Quoted from Pinball-Obsessed:Just had a few beers and played my GNR LE a few times.
I haven’t really been playing it for the last couple months because it’s been moved around in my pinball room and because I’ve been playing the latest new additions to my collection, Godzilla, Spider-Man and Metallica.
Anyway, after playing TS a couple days ago, I realized that GNR is like night and day compared to what you will get in the latest JJP LE. For me, my GNR was $2500 less than TS because I bought it on day 1 release for $9500.
I don’t care what other people say about GNR… this pin is an amazing F’ng pinball experience every time you play it and it’s packed with a ton of stuff compared to TS. Even with “not so snappy” flippers, like stern, it’s still fast, fun and the experience is like no other machine out there.
I’m not a GNR fanatic but I do love the music and with a subwoofer connected to this things it’s unbelievable how great this thing sounds and how much it adds to the experience playing this pin. (I have a pinnovators sub connection)
Eric Meunier made a masterpiece with GNR and it’s packed with awesome shots, mechs, ramps sculpted figures and actual music instruments implemented into the machine. Most importantly it’s a true world under glass, even the pop bumpers are amazing in this game, with the drum sound effects and the moving drum set attached to them, most people could care less about pop bumpers!
Anyway, just wanted to say that this sucks that JJP is trying to charge 12k for their latest LE machine and there’s nothing really in it. What sucks even more is this though, I was REALLY looking forward to Eric’s next pin but NOT if this is JJP’s new direction. If JJP charges 12k for all their new LE pins from now on and they don’t plan to put much in them. Then I guess GNR was my only and last JJP purchase.
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.