It's not often that I disagree with you Nate...But your latest episode presented the whole "off topic" conundrum in an almost elitist sense. I do agree that major off topic swings don't belong in threads, and I also agree that there is some off topic stuff that doesn't really belong in some threads; however, I can't agree that ALL off topic should be punishable.

Example...

Someone posts a thread about getting their NIB IM VE and includes a picture of their new game, and next to the game, they are displaying their Hot Toys IM figures. Someone sees these and posts their Hot Toys figures (none of which are IM) with some text like, "Sweet Hot Toys! I've got a bunch, too." That's off topic because it's not about IM. Is that "punishable" by your definition? Yes, because it's not about the thread at hand.

Of course, in that example, if the next 20 posts are Hot Toys figures with zero to do with the game, I agree that a moderator should step in and redirect the conversation. But there's no reason to delete/ban/etc the posts or posters. There are obvious posts that should be deleted or banned (hardcore porn, shock imagery, racism, etc.). But fun posts like the described? Nope.

I think the better approach would be to have a few more moderators that can go in and divert threads as such. Give the mods the ability to post a colored post (like the OP post) to draw attention to it and give the directive there.

But great episode as per usual. Always love listening to you talk about pinball and pinball related stuff. Keep it up mate.

This would get abused to hell and back.

I am in the same boat as those who didn't really like episode 187. It's not worth going into details because there are so many polarizing points on it, but I will say that I did not like it nor did I like the direction that Kayla took some of the conversations. I was VERY close to turning it off.

That said, I'll be diving into 188 today and forgetting 187 ever happened and continue enjoying what Nate does.

This was my feeling as well after listening. What's hard is that it felt genuinely mean spirited, and that was something I wasn't expecting from Nate. Kind of like a "I'm right and you're wrong" sort of thing. Not the kind of tone I want in future episodes.

That being said, Nate puts a few valid arguments on the table, but it definitely feels like he's intentionally avoiding any possible arguments AGAINST a price increase. I was sort of expecting to see SMVE at around $5.5-5.8k (from your favorite retailer). I'm assuming the game will change hands at ~$6.5-6.8k instead, which really does feel too high. The justification that Nate presents (new art, dots, toys, new factory, operating costs, etc) are fair arguments for a price hike, sure. But it just feels like he's overlooking how MUCH of an increase is really there and trying to say that Stern can do no wrong with this decision.

E: Having said that, as Nate said, nobody but Stern has the books. Only they know what sort of MSRP needs to be attached to the game in order to see the profits they want to see. So I'm not even really bagging on Stern for their price decision, simply musing out loud about my thoughts on the price point.

With the recent developments regarding Stern's sponsorship of Nate's new show, I can see why people think what they do. I don't necessarily think that, but I was surprised that Nate had ZERO "cons" with the whole thing. Hell, he even brought up the fact that they are providing the standard Stern legs and didn't seem to blink an eye at it (instead saying that collectors will basically pony up the cash and do it themselves). For a game priced in the Premium range, I would have liked to see some additional Premium features to justify the cost.

But this isn't a discussion about SMVE - it's a discussion about C2C. I still love the show and will continue to listen to every new episode immediately. I'll still wear my shirt around and talk pinball with people. But this was a very interesting take on the current situation, and I'm eager to see where things go from here. Keep up the good work Nate!

This last show was awesome. Loved hearing from Aurich. Great work guys!

Listened to it over lunch earlier. Good episode. I wanted to be caller #5, but you didn't give us your number. C'mon Nate...

I haven't followed this thread in a LONG time, but I figured I'd chime in and give my regards to Nate. I could feel the sands shifting, and as bummed as I am that I won't have any new C2C to listen to, I look forward for what's to come.

I suspect he's going to be getting involved with one of the current manufacturers - be it marketing, sales, social media relations, or something along those lines. Or hell - maybe he's getting involved with the "behind the scenes" stuff of competitive pinball.

Going to download and listen to this shortly.

The summary above (thanks solarvalue) makes me a little bitter about the whole thing...Quitting the show cold turkey because of a conflict of interest but being CRAZY vague and dodgy about it felt a bit shitty. I'm only butt hurt because the show was such a monumental part of me becoming interested and involved in this hobby. I'm glad you're back and really hope you're able to regain the same momentum C2C had back when. My bitterness and frustration is all in good fun - the show really was the best pinball podcast out there.