To each his own, I suppose.

To me it comes down to:

1. More ring possibilities with the disc.
2. Seeing what Stern can do with an LCD as a stepping stone between DMD games and LCD-only games. (Assuming that this is their ultimate direction.)
3. The third flipper, though I do wish it had a dedicated shot.
4. Exclusive wrestlers in the code.

Once again it comes down to code like it almost always does.

But, but, but...it has a numbered plaque. Seriously though, it's always been this way. I don't see the value over the added cost, but I am not Sterns target market, I have never bought new in box. Some of the LE versions I think are actually inferior to the Pro version in many ways, but people don't seem to have problems dropping big bucks on them.

The pro will end up being the true limited edition on this one

Yes.

Yes, the LE is worth the difference.

Totally understand your points, but let me just see if I can simplify...

It's an LE because it's a limited edition. As in they don't roll endless numbers off of the line. Not because it has a few thousand bucks worth of added technology. Nobody ever claimed that the cost differential is directly related to the tech and/or bling included in the box.

I learned this lesson on TWD LE . Unless you want the numbered plaque the differences are not worth the price.

Uhhh, you would be talking about a premium, and yes they sell those for cheaper.

Was star trek LE really an LE, it had an led strip in the side that cost about $15, was Metallica LE an LE all that had was a $75 hammer assembly, was Mustang LE an LE all that had was a $50 car model and a couple of new songs, was Tron LE an LE all you got was an extra multiball some fancy $5 lights and drop targets, I could go on and on about is the LE worth it and to be honest WrestleMania has got more extra's then alot of previous LE's so do abit of research about what Limited Edition means, it means Limited Number Produced not what extra modes it has, I sware some people nowadays don't seem to get that

I'm going to disagree with you. The LE's mail selling point is the "LE" part which is "Limited"

If it was the extra features that were the selling point it would be the "EF" edition.

It's a limited number run. Stern could take a pro, slap a plaque and certificate with it, and call it a LE. Same concept. Automated Services had a bunch of Iron Mans they got autographed and added shakers to and also did a huge bump on price over the standards. And people lined up to spend.

OR...you could have not started this thread and just don't purchase an LE or prem......!!!................Joey

Aha...you have stumbled on the magical part...how collectible something is often has ZERO to do with logic. It's limited so people want it. End of story. Makes no difference what features it has. It's limited therefore it's more desirable. It's not just Stern. It's auto makers, artists, you name it.....

This guy is looking for logic on pinside.....ohh man did you just make my day...!!!...........Joey

It won't be an LE because the upcoming Premium will have close to the same features.

It's not even really a full flipper from what I have seen..it's more like a plastic mounted to a mech. I still don't get the point why you would EVER intentionally want to knock a ball off a wireform into an uncontrolled situation unless the points is extremely lucrative to do so...

Great post....Borderlands come out for Xbox one soon....they are making a collectors edition for $500...all it has extra with the game is a little remote controlled robot..(claptrap)...A similar size remote controlled car is less than $50....I know I razzed you a bit but to be serious...I thought the same way as you at first...STLE was the first LE I played...I like you did not see the extra value material wise....you pay the extra $2000 for bragging rights...back in school it was the difference between Nikey's and buddy's....same amount of material in the sneaker...but you pay $100 for the swoosh....again...if it's not for you....just don't buy it..............Joey

IMHO if Stern didn't sell a good batch of LEs for each game, the pro models would be more expensive. I think I read somewhere that Stern gets most or all of their R&D money back off of the LE models. That allows them to keep the pro costs down. So, the LE business model might actually be subsidizing the pro models a little bit.

Maybe the extra margin on the LE's is the critical factor that lead to Stern still being an active pinball machine manufacturer?
My guess is that if it wouldn't have been for the LE's Stern would be closed down by now.

Still, to me the whole concept of the LE's is completely stupid from a customer perspective. Things are not sought after just because you write "Limited" on them an give them a number. Really rare collectors items contain value for other reasons, not because some marketing genius decided to slap a numbered plaque on them.

Ohh yes they are....Sterns LE pinball machines..............Joey

Set up an le and this one is the most stacked le stern has ever done; it really is a le

Apart from TRON & AC/DC? TWD LEs can be bought for dumping prices and the other LEs don't hold their value any better than Premiums.

Maybe it's just me, but TRON LE was on my list just because of the lighted ramps - since there's a mod that does the same I will go for a Pro now of course. Still I'll be missing the Daft Punk mode, but not the "LE"-plaque.
I'm currently starting to look for a ST LE. LE only because of the added cab lights, not for the limited aspect. ST LE is very easy to find way below NIB price by the way, in relation to NIB even cheaper than a used Premium, at least here in Europe.

