Mike, you are wasting your time
(Topic ID: 55216)
Linked Games
Thunderbirds
Homepin, 2018
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2 months later
Quoted from Muppet_Man:I've got to say that, even though I may be alone here, I am really excited about this and am considering getting a deposit down for one of the first 500.
It would be nice to get some idea of game layout to begin with. Also an idea of freight charges, which I expect to be pretty hefty along with import duty of 7 3/4% and Vat of 20%.
I wonder when he's going to release some proper details?
You are not alone
Deposit paid
Quoted from Muppet_Man:You'll be OK Pop, you won't have to worry about shipping, import duty and Vat.
I've just e-mailed them to ask about several things regarding deposit security, general game design etc.
Ummm, yes I will
Our taxman likes to reach into our pockets just likeyours
Quoted from Pinchroma:Can we get the acronym for this game added?
TBAG = Thunder birds are go
Why do you care?
I cannot see you buying one
Quoted from Crash:Nor can you see hundreds of others buying one!
Only time will tell
Quoted from wiredoug:Im thinking seriously about ordering one .. I dont really go in for 'new' machines but this is going to be a ripper product.
Serious question mr homepin .. I realise it needs playfield toys but will there be something of a tribute to the old classics of pinball (centaur, firepower etc) or are you sticking more to the typical modern toybox formula?
Check Mikes posts on Aussie Arcade and/or Aussie Pinball
Standard width cabinet
Single playfield level with ramps and subways
2 x flippers
3 x pop bumpers
LEDs
3 months later
Quoted from ChrisVW:False. We'll be fine without your doll game, our flag is on THE MOON!
Sincerely,
"Nth America"
At the risk of pissing off my American friends
the Flag on the moon is as faded as America's glory days
(and they knocked it over when they left)
Quoted from luvthatapex2:Is this game a DMD or is it alphanumeric displays?
Mike is also making his own DMD displays using individual LEDs
(so they should look better than LED DMD's already available)
Mike is not trying to reinvent the pinball machine
he is not making wild promises, he is not adding expensive toys that add nothing to gameplay
two flippers, ramps, subway and DMD
I would like to know who is going to program his machine, but I have faith that the hardware will be solid
Quoted from pauloz:Are you on Mike's payroll????
No, but I do read both Aussie pinball forums
1 month later
Quoted from Wamprat:You promised regular updates on the game ages ago....that still have not surfaced.
What you put out instead is regular updates on your factory, yeah that's a big help.
Speculating on my deposit now...lol...you are a piece of work.
My dollars are my decision, I pulled my dollars because your customer service is poor and misleading and your arrogance is astounding.
Misleading information and poor customer service from you all the way.
You are not a hit or a wonder yet, just another salesman full of hot air trying to hawk their goods.
Mike has always been opinionated
I would be more concerned if he was to turn around an be a loveable old teddybear
4 months later
Quoted from Firebaall:Thunderbirds were way before my time, but I've seen most of the episodes. I'm a bit surprised to learn that so many here haven't heard of them before, especially since the homage movie Team America was so popular.
I think it could make a great theme.
I'm interested in seeing how the Chinese manufacturing will pan out.
Homepin will be living in China while the game is being built
This way he can be on top of quality control, from the start of the process through to shipping the games
9 months later
the new thunderbirds tv show airs in Australia this Sunday, 6.30 PM (?) on GO!
Mike is not releasing anything about his game until it is read to ship 
3 weeks later
Quoted from Ballypinball:Looks like he is copying Williams parts, leg plates and coils etc, copy from the best, even Stern has their own parts.
Pity his Hankin clones are nothing like the Originals
You know China Same same but different a thousand different ways.
I hope they are not like Zizzle or those licensed Gottlieb King of Diamonds remakes from China
Jealous?
How many MMs did you build?
8 months later
I think the connection being madewas the guy who tried to rescue the Jpop fiasco ccontacted Homepin to see if he would build the games
Quoted from KenLayton:Well let's see now, two years have elapsed and not a single Thunderbirds machine has rolled off a production line. Seems they are still designing parts like spoon switches, leaf switches, pop bumper assemblies, side rails, legs, etc.
Why do they feel they need to re-invent the wheel when they can buy most all of their parts off the shelf from the main pinball parts distributors? Why do they a carbon copy of a Data East pop bumper assembly? Why do they need to make their own metal pop bumper yokes? Why don't they just buy plain old Williams pinball legs?
