But POTC is a Disney license.

This makes no sense to me. They already have a working relationship with Disney with a current franchise that Disney holds highly in potc. Jjp got that license when the last potc movie was released, so it was current. They have toystory. It's happening. Jack wouldn't have to outbid stern unless they were both after it. I will say this, set a jjp potc next to a stern SW and let Disney decide which company will represent the brand best.

If JJP #5 is Toy Story I just hope they have the license to use actor audio, animated clips with actor audio, and licensed music from the films. I just can't see spending $5k+, let alone $9k+, for a licensed themed pin that doesn't feature actor audio and clips from the movie(s). Willy Wonka would likely have all actor audio and video as well as a bunch of unique animations. Just take a look at any of the Willy Wonka slot machines, there's a ton of creativity in them and all feature licensed assets from the films. Personally I much rather have Willy Wonka with a ton of licensed assets then a Toy Story pin without them.

There's no way they will be able to get the actor's faces, wait...

If JJP could combine the toys and the visual “wow factor” of WOZ and the fun and playability of DI, it would certainly be the best game they’ve made.

If they don't have the audio and video assets for toystory, I'll be even more disappointed than I was after seeing the Starwars play field. I'm sure they'll have full assets for Wonka just like they had for woz. After potc lack of assets, I'm worried about toystory.

Maybe Pixar will make some special pinball animations for it since they were already in the mode. Just make a 3 second extra ball scene ... why not?

See, but this is the beauty of not knowing anything, because everyone keeps claiming, this person said X, that person said Y and therefore Z... yet until there is concrete proof one way or another, everything is conjecture... I don’t put much credence in anything until we get undeniable proof... and that certainly hasn’t happened yet, and hell, even when it does will anyone on here believe it? The Beatles had pictures and people still didn't believe it...

Toy Story makes no sense if they don't line it up for release with the new movie.

Eric's on GnR, so that should be afterwards.

We knew Pat had two other designs shootable even before DI hit the market, so it tends to suggest his Wonka willcome after the other two.

Nothing else makes sense, unless they have an unknown third designer working for them.

The first year JJP said that you said ok and gave him the benefit of the dought. The second year JJP said he will build 2 a year he was given the benefit of the dought. Year three and beyond you laugh and roll your eye JJP is not anywhere neer getting two games a year out

No doubt!

Can they get one a year out? I love JJP games, and I own all of them. That being said I don't think they can survive longterm if they can't fix their manufacturing issues. The one thing that Stern has over everyone else is they announce a game, and then ship within weeks.....

The idea that JJ has stated in the past they will do two games a year and didn't what does that have to do with today or tomorow or next week?

Im my business I'm older, slower, but 10 times smarter. Clearly JJ screwed up a lot of things with WOZ, and they survived it unlike many others who dropped out once it got tough. Then came Hobbit and Dialed In then came the idea that okay lets take what we learned from WOZ so we don't repeat those mistakes.

Stern has made how many pinball games 100 I don't know a lot right? So they have a lot of experience and JJ is trying to go way over the top and do things never done before. With anything you're going to have a lot of learning curves.

First time working with GIANT DISNEY was probably another massive learning curve not as easy as working with Warner.

Again just another learning curve.

There will be a point where they turn the corner, because if they dont' they're not going to stay in business. They can't produce one new game every 16 months. I think JJ has a lot of experience now and you'll see them start to put out 2 to 3 games a year.

I'll bet money IF they're doing Toy Story it comes out close to when the movie is released. If they do Willy Wonka it won't come out in the summer that woudln't make any sense with Toy Story 4 coming out in June.

Pirates has essentially been done for over 6 months, its been a game they continued to deal with license issues, and production issues. But an entire team do nothing but working on Pirates an essentially finished game for months? I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT!!!!!!!!

I have no doubt once Pirates was essentially done, the guy who designed that moved onto a different game, while JJ probably had another team working on another new game. If I was using common sense I would say a game from a different designer was working on JJ #5 while they finished up Pirates, and once Pirates was into solving production issues that design team moved onto JJ #6.

