If it really is a SR pin with the works and new color display, I am very interested. Never watched the show so not sure what to expect from callouts, music, and artwork. Not really interested in that material or non-family friendly pins, though. Oh well, it's still a lot more potential than recent Stern pins.

What are the odds that the LE/premium will have color lcd and the pro dmd?

To be honest, I'm extremely underwhelmed. I was really expecting something with the long delay from Ritchie's last game and all the hype. I'm not even a fan of the show and thought it would be something I would seriously consider buying. Okay, I get putting color in the display is hard, really hard, for Stern but everything else looks like it was called in. A dragon? Yawn - like we have not seen a dragon in pinball before. The upper playfield looks like it takes up half the game and what else is there? Nothing visually interesting or anything special to me. Maybe it's because I'm not a fan of the show. Steve Ritchie is the best so maybe the magic is there in gameplay. Good thing is I'm not going to feel the pressure to buy another NIB pin anytime soon.

Given Stern's history, I'm not too sure about that.

Stern certainly has the fans talking about their new pin.

I have to agree. I think a lot of us had such high expectations that it hit hard. It looks like most of Stern's games. Could be better but not the worst. I wouldn't call the art on my ST anything great. Looks a lot better with Aurich's translite and decals. Mods will probably help bring GoT up a notch or two in looks. Gameplay should be pretty good given it's a Ritchie game. I think a lot of people will pass on buying nib and wait for a used one. Those are the people Stern should be working harder to get buying new instead of used.

Yup. Stern has been doing this for a while. It's a business and they are out to make money. These are the kind of games they make and they sell. Hardcore fans complain but these games somehow make it into their collection.

I was going to post the same thing. The graphics guys throw out much better results without any real effort. Maybe they did have similar designs that were shot down by license approval. Maybe Stern just intentionally aims low to get quick approval and save money having to redo art over and over. I just don't get it. Someone at Stern should be able to see what looks bad or good.

I'm all for being positive but there is such a thing as constructive criticism. This is suppose to be Stern's best work. It has a top tier theme with the best designer in the biz. Prices have gone up to a point where you can no longer use the cost cutting excuse. A pro used to be cheap enough where you could justify some bad art, missing features, and general cheapness. GoT pro just looks so underwhelming but priced like it has premium features.

First impressions are very important and I don't think one single person can say they had a good first impression on this pin. Maybe non-pinheads will see it and go "oh cool, Game of Thrones pinball!" but people like that are not playing pins every weekend and definitely not buying one. Stern better listen to fans because those are the customers.

That's the way I see it. It's like GM in the 70's producing the same boat cars with declining quality while ignoring the import competition. It aleady sounds like WOZ is a popular route pin. If JJP can get games out the door faster or maybe a cheaper pin, Stern may quickly find themselves behind in the competition. I just don't get why Stern doesn't raise the bar to tighten their hold on the market and drive out these startups. It's not like many people buy multiple $7000-$9000 pins a year. Stern needs to do better and quit calling it in.

lol - Well, you know they are there because that one guy.

Premium looks much better. Small changes like color changes and a little more attention to detail make a huge difference. I don't like the translite, though. I know nothing about the show but definitely needs a woman character instead of all ugly dudes. I don't care who is a main character or whatever. Art could always be better but the biggest disappointment is still the display. Maybe Stern can easily do a color display but just doesn't have the talent to make it look right. It's easy to accept poor dots with the ugly dmd but not with a full color display.

Isn't art suppose to be well, art? The shield is just a design. The chainmail looks a lot better as a design than cheesy photoshop effects. I suppose it would look cool like a real shield but then people would complain that its not artsy enough.

Stern does do lighting really well, I will give them that. Hard to miss a game that is lit up bright and colorful so that's how it should be - especially with how easy it is to use LED bulbs. Still seems like something is missing on the pro, though. Nothing looks like a focal piece. I'm not sure what you do with the dragon but it is kinda small. I will need to play one to make any real conclusions. I've dismissed some games based on pics/videos that ended up being one of my favs after playing. I do like ramps and fast flow games so I look forward to trying it out.

I don't know if I am in a minority but I like all the bright, flashing, skittle, in your face lights. With a shaker and sound cranked up, it really brings a theatrical experience. Of course, it all has to be done right to match gameplay.

I also noticed a few guys mentioning that their wives were really into GoT and that helped the purchase decision. I wonder if that will be a key in the success of this pin.