If they would have purchased off the shelf parts, the machine would have probably already been rolling off the production line.
Because you cannot easily import parts into China
Quoted from KenLayton:I agree. Even a comment on his facebook page got a "Who Knows?" response.
Homepin_who_knows_(resized).JPG
Mike will not put a date on shipping the game
as it has been noted, he is making, or getting made every part
some things go easy, somethings don't go according to plan
it will be ready when it is ready
remember also that Jack has taken 3 years to get The Hobit into production, it is HIS second game and he is using off the shelf parts
Quoted from dmbjunky:Good to see some activity in this thread. Maybe some interest here will provide some reveals.
Ain't going to happen
We will see the game when it is ready to ship
Quoted from KenLayton:Jersey Jack, Heighway, Spooky, etc did not feel the need to manufacture everything in China. They used domestically available parts and labor to build their machines.
Why did HomePin decide to move all operations and production to China? He's depriving local Australian workers of jobs within Australia of building the machines.
Making games in Australia,
He would still need to import parts
It would cost more to hire people to build the game
Because there is no information to share
There is no picture of a playfield, whitewood or finished
There is no picture of the back glass
If you look at the homepin Facebook page there are lots of pictures of the machine that make the parts
Quoted from oldskool1969:I appreciate you standing up for him, BUT why won't you post what you have? are you restricted by a privacy act? This would surely put the knockers at bay and help the people like me who are questioning not only this pinball release but also HOMEPIN. I am sick of seeing the verbal abuse on all his posts in various forums which, mind you he usually brings on himself. It has to stop and soon.
I understand/ empathise with his personal issues, but to me this is not an excuse when in business as you should have contingencies in place. People want to see HOMEPIN succeed but all this secrecy is utter bullshit. Does he or you really understand how detrimental this is for his business?
It took Jersey Jack two and a half years for WoZ
It has taken another three years to produce Hobbit
I'll give Mike the same leeway when it come to building TAG
Quoted from rubberducks:Dunno why there are so many whiners ... particularly Australians, who you'd assume would be more informed with the updates that get posted on AA.
s.
Because some people are just plain grumpy
Nothing new is good
All themes are lame
They probably also stand in their front yard and yell at the neighbors kids for having fun
Quoted from pauloz:That's rubbish Pete.
Mike is a hypocrite, plain and simple. He bagged JJP for taking so long with WOZ and bagged us for preordering saying he would never take preorders and insisted his machine would be make on time.
I would have had no problem with either except Mike kept banging on and on and on how he would be different.
Guess he isn't any different
Build a bridge dude
Quoted from oldskool1969:Sure, nothing is happening apart from people disagreeing and being defensive again.
What little knowledge about the possible game is held close to the people who pre ordered chest and the HOMEPIN Facebook, AA forum a
That is all.
you have found us out, you are right
two hundred+ preorder people have all the information and keeping it from you
Quoted from oldskool1969:how many?
sorry, my mistake
200 was where I was on the Woz preorder
in this one I am about customer #140
but would be up a notch because wamprat pulled out
you have to remeber this was announced at an expo in NSW
sales on the first weekend were great
2 weeks later
Quoted from Pinball_Freak:....bloody Chinese New Year. Wish they could take a day like the rest of us
yep, and the all come to Australia for a holiday, come in to my shop and not buy anything
they usually get a Steak & Bacon pie or a chicken Pie
until recently, china did not have potatoes, so trying to describe a pastie to them was not easy
last week we had a couple of tourists come in, they took a picture of the menu, which was then translated by an app on their phone
they then showed a picture of the screen to my shop assistant and could point to what they wanted
2 months later
Quoted from o-din:Fox re-booted Thunderbirds in the 90s on Saturday morning. They shortened them to half an hour and added rock music. I watched them then but had also watched them in the 60s. Originally it was hard to figure out when they were coming on, but usually it was very early Saturday AM. Still my favorite show from then and there was a lot to choose from.
Thunderbirds has been on Saturday mornings here in Australia ever since the sixties
2 months later
Quoted from solarvalue:Great to finally see some actual evidence of a pinball machine from Homepin. That backbox looks great. You can also see a little of the translite and is that the playfield propped up against the backbox?
