(Topic ID: 55216)

New Pinball announced by Homepin -- Thunderbirds

By tmontana

10 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 1,845 posts
  • 312 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by toyotaboy
  • Topic is favorited by 44 Pinsiders

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Topic poll

“What do you think of the Thunderbirds theme?”

  • Love it! 152 votes
    29%
  • Thunder-who? 234 votes
    44%
  • Doesn't matter as long as it plays well 140 votes
    27%

(Multiple choice - 526 votes by 511 Pinsiders)

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There are 1,845 posts in this topic. You are on page 3 of 37.
#101 10 years ago
Quoted from RGR:

The 1st Aussie pinball manufacturer.. yay
One T-BAG-LE please!!!

A. Hankin & Co. made pins in Australia 1978-1981 so not the first.
I remember watching the Tbirds as a kid in the 60's so it isn't unknown over here.

#102 10 years ago

Are you kidding me? Wow!

#103 10 years ago

Can't believe the negativity towards such an awesome theme, Thunderbirds is a great choice for a pinball machine!

#104 10 years ago
Quoted from RetroBorg:

Can't believe the negativity towards such an awesome theme, Thunderbirds is a great choice for a pinball machine!

If there are two things Americans are know for worldwide, it's starting wars and bitching & moaning when they don't get their way.

#105 10 years ago
#106 10 years ago

That picture really should be shown with the tag underneath it:

ScreenHunter_020.jpgScreenHunter_020.jpg

#107 10 years ago
Quoted from vegemite_nick:

Mike informed me of this theme a few months back, and IMO it's a **brilliant** one, especially so with the new series being produced for release in 2015. I watched all of the 32 episodes as a kid, and they are still a TV staple here to this day. have the DVD set, and while it seems the US market might be ignorant of the theme/series, I'd be hard pressed to find a person over here that is not at least aware of exactly what the Thunderbirds series was (and will be!!)
I suspect the 2,000 will be a sell out, and I am in for one for certain.
Mike's attention to detail with board work is amazing, and he has produced some great replacement stuff. His strong views on board design and manufacture are going to make this game the envy of every WoZ owner when their PC based game stops working.....

Nice post, untill the last sentence. Why on earth would you want to post something like that?
I think it's:
a) untrue (as I understand, it's just like with P-ROC: any pc can drive the software for it)
b) blunt
c) a reason to make me distrust you more than it makes me distrust JJP (and no, I have no WOZ or Hobbit on order, I liked the game at first sight and first play (I liked Metallica as well, but wouldn't buy that one either)).

I just don't understand why you'd make the last statement about another company.
And for others: I don't understand the negativity about this new company/pinball either, for we haven't even seen anything from the game! Strange world we live in

#108 10 years ago

I never got the show, thought it was a bit weird puppets and all, but the vehicles were cool and do agree it could be a cool pin, just like I don't like Metallica music but the pin is an awesome looking machine.

It's just too earlier to cross off and bag it.

Also Homepin has shared with the aussies some info on the innovation with flipper mechs being some of the best in design with roller bearings etc - this could be one hell of a player....

be patient and cast an opinion on completion.

#109 10 years ago

i would buy one, not before i see more info, see what happens, I'm really disliking this pre order $ up front deal, so many scenarios can be thrown up

#110 10 years ago

I think this can be a a great pin theme and am happy that another company is jumping into pin manufacture!

It will only be good for the hobby. Good luck Homepin and don't let the negative nellies worry you. They post about 10x as much as anyone else around here. Most of the positive people have better things to do with their time.

Can't wait to start seeing your progress, I signed up for your email updates last night!

-4
#111 10 years ago

Ummm so this is a game based on a show about dolls and middle aged men are excited about this?! Wtf?!

I guess it will look good next to their wozs...

-1
#112 10 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

If there are two things Americans are know for worldwide, it's starting wars and bitching & moaning when they don't get their way.

And being unaware that other countries exist outside of the us of a....

The rest of the world will love this pin and america is probably not a target market.

