So you spew garbage and want people to line up as supporters?

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I'm not asking anyone to line up as a supporter.

How is this not a bet?

"$100 says no new title hits a customer's hands by year's end."

You lost, do the right thing and pay up. What kind of upbringing did you have?

He's into me for a hondo

That about what that fine instrument costs

I’ll bet my bottom dollar this will be Laulers pride n joy !!

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I just want to see some truly new toys/mechanics from him. Lawlor is deep into career-recycling mode for his last, what, 5 pins? I've owned most of them and am just not feeling it. At least he was TRYING with the micro pinball feature of Shrek/Family Guy (which were not great pins), but it wasn't fun, unfortunately. Fingers crossed that I don't see a collection of rehashed features on Toy Story. Eric at JJP and Keith at Stern have spoiled me with fun and innovation at both ends of the pinball BoM spectrum.

I would recommend that you play the crap out of that Wonka with the playfield on it now. Then 10 to 15 years down the road spend the money to replace the playfield to the brand new playfield, deep clean the parts and replace the plastics and you will have a new pristine Wonka pinball to enjoy all over again

Middle Ground.
Donate $100 to a good children's charity.
And remember, its a Toy. It really is. A toy.
Dont buy a car are other large ticket item, you will be disappointed there to.

Yeah, I agree, he was the best designer for a quite a long time, Pat and Steve basically defined modern pinball. I had high hopes for Wonka but the theme and it's integration along with the lack of a "Wow" toy in that game is what made it a bit lackluster for me. The game plays beautifully, the shot are clever and smooth. I just think he needs a good theme to take the mantle again.

Do you think Toy Story, depending on the assets, could be that theme ?

Toy story is an excellent theme.

It could be, Toy Story does translate well to pinball, Woody and Buzz are instantly recognizable and there's plenty of material. If he makes good mechs for them it could be a winner.

It's Otaku 2.0!

Thanks for letting me know anything you say is complete and total bullshit.

He had to "let you know" for you to understand this?

ok since we are discussing Toy Story, it would make for a mediocre pin imo. What toy or mechanism comes to mind when you think of toy story? What feature or parlor trick would you mandate be in Toy Story pin? If you are like me, the only thing I care about and remember are the characters. So would I love a Woody bash toy or Buzz Lightyear kickback? Not really. I cannot imagine what innovative pin we would get or toys would get other than dolls. I may be skeptical and jaded. I am not excited about a Toy Story and am actually quite un-hyped about it. GNR on the other hand is looking more attractive every day and is trending up like my woodie.

So what theme could we see done right by JJP since they’ve become edgier? I’d pick a Tarantino film. TBL has been done so Kill Bill or Pulp Fiction. We all know the love and dedication JJP puts in their titles. Either of these would be a great fit and appeal to the 20-45 year old demographic. JJP needs to get the licenses and then put Eric on it ASAP. Maybe it could even be a widebody with an upper playfield. Ohhh Myyyyyy. and Ken Cromwell could figure out how and whom to get the deal done with. Tarantino has got to be a pinball fan or be influenceable by another. .

Edgy...Harry Potter and include the murder scenes.

Breaking Bad.

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Even edgier - Hairy Pooter and include the period pieces.

I love Breaking Bad to death, but I just don't see how it would make a fun pin. Might as well try to do Schindler's List:The Pin.

As long as we are dreaming ... my vision for the Harry Potter license is for JJP to create 3 design teams which create 3 designs. And then to release one version of HP every six months. Totally different approaches to layout, artwork and mechs. Why three machines? To breakup the franchise into manageable themes. This would be the biggest design coup to ever hit pinball. Imagine JJP selling 3000 units for six months and then another 3000 and then 3000 and finally rerun 3000 across all designs. 6k pins per year for two years is 12k units sold and at an average sales price of $10k each « Spoiler! Click to reveal. = $120 million. I shit you not. $120 million. Hahahahahaha This would make JJP the dominant pinball manufacturer on the planet and Stern would be #2. »

Then there are three different trim levels and a topper for each. This evergreen franchise could replace lost WOZ revenue. All this is but a glimmer in my eye but it would be pretty epic and it would be enough to make me buy 3 CE’s, in spite of being out of space.

I understand because there is too much deaths, not zombie deaths like TWD

His parents need a throat punch!

I can think of a few: Woody can be like Rudy from funhouse, talking you through the game, Buzz Lightyear could be suspended above the pf on a cable where he sweeps down and picks up the ball off the pf like the train on CC (or the flying monkey from Woz). Mr. Potato head can be like the bank vault from Monopoly where you bash him till his mouth opens to give you access to a ramp....etc. A lot can be done, the problem is usually the BOM and more importantly the journey...by that I mean as I player you have to get the goal, you have understand what you have to do to get the goal, the objective should be simple but the journey not so much. A lot of good pins have this important ingredient (MM, AFM, TZ, STTNG, MET, JP2). Yes, some pins dazzle us with mechs, some with rules and layout, but the best ones have all 3 at work. Am I crazy about Toy Story? No, but I think any theme can be good if implemented correctly.

The claw machine for sure

The ClaaaaAAAaaaw

The unsubstantiated rumor I heard is that it's in there.

Well we've always wondered what a JM glove type mech that wasn't as slow as shit would be like.

Random question - has there ever been a pin where the ball travels up inside the head? Like not just straight back and out, but something where the ball is locked and travels vertically to the top of the head?

Just wondering.

I would tell you, but you are a liar and a troll. So there!

Haha, you sneak...these are all in the game already aren't they? Come on man spill.....

JJP's The Hobbit originally had the design to do just that - but Peter Jackson didn't want Smaug to 'breath pinballs onto the playfield' so they moved it to a virtual lock.

At least that is my understanding.

or maybe just cost cutting I think old prototypes had an right outlane gate

I don't think it was that...it wasn't allowed was my understanding. I also think the original plan was to have a bash toy as well and that was taken out - that may have been a cost cutting move or too similar to the WOZ witch (not sure)

Along the lines of too similar to WOZ. I think the VUK wire forms we originally going to cross over the playfield like WOZ (and it was decided to return to the flipper on the same side as the VUK)

On KISS the Gene head locks balls and "spits" them onto the playfield.

Banzai Run had a whole play field in the Head of the game. Real pain to work on from what I’ve read

Actually not at all. It folded down very easy for maintenance.

Ha. Banzai Run has five or six boards in the head down into the body of the cabinet below and sandwiched below the coin dispenser. Each board has tons of connectors with small wires running everywhere. Did I mention it is cramped as hell working on the boards and that everything has sharp edges? But if you are smart you can remove each board and unplug it to access repairs easily. Replugging the connectors can involve a good four foot reach and component numbers can’t be seen. So yes the head folds down, but it isn’t going to be a piece of cake to work on from there. Like crawling through world’s narrowest tunnel and trying to avoid sharp pieces of metal debris. Wish I still had the restored one I sold many years ago.

IMPORTANT UPDATE

Let it be known, on this 20th day of October in the year 2020, that despite any posturing one way or the other on the part of @smalltownguy2, he has come through with full payment of his obligation and any accusations of welching or otherwise not being a man of his word related to this matter should be henceforth dismissed with prejudice.

(Any proof that it was from him omitted for privacy reasons, but take me at my word it was from him.)

You da man.

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Right back at ya

Thanks for playing along, it was fun. LOL

kudos to all involved! Gnr for everyone!