These companies know what there doing, Tron never made any impact on the newer generation like it did with the geeks in the 80's but a new film and you get the geeks plus on location from the newbies, same with GB's and BTTF I mean I remember those films and stuff but they were all but dead by the 90's, me and my buddies didn't care about any of that when we were 20 and even fewer still read comics or followed half the shit popular in the pinball world, same with the Hobbbit and LOTR's, I mean its a niche market, BTTF will appeal to the same aging geeks that most themes in pinball do, thats cool.

Think what you'd like....thankfully, you're not working for a pinball company. You're completely off on the pulse of what themes work well with pinball. Ghostbusters is selling like CRAZY - purely because it's Ghostbusters. Strong theme. Fact.

They already ARE going to barcades and enjoying pinball. They don't need "Instagram: The Pinball" to relate to it. They like things that are funky and retro.

Oh, I'm sure it will completely disappear from the pop culture consciousness, just like Star Wars did after Phantom Menace, Superman did after Quest for Peace, Back to the Future after Back to the future II, Jaws after Jaws 3 and 4, and Alien after Aliens 3 and 4. Not to mention Ghostbusters after Ghostbusters II.

Sure you don't want to rethink that theory? It's pretty hard to kill off something as beloved as Ghostbusters. Unless you really think "all-girl" is the ultimate kiss of death.

Back to the Future would be a bigger hit in my house then Ghostbusters theme wise. My boy loves the movies! He loves Power of Love and Back in Time songs. Everybody better check out Lego Dimensions and the entire lego video game lineup that hasnt seen the games. What was fun and light hearted for us as children has stood the test of time and is loved by the younger generation, at least in my small part of the world. All my sons friends definitely know who Marty Mcfly, Biff, and Doc are and there all Kindergarteners.

Comment lost all credibility with avatar.

So they're mixing it up. Some modern, some classic. Something for everyone. We are living in the pinball good times, right now.

You lost me with the title....Weak Theme......huh?

The marketing longevity of the franchise and strong sales of the pin make it a fact.

Be objective.

Here's an example. I'm not remotely into Star Wars. I think the movies are boring. I recognize that my opinion has ZERO bearing on Star Wars as an immensely popular and marketable theme for licensed products.

Would you take the design and re-theme it? Similar to Family Guy / Shrek? Or vault editions like Stern has done with Spidey and Iron Man?

And finally, what would you re-theme it as?

Speaking of Quentin Tarantino, how about a Kill Bill pinball machine?

Here's my observation regarding themes, as in Ghostbusters' theme: It depends on how much you're into pinball. Places I go that have pinball machines AND teenagers, 20's, and 30's yr olds (like theater arcades, barcades, bars with a few games, pizza joints, amusement parks, truck stops? ha) the machines are almost always empty regardless of themes, and I've seen all the themes being talked about. The video dancing and driving arcade machines and air hockey are way more active. So, truly?... Stern must know this and isn't even targeting these age groups, at least not with their "themes", including Ghostbusters. (But maybe with the lame video modes, idk, ha) To be clear, my 21 and 25 yr olds couldn't care less about GB. And for people that keep bringing up their 8 yr olds who love 80's themes... they're pre-adolescents, and it's all about pleasing parents (or lights and sounds) so any excitement over a "theme" is probably more mirroring you, than their genuine love for the brilliant comedic slapstick and cinematography of, say, a Ghostbusters.

Now then for those of us really into pinball, here's what I see... we have lots of choices and can be picky about how we spend our time (and money) on pinball. So... theme is very important. Because brilliant gameplay or not, I don't want to spend time on my favorite hobby being irritated or bored by the theme. I'm actually struggling a little bit with SM over this issue right now.

Theme, alone, can't "make" the game. But it can, alone, spoil the game.

That's the marketing logic that led to multiple Bally/Williams flops like Congo and Johnny Mnemonic. It's marketing suicide. Games sell when buyers know and love the theme already and ops know their players will already know and love the theme. Making a game to meet a movie release date is short-sighted for multiple reasons.

