To help you plan which games to bring, here is the general idea of the point system. Certain games will qualify against more than one of these criteria and earn points in more than one way.
* Pinball games manufactured by Heighway, Dutch, Spooky, American, Homepin, Deeproot, Phoenix, Quetzal, Silver Castle, Illinois, Exhibit, Genco, Keeney, United, Allied Leisure, Alvin G, Atari, Capcom, Century, Game Plan, International Concepts, Mirco, Viza, Wico
* Pitch-and-bat baseball games manufactured by Bally, Midway, Exhibit, Genco, Keeney, United, Evans, Western, Scientific
* Electromechanical arcade games manufactured between 1946 and 1965
* Pinball games with low production quantity, per IPDB
* Pinball games with art by Paul Faris
* Game-designer bonus to be announced later
* Pinball games on the Pinside Most Wished list as of January 1, 2018 (often called “A-list games”)
* Limited Edition models of recent pinball games
* You also get one extra point for each game registered before June 1, 2018.

I took a snapshot of the Pinside Most Wished list on January 1. Here it is:
1. Twilight Zone, Bally, 1191 wishlists
2. Medieval Madness, Williams, 1189 wishlists
3. The Addams Family, Bally, 1138 wishlists
4. Monster Bash, Williams, 1100 wishlists
5. Theatre of Magic, Bally, 1059 wishlists
6. Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure, Williams, 1010 wishlists
7. Attack from Mars, Bally, 968 wishlists
8. Tales of the Arabian NightS, Williams, 958 wishlists
9. White Water, Williams, 884 wishlists
10. Lord of the Rings, Stern, 854 wishlists
11. FunHouse, Williams, 825 wishlists
12. Scared Stiff, Bally, 801 wishlists
13. Creature from the Black Lagoon, Bally, 753 wishlists
14. The Simpsons Pinball Party, Stern, 737 wishlists
15. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Williams, 726 wishlists
16. Cirqus Voltaire, Bally, 653 wishlists
17. Fish Tales, Williams, 622 wishlists
18. Wizard of Oz, Jersey Jack Pinball, 618 wishlists
19. The Machine: Bride of Pinbot, Williams, 605 wishlists
20. Whirlwind, Williams, 596 wishlists
CGC remakes would also count, because it plays the same as the original.

An original design homebrew game counts the most of all, probably ten bonus points. Other games are worth varying amounts from 1 to 9 points. Add one extra point if you register before June 1.

The special hat and the Oxhead Tavern gift card will probably become selectable rewards under this point system. The rewards will include a combination of stuff you can take home with you and things to enjoy while in Sturbridge, and you will have choices (while supplies last) based on the plateau you reach. The plan is to have plateaus at 5, 10, 15, and 20 points. This is an experiment that is likely to be tweaked for each annual show.

So look over your collection and try to pick games that will earn you extra points. And remember that even without the bonus points, we still have generous rewards for ALL game bringers!
.................David Marston

There will be a flea market, probably outdoor.

The admission credits earned by bringing games apply to the Free Play Room, Vendor Hall, and Seminar Theatre. We encourage you to commit to keeping at least one game through to 10:00 PM Saturday, so that you can have a badge, which gets you into the Special When Lit after-party. I think the badge will also get you into the Vendor Hall earlier (like a Premium or LE pass), though we haven't reviewed that particular detail yet.
.................David Marston

Get your games ready to show at Pintastic New England, because our state-of-the-art incentives are there to motivate you! By bringing games to our free play room, you can get free admission, admittance to the after-party, entries in the thank-you giveaway, AND Pintastic merchandise! Go to
https://pintasticnewengland.com/game-registration-2018/
for more info. When you click on the REGISTER GAMES button, you will be brought to the sign-up page, which also has more details about bonus points that you can earn by bringing games that are in demand or feature the work of our special guests.
.................David Marston

The swap meet is happening. The auction is happening, too. I haven't heard about Automated Services unearthing another boneyard, but there are other people who could step forward. I think you should just come and see what shows up.
.................David Marston

It looks like auto-correct has made you into one of The Defiant Ones. As long as you're "definitely" going, all will be fine.

