Finally a video longer than a minute. THANK YOU

Absolutely still being worked on, this is a prototype, very early code and animations only.

Looking good!
Only 2 things noticed in the video, one of the bowling pins no working and the S in JESUS was out. Hopefully minor glitches or faults, I'm guessing this is the first major play test the machines have got since being made.

I'm looking forward to this and DP next titles!!

Just an observation from all the footage i've seen.....can you actually see the bowling pins in the lower playfield when playing the game? I couldn't see any of them in the footage.

Can someone who has played it answer this?

These weren't release candidates, but prototypes. I wouldn't worry about anything that broke, in fact it is helpful for their r&d to see things break.

Yep. Was just thinking of the JJP LED fiasco

Most of the footage taken is either from the side of the pin, or back of the player. Like CFTBL the best position is from the players perspective

What is that swishing or whooshing sound?
I've heard it in several TBL vids. Is it coming from the game?

can anybody of the folks that have seen TBL live share wether the voice of Sam Elliot made it into the game in the form of callouts or whatever?

Its the game. The final production type will have a seperate sound card eliminating the sizzling sound which is caused by noise from the motherboard apparently (or something like that at least). Remember this is a proto !!

I know the game is absolutely stunning and looks like a homerun as far as theme integration/cool features go, but can anyone comment on how challenging the actual gameplay is? I haven't played it but it looks like the main playfield layout is fairly basic and doesn't really have many dangerous playfield features to keep ball-times down? Looks like the shots are pretty safe and no magnets to create havoc. Can anyone comment on this? When some of the great players like Lyman or Bowen played it did they tend to have longer balltimes then they would on a Stern game like TWD or ACDC? thanks.

This game looks to well designed for a new Company

Who is behind this Mark Richie or some other Bally Williams Designer,

Don't get my wrong looks great but more people behind this than advertised.

Count me in either way

Who: http://www.thebiglebowskipinball.com/about_us

Exactly
No mechanical Engineer or playfield game designer listed
someone with years of experience in putting a game together has done this.

ghostwriters are the new de facto of the industry . . .

Hey Mike - I can tell you what my experience was with TBL. First off, as you mentioned the game is stunning. I actually couldn't believe they were able to put together a machine that looked that good in such a short time (considering they aren't a major player yet). The lines were quite long to play (20-30 minutes) but it was worth the wait. The display showed "pre-alpha" for the software so that was early. The display itself is phenomenal, and reminded me of a colored version of the large Sega display (just bigger). There were 3 lines but often 1 or 2 of the lines halted due to glitches. The only glitch on the machine I played was the ball sometimes wouldn't register on a switch, most often the bowling alley start. A nudge would fix it, no big deal at all.

As far as gameplay, I thought it played excellent. The shots flowed very well, and the flippers were fairly strong. The right ramp shot up to the mini-playfield was a little tough but not impossible. The mini-playfield was fairly easy, just trap the ball and shoot at either the standard target or down the hole to start the bowling alley. I think I bowled maybe 4 times, and got a strike once. The rest of the shots were pretty safe, but I saw some pretty quick ball times from others. I had a fairly long game and started multiball (3 shots up the left ramp) but nothing happened (early software I would guess). I played one game of TWD and ended up around 70m, so I think both games had similar ball times (for me at least). One thing to remember, they had the tilts set to 10 so you could shake the game if the ball got stuck. I may have tilted on another game as I was really getting into it. I really liked the tilt warnings, a graphic of a drink wobbling on the DMD. Also, the sounds were really good. To me, the game played very similar to a Stern or any other modern pin - just a tremendous effort so far, and I really loved the game. It didn't seem overly easy or brutal, pretty well balanced in my opinion.

If I were buying this game, I would be very happy with the results so far (and it will only get better).

Thanks for the feedback Todd! My biggest regret of not making Expo this year was being able to see and play TBL for myself. Most of the feedback has been on the look and feel of the game so it's nice to know that it also has the gameplay to back it up! There's nothing worse than a game that's pretty to look at but not that fun to play. Sounds like all aspects on TBL are a home run! Hard to believe this is Dutch Pinball's first game. The level of refinement is stunning!

You can tell the game was made with perfection in mind. For example, the details in the bowling alley under the playfield were amazing. It had the diamond graphics from the movie, along with a variable ball rolling mech so it wasn't too easy or too hard. The white Russian glass on the playfield looked real with ice and everything. I'm so glad I waited in line to play it. You're absolutely right, I cannot believe this is their first game.

You won't have to wait too long to play it, one of our local guys is getting one!

