I think what Farsight has done with TPA is awesome, I have all the tables that I like and even though the physics could be greatly improved, it helps me know all the rules of each game so when I play the real table I know what I'm shooting for. I think seasons 2 and 3 are not even close to the quality of tables chosen in season 1 but hopefully they keep making great reproductions. TAF and a better season 4 will definitely be awesome, keep it up Farsight!

Oh yeah any clue what the next tables is...probably Diner right?

I just want them to add a setting to turn the damn menu music off.

Pinball Arcade kinda got me into pinball, I really like when a game comes out that I never played. I usually wait for the complete season and buy that.

Expensive huh? I wonder how much the Kickstarter will be for? Probably 75-90K?

Agreed.
Their "Pinball Wizard" rip off song bugs me too.
-mof

$55k for TZ and $45k for STTNG kickstarters. $75k+ for TAF seems like a good guess.

I'm a big fan of Pinball Arcade but the kickstarter business model seems wrong.

well, the thing is you have to understand that the options are either Kickstarter TAF versus no TAF, not Kickstarter TAF versus traditional pay model TAF. the upside of Kickstarter is that it allows a lot of things to get created that wouldn't otherwise be economically feasible. i've donated to 5 or 6 Kickstarters and been pretty happy with the results. granted they were pretty high-profile ones from established people in their respective industries. i'm not a fan of the "fund my trip to europe on the premise that i'll eventually write a book or something!" Kickstarters.

Pinball Arcade Kickstarters are a reasonable idea. It ensures they get enough pre-orders that they won't lose money on licensing a table, and anything they sell beyond that is gravy.

pezpunk - all very good points. However, for me, a kickstarter for a Pinball Arcade table is nonsense. Again, I love Pinball Arcade and will continue to support them by buying tables through the App Store.

Maybe Apple will have a Kickstarter for the iPhone 7

excellent comparison. the most valuable company on earth is totally comparable to a small software house with maybe a half dozen programmers.

Yes. Honestly, I hate that song.

Last I checked this was a discussion forum, right? I also think a lot of people on forums need to lookup what the actual definition of trolling is. I haven't seen any actual trolling in this thread.

That being said I agree that a kickstarter is not necessary for this effort.

Lighten up Shirly. I was just making a joke.

Farsight only uses a kickstarter for expensive licensed tables that people beg for. They didn't use a kickstarter for smaller licenses such as; Harley, Ripley's, Creature, Monster Bash, or both Elvira pins. I don't think they ever planned to make any of the big licensed pins. But fans begged for them and suggested the kickstarter in the first place. Check their Facebook page, most of the pin requests are for the big licensed pins. So they found a way to make it happened. And the best part is, it's voluntary.
But what do I know, I always ask them to make Fathom and Fireball.

Look at it this way, if they did a Kickstarter for Bad Girls, raised 0$ on it, they didn't lose any time & money(nor the backers) recreating that table and can move onto one that the public would want.

Real easy way to budget for something that won't be a flop & send the company under, like Crave.

i was going to make a "...and stop calling me Shirley" joke, but it doesn't work if you're actually calling me Shirley.

You must have missed the second post of this thread.

I was not trolling. I was simply asking a question. I really thought virtually no one on pinside cared about playing a virtual pin on an iPhone, tablet or video game console. Then the absurdity of an organization that has been selling games in this manner wanting to use a kickstarter form of funding really made me think it was an utter, complete joke.

Nope, I read it.

For those that are anti-kickstarter:

You must have access to Farsights budget showing net profit. Please give us some of those details of this private companies accounting.

They've had three successful kickstarters so obviously they have no need and shouldn't try to raise money for TAF using this same process.

You should blame Microsoft for a lot, since they produce shit.

At the end of the day, Microsoft didn't allow self-publishing....LIKE EVERY OTHER PLATFORM THAT TPA IS FOUND ON. Go ask Balmer why they didn't do that if you're so pissed. He's not too busy these days.....

After doing some quick research on Kickstarters, I found an interesting link.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_game_crowdfunding_projects

Honestly, I was a bit shocked to see how many video game projects have been funded by Kickstarters. It now makes perfect sense to me why TPA has elected to use this funding model. If you can get the masses to pay for your licensing fees, you would be crazy not to do it.

well, a new game is a risky proposition with a lot of unknowns. but at this point in TPA's development, FarSight undoubtedly has a very good idea how many tables they are going to sell of a given title. they probably know if they spend $10k on licensing rights they will still make a profit but if they spend $80k on licensing rights they will lose money (made up numbers, but you get the idea). people hound them every day for TAF, so they are giving people a way to make that happen that results in them not losing money on it. if the people want it badly enough to make it profitable, they will get it.

Then you have a different definition of trolling than I do.

And 51 thumbs down might be an indicator that most people would be inclined to agree that it was "trolling".

One response doesn't immediately indicate trolling. If he replied to everyone's posts trying to illicit a reaction then I would say he was trolling.

Sure he could have expanded a bit but there was nothing malicious in his post.

surely you must be joking. Kickstarter, what is it?

We don't know that. That is just what Farsight tells us before they pass the hat.

Regardless, the kickstarter will happen and depending on the reward tier's ill help fund.

They are just greedy bastards.

Big Bear is 30 minutes up the mountain from me, the owner is the mayor.

JAY OLBERNOLTE - Olbernolte, who is running for the State Assembly (33rd District), is currently serving as Mayor. He was elected to the City Council in 2010.

/facepalm

Is that his wife that is treasurer too? Wow.

Yup, you connect the dots.

Wow, you would think with all that money and power they could at least get the physics down...

Vote early and vote often.

Physics and graphics are amazing on the PS4. It is definitely improved on this platform.

Revenue is meaningless without knowing their expenses. I can't believe I have to point that out.

It is expensive to run for office in San Birdoo, the Rolex bill alone can run into the thousands.

This is true, but if they weren't making a profit would they still be in business?

Lots of companies don't make profit and are still in business.

Salesforce doesn't make shit as far as profit goes.

So start a kickstarter because they cant or dont want to manage their expenses properly like any other business.

Let the suckers in the hobby pay more without knowing anything about how they are spending the millions they have received. Great Idea.

Nobody forcing you to do it. What's your skin in this game?

what does that have to do with anything? like I said, they are saying the license for Addams Family costs more than they would make from selling the table in TPA. posting their yearly revenue doesn't even come close to being relevant to that.

what makes you think they're mismanaging expenses? as has been stated a bunch of times:

1. they have said all along that the Addams Family license is expensive to the point that creating the table would not be profitable for them.
2. people hound them every day for TAF.
3. they say "ok, we can do it, if the people want it badly enough to subsidize it".

what is the problem? if you don't want TAF in TPA then don't contribute to the Kickstarter. there's no reason to kick mud on FarSight for trying to find a way to make the table happen.

If you don't support the kickstarter, don't pledge. If enough people don't support it, it won't get funded and will send a message. To assume you know the Profit/Loss statement of Farsight or think what you know is better then what they are doing is just silly.

True again. And there are companies designed to lose for tax purposes. Not sure about Salesforce but a quick google show they give 1% of there profits away, so they make something.

Being profitable allows you degrees of freedom you don’t have when you rely upon other people’s money.

My statement was driven by how they have handled the previous kickstarters and the pc version and lies and broken promises. Seems like they took the money and ran. I lost interest in their product. They have lost a lot of people over the pc kickstarter thing. Cabinet support was supposed to be out 2 years ago. Maybe more...

producing a product (say, TAF in TPA) that you know will cost more money than it will make is a bad business decision no matter how profitable your company is.

None. Ok, some.. I bought a few packs and CD's for consoles.