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Stern, 2018You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider shapeshifter.
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Spike games are like Russian roulette.
But, some of the games are just so fun to play, I will take the risk for now anyway.
For comparison, how easy are those huge boards in the remakes to repair?
No wonder 90's B/W games are so cherished - they will always be repairable.
Also the issue that there are many different Spike 1 and 2 boards and they are just not available to buy on the main pinball retailer sites.
Some are in stock, but many aren't and haven't been for ages.
If games like KISS, GB and GOT, become obsolete, it would sure kill present day sales, so it is not in Stern's interest for games to fail.
It is worrying that the boards are not for sale on the big pinball retail sites.
Lack of availability is a worry for sure.
Can you buy CGC boards for their re-makes?
Aren't they similar tech to Stern or are they easier to repair?
Quoted from iceman44:Is there a warranty? Yes
The NZ distributor doesn't want to deal with it? wtf
I don't know what else to say other than you, me and everybody else keep buying Stern pinball games in growing numbers.
Those are the facts.
Can we at least agree that Stern isn't STUPID? That they aren't going to say F you and your node boards. "No more support for you because we don't want to ever sell our Stern pins in the future". Its just crazy and unrealistic.
I have ZERO concern here in the US about getting support on any Stern game i've purchased.
As for route operators, MUCH more reliable and long lasting than any other manufacturer out there. Period.
Ice, you surely can see why this is a concern to people?
Most pinowners like to kid themselves that the hobby doesn't cost them much, that games are investments, bla bla bla.
Well, if the main CPU board goes and then you have to spend $1000 for a replacement, that may mean a month of the game being down.
That sure is a slap in the face, and a huge reality check for your 'cheap' hobby!
Quoted from NeilMcRae:So you can guarantee that the problem is a lot bigger.
These boards cost peanuts to make to a market that's so small it barely exists! Folks in China have got far better things to rip off!
1: is that really true?
2: I agree.
I think giving feedback that you aren't happy with something is absolutely not bitching. Nobody is bitching on this thread, merely pointing out that things could be better. I've personally had a good experience with Stern in that they replaced my GB playfield but when I look at these boards, and I'm in network engineering, I think OMG. I took a dead nodeboard to a colleague who makes top end electronics (++million dollar for a board the size of your laptop keyboard) and the number of issues he saw with it, and especially in a high voltage environment, blew is his mind away, notably at the price they are sold at! His view is that the boards are designed as consumables, i.e. at a price point and design point that the boards would be treated like ink cartridges on your printer. Stops working, bin it, put a new one in, he reckoned that the cost of the board he saw was in $35-45 range depending on volume. There is also almost no IPR in the boards themselves, that's in the microcode on the boards. And that's probably the biggest issue. These boards require code that stern own, its different from the Williams days in that the chips were all pre-programmed and had limited program sets.
Neil.
It is important to highlight the design flaws of these boards as otherwise there are unlikely to be changes going forward.
Games are as expensive as they have ever been and yet if you want a game to still be working in a decade, you are better off buying a WPC95 or something similar!
Quoted from jawjaw:The extended warranty is a really good idea. Only problem would be you would probably be required to have a qualified technician diagnose and install the new boards. Mods may also void this kind of warranty if drawing power from system.
How much power do Color DMD'S draw?
And subwoofers? Pinnovator kits?
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Los Angeles, CA