This machine looks and plays like a fucking dream.
All the tunes and call- outs yer little heart desires.
Dutch Pinball knocked this one outta the park.

I just saw The Big Lebowski film last night for the first time in years. It holds up really really well. Honestly the crude humor of the movie makes it iffy for me ever owning the pinball. The theme is cool but maybe too much. That's not to say I don't want to play the hell out of TBL when I get the chance. If the gameplay is above and beyond I could end up wanting it. I really hope Dutch Pinball has a hit and gets on with making more kool stuff.

Dont know this dude, but his name is My Hero.
CAM00371.jpg

Carpet Pissers did not do this!

It looks like the price of the game went up $500 bucks today to 8,995 before shipping. I didn't know the chrome came with the preorder as well.

DROOL!!!

I noticed that as well. Was sure it was $8500 and went to contemplate an impulse pre-order. Immediately turned away from that $9k price. Thanks goodness for that. Haha saved my bank account there.

Pre-order response must have been great to justify a price bump pre-release.

I'm glad they raised the price. It was enough to push me over the other edge and save my butthole from the pain of paying that kind of money for a pinball game.

Would love to have this one, but just can't afford it right now.

Kind of funny...is there really that big of a difference between $8,495 and $8,995?

I love pins...and will pay to play...but if you sit back and look at these numbers, they look insane!

Yes...$500. As soon as $7500 was crossed it's just too much for me to justify anymore...(then I pre-ordered MM).

We are an insane group of people...but $8000 is my limit I think.

LOL..........

I don't think it is a requirement (or healthy for the industry) to have the same 10 people design all commercial pinball machines. If the NFL worked like this Joe Namath would still be QB for the Jets.

And still better than Geno Smith!

Having played it over 30 times I would say it's super fun to shoot. And Bowen stayed even later playing it he couldn't stop. The only regret I had was there wasn't a 'flow' shot from the left flipper returning somewhere to keep the ball moving, so I mentioned that to Barry and he said they had the same thought and were going to put an actuator (is that the name?) on the left gate that stops the Maude shot (inner left loop) and makes it go to the pops. The actuator would go up once you complete the MAUDE lanes and then that shot would loop around from the Maude shot (as well as it could go from the left orbit out to the maude lane.

Was cool how we were on the same page with that and how they do like to hear input - they kept emphasizing how it was a team effort and it shows in a good way (sometimes with that philosophy you get the 'too many cooks in the kitchen' effect where everything gets watered down, but not in this case!)

Yes, you can see all 10 pins fine from the player's view, and there are mirrors on the sides of the alley to provide additional views.

When Bowen wasn't playing TBL he was out on deck pressing his nose up against the glass and making faces at us inside.

Thanks for voicing feedback for the rest of us that couldn't be there. This is what I love about this project.

I'd question the opposite:

How does pre-payment EVER makes sense?

Ship money off to a far away place with no firm guarantee of delivery?
?!!?!?
Na, no interest in becoming an unsecured creditor to (any) pinball company.

This game DOES look cool as shit, and frankly has leapfrogged ahead of my The Hobbit interests, however...

Pre-payment absolutely incentivizes the wrong behavior. Look at the big F-U Jack gave to his investors? Once the manufacturer is holding ALL the money, the (financial) motivation to deliver in a timely manner (and in order or pre-payment) disappears.

Half now, half upon shipment? Sure... much more reasonable. All of it upfront? Hmm, ask the guys in Australia how that program works...

I'm not preordering anything anymore. Them raising the price completely cooled my jets and removed any need, since I can just wait till next year and pick one up after they cross the finish line.

Yep.

TBL looks great to me. Ain't gonna preorder it.

I'm pretty excited about several other upcoming pins, including Alien and WOOLY. Ain't going to preorder those either.

Some longer videos on youtube available.

Looks good, sounds good, plays beta ish.

Hey, not bad for an alpha game then!

Man, the foul language on the call outs make this pin definitely something not for the family gameroom. I wonder if there is going to be a PG-13 version audio mode.

Yes, they said this on their FAQ section on the website.

I hadn't seen this one yet:

Now we have a good video with a great player.
The rug shot clearly does not SDTM every shot like it appeared in another vid.

Thanks for posting this one!
-mof

Too bad Koi did not yell out, "Not what I wanted, but I'll take it!"

Or do these fancy moves...

#t=55

Dam!
The vid has been removed.

its on you tube go there Nilroc. One of the better ones

If you get he "TV static" page and it says SME / Restricted playback on certain sites... there is a link on the same screen "Watch on YouTube" -> that brings you to the video. Also on mobile it days unavailable. You tube is making crap too hard these days