(Topic ID: 123704)

Lazer Lord

By smileymatthew

8 years ago


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  • Latest reply 6 years ago by vdojaq
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There are 395 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 8.
#1 8 years ago

Anyone know whatever became of the restoration etc of the Lazer Lord from like a year ago, and are the ROMS and pinmame ROMS on IPDB correct? Would really like to see/hear this one!

Also, if Orbitor 1 came out in 1982, Why late 1984 was another game even built? Wouldn't have everyone else been laid off by that point?

2 years later
#2 6 years ago

Hello!

Currently there is a Stern Lazer Lord whitewood for sale in the ads:

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/53954

The owner told me I am welcome to show his eight ad pictures on the IPDB but said he had to use his camera phone to make them as he has no other camera. He told me that anyone is welcome to come by and take better photographs of the game. His ad indicates he is located in Yorkville, Illinois.

Better photographs, and more of 'em, would be great.

So, if any one who lives nearby him and who, ahem, has a regular digital camera (not a camera phone) and who can photo-document this whitewood for the IPDB, that would be swell and appreciated.

We can accept images up to 10MB each although folks usually send them in at somewhere between 1MB and 3MB each. I'd be looking for many pictures, inside and out, and a focused close-up of anywhere and everywhere a date can be found. A picture of the reverse side of the backglass and one of the front of the backbox with the glass removed (showing the insert) are views that are sometimes overlooked.

I just thought I would ask. Thanks for giving this task your consideration.

Jay

#3 6 years ago

That whitewood is interesting, because it has a different playfield layout than the production Lazer Lord, but has the same backglass

d216c05521d26f8012ee844205a9e55956e9687d (resized).jpgd216c05521d26f8012ee844205a9e55956e9687d (resized).jpg

#4 6 years ago

Right, and this is the only one as far as we know. Same layout to quicksilver right?

#5 6 years ago

The production game had the Quicksilver layout but different software, right Vid?

#6 6 years ago

yes

#7 6 years ago

i've played the one finished one. The white wood looks way more interesting as it's a unique layout. the main one is just quicksilver with a different art package and different rules.

#8 6 years ago
Quoted from CaptainNeo:

i've played the one finished one. The white wood looks way more interesting as it's a unique layout. the main one is just quicksilver with a different art package and different rules.

Did you get a video of the finished one?

I hear the audio is crazy.

#9 6 years ago

There has been alot of discussion about this pin since it has been secured by another owner. With the whitewood it really brings some other thoughts into consideration.

#10 6 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

Did you get a video of the finished one?
I hear the audio is crazy.

no, i was just there for something else and got to play it.

#11 6 years ago
Quoted from Classic_Stern:

There has been alot of discussion about this pin since it has been secured by another owner. With the whitewood it really brings some other thoughts into consideration.

Fill us in!

#12 6 years ago

Like Tom Foolery!! Classic stern. Something seems amiss here

#13 6 years ago

Can anyone authenticate this design?

#14 6 years ago

I need to see a letter from Mr. Stern or Mr. Joos until I'm on the bandwagon.

#15 6 years ago

Not sure why you are so skeptical, it would be a pretty elaborate scam.

#16 6 years ago

I'm not denying anything. I just want the slightest bit of confirmation. I really hope it's legit and the seller and the buyer do their due diligence. I mean this is pretty cool. This could be the ultimate collectable for a classic Stern fan.

#17 6 years ago

On his other sales post I suggested he shy away from an auction here and that he should consult with people that know what they are doing and handle the sale privately or ask a high number or best offer. It just seems, there is a lack of communication with myself and other posters that leaves me suspect. I could be way wrong I'm just voicing an opinion and if we got any response I would be less skeptical. I hope it is legit and he gets steered in the right direction. I just don't know why he would post something like this, asking for help and advice without response. Maybe some people know more about this than I do and I'm sure they do, I'm a huge classic Stern fan, they are probably my favorite pins of all time, I just want level headed thinking going on here.

#18 6 years ago
Quoted from Frippertron:

I just don't know why he would post something like this, asking for help and advice without response.

