First off, this is a great idea, and I'm looking forward to it coming out. Who knows, maybe one will even be in my basement at some point. Love the potential.

However... Despite the no obligation NOW idea, this is a little misleading unless I'm missing something. This is so you can obtain a pre-order'ish base to show investors, but despite the marketing of no risk, there is really right, as you are starting to require payment prior to the game being complete, which really is the same as every other manufacturer out there now, you've just deferred the date for payment (which has been done with some of them as well previously).

Most of them that are in hot water have a machine, that has long had parts and is ready for production, just as you would be when asking for money, but that is when the issues of it all coming together falls apart. THAT is where the risky part is, and your plan has the same inherent possible problems.

To me, you are still in the same boat as the usual pre-order boutique group that everywhere is saying they won't do again. Even Skit-B deferred payment requirement for a long time as well, and had a pre-order no risk idea like you did for a long time, and look what is going on there.

This of course has no bearing on what you will accomplish, and maybe you are 100% on cue, great game, no issues, in the same boat as Spooky. But this is getting perceived as a "fresh" look to the current troubling other boutique things going on, and really, I see it as the same thing in the end, and with all the history lessons now learned, that makes anything new wanting money before the game is ready very questionable and risky in my books.

Furthermore, are the investors being made aware of the fact that your pre-order model is being set up like this? Are they aware of this thread? If not, that makes that aspect seem pretty suspect as well, from their perspective, and it should be from anyone else's. I would not feel comfortable with signing up to a company that has just publicly "fooled" their investors to get past a hurdle. We are already seeing other possible suspect things coming to light with that whole Phil thread.

This isn't a swing at you, so I hope it's not interpreted that way. This is just my read of the situation, which hasn't really been addressed from anyone, and I think it's important to bring it up. I get you need the capital to move passed a phase, but the idea that has been discussed, which is a true no risk, is that the pre-order idea in it's entirety should be scrapped. I guess if people want to forgo that, and continue to sign up, well, you have your history lessons out there, and you can make that informed decision with your cash yourself.

I will say this, if you can assure me the investors are privy to what you are doing here with this pre-order, to support this great idea and pinball, I will in fact sign up, if that still helps with everything being on the table for them, but I will also most certainly drop out prior to the game being completed, if it is not at some very high level of completion, and I for sure know what I'm getting prior to payment being requested.

Ok, so this is what was missing in what I read, well, what was not present in the posts, and when I noted "unless I'm missing something". It read to me that you were going to start asking for money as you were ramping up for production and securing the parts, but it wasn't clear in your first post that this was after you had completed 10-12 machines, and worked out the bugs so to speak.

Again, without that key piece of information, I perceived that you were going to start asking for money while starting to obtain the parts, prior to producing machines, and thus my comparison to other companies.

Fair enough if they are, nothing to be insulted by. I think it's a legitimate question. I would expect investors would want a solid commitment with some portion of payment, but if the interest factor is enough, then perfect.

Again, this was another point not included previously, and I think it's a good one. You noted money would not be asked for until production was ready, but again, you had not stated that was after you had 10-12 machines ready and worked out. Again, it sounded like money would be asked for when production was nearing the start, and it sounded like (to me) like that was prior to machines being made, which again was the comparison to some other of the "boutiques".

As such, this clarifies my issues. Again, I was clear it wasn't a swing at you, and that IMO some aspects were just not clear, so I hope you see that. Given all that has gone on with other boutiques, I think everything needs to be held up to the microscope going forward, but I'm content with your answers.