I think the last year has shown us that you need to get the game out there ASAP. There will always be games coming out, and while some people might be saving their money, the rumor of what is next isn't a secret. The bigger missed opportunity is when you lose a lot of momentum on the excitement of your game due to a delayed release. These are impulse buys, not calculated investments (for the most part).

I don't think the reveal has to be at a show. If you can get pinball streamers and podcasters present during the week of your release, the hype will be there.

The argument against that is that there will be people that purchase the game immediately and others who will purchase it 2-3 months down the road while the game is still in production and market demand has not yet been met. This works out better than everyone waiting 2-3 months knowing it is coming and then waiting another 6 months to receive their game because of all the backlogged orders.

If 2-3 months is the notice you would like to receive, then you can order 2-3 months after it has been released and can still get a game then. You also won't have to wait as long.

You just made my point. It would be nice to have the crystal ball of pinball purchases over the next year, but why do you need to know earlier if you can get the game later, like Dialed In? How much notice do you need? If your pinball budget is limited, you can make the argument for needing to know everything that will come out in the next 6 months, 1 year, or multiple years in advance. But if a game will be in production for at least 18 months from reveal to end of production (as is the case with Pirates oct 2017-march 2019), that gives you plenty of time to sell another game or raise funds. Everybody's budget is on a different time line and giving notice of the next title will never accommodate everyone and it will sandbag the money you might spend on the games that are currently available for sale.

Nobody likes waiting for something to come out. The excitement for it fades and you do lose out on potential customers. Momentum is important, as is selling the game that is currently out there. Dialed In isn't a great example, because it had negative/mixed reviews when it was revealed and slowly recovered, but it's only sold ~1,600 units or so. Pirates had a lot of canceled orders and other people bought IMDN and other pins because they got tired of waiting.

Kaminkow is reliable, he also didn't say they have HP. He's just teasing everyone by saying "you never know" and "I believe it will happen one day" just like he believed the Beatles would.

The source supposedly said it's being worked on by JJP, but not secured yet. So all that may be true. I feel like talking about it is jinxing it. Zach Sharpe, if you're reading this, please don't touch Harry Potter. I will keep buying Stern games, but this IP isn't for "strip it down and save a buck" Gary.

DI and POTC were revealed at Chicago expo, not TPF. And we have had a leak, its Yellow Brick Road WOZ.

JJP is not revealing their next new game at the show.

I'm glad they are waiting to reveal their next game until it is ready. It was painful waiting a year for POTC and I felt bad for JJP and heavy losses the delay hit them with.

Pirates production is stopping this month. WOZ is on the line next. If we see anything from JJP at TPF, it will be the new Yellow Brick Road WOZ. Jack has said several times recently that they are not showing a new game until they are ready to produce them and my best guess right now is June, give or take.

I heard that WW will be announced at MGC in 3 weeks. Shipping within 60 days from that time. YBR Woz is on the line right now and they are making 200 of them this run (Jack just announced). That would seem to fit the timeframe of production for WW with the numbers Jack just gave out at the seminar.

Also, Jack just said, "Anything that comes out this week, or the next week, or the next week dont buy it!" So again, 3 weeks until next announcement.

I think this is correct. During set up of TPF on Thursday I was talking to Chris from Kingpin about JJP releases during TPF and the near future (YBR and WW) and he told me, "You should definitely come to MGC. It will be BIG! You will want to be there." Next game will be announced there. SHIPPING WITHIN 60 DAYS OF ANNOUNCEMENT is what was said.

Jack told me this weeknd Toy Story will happen, "Sooner than later. Definitely sooner." That was after a few minutes of conversation. All reports we get are GnR in the fall and TS after that.

My wife's birthday is that Saturday. Going to try to make it.

Powder coated legs, side rails, and lockdown bar. More lighting (left ramp) and printed manual for DI and star map and topper for POTC.

Still a week away and the hype is real. I'm going to play Wonka and BKSOR all weekend and even though pinside will have loved and hated the reveal to the very extremes, I will still give you my dose of realism on how it looks and plays. Because...I can't quit you, Pinside!

i-just-cant-quit-you (resized).jpg

Except there's whirlwind. Also designed by Pat Lawlor.

Speculation post for fun.

Will the playfield layout be the different rooms in the factory?

Would you rather have in the game:

Wonkatania or Wonkavator?

Chocolate, purple, or gold powder coating?

Pop Bumpers: Candy or 3 Oompa Loompa sculpts?

How dark do you want the theme to get? (there's some creepy stuff in there between the boat ride, the man with the knife cart, and slugworth)

Will the ball be on Wonkavision and travel in millions of tiny pieces to another part of the playfield (subway ramp)?

Will Augustus get stuck in a chocolate habitrail?

What will the interactive toy be? What will the multi-balls be? What are the ruleset objectives?

Only Jersey Jack can let us hope to have some of these things in a pinball machine.

What features do you want to see in the game?

I thought of that. It would be a timed mode before you hit the fan. Probably hitting shots. There will be huge BURP sounds for each hit, leading you back towards the ground/safety.

Ball can't float. Pinball would have to be "easy" for that to happen.