The swap meet is Friday and Saturday.
.................David Marston

I previously wrote:

Now it's time to say more about redeeming the bonus points. Here's the current redemption table:
6 points: choice of Pintastic keychain or beer glass
8 points: Pintastic logo T-shirt
12 points: choice of Pintastic hat, 2018 art T-shirt, or one person access to Friday morning breakfast bar
15 points: extra ticket in thank-you drawing
24 points: admission to Extra Ball Lounge for one 24-hour cycle (6:00 AM to 6:00 AM the next day)
28 points: $50 gift certificate from Cointaker
32 points: $50 gift certificate from Oxhead Tavern (restaurant adjacent to hotel)
40 points: choice of Rock Custom Pinball under-cabinet lighting kit or translite with artwork by Paul Faris
All items are offered while supplies last. If you come up 1-2 points short of the plateau you want to reach, you can earn points by being a volunteer or by agreeing to leave your game in the free play room through 4:00 PM Sunday.

John Borg is one of our Special Guest designers; earn bonus points if you bring a game he designed. Earn big bonus points for low-production games or your custom-designed game! Earn 3 bonus points for ANY wood-rail game. Go to the above-referenced web page to see other ways to earn points. And remember, this is all in addition to the other rewards we give to game-bringers!
.................David Marston

>24 points: admission to Extra Ball Lounge for one 24-hour cycle (6:00 AM to 6:00 AM the next day)

I should clarify that the above is an upgrade from the overnight access you get by bringing games. That's 24 hours instead of 9 hours.

Watch this thread for announcements of more guest designers, which will mean that more titles qualify for Bonus Points.
.................David Marston

Great news, Pinfidel! This show keeps growing, as you will see!
.................David Marston

The Joe Balcer announcement means yet more games qualify for Bonus Points when brought to Pintastic for use in the Free Play room. Plus, you can get Joe's autograph. See the Houdini game in the CoinTaker booth!
.................David Marston

The Sanctum Team has released the list of games that will be used for the Silverball Rumble™ tournament:
Baseball (1970 Gottlieb)
X-Men (Pro)
Old Chicago
The Incredible Hulk
Nine Ball
Dolly Parton
Pinbot
Transporter the Rescue
Elvis
Pinball (1977 Stern Electronics, IPD #1792)
Judge Dredd
Bobby Orr's Power Play
Details at https://pintasticnewengland.com/tournaments/
.................David Marston

When you enter a game title in the registration form, it tells you about bonus points for that game. The Joe Balcer bonus-point table might not be loaded in yet, but all the bonus points will be counted by show time. For example, if you register Godzilla now and don't see the points, you will get the points when we hook up that table.
.................David Marston

I'm at the show hotel now, making some plans for the audio-visual aspects of the seminar program. I saw a couple flyers in the lobby for some antique flea markets in the area, which reminded me that you can bring non-pinball-playing spouses to Sturbridge and they will have things to do. In addition to tons of antiquing, there are museums, outdoor activities, and brewpubs. Try candlepin or duckpin bowling if there is none where you live. Lots of classic New England architecture to admire, etc. And the show has family entertainment.
.................David Marston

John Greatwich talks about the latest options for playfield and backglass art Friday afternoon.

Also on Friday afternoon, we have Bob Thurman talking about things to think about when buying your first machine, ranging from evaluating an unexpected offer of a game to setup to first-time checks and fixes.

Another Friday afternoon presentation will be the presentation by Adam Kiesler that was postponed from last year. Pinball only became legal in Montreal in early 2017, largely due to Adam's efforts. He'll take us through those epic struggles and update us on the current scene in Montreal.

On Saturday, author, humorist, and occasional molecular biologist Adam Ruben drops in to recount some pinball episodes from his 2017 book, Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains, and the Cult of the Silver Ball. This book is a great gift for your friends who don't quite get why you like pinball so much.

