60 years? 60k

Now you're talking!!!

That freakin' cracked me up!!!

Go to first page. Check out the picture gallery for this thread. No new thumbnails across the top on the right side ? Move on.

LTG : )

FWIW, Kaneda posted 12/15 (Thursday) reveal for Bond 60th.

Appreciated, but his news means nothing to me...even a broken clock is right twice a day....a next week reveal fits Gomez's latest statements.

I'll still bump Tuesday ( pure guess), but just as happy to see anyday in upcoming week...PLEASE!!

R We There Yet?

Or just wait for someone to make a price thread complaining about the games MSRP.

Don’t the distributors control the final price on this machine?
Stern just gives their price to the distributors and the distributors put however much icing on the cake as they want. Correct?

That’s the rumor, but I would guess there is either some guidance or they discuss and agree on initial pricing… not sure if any distributor would want to weigh in on that

Gomez did confirm the art would have the movie posters on the side... sigh

If it was a great shooter with Reels and a fantastic art package... maybe I drop 25k. But let's be real, that art is horrendous on the sides. 25k for movie posters of all the bonds? A black and white tuxedo art package or the mockup someone posted on here with the intro shot should have been the art. I am sure the reels will look great with the LEDs lighting them up. I am sure there are fun shots... but if it's 25k for that art package we can all rest easy knowing this will be 18k on the market this time next year. Maybe some people like the art, I don't mean to offend if you do. But I would assume the majority of the market will laugh at 25k side art that is worse than the already made fun of Gomez version.

Not to get off on a rant, but I actually like the Gomez version playfield look. It looks like Bond for that era. But the rest is what made me cancel my order. The Elwin SLE needed a good look to make it worth the cost. The leaked translite is trash too. All the bonds in a circle around a 007 graphic? Hopefully that changes, it's pathetic. I have no doubts about the reels and game being good though! The Spectre armor is also fantastic if its real.... but I would rather have the art be blank than the mess that was leaked.

Man I couldn’t agree more with everything you said. Spot on really.

I will be all over this game if it checks the right boxes but sadly it seems unlikely. 25k seems to be the number popping up. Time will tell.

I assume they’re waiting for the bulk of the LEs to be delivered before revealing the 60th to minimize the number of people who might refuse delivery and try to get out of that purchase.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/147667

Looks like this guy is setting the market at $14k for his SLE, LOL! Obviously he mistakenly listed his LE sale on the wrong machine, but why we can even list for sale a non-existent SLE on pinside baffles the mind. As someone pointed out earlier, the SLE will be 61st anniversary if they don’t get this thing officially announced soon…tick tock!

Yeah I reported that ad but not take. Down yet. Pm him to fix prob.

I think the LE’s should already be paid in full

Bond Pro/Prem/LE code name is STICK. No idea why.

Elwin's Bond pin code name is TWIG. So...related, but no idea what the significance of this is. For most of the code names, it's obvious. For these ones, no idea.

bond_code name (resized).jpg

Who knows. Maybe internally instead of saying Bond on a wand, they were saying or joking Bond on a Stick.

Yeah, I get that, but STICK is such a weird code name to begin with for Bond, then EXTENDING that with TWIG is kinda far down a code name road to nowhere (especially if STICK is a reference to Bond on a wand). Lots of the code names make sense once you know what they are. This one? Makes me wonder if they drug test at Stern. Seems like something that would be hilarious if you were high. If you're not...not so much.

You are way overthinking this dude.

Stick:

1. : to hold to something firmly by or as if by adhesion

= Bond

What about that surprises you?

Just staying the course...

I think Stern is really making other mistakes nobody is talking about.

(And a TLDR: I know of one person who has already paid for their Bond SLE, and showed me proof. This message is about that and the horrible launch of distributor pricing from Stern for both Distros and customers)

I preordered the Gomez LE. I was excited. Then I hear there is a SLE after my money is in. We all know how hard it is to get out of an LE spot. Great, so the system that Stern puts distributors through is bad, but this SLE thing made it worse. To top it off for the LE, Gomez said we will try to get a Goldfinger edition out at some point. Love the honesty, but again shitty thing to do to LE reservation people who had to buy sight unseen. So now I cancel (as I want the SLE or Goldfinger edition) my LE spot by giving it to someone else without me making money. I don't need to profit from it, but man that's annoying to distributors and myself as I have to post it. I am exactly the Elwin SLE demographic, so I assumed I was just getting it even at a high price.

NOW - if they stick to the distributor pricing, that is where it gets more scammy from Stern. They absolutely lost some esteem in my eyes from the Gomez Bond launch, and now we get to pit distributors against each other for better pricing? Not only does this make distributors the bad guys like flippers in many buyers eyes, but it could NOT be a worse experience for customers. Give us the damn price and let it be consistent. I don't need to call 8 people to save $3k. I know around 5 people who were excited for the Bond SLE. Stern has drove all those guys away except for maybe me with their messaging and lack of clarity on this. I don't blame them.

I think Stern believes that distributor pricing helps distributors out after an empty year of releases, but I don't see that happening. There are already deals being done from smaller distributors with cash in hand. That is not supposed to be allowed, but since its always whispering nobody will get caught. I know the number someone bought theirs for - they paid and sent me the email with their number. It's wild. My distributor is awesome, and won't allow anyone to do anything until release. They give zero info, the way they should. But again, it's already another mess in my eyes from Stern, and I agree with my friends now. They got greedy and it makes me more loyal to JJP/CGC even though Stern has the best games in my opinion.

Is this 100% ?

Whomever paid for the Bond 60th already is a fool.