#113 10 years ago
Quoted from Homepin:

Thanks for the great words. We looked at many different themes that were available to us and also carefully considered our target market. Thunderbirds is an all time classic that was amazingly popular in most countries around the world EXCEPT the USA. Team America is practically unheard of outside the USA and would have little appeal to anyone else and would probably not sell to any country other than the USA.
Thunderbirds has incredible potential with the toys and action which is all family friendly and this was high on our list of requirements. The story lines and action sequences are ideally suited to pinball more that many other contenders.
We knew right from day one that it would be impossible to please everybody - the comments coming from other countries are all of amazement and people begging to give us money. If it doesn't sell to the USA that won't faze us at all. We have a production limit of 2000 machines worldwide and feel it will be achievable - approximately 25% of these will be sold as kits - yes, a full size pinball kit!
I understand that many in the USA "don't get it" - different parts of the world sure do and that is one reason this theme has "flown under the radar" for others.

Maybe it was more popular in other countries but according to the show's creator it was geared towards an American audience and very important to the success of the show that it be successful in America. He talks about it starting at about 5:20 into the interview:

-38
#114 10 years ago

I have almost decided that I will not make this machine available to the USA market. I may not even include an option for 110V.

The USA was never an intended market. There are 200 other countries..............

Have fun in the USA living in your sheltered world.

I'm busy now - taking the "post to the USA" option off my website for boards I make because I don't think I will sell them to anyone in the US anymore - ByeBye.

Yes, I am taking my bat and ball and going home (if any of you actually understand that).

14
#115 10 years ago

Good for you. Glad to never give you my money : )
Good Luck with sales in many of those countries. I bet Uganda is a hotbed for new pinball sales.

#116 10 years ago
Quoted from extraballingtmc:

Ummm so this is a game based on a show about dolls and middle aged men are excited about this?! Wtf?!
I guess it will look good next to their wozs...

A closed mind is a ...... oh forget it, you wouldn't understand anyway

I watched the Thunderbirds on it's initial run, I think it will translate very well to a pin. Extremely creative stuff for it's time, wonder how it will look when they remake it and if they will re-capture the originals charm.

#117 10 years ago

LOL. This is going to be fun.

#118 10 years ago

this guy cracks me down! I thought the posts about linux were funny, here we go again.

-11
#119 10 years ago

website updated - there will be a few annoyed USA residents I guess - oh well, you all know best I suppose.

13
#120 10 years ago

LOL! image.jpgimage.jpg

Excluding the largest pinball market and the defacto home of pinball. That makes TONS of sense.

#121 10 years ago
Quoted from Homepin:

I have almost decided that I will not make this machine available to the USA market. I may not even include an option for 110V.
The USA was never an intended market. There are 200 other countries..............
Have fun in the USA living in your sheltered world.
I'm busy now - taking the "post to the USA" option off my website for boards I make because I don't think I will sell them to anyone in the US anymore - ByeBye.
Yes, I am taking my bat and ball and going home (if any of you actually understand that).

Oh man are you kidding me? You have to grow a thick skin dude.

Another Aussie pinball manufacturer, in the pinball community, giving customer service.

I'm having déjà vu.

12
#122 10 years ago

Damn, Canada got lumped in with the US, lol.

GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION!

He didn't include mexico though, must be a huge fan of donkey shows.

#123 10 years ago

Wow,
this is over the top, seeing that almost half the comments in the thread were positive...
Weird that you'd want to shut down a whole continent over about 15 negative comments from a pool of what, 400 million people?

I would also think you'd need a thicker skin than that going into that kind of enterprise. Jersey Jack is american and I think I've seen more than 15 negative comments about his business, and I think he's still selling to America.

#124 10 years ago
Quoted from Wolfmarsh:

Damn, Canada got lumped in with the US, lol.
GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION!
He didn't include mexico though, must be a huge fan of donkey shows.

Gross, just gross! hahaha

#125 10 years ago

Well I for one think this is an awesome theme - it fits pinball just too damn well. Thunderbirds were a big hit in NZ. It was just that the puppets were so damned serious that made it so good. And their machines ? Awesome.

