I don't think any of those are the issue. I think the issue is 100's of parts from however many suppliers have to come in perfect and all be inspected. If just one of those parts aren't correct, the game cannot be made. The cabs and the play fields are all being done locally so they have a lot more control over that.

As far as I know only the trails and metal guides were not being reproduced for what seems years.
A lot of games are in that stage - TOTAN - AFM- all have everything but harnesses and guides out there already made to spec. I have been watching for MB stuff to start arriving on market in hopes it will be re-released.

But now PBC is on the block another one of my dream games. MM was the first on the dream list.

Great news Rick, thanks for the update.

Monday... "Pick your color and give me all your money!"

cant get anymore hands on that that.... excellent work

Rick has done the best job and continues to do so, of all the pin makers now, in "herding the pinhead/pinside cats"….and keeping this bunch happy and informed, and that's no small feat!

Communication and common sense, why is it so lacking in most others?

Medieval
Madness
Rick's
Latest
Endeavor

I can't wait !!!!!

Well, if Rick pulls this off, (which I believe he will), he will have shown he is a very skilled and talented businessman. Buying up IPD assets, remaking games.....awesome for the future of pinball. I can support a guy like that. Looking forward to Monday.

Nice, that pretty much explains everything very nicely.

Cliffs notes:
- July 10th is the date down payments become non-refundable
- the first batch of production games at Stern are tentatively scheduled to begin in the last few days of July.

Tough choice! The gold has a bad rap around here but I think it looks pretty good in that pic.

Yeah, I think gold looks sweet...black really fits the art nicely - but gold is a great contrast. What to do, what to do...I'm like 90% gonna go gold.

Yeah the side by sides did it for me. I'm gonna go gold. It fits the artwork and playfield nicely.

DEF has to be black leg levellers

Shiny Black with black leg levellers for me!

I thought I wanted black. Now after seeing the gold next to the other two, I have to admit that it looks awesome! I'm going for the gold, it will make me feel like I'm getting an LE

Black for this guy for sure! Medieval times to me is all about darkness….dirt….unless you were royalty, which in that case riches, golden crowns….UH OH!! Maybe gold now!! What to do, what to do!
Thanks Rick!

I think of gold, black, candy colored etc like fads, I've tried them all and at one time or another or on one game or another I thought they looked good, now I have gone full circle and am back to liking good ol S.S, never needs polishing, don't have to worry about finger prints, if it scratches it can be re-grained, I'm going with S.S, besides, I REALLY do think it looks best too.

i agree. im not in the mix, but id be going the SS as well. tried and true classic

What will the serial plates / badges xxxx of 1000 look like, are they in silver, gold, or black ? In other words are they going to match the trim ?

I think the silver trim is the safest reminds me of the 97' Williams...
Black is the sleekest, and fits the theme & time frame the best.
Gold is now growing on me, and really does pop... It makes it look like an LE.

Great news! Hopefully once deposits are locked and games are being made you are ready to announce MB : )

Thanks for keeping us in the loop! Hopefully the next few weeks go well, and we'll be seeing our games in no time!

Rick, and Vendors,
for the balance can we go back to normal payment options of credit cards?

Rick stated a couple pages ago, the plaques are going to be seafoam green.

I think it depends on your distributor. I had no issues using my credit card for my deposit, but everyone else I know had to send a check. I'd call your distributor directly.

Looks like I'll be getting mine close to my birthday in Sept-- Rick, very nice of you to have planned that for me!

....thanks for the awesome detail in your timing overview notice. I for one, appreciate the obvious caveats you noted about potential bumps in the road.....very professional.

Best of luck!

Wow, I was Black all the way, until the 3 picts. The gold is looking really good!

Rick, will you have any games or trim samples at CAX in 2 1/2 weeks?

I am so excited. I guess I need to find some room for this sooner rather than later! Thanks for the updates Rick.

That's what I THOUGHT it said. LOL

http://www.creativebloq.com/photoshop/alternatives-1131641

I was thinking black for mine but seeing the pictures i beleive gold is the way to go. Black just seems a little drab and the gold makes it stand out some and looks more unigue. Also maybe gold's will be the first batch so if you go for the gold you could get it sooner maybe but just assuming. That standard stainless does just look right and clashe and I am glad I got in for an LE.

Me too!

Well that is certainly exciting news !

Thanks Rick and all involved !

LTG : )™

Going gold!

Sticking with the gold.

Most of us have seen the other trim options on this or other games in person, but the powder-coat gold is unique, and IMO a bit of a gamble as it is still really tough to judge from a low-res pic of the front of the game. Hopefully it works out for everyone... it looks like it will.

Gold for me too!

Black's nice too, but gold really stands out and makes it look LE. So gold for me!
I hope they manufacture the gold ones first *fingers crossed*

Using blue instead of purple on the front of the cabinet is a nice touch. Maybe it's just the light.

I'm not in this anymore but, to me it would be either SS or gold. I just lost that lovin feeling for the black.

Easy choice after seeing the picks side by side. Its going to be gold!

I'm guessing that guys who own & like the newer Sterns with the black trim will be more inclined to choose the black. IDK
~Steveo

UL is *ENTIRELY* optional for any manufacturer of any device. UL likes to make people *THINK* they're a government agency and required, but the fact is that they aren't. There might be a local government that requires a UL mark to be able to be used in public places, but that is a requirement put out by the locals. UL is a for-profit company that does safety testing and allows people to mark their device with their trademark once they meet whatever requirements they deem necessary. They may also help you to prove you meet national requirements (like what is needed to CE mark a device or get approval by OSHA or the FDA), but those are different than UL testing and their mark. There are 3 primary private industries that do this kind of testing and marking in competition: UL, CSA, and ETL. We've used all 3 at various times on devices I design (ie: non-pinball). They are all basically the same but slightly different in the details.

FCC on the other hand *IS* a government agency and has requirements you need to meet in order to legally use or sell products. Basically, they do have legal authority but the enforcement side of things is somewhat nebulous and usually involved local and/or federal law enforcement.

I don't know if there are any US federal regulations that a pinball machine needs to meet that UL might help you prove compliance with. Having a UL mark does not eliminate you from having any liability in the case of your device causing damage or injury. It might help you prove that you did your due diligence and were responsible in how you made your product (which might limit punitive damages), but it doesn't eliminate any liability.

From the conversations I've had with a couple of the boutique guys, they are basically choosing to be ignorant (officially anyway) of being aware of these regulations and choosing to simply not do anything on that regard. Basically, they would need to be caught in non-compliance. In the case of the FCC, unless they are shown to be causing issues with someone else, the FCC won't likely care.

My 2 cents of my non-pinball experiences with the organizations in question.
Jaz

i would think insurance.. insurance companies want any excuse to wiggle out of covering something. Not having a UL stamp seems like something they could point to claim some kind of negligence.

in my experience, people who try to cut corners and shirk requirements on technicalities often end up in bad situations (and are quick to blame anyone but themselves for their predicament). keep doing it right, Rick.