Are you saying they might make fewer than 500 if the orders aren't there?

Frankly I think these will be easier to sell once a few get out in the wild and people can get their hands on the game and play it. My guess is any delays are due to the usual production problems.

This thread is getting to be a good example of why we shouldn't have club threads before at least some owners actually have one. Maybe time to change the title to "speculation on why no one has their Bond 60th yet"

Thanks for the unboxing pics. Curious where Elwin put his signature on the topper?

They didn't do this on Maiden LE either which also came with a shooter rod. The reason is the knob is slightly longer than the usual one and the game not fit in the packaging with it installed.

I remember a while ago that they were going to have an auction to sell 007 of the Bond 60th as well as the 0007 of the Bond LE, probably to benefit some charity. This may not have happened yet.

This makes sense on Stern LEs the game seems to know what LE number it is in software. On JJP you can put any number you want in yourself.

Did they give one of the shaker motors that was supposed to come with Bond 60 also?

Got my Bond 60th (#225) today just before a snow storm hit.

My thoughts:
1. Everything worked great out of the box and other than leveling the game didn't need to make any adjustments. Was a little concerned because when I opened it one of the score reels was between numbers but this fixed itself when the game was turned on.

2. The back glass looks great in person and in my opinion is the best of the Bond games.

3. Topper looks better than I had expected (the 007 sticks out a bit) and is signed on the back by Keith Elwin. It shipped already attached to the game with this specialized bracket to allow the straps to go over it without damaging it.

4. The game actually has foil decals. Only the names of the movies on the side of the head show the foil and the 60th logo. The 60th logo is on the front below the coin door and there is one on each side that is small with the movie posters. Was a bit of an odd choice that none of the movie posters included the foil but probably a restriction of the license.

5. The powder coat is matte black and appears the same as that used on Rush LE. I think it is a great choice and better than a gloss black for this game.

6. Much has been made of the game not having art blades. It actually does have art blades installed but they are just black. Why did they put art blades in if they are just black? Who knows but they are there.

7. It did not come with a shaker motor as others have described. i wrote my distributor to ask for one. The shooter rod you need to screw the end on after it arrives. It has a cheap feel and doesn't really belong on this game. On my the spring was strong enough to make the skill shot, but I can see a good argument for a stronger spring.

8. At the start of the game each player can choose between different sound options (Modern, 80s electronic, and several types of chimes). The chimes sound like real chimes so I don't see much reason to include actual chimes. I feel like if you chose a chime mode the Stern Insider connected achievements should also be announced by chimes which they aren't.

9. The score reels are cooler than I thought. They work differently than EM score reels in that they are silent but the game makes. If you score 100 points then only the hundred digit will change. It is easy to tell everyone's score in multiplayer games as it will appear on the playfield screen at the start.

9. All of the inserts on the playfield are single color LEDs.

10. The inline drops work differently than games like Metallica as the software can lower the drops also. This is most noticeable with the skill shot where if you hit the first drop it will lower all of them which allows the mission multiple to be started with one additional shot.

11. The game plays differently than any Stern or other manufacture for that matter before. There is nothing else like this on the market. I'd describe it as the ultimate classic game. It shoots better than any classic, has better rules, better sound / music, modes/multiball that can be stacked, and balanced scoring.

12. It can be set to 5 (or more) balls. If you do this the back box only has lights for 3 balls so additional balls you need to follow on the screen.

13. The small screen in the playfield shows ever players score (and insider connected username if logged in) at the start of every ball. It can also be used to adjust game setting using the same fake DMD interface that all Stern games use. It also shows IC achievements. The game plays so fast that you really don't have time to look at it much during play. If you do it usually shows what you need to do to complete the current mod, etc. Perhaps some simple animations or design choices would make it a little better. That said it would be ridiculous to show movie clips on this thing. This isn't that type of game.

14. It is easy to start the modes (complete MI6 targets). They are simple (e.g. hit drops, or hit spinners) and there is variety. The Mission Multiball (inline drops) was also easy to reliably start and can be stacked with modes.

