Thats the problem with mode based pinball, fun but how many times can you go through the same modes all to acheive the same wizard mode? I would rather Stern made more games like IM, simple but fun and fast.

In Australia atm........
8k for a pro
10k for a prem
12k for a le
Probably another price rise around the corner too.

That's nasty.

Not sure what the solution is but I wouldn't sign up for any of the above no matter how good it was. 10k for a premium, WTF.

I see great opportunity for a smuggling operation across the border to our Northern friends.

Maybe a bit naïve from me all the way from The Netherlands. But cant Canadians just drive to an USA pin seller, buy and pick it up there?

I googled searching for specifics...found a link with two small pfs and 4 flippers along with an underworld...widebody. But that was not the Stern version....bummer.

Smuggling doesn't change the exchange rate. Just the 13% tax at the border.
Significant, but it's the 30% exchange rate that's the killer.

You can throw a rock from where you are at into Canada Flank. No buyers in Mexico down here.

Hook up a trailer and sneak two dozen or so across! What's not to like?

"This is my pin that I took to a show in (Insert Name)"

On top of that though, Canada is officially in a "recession", whatever that means.

But look at it this way, at least you have "free" health care, so what if pins cost more right?

Ive got it all figured out, you exchange your canadian $ into Pesos first, you get a ton of them since Mexico is basically worthless and hit the first bodega you come across, see if they will trade you Yen for it. Next hit the post office and buy Forever stamps. You will now wait a few years for the stamps value to increase, at this point you will transfer all your currency into the Euro dollar. Stop off at the bar and enjoy a beverage for all your hard work, then trade it back into the American dollar and you have just nullified the 30%. Fact.

Or you could bring me a GoT LE and sell it to me, taking my Canadian dollars at par.
Wayyyy easier.
I'll even let you keep the box.

You have a bright future in currency arbitrage!

If we're all honest, when it comes to getting excited about a pin, theme is 100% the reason. Code is what makes a game ownable for years, but theme will always speak to the heart. Code speaks to the mind.

That being said, HOLY CRAP I am excited by this. GOT is such a great show! Battling for the Iron Throne is just such a great narrative to code around. I can just see it now. You select your side and go. Gonna be EPIC! For those whining about code, what great theme has Stern dropped the ball code wise on recently? It may take a year, but still, who cares when you own machines for many more years.

I do feel bad for Jack. Not because of the delays, but because Hobbit is going to seem like a day late and a dollar short. It's playfield is just barren and if Stern loads GOT up with interactive dragons and upper playfields...gonna be hard to beat.

I just hope the art is good...I don't mind HBO logos...It's their show!

Throw in a case of 100% agave tequila and it might work?

Yup, I know. The planets didn't align. I've liked Dwight's work in the past so I'm hopeful.

Good job Stern! Now I just need to see the game before I order. No blind faith, but a great theme to work with.

Better not have any Bevel & Emboss...

I was disappointed with The Hobbit at Allentown. Maybe the code will make up for the so-so layout?

Can't say anything about GOT yet, so it's too early to say. All I know is Jack is having a hell of a time getting up and running. So far one machine in 4 years.

Both GOT and TH 'should' be ready for Expo and shipping?

If so, it will be great to see those two pins together and get peoples comments and reviews after playing both of them. Personally I think both will be considered excellent pins when played. Stern will bring their A game on the GOT, and I think TH brings alot to the table as well with sound, display, and heavy mode based play style. We'll see.

You got a big thumbs down for leaving out Spooky....

And your right....Stern took no risks to keep pinball alive

You own a Mustang yet Lyman didn't do it. How do you sleep at night man?!

You made a good choice. on a scale of 1-10, that scene was about a 5, some of the stuff they pull on that show makes my stomach queezy and I can watch about anything. Only the Sopranos rivaled the brutality and depravity they pull off on GOT sometimes!

Stern did not copy The Hobbit. Game of Thrones is an international hit and it's much different. The Hobbit is more or less a quest book while GOT is a major drama more like The Sopranos. I would like to see what parts they decide to keep in the pin. It's a super deep plot with dozens of major characters.

and boobs...

