Quoted from Sinestro:

Even if it’s a Vault?

Quoted from Shapeshifter:

Interesting indeed.
Maybe they found out it just costs too much to manufacture?
They would not admit this so it is just pure speculation.

Quoted from spinal:

Very cool tech - free form displays! But years away as mentioned in the video

Quoted from FlippyD:

Then at least give it to the CE buyers?
Problem with game companies being transparent is that it just tends to cause them more harm then good.
We as consumers end up with enough information to do harm to the brand but not enough information to see the forest from the trees.
And in a worst case scenario the developers announce cool shit and then take that cool shit away.

Quoted from Psw757:

I think they just want to start producing and selling at OUR cost to start capitalizing on their investment in this title.

Quoted from fishbone:

Could be. I agree the whole thing smells a bit fishy.
Imagine a Black Pearl Edition a couple of years down the road including the (new and improved) original spinning disc.

Quoted from pipes:

last minute band aid

Quoted from Astropin:

So in 1990 Whirlwind could do three spinning disks and they are still around today. But 18 years later we can no longer make them reliable?

Quoted from Draegermeister:

I loved the spinning discs. It was better than the compass and even the rocking ship.
I hope they can revisit the spinning discs. Or keep it on the LE. Maybe make it an aftermarket upgrade. Perhaps they could write a warranty clause keeping this mech's parts under warranty longer, if it's a HUO machine. I love playing the machine at Level 257 in Schaumburg, IL.

Quoted from DCFAN:

To be fair, that is very different from what JJP was trying to do with concentric rings/disk and controlled lighted inserts.

Quoted from PanzerFreak:

There's no point in having the large single disk act like an inferior version of what once was which will be replicated virtually on the LCD.

Quoted from pipes:

I'm curious how JJP saw this playing out at the board meeting.

Quoted from Astropin:

So in 1990 Whirlwind could do three spinning disks and they are still around today. But 18 years later we can no longer make them reliable?

Quoted from iceman44:

I told Joe i was doubtful as of right now but I'm gonna watch the stream and keep an open mind.
I'll probably roll those $$ over to CGC and its next title and save $$ at the same time. I love my AFMRLE

Quoted from robotron:

i would not commit to ce. resale on that model is gonna tank because of this. spend 12,500 and i can see you having a hard time getting 10,000. now i know you arent in this for resale but you can always get an le.

Quoted from ronaldvg:

Has anybody thought of the fact that the game needs to know excactly WHERE the spinning discs have stopped in order to be able to give the appropriate award ? Maybe that has something to do with this decision as we yet have never seen the award system work. They also did not explain that when showing the mechanism as far as I can remember.
Anyone have any info on that ?

Quoted from Zavadoza:

Yes. I mentioned it in my previous post that nobody read bc its probably too long. From the streams it was said that coding had not been figured out yet to award the appropriate awards.

Quoted from ronaldvg:

I was not talking about the coding, that is quite simple. What I meant was: how does the machine know what award is showing on the playfield. there has to be something in the hardware that reports the position of the discs, otherwise it cannot be coded at all.
edit: I went back and re-read your post as I did read it and I think we are talking about the same thing. But I did not mean the coding, but the physical way that the code knows what is happening on the playfield.

Quoted from indypinhead:

Couldn't each disk be driven by stepper motors...similar to how slot machines operate?

Quoted from bigd1979:

I believe it uses optos?

Quoted from arcadem:

I think resales will be very difficult as people wait to see if a Black Pearl special edition is looming on the horizon. Remember how angry WOZ LE buyers got when WOZRR was announced. If something like that were to happen again, adios to JJP.
POTC has to be a single version release with its attendant CE, LE, & standard models. If they need more time to do that, fine but do it right.

Quoted from Pimp77:

LOL, if you think there WON’T be another special art/trim package down the line then you’re a fool. It’s almost a guarantee! Black Pearl edition with black balls and black armor, ship combat art on cab sides. It’s a no brainer.

Quoted from wcbu64:

If they also black out the pizza with that edition, I'm back in.

Quoted from Pimp77:

LOL, if you think there WON’T be another special art/trim package down the line then you’re a fool. It’s almost a guarantee! Black Pearl edition with black balls and black armor, ship combat art on cab sides. It’s a no brainer.

Quoted from JY64:

Funny stuff they have to sell out for a new edition DI has not sold out what makes you think POTC will

Quoted from ronaldvg:

... Also, steppers that report back their position are expensive as hell. And that would also need the appropriate controller that is not cheap.