I've been in communication with him by email.

He is very responsive and accommodating.

#19 6 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

I've been in communication with him by email.
He is very responsive and accommodating.

My bad Vid. I'm glad it's working out. I can't wait to hear more about this whitewood. Great find! I have a bad habit of thinking the worst and hoping for best. GLWTS to all parties involved.

#20 6 years ago

The other thread, associated with the whitewood sale ad, won't let me post there, says the ad has ended.

Ok, I can still post here, to tell you that Duncan Brown's many pictures of the widebody whitewood are now on the IPDB:

http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=1421

Thank you, Duncan.

For lack of supporting information for our long-standing October 1984 date, which we inherited from the Pinball Pasture, I've changed it to 1982, the date shown on the ROMs. If anyone encounters other supporting information for 1982 or for any other date, please contact us with it.

Thanks,

Jay

#21 6 years ago

I still want it...

#22 6 years ago

The whiteboard is exactly the same in my viper... so it's a whitewood in a viper cab...

#23 6 years ago

Yeah, Red. It's got its problems but it seems salvageable. You also seem like the guy with the desire and know-how to do it.

#24 6 years ago

It is kind of a shame the OP took the listing down because it would have been fun to watch and see where it ends up. But on the flip side I fully understand him getting so many emails and stuff then being disappointed once Clay disclosed actual condition of the machine.

I am sure there are still dozens of guys that would still love to own it and there are also a good many guys that would be able to bring it back to its original glory. Hopefully seller will decide and go ahead and sell it to someone who will do something with it and not just sit on it waiting for a "better offer".

In any event maybe someday someone will tell us what actually ends up happening with it.

#25 6 years ago

We would have loved to have the game at the Ann Arbor museum. we could repair it and make it decent/working etc. But he just was stuck on this idea of it being worth huge money. i mean huge money. we just could not get anywhere with him on price...

#26 6 years ago
Quoted from cfh:

We would have loved to have the game at the Ann Arbor museum. we could repair it and make it decent/working etc. But he just was stuck on this idea of it being worth huge money. i mean huge money. we just could not get anywhere with him on price...

Clay - I think VFW would have been a great place for this machine to end up instead of in a private collection and I am still hoping he realizes the machines isn't "Gold" in its current condition.

It always amazes me how someone can fall into a deal and then get crazy with what they think something is worth. What is it about people not realizing condition is a major factor when it comes to pricing these machines?

#27 6 years ago
Quoted from I_P_D_B:

For lack of supporting information for our long-standing October 1984 date, which we inherited from the Pinball Pasture, I've changed it to 1982, the date shown on the ROMs. If anyone encounters other supporting information for 1982 or for any other date, please contact us with it.

Suppose it is two completely different projects. One from 1982 and one from 1984.

Same as if a Sonic whitewood from 1982 surfaced with the title "Funhouse". It would have nothing to do with the Williams game of the same name.

BTW. Please preserve and share the ROM. Please.

#28 6 years ago

It's pretty clear that in 1982, while they were trying (and failing) to sell many Iron Maidens or Orbitor 1s, Stern was working on their next game, LazerLord. They were building up a whitewood in a leftover Viper cabinet (a completely normal series of events), and had already gotten sample backglasses produced.

In the November 1982 Replay Magazine, on page 37, is an article headlined "Stern Shuttles To The Suburbs" detailing how they were selling their Diversey Pkwy building, and had consolidated all operations in their URL subsidiary's building in Elk Grove. It includes a line that starts "Stern has ceased all pinball manufacturing..." I believe that's just when they made it official, by not setting up a pinball production line in Elk Grove, but the decision had been made months earlier... thus the last date of June on the whitewood's ROM labels.