1. Pinball machines are in production for a minimum of 3 years...the box office release window is irrelevant to the success of a game.
2. Studios usually won't share assets of a new movie, so you end up with a game that's missing storylines, characters, audio and video from movie.
3. What if the movie is garbage? No one is going to spend $5-8000 on a garbage theme.
4. People who play pins at a movie theater give ZERO fucks if the game is current to a movie they're there to see. My local theater has a Star Trek. Another has an Iron Man. Those feel well placed in a theater lobby no matter what.

If anyone was going to make a Tarantino based pinball, it'd be something people already know and love like Pulp Fiction.

Attachment to theme = GAMES SOLD before anyone actually plays it. That is the cornerstone of Stern's success.

I'll say it again slowly: Ghostbusters. Isn't. Star Wars. It's not even a very good film to begin with.

So no...I'll stick with my theory, thanks!

(To support my point, I submit this: Star Wars #3, Ghostbusters #67: http://www.statisticbrain.com/top-100-movie-franchises-by-revenue/ )

I appreciate that some people have a warm spot in their heart for this movie, but that doesn't make it universally loved or iconic.

No kidding!!! Stand tall and don't let those that are stuck there tell you any differently. If it continues modern pinball will not just be the joke it is now, but will die a sad death.

When i had other titles at my house my son never played them more then day i got them. The night i got ghostbusters i had to kick him off the table to go to bed and have had to many times since. He comes home from school and heads right to my games when im not even home. No mirroring happening here if he didnt like the game he wouldnt play it just like other titles. My buddy has 26 games including SM, IM, Xmen, IJ and my son doesnt care for any of them except LOTR because he loves the theme. Theme is everything when it comes to my kid.

I said it before its not the decade its the choices, lots of greatness to be had and haircuts.

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The 80s already had enough great themed pinball machines and the best ones were not licensed.

If you want Ron and Nancy, why not just get a Cyclone like I did and be done with it.

As long as you guys keep buying them, then you will surely get Ferris Bueller someday, and I will just keep on laughing.

Over this last weekend i had a friend over with his family. My buddy is a pinside member and has 8 games at home. His son around 13-14 never plays pinball. So he was back by my games and decided to play GB. His parents stood in the hallway astonished he was playing pinball. He didnt do all that great but when he pushed start a second time we all looked at each other(the parents) and smiled. Ghostbusters did that...

My kid sees something like Ghostbusters and says "who comes up with this shit?" My sentiments exactly.

It's not just "nostalgia" talking....the 80's was a special time for movies (comedic movies in particular) and for popular music.

My kids LOVE 80's movies and they love a lot of 80's music. For quite a while "Ferris Buller's Day Off" was my daughter's favorite movie. Oh, and they aren't little kids; my son is off to college in the fall and daughter will be a sophomore in HS.

So no sense of humor then?

Oh, pinside.

Just the opposite. We both find it a complete joke. And then I explain how those buying them want reminders of their youth. Shall I rent out the VHS tape so you can see where they are coming from? And she says "No thanks!"

That's true on the unlicensed stuff and if Ferris Bueller is a possible result of wanting more 80's themes then I'll give it up right now, the ones I want will most likely never be made anyway, well Alien is coming at least.

Well, my kids say the same thing.

However, I tell my girls every day, who comes up with the stupid shit they are putting out today?

You want some Kanye West Yeezy shoes? WTF is wrong with you! Yeah things have changed for the better.

Actually my kids aren't that stupid.

Sounds like a real battle of wits going on there.

I live in a college town with a popular barcade that is busy during the week and gets packed out on the weekends. South Park is the number one pinball earner followed by GOT. I never have to wait in line to play GB.

Love the new avatar by the way. Very topical!

Nope. We are on the same page. She's definitely my kid!

I do remember a short time during the 90s and I was in my 30s when 70s retro seemed cool to me. So I get where some of them are coming from. But the day just might come when you wake up look around and realize the 80s are gone for good. RIP.