I can't wait to get mine - where do I sign up??

PS have you guys seen the attention to detail this guy has??? We are staring down the barrel of an awesome quality game here! So if you don't like the theme - forget about it and see what turns out - works for WOZ!

#126 10 years ago
Quoted from henchman1:

PS have you guys seen the attention to detail this guy has??? We are staring down the barrel of an awesome quality game here! So if you don't like the theme - forget about it

We can't buy anyway. We are banned!

#127 10 years ago
Quoted from DougPiranha:

We can't buy anyway. We are banned!

hopefully just for now......

#128 10 years ago

Wow I didn't even get a chance to comment and you've pulled USA as a sales territory? You may want to change your attitude, there are millions of people in the USA and 20 negative comments from pinsider members annoyed you ? Time to re-evaluate.

Personally, I watched the show in the 60s growing up. I was very fond of the show and this project seems interesting. I never thought I'd see some of my childhood themes like Thunderbirds become a pinball machine. I guess if you never saw the show you really have no reason to say it's for middle aged men playing with dolls,lol. The stories were engaging and part of my long term memory, so it's cool to see it again in a new form of entertainment.

Besides how can anyone say this is a terrible theme or idea without seeing any information about it?

#129 10 years ago

We will probably end up seeing a knockoff version of it on alibaba.

#130 10 years ago
Quoted from Homepin:

I'm busy now - taking the "post to the USA" option off my website for boards I make because I don't think I will sell them to anyone in the US anymore - ByeBye.

Yes, I am taking my bat and ball and going home (if any of you actually understand that).

Stern, JJP, and every other pinball company that has ever existed has been criticized/bashed on RGP and Pinside. There was no way that you could have picked any theme and everybody would have liked it.

You have cut off 75% of your market because of comments on a forum. Basically it is like writing an app, but not releasing it on Apple or Android phones.

I wish you luck as building and mass producing a pinball machine is a vast undertaking.

#131 10 years ago

LOL, this is absolutely hilarious! Maturity and sound business acumen at its finest. But somehow, not that surprising - in his previous bashing of the WOZ hardware platform (I guess he can dish it out but not take even a tiny bit himself?), when questioned on the reasons for his point of view and how alternative systems would avoid similar issues, instead of supporting his arguments he just leaves in a huff.

Population of the United States and Canada: 348,380,000.
Unique posters in this thread: well less than 100.

The winner: grey market dealers.

#132 10 years ago

Well, that blows my high.

#133 10 years ago
Quoted from fridgejam:

Can't believe how negative some of you are being in relation to this theme just because you have never heard of The Thunderbirds before.
4 of the top 10 pins of all time on Pinside are based on themes not associated with any movie or band. For me it comes down to the design of the machine and how it plays.
Good luck Homepin. I hope you prove these people wrong!

well said

#134 10 years ago

That is bizzarre. I posted positive earlier and even signed up for the newsletter. It blows my mind that a guy would go off like that over a few negative posts. Especially with the level of encouragement coming from so many others. Wow.

#135 10 years ago

Tried to get a Soup Nazi pic to load up, but failed.

#136 10 years ago

I can't imagine that it was a few trolly assholes on pinside that influenced his decision.

Might have had something to do with the import/export assholes, too.

#137 10 years ago
Quoted from Homepin:

I have almost decided that I will not make this machine available to the USA market. I may not even include an option for 110V.
The USA was never an intended market. There are 200 other countries..............
Have fun in the USA living in your sheltered world.
I'm busy now - taking the "post to the USA" option off my website for boards I make because I don't think I will sell them to anyone in the US anymore - ByeBye.
Yes, I am taking my bat and ball and going home (if any of you actually understand that).

Wow, just wow.

I am incredulous really as whatever you may think behind the scenes, vocalizing it to potential customers is mind boggling. Any business needs an air of professionalism. Nothing else to say.

#138 10 years ago
Quoted from Homepin:

I have almost decided that I will not make this machine available to the USA market. I may not even include an option for 110V.
The USA was never an intended market. There are 200 other countries..............
Have fun in the USA living in your sheltered world.
I'm busy now - taking the "post to the USA" option off my website for boards I make because I don't think I will sell them to anyone in the US anymore - ByeBye.
Yes, I am taking my bat and ball and going home (if any of you actually understand that).