15. The mission multiball had fun rules. Essentially try to lock the balls in play in the two locks then hit the jackpot shot. You need to be quick to do it and it fits the theme well.

16. In the 3 or so hours I've played I was never able to collect all 6 Bonds to start Bond MB or collect the 4 Gadgets needed for Gadget MB. I also didn't see anyone else do this.

17. It seems the gadgets correspond to the 4 inserts in the playfield and always need to be collected in order. Was a bit dissappointed there wasn't more variety here (e.g. be able to collect the BD-5 jet or the submarine car as a gadget).

18. A reasonable scoring strategy seems to be to build up the bonus/multiplier then collect it (which can be done without draining). This can be worth up to 3,000 points with the 3x multiplier which is huge in this game.

19. This is a great game to play in groups. The ball times are short and it plays very fast. It seems it is always possible for any player to have a great ball and pull ahead with a win. No one is waiting around long for their turn. In this way it fills a niche that no other modern games really does. Probably the closest comparison is Beatles. Playing alone will not be as fun.

20. Is the game worth the price? For the money you can get 3 Stern pros or 2 premiums, and for most the pros would be the better buy and more fun. In my opinion this is a game for people who have larger collections, like to play with friends, and can afford to pay a premium to have something special. A good argument can be made that number of cheaper games are better certainly a better deal (e.g. Metallica, Foo Fighters, the regular Bond, GZ, Stranger Things, DP, etc.). Those types of games are also very popular and can be found everywhere. This will be a game that isn't seen often and will stand out in pretty much every collection.

Here is a link of us playing on Twitch:

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1761291500

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Yes. I've found a reasonable scoring strategy is to build up the bonus/multiplier then collect it. A lot of stuff builds the bonus including lit in lanes and the lit top lanes. Then the multiplier is increased by completing the ABC targets. After you drop the second in line drop target it will light the bonus collect. Its awesome when you can get the max 3K, but then it sucks when you accidentally collect it at a couple hundred.

Mine was pretty dusty also

Curious when yours was made? Mine was made on 2/28. No shaker but my distributor will send me one.

Swapped out my spring and plunger. Much better now.

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Got my shaker motor yesterday and installed it.

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I've only played few games with the shaker so far. You feel it a little when you hit the drops to start Mission Multiball and some of the other more important shots. It adds to the game but I don't feel it is really necessary like it might be for a game like GZ. I'd just install it and buy another one for your JP, they aren't that expensive.

One of the things I really like about this game is there is really nothing else like it. None of the older single level games shot this well, plus they didn't have modes or high quality sound.

BKSOR pro might be a little like this in that it is a fast playing game and almost a single level (there is 1 ramp). BKSOR only has 1 drop, and 1 spinner and I feel like there is a lot of cheap drains off the shield, flail, and close in stand up targets.

I think Beatles might be closest comparison (they both have a lot of drops, single level, satisfying optical spinner shots, and are modern takes on retro games with modes and better sound added). Beatles doesn't play as fast and it isn't an original layout or as good of a layout for that matter.

I put mylar in the shooter lane only and turned the trough kick out power down (both of these are a must for any new Stern). There isn't any traditional scoop or place that the ball drops so I'm not sure other places are needed.

Almost any game with ramps including DP and GZ the ramp returns the ball to the in lanes which safely sets up the next shot. This makes for longer playing games and allows more complex and deeper rule sets which is essentially the trend we saw in pinball over the last 3 decades. Thus I feel like ramps fundamentally change the character of the game. I feel like it is also hard to make a decent layout with a single level game that has more than a couple decent shots. That's why I Bond 60th is such a special and unique game.

I can see the comparison with DP with the 4 drops (on Prem/LE) on the side and 3 in the middle. I was also thinking TWD with the way you need to start the modes with the dangerous drops on the left being a key part of the game (needed to get Bonds and qualify gadgets on Bond). I personally feel it is nothing like GZ. GZ has a very complicated rule set and long ball times.