I hope you know I was joking about you and ur kid, 70's retro was never cool and alot of the 80's was pure shit but it was a great decade all around, maybe you had to be a kid to realize that but I live pretty much day to day and am quite aware the 80's are a thing of the past, however when it comes to pinball themes no better time licensed or not. JMO

The problem with Ghostbusters is any goodwill evoked in newcomers by the theme is immediately destroyed when it eats three balls in thirty seconds, which I've seen happen irl. My non-pinball-playing husband, also a millennial, walked away from it completely baffled and kind of frustrated, even after being intrigued by the theme, because he'd gotten three fast drains and hadn't seen any of the game at all. The theme is ok, but I wish it were better utilized. There's definitely a bank of affection for eighties stuff but I think if you really want to attract non-bro millennials, make a Steven Universe pin, or a Gravity Falls one, or Tim and Eric.

I disagree.. and not speaking from a 40-something mind, there are people younger than me (some in their late teens) that enjoy 80s because they didn't get to enjoy that time of innocence and fun.

Because some themes are multi-generational (see star wars, star trek, batman, mad max, army of darkness).. hell, there's even kids that still love the BTTF trilogy.

When the grunge movement got into the second or third year and most of the bands were whining heavily, it was time to break out the heavy artillery! I decked out my beach hut with posters, lava lamps, and best of all, 70s heavy metal music! And people came. Lots of them. For one summer around '93 the 70s lived again!

On a sadder note. Irvine Meadows Amphitheater, a local venue that showcased just about every great act that was alive while it was has been scheduled to be mowed down in the name of progress. RIP.

I don't know what you were doing in that decade, but it was easily the least innocent decade of my life.

Yeah boob, that's classic! That time of innocence was long before I was born. And that was in the 60s.

listen to ben heck from 13 minutes to 17minutes:

To make this as simple as possible, think what it looks like to somebody in their 50s watching a bunch of 30 and 40 year olds trying to relive their youth.

Then imagine what those in their 20s and younger are seeing.

And remember pinball covers all age groups. So not everybody needs to relive the 80s.
You can all you like, but it's not for me.

Had a party this weekend at my place. Josh brought his GB to the house for people to play, so I had it around the house for some extra time. The day after the party, I watched a neighbor of mine try to play it - she's not a pinball person. She played 3 games in about a minute... She scrunched up her shoulders, and looked at me and asked "Are the games in the basement on?"

This game is a non-starter for anyone who isn't an established pinball player because it is just too damned hard. Even some of my pinball friends who were interested in buying it are now out based on how cheap most of the drains felt after they played it.

Ghostbusters is a great theme and an absolute blast to play. If ever I get to see or play one I'll go into more detail.

That must be why a WOZ at a local barcade near me continues out earns TWD and GOT.

Ghostbusters is a good theme, it's fun. What knocked GB out of the park IMO is the art. Look at MET and GB, people went nuts on day 1 of the release because of the eye candy factor of good, hand drawn art. Of course it helps that both have solid themes.

I personally would love to see more current themes.

I agree but again that may apply to GB's and BTTF but not Blade Runner, Aliens, Arnold classics like Commando and Total Recall, then you have Robocop, Die Hard and the list continues, simple betters films in a better time, music was the same, Ok alot of crap as usual but I hardly even see instruments today and the majority of films suck, I'm not interested in GB's as a theme for pinball and most guys who do love it because it works for them and their kids and ofcourse the wife so they can buy one, I appreciate 50+ fellas having pride in the 70's and the 60 and overs digging the 60's, its just respecting a better time, licensed themes in pinball for the most part have always been strange, in the 90's they were some great movies and yet JM, TS and Congo, WTF? I grew up with Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Star Trek films, Terminator, Die Hard and so many of the best comedians in their prime, what the hell is going on today, trash, we are all reliving our youth by simply being in this hobby my friend.

theme is good and artwork is good but wish the side rails had more detail in them like some of the other le's. gameplay right now is decent at best. probably will get better with time but I never see this being up there with the other great titles.

Wait... you're a teacher?!?! As in a school teacher?!?!

Just kidding. I bet you're a lot of fun in the classroom!

Have to disagree. Look at the pure crap that is out today. Gangster rap, stupid shows like TWD, and LGBT "movements." Ghostbusters was a fun and clean comedy that adults and kids could watch. Today's "entertainment" is sick. I don't even go to the movies anymore and my TV is limited to the history channel and and few others. The rest is crap.