Agree.

Very talented Yeti! We will get your art on a machine out there one way or another!

I'll put that up tonight.

Are you able to let me know through PM?

Haha, I was just messing with you...if you search old threads the numbers aren't secret. I may be off by a few bucks but MG was $16,000 or so, and RAZA was $10,000 or so.

Alice was 9865.33 USD

Cool thanks guys! I remember seeing the $15k price tag on MG, didn't know the other prices.

I like everyone else here want to compliment you on your work, as it is the one thing everyone can definitively say is great about the games (because John won't/can't show much else).

I only caution you about considering what you have right now as "Results". We have seen time after time after time of good-intentioned, invested individuals reaching out to him offering him help, and being very excited about the initial conversations they had. Every. Single. One. followed the same path. Early excitement, participation by John, admission of his errors, agreeing with all their advice, promises to get them the bits of info they need to do their part, a small bit of public communication as a show of good faith. Then stalling, buying time, missing scheduled communications. Then finally complete and total radio silence with no progress being made. And now, coming out and blaming those who tried to help him for all the problems that the project has faced.

Every person who gets through to him has an excellent conversation and reports back that things are looking up, and then they all get burned.

He may be the nicest guy in the world when people are talking to him, but the guy has left a long trail of torched bridges behind him because of his business ethics. Do not settle for his word, because he has rendered it is worthless at this point.

I have heard about numerous people who have gotten quick responses to things only mentioned in this thread. It could be that he has some silent loyalist sitting in this thread, reading all the evidence of his malfeasance, and passing on daily cliff notes of all that goes on here, but it is far more likely that he is keenly aware of this thread and all the valid concerns of his customers, and yet chooses to only address select people about specific issues he feels like answering.

Again, I keep hearing about how nice a guy JPOP is, but I personally cannot imagine what kind of moral compass it takes to take this amount of money from people, blow it this badly, and just ignore them.

He must really hate Pinside now - we've forced him to pay his artist!

This must be Jpop's dog..

image.jpg

Since he (allegedly) still owes Cointaker for $7000 worth of LEDs (at cost), the only logical thought is that he's flat out of money.... And that's not taking into consideration all of the other people he hasn't paid.

I'd hate to see what it takes for him to make a game and meet a timeline

Like Gary Stern always says, it takes $1,000,000 to develop a game from start to finish.

When ZYeti says he has actually been paid, then you can all say that Pinside had an effect. Otherwise, this is following the same path that GLM went down...to the letter. Oh, and GLM still hasn't been paid. Going on two years here in a month or so!

Right, just to make game #1 in any batch for art, engineering, design, whitewoods, etc... before he orders any parts.

It is a wide open field right now. I know that Dirty Donny has been very successful in the last 2 years focusing on the pinball community. He obviously had the inside advantage with Metallica, but the residual effect has been huge. He has sold out his non-pinball art at every single pinball show. He can't create stuff fast enough. If you want to talk to him, send me a PM and I will give you his contact info.

MG was actually 13k when it first was released. I almost thought about getting in at that point, but I have major problems putting money towards a game i've never seen. Back then, only 13 were to be made.

The fact that he stole from you is the reason why every "I still think he is a nice guy over his head" comment is total bullshit. John Popadiuk is a thief. I just wrote out his name because I am sick of using an abbreviation that doesn't connect him with his actions. The thread title should change as well to "John Popadiuk and Zidware" instead of "JPOP" for the same reason.

GLM, please keep posting every week to let us know he hasn't yet paid you. You made the boards that run these games, and you need to get paid for your work. If you've ever run your own business, you know how horrible it is to ship product and not get paid for it. It can literally ruin you overnight.

Can't you sue?

You just have to view this all through your new set of zidware glasses.

Found exclusively at http://www.zidwareglasses.com

FWIW,
I was listening to old topcast's a couple of days ago and found out something that I didn't know before regarding Pinball 2000 and John and I instantly thought of this current situation.

It's on the Gomez interview episode at 2hr 10min mark and runs until about 2:21.
It's illuminating if nothing else. Makes his reluctance to share any work a little bit less crazy but it still doesn't excuse the absolute lack of customer service and honesty. Check it out if you have a minute or ten.

Hindsight is 20/20 and I don't think anyone saw this coming but now we all are aware......
Never....ever......ever let a guy who cares more about aesthetics than manufacturing take your money to produce something, no matter how shiny the thing you are being promised is.

Still hoping you guys who were in get something in the end. Cheers and I'm sorry that you all have to deal with this nonsense.

