What screams scam about it to you? They stated they are not looking for preorders.

Not only are there no preorders for Houdini, it seems to have been lost on everyone that from what I discerned, AP hopes to become the go-to boutique manufacturer for anyone who wants to design a pinball machine!

Sounds crazy, but think how cool that would be? Who wouldn't want to design their holy grail subject matter game, have it flipping virtually perhaps, and either try to get enough people interested to take it to production or have to cough up enough dough to have them make a one-off?

They could pretty easily develop a framework where most of the grunt work is done already, and you just need artwork, a rule set, and a layout. Custom mechs would cost more of course, and who better than JPOP for them to demonstrate the ability to do things outside the box?

I understand all the negativity from those who feel, and are in fact up to this point, victimized... but imagine the possibilities! This might have a happy ending after all, better than anyone could have guessed. This much I know: this outfit isn't out to scam anyone.

Well I don't believe Jpop set out to scam people, but it sure ended up that way.

Ah? Amazing ? Another positive individual like me!

Heck they could even have a "build your own pin" designer tool ala build your business card or build your website with all pre-fab components that you can place. I think at least part of their plan is to make it easy for joe corporation thow some of their marketing dollars their way to buy their own branded pinball machine... who cares if it plays great or has deep rules as long as it can be turned around quickly, has the JoeCorp logo and can be placed in a display somewhere to draw attention to my hot and tasty widgets.

Real classy,go personal on me...

Seems to me the majority of the negativity concerning AP are from people that don't have skin in the Jpop fiasco.

Right on

and that matters how?

There isn't any pinball experience or pedigree in the industry, no released plans of logistics or manufacturing, no business plan, no word on capital, no sourcing of parts or assembling of raw materials...

I hope it is real, but it's a long shot in the best scenario.

Good pinball needs more than playfield design and manufacturing.

It needs good design backed by testing and refining to create a well playing playfield. Then it needs good coding.

Who knows if they can find those people. Jpop has imagination but it took a team to make his prior pins any good.

um......

Disapointed in you Dan. This has already been around for quite some time and already have one contract game out the door...

Spooky is a contract manufacturer. They already have Dominos completed and shipping soon. Pretty sure they have a 2nd contract game in the works also.

I am under the understanding that if you have enough money and the means to sign off and make it happen, they are happy to be hired to build pinball.

Given a choice between Spooky and AP for something like this (actually anything) I would be talking to Spooky.

Well, I'm not up on all that, haven't taken time to listen to their podcasts even. I will say that competition is a major driving force for innovation, so it's all good!

But, heck yeah, go Spooky!

Interesting that they added Joe Balcer to the mix according to their FB page.

Did someone say pedigree?

DUN Dun dunnnn...

And please make sure to post any video you take, or that Expo, or anyone else has of the AP presentation - I'd want to see the presentation and Q&A directly, than get recaps in posts.

Sorry, did not mean to go personal on you. Not sure how I did that exactly. Chalk it up to Dutch/American cultural differences in humour. I would suggest not to get your hopes up too high about AP. JPOP already burned you once, don't let him do it again.

Yeah i know..i just hope for it so bad Vic..
Everybody (incl me) lost so much.

So... will Joe Balcer be doing the fixing of the things John created or will he be designing the next game, and would that mean that other then Magic Girl there will be no other designs that John made? Or maybe it's like : Houdini, MG, <Something Joe Designed>, RAZA etc..?

From their FB page...hmm set up an appointment to not preorder?

We're looking forward to seeing everyone in person this weekend at Expo. It's true we'll be presenting Friday morning at 9am.
If you'd also like to schedule an appointment please email us at [email protected].

It doesn't matter, let's have another 10,000 posts of misinformation, wild speculation from the self proclaimed experts and people bitching just to hear themselves bitch.

That's pinside in a nutshell

Welcome to the Internet, friend!!!

10,000? No, we are up past 20,000 now

Sweet Godzilla photo though.

I bet there's no flipping AP games and no flipping Magic Girl at Expo.

Don't forget your pitchforks and torches, people.

Yep, I bet you are right. I wonder what Chris at Cointaker thinks about all this...and how he will feel when the promise made to him of getting a MG is broken (yet again).

Of course, I'd love to be proved wrong...... but I bet I'm not.

I'll leave this right here from Face Book

Screenshot_20161012-203820~2 (resized).png

He realizes his weaknesses?

Is that followed by the line "... and they are that I will not trust Pinside anymore since they caused all the problems?"

image (resized).jpeg

JPOP news is sounding better and better. I sure like to see more new game desgins from him.

When you say "New" do you mean the fact that he steals from his own ideas so much it is "deliverance" in a pinball machine?

Magic and Theater, so new with ideas an color schemes we will have Circus Voltaire, Theater of Magic, Magic Girl, Totan, Houdini in Wonderland . . . . Arrghhh - suey - suey!

Woah.

No, we jumped onto the highway to the danger zone!

Highway to the Danger Zone
I'm gonna take you
Right into the Danger Zone
Highway to the Danger Zone
Right into the Danger Zone

did Chris 'play' the games or were they boxes of lights? That would be a key detail.

4af2907f55a3735dc47401d7fbd64375_1280w (resized).jpg

I tried to tell this story to my Dad who isn't into pinball. I felt crazy trying to explain it.

I hope so.

Lol. I tried to tell a friend about expo in a way that made it seemed important and interesting. I failed on both accounts.

Correct, that is the danger zone and this is the alternate universe, with this turd.

GW yuck (resized).jpg

I turned one of those down for free. I think it was missing the translight, which would make it better. But was not worth the hour drive each way.

Yeah, nothing in there about "playing" the game(s).

There's plenty of light-up boxes, there needs to be a playing game.

Stealing from yourself could be explained as a "style"

I like to quote this, since there was not much reaction on it. What does this mean Wcbrandes owns the rights now and not American Pinball? Can anyone (preferbly the author himself) share some info on this?

More lies and more people conned out of money. It is SURREAL that this keeps happening. At this rate he will have (someone help me with numbers here) pins promised and not delivered by this time next year!

Given the number of people this has happened to, I am afraid there is only one conclusion to draw at this point - John is good at convincing people to give him money for nothing. Very good. If you look at it a certain way he conned the whole pinball community from WCS. Or even before that by convincing us that his prior efforts were essentially one man shows, all done by him, and that's why he could do 4 or 5 pins, or even more, all by himself and be successful. When now it turns out he can't even properly layout a playfield, design shots, or even do the artwork himself. RIP.

No. They asked for anyone to vouche it was real. Chris said he was able to look at it but not flip it. lile I said, shit show. These guys seem to be swimming in the deep end of the pool.