I'm hopeless with graphics software so I don't know how to do it, but how about a picture of Pearl Jam's album No Code with Stern translites replacing some of the polaroids?

So, I guess you are never going to be buying another NIB game from Stern then...

For those interested in games with complete software: have you considered buying Spooky Pinball's America's Most Haunted? That game seems to be completely finished and is fun as well.

new post at the stern Facebook page

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Nice sentiment but I can assure you this isn't helping one bit to get code completed

only if many people post something like that

and don't buy a new machine and tell the dealer why

will help !!

8K game with unfinished code since 1 1/2 years !!! great job stern.

Perhaps, but I for one have thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread. Good show!

Stern have kept pinball alive and we wouldn't be even having this discussion if they didn't produce quality machines, look at the joke that is predator, TBL, and so on. They have done a magnificent job. Just look at the most popular threads... It's people praising stern games. What more evidence do you want?

This flashinstinct knob needs to stop having a cry, get a beer and play a recent Stern pinball , if he has any that is, and stop whining about code. Obviously he is on the receiving end of a very boring life if this is his claim to fame... Rallying to get quicker code updates. Sorry but really... A more productive venture could be.... Playing pinball!!!

Useless waste of space post. If you can't contribute to getting something done, something that would help people then why bother saying something like that?

Play a recent Stern everyday. Code stiill needs to be fixed.

Problem is people like you think it is good enough because you play a game three times and walk away.

Welcome back Hondanut!

and now it is deleted and the account locked

Hey stern!
This is 100% the right way how you handle social media
you are reacting like a little child.
I am a costumer and bought a very expensive product and
and you don't answer a costumer
and delete posts on your website.

would prefer you would hire a social media expert !!

y sountily "spoderman" .

Posted that latest one (LOTR) on facebook (pinball enthusiasts)

Might be a good idea if we can reach out to the various pinball mags, any blogs and of course podcasts. Perhaps someone could do something on code, why it's so important and how long it actually takes to wrap a game up.

Also, if your going to post a comment here like "this is a waste of time" or "why bother" ect ect, why not take that same amount of time and effort and actually help the cause?

This isn't about shitting on Stern, their actually making great games and keeping the pinball torch alive. It's about either getting a better schedule with clearer communication for release updates on their machines or getting them to rethink their design process to make sure they don't over promise and under deliver, which is especially important to customers as prices for pinball titles increase along with editions. stern has shown they can roll with change over time. It's our job in the community to show them as consumers what we want, in a constructive way

I've been following this thread as well as others like it. I get the frustration but all the jokes, rantings, and demands sound more like fanboy tantrums than anything else. I know there are some legitimate bugs and parts of games unused but those are rare from what I can see. Most what I see is people expecting better code, better scoring, and more features for all Stern games made in the past 5 years. Who decides when code is completed or how to define what that means?

I would say it is very clear and doesn't need someone to define it when:
-TWD is released in september 2014 and now 4 months later, the main inserts which are the WIZARD MODES are STILL not coded and just do NOTHING (I mean the modes do not even start when you get there).
I mean that is just wrong. It is like playing football without a goal.
4 months (even less) are just TOO LONG!

We should be selling cars without complete working engines or keyboards without all the letters, apparently there's a good portion of the public that's ok with paying a lot of money for a product that's not entirely finished. Then again, that might be a inherent part of pinball, for many, they'll play a 3 - 5 minute game and walk away, never knowing it should be able to do more but isn't

Releasing unfinished games leads to certain expectations.
Which I understand you are not going to be able to please everyone.
But anything advertised or promised should be there.

If a game is finished you can make an informed purchase.

If not, you are left expecting more.

Stern never says what that more, or what game that is getting it is.

Being left in the dark (for so long) on such a hight ticket item is not a good feeling.

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Btw, I am doing my part. No more stern pins for me until software is acceptable and design/manufacturing flaws are fixed. The design/manufacturing flaws that they won't fix are more annoying than code. At least code can be updated. I have an ACDC premium with a cloudy window over the lower playfield they refuse to replace. All I wanted was a new playfield. During a period of record profits for them they won't fix a seriously flawed playfield? More money for my other hobbies.

How long have you worked for Stern?

Hey, could be. But really it just means patience. I don't consider ACDC broken. I don't consider Metallica broken. Right now "new" games are being sold half assed. Won't buy those.

It's obviously possible to ship a game with more complete code than Stern does now. They'll either figure that out or they won't, but it's how we buy in response that will dictate things.

I feel people's frustration. I don't think the tactics in this thread will solve anything. But hey, can't hurt.

Honestly, that's what I was thinking too

Let's see... just roll over there little one. No need to sweat that we sold you an incomplete toy for $5-8K... just buy the next one!

The most productive thing to do is sit on your wallet. No more of this "Dream Theme" BS.

Secondary to that, making people aware on social media and in the forums in general is at least better than rewarding bad behaviour.

Honestly, compiling a manifesto of exactly what bugs/code tweaks need to be done for recent releases (last 3-4 years?) and keeping it up to date with dates of most recent code revision etc. seems like it might be an idea.

