Did I miss something?

Is Nordman gone from JJP?

huh?

Yup gone.

2 well known designers now working on pins 2 and 3 but will not find out who they are until 2013.

That's rough, not even staying with the company until the product has been completed.

Holy cow.

Nordman is probably my favorite designer. He was the main reason I was really looking forward to pin number 2 from JJP!

I get excited when things are unlicensed.

Wow. I was looking forward to a Nordman created JJP pin as well. Great designer as you never know what to expect from him. Hopefully Stern picks him up.

Whats going on over at JJP this is the 2nd guy to "Leave" in 2 weeks?

I'm guessing its a payroll thing. Time to free up some money for the assembly?

I think the older guys are great, love their work. I think the best thing is for new guys to come in and step it up. There is a point where they are out of ideas and new blood can step it up. Kinda like all the extreme sports. Most of the stuff getting done now was not even considered by guys 25 years ago. New technology has helped them step it up. Pinball is no different.

According to Jack those guys did not leave JJP. They were not employees, they were contractors. Their contract was complete, they went to the next job. If their work is complete there is no reason to stay. If you read between the lines there it should be exciting because that means their parts of WOZ are complete. Confirms where the machine is in the build.

Nothing odd or scary at all about contractors moving on. I think it is a plus. They need to keep their game up or they will go out of flavor and will not get any more contracts. If they produce a few duds the pinball community will tear them up.

BINGO! Give the man a cigar!

Kim

Would probably be a smart move by Stern to hire Nordman and turn him loose on an unlicensed project now.

A shame they didn't do the unlicensed theme, as not looking forward to the hobbit, love the technology and new innovations jjp are doing just not a fan of themes unfortunately.

Does anyone have a link for the other thread that this news came about.

This does not necessarily mean that it will be licensed. Just that it won't be Nordman's unlicensed theme - right? Maybe they decided to go another route with a different unlicensed pin.

_{Post edited by txstargazer3 : Spelling}

Think they are working on one licensed and one unlicensed and they have not decided which to release next.

un-licensed I hope as like what jjp are doing, just seems to be taking a long time.

Since Nordman wasn't the designer for WoZ, I wonder what he did?

Bait potential buyers.

I thought Jack said The Hobbit would be #2...is this not correct?

Is it possible he already designed an unlicensed theme for JJP? Now Jack just needs to build it. I do not know, just speculating. Kinda like a house, you hire a guy to design and make a set of blueprints, now the crew takes the plans and builds it. Do not need to have the designer at the construction site anymore.

There have been hints that it is a WB movie that will be released Dec 2013. No word from Jack on what it really will be.

Good point, though when it is released just a little odd if he is at Stern for example when JJP comes out with possible Nordman's next one - just speculating

Ya not sure how he could have fullfilled his contract if he was a lead designer but didnt do the design on WOZ? is #2 design ready already for build?

Let's wait and see #1 finished first

I really hope they don't have a #2 they consider done without at least building a whitewood and tweaking the layout. Would they have had the bandwidth to do that while getting WOZ through production?

I do not see why not. Getting a layout on wood and slapping he ball around to design/tune a layout is. It that hard. They do not need a team to do that. There may be changes later by it could be pretty close, just needing small tweaks that nearly anybody could do. It would be cheaper to contract a design and own it and let the guy move on.

Lol, its one thing to not be a hater and another thing to be positive but at some point folks are going to want to know what the heck is going on.
All I heard up til now is don't worry its the perfect team and why would great people stick around if it was not an amazing thing so at this point with no games rolling out its scary.
Hope to be wrong but man things look weird.

Whatever the reason that HE LEFT, it can't be good. I don't know why, or when, but it's a bad sign. Don't tell us "contractor", either. Nordman was said to be a part of the team since the beginning and now he's gone.

We have consistently been told that he was doing a machine after WOZ, but also "helping on WOZ" ... and now he's gone.

A lot of people based their decision to purchase a machine from JJP because Nordman's name added credibility to the company. Hell, Jack wore him like a badge of honor at several of the shows I saw "the team" speak at... and now he's gone.

Jack's doing a lot of good for pinball, but HE should have been the one to tell us about these departures. We shouldn't have to find out about them though internet rumors and STERN press releases!!

Bad show, old man.

-M

Given the front-and-center billing Nordman got, his departure indeed seems to raise some questions to those not in the know (which is nearly all of us; myself included).

While JJP's response to Nordman's departure seems 100% plausible, one could equally assume the response to be positive spin--because we don't know: all conjecture.

Just was a surprise: I had the impression he was there for the long term.

On the other hand, perhaps Jack has a trump card up his sleeve though with one of the mystery guys: Lawlor?

Either way: good luck JJP.

Trump card. Yes. Lawlor. No.

LTG

The biggest appeal of an unlicensed theme to me is, that the emphasis would have to be more on gameplay since they wouldn't have some popular icon to guarantee x% instant sales.

I really worry about this fixation on #2 when #1 isn't even out and this whole hardware and system is brand new. I don't want to see JJP go the way of Stern and fixate on cranking out quantity over quality, basing their sales on licenses and themes as opposed to gameplay and creativity.

But other peoples' mileage may vary. IMO, JJP has to make Woz an amazing game. If it's another game that like Sterns, takes 6 months to become updated and playable, I don't think there's room for two companies like that in the market.

Same crap different day.

Typical that some of the biggest people trying to read into this (some even going so far as to push a negative spin when they really have NO idea what goes on behind the scene nor should they feel entitled to have that info anyway) are also some of the same ones firmly in the Stern corner.

just playing devils advocate here>>>Maybe Nordman demanded more money? Maybe he grabbed Jack's daughters azz? Maybe he got caught watchin porn at work?

All of the above are completely fabricated BS, but I think you get the point.

There are 2 sides to every story and it is pretty crappy that some people feel they should be in the middle of a story that really does not include them and then they try to force a conversation by talking smack in the internet.

Like I said before, maybe JPOP or Mark Ritchie. JPOP seems to be totally excited with JJP and the WOZ project. Another one that would turn the pinball world upside down would be Brian Eddy.

If you knew what JPOP was doing right now you'd know JJP isn't an option. He's actually doing what he said! You'll see it at expo! I think you guys are going to hear Nordmans name again VERY soon! It won't be connected to JJP! SURPRISE! When the truth comes out people will FLIP!

There is more names out there. Keep guessing.

LTG

If you know the truth then just spill it, otherwise you don't know diddly. We all know that you would love to discredit JJP at any opportunity you get.

Eddy would be out of the park.

Somebody presently at Stern?

No idea.

Just when you consider Williams, Capcom, Gottlieb, throw in a little Game Plan and Alvin G.

There are a few names not popping up that might have potential.

Bearing in mind I'm a fan of new blood.

LTG

John Trudeau.

Also, I honestly believe that Keith could design a good game but then the programming would need to mostly be done by somebody else if you want the game within 1 to two years.
Hell, I could design a good game if it was my job or if I put my mind to it.

isn't exejet supposed to be restricted from posting on any jjp thread?

I believe Nordman left because his part in this pin was done. But, on the other hand, you wanted him to stick around for future pins. Let's face it, I'm more concerned about Nordman leaving only because I still don't have my WOZ pin wrapped around my greedy fingers and I'm getting a little nervous since my money is out there. I would be lying if I told you I wasn't.

I guarantee it's not Eddy.

Rats--well I'd also love to buy a JJP Trudeau game as DCFan speculated.

maybe one is Python

Oursler is working on the fourth installment of the Pinbot series. How's that for some wild b.s.?

Bride-Jack!