Haven’t even seen it and the Distro should be shot

There’s plenty of code names that don’t make much sense. BKSOR - Paris? Deadpool - Guy? They’re just in house dev team references so they can discuss a game without leaks. If they’re too obvious it kind of defeats the purpose. Having said that, GG admitted that sometimes they’re even too obscure for the team to remember. He did say that even the obscure ones have some connection.

Makes sense in the context of the Black Knight comic Ultraforce/Exodus storyline with Bennet du Paris.

Free Guy was well into production (script was 2016) by the time Deadpool pin was underway, and also starred Ryan Renolds, so I can see the thread connecting Deadpool to Guy as a code name.

Isn't that how it is now? The Bond LEs were selling for $13k to $17k, depending on the dealer, but at least we knew what the MSRP was and if the price was $13k, that was a "good" deal. I agree that there should be an MSRP on this 60th game so we know if we are getting a good or bad price. There are going to be people that pay thousands more than others and will be super annoyed when they find out.

I had a dealer quote me $12k for the Bond LE, but that was before the official announcement when they assumed the MSRP was going to be $11.5k. I don't see how (or why) someone already ordered the 60th game when the details aren't even announced yet. I guess the price doesn't matter to them.

Actually from what I’m told it’s not even as obvious as that and more of an “insider” joke. And I’m pretty sure they don’t look so deeply into the theme. You could be right with Deadpool but again, I’m not sure they go that deep.

It seems like there will be no MSRP from rumors on the Bond SLE, which means pricing will be more chaotic and confusing than the Gomez LE. This after a chaotic and confusing unveiling in September.

I just want Stern to respect the customer. I don't want to haggle with distros to save a few bucks. I just read in another thread (maybe the next Stern) about haggling distros to exclude tax all together. I don't think the people who have 20k+ to spend on a single machine (or anyone) should have to play games to get a better price. Just tell me the price and let me decide either way. Stern has been great the last few years, it only takes one bad incident to change peoples minds these days. And a bad image doesn't have to come from Stern. It can come from a dealer that cancels your order because someone just offered 2k more than you did when you made your deposit. My distro won't do that, for sure, but others might and it makes Stern look bad. The smaller distros are wild, and they don't follow the rules. What happens when a distro collapses and can't refund deposits because the IRS caught them not paying taxes like that other thread I mentioned? This place will be mocking distros advertising 30k SLE spots in a few weeks. It will be chaos. Again, my point is Stern should look into being more strict with these rules, not more loose. That is how you lose trust. I still love Stern, but I am wary about the future here if distro pricing happens...

Highly unlikely. I've been a NIB Stern customer since 2004 (LOTR/TSPP) and if anything, their support and sales strategy is more disrespectful than ever. I've dealt with ~5 distributors over the years and they are even more disrespected apparently. I still support them and love many of their games, but my hope of getting any respect dissipated many years ago.

Why do you want their respect? Get a dog.

Stern’s job is to produce and sell you pinball machines.

Everybody in pinball takes this shit way too personally. They aren’t your friends they are just selling you shit you want.

Is all this stuff true?

How did someone " buy" an SLE ( and how much $$$)

LE was $12k, now $14k ?

Distros w dramatic price differences?

Very, very bad showing if so.....I know pinball in general has had a " questional" past for all sorts of reasons.....but Stern? Present day? NOT A FAN

Not interested in friendship at all....standard business practice and consistent pricing policies should be a given, however.

I buy very expensive shit all year from reputable manufacturers and their distributors.

Saying Pinball gets a pass and I call bullshit...

Why should it, though? They're a business and they're free to operate in any way they please as long as they aren't breaking the law. We may not like the decisions they make, but they are *their* decisions to make and the only agency we have is to support them (or not!) with our money.

Is their business model such that you gain "respect" the more games you buy? If so, where are those goalposts? 5 games/year? 10? 100? Is it possible you aren't buying enough to earn their respect?

If you don't like the way they operate, you're free to take your $ elsewhere. Frankly, I *wish* people would stop complaining about all this bs and actually put their money where their mouth is. The only way their lousy business practices will be remedied is to stop funding them. There are plenty of other pinball machines out there.

What are you going to do though? Not buy their games? If so, I commend you for having standards and sticking to 'em.

All Bond reveals so far...

men-and-women-engage-in-dangerous-downhill-racing-in-plastic-toy-cars.gif

I'd be impressed if they refrained from bitchin till Stern actually announced the pricing.

Correct on all counts.....dont have to like it, just deal with it if I want the toy or not... no way does it make it right...just voicing my opinion on this mess

If its like Beatles diamond release, Stern wont release a price. It will be up to the distributor to set the pricing.

Of which nothing has been set since the pin has not been released.

I keep popping in when I see a spot of activity hoping its new pictures and its all the same.

Someone poke me with a stick when something actually happens.

Bond LE's certainly shipping this week. It's taken a while but the well seems to be drying up in terms of their availability. Come on and show this 60th!

Just spoke w my distro ( who I trust and have been dealing with for well over a decade):

LE's start shipping next week, SLE " supposed" to be revealed on the 15th....only rumor hes heard on price is $25k.

Very, very limited audience, allocation on these...

Figured I'd share, and truthfully dont know if I take 1, both, or none at this point....is what it is..

Isn’t Black Knight called Paris because at a Black Knight 2000 Eu launch party they had a real horse that took a huge shit and cleared out the venue?

I just want to see what Keith does with a single level layout. I'm not buying one, that's for sure. Be a shame if it looks fun to play and few will ever get the chance because it's locked up in pricey collections.

If that leaked art is real I doubt anyone's going to be buying it because it's a looker though.

Speaking as someone with an office job, none of us do jack shit (without a gun to our head) the week before or after xmas, so the reveal is either this week or next year.

Like, say, a Walther PPK?