You can pick it up in the States, just don't blab to SB about it .

I'd find all the belly aching about what is and isn't in a Pro more justified if a single competitor could match the Stern Pro price.

Quite likely a TSPP "Pro" would omit the upper playfield. Can't compare today's games with the past.

Glad to see Stern return to "all rgb" light show.

I'm reminded of the very bad initial impressions Star Trek received after such a long rumored hype faze. And now its a top 10 pin. So... I make no conclusions about anything.

Is Got Pro really stripped when compared to TWD Pro? It's only the comparison to the LE/Premium.

we are looking at computer renderings/photoshop. These machines don't exist in real life yet.

I'm the same way. Never seen the show, and think the LE looks real nice.

Not to mention ST was heavily hyped for using the "new system" and "first LCD" game from Stern, so seeing the dmd on ST really let the air out.

The LE has the same left ramp, and loops right, to the sword lock. If you look at the Pro photo, without the mini playfield, you can see the ramp trajectory better without the mini pf blocking it.

uh oh.

Capture.JPG

Next stop, drop the coin mechs.

I don't normally join the bitch fests, but I don't like that an LE is starting to get stuff cut, for certain.

Exactly. "And if you don't like it, don't worry, we'll have a whole other game in 3 months that you can check out".

History says LE on display but not playable by the masses.

Last year TWD LE was in the factory that vips got to play (like Pinside Robin).

SR made 11th hour changes to STLE because the the vuk wasn't shooting the ball back to the warp ramp reliably. So maybe there can be some tweaks to the art yet?

We did see minor tweaks done to the KISS artwork by the time it was released. Things like the guitar strap, some other odds and ends, that were pointed out on Pinside and changed in the final art.

I don't expect a re-do of GoT in the time available, but wouldn't be surprised if a few things were corrected on it.

You only have to look at Spooky 1 vs Spooky 2. When Spooky opened up orders for AMH originally, as Ben has told it they got ZERO and shit their pants. Only once they started delivering games and people started playing it at shows did the orders start to come in over the next several months until they finally hit 150.

Rob Zombie is announced and they sell ALL their LEs instantly, and most of the rest, without showing a back glass. And this is Charlie's "first game" he's designed, so much yet to prove, even though AMH had left the building (a Ben Heck design).

On the contrary, the game was announced and released EXACTLY on schedule. Labor day announcements 3 years in a row now. The joke is that this game will still beat Hobbit which should have been out last year.

I have a feeling when we start getting the Steve promo videos, and he starts explaining his thought process and what went into each model, we'll see they are exactly as he wanted, within the constraints he had to work with.

I don't see flippers there either? So a work in progress.

Gives a better idea of what the playfield looks like in real life though.

Stern seems to be the only company that tests their games in zero light.

Oh, for certain Stern does light right. That was my point, all the other companies don't seem to test in complete darkness.

Star Trek next to WOZ, AMH, and now Full Throttle ( i added 2 spotlights), is lit up like daylight in comparison. Same goes for any new Stern.
I notice because I play in complete darkness.

There won't be any until the machines hit the actual production line and finished ones roll off. Then we'll see video. I don't think they ever create an actual 100% done prototype.

There was a presentation by Steve once where he had several alternate Star Trek translites that were never used. I think more goes on behind the scenes that we realize.

The other main driving issue is the factory drives everything. Those games HAVE to be on the line at a certain date. Whatever prep has to be done before the line starts on the game HAS to be done by a certain date before that. Whatever art/design HAS to be done before that.

All these other companies that people compare them against that are "doing it better" aren't producing machines in any sort of quantity, are super delayed, or don't have a factory at all.

I get the criticisms of the art, but it's one part of many moving pieces that have to come together all at once and on time.

It's likely at this time that Lebowski, Alien and Hobbit won't see any games roll out in 2015. By the time any of those games come out, we'll be talking about the next Stern game.

I don't know if you can even compare those numbers since the Hobbit price is the going rate and more of a floor price, where as the Stern MSRP can be had for $1k less. So it would be more fair to compare actual street prices.

Works out to a 5% creep per year, which is not crazy.

Sounds like it will be a lot like Star Trek. White and bright with all color changing inserts.

MET had the 3 colored GI bulbs which were used to great effect, but whole other game and designer.

Star Trek LE GI was listed as 3 on the matrix, but then only shipped as white. So these things seem to change last second.

People are always running out of room, that is why its important the buying pool continue to expand by new pinheads. I do think it is, as long as interest in pinball continues... more shows, more leagues, more barcades... that will generate new pinheads and some of them will be here posting game room photos before you know it just as we all have before.

Now, is it expanding ENOUGH to support ALL these new companies and new games when just a few years ago there was only 1 manufacturer? Doubtful.

Don't worry, this guy is a professional.

valet-ugh.jpg

We did see changes in the KISS art from first announcement to production.

I do agree with Aurich though.... the lead time needed to print playfields, clear and cure them... it would make changes impossible since all that has been done already.

No way they're going to make the premium outshine the LE.

that's a big "only".

And lit emblems in the backbox.

Pro looked great, but I think the upper playfield will add some variety, and you will still have those screaming fast orbits and the 1 ramp that goes to the ball lock.

The dragon "on paper" is probably as complex or more complex than the Vengeance, but the Vengeance affects the game more, with locks, the drop target, etc. So, yeah, the dragon flaps its wings, but you don't have a lot of interactivity on the playfield.

I suspect the BOM is probably right in line with recent Stern Pros, but as cool as that sword lock is, it doesn't really "do" much affecting the game, and same goes for dragon. So we're left with the Pro looking bare.

I think the LE/premium will really shine though, since there will be more interaction with the ball overall.

Likely because he is aware of the images supplied to them in the style guides, and nothing of that cabinet is from there.

Seems like "Best of both worlds".

That video is shot in complete darkness, no ambient light at all, really shows how Stern knows how to light their games.

It does seem that the software is much further along than past releases. Lighting effects in general seem to be added much later and here they are with the release software.

I think it's clearly Vengeance with flapping wings. the LE/premium version will lurch forward.

I'm not complaining, we know SR is old school and builds toys that will not break, so there's only so much you can expect.

Too bad.

vlcsnap-4649371.jpg