This is just using common sense here. JJ has no choice but to use their experience to speed up the process. I would bet now there is anywhere between 2 to 3 teams working on games at one time at JJ. So as one game is getting announced another one is close to being tested.

I'm going to predict for the first time ever you'll see TWO games from JJ in the same year... 2019.

I would bet that in 2020 you'll see another 2 to 3 games come out from JJ.

Just my opinion.

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. The theme that would be amazing but will never be made.
I would drop my money on one in a heartbeat but it's probably not popular enough in North America. Maybe Netflix will give it the Dirk Gently treatment.
I want to collect rewards from the restaurant at the end of the universe, suffer through vogon poetry, find my towel and a good cup of tea while exploring the universe on my quest for the meaning of life, the universe and everything. I want Marvin to taunt me about how futile my efforts are and that I should just give up because everything is just terrible.
Original stuff preferably or old BBC stock. No Martin Freeman, Mos Def please.
Anyway, a man can dream

......or a proper Back to the Future pin

Yeah, there are a ton of opportunities, and this is high in my list. Would need Michael J Fox obviously. Maybe Christopher Lloyd to do callouts. So much awesome.

I'd prefer Beetlejuice I think for the fun factor... but not by much. BTTF could be epic.

Imagine if JJP did their spin on Indy. The map in pirates makes me think of the map from Indy flights

As long as we are on the subject of dream themes... l have only one and it’s the only thing I can imagine buying before seeing - JJP gets Mark Ritchie to do Diner II.

Goonies, with a lower pf. And vid of the truffle shuffle for the win!!!!

Deep Root is rumored to have a license for Back to the Future.

With all of the speculation about WW being the next JJP pin, I decided to re-watch the Gene Wilder version of the movie to figure out what that pin might consist of. And, it hit me that it could be made rather easily as a re-skin of WOZ. Replace the Yellow Brick road with the Chocolate River and make the upper play fields versions of key elements of the factory and the elevator. Replace the haunted forest with oompa loompas, etc. Doing that would save money and time and make it feasible to do 2 titles in 2019. Oh hell, Pat Lawlor and Jack know better than me but, it's just a thought. Crazy, huh?

What do I know, but I don't see any way that they would do a re-skin of WOZ. They are about to release a Yellow Brick Road edition of WOZ, so they won't want to compete with themselves. Also, WOZs are still in production and selling. It's not like it is a 10-20 year old game that they would re-skin. And, a decent chunk of their consumer base already has owned or currently owns a WOZ, so they would likely lose most of them as customers.

I think Willy Wonka is a killer theme that deserves a brand new layout and brand new toys. I hope JJP does it and hits it out of the park. I will be in line to buy one!

Yes, I know about the YBR WOZ but they could still do as I suggest with WW based on the WOZ platform and release it as the second pin in late 2019 after they issue the long rumored TS. As far as negatively affecting WOZ sales I think it's days may be running out and the YBR may be simply an attempt to squeeze out a few more sales. WOZ is a great franchise and I love my WOZRR but it cannot be a feature pin for JJP much longer. How many sales do you really foresee for a YBR that probably won't have many feature changes beyond yellow body armor, maybe a new topper, and maybe some updated electronics. A reskinned WW could be one more way of coaxing some more milage (ROI) out out of a very successful platform. Isn't that what Stern has been doing very successfully? Anyways, just my random thoughts on what could done.......

I know you are just pondering, and I have nothing against that. It is just that you are not the first one to talk about WW being a re-skin of WOZ. I just think JJP would face so much backlash if they did that to what has become a highly anticipated title that it would be a bit difficult to recover. They are not Stern who can suffer through a clunker here and there. Each of their games is so well crafted and thought out, and they come out so infrequently, that I really do think it would be a huge mistake for them to even contemplate such a thing at this point in their business lifespan.

And here I thought I had an eureka moment. Oh well, enough on this. 2019 should be a fun year in pinball. I cannot wait to see what new games I will see at the TPF.

Well it's obvious that the writers from Saturday night live are actively reading this thread and have chimed in on live TV last night with their Willy Wonka sketch based on the Gene Wilder version. I'd say this is the most definite proof so far that WW is the next JJP. TV doesn't lie.

