So what license does Whoa Nellie fall under?

Damn. I was all pumped up after your "Yup" post

Funny

I'm gonna say "yup, yup"

Not LCD
LCD
Not LCD
LCD

What a crazy roller coaster ride this is.

So, if Ghostbusters is getting an LCD, and the next two releases are dots, Ghostbusters is still at least two releases away?

That is a little confusing because I thought GB was locked in for LCD, but it just goes to show we're all still speculating and have no idea.

Fun times.

As soon as Stern puts a lcd display in, prices will raise another $500 guaranteed.

It's 2016 and time to put the DMD out to pasture.

LCD after SMVE

I agree with this. If Stern is selling well with their current configuration, adding new hotness will obviously justify a price bump.

If that is the case, it might be time to warm up the camera's for "Tilt 2"

What about the Pro getting a DMD and the LE getting the LCD?

Stern updated their Facebook cover page to this. Maybe we'll get some kind of announcement Monday...

Chris

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That's weird, no image soon to be revealed?

Of they are keeping tabs with this thread and just messing with everyone.

They've done it before. Just to get people amped. Seems to work pretty good.

The chances of GB having an LCD is slim to none, IMO.
GB will sell well with or without an LCD, all we do by speculating and claiming which title will have an LCD display is get ourselves worked up, and then disappointed when the next title doesn't have it, and then blame Stern for some reason for something that we took it upon ourselves to assume.

I would think that the first title to have an LCD would be a license/title that would need the little bit of boost in sales.

They do seem to enjoy doing that... Can't really blame them though. Haha.

Well since this is still just speculation and RZ is for real I just found out I had a chance to get in on RZ so I jumped on...

Can't wait for a game that isn't even announced yet. And RZ comes with a color screen... Hurray up Stern... Only so many sales to go around ya know.

So those who said Spooky and Heighway machines are not a concern for Stern sales... I beg to differ.

Only 500...

But would sell spectacularly with one.

Yeah. Actually as a side note I was over at RPG and they were totally bagging on the "pinside" group. It was actually incredibly amusing.

Monday anouncement will have nothing to do with GB

Lol, why have 2 coding teams for 2 of the same model titles ?
If Pinside goons were crazy over delayed code before it would be crazy with 2 models.

It's all or nothing once the transition takes hold folks.

The recent price raises could have been a preemptive raise for when the LCD comes out. That would make everyone swoon if they didn't raise the price with the first LCD machine.

That sounds like Aerosmith to me, if that rumor is true.

There might have been someone that said that but what I heard was mostly the other way around. That Stern was taking sales from Spooky, JJP and Heighway with GB leaks and GOT release. I don't think they took any from Spooky because they were sold out already. I don't think they took any from Heighway because most people are waiting on Alien. They could have taken some from JJP if people asked for preorder refunds. What I think Stern is mostly doing is building excitement and hype for their releases. They really have done a great job of promoting their recent releases.

I agree and have said this before as well but so is having a pro and premium with different game play - ends up being different code so I would not be surprised if Stern does this as is their style.

Don't get me wrong I hope not and really if they were smarter they would just do a pro and le with same game play and code so they could have one team pumping out some awesome code and reduce some of their development / programming and stock costs.

I really think they could make due with less stuff on the LE/Premium and make all models the same besides cosmetic differences. A lot of the stuff on LEs are just tacky addons. I could do without dancing bands, lifting bridges, recycled crossbows, and moving ramps that block your view, as well as tacked on stuff on ramps (transformers). Most LEs have at least 1-2 features that would be better left off. Just make a Pro model that is full featured and an LE with extra bling and backglass and call it good. I'd price the LEs where the Premiums are and make the Standard model around 5k.

"All will be revealed on Monday"

Yup

Oohhh

A 960 x 540 black screen. qHD resolution. Maybe someone uses a crappy feature phone @ Stern to upload to facebook.. Or is 960 x 540 the resolution of the forthcoming LCD screen? Tin-foil-hat: engage.

You need an LCD for color dots. Stern's standard DMD is monochrome only.

Do you? Why not the new LED RGB DMDs?