Dan Spolar and I will have a panel about Project Pinball and some of the exciting new developments coming from that charitable organization. Project Pinball is the most visible way that pinball fans show a concerted effort to make a positive impact In Real Life. More about this panel will be posted later.

All of the above seminars are in addition to George Gomez, Jack Guarnieri, Joe Balcer, Paul Faris, Butch Peel, Eric Stone, and Todd (TNT) Tuckey! We have invitations out to a couple more famous people, too! And as always, we hold open one slot for late-breaking news. When you get to the show, check the easel outside the Seminar Theater for the final details.
.................David Marston

There will be a side tournament for charity in the Silverball Rumble tournament zone (East end of Vendor Hall). Play on Spooky's Total Nuclear Annihilation for most reactors! Ties will be broken by conventional point score. The highest score as of Saturday night's closing time for the tournament zone wins half the accumulated entry fees, the other half going to the Andrea Ritz Clinics in Paraguay. Co-op mode is encouraged with specific fees for 2-, 3-, and 4-player co-op mode.
.................David Marston

Both Premium and Limited Edition admission packages provide a way to play pinball all night long, if you wish. The LE package adds in all that extra swag.
.................David Marston

This just in: top-ranked player Bowen Kerins will be at Pintastic New England on Friday, June 29th, where he will try to complete all the reactors on Spooky's #Total Nuclear Annihilation. The play begins at 9:00 PM. If you plan to compete in the TNA side tournament on Saturday (see posts #130 and #136 above), you'll want to watch Bowen Friday night! We'll have an overhead camera and project that view on the main screen in the Seminar Theatre. Follow this thread for more details on this and the other 12 events in our power-packed seminar schedule!
.................David Marston

And when those rooms are released, it won't be long before they sell out altogether, even at the higher rate. There will be places for you to stay nearby, but less convenient and probably more costly. Remember, Pintastic runs 24 hours a day from Thursday (June 28) at 6:00 PM!
.................David Marston

Here is a more precise version of the seminar schedule, for those who want to choose particular seminars. Titles are somewhat fanciful.
FRIDAY, JUNE 29
9:30 AM Reserved for late-breaking news
10:00 Eric Stone: Play Better Pinball
1:00 PM 1:00 Bob Thurman: Pinball from A to F (Not Z)
2:00 John Greatwich: How You Can Produce Pinball Art
3:00 Adam Kiesler: Opening Montreal to Pinball
4:00 Butch Peel: A Deep Dive Into (Pirates of) the Caribbean
6:30 Jack Guarnieri & panel: Jersey Jack Pinball Update
9:00 Bowen Kerins: Assault on the 9 Reactors

SATURDAY, JUNE 30
11:00 AM Todd Tuckey: How We Overhaul a Pinball Machine at TNT
1:00 PM Adam Ruben: Pinball: the Comedy, the Tragedy, the Biology
2:00 Dan Spolar & panel: Meet Project Pinball
3:00 Joe Balcer: American Pinball and Me
4:00 Paul Faris: My Artistic Life in Pinball
6:30 George Gomez & panel: Stern Pinball Update
The formal autograph session is planned for 5:00 PM Saturday.

As always, consult the easel in front of the Seminar Theater during the show for late changes.
.................David Marston

Todd Tuckey seminar has been rescheduled to start at 9:30 AM!

Joe Balcer wants it known that his seminar is officially titled "American Pinball: Our Journey to Date", but he promises me that he will talk about what he did earlier in his career.
.......DM

Auction Update: there will be at least a couple EM pinball games in the auction! Ed Kelsey tells me that Spanish Eyes and Old Chicago are in the pipeline now.
.................David Marston

Your regular daily admission ticket for Saturday includes the Saturday seminars, admission to the auction, as well as the two main free play rooms and the vendor areas. Tournament entries are a separate cost.
.................David Marston

