pinball Machine
$ 6.00
Playfield - Protection
Apron Envy
Protection
From: $ 5.00
Cabinet - Other
Pin Monk
Other
$ 6,500.00
Pinball Machine
The Pinball Place
Pinball Machine
6,000
Machine - For Sale
O'fallon, MO
€ 40.00
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Pino Pinball Mods Shop
Toys/Add-ons
$ 100.00
Playfield - Other
JuanSolo's modshop
Other
$ 44.99
Cabinet - Shooter Rods
Pinball Shark
Shooter rods
$ 259.99
Cabinet - Toppers
Lighted Pinball Mods
Toppers
$ 36.00
Playfield - Other
Pin Monk
Other
$ 18.00
Playfield - Protection
Volcano Pinball
Protection
From: $ 18.00
From: $ 399.95
Lighting - Led
Pin Stadium Pinball Mods
Led
From: $ 50.00
Cabinet - Other
Inclusive GameWerks
Other
5,500
Machine - For Sale
Atlanta, GA
$ 300.00
$ 169.95
Cabinet - Sound/Speakers
PinSound
Sound/Speakers
From: $ 7.50
Playfield - Other
Rocket City Pinball
Other
$ 24.75
Flipper Parts
Precision Pinball prod.
Flipper parts
€ 40.00
Playfield - Toys/Add-ons
Pino Pinball Mods Shop
Toys/Add-ons
$ 15.00
Playfield - Protection
Pinhead mods
Protection
5,800 (OBO)
Machine - For Sale
Jacksonville, FL
Great pinball charity
Pinball Edu
There are 58 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/insider-connected-worth-it and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.