I don't have at hand my late-1984 Replay Magazines, but in early 1984 they were clearly on the downswing, with their VP resigning in April, and a May story detailing the sale of the Seeburg assets in March. In the March 1985 issue on page 18 is an article titled "Stern Liquidates, But Gary Stern Opens Carrin Electronics"

Stern absolutely showed a game called "LazerLord" at a trade show. That was the reason for the existence of the flyer (which you can see in the link for the game on IPDB.) The flyer uses the tagline "Pinball Is Back!!!" and has their Elk Grove Village address, along with a crappy photo that clearly matches the complete-with-artwork narrow body version of the game. While I don't have the issue of Replay with a report on the fall 1984 trade show to prove it, I think it's pretty obvious from the clues that's when it was.

So the theory that, in a desperate move as the company was faltering, Stern tried to release a pinball using existing parts (their stash of LazerLord glasses, and the already-engineered Quicksilver design), would seem to be correct.

So this explains the two dates.

1982 is when they were developing the game, and probably would have released it later that year if they hadn't exited the pinball business.

1984 is when they tried to sell a game by re-using existing parts, but a game that required no engineering, because they had no pinball designers on staff by that point.

They are two totally different games. The 1982 whitewood was the original LazerLord idea by Joe Joos, the 1984 game is just a reused game design, with the LazerLord art package applied to it.

Anyone who has ready access to late-1984 Replay or PlayMeter Magazines, who can nail down that last little bit of proof on this? I'll eventually find it if nobody else does, but my copies of those magazines are in storage elsewhere at the moment.

#29 6 years ago
Quoted from frobozz:

It's pretty clear that in 1982, while they were trying (and failing) to sell many Iron Maidens or Orbitor 1s, Stern was working on their next game, LazerLord. They were building up a whitewood in a leftover Viper cabinet (a completely normal series of events), and had already gotten sample backglasses produced.
In the November 1982 Replay Magazine, on page 37, is an article headlined "Stern Shuttles To The Suburbs" detailing how they were selling their Diversey Pkwy building, and had consolidated all operations in their URL subsidiary's building in Elk Grove. It includes a line that starts "Stern has ceased all pinball manufacturing..." I believe that's just when they made it official, by not setting up a pinball production line in Elk Grove, but the decision had been made months earlier... thus the last date of June on the whitewood's ROM labels.
I don't have at hand my late-1984 Replay Magazines, but in early 1984 they were clearly on the downswing, with their VP resigning in April, and a May story detailing the sale of the Seeburg assets in March. In the March 1985 issue on page 18 is an article titled "Stern Liquidates, But Gary Stern Opens Carrin Electronics"
Stern absolutely showed a game called "LazerLord" at a trade show. That was the reason for the existence of the flyer (which you can see in the link for the game on IPDB.) The flyer uses the tagline "Pinball Is Back!!!" and has their Elk Grove Village address, along with a crappy photo that clearly matches the complete-with-artwork narrow body version of the game. While I don't have the issue of Replay with a report on the fall 1984 trade show to prove it, I think it's pretty obvious from the clues that's when it was.
So the theory that, in a desperate move as the company was faltering, Stern tried to release a pinball using existing parts (their stash of LazerLord glasses, and the already-engineered Quicksilver design), would seem to be correct.
So this explains the two dates.
1982 is when they were developing the game, and probably would have released it later that year if they hadn't exited the pinball business.
1984 is when they tried to sell a game by re-using existing parts, but a game that required no engineering, because they had no pinball designers on staff by that point.
They are two totally different games. The 1982 whitewood was the original LazerLord idea by Joe Joos, the 1984 game is just a reused game design, with the LazerLord art package applied to it.
Anyone who has ready access to late-1984 Replay or PlayMeter Magazines, who can nail down that last little bit of proof on this? I'll eventually find it if nobody else does, but my copies of those magazines are in storage elsewhere at the moment.

Sounds a good theory to me!

#30 6 years ago
Quoted from too-many-pins:

It is kind of a shame the OP took the listing down because it would have been fun to watch and see where it ends up.

You can't blame him.

We KNOW that pinside is a bunch of Sad Sally's, because we visit here often. But to an outsider, it just seemed ridiculous.

Then add to that, someone badgering you about your asking price and even suggesting the game to be given to them for free, and I'm sure Ted was completely fed up.