LOLZ cockblocked jpop!
Unknown.jpeg

As a full disclaimer, this is for my fictional company pronounced Z-Eye'd-Ware. A futuristic glasses manufacturer. Notice our clever use of i in our URL to replace "Eye", as in eye glasses.

Just want to make sure I don't get sued.

I won't disagree with you at all. I do hope for the best - but am preparing for the worst I suppose.
I do want to say that popping in here (or jpopping in? too soon?) has lifted my spirits. I've been working on the pinball stuff for years with no way to show or get real feedback until recently. It makes me smile to hear so many people appreciate the effort I've put into it. It means a LOT! Thanks everyone - you've got a rad community here!

Your work has basically been the only thing sustaining anyone on this project.

You rule dude. Even if you're jpop'd, you gotta be nearly guaranteed a contract doing a pin for a real manufacturer.

If you have the time, you should hang out and start posting in some other threads too.

I share everyone's sentiment that your art is really great.

Yeah, I hadn't considered the "other" side effect of vaporware pins is that all that time and effort you put in, for years now, and never any feedback from the real world.

I'm not sure if there's an easy way to find the info, but ANY time the art has shown up here it's always been really well received.

I wonder if this is the Jersey Jack visit that was just a week or 2 ago? Would love to know more about what all transpired there.

No kidding. This thread is the problem, not that he's never shown a prototype after 4+ years, that has nothing to do with it.

Story problem:

If it takes a team of 20 guys 1 year to produce a game at Stern, how long would it take 3 guys to do the same job?

How many projects are those other guys working on?

Aurich-

Dude. Introduce Yeti to Andrew Heighway for future games!

I'm not saying it will happen, but I've already exchanged thoughts on the matter with both parties. See where things go.

He'd also be an awesome fit for a future Spooky title, you never know.

Great artist, loves pinball, and my personal fav, he's an Ars Technica fan. If I can help him get onto a pin that goes into production I will.

Here is the funny thing. As many people that would line up for a Jpop pin ( before the fiasco), having seen Yetis work I think double or triple would be running to the pin company that made a game with his art. And yes just for the art!

I love his art but I'm not sure I would buy a pin on that alone. Additionally, I do think JPop has some talent of his own as an art director so some credit due there. But lastly, Zombie Yeti's skills would probably best shine on an unthemed pin (since studios are so picky about their IP) and this would really test what the market is for unthemed pins.

One million dollars IF you already have a fully functioning pinball manufacturing company. At least 3 times that if you don't.

You're implying John has 2 other guys helping him. Or are you counting John twice since he works the equivalent hours of 2 people?

YOLO!

It depends what you bring to the table I think. I look at Gerry and his company Multimorphic. They do not have 3 million dollars invested to date. They do not have a dime of pre-order money right now. They've developed something incredible, new, and unique (whether you're a fan of P3 or not) and they've done it all on their own dime. It is possible. Those taking millions of dollars and "failing" are not excused.

Indeed. YOLO!

That would be pretty sweet if Ben and the crew over at Spooky built their next pin with Yeti art work and absolutely fed Jpop and Vaporware a big old serving of "Eat Sh!t"

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I know this post is pretty harsh but it's pretty much how all of Pinside is feeling towards John and his gong show right now.

QSS

Sure, but production has not started. I'm 100% in Gerry's corner but the expensive part, production, has not yet started. This not only requires parts, but space and workers (lots of other things that cost money as well).

Spooky did it about as proficiently as possible and by the time they finish only 150 games how much money will they have went through? Now, take a typical run of 1000 or so of a Stern game; what would that cost from the ground up? I dare someone try it for under 3 million. Sounds like a lot of money, but it goes fast.

That mean Spooky would have 2 ex-JPOP employees. Heh.

I hear ya, but JPop somehow managed to blow through upwards of 1 million dollars without ever even showing a working whitewood! Gerry has shown a fully working (nearly complete?) P3 prototype without taking pre-order money. He also creatively advertised for investors which will easily allow him to build the first several games to be for sale. The point is he has intentionally tried to find a way to create a successful pinball business without risking hundreds of pinhead's money and hurting the hobby. This is beyond admirable IMO. I look at JPop (who I am a fan of) and I'm bothered by his ego being the contributing factor that caused him to fail and (completely opposite of Gerry) doing serious damage to the hobby in the process. Night and day.

Maybe that is why he hasn't made any progress lately and is blaming the Pinside community? He keeps going to do some work but then refreshes this thread and another 5 new posts appear so he has to read about the train wreck he created.

Zombie Yeti's art is absolutely amazing. I wish he was doing the art for Alien. Aurich's AC/DC backglass is nice, but this guy is in another league.