My son just came out and asked me when I'm going to be on the computer and play some Bond with him - kid has a damn good point. I've had a few in my collection and can't remember another game he has wanted to play so much.

Some of this might just be breaking in a new game also.

I agree that ramps are here to stay. But a lot of us have a dozen or more games in our collection and want something a little different. There has been a push towards, more LEDs, more colors, more mechs, more rules, more sculpts, more flippers, more playfields, more movie clips, etc. but that doesn't always make it a better game. I don't know if we will see a single level corner stone although BKSOR pro came close to that. Beatles, Pulp Fiction, and TNA were all basically Stern prem prices and aimed at a more niche market although I feel this niche is gaining popularity.

This is a good point. I don't think there was a previous single level game where this was possible. That said this is much more difficult to do in Bond 60th than it would be on Elwin ramp layouts like GZ or Iron Maiden.

It is programmed. I notice it in my game. It is usually just brief when hitting a target or something. There is a setting for how often it is used.

I feel like the sound is excellent. When you start a game you get several sound choices: Modern, 80s, and several versions of chimes. All of them are different and excellent in my opinion. The music choices fit the era chosen. In modern hitting the loops makes thais Austin-Martin engine sound. In the 80s the spinners make a cool retro sound like you might hear to Alien Star or something.

There are callouts. One of the best in my opinion is that when you collect a Bond that specific actor with say something to the effect of "My name is bond, James Bond". All 6 actors that played Bond are represented. There are also some other callouts and instructional callouts. The game relies more on the screen for specific instructions. I feel this is appropriate as too many instructional callouts don't fit this style of game and would get distracting once the rules were learned.

I also feel like the modes themselves really bring out the feeling of movies without clips and dialog. For a great example of this chose the 1 ball wizard mode at the start instead of a regular game. You'll get some time to build up the value of the "bomb" by hitting switches then have to quickly diffuse it but knocking down the in line drops and locking a ball. This kind of tension is in a lot of the Bond films, and unlike the films you won't always diffuse the bomb in time.

I would disagree that there is a "shameful lack of assets". Unlike the pro/prem/LE models that cover only the Sean Connery Bond movies (all of which came out before I was born) this version covers the era of Bond in the late 70s, 80s, and 90s that I remember growing up. It covers all the films in the franchise. When some people say "assets" they mean movie clips with sound. This works well on games like TBL where there are natural stops in the game where the ball is not in play and these clips can be watched. For this style of game it really wouldn't make any sense, especially when they already have a version of the game they did that with and in that version some of the clips get annoying fast.

Although this seems common, mine will stop in different random positions. Maybe mine is defective, but I kind of like this because it changes the strategy for MI6 drops.

I kind of think they should have an easier setting for starting Bond MB, like allow you to collect Bonds during Mission MB (currently you can only collect one if the scoop is already lit). I've thought about narrowing my out lanes or making it easier to get an EB (after 3 Bonds instead of 4 for instance).

Third time you complete the roll overs at the top lights EB. Also get EB lit for collecting 4 bonds (on default but can change that).

It looked fine in my stream, just adjust the camera brightness in OBS. Please don't tell DeadFlip I gave away his secret.

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This is the best shooting single level game I've played by a large margin. It is a single level with modes, good sound, and reasonably balanced scoring. Nothing made back in the day can touch this. As far as modern single level games Beatles might come the closest but TNA, Celts, Fathom (even with the new code which is a in my opinion worse than the original) are a long way from this. My opinion on what it needs:

- When you hit the M target it is hard to tell what it gives you because it changes immediately to the escape (50 points) or the bonus collect. They need a callout here or for the screen to stay on the M target a little longer.
- It is too hard to complete the top lanes. Maybe OK for standard settings but when set to easy should let the lit lanes carry on from ball to ball or let you move the lit lane with the flippers.
- Bond multiball might be too hard to start. Maybe make it easier to make progress during the Mission MB or maybe (when set to easy) be able to collect multiple Bonds with one hit to the saucer.
- They could do a better job with screen. I think movie clips have no place in a game like this. For the orbits mode maybe have a gear shift so after you hit the first orbit (and hear the Aston Martin engine revving) thenit shows a manual gear shift go to second gear with the next shot lit, etc. The other modes could also mark progress better. For instance the spinner mode could be a RPM meter that increases with each shot until it is completed at the red line.

