Come on with The Walking Dead Code, need it badly!

Well.
That about says it all.

Wow. I have a certain amount of insight into what all that means, but I'm surprised he said it all publicly.

He has to be super frustrated to voice that publicly. WOW.

Edit: I still have the image but removed it from the post per request.

We may still see a code update. Just not near the level that Lyman would want it to be.
Sure glad I chose to purchase a Star Trek and not TWD now.

You have to wonder if the license issues he mentioned gel with the fact that the inside info was that there were voices from the show in it, and then the shipping version didn't use them. Maybe something didn't go as smoothly as planned at the end?

And here I was hoping for a TWD code update any day now. Looking slimmer and slimmer. Seeing this is rather disheartening.

"Botched" and "abandoned" are not words I like seeing used to describe a brand new $7000-8000 purchase.

Stern: the primary reason I pulled the trigger on TWD was Lyman. Don't @&$* that relationship up or you will likely not get another "it'll be ok, it's in good hands" benefit of the doubt purchase from me. Or many others, I'd guess.

Depressing and disappointing.

It's a little scary to think ST has 3+ man years of code time, assuming that's not just the elapsed time involved.

I feel for TWD owners. But Lyman's comments pretty much guarantee no further Stern purchases at release for me unless code is solid. Either Stern management still doesn't get it or they have done a cost benefit analysis and determined that not having pinhead-approved code levels doesn't cost them enough sales to worry about.

F U STERN!

Seriously, F UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

I'm so tired of this BS, "TWD was abandoned in less than a year".

How frustrated is Lyman? This just sucks.

The very next comment he mentions #wheresthecode. Whiners win again. I hope he doesn't get in trouble for his honesty, but it seems he feels the need to explain why this title isn't as great as it could have been. Thankfully there are some like myself who enjoy this game on a regular bassis.

The damning fact is that Stern customers *should* feel like every title is given the same development opportunity especially at LE prices. Might be prudent to *not buy* when they are developing a new hardware system .

I'd say someone has hacked his account!

I think it's appropriate to point out that I really appreciate the work that Lyman puts into his games. I can't praise him enough for spending his own time to update our games. My frustration is that Stern will not allow him the resources or time to give his games the rules that he intended.

DONE WITH STERN. FINISH

oh but you made such a difference with this nonsense.

I have never made a NIB purchase. This does not make me want to start now.

It seems Stern attempt to attach Lyman's name to every new game they released kinda backfired.

What Lyman really needs to do is leave Stern and do contract work for them..or any other pinball manufacture that might need him.

This has bogus/hacked written all over it.

You idiots do realize that you may be getting your favorite programmer in trouble with his employer by spamming this crap right? Did he give you permission to plaster his comments all over the place? Use a little common sense and decency.

Or....it's fake.

You're the fing idiot here. He posted it in a reply on social media. This was not a private e-mail. Get a clue...

If he is getting in trouble for this it would be because HE posted it on social media. Not because someone posted a screen shot about it.

I also agree with this. Doubtful that it was him. Could be him but I'm just not sure he would post something like that publicly unless he had plans to leave.

If you think that is real, I have the pinball machine that you have always wanted for sale for $500, just Western Union the money to me and I'll drop it around.

Here's the deal you guys.

This sucks. No getting around that. Lyman is widely regarded as Sterns best programmer, I don't think anyone disputes that. So, any time there's a non-game specific problem or special need, guess who's the first choice to spearhead the effort. Yep, Lyman. He's in high demand.

I still have faith that he will bring the game up to an appropriate level of quality. Stern has also made comments on Facebook about the license and cast vo being possible similar to the Karl urban stuff. It could be that they're working on that behind the scenes.

I hope he doesn't get himself in trouble over this.

Lyman may have posted his comments out of a moment of frustration. In respect to the potential of him getting in trouble for these comments, i am hoping for a little restraint in the referencing of these comments (To Stern, for instance) for his sake. Might be inevitable at this point.

As a Stern customer, this information is quite alarming.

My past 3 purchases. SM, METLE , TWDLE. Lyman sells games. Let him do what needs to be done.

Well done flash.

Do you have a link to this post and not a possibly doctored, uploaded pic? Who do you work for? What if I wrote some derogatory stuff and attributed it to you all over a site that your employer will see?

Everything he supposedly mentions in that post is considered confidential, proprietary information. If the post is not fake, the employer could terminate the employee immediately, with cause. This is a fact.

Social media is not proprietary information so try again. If the post is not fake then you are right that Stern would have every right to fire him. That would be stupid on their part but they could very easily do so.

