Quoted from Vespula:I agree GnR is just as you described. Very special.
I think ts4 is special in it's own way too.
Targeting a different, kinder, gentler, wholesome, younger demographic. Who else is making brand new pinball machines with this kind of theme targeting that group?
Is the timing of this good? JJP seems to be proving they are by staying ahead of the curve from a marketing and business standpoint but either way they are running a very successful business whether you like them, or their games, or not. They clearly have Stern's attention. And they got mine with GnR.
I'd never even wanted or considered to own a pinball machine until GNR released and the promo came across my phone that late night December 30, 2020 where I had my Napoleon Dynamite "I want that!" moment and immediately went to JJP website and put down my deposit so I could then (Unknowingly) wait 11 long months for delivery.
The comparison imo is there will be enough ts4 younger "me" generation buyers out there (with 2.3 young kids now) who Like me didn't have or want a pinball machine until they resonate with ts4 and see marketing, on location, or word of mouth promo, or a search algorithm pushes the toy story pinball machine promo video to their phone Because they rented TS on Amazon ...
They will jump in for the first time like me and the cost won't be a consideration for them because it's resonates and they want it. Pretty much anybody (And I'm throwing caution to the wind saying this) pretty much anybody can come up with 10 grand. It's the new 5 grand... Then you're some pocket change away from a TS4 and loads of "fun for the whole family.".
If you ever meet them and talk to them, they'll probably say "what's pinside?". And had JJP shipped my GnR pinball machine the next week after I ordered instead of 11 months later I probably would have never heard of it either. Lucky you.
No doubt that a lot of new (non pinball) people will purchase this pin especially for the reasons you stated, younger generations with 2.5 kids and simply because of the subject material.
But honestly, to the people in this hobby, like myself, that have been buying their machines and other manufacturers machines for years. This is a tough pill to swallow for the price tag they hung on it. All of us that have been around pinball for years know what JJP is capable of and what they stood for when when Jack started this company. Toy Story 4 the pin is far from that and their most expensive pinball machine to date. I literally laughed out loud when I read the list of what this pin includes. the list is so short they had to include stuff that is not even functional parts of the game.
I played the game, as I said, and I think it’s fine. It’s fast it’s fun and the theme is well integrated. Most importantly people that have kids, those kids will love this pin. This game, code wise, may even become one of the greatest (who knows). But I think it will always be a disappointment or miss for what could have been a true world under glass.
Sadly this seems to be a more than JJP just staying ahead of the curve from a business and marketing point. It just seems greedy, or more honestly, like a quick cash grab. Especially when you consider the way the game was released. Yes JJP is a successful business but they won’t stay that way making games like this; games that contradict their very reason of existence in the pinball market. To make games that are a true world under glass.
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