Good job, snapperhead!

snapperhead (resized).jpgsnapperhead (resized).jpg

#31 6 years ago
Quoted from cfh:

he just was stuck on this idea of it being worth huge money. i mean huge money.

I blame people on here for this. There were people on here suggesting that the game was worth 10K without even knowing the condition of it. Great..........

#32 6 years ago
Quoted from johnnypinball:

I blame people on here for this. There were people on here suggesting that the game was worth 10K without even knowing the condition of it. Great..........

His ad said $3,000 OBO and that he was open to offers:

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/archive/53954

#33 6 years ago

We...we need a video of it, seems no one have ever filmed it in action.

#34 6 years ago
Quoted from cfh:

But he just was stuck on this idea of it being worth huge money. i mean huge money. we just could not get anywhere with him on price...

What range was asking for? North of 5k?

#35 6 years ago
Quoted from TigerLaw:

What range was asking for? North of 5k?

South of $3K

#36 6 years ago

I'm guessing you are wrong about that. Newbie posts an ad and suddenly thinks he has hot shit his original $3K price was probably long gone from his mind.

#37 6 years ago

That's what he said.

He first had no price at all, then he asked for pricing help, then he decided to ask $3K OBO.

He was not happy that someone suggested he **donate** the game for free...

#38 6 years ago

Idk. In his first post, he said the game looked like a POS. He took pictures hiding the true condition, but he probably honestly didn't think to post a pic of the back of the game. He doesn't know what he's doing, remember. Then we all throw praise left and right and he thinks he's won the lottery. He gets it looked at, his initial reaction to the game is confirmed and his hopes and dreams are smashed. He tells us FU and shuts it down. He just experienced the most intense Pinside melodrama ever. We should all be so lucky!

#39 6 years ago
Quoted from Frippertron:

Then we all throw praise left and right and he thinks he's won the lottery.

THIS

#40 6 years ago
Quoted from CrazyLevi:

I'm guessing you are wrong about that. Newbie posts an ad and suddenly thinks he has hot shit his original $3K price was probably long gone from his mind.

You're probably right. I sent a pm asking what his price was and all I got was "make offer"

#41 6 years ago

There was no way to video it. It was disassembled, with physically no good way to reassemble it without cabinet repairs. The head had been separated by pulling EVERY connector off of every board in the backbox and feeding the entire harness down into the body. Admittedly better than the usual clueless old-Stern owner who takes bolt cutters to that last bundle that they can't find a connector for (it snakes down to the power supply) but still, would take some effort to put back together.

He had an offer of $3K. He had a group offer of $5K. He had an offer of "I'll beat that $5K offer." I told him those people were going to be mightily disappointed when they showed up and saw the condition, and he said he wasn't trying to fake anyone out, and I believe him, but he just really doesn't know anything about pinball and doesn't understand the meaning of that. Clay fixed that issue though by posting those pictures!

He saved the thing from a dumpster, literally. He did hit the jackpot. I don't blame him for trying to maximize his jackpot, and use the money to buy a working game, because that's all he really wanted originally, was a pinball to play. It's just that the jackpot isn't as big as he was originally thinking it was, and it may take some time before he sees that. Or who knows, maybe someone with a spare Freefall parts cabinet and more money than sense will give him his payday. For the sake of that rich buyer, I hope the EPROMs have not lost their bits.

#42 6 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

That's what he said.
He first had no price at all, then he asked for pricing help, then he decided to ask $3K OBO.
He was not happy that someone suggested he **donate** the game for free...

Clearly he wants north of $5K now.