I don't do facebook as I find it stupid. If that screen shot was not factual and was doctored by the person whom posted it then that would be a very dumb and slanderous act. Any actions that occur to Lyman do to that would cause the person whom made it to be liable for damages. I would think someone wouldn't be so stupid to do something like that. If they did, that is on them. I'm basing my opinion based off the information I've been presented. Either way, if it's real or fake, that makes no difference on your comment on calling people idiots for posting it. The only idiot would be the one that made it.

It's you that should try again. The reading and comprehension part. The social media post is not confidential. The confidential and proprietary information is the information about Stern and it's business.

But at the same time I think Lyman is too valuable for Stern to fire him. And its just for Stern to actually give the developers more time, if they are afraid that developers will say the above things publicly

Regardless, the point is, it is a TOTAL asshole move to post this on pinside. It will do nothing but cause him trouble.

So there will be no new code for TWD?

Yeah, let's keep everything pinball related in total secrecy, all the negative and bad shit, that's worked out really well hasn't it.

I applaud Lyman for coming out and telling the truth. Steve Ritchie doesn't seem to have a problem with it either.

This BS will cost Stern sales and I will once again, as its my right to do so like I did with WWE, express my opinion loudly, don't buy any new Stern pin, wait and play it, see if you like it first and then give it two years to get the code done, IF EVER.

As for Lyman, its COMICAL to think that poor little Lyman will "get in trouble" for stating the truth. Gonna fire him? That's a joke too.

What he needs to do, and i hope he does, is go into whoever runs Stern these days and rip some ass.

I just sent JJ at Game Exchange an email that I hope he'll share with Stern.

Contact your distributors!

+100

Back in January, when I got hooked on the Walking Dead by burning through it on Netflix, I briefly considered getting TWD pin instead of Star Trek. After playing it, I realized I didn't like it all that much, and decided to keep my faith in Ritchie that the code would get finished. So glad I did.

After 1.6, suddenly Star Trek is hip again!

You do realize Lyman can practically write his own contract with just about anybody that is trying to make a pinball machine? He has the most power at Stern in my opinion of all their employees. Even more than Ritchie, especially since Lyman has age on his side.

Lyman and Keefer are the true golden gooses of the hobby.

Do you work for Stern? If not, then how do you know that is confidential and proprietary information? There is nothing posted in that post that gives away any trade secrets. It is him saying that they are done with TWD and that he only had 1 year to work on it while ST got 3 years (man hours). That is no different than you calling a company to complain about their product and the customer service agents says, "I'm sorry you are not happy with the product but it is what it is."

Gary also says it all the time they are done with something. Is it confidential and proprietary when he says that? I get you are trying to be smart but you see how that can go both ways?

My reading comprehension is just fine thank you.

OR it's a bogus account to start, I did a FB search and no people show up with that name.
I find it really difficult to believe he would post something like that

anyways, I love the game as is
new code would be great but it doesn't stop my enjoyment of the game.

And you also posted this doctored image.

https://www.facebook.com/lyman.sheats

(Though it doesn't mean it wasn't a fake image.)

I did too and found them both. Both of the two names I found have mutual pinball friends with me. I sent a nice message to the main contact and hope he isn't getting bombarded with them right now. If he responds and gives me permission to post I'll let you guys know

Lyman and Borg are not abandoning this game. Code is coming. It will be awesome. It will take longer than it should. Relax.

thanks, don't know why i couldn't find it.
Looks like his account, pictures of him posted back to 2008

Comments sort of make sense. It's strange how there is really not much IP on the playfield.
Most of it really could have been included in a generic zombie pin.

I still love the machine

I have sent the link to the post to the Steven mentioned in it. He seemed unaware of this thread talking about it. I'm guessing I'll hear back or he will post here or he's chewing someone out for not having the courtesy to remove his name from the image.

Did you miss the part where Lyman himself said the game was abandon?

Lyman should be untouchable at stern. The company is suicidal if they let him go.

Yes, which is why it's even more concerning that he appears to be very frustrated.

They should be bending backwards to keep him engaged and happy. His ability to play the game combined with his connection to the community, ability to code, and passion for the product makes him as near to invaluable as it gets. He's the engineering unicorn that every company I've ever worked for would kill for.

It bears repeating that the criticism about schedules and such are not directed towards Lyman, Waison or any of the others actually writing the code...but it must be difficult for them sometimes because their names are on the games too, not just Stern.

Well I heard back and the Steven at the top of the post is not the "Steve" Lyman was responding to. Just a bad coincidence in similar names.