You seriously need to grow a set, dude.

The vast majority of this thread was positive, mixed with a vocal few who either aren't familiar with the theme or just throw themselves into an epileptic fit of rage at any theme that isn't 100% original or the "one" pin they're waiting on to get made, and you act like a 6 year old who got frustrated on the playground and takes, as you admit, your ball and goes home?!?

You realize this is the Interweb, right? And that people tend to speak in blacks and whites, without considering shades of gray, right?

You realize if JJP and Stern followed your lead Gary and Jack would be hiding under their desks, sniffling like babies, after having shuttered their facilities over a few "meanies" saying bad stuff, right?

But they're not. They're turning the lights on every day, realizing there are some who like what's coming off the line on any given day, and there are some who don't. Personally I'm glad there are those choices, rather than just one flavor of ice cream we all have to stomach no matter our tastes.

Good luck with the project, Homepin. Sad you've given up on us "meanies" in the USA who would have bought some of your machines.

#139 10 years ago

Tried to get a Soup Nazi pic to load up, but failed.

Here you go:

Soup_Nazi_by_TheSpyWhoLuvedMe.jpgSoup_Nazi_by_TheSpyWhoLuvedMe.jpg

#140 10 years ago

I hope this is a lesson to you crybabies.

Cuz the same thing is going to happen when the Iron Maiden pin comes out.

510316.jpg510316.jpg

#141 10 years ago

Oh my god. The website has gone even worse!

homepin.jpghomepin.jpg

#142 10 years ago

Wow, just wow, how unprofessional. Scratch Homepin off the list of companies I would deal with.

#143 10 years ago

I look forward to his posts now. Not as much as signed Star Wars guy but a close second.

#144 10 years ago

A dude that acts like that can't pull off a major pin project. Even if he could, I doubt he could generate any start up/pre-pay money.

I didnt realize that he was the same guy on the uninformed WOZ hardware rant.

#145 10 years ago

He is so socially savvy, I would not be surprised if he re-registers as HomeSchooled.

#146 10 years ago

haha, I went from liking their FB page to un-liking them in the span of 10 minutes....

Quoted from luvthatapex2:

Wow, just wow, how unprofessional. Scratch Homepin off the list of companies I would deal with.

Yup.

#147 10 years ago
Quoted from Homepin:

I have almost decided that I will not make this machine available to the USA market. I may not even include an option for 110V.
The USA was never an intended market. There are 200 other countries..............
Have fun in the USA living in your sheltered world.
I'm busy now - taking the "post to the USA" option off my website for boards I make because I don't think I will sell them to anyone in the US anymore - ByeBye.
Yes, I am taking my bat and ball and going home (if any of you actually understand that).

Wow... A few US pinheads are like "oh, that's a weird theme" and really the only response needed was "this is huge in other countries". Done...it's called a discussion...people share their experiences and learn from each other....but you go and turn it into a nationalistic xenophobic tantrum. The irony is that you come off as the small minded sheltered maniac you think WE are. It's clear you have your stereotypes, but we're not all what you think we are.

It was totally within your power to become Jack 2.0 but YOU have chosen Wayne 2.0. You will only have yourself to blame when you alienate potential customers this early in the process...we can only imagine what it will be like down the line. You don't have to be an American to see that you have a really short fuse.

Alrighty, in solidarity with my nice Australian friends, I'm gonna go watch "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" See you next Tuesday, Homepin!

#148 10 years ago

F u thunder you can s my d!

Oh oops wrong show lol

#149 10 years ago
Quoted from Rarehero:

Alrighty, in solidarity with my nice Australian friends, I'm gonna go watch "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" See you next Tuesday, Homepin!

Screw Queen of the Desert, Welcome to Woop Woop will fix 'em.

#150 10 years ago

WOW. Through Canada into the mix. No way, especially not on Canada Day July 1st. Sad really.

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