Same for me, I use the small display on the playfield only. It is closer to the focus so easy to follow instructions.
(Topic ID: 238792)
Linked Games
Alien (Heighway Pinball)
Heighway Pinball, 2017-
Alien (Standard)
Pinball Brothers, 2020
Topic Gallery
You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider Faust.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.
I have a question to the community: and that is your views on Pinball Brothers and how they handle this re-release.
From my side, I didn't appreciate very much how they handled the 'purchase' of Heighway (on purpose letting it go bankrupt, taking out all IP and assets).
I'm not saying there was another choice than bankruptcy maybe, but it is the way maybe how this was presented and communicated: a group of investors that was going to save the pinball, but in the end in a sort of devious way relaunch the pin now leaving all customers who down paid with nothing at all. on top of that in the last 2 years they made a lot of money with all the spares and selling existing NIB games at elevated prices. those games were meant for those who actually paid for it, if you ask me!
So i would be surprised if people are lining up to buy the remake with this history.
I haven't lost any money on the pin and I paid a normal price for my game by the way; so I'm a bit biased but not that much (I hope).
Never heard that before, and if that was the case then those people could confirm it; there are plenty on the forum.
Let's see....
I think it is not luck that Kenneth got a final container load of pinballs (including this special 426); the owner of Free-play is one of the owners of pinball brothers and is connected to him; don't know the details however.
This story from Kenneth that he was grateful to Andrew Heighwway for giving him the games I'm not buying personally; I think it was the PB management that decided he got the games (my feeling; I have no facts on this).
Anyway, in the end it is good for the community in general that more games are finding their way to new owners; may result in some more members in the club, which is good!!
How many are there about around in the US? 50-60? Any numbers on that?
In Europe they are pretty easy to find, but mostly LE's, the SE is more rare.
Quoted from locke987:Last update from PB ....any changes here in the Layout?
[quoted image]
The fixed one of the things that were never broken with optos there.
Quoted from EalaDubhSidhe:...They've put the second magnet back.
During development of the original, this was intended to snatch the ball out of the right orbit, and drop it into the chestburster area as a feed to the upper right flipper. It got dropped because the playfield sat directly onto the interior rails of the cabinet, and no mechs could clash with that space. We spent ages trying to come up with a decent workaround that would do the same thing, and eventually had to drop it altogether as a matter of cost - we were overthinking it and making any potential 'solution' way too expensive. But now that they've gone back to what looks like Bally/Williams cabinet interior standards, the edge restriction has been removed, and that magnet can go back in.
So what you're seeing here with the revision is pretty much the same game, minus the playfield screen expense, but with even more flow than the original actually has.
This has got me genuinely excited to see what else they've done, and I *DESIGNED* that original. [quoted image]
Can you explain where this magnet is sitting exactly and how it was supposed to get the ball on the upper right flipper?
From the drawing, it is not clear to me.
The magnet was supposed to work in all modes this way, or sometimes?
I'm asking, because I'm the type of buy who would attempt to retrofit something like this, against everyone's advise 
Quoted from Aurich:In an amusing turn of events guess who emailed me today?
I told Roger basically what I posted here. See where it goes. Honestly at this point I'm out of vitriol, I'd just like to be paid if anyone is going to use my work again. If they tell me anything in confidence I certainly won't post about it here, but until that time happens nobody has made any efforts to include me or take care of me, so I consider it all free game to shoot the shit over.
Clearly writing about them in public reminded them that I have an email address.
Anyways, on the speculation again!
Again, I know nothing, but making the game not a wide body makes no sense to me. It's too radical of a change. Unless the plan is to just scrap so much of the code and layout that it doesn't matter. But why do all that work? There's a mostly finished game there already.
Deleting the playfield LCD won't change the game at all. Adding back in a magnet that was supposed to be there is a fairly minor change. People do it with Twilight Zone heh. But you can't just squeeze a game into a smaller package.
If they want to use your art and come to you this late, you are in a good position to make demands.
It was the whole idea of transferring the assets from Heighway to PB that now allows them to write this one line that 'legally they are not liable', which is true.
