These games are literally having dust collect on them with no progress on essential parts.

It looks like AIW is the only one he has updated in a while. He made several posts to it yesterday. That is where the picture I posted above originated. There were around a dozen detailed pics posted along with a video and and a list of upper and lower playfield features. From the posts, there is zero doubt where he has been spending his time. As Aurich stated above, these new posts have to represent hours upon hours of work.

For what it is worth, it was not my intention to open up a can of worms by posting the pic. I have not checked the Alice blog in a long while and I was shocked to find the detailed posts which are evidence of a ton of work. All while RAZA and most especially MG seemingly sit idol.

Amazing quality of work (all 3 games).

I wish zidware would just sell the designs to a manufacturer, wouldnt this kind of deal be just perfect for heighway!

Jpop gets to continue creating and games will still get made, everybody wins!

They'd have to be finished for that.

The more sunlight the better, you did good by sharing that.

And of course they're fun to see, no one denies that. But at this point that's generating more pain than excitement.

On the contrary, I appreciate you sharing it. Yes, it makes me damn frustrated, but I welcome any insight I can get into JPop's mad, mad, mad, mad world.

Well I'm just a regular joe-shmoe but it looks to me like:

Mg - needs code then ready for production.

Raza - not seen any pics of a populated playfield so probably needs toys and code then production.

aiw - is just a beautiful origami set

Id say to aquire an mg license is just what heighway needs to start their pinballproducing venture with a bang!?
just my 2c anyways, love jpops games and would happily add these to my collection and see more games from him.

Basing this on what??

While that is very pretty, even I can (and am) make a playfield flip on cardboard ramps (I just don't have art yet, that usually comes last). It's very clear that JPOP can conceptualize very pretty pinballs with some innovation. A flipping whitewood concept isn't even 50% of the project scope for production. AIW is a LONG way off, RAZA is probably not far behind. MG looked to be complete with the exception of real ramps and code.

I understand the concept of working on the next title so production isn't sitting around (Stern does the same thing), but there is no production to speak of right now that I can see. If there WERE a project manager working there, he would take all the concepts from RAZA and AIW and lock them in a storage unit until MG was done.

Not even close.

I think people are distracted by the art. They associate polished art with a finished game, because that's usually how it works. John's doing things backwards. The art is the easy part.

There is so much more to do still. This would be true even if the hardware was actually finalized and a full time programmer was on board. Neither of which is true.

Meanwhile Jpop is farting around with vaporware game three and staying busy burning bridges with the people who've tried to help him.

Are the owners really prepared to settle in for a couple more years? Because that's what it's looking like, if there's even still hope for a shipping game.

I was basing most of my MG assumptions on this pic: http://arcadeheroes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/magicgirl1.jpg
and this: https://pinballsupernova.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/img_9943.jpg

looks like a pretty complete game (physically) to me?

license that playfield to a manufacturer and boom?

I think both stern and heighway have the means and skills to program this game if needed.

Looks like it, but it's not. The ramps are prototypes, and all the bits in the upper playfield aren't even finalized yet.

AIW would be a great JJP sequel to WOZ. Imagine AIW built to the same JJP standard as WOZ (The quality of my late run WOZ is flawless - makes other manufacturers look like they are making "toys".)

With the price tag on these machines (were they $20K?), surely it would be feasible for JJP to make them, even with the really small run.

Even if that wasn't true, there's still so much to be done. TBL and Hobbit were further along than this last year. You could actually play them! (I did.) And here we are, neither game shipping, because there's a lot that goes into making a finished game, and there's even more that goes into actually being able to manufacture them.

Remember, Predator was "done" over a year ago. And yet nothing was built up until this ugly collapse. Making games isn't as simple as hiring an artist and putting together some cool shots and toys.

I just checked the raza blog again, his last entry, feb 27, said this:

"Should have some good full shots by “eod” tomorrow. Will try to get the zombie monkey filmed tonight. "

So, the "reveal" went out the window, and he is so scatterbrained 3 weeks pass and he never followed up with what he said he'd do that night and tomorrow.

i call it ball faced lying, others might suggest he is full of shit. either way jflop is continually showing himself as a first class clown. no properly run business would want this guy on the payroll, he is unemployable.

My son made something like that...

If you're unemployable, going into business for yourself and having people invest is a good strategy.

unless you're one of the investors.

Buildings completed by Zidware Construction Company:

facade-7.jpg

I wonder if Popaduik will show his face at a show again.

Last I heard, he said he was going to MGC.

software and hardware fairies who work for free are hard to find, especially if they thought they were getting paid

I'd finish his pyprocgame code (for P-ROC) for a free Magic Girl and AIW.

Not even a joke.

Someone needs to remind him to drop efforts on RAZA and AIW until MG is done. We're talking 1-2 years out for MG, another 1-2 for RAZA and 1-2 for AIW, shipping in 2020 best case scenario, if he gets things in order. Really no reason to spend any more thought on a game that far out.

If he needs to be reminded that he still has a responsibility to the buyers of game number 1 and someone needs to coax him, or beg him, to finish it before designing more playfields, then we are truly lost.

