If true this is news to me. I don't ever recall someone mentioning or discovering this in the past.

There is a huge cost/value difference (to me at least) between a screened mirrored BG and a translite. I feel like this would create some drama if people had known so I remain sceptical that any older machines aren't a true BG

No offense Chris, but in this pic you posted one of these things is clearly not like the other. The TWD "backglass" is way more transparent than the other two.

https://img-f.pinside.com/201411/2024364/314304.jpg

Yup, that's what I was thinking of and that is definitely not anything just glued on, that's screened to the glass. Which to me is what makes it "mirrored".

Now, I don't know if all the other LE's came with "mirrored" backglasses as part of the package, but clearly ACDC BIB did.

I'm ok with it appearing more transparent, as long as it's screened on there, otherwise how is it different than a normal translite?

Which also begs the (admittedly off topic) question... why can't we buy mirrored replacement translights for old unobtainium backglass games? Surely that would be cheaper and easier to print than waiting months or years to screen glass...

Either way you like the look and are happy. Yes?

My LTBR is mirror screened also.

Obviously youd want a real mirrored backglass but if they can pull off the same look with a translite it may be a good thing if it ever breaks, just change the glass and add some adhesive if it works. It may be a mess you couldnt fix though.

Xmen LE did also.

This is just cost cutting plain and simple,I sent stern an email and I think all the le owners should also

That was my BIB.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-worst-possible-thing-that-could-happenhappened-to-my-acdc-bible

Thank goodness you got a replacement Breadfan. Gorgeous game.

And Frolic, sorry for the derail. The game looks great and I can't wait to get mine. I'm jealous you have yours a few days before me!

Just got THE CALL today. Sweet! My LE is on the way!

*sniff* long time coming for this title for me....

The Limited Edition Dead are Walking today in MN @ Mortimer's as well. Going to be a good weekend.

!twdle.jpg

Hopefully this is the first of many 'adult' titles from Stern. David at Stern seems to be keyed into what the guys and gals want.

Any other ideas you'll want me to pass to Guy? Right now it's Iron Maiden, Jaws and Kiss.

I'm saving already.

Well...after looking at the picture again (of the glasses backwards) I think there may be more light coming through TWD glass which is making it look different than the other two.

+1000

Yeah.. GHOSTBUSTERS!

Eddie LE?

piece-of-mind.jpg

Only because you accept it that way.

Mine won't be here for two more weeks. This thread is killing me!

It was false advertising, plain and simple. There is a difference between a translite and a backglass. If they had said "mirrored translite", nobody would be upset. They specifically used the word "backglass", however, to emphasize one of the LE's upgraded features. Considering how much money people have shelled out for this game, I think Stern owes us an explanation.

Forbidden Planet

I thought that was being worked on?

Someone made a single version.

First is that list in order? Irom maiden next? After whoa nellie? Designed by JT?

Also go dark..Reservoir Dogs, Resident Evil, Blade runner etc

Just got my TWDLE #365 setup. All I can say is WOW!!!! I LOVE THIS GAME!!! It's has great game play! A great mix of stop and go with great flow. I wasn't sure how I would like the red led's for the GI because of what I saw in other videos of the LE, I thought it looked too dark, but it's much much better in person!

There are some things though that I will be adding.

1) The bicycle girl is too dark, it's hard to see her in my opinion, I'm going to add an LED that will turn on when that mode is running that will light up that whole area under the ramp.

2) The head in the prison is a little dark too, I will also add an extra LED to shine on that when the doors open.

Trudeau was developing a prototype a while back. It looked really cool ...

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/john-treadeaus-forbidden-planet

We need a new 4K video, Frolic. Show off that crossbow and ramp with mechanical lift.

how come there hasn't really been any videos? i wanna see the crossbow and bicycle girl ramp in action...

The Forbidden Planet is just a One Off. That machine would have everything we want. Robby the Robot, Spaceship, Ray Guns, Monsters, Beautiful Girl, Cool Looking Machines.....AFM on crack!

Better go look at the very bottom of the feature matrix. There is something there to cover their ass.

I share your pain, but worse.

"We are scheduled to pick our games up on Friday 11/14. All games without shaker motors will ship on Monday 11/17, or be scheduled for delivery that week. All games with shaker motors installed, will ship Tuesday 11/18, or be scheduled for delivery."

So.... end of the month?

That is true, but imo its certainly grounds for a return as there was no notice prior to delivery of said changes. "Subject to change" shouldn't mean "rolling the dice on your purchase".