Quoted from spinal:

JJP has proposed a cut and run solution: replace the most complex piece of hardware with a simple motor. Reasons given is that original design at high speeds is unreliable and too loud and a simple motor will be reliable and quieter. Since they are willing to make this very drastic move at any expense to their reputation, I'm assuming two things for now:
1. We're not getting the three disks spinning at high rate as originally proposed.
2. Although looking a bit suspicious right now, im still taking their word that the reason it's being cut is THAT IT DOESN'T WORK RELIABLY AT HIGH SPEED AND IS TOO LOUD.
Many good alternative solutions have been proposed. Here is a poll:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/potc-save-the-3-disks-poll
For me the obvious solution is that the hardware remain exactly as is EXCEPT that it's initial intended purpose be modified (just moving slowly now as a cool toy to show progress on lining up interlocking rings). Here are reasons why:
1. The device has been tested at high speed for a long time. So if it operated only at low speeds now, it will probably be the most reliable device ever made (if high speed was the main reliability issue).
2. Yes, we give up the fact that the rings put action on the ball but I'm OK with that. But remember that often not all 3 rings were rotating. In fact, when spinning fast one could not see much of anything and they weren't spinning that fast in the movie anyway. What was cool was SEEING the 3 rings. It's a cool piece of hardware that just looks cool! So, like most of us who voted, it's not a downgrade to have this piece of hardware stay as is just moving slowly, rings moving around slowly while playing.
3. What we gain is that this cool piece of hardware can now be tied even more into gameplay! Remember that each disk can be moved to any orientation by software and the game always knows the orientation of each disk. This allows for making shots that turn the discs on the playfield and the goal is to reach certain configurations for jackpots or finishing modes etc. certain shots could change directions of rings or pops could randomly change directions etc. Making lit shots turns a ring to left or right and you make shots to get rings aligned as you need - exactly like the puzzle theme of movie! In my view this is even better than having just spin a high speed where you can't see anything and does not add much to gameplay (except action on the ball).
4. JJP is obviously in rush mode now and are no longer willing to wait it out. This proposal of using the original hardware just at very slow speeds is best here. No changes needed at all - leave everything exactly as is - only code has to change. In the worst case ship the game with limited integrations as described in 3. and update code later - we will understand.
5. Quiet as a mouse if each ring only moving a bit here and there one or a few positions at a time.
It's not time to throw the baby out with the bath water here - the hardware is very cool even if not spinning at high speed. I have actually come to think it's better slower - to have it more integrated into gameplay, always visible because not blurred away and closer to movie movement, and now reliable and silent.
If the real reasons for completely cutting this hardware are indeed high speed reliability and it being too loud, then this low-speed original hardware solution checks all boxes and is the obvious way forward. We have voted on it as well (poll above) and the majority prefer this over replacing with the single stock motor.
If they don't go with this most obvious compromise then clearly we know that there are other reasons being kept from us and JJP are not being forthright here to their loyal supporters.

Quoted from PanzerFreak:

YES! That looks very nice and far more interesting and interactive then 1 giant disk.

Quoted from spinal:

JJP has proposed a cut and run solution: replace the most complex piece of hardware with a simple motor. Reasons given is that original design at high speeds is unreliable and too loud and a simple motor will be reliable and quieter. Since they are willing to make this very drastic move at any expense to their reputation, I'm assuming two things for now:
1. We're not getting the three disks spinning at high rate as originally proposed.
2. Although looking a bit suspicious right now, im still taking their word that the reason it's being cut is THAT IT DOESN'T WORK RELIABLY AT HIGH SPEED AND IS TOO LOUD.
Many good alternative solutions have been proposed. Here is a poll:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/potc-save-the-3-disks-poll
For me the obvious solution is that the hardware remain exactly as is EXCEPT that it's initial intended purpose be modified (just moving slowly now as a cool toy to show progress on lining up interlocking rings). Here are reasons why:
1. The device has been tested at high speed for a long time. So if it operated only at low speeds now, it will probably be the most reliable device ever made (if high speed was the main reliability issue).
2. Yes, we give up the fact that the rings put action on the ball but I'm OK with that. But remember that often not all 3 rings were rotating. In fact, when spinning fast one could not see much of anything and they weren't spinning that fast in the movie anyway. What was cool was SEEING the 3 rings. It's a cool piece of hardware that just looks cool! So, like most of us who voted, it's not a downgrade to have this piece of hardware stay as is just moving slowly, rings moving around slowly while playing.
3. What we gain is that this cool piece of hardware can now be tied even more into gameplay! Remember that each disk can be moved to any orientation by software and the game always knows the orientation of each disk. This allows for making shots that turn the discs on the playfield and the goal is to reach certain configurations for jackpots or finishing modes etc. certain shots could change directions of rings or pops could randomly change directions etc. Making lit shots turns a ring to left or right and you make shots to get rings aligned as you need - exactly like the puzzle theme of movie! In my view this is even better than having just spin a high speed where you can't see anything and does not add much to gameplay (except action on the ball).
4. JJP is obviously in rush mode now and are no longer willing to wait it out. This proposal of using the original hardware just at very slow speeds is best here. No changes needed at all - leave everything exactly as is - only code has to change. In the worst case ship the game with limited integrations as described in 3. and update code later - we will understand.
5. Quiet as a mouse if each ring only moving a bit here and there one or a few positions at a time.
It's not time to throw the baby out with the bath water here - the hardware is very cool even if not spinning at high speed. I have actually come to think it's better slower - to have it more integrated into gameplay, always visible because not blurred away and closer to movie movement, and now reliable and silent.
If the real reasons for completely cutting this hardware are indeed high speed reliability and it being too loud, then this low-speed original hardware solution checks all boxes and is the obvious way forward. We have voted on it as well (poll above) and the majority prefer this over replacing with the single stock motor.
If they don't go with this most obvious compromise then clearly we know that there are other reasons being kept from us and JJP are not being forthright here to their loyal supporters.