What do you think the game needs?

PF LE sold out a game no one had even seen played. Some of these "buyers" are already trying to flip their spot at a profit. Unfortunately we see this with a lot of limited games including a few Bond 60th that have shown up on this form. Anyone who has been in this hobby as long as you have knows that some great games at one point sold for less than MSRP and went up in value later (SW, GotG, DP, NST, Hobbit, POTC, Met, ACDC, Beatles, BKSOR, Kiss, BM66, and pretty much every Bally Williams game). Other games there there was initial hype and people flipping for over MSRP haven't faired as well (RZ, LOV, DI, ACNC, Halloween).

For me and probably most of the other buyers none of this has any bearing on our enjoyment of these games. The hype thread got beat to death with 7k+ posts almost all complaining about price and perceived market value. Let's let this thread be for people that want to talk about the game itself.

But technically it should have been posted in the Sega Goldeneye thread.

I would go to t-molding.com. The proper width for this is 11/16". You can get 3/4" but it will be a little bit too wide. That might not bother everyone but would bother me. It will take 13 feet to do the game but the minimum order is usually 20 ft ($10).

Code 1.05 released:

V1.05.0 April 20, 2023
=========================
- Fixed scoring/bonus bug when restarting a game during bonus count.
- Flippers now can abort display of bonus count achievements.
- Added Goldfinger Combo: Left drop targets to left scoop.
- Gadgets now light on a timer, and logic changed to allow gadgets 1-3 to be
awarded during villain modes and multiballs.
- Outlane ball save lights no longer reset at end of ball.
- Hold bonus now saved between players when playing cooperative mode.
- Left bank of drop targets no longer raise at the end of every villain mode.
- New shaker motor adjustment to add small shaker effect to reel movements.
- Various small tweaks to display and sound effects.
- Graphic cleanup to a few attract mode Insider Connected screens.
- Special QR codes can change classic background music and sound effects.
https://sternpinball.com/james-bond-60th-qr-codes/
- Added adjustment to control game start via lockdown bar button.
- Moved to System 3.36
- Updated to nodeboard firmware/protocol v1.5.0
- Updated selectable upper bound for Grand Champion, and HSTD 1-4 Awards. GC
may be set up to 5, HSTD #1 to 4, HSTD #2 to 3, HSTD #3 to 2, and HSTD #4
to 1. The default value for these has not changed, just the ability to
select a higher value.
- Added game version number to lower left of attract mode Insider Connected
screens.
- Updated Service Menu landing screen to graphics.

I like that gray look at lot. I've been toying with the idea of trying a chrome T-molding

11/16" is correct. 3/4" is slightly too wide but a lot of people still use it.

I think you mean 20 feet and not 20". It takes 13 feet to do a game.

Replaced the screws around the screen with black ones,

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I don't have this issue. Is your game level?

My GZ LE came with this same issue. The only way I could fix it was by reaching in the bottom of the back box (when it was down obviously) and unscrewing the screw to release the metal piece of the back of the lock. I wrote my distributor and Stern about it. I think the problem is that at the factory someone forces the lock closed when it isn't actually in the right position so it just bends the mech and makes it very difficult to open again later.

I wouldn't go as far as to say the playfield should be re-themed. That said I loved Beatles and I love this game. I would like to see more single level fast playing games with good shots and rules that hit the sweet spot between modern games and classics.

I noticed Stern related a promo video with their Bond accessories today. Looks like even the crappy shooter rod is no longer exclusive to the 60th now.

It's totally fraudulent. Given what truly exclusive toppers (e.g. BM66 SLE and Star Wars) go for on the secondary market it isn't even a small thing. I have brought it up with both my distributor and Stern. At the time I thought they were only going to pull this shit on the topper. Stern's chief revenue officer's response me was: "We had Keith autograph each 60th topper. That autograph (not trying to be a jerk) is truly exclusive to the topper, making the topper exclusive."