Not saying LE's are not sought after in general, just don't believe the limited aspect itself is the driver for demand. It's the added features or a especially well done artwork. Maybe it's different in the States.

^^^...right....but the OP is saying that does not justify a 2k price increase.........Joey

It actually is a full flipper, and attached to it is slam part allowing you to slam it off the ramp. 25%
of the time it sends the ball across the play field back into the shooter lane.

I honestly think that the "LE" label on many car models are more of a stretch than in pinball. I can look at a WWE pro and an LE side by side and see obvious differences/upgrades. Several car makers seem to just throw an LE, LX, SE, GT, LTD, etc. label on cars with little to no visual difference from a "lower" model.

To each their own, I suppose. I guess I like having a the extra features and upgrades right from the factory.

These abbreviations specify the cars "nature" and are not any indication of a "limited edition".

GT for example means "Gran Tourismo" (Great Tour) and refers to sports cars with added comfort for long distance driving.
LE = Luxury Edition, SE = Sports Edition, LTD = Little Technical Difficulties...

The differences don't need to be visible. Luxury Editions might just have a better package of extras like air condition or whatever. SE could just be a different steering wheel or harder suspension.

The le on wwe is way different then the pro; especially with all the extra ramp returns from the mini playfield, the extra flipper, screen, spinning disc, and different skill shots too ohh and the gates at the top too

This LE I urge people to play it some really wicked and different unique features

Price difference won't matter until collectors stop buying them. Until then.....they will be built, and they will sell

There are no mechanical differences between a regular and LE JJP pinball game....and yet the LE sells for $1,000 more. It's the exclusivity and collectivity that some people pay more for.

Yeah JJP games are the same

I'm in for the few cents powdercoating, hook me up with your supplier!

Those are all unlimited runs. WWE LE isn't. Why is this so hard to understand? You're talking about games that came out a decade + ago vs. now. It's a different era, different business climate for pinball....less locations, more collectors.

The LE concept was started to get collectors to buy games at launch at a higher price. Guaranteed units sold...the Pro is gravy profit. You may not like it, but it is what has kept Stern from tanking.

No, it means LIMITED EDITION.

They're making 400 of them.

Bill of materials is irrelevant. There are 400, and that's it. For some people, there's value in that. For some people, a few thousand bucks is nothing. There won't be a vault edition, because Stern doesn't remake LEs.

There might be a Premium - which would retain the LE playfield features....but will have a different art package/bling/collectibility factor.

The logical reason is IT KEEPS THEM IN BUSINESS.

Take your armchair logic, and start your own pinball company. Have fun going bankrupt with Jpop and Skit-B. Stern is a business selling a product the world doesn't need anymore...and they're succeeding. There's your logic.

Hey Greg, can we get a family guy Star Wars crossover pin?

There were no shakers in the last LEs i bought . Last was TWDLE . And we pay €2700 extra for an LE over here .

Don't get penis-y!

As an LE? Why not? Hehe.

It's very simple: Stern was on the brink of going out of business. One way they saved it was this new model. The higher priced LE and Premiums subsidize the lower price point Pros.

I'm not crazy about the model myself, but it works, and I get it. If they stopped doing it, and just sold one kind of each game? They'd be more expensive across the board. I'm not sure people actually want that.

You have a ST pro and there is a vast difference in yours and the LE. What is so difficult for you
to comprehend about their models? If you think you can do it better, make your own and show
everyone how your business plan works.

IT makes sense $$wise or they wouldn't do it. OF COURSE it's a marketing gimmick! But it works! there's more $$$ in a pinball machine than the PHYSICAL parts. Remember - just a few years ago, they were down to 1 designer & 1 programmer and a skeleton crew. Now they have tons of designers and programmers and others...and a new building! Employees and rent cost money! Sure, their new boardset and wiring makes games cheaper to build - but what about the $$$ that went into the creation of the new boardset...R&D isn't cheap or easy.

You've never run a manufacturing business, let along a pinball one - and you're ranting about Stern's business not making sense while it's clear that EVERYTHING they do is done for a reason that absolutely makes sense. Honestly, I thought Pinside was beyond this type of rant.

If their "nonsense business" bothers you so much - go ahead and do it better.

Wierd. So do you then get another skill shot award/attempt if it goes in there?

Pinball machines are wood and metal. I have trees in my back yard so the games i buy should be half price.

Most of the cost is the manpower needed to code in the use of the added functions. plus any custom tooling/assembly line setup for the LE run. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

-c