The hardware is completely incompatible. Either a full new platform would have to be developed by GCG for the original MM or they would have to work with the ColorDMD people. Any other hacks to make it work would be very difficult and illegal due to copyrights.

I disagree. This upgraded display will sell more machines. It would make a difference to a lot or people considering their next games vs an original.

Not a penny more than $129.95!!!

I think so too. That is why I'll stick to my opinion it is best for them to roll whatever costs there are into their overall game budget and just give every remake buyer the color upgrade, for every title. That will make the remakes more desirable over the originals and generate more sales. It also solves the piracy problem, and whatever time and effort they're putting into trying to stop that.

Not a penny more than $0.00

Rounding error? Really......same company that pulled coin mechs. That was a rounding error.

The fact that people are still waiting on games tells me all I need to know about this company and their priorities.

I'm going to pay whatever the hell they charge...the price of this will simply dictate whether I buy a future CGC remake or not.

ha. Well you've got me there .

My understanding is that the colour upgrade is software v 2.0 and chip (PIC is I assume a chip and not a board?). No new DMD needed. There should be an announcement 'soon' but I have no other information.

A slight lateral I'd be grateful for help with- my gold side rails on MMR are a little scratched and chipped. What would the panel recommend for polishing scratches and touching up chips (that extend to the metal) on powder-coated side-rails? What is the colour code for the 'gold' colour (in case I could get it coated locally)? How easily can side rails be re-powder coated or replaced (and cost)?

I have emailed CGC...

Thanks guys.

Did they come scratched out of the box ?

Bing!

Does anybody know the date and time of the upgrade update? I'd like to be tuned in for this.

Time? LOL
The release has been "imminent" for over a year and now you expect it to be pinned down to an accurate time. I guess you are joking.

What we do know as it has been confirmed by PPS is that it will not be free but will be discounted for LE customers.

EVERYTHING ELSE is still unknown, it will probably be released in the next couple of weeks. We might know more by next week. From what I have read I am guessing it will not be downloaded but posted via snail mail. If that ends up happening I WILL be annoyed.

What a freakin joke. People paid top dollar for this remake and now they have to pay extra for a color DMD software upgrade? The wait I'm sure was/is painful and now they want to bend you over for more? Unreal, I'd never buy anything from CGC.

Yeah I agree, Stern are giving away a free hardware upgrade with the latest code for WWF right now. Are you watching the competition CGC? Obviously not.

It will be HILARIOUS when this upgrade is released and I don't even have my machine to put it in (not buying anyway), but still hilarious. Ass backwards for sure!

There has been some information posted on the PPS forum. I won't copy and paste it here as they want to keep their forum a walled garden and protected from the nasty customers here.

Can't say I'm happy about what has been related and I guess it will lead to even further delays. Anyway hopefully all will be revealed this week so at least we will know what we are in for, or not for those who decide against.

Can you state it, using different words?

He must like getting PMs. He's probably going to get some.

It was essentially stated that the color upgrade will require a security device to be attached. Thus the software will require shipping.

This isn't great news because shipping isn't CGC's strong point as me and many others are still waiting on the MMR LE know first hand.

Apparently, the update will come with a security chip. So it's no longer just a software package. I wonder how long it will take them to get parts for the security chip.

Edit: beat me by a few seconds.

I suppose the op could change the thread title back to what it originally was.

Wonder how long it took them to develop that? Better increase the upgrade price to cover the cost of developing the security chip also.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect them to use copy protection of some sort.

I don't think it is either. The real problem is it's another piece of hardware that has to get manufactured and shipped. I might feel different if my MMr showed up when I purchased it, but instead I'm still waiting.

No question. If the color was never promised to LE owners in the first place, then it would be expected, as with all software. But to promise colour is included on Le's, then to go back on your word, then to spend time and money to ensure those same LE buyers MUST pay for it, goes a significant way to ensuring CGC have totally f****d any good-will they had with their early adopter customers and the pinball community at large.

That's assuming they had any goodwill left at this point.

Plus how much time and effort was spent developing this whilst they still cant fulfill all the original LE orders after how many years?

We screwed our LE customers, but we need to ensure they don't screw us. I guess it takes one to know one.

Having said all that, we still have no information on how much they will ask the LE owners for this. If they give it away to LE owners as a good-will gesture, then adding security chip to stop it being copied to non-LE customers is completely understandable. I doubt that's going to happen though.

I have a crazy idea. Post the update and let all MMr buyers download it for their game. Announce that CGC is proud to be providing upgraded color graphics for all future remakes also. Announce your next game and keep selling.

Charging more to people that you have already been very slow to deliver on is not going to help move the next game.

Yep & yep.

You should look back at how many times PPS was in charge and stated so, the when shit hit the fan, all of a sudden its ccg's fault because they were in charge. Amazing ownership right there

The Color was NEVER promised in any way shape or form, at least for free. Some vague optimistic hints were dropped, but I think we all know if it isn't in writing you can assume it's nonsense. Which of course it turned out to be.