Maybe they will send Keith to autograph or our shooter rods and armor now so we can have the exclusive versions of those that we paid for?

You're defending fraud. They charged a big premium by marketing this as an exclusive collectible. If they didn't want this to be collectible they could have said "included" instead of "exclusive." Maybe not you, but some of us like to have something special in our collection, something that not every location has, and are willing to pay a little extra for that. Even if you don't care about that, most of us couldn't afford to be in the hobby long if we lost $5k on every game we bought and sold which is what happens if we put up with this kind of crap. If you can then you're very fortunate.

I get that there is a gray area of what is considered "collectable" or not, and it is a common marketing tactic.

That said the issue here is that Bond 60th was limited to 500 and several accessories were marketed as exclusive to this game. Because price is determined by supply and demand limiting the supply drives up price. Stern lied in their initial marketing, and I feel intentionally so to command a higher price. After they sold (to end customers and distributors) they have now decided that these accessories aren't exclusive to Bond 60th and they can sell more to new buyers. Not only do I find this a reprehensible business practice but it has negatively impacted the value of the game both to recent sellers (both hobbyists and distributors) and some hobbyists who put value on having something rare in their game room.

You aren't alone in feeling those who bought this game are suckers. It is now clear that those of us who reviewed and believed Stern's marketing materials when making a big purchasing decision were suckers. You say shame on the pinball community. I say shame on Stern.

Your actually low by $139.49.

I think false advertising is lame.

This option seems like the most fun for sure.

Not necessarily that coin door in particular but H. L. Mencken was on to something when he said that "nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." When someone is trying to make a few bucks infringing on intellectual property I don't see an issue with someone calling them out on it.

Yeah, the game itself is great, but if they try this again I'd guess most of us will be waiting to find out what is really exclusive and what distributors are really going to sell them for.

Nice Score. I'm not quite there yet.

I have a GZ LE and the play count between that and Bond 60th is a similar story in my game room. I feel like I never have the time to invest in a game of GZ so I just play a quick game of Bond 60th.. then another and another.

Some people have put in stronger springs but it may just be a matter of playing it more and getting it broken in.

Seven months ago when I got the game I posted a few things I thought the code needed:

- When you hit the M target it is hard to tell what it gives you because it changes immediately to the escape (50 points) or the bonus collect. They need a callout here or for the screen to stay on the M target a little longer.
- It is too hard to complete the top lanes. Maybe OK for standard settings but when set to easy should let the lit lanes carry on from ball to ball or let you move the lit lane with the flippers.
- Bond multiball might be too hard to start. Maybe make it easier to make progress during the Mission MB or maybe (when set to easy) be able to collect multiple Bonds with one hit to the saucer.
- They could do a better job with screen. I think movie clips have no place in a game like this. For the orbits mode maybe have a gear shift so after you hit the first orbit (and hear the Aston Martin engine revving) thenit shows a manual gear shift go to second gear with the next shot lit, etc. The other modes could also mark progress better. For instance the spinner mode could be a RPM meter that increases with each shot until it is completed at the red line.

I still play my game regularly and we have seen some minor updates since I initially made these suggestions. I now think maybe the Bond MB doesn't need to be easier but the other comments I think would be welcome code improvements.

I like the changes. I played it several times this weekend and put up a new GC. I feel like the old rules were too focused on Mission MB and this makes that harder to start while giving more incentive to complete the modes.

Also they didn't seem to put any Stern ads on Bond 60th unlike the other models.

I had this issue, but it is now resolved. It seemed to be due to noise getting into the cables that control the reels. Try checking the cables to make sure there are no loose connections and put ferrite cores on them.

I love the "shaken not stirred" tilt warning callout that was added in the new code.

I hope you do this, I'd put this code on my game!

The serial numbers of the boards used in Stern LEs are sequential, even though the games aren't made in that order. This is now the code knows which LE number you have (it is the serial number minus a large constant).