How about WWCF for Williy Wonka's Chocolate Factory

Isn't it really Charlie and the chocolate factory. So CCF

Second run could be Wonka's Golden ticket

Aside from it not making sense because of the imminent Toy Story movie release, Eric working on GnR and it being unlikely they have Lawlor games back to back ... I really hope it's third in line so they hopefully have enough time to get their production arrangements up to speed.

This could easily be the biggest seller of any machine in its launch year, if they can build them fast enough. At the rate they're currently producing Pirates / DI / WOZ, I don't think that will get anywhere near satisfying demand. Provided the bottom hasn't dropped out of the market by then.

Don’t know anyone that actually calls it Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Also sounds more like someone with the runs.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the book.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is the original Gene Wilder movie.

I call it Charlie and the Chocolate factory. I read the book as a kid before seeing the movie.
It makes sense in the context of Charlie and his adventures in an amazing chocolate factory.
Charlie is the main character. Wonka is just the crazy plot device.
Harry Potter and the Philsopher stone/chamber of secrets/prisoner of Azkaban/Goblet of Fire, etc. Harry doesn't own those things, they relate to his adventures surrounding those items/people, etc.

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator was part of the reading curriculum in Grade 5 for me, never heard of the Chocolate Factory until years later.

WW is the only title they most likely have full license to release, so it stands to reason it’s the next game. TS won’t have Hank’s or Allen’s voice work, so count that one out as being next. Since pirates didn’t have almost any assets at all, other than one photo of each actor.

$9.5k aside, it’s just too small a market to warrant more of a full license purchase. JJP would have been wiser to do a “Black Rose” type of title or a POTC ride version of the game and skip any mention of the movies, because that is almost what they did.

Players on the other hand, are spending $9.5k feel like they should have a game with full license, after spending that kind of money and are disappointed when they don’t.

Have played JJP Pirates and Sterns pirates and there is no comparison. JJP Pirates is a blast to play with sooooo many targets to hit, with nice flow (although still think Dialed In is JJPs best table to date). Unlike WOZ which has almost no ball interaction with the various items on the PF, POTC silver ball has all kind of interactivity. Most likely WW will have that kind of shot layout if Pat is working it. My guess is we will see WW at TPF come spring. It does not make sense for any other title or the backlash of another very limited license from Disney, will be too much.

Hanks has his brother do the bulk of his voice work in ancillary media projects around the movies, so it would not surprise me if he did the Woody voice work in the pin. His brother sounds very similar, so that's fine. Tim Allen, though...dunno.

How much can Tim Allen cost? Hes Tim Allen lol. Remember when he made movies?

I just saw a documentary from 2007 about Pixar on Netflix. They cover toy story. Worth seeing.

Saw this on Facebook From Christopher Franchi. Comments?

Willy (resized).jpg

gonna be beautiful!

I can see stern doing this with kapow’s licensing and franchi’s artwork, where they don’t do a reskin (like beetles). It makes lot of sense to me.
But here’s hoping JJP gets after it with a wide body treatment!

Now the real question is whether he would draw this just to mess with us

Looks like a nice rendition of Gene Wilder from a movie I saw when I was ten years old.

Yeah, it was a great kid's movie back then.

Jack told my wife and i that he wanted a standard body with no upper playfield on JJPOTC. Super glad and happy that Eric was able to persuade JJP management to go big. Guessing it will be a standard.

I would buy a standard body JJP Wonka..... without question.

And who said young people couldn't afford $10,000 toys? Real young people...

It’s a great family movie (for adults and kids now). It has stood and surpassed the test of time IMO.

Real old people who can't see or hear have all kinds of money... we just have no reflexes or memory, or time left on this planet to play these new Marianas trench deep ruleset pins.

You all do realize Franchi is a Zynga employee right !?! He does work for Zynga, pinball is his side gig contracted. He does work for many things and clients.
Zynga slots.

10150EA3-08C8-420A-850C-3BA4A2C78329 (resized).jpeg

Yeah. my kid watched it when she was ten also.

If only they could stay ten forever.....

I’ll still watch it now whenever it is on.