The disclaimer may cover their ass from a potential lawsuit, but it does nothing to help satiate all the pissed off customers. If they made the decision to not go with a real backglass sometime after the feature matrix came out, shouldn't we have been made aware of this? This would have been the obvious course of action for a company that actually cares about its customers.

+1000

The crossbow is cool, hopefully they implement it more in future code, we will never get silk screened mirrored back glass like Gorgar and Medusa that's finished. How Stern didn't put a light in to illuminate the BG ramp Zombie head I do not know but a mod is needed for that big time, vinyl art side panels, a decal for the arrow and a metal apron with lights will help a lot but this should come with the LE. When I got my STLE cosmetically anyway I was blown away but TWDLE didn't get the same love. Probably so we could have more toys, but still lacking.

Wait until they announce the premium version and the translite looks better........Then we will all see Stern at their finest!

I just checked my Metallica LE. Which looks great. Guess what? It's the same thing. There's a tiny wrinkle up in the corner on the back, so I can see that it's something that's been bonded to the glass.

Probably just like http://bgresto.com does.

So yeah, at least since Metallica Stern is using a different process to make the backglass I would guess. Since it's all CMYK printing + spot mirrored ink either way I can't say I care. The end result looks solid. I just want the mirroring, and something that doesn't have any waves or ripples or anything.

Remember, the oldschool backglasses were screened one color at a time. Red, then yellow, then blue, etc. On a piece of mirror that had all the bits that were meant to be non-mirrored etched away with acid.

So the colors look really rich and solid. Stern's never done that on modern games. Backglass or translite, same shit. So I'd put the torches down, the thing we've been happy with for years was done this same way apparently.

I don't think they put much effort into making changes to their marketing materials. If you check their website all the photos and marketing materials still show or list a wireform on the VUK for Star Trek LE.

I think the concern is less that it isn't a true screened glass but instead the fact that

a) no one knew this and in the traditional definition of a "backglass" this really isn't one
and
b) the difference between a screened glass (ACDC LEs) vs a fancy translight is many $$$'s

Basically, at least since what... AVLE now?, Stern is presumably pocketing extra cheapo backglass cash while we unknowingly assumed the expensive backglass was being provided. It's understandable that profits are the desire, but this is imo something that should have been stated somewhere like the playfield pegs/supports change and the plastic aprons were

Personally I'd be slightly annoyed and I can see where others will be as well. If no one noticed a diamond was a cubic zirconia until they actually evaluated it, no harm no foul as long as the brochure says "subject to change"? Extreme example but you see my point.

That said, all that matters is you the owner are happy. I'm not one to play in the LE game, precisely because of things and thinking like this; They irk me.

I mean, I have a "true" backglass sitting next to me as I type. Abra Ca Dabra by Ron and Nancy Webb. I count at least 9 or 10 colors on it, actually maybe 11, plus a blocking layer, but either way, it's plenty. No CMYK nonsense, these are individual screens. It was like $273 shipped.

Stern is using 5 colors. Cynan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Mirrored. So whether or not they're using that ink on some kind of diffuser layer that they then bond to a piece of glass for a smooth finish, or screening directly onto the glass doesn't really change a whole lot as far as costs go. $400 either way is inflated. It just is what it is.

My Metallica backglass is mirrored, super flat (no little waves or ripples like a translight can have even when taped at the edges) and limited. I honestly can't say I care how it was made so long as those qualities are there.

BG Resto does the same thing. Would I take a Webb "true" backglass over their process? Sure, they're not screening each color separately, so it won't look quite the same. But Stern was never doing 11 color screens, so in this case it really doesn't make a difference either way.

All these folks with their LE's, can anyone please take a few video snippets of the LE in action.

I would if I wasn't such an idiot with computers!

Fwiw, the XMLE and Avengers LE glasses were stillbackglasslly printed (inkjet) directly on the glass. I remember checking on mine when i had them as i was curious how they did it. If they've been doing this since the MetLE and advertising them as real backglass all along, well... colour me disappointed. That's totally misleading. Just call it a mirrored translite and call it a day.

The mirroring on the translite would likely be done as a foil layer on top of a printed piece, which in this case happens to be just the regular Pro art with a different colour filter on it. That works to about 10 mins extra photoshop time and a $2 extra charge in post processing. Soo more cost cutting unfortunately.

Regardless, if the owners and potential buyers are still happy with it, then that's all that really matters.

Congrats on the games, guys. You don't play the backglass! .. err.. translite.

- B