Quoted from drfrightner:I hate to say this but I got trashed on this forum for bringing up many of these points. I also got trashed for shedding a reality on Black Knight. I have a friend who just bought a Munsters LE for $6500.00 with only like 50 plays. People hate this game that much they're willing to lose that kind of money? I think most people bought Munsters LE sight unseen... they just knew they wanted that theme. I bought a Munsters LE sight unseen... so is it really only worth $6500 now? I see people here locally already trying to dump their Munsters Pro for only $4600... I'm like already?
The same will happen with Black Knight another very basic nothing new game but I see those LE being sold for even less than $6500.00. Beatles price was super low at MGC, brand new in the box. I guess they're learning outside of a handful of people where money is no object not many people want to pay $8000 for a $5000 game. There is nothing that original about Munsters, Black Knight and for god sakes Beatles is a direct copy of a 30 year old game.
I think what has happened, and this is just an observation there isn't much left you can do with a pinball game, before you play it and go "OH WAIT ISN'T THIS REALLY A RETREAD of another game'?
What else can be done?
Stern is the worst honestly, the only time you really see good on screen assets is when they're hand delivered on a silver platter (Iron Maiden, Batman 66).
I think pinball will need to take a new direction, and start to incorporate new idea's, and stop relying on people who've already designed 30 games. They need new eyeballs, new idea's, just a younger group of people to create pinball 5.0 or whatever you want to call it. Pinball needs to bring back video modes, introduce wifi, online gaming, and most importantly new features during game play that haven't yet been done.
Stern has become such a well oiled machine they're not even trying to think outside the box. Why should they really? If no other company puts the screws to them and people keep buying games SIGHT UNSEEN, only after the fact they don't find the game that much fun... STERN keeps winning.
I thought it was odd that Stern made this behind the scenes video of Munsters creation, that made me think oh wait this game isn't selling so lets drum up some interest. Nice video btw.
I think Stern should seriously consider making only 2 to 3 new games a year, put more RD into the games, look for new designers, put more work into the games, consider doing a wide body, adding new features... in other words slow down the process and work harder to make things seem original.
Just because you change the artwork on the playfield doesn't mean Beatles isn't Seawitch or Batman Dark Knight is Batman 66, or Munsters seems just like 2 or 3 other games we already have in our collection. Lastly, and to my main point, almost every Stern game releases where they must update the code in some cases 20 times. Jersey Jack comes out with code from the box that no one can even beat... why not just slow down here, take the time to release the game DONE the first time, rather than a process of seeing just how fast you can release a new game.
Just my observation. As buyers I think we need to stop getting suckered on LE games, and just have some patience to decide do we actually think the game is worth $9000.00. I think in most cases if you use patiences you'll realize later that if you really want the very weak Black Knight LE, you'll get one for about $6500 or less in about oh I don't know 4 months. Its worth waiting to save the money. The totally nothing original very basic Black Knight doesn't even deserve an LE if you ask me. That game should be Sterns $4500 line a price point they don't have currently but should consider.
On the flip side, if you're still waiting to buy a Pirates from JJP, well keep waiting because no one is selling. Pirates despite its flaws took at least two years to make, and those games in some cases are selling for MORE than they paid, while Munsters LE just sold for a $2500 loss.
Stern should SLOW DOWN get it right out of the box!
Again just my opinion. In the future I'm not buying anymore Stern games, unless I see them and play them first because Munsters at 9k don't love it, and now knowing its only worth $6500 three months after buying is not making me feel all warm inside.
With these types of nose dives on values of games so shortly after buying them, will change the market drastically for the games.
I'm not in LOVE with Wonka, I don't think its nearly as creative as WOZ, but at the same time name 5 pinball games ever created with as much cool things happening? There just isn't 5 games you can name with more cool things happening under the glass... oh wait you kind of can the four other games made by JJP, or just a small handful of older Williams Bally games. I'm not saying JJP is better than Stern, merely pointing out that when people buy an LE from JJP they don't rush out to flip it 3 months later. If you're going to sell a 9k version an amount of money, that can buy a BRAND NEW car, then you should be totally sold on buying that game to keep it.
Maybe Stern feels adding new features, doing something they haven't done before creates risks, but I'm okay with that take the risks and do something spectacular. Just my opinion.
As for my Munsters game, I will keep the game because selling it for $2500 loss is not an option. Just in the future I will not rush to buy an LE because of the theme, I will wait play the game, or maybe just wait for another person to take that plunge only to hit the bottom of the pool after a few weeks of ownership and buy then. Maybe.
Asheville, NC