The current directors did not lose any money, they made plenty with this move. Do not forget they were selling NIB's or very nice specimens for 12-14K each for the last 2 years as Karl wrote. Just after the last one is gone they announce the remake (I see games popping up on the forums now fast; buyers want to sell them in fear of value drop). Coincidence? I think not.
Also it is not very decent to suggest you are getting some help if you lost money, only to find out later that this is just there for the public opinion.
Better then say nothing.
Quoted from CrazyLevi:When these guys start asking for money I wonder who is gonna pay up and ship their cash thousands of miles away.
You know they don’t have the money to just start producing and selling games so I’m sure it’ll be a new preorder adventure for those with nerves of steel and brains of jelly.
I heard 'someone' bought 200 cabinets from the UK company that produced the cabinets (Heard it second hand, didn't verify). I think PB will pay upfront the production of 20-50 games that are produced and can be shipped directly to avoid this preorder adventure that will hold back buyers. This money they can then use to continue production.
Quoted from lodgingdolphin:[quoted image]
this is then a second magnet at the chestburster shot? Then what was posted before makes it 3 magnets?
Quoted from razorsedge:Same magnet, just from underside view. No 3rd magnet. Someone even put an under playfield photo alongside drawing, a couple of posts later, so people had some reference.
Yes that I understood, BUT I am also referring to an earlier post:
Apparently in a very first desgin there was a magnet to get the ball out of the right orbit to feed it to the right upper flipper; I thought it was that.
This magnet just sits above the upper flipper and can't do much more than stop the ball when trying to make the chestburster shot?
Quoted from fuko:What I can't figure out is how did Pinball Brothers acquire all the assets from Heighway (IP license, playfield design, artwork, game code, etc) but none of the liabilities (customers paid in part or full and owed games)? I'm no lawyer, but I'm pretty sure that's not how it works. To say "Pinball Brothers has no liability for the debts of another company" is misleading at best. I think they need to address this question head on if they want to be taken seriously.
From experience I can say it is very easy.
A company can just sell anything, this means IP (patents), products, rights, assets. As long as it is not claimed by another party as well you can do it without problems. You can sell the things for a bargain and get away with it easily legally speaking.
Entities who had contracts with Heighway can not claim anything easily, because it is dissolved.
Now where it becomes maybe legally interesting: they may now re-use artwork and design from people that were never actually paid.
Depending on how the contracts were it may give room to start a claim.
However, this is costly and you need to find out under which governing law you can do this (UK, Sweden?).
Individuals will quickly give up in this case; too expensive, too much risk to get nothing.
PB probably realizes this so they will give things a slight touch up so it looks different making it more difficult.
Quoted from Ferret:About the (theoretical) behavior of that Chestburster lane magnet:
This is awesome and how I had it somehow in mind. Technically, I could invent a technical solution that could do something similar that can go on the game and that can be retrofitted (probably without drilling holes); I have to think of an appropriate mechanism....
However, that would require the code to be release by PB so that programmers (paid) can add it to the gameplay, or I would need to make a something standalone. Some simple rule that it enables for example when you make the orbit and one of the lights on inner loop or hypersleep are lighted.
Crazy idea that probably won't make it, but that's a big part of the hobby for me
seeing the Dutch Pinball screen in the game and the switch to WPC mechs as Noit1be said makes me also think Dutch Pinball manufactures these...
For all I know its a screen specially produced for them, and they use WPC mechs and Proc.
interesting thought...
Let’s see
Quoted from Chalkey:Speculating it'll be Aurich's artwork. Likely the only reason he was reached out to was because after his posting PB realized they may be in a bit of a legal grey area and gave him some kind of offer and requested he refrain from posting things that might hurt the relaunch (read: anything about his experiences with the company his first go). They're already dealing with a lot of ill will between unfulfilled Heighway orders and pirating everything off of the previous venture. Again, complete internet speculation on my part please don't sue me.
Its typical for PB that they spoke with him
and he also goes to the ‘no communication’ mode. Only cryptic messages. Who wants omelettes.