Yeah, I think so... and also, it seems like the timing is better on this then Stern usually does. Walking Dead is huge, but it's kind of jumped the shark in my opinion. Game of Thrones is pretty much at the peak of it's popularity, and they're getting HBO helping out promoting it, it appears....

So this could be the perfect storm for Stern to really, really knock one out of the park.

They could go all out, and put a dragon on a wire that moves to different points on the playfield depending on what mode you complete... Or they could recreate the battle where that castle got burned out by the dragons, or something... or they could absolutely simulate fire, they could do something hokey with lights and flame shaped silk or something, or to be honest, I wouldn't put it past Steve Ritchie to have somebody figure out a way to use a really over the top neon setup, or some sort of illusion inside glass to make it look like fire.

I'm sure whatever they do will be good, might just be a bash toy though...

I hope it doesn't have an interactive dragon. I think the storyline with the dragons is the weakest part of the show, plus that kind of toy has been done too much lately. The snake on Metallica, the demon on Kiss, and if(when) TH comes out you'll have Smaug.

No expense spared? LOL!

I can't see Ritchie doing the ball lock lift thing, because it kills the flow, he loves those really long shots...

Imagine the lightshow, there's a wall in the top left corner or whatever, and if you lose that battle, you hear screams, and cries, and 'bad' music, and then slowly, the whole playfield starting from the top turns all the LED's white until the whole playfield's white, and it slowly fades to black.

They could even kill the switches as it goes down! So nothing that's in the white section scores. Or even turn off kicks and things. Eventually when the white led's get to the flippers, they stop working too and you lose the ball.

Some info....

LE has dragon laser cut side rails !

Just as long as they don't screw the pooch when it comes to quality control.

At least its not another normal Ritchie layout....

and he breaths fire up the rail like ST LE shoots Photon Torpedos??

Kinda

It will be awesome, just like the old days of pinball. In the 60's, 70's and to a lesser extent the 80's you had several companies all trying to one up each other and duke it out for market share.

Not sure how fun it is for the companies, but it's great for pinball fans!

compared to other stern LEs.....absolutely. no LE compares in terms of lighting, armor, paint, design etc.

Possibly. But still a minor book compared to LOTR... and I bet GoT will stand the test of time. The first book is already 19 years old!

Granted for a regular pin. Tron (the pin) is better than Tron (the movie). It succeeded in incorporating its visual and audio atmosphere.
Not so sure for a pin relying on a large LCD and displaying video clips.
It would have helped if the movie was a masterpiece. Alas it is not. But there should be enough good material for the pin.

Pinball based on longform TV shows can't about story, they have to be about iconic memorable moments - and the Queen of Dragons (and her dragons) are an instantly recognizable thing from the show. Dragons are fucking cool, and Smaug is nothing more than a rotating No Fear head. Demon head is a gigantic piece of nothing. If this game can pull of "the best dragon ever in a pinball", players will be all for it.

The Hobbit book is easily more well known than LOTR, and a much easier book to read. I love LOTR, but those books are a slog to read. The Hobbit is easy, fun reading. No way Hobbit is a minor book compared to LOTR! LOTR was no very well known before the movies came out...The Hobbit was.

Not a great theme for pinball! Hope it's not another Stern cheap looking throw away game like Spiderman or Xmen etc. Guessing some $5 dollar white walker bash toy. Could be ok if they continued with drawn artwork but thinking it will resemble Walking Dead style. Already waiting for next title announcement!

Your input is greatly appreciated guy who just made a fake account to post that crap.

If you have any Spiderman, Xmen, or Walking Dead games to throw away, throw them my way please.

Walking Dead style is great! No photoshopped actors on playfield!

Whatever dude...just relax. It's only pinball!

Maybe....but your first post ever you decide to slam Spidey and Xmen, which are 2 pretty awesome games? Seems quite fishy, are you in the JJP fanboyclub?

No, it's missing Lyman.

****EDIT****
Just saw RobT post. Already taken care of. Great minds, great minds

Welcome to the thread, Jack!