Quoted from Chalkey:Aurich did you do the side blades and backboard as well? What was it like working with the lighting features / how did you go about that as far as design?
I can't really answer many questions at this point honestly. I have an agreement with PB and it's not my role to step on their toes, say something accidentally wrong that will create confusion, or reveal something I shouldn't without meaning to. I'll say yes to the first question and leave it at that for now.
All I feel comfortable talking about is some of my personal feelings, that are separate from any reveals or plans. The PB team is passionate about making everything work, and whatever the final outcomes are there's no question they put a ridiculous amount of effort into resurrecting and redoing this pin. I'm happy to be involved again, and didn't think I'd ever say that lol.
When Roger sent me the first renders of how my backglass was going to work with everything I got motivated to spend whatever time I needed to make the rest of the package match, and it felt good to see it through. That's enough for me at this point.
If I wasn't happy with it I would have just said nothing and moved on.
I will say one last thing, and this is just me speaking personally about my history, not speaking for PB or anyone else:
I never liked the playfield screen. This notion that the game was designed for it is imo silly. It was there because it had to be, because Heighway had this dumb modular game design idea and didn't let it go so every game was locked into it after Full Throttle. Then Andrew waffled, the backbox got an LCD too, it wasn't even the same resolution or aspect ratio, but it was mirrored from the playfield, and was just half assed. The lack of commitment to the idea made it lesser, imo.
It's a unique feature. If you have an original game and you love it that's great. I recognize that there's this tension between 'original' and 'remake', and it's got personal feelings, it's got money and investments, and it will always create arguments. That's fine.
I wasn't around when PB took it out and changed the playfield art. Can't speak to it.
If you love your original I'm happy you have something we worked hard on. If you're getting a remake and are wistful about the screen, I get it.
But I'm not sad to see it gone, and have the backbox LCD be done properly finally, instead of this weird mix of mismatched signals. It's sacrificing a little uniqueness, yes, but for a better overall package.