What a bummer of a month to be a pinball hobbyist

I told someone who is in on RAZA and got starry eyed after the MG blog was opened and got a bit of a confidence boost with Iceman, Mr.68, and FAST getting more involved with JPop, and therefore was going to "stay in", that in my opinion, best case scenario would be 3 more years before RAZA would be shipped.

I still think that's the best case scenario.

That picture says it all. All he cares about is designing things. Not finishing them.

Game #3 (or 4 if you consider the ill-fated Kiss attempt) is being worked on when game #1 isn't even remotely close to going out the door and into owners' hands. Unbelievable...

Any of the 19 original MG owner's let's make a deal, I would like to buy your contract, looking at you lucky #7!

At this point he has worked/is working on SIX games. Isn't it odd that he only seems to be able to finish games that nobody is paying for, like KISS?

Don't get crazy now. Kiss wasn't anywhere near finished. It was foam core and hot glue just like that aiw mock up. If you would have tried to flip it, you would have destroyed it. It wasn't even a full model. Was supposed to have ramps on it.

You're right, it was foam core and very rough overall. However, he did bring it to a show and spent a lot of time on it. My point is that he never should have spent a second on it before other games were done. He just keeps working on other things. MG reveal promised in December, and still nothing.

Wow, someone take him up on that, get your money and life back.

No thanks

You are more optimistic than I am. Maybe I am just jaded by the whole Predator situation which just unfolded, but I do think we all *want to believe* in these start-up companies to a fault. To me the parade of employees and suppliers who seemingly all have not been paid, including Chris from Cointaker who is a "friend" of John's, is a hurdle that could be impossible to clear without immediate action. This project is dead without new/outside help, management, software coders and manufacturing talent. What competent and capable person(s) would be willing to set foot on this runaway train at this point? Anyone who could rescue this situation already has a good day job. My best case scenario is that there is money left for refunds when the plug finally gets pulled or the project is taken over by Stern.

Also, what are the realistic chances that the project could be taken over by Stern or JJP? I'm having a hard time understanding a scenario where this would make financial sense for them. That math thing again.

Can you imagine JPop being able to put together all the parts that are needed to build these pins, then have them shipped to Stern or JJP for assembly? It was hard enough for Chicago Coin doing it with MMr, and they have manufacturing experience.

I get depressed thinking about it.

I'm having trouble seeing a scenario where John, the guy who drives away people trying to help because he'd have to let go of some little aspect of control, gives up his babies to some other company to finish.

How about RAZA#40?

In a different thread, back in October, 2013, jpop posted:

I'm guessing slim to none. I can't see any company seeing any incentive to pick up the pieces of a failed/failing project and get anything out of it. They would want something out of it, for they are a business. I can't imagine them doing it to bring closure for preorder people, or manufactured collectibility.

And I could see John on the assembly line looking at someone with a soldering iron yelling "you're doing it wrong! Be careful with that!" since he wouldn't have any control. He would call it "selling out".

Yeah, and the spikes on the legs? Gone.

Maybe in the back of his mind, that's what he's hoping for ... A buyout of his designs and IP.

One would have to ask, why hasn't either (or any) of the two main pinball companies given him a job?

All the other old designers have jobs ... Ritchie, Gomez, Nordman, Freres, Lawler, Balcher, etc etc etc.

Maybe the guys in charge have all been JPOPPED once too often.

Sterns too clever to pay money for a company like this. They'd just wait till it falls over and make their own versions.

My money is on a Stern Predator pin in the next year or two. Nothing in common with the failed one ... Sterns own version. Why not? Proven market for it, and willing buyers with (hopefully) 4750 ready to spend on a new pin.

That's what I'd do anyway.

rd.

Stern Predator LE sounds epic!

its a slam dunk. the theme is what put the shit-b goggles on everyone (including myself) fantastic licensed theme.

Yep, checks.

I'm hitting 60 next birthday. I'd have to take out another term policy before putting money down on another one of Jpop's games.

Now that I could see happening. I doubt preorder people could get discounts, since I doubt Kevin kept any accurate records of who sent what. Stern does it on their SPIKE, full approved licensing (just another day at Stern), with maybe some elements from the Skit-B version. No credit will be given to them, however. Will any vendors get compensation from Stern? No.

Gary would release it with a smile on his face. While he won't say "I told you so", he will say "We're the only manufacturer...".

And that's the rest of the (potential) story.

For sure, with some toys and dark artwork, not simply a lineup of characters form the movie.

I think Heighway has the inside track, if Alien actually ships. Little too early to call his company successful, but the Bacardi thing proves they can deliver a product on a deadline that works. So that's something.

Full Throttle is less than a week from the line supposedly. If those roll out and Alien goes at all smoothly (since we've yet to see any licensor approved photos it's too early for that too) then they'd probably love to have Predator. I mentioned this to Ben Heck, and he said "they'd sell Predator one for one with Alien". Probably true!

As for Jpop selling to someone? Who the hell knows. I bet he's feeling the pressure now. Not enough to actually accept the help that FAST and Mission offered though.

I'll say this: Predator's lesson is when the creator clams up, and won't answer questions, it's not because things are going awesome. The longer John is silent, or showing distractions (WTF Alice in Wonderland? Yeah, you announced it, but it's obviously taking up a ton of time) the more owners should worry IMHO.

I think Heighway will get it.