(I will say I doubt Stern would use them though)

Thats fine, most games cost an extra $400 to add a color DMD down the road anyway. Especially if the graphics are halfway decent (think MMR Colorization) I am down.

Yes, I'm sure they could come up with something as an interim solution. It's got to be embarrassing for them that a tiny company like Spooky can release a color display that looks far better than anything they've done in the past. They certainly have the resources to pull it off.

They should definitely add at minimum a color DMD, but I would go with LCD although most people here are not thinking that is even remotely possible. JJP and Heighway are using LCD's (WOZ display is stellar and adds so much to the game), so I would think Stern would have to change something to keep with their enhancements. A straight monochrome DMD on GB, or making a purchaser go even more out of pocket to upgrade to at least a color DMD, would just be disappointing.

Embarrassing also that Spooky, JJP, Heighway, DP, Nemo, P3, all have color!

Stern are the ONLY red dots company in the world!

They're also the largest one of those companies, and manufacture WAY more product per year than almost all the others combined. Stern has been able to survive because they have had a manufacturing business model for decades that ensures that they stay in business.

If they started way back when with LCDs/Color DMDs from the get-go, like the other companies, I'm sure it'd be a different story, but the fact is that changes and implementations that would drastically change the build flow flow factory (educating all the employees on how to install the new system, making sure they can get all their ducks in a row as far as new parts needed on such a massive build output, new resources for animating a color display rather than dots which I'm sure is more expensive, etc.)
It's just not that easy to make a big change like that for a company that has a structure established for years. They've had to trickle in advances slowly like SPIKE in order to make way for the new technology. But once they start cranking them out, it'll be ready for the demand and able to get to all their customers quickly and efficiently.

I just enjoy the pins from what they are, and cut Stern slack because they do so much as is that I'm sure if it was as easy as everyone thinks it is to roll out the LCDs, they would have done so by now.

Guys just stop. They release GOT with horrible red dots and what's been happening? They are selling like hot cakes. Look we all want better displays for Stern games but this whole "IF THIS DOESN'T HAVE LCD I'M OUT" attitude is nonsense. Yeah maybe a few will be out, but seems like most are buying.

will never happen. they take features out of the pro to make them more reliable. The LE's help pay for the R&D, the premiums are for those that want the LE features without the high price tag.

I don't think the lack of LCD are going to make people not buy a title, it just makes Stern look dated. they should at least start offering the option to have a color DMD from the factory for an extra $200, then they can have full color from release (red dots will simply get shades based on the colors).

3 words. Smell the glove.

Didn't Stern post a video of an updated GOT video mode that looks far more detailed then the terrible stick figure version of it that is in the game today? They seem to be trying. Either way Stern needs to innovate, release code updates more frequently, offer more value (toys, features) and finally put a color display in their games.

Stern loves to say that they are "the world's oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games". Well, the old part of their statement is really starting to hit home to their lack of innovation and not using a color LCD as their main display. Kodak was once the worlds oldest and largest producer of camera's and their lack of innovating ruined them. Stern needs to wake up and innovate before they start seeing a drop in sales and it's too late to pay the bills for their new factory building.

Stern cannot expect to continue to grow while cutting corners by putting less in games / holding back features (LCD). Eventually that mentality will bite them in the ass due to multiple competitors taking a different approach.

I agree! - in fact there is risk. If they don't get the LCD right, it could easily steer some folks away. A poorly implemented LCD could alienate both the "give me new tech, now!" crowd and the red-dot-lover old school "get-off-my-lawn" types.

When they do it, I want them to get it right. (and I think they will)

I'm sick as shit seeing these prices go up for zero innovation. I'm hearing SM remake is going to be premium price and ya know what f#^k you Stern I ain't paying it!

Because the game is f**king amazing, that's why. Three people who previously loved LOTR in my household played my GOT LE and told me that it was time for LOTR to go. THAT'S how good this game is, and why I don't even care about the stupid dots. I'm too busy trying to stay alive to care what's on the damn screen.

Will it be a real full announcement or will it be jared dicking around with a bunch of bullshit teasers and other random posts?

I figured out the whole black screen thing on Facebook. Someone at Stern got one of those, "Set your Cover Photo to <blank> and Zuckerberg might send you some money" chain letters.

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