I'm pretty sure it's a standard size apron. The lens is making it look bigger because it's in the foreground.

Looks great! Is there any chance you have a schedule of the other events you will be at in the next year? I was really hoping to have some time with the game in its near-final form before I pony up the full moneys and obviously didn't get the chance I was looking forward to at expo.

If that's the apron we get I'm gonna ditch it and try to get a metal one. I think that one is an eyesore. Looks like one of those vitualpin aprons.

Uhm. It IS a virtuapin cabinet. Right?

Yeah it is, I didn't realize they were adding those ugly plastic aprons though.

I'm ignorant to this sort of thing. Is it just cheesy plastic, or is it as big as it looks? Is the game shorter, or just farther away?

Nice throwback Arnold

Yeah cheesy plastic I believe, I'm not sure of the size comparable to most aprons. It does look oversized though.

Bring on the video Kevin, we're chomping at the bit here.

Yawn

It's more than just the angle, it has no cards in that shot, and there are no triangle shaped screened images on it either, and we're used to seeing both break up the surface of the apron into parts, instead of just one whole mass.

That's what it is. I couldn't tell from the pic.

So how long till the video Kevin?

Sucks that pinside downgrades it. The direct link is better. I'll see if Gene got more pics that he didn't upload to his site.

Wow that Photo does do the playfield justice... I'm just waiting for some video and should be sold as the theme and game code itself is what sold me in the first place. Thanks for posting that pic!

Poop

Good to know kevin, I look foward to the video and pics.

Wish I was closer. GLWTOH

No offense but wouldn't have been nice to see different shades of camo green as the side rails... lock bar and legs....

Yuck. The red looks great in person, what you're suggesting sounds gross.

Guys, the trim is red. I'm sure it isn't going to change. I'm sure they experimented with other colors. It looks fine to me

Actually in person, the red looks stunning in person. Really draws attention to the machine. Offsets the other colors.

I am hoping you get this video out soon Kevin and it sounds like the team will. There are quite a few concerned with what is going on at this point, I being one of them, and unfortunately some have bailed. PLEASE hit this outta the park with the video, the performance of the game out in the wild and continue the communication with the people that still are supporting Skit B. Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.

Yes, I like the red. It's pretty close to blood red.

It's a good contrast to the rest of the game which already has a ton of green.

Snorefest, somebody wake me when the party starts............

Please tell me someone will be there with a camera (and not a potato that somehow takes WMV video clips, or someone snapping photos with their TI-89 calculator...)!

Enough of the whingeing already. Sound like a bunch of old women. I want this, I don't like that, blah blah blah.

For the record if anyone has a potato that can take WMV I would like to see it too.

^This is truth!

No pics or video of it out in the wild tonight?

I was hoping I'd see some pictures on Facebook but nothing yet

Correct that, I did see some indirect pictures. It is sitting next to WOZ and somebody is playing it in one of the pictures. You really can't see anything though so it's not worth posting.

Oh well. One more day

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I got to get hands-on with Predator at Shark Club's Halloween party last night. I would've taken some pictures and video, but there were enough iPhones and DSLR's surrounding the machine I figured somebody else would've had this taken care of already

Predator is fun but definitely felt "homemade". The game played as a pinball game should, but things just felt...I dunno...loose. The layout plays well, but I found it hard to make ramp shots. The ramps themselves have a nice shape to them, but are sort of milky/matte looking, especially when the UV lights kick on (more on that later). The ramps are also sort of long and high and "gave" a bit, making them hard to complete, especially after playing a lot of new Star Trek recently.

The plastics are overwhelmingly jungle and they have all these extra holes drilled into them - no idea what that's all about. The large plastic north of the pop bumpers is just screaming for a "chopper" or even some gameplay instructions - anything but more leaves! The designers should take a cue from High Speed for clever ways to break up a foliage-driven plastic set. The pop bumper caps were also green. Even if they don't turn the pops into straw huts, some red to break up the green everywhere would be nice!

Also, not to nitpick (but pinball really is all about the details...) the font used on the inserts looks pre-worn. I get that they're using the Predator logo-font on the inserts...but they shouldn't be. All-caps Arial is fine, whatever. Anything is better than print that looks 10 years old already.

The cabinet is reallllly classy. Great glossy paint and the red armor really ties the everything together. Also, the translite rocks and stares down the entire room. The flippers feel snappy, responsive, and crisp and the DMD and its effects are totally professional. The playfield art is what it is, but the box holding the thing together looks great.

Now that whole UV mode...it's pretty awesome! The "Hunt Mode" as it's called is quite innovative. The way you can "call your shot" with the extra flipper buttons, lighting your shot of choice, and then successfully nailing it makes you feel like Babe Ruth. The blacklights have a strong effect on the ramps and the flipper bats, but the playfield and plastics just turn kinda purpley. However, the DMD animation and sound effect of the Predator's vision totally sell the gimick, making you feel like you're playing both sides of the conflict in the movie. It's pretty damn cool and must be personally experienced. I doubt video will sell it.

Overall, I enjoyed it as a player (and a HUGE Predator fan!), but from a collector's standpoint, I've gotta say it still felt a bit cheap and incomplete, especially in a room full of similarly priced Sterns. But hey - new pinball is good pinball! I'm really glad they brought it out.

Wait, so during the hunt, how was the playfield UV layer? I'm not talking about ramp side effects, I mean the art.

So there was nothing that showed up only under the UV lighting? No drawing in UV reactive paint?

I hope the plastics don't come with a bunch of extra holes them? I can't see why they would really.

I guess Kevin mentioned that UV light effects are working much bettet / impressive with the new playfields. Might be that this Predator had same setup as last weekend, only the issues which happens during the Expo have been solved. Regarding the size of the Apron I guess it's due to the fact that they might habe the personalized plate on one hand side ?

The best way I can describe how the playfield art reacted to the UV lights is "purple haze". It definitely reacts, but it doesn't turn the game into a blacklight poster experience. Objects that are white pop the most, everything else takes on a glowing purple tint. Now, perhaps with no ambient light in the room this will be a different experience.

I didn't notice any deliberate ramp side effects, just the ramp glowing according to how thick and polished the plastic was.

I didn't see anything that really qualified as a "drawing in UV reactive paint", no. Not like a "hidden message" that is revealed by UV light or anything. It felt more like the whole playfield was smeared in a UV reactive paint to make it glow? It's best to think of it as turning the playfield into "Predator-vision"...kinda.

The holes were sparse and about the diameter of a pencil. I noticed them on the major left and right side plastics. I dunno if they're making space for another layer of plastics/toys or what these are for. Probably should've asked but the guys seemed mobbed.

Looks to be a standard size apron to me although i've never seen it in person.

Thanks for the info RyThom!

Jungle canopy, dollars to donuts they're for trees

Kevin explained the holes at expo. Essentially it's just a cad oversight in the way the plastics layer. It automatically put a hole in the plastic where there is screw beneath it in the Playfield (for access). They won't be like that in production unless there's a reason over a screw...

so 5 hours after the post and almost one day after the party, not one pic, video... nothing.
why is it always like that? seems like the iphones didn't work!

Potatoes weren't charged up to get the flash to work...

All I'm looking for is some reason to send my full payment in (even thought I probably missed the cutoff date for the pre-payment perks), but unfortunately I haven't seen it yet (literally a "shut up and take my money!" type of deal )