Quoted from Averell:Glad to read that PB really try to bring the ALIEN up again.
I just hope that all the ALIEN owners with the first "real" ALIEN will have support for assemblies, PCBs, software and all that wear and tear?
Still the game is not finished at all.
Even though, Brian did a very good job on the code with the last updates, but there's video sequences missing, concealed by star field animation... hopefully PB will improve this later?
It’s in PBs interest to not support this, so people move on to the new game.
I recall they were already difficult on the 1.4 release for Alien. If there would be support, they would’ve let this know during the last 2 years.
Saying they are not heighway does not make that much sense with PINBALL BROTHERS written on every PCB and they have software ownership of this game!!
In any case it’s nice the game is remade, but communication could’ve been better from them.
My opinion on value of Alien:
with no support and an unfinished game, the prices will drop to about 80% of the remake price if that is a good game.
But bottom line we have not seen anything working yet.....
1.4 is not perfect, but neither is it bad.
I mean all modes are in and they work, so generally the game is fine with some small tweaks to be made here and there.
For me my hobby is mostly modding and tweaking, so that's why Alien was such an interesting specimen. Everyone told me to stay away from it, but I love it, and will not sell my game anytime soon.
1 week later
3 weeks later
I thought PB said no deposits were required? You also need a deposit in Europe (where the game costs 8000 euros which is 9700 USD).
On a side note: PB have just redone the electronics (again) and if you see that experienced and big companies like Stern and JJP also have (big) issues once in a while (with new platforms or boards especially) then why is everybody expecting this is going to be a perfect pinball on launch and throwing again all this pre order money at them? Wait and see.
Has anyone gotten their lost pre order money back from Heighway? I haven't seen anyone confirming this.
1 week later
Nothing has changed with this company: the games are not ready and not shipped. We haven't even seen a picture of how the display is integrated in the backbox, no gameplay video's etc. Yet they are collecting deposits.
“We were a bit too optimistic when we had our prototypes up and running. After receiving and putting together all the final parts and electronics we encountered some minor misbehaviors in the game that we absolutely want to fix before we deliver any machine to you.
Sorry for the delay, please bear with us.
To ease the waiting here is a video from our prototype’s new hypersleep chamber three ball lock!” - Pinball Brothers
This statement means they didn't even test their first production series prior to starting production, or completely skipped testing and prototyping, just as Heighway did.
What can possibly go wrong....
Quoted from Chalkey:cked either way with you people. Please, tell me what you wanted them to do, ship them on time with problems out of the box? Would that have
Quoted from dri:Not sure where that racist and derogatory comment is stemming from but to your defense, assembling pinball machines is not particularly hard and has been done for nearly 100 years now. Designing and manufacturing the actual parts from scratch, is a different story all together and 99% of that work was done prior, as seen in fully working Heighway games on location.
What the poster probably meant: Pedretti is/was a 4-5 people company!!! (as far as I know, correct me if I'm wrong).
So now they have to ramp up to 100's of games (they make repro plastics normally) and get the supply line in order, quality control in order and need to set up assembly lines....
It will be difficult to say the least.
To clarify my comment regarding the deposits:
PB very clearly stated they DO NOT ASK DEPOSITS.
Now why would the distributor then need 1000 deposit? To secure your spot, 100 would already be enough.
The answers from you guys that it's the distributor, not PB, who asks deposits comes down to the same thing; you can only buy it through a distributor.
So if you want the game you have to down pay.
I'm skeptical, that's all... especially because they were screaming out loud 'no deposits'. It's conflicting info, same as it was with Heighway/pinball brothers 3 years ago.
1 month later
I would expect also a price increase from them soon, with all this 'pinflation' and resource prices going up, I don't see them being able to supply this game at 7777 USD profitable in low quantities (with highly increased transport prices as well!).
On a side note; what the hell happened to the backbox design? It's kind of weird screen size and placement and the speaker grills look odd... it may just be me.
5 months later
Promoted items from Pinside Marketplace and Pinside Shops!
St. Paul, MN
You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider Faust.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.
Reply
Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.
Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!
Donate to PinsideGreat 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+!