If the ST potato flashers are still not working in game, that says all you need to say about the level of dedication of Stern as a company to finishing code when they feel they do not have to.

Whining about AC/DC, and WoF, is not productive IMHO for different reasons.

AC/DC is considered a top game, yes it is weird that there are playfield inserts that do nothing, and it SHOULD be fixed, but IF it is great as is I would not want filler modes junking up things just to satisfy them being used. Maybe dream up some cannon modes that would make sense, and fire them off to Stern? Or beter yet create a thread to generate group ideas if you feel passionate about it?

WoF is dead; anybody being a crybaby about buying an unfinished game and using this as an example needs to have a reality check or do more research before buying a game that costs thousands. It is a well known example, it means yes future games such as TWD COULD suffer a similar fate. Deal with it and sit on your wallet, it is not complicated.

They're banning people like crazy on the facebook page.

Perhaps it's time we reached out to groups like Anoymous and either have their Facebook spammed to death or their website taken down, until a response is given.

Shit just got real.

In an avengers vs IMve post john1210 started he said.

So code is not important when considering a game. Right?

Should I copy and paste the other ones?

When buying a car there are all sorts of funding possibilities to pay only a part now and spread the rest over a period of time. How about when you're interested in buying a new game, of which the software is still in developement, you pay half for it upon delivery and the other half when the code is finished? Stern may sell a lot more games for half the price and make even more money when they finish the code. That should be a good motivator. Should be easy to make the code so that it can't be copied from other games as each games should have a unique version that will only work with one serial number/game.

if a game has no dots for a Wizard mode or known bugs (such as X-Men) and ST, I think Stern is not done with the code. Just because they are on to the next game does not mean they have finished with the game prior. This is not football, Stern released a new code for SM and Tron years after the game was out. But other games they don't. It's not fair to the buying public who spend $7700 on STLE to see it not complete. (XM or AV or whatever else they are not finished with the code.)

I agree, but life is not always fair. I mean we are discussing 8K toys with a few missing animations in a world where people are dying as they don't have access to clean water. It could be said "that's not fair".

The best way to make sure you do not end up at the unfair end of this transaction is to NOT do it until you are happy with the product.

#sitonyourwalletyouspendynumbnut

I won't buy any more Sterns if they don't fix STLE. I should have learned my lesson after XMLE. To be fair I also bought re-runs of Tron and IMVE which have good code. But I thought with STLE the stakes were too high being such a popular theme and SR on the design. I expected something different. But now I will keep my promise.

I agree.

However, bringing this somewhat off topic. If I gave all my excess money to fighting poverty, it would not make a lot of difference. Lets say there are a Billion+ who are very poor, taking all my excess money would buy them less than one tic-tac each.

I am not responsible for the poor people in the world (I don't think). I was super lucky to be born where and when I was. But I don't think it's fair to blame me or any of us here for poor or starving people. I do pay a lot of taxes which helps a lot of less fortunate people (in theory).

Agreed to a point, I just try to ground myself in reality when I complain about something. These are toys, not life and death. Life and death problems actually exist in the world.

At the end of the day it is NOT wrong to expect to get what you pay for. But if a person is pissing money away on unfinished crap and crying about it, there are many other uses for that money.

That's why it's the perfect candidate to allow the user community to get the source code and finish it. Everyone wins if we had hope that some day code would be released to the public domain to work on.

can you imagine what non pinball people would think of all this whining

Says the man who has never owned a Stern game.

Thats why earlier I pointed out two different guys going on and on and yet they never have owned a stern.

Does it matter? What if I wanted to buy a stern? ill never understand the mentality that one shouldn't have a equal voice in a conversation is they dont own the item or are directly attached to it. Stern makes a lot of games (after all they are the major manufacturer of pinball now) so it's safe to assume over the course of our time as collectors that we will end up shopping for a stern, be it NIB, or out of someone else's collection.

Ahem... who's been telling you that crap? I've owned Monopoly, Family Guy, Austin Powers and Rollercoaster Tycoon.

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If you are going to post drivel, at least be accurate.
Mustang Pro never was advertised having 8 songs.
Check the flyer and matrix PDF on Sterns site.
This was fact on release of the game.

No different than WWE pro getting 4 main guys vs 8 in the WWELE.

I appreciate the sentiment, but based on my knowledge of SOME pinball collector tastes within a day of posting the source code the "Vanna strips" mode would have been added, and that would go over REAL well with the license owners

That's a good point. And I could see that happening, is vanna even hot anymore? I haven't seen that show since around 1985 when I was a kid

Hot or not in one person's opinion, at a resolution of 128x32 it is the thought that counts. And if I thought of it in 5 seconds, I am sure that it just the tip of the iceberg:

NSFW (and not safe for my house IMO ) translite link:
ebay.com link: Wheel of Fortune Pinball Alternate Translite NEW ART With adult versions

Yes it was advertised origionally having 8. It was changed after to give the LE "more features"
All the press releases and web info had 8 listed.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/open-complaint-about-mustang-i-want-the-8-songs-in-the-pro

There's far worse things that could or is happening all the time with licensed material. We're talking about games in people's homes, not arcades.