#43 6 years ago
Quoted from frobozz:

There was no way to video it. It was disassembled, with physically no good way to reassemble it without cabinet repairs. The head had been separated by pulling EVERY connector off of every board in the backbox and feeding the entire harness down into the body. Admittedly better than the usual clueless old-Stern owner who takes bolt cutters to that last bundle that they can't find a connector for (it snakes down to the power supply) but still, would take some effort to put back together.
He had an offer of $3K. He had a group offer of $5K. He had an offer of "I'll beat that $5K offer." I told him those people were going to be mightily disappointed when they showed up and saw the condition, and he said he wasn't trying to fake anyone out, and I believe him, but he just really doesn't know anything about pinball and doesn't understand the meaning of that. Clay fixed that issue though by posting those pictures!
He saved the thing from a dumpster, literally. He did hit the jackpot. I don't blame him for trying to maximize his jackpot, and use the money to buy a working game, because that's all he really wanted originally, was a pinball to play. It's just that the jackpot isn't as big as he was originally thinking it was, and it may take some time before he sees that. Or who knows, maybe someone with a spare Freefall parts cabinet and more money than sense will give him his payday. For the sake of that rich buyer, I hope the EPROMs have not lost their bits.

Huh, well if i was a rich man i would give him the cash just to get the game into more safer hands, this scenario sounds like "meh im done with this, back into a dumpster it goes" about to happen.

#44 6 years ago
Quoted from Luzur:

Huh, well if i was a rich man i would give him the cash just to get the game into more safer hands, this scenario sounds like "meh im done with this, back into a dumpster it goes" about to happen.

People that greedy don't throw anything in the dumpster.

#45 6 years ago

It's really a shame. The guy just wanted his first game and ends up in a sh!t storm, probably forever to be soured by the experience. On the other hand, the dudes first game he stumbled on was a LAZER LORD!!!

#46 6 years ago
Quoted from Frippertron:

It's really a shame. The guy just wanted his first game and ends up in a sh!t storm, probably forever to be soured by the experience. On the other hand, the dudes first game he stumbled on was a LAZER LORD!!!

Yeah I feel real bad for the guy.

He pulled a useless heap out of someone's house , likely for free, and people are DYING to dump 3,000 to 5,000 clams on his front lawn to haul it away before the termites move into his walls. And the only real "price" he had to pay is catching the same pinside shit everybody here gets whenever they try to sell something.

What's that sound? Tiny violins bro.

#47 6 years ago

I think he will be OK in the end. At this point I think he just needs some time to "digest" everything and let the dust settle then get the thing sold to someone what will do something with it. I have talked to him a number of times via email and I have told him all along I have ZERO interest in it but I would do anything I could to help him get it sold.

He told me in the emails he wasn't in a huge hurry and planned on giving it a week or two then decide what should get the machine. Clay might have "pushed" him a little too hard a little too soon? I don't know what went on their but at least Clay got pictures posted so everyone knew the actual condition of the machine.

Personally I think if Clay ended up with it the machine would live in a place where more of us could enjoy it than in some private collection. So personally I am hoping someone like Clay ends up with it instead of it being tucked away in a private collection in someones home. On the other hand the seller is the only one who will decide where it ends up.

#48 6 years ago
Quoted from CrazyLevi:

Yeah I feel real bad for the guy.
He pulled a useless heap out of someone's house , likely for free, and people are DYING to dump 3,000 to 5,000 clams on his front lawn to haul it away before the termites move into his walls. And the only real "price" he had to pay is catching the same pinside shit everybody here gets whenever they try to sell something.
What's that sound? Tiny violins bro.

Never said I felt bad for him. Quite the opposite in fact, I just meant wow, what an overwhelming first experience. The guy didn't know his ass from a hole in the the ground by the end of it. Didn't know what or whom to listen to and thats what's a shame.

#49 6 years ago

He started like this Then went to this then ended like this

#50 6 years ago

He wanted $5000 to take the game away. The best i could offer (without throwing up in my mouth) was $1000. Was i being generous or too cheap? i don't know. Jury still out on that. But Duncan was there, ready to give him the money and haul it to chicago expo, where i would retrieve it. If we did get it, definitely a gamble. Because as Duncan said, if those EPROMs were bad (or even one bad), you're screwed. The whole thing was a big gamble, and the most i was going to gamble was $1000. But it's pretty hard to defend a $1000 offer when others have offered $5000. Admittedly i believe those offers are not "real" (or realistic), but he doesn't understand that...

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