Nobody is being expected to pay for anything were actually promised for free.

This is a lesson that will be forgotten about 20 times in the pinball hobby this year.

"As we have said MANY MANY times, the colorized DMD is a software upgrade. At this time it will be an free LE upgrade to the software - likely no charge for LE owners,", Rick @ PPS

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/mmr-pps-and-overall-update-official-pps-oct-21-2013/page/64#post-1557003

Yes, I know, there's an opt out in the wording, but still sounds like a promise broken. Why mention it at all if not trying to use it as a selling point to get more pre-order dollars?

I think you answered your own question there.

Obviously "at this time" means "it ain't gonna be free, suckers." Not a broken promise there, just meaningless hype.

It was never promised as included for free. Rick was speaking optimistically, but never promised it outright. It was at best him saying what he wanted the deal to be.. but as we know later, he doesn't have a say really beyond being the licensing agent and giving a up/down vote.

Easy in hindsight to look at that statement see it was all bulsh*t, but at the time I took it as more than "meaningless hype." And looking at the reaction to the statement in that thread, so did many. Meaningless hype is "The best game ever", "Will blow your mind", "Huge technological advances" etc.etc. At the time had no reason not to believe the "promise".

Now, knowing how the project has panned out, and also Rick's involvement, or apparent lack of it, the statement looks meaningless. I now know anything promised by CGC or PPS is most likely cr*p. So it's little wonder some are cynical about the "security chip so we can screw you even harder" mod.

It's a physical copy protection chip so they can protect their work. The conspiracy theories just don't compute. What does compute is that this pinball machine was way harder to deliver than *anyone* expected. But once you have it you love it and you stop complaining. So, it seems to me that the loudest voices are the ones that are still waiting (and they will get theirs) and the ones that never planned to get one.
Everyone else is having too good of a time playing MMR.

This is almost exactly like Big Bang Bar went down. Took way longer than anyone thought and the conspiracy theories abounded.

Marc

Fair enough, lesson learnt.

The interesting lesson is that those machines are incredibly valuable now and everyone has forgotten about how difficult it was to get them. I feel bad for those whos excitement about MMR is being sullied by the long wait. The game is awesome.

Marc

Just to put a different view foward, I have my machine and I love it, but I am very disappointed by the way this update has been handled. (and the inserts but that's another thread) Not all owners are blissfully playing in utopia without a care for how long this takes or how much it costs.

I made my decision to buy after seeing the completed color video. I had been deciding between a few new releases but that colour got MMR over the line.

I'm not disappointed with my decision but I certainly am with this update and how it has been handled and the bullshit communication.

Just think how much easier a little communication would make this. It's not like they haven't decided the price months ago. If they would only share that with their customers then we'd moan but get over it. The way this has been dragged out does nothing but damage their future sales. If I was a potential customer for AFMr or MBr then seeing how they've treated their previous customers would be factored in to any decision I'd make

As an aside if colordmd brought out a new version of say AFM done to the same high quality as the MMr screen would you expect to get that software update for free given you've already bought the hardware? Personally I'd probably pay again but I'm not sure how much.

I'm still looking forward to the colour upgrade but they sure make it hard for themselves.

They don't have anything. Just talk wait they stopped that a while back...

When I read something like "an free update" I have my doubts.

I just tried to send a list of questions to CGC but it seems that their website email form is broken. Is it working for anyone else?

This is what I tried to send. ...

"PPS has requested that I direct my questions to you I do hope you are willing to provide some answers.

We know that a security chip will need to be posted with the software update have the chips been sourced and ready to go or will this mean another delay?

Will the update be free for LE customers? If not how much are you planning to change?

When can we expect them to be sent and what about international customers?

I look forward to reading your reply."

Thanks for digging up that quote. I knew we didn't imagine it. Fine, they had a change of heart and want to recoop their little bit of money, but the expectations were set then, so it's fair that there is blowback now about it.

They have been saying this color upgrade is going to available in another month for at least the past 6 months. The latest estimate on the PPS website is "2+ weeks" and that was before the security chip was announced and we still have no word on pricing either. My guess is that even if they bother to respond to a question from one of their customers, and they probably won't, it will be yet another meaningless and overly optimistic estimate.

I wouldn't pay more to upgrade if that ever happend.

The bigger question is - why did it take this long for them to figure out a "security chip" was needed? All this time preparing the color update, only to figure out at the end that a security chip is needed?

You are asking this question to a company that is more than a year into production and still hasn't shipped all the LE's that they were paid for years ago.

They still haven't shipped 'em all, but it's not clear that CGC was paid more than a $1000 down-payment years ago. According to Rick, some distributors may have called in full payment early and sat on the cash rather than sending it to CGC.

True enough. All I can say for certain is I paid my distributor in full and I still don't have a game yet. All the finger pointing between Rick, other distributors, Stern, and CGC doesn't help anyone at this point.

All I can say is that when they are ready to start collecting money for this color upgrade they had better be ready to ship it the day it is paid.