Round Rock, TX
Wow - what an Expo. Lots of interesting points to discuss, and that's one of the great things (and curses) about the P3. We've opened a door into so many new possibilities, and everybody has different ideas about what we should implement and how we should implement them... oh... and the order in which we should do that.
I was going to quote a long, constructive response that Rarehero made in another post, but most of the points have been repeated here. Before directly addressing them, I think it's worth discussing our development goals and priorities.
Goal #1: Develop a new pinball platform with capabilities well beyond any other game in the industry with the intention of solving the prevailing issues the industry faces (antiquated gameplay features, high cost per game, large space needs, difficult servicibility, etc.)
Goal #2: Deliver FUN gameplay.
Goal #3: Explore new ways of providing compelling content to further immerse players into the pinball gaming experience.
We're well on our way to achieving goal #1. The platform is everything we hoped it would be. We can't check this goal off until we reach production with a reliable platform, but we're almost there.
Expo confirmed we're absolutely achieving goal #2. Now that LL-GG is playable and 75-80% complete, people can experience and enjoy the game. The feedback has been absolutely fantastic. There are so many ways we could have gone with this first game (and those paths are all available for future games), but we started with the plan to provide fairly basic but fun gameplay techniques. I keep using Wii sports and Tetris as examples. Both are fantastically fun to play, and neither have mindblowing graphics. It's incredibly important to confirm that we're not building a video game with some physical interactions. We're building a pinball game with virtual enhancements. The platform is capable of much more dynamic graphics and photo-realistic, video game or movie style presentations. Maybe we (or others) will explore applications like that in the future, but LL-GG is a straight-up, physical pinball game with virtual interactions that enhance gameplay rather than distract from it.
Summarizing the response from Expo, people seem to love the gameplay in LL-GG, but they don't understand the story and how it integrates into gameplay, and they aren't satisfied with the graphics, at least how they relate to the story and characters. If we were calling the game finished, the criticism would be completely warranted. Instead, what's being discussed is an incomplete product. The criticism is absolutely encouraged. Keep it coming. Tell us what you like and don't like. It absolutely does affect how we move forward. Just don't think that what you see today is the final product. It's not, though it continues to get better, largely due to your feedback.
-- 2 years ago we showed a simple concept machine at Expo running ROCs and Barnyard. People reacted well to our ideas and said the machine was an ugly box with cheap mechanics and needed more exciting gameplay. They were understandably reacting to what they saw at the show rather than what the P3 would be when finished.
-- 1 year ago we showed a more fleshed out platform with an unplayable Lexy playfield and Cosmic Cart Racing artwork. It was a hodge-podge of partially developed pieces, and the reaction was understandably one of major disappointment... a step backwards. People were reacting to what they saw at the show rather than what the P3 would be when finished.
-- This year we showed a much more fleshed out platform with playable and nearly complete LL-GG playfield, full cabinet artwork, and 75-80% complete software. The reaction was understandably one of love for the p/f toys, gameplay, onscreen instructions, etc with disappointment in the story integration and missing characters in the gameplay. People were reacting to what they saw at the show rather than what the P3 (and LL-GG) would be when finished.
As Rarehero and I have discussed in PM's, we've been developing the P3 platform in the public eye, and it's been judged every step of the way. Constructive feedback is immediately fed back to the dev team and affects our decisions moving forward. We love receiving it. The game will continue to mature, and one of our primary focuses moving forward will be better integration of the theme/story into gameplay.
Dennis Nordman's LL-GG concept is fantastic, and the gameplay fits perfectly into the theme. Yes, Lexy is a Galaxy Girl and gameplay is on Earth in the Florida swamplands, accompanied by two native redneck boys and her bigfoot-like traveling companion. It makes sense; we just haven't integrated the story yet. It's coming. We will. Stay tuned. One of the things we've been planning for a long time is a nice introduction sequence explaining the story. We need it. It will be done.
Developing in the public eye is VERY tough, especially developing a new platform with numerous innovations, but hopefully you're seeing us address most complaints as we continue through development.
PLEASE keep the feedback coming. All we ask is you do it constructively. When we combine our hard work and passion for pinball with your insights/ideas and passion for pinball, we'll all win.
Let's talk about the many positive responses we received from the game!
People loved the 8-ball physical ball lock. People have the opportunity of starting a 2, 3, 4, ... , 8 ball multiball. I think the most I saw at the show was 3-ball. Good - 8 ball multiball should not be an easy achievement. Therefore it's *highly* rewarding.
People loved the onscreen instructions. Knowing what to shoot is a problem with traditional games. We've solved that. Onscreen arrows and instructions tell you exactly what you should (or can) shoot. They guide you every step of the way. We'll be adding even more. We'll also be adding settings to disable them or to use them more sparingly (as people get more comfortable with the game).
The walls/scoops are a HUGE hit. You wouldn't believe me if I told you how many industry veterans dumped on that feature in early discussions with me. It's by far the most applauded feature on the game. Many wish we were using them more in LL-GG. We have some plans to do so.
Nobody commented (to me at least) that we didn't have any voice callouts. There's so much going on in the game already that they aren't entirely missed. Regardless, they're coming. We have one of the best sound guys in the business handling audio for this game, and we'll integrate professionally recorded voice calls when the time is right.
What did you like the most?
- Gerry
http://www.multimorphic.com
PS - We've started discussions with a few 3rd parties to develop games for the P3 platform. The system is open. We want others building games for it, and we'll soon have an installed customer base that will be anxious to buy more games.
If you're interested in putting your money where your mouth is and realizing the dream of creating pinball games, we've made it much easier for you to do so.
If you think another pinball company can execute more impressive games on our platform, convince them to do so. That's what we want - we don't even disagree with you. That's the future of pinball.
Please contact me to discuss this further.