Ummm, it is the trans light from a The Getaway
Quoted from solarvalue:OK, nice pick up...well, good to see the backbox sides I guess.
Mike posted on AA that he had imported a getaway to China to show his staff what a pinball machine is
2 weeks later
Quoted from dmbjunky:They should use the same lighting tech for the playfield side art.
With my luck (I am a buyer) the first time I lift the playfield, I lift it slightly crooked and destroy the inside art
4 weeks later
Quoted from dmbjunky:This was a interesting picture from Aug. 22. I'm curious what it was.
Hompin posted...
After Pinfest, this partly finished demo machine will be shown at The Pinball Warehouse in Brisbane on the following Tuesday night and then taken to Johns-Arcade for him to use for warranty testing purposes when needed eventually.
This is not a finished machine but it will showcase (along with our display of completed mechanisms) what we have been up to in the factory. Some of the artwork is not yet approved (and will almost certainly change anyway before the final version is built) so it will certainly be in a "no-cameras" area but available for anyone to see.
Homepin also makes video cabinets, looks like the TAG prototype is hitching a ride with some cocktail cabinets for his Aussie suppliers
Quoted from kvan99:I'm really excited about this pin. I know this may have been posted already but how much is the retail price for the U.S. Market?
I could be wrong, but I don't think Homepin has a distributor in the USA
2 weeks later
Quoted from Crashnburn:Why is it your concern? Do you have money into this? Be more positive.
He cannot
It is in his nature
@Pinsanity, I have posted in this thread that I an a fully paid up buyer of this game
Yes, I have concerns, yes it will take more time until we get our games
No, I don't need you to'save' me from Mike
3 weeks later
Quoted from pinsanity:Have you read the Stern/JJP/Heighway et al threads here? 90% of their content is advisory/critique based commentary in a similar vein yet for some reason you want to have a permanent moratorium placed on this one for any comment that is interpreted as less than fawning servility.
Forums are about the civilised discussion of pertinent issues both positive and negative. Anything less than that does a disservice to the forum itself and Pinside potentially becomes just another AussieArcade - one which is administered/moderated with personal financial interests at the forefront.
Trust me. No normal poster here wants that.
Most normal posters don't like other posters constantly treating other posters like simple minded fools that need to be saved from poor buying decisions
We get it, you don't like Mike, he has taken too long to produce this game
Sucks to be banned from your local forums
Quoted from Homepin:Selective quoting again. Try this then (my words from an earlier post in this thread):
"This is not a finisheas well:pine but it will showcase (along with our display of completed mechanisms) what we have been up to in the factory. Some of the artwork is not yet approved (and will almost certainly change anyway before the final version is built) so it will certainly be in a "no-cameras" area but available for anyone to see."
Anyway, some of us have constructive work to do rather than pointless discussion here.......
Mike, you will never alter the opinion of some people. It is just an exersize in frustration
@pinsanity, ahh so you are banned from AA aswell
Quoted from wiredoug:with the exception of a couple of dribbling haters most of us still consider it an Australian product.
Homepin might be a unique character but hes ours.. they cant have him just because the plant is there.
Made in China, from materials from China, made by Chinese people, art by someone who lives in China, not designed by an Australian . As nd based on a tv show made in england
But yeh, Aussie through and through
Quoted from wiredoug:if he had said "these well proven field tested designs from the last 50 years are crap, i can do better" and gone and made his own new version would you think more or less highly of that by comparison?
i think he took the far less arrogant route to a clever future.. we already have a good wheel. better to build a factory to make them than build a design house to reinvent them i think.
oh and your pies are copies of 4&20's
Fuck you
1 week later
Quoted from BrewinBombers:I find these parts pictures and details fascinating. Thanks for sharing. I hope that Homepin #2, and your parts, make it to the US pronto.
Parts (boards) are already available in the US
Quoted from pinsanity:.
Neutral member of pinside but long term member and frequent poster on AA.
g.
I also post onAussiePinball, AussieArcade, Pinball Bash, Facebook, and Pinside.
I thought I was just a pinball fan, now I find I am Mike's brother, neighbour and business partner and probably his dentist.
Cool
Quoted from pinsanity:Cavey, have you hijacked PBP's account?
interesting edit
CoT is still a better man than you
1 week later
Quoted from Homepin:One of the final mechanisms for Thunderbirds being tweaked before we order a large quantity of parts to build it.
How long will you run it for testing?
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