Quoted from spinal:

JJP has proposed a cut and run solution: replace the most complex piece of hardware with a simple motor. Reasons given is that original design at high speeds is unreliable and too loud and a simple motor will be reliable and quieter. Since they are willing to make this very drastic move at any expense to their reputation, I'm assuming two things for now:
1. We're not getting the three disks spinning at high rate as originally proposed.
2. Although looking a bit suspicious right now, im still taking their word that the reason it's being cut is THAT IT DOESN'T WORK RELIABLY AT HIGH SPEED AND IS TOO LOUD.
Many good alternative solutions have been proposed. Here is a poll:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/potc-save-the-3-disks-poll
For me the obvious solution is that the hardware remain exactly as is EXCEPT that it's initial intended purpose be modified (just moving slowly now as a cool toy to show progress on lining up interlocking rings). Here are reasons why:
1. The device has been tested at high speed for a long time. So if it operated only at low speeds now, it will probably be the most reliable device ever made (if high speed was the main reliability issue).
2. Yes, we give up the fact that the rings put action on the ball but I'm OK with that. But remember that often not all 3 rings were rotating. In fact, when spinning fast one could not see much of anything and they weren't spinning that fast in the movie anyway. What was cool was SEEING the 3 rings. It's a cool piece of hardware that just looks cool! So, like most of us who voted, it's not a downgrade to have this piece of hardware stay as is just moving slowly, rings moving around slowly while playing.
3. What we gain is that this cool piece of hardware can now be tied even more into gameplay! Remember that each disk can be moved to any orientation by software and the game always knows the orientation of each disk. This allows for making shots that turn the discs on the playfield and the goal is to reach certain configurations for jackpots or finishing modes etc. certain shots could change directions of rings or pops could randomly change directions etc. Making lit shots turns a ring to left or right and you make shots to get rings aligned as you need - exactly like the puzzle theme of movie! In my view this is even better than having just spin a high speed where you can't see anything and does not add much to gameplay (except action on the ball).
4. JJP is obviously in rush mode now and are no longer willing to wait it out. This proposal of using the original hardware just at very slow speeds is best here. No changes needed at all - leave everything exactly as is - only code has to change. In the worst case ship the game with limited integrations as described in 3. and update code later - we will understand.
5. Quiet as a mouse if each ring only moving a bit here and there one or a few positions at a time.
It's not time to throw the baby out with the bath water here - the hardware is very cool even if not spinning at high speed. I have actually come to think it's better slower - to have it more integrated into gameplay, always visible because not blurred away and closer to movie movement, and now reliable and silent.
If the real reasons for completely cutting this hardware are indeed high speed reliability and it being too loud, then this low-speed original hardware solution checks all boxes and is the obvious way forward. We have voted on it as well (poll above) and the majority prefer this over replacing with the single stock motor.
If they don't go with this most obvious compromise then clearly we know that there are other reasons being kept from us and JJP are not being forthright here to their loyal supporters.
If there is anyone who doesn't think this is a good compromise (especially since zero changes to hardware have to be made), please post below and let's hash this out. We are cheering Eric and JJP on here and hope they make the right decisions for this game to reach its greatest potential!

Quoted from Guinnesstime:

Man, people are really taking this hard. I think this post was longer than the internship paper I wrote back in college.
So everyone WANTS the Fountain of Youth discs. JJP needs to ship pins, or at the very least, get some cash while it's being worked out. Right now, deposits are refundable.
How many would pony up 1/2 of their full pin price, non-refundable, for JJP to figure the disc issue out?
Stipulation is it will require JJP to deliver the original 3 disc design.
Who's in THEN?