I looked at a report of the games that are coming with their Bonus Point scores. I'm glad to see lots of people are responding to the incentives to bring the works of our featured designers and artist, low-production games, and games from less prolific manufacturers. We still need some pitch-and-bat baseball games! Remember, you can go to the registration page and try various titles to see the Bonus Points each would earn, then pick a set of games that you can have ready in time for the show while getting the most points. One example of a game that's coming and will earn a "stacked bonus" is Twister, which has Paul Faris art and was designed by John Borg. If you bring Monster Bash, you get Bonus Points for George Gomez as designer and for it being on the Pinside Top 20. Volunteering can also run up your point total!
.................David Marston

<quote>I planned on having my spouse help me setup my game before the show and then him purchasing a ticket Thursday 6PM. Now he has to wait in the car while I setup? You can't issue a "1 hour Free Play helper" name tag valid for an hour after the game bringer shows up with the game so I can least have him help me unload the game? I mean, I know you have volunteers to help with setup and I get why the rule is in place, but...</quote>

I think if he helped other people set up, not just you, that would qualify him as a "volunteer" and then he'd be good for the afternoon. That sounds better to me than inventing a special tag. He could even register as a volunteer on our website and set his availability hours to just Thursday before 6:00 PM and whatever hours at the end of the show where you plan to disassmble the game. Is that a win-win?
.................David Marston

The auction is in the Oxford, Webster, and Dudley rooms. SNHPC is setting up in the Executive Room. The Extra Ball Lounge is in the Sturbridge, Brimfield, and Charlton rooms. The Silverball Rumble tournament is in the East end (stage area) of the Hawthorne Exhibit Hall (a.k.a. the vendor hall).
.................David Marston

If your smartphone does not have software to read QR codes, you should get it before coming to Pintastic. The game cards will have QR codes (and the same URL as text) so you can pull up info and file repair tickets. We actually had most of this partway through last year's show, but I don't think we got any repair tickets through this source from non-staff people. We'll still have the paper forms, which are good for indicating that a problem has been reported to the people who walk up to the game.

The QR codes also help you get connected to the seller when a game is for sale.
.................David Marston

Here is a video about a re-themed game that will be available to play at Pintastic New England.

Rob Shiner tells me that the game has lots of references to song lyrics from the band called moe.
.................David Marston

The actual title of Adam Kiesler's seminar is
North Star Montreal: The Battle to Legalize Pinball for the People!
Sounds like a must-see for all our Canadian visitors, all the lawyers, and anyone who is dealing with an oppressive municipality. It's scheduled for Friday (6/29) at 3:00 PM, but check the easel outside the door for last-minute schedule revisions.
.................David Marston

"Pinball is not allowed in some places?"

When I tell people that Adam Kiesler is coming to Pintastic to discuss how pinball was legalized in Montreal just last year (2017!), they are amazed. If a big cosmopolitan city like that could keep it illegal, there are probably lots of other places. Then there are the cities that make it de facto illegal by charging annual licensing fees in the hundreds of dollars.
.................David Marston

"For clarification, does this mean that my 13 yr old daughter would compete with the adults?"

Yes. There are some teenagers doing very well in the worldwide player rankings, so she wouldn't be the first one. She can play in the Silverball Rumble, which is the main tournament (and which has an entry fee), in the Sanctum's side tournament for charity, or in the pin-golf tournament over in the SNHPC room.

The Youth division of our kids tournament is only for people born between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2010, inclusive. The younger kids division is only for people born after June 30, 2010.
.................David Marston

There will be recording of the seminars, intending to put most of them on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1hsYk9HhlG9AxvS2IgaUkA) later on.
.................David Marston

The spots that are closer will be our Flea Market vendors. Highly visible!
.................David Marston

More news from SNHPC: each night of the Pin-Golf tournament is separate. If you're only attending for one day (Thursday, Friday, Saturday), you can play in their tournament for that day. SNHPC room opens at 6:00 PM Thursday, 11:00 AM on Friday and Saturday, and is closed on Sunday.
.................David Marston

We plan to direct-capture all the material that presenters send to the projector as one of the streams of input into our recording setup. A few of the seminars will be a real challenge!
.................David Marston

More than that! We give Bonus points for any game that IPDB says there involvement of Joe Balcer, Paul Faris, George Gomez, or John Borg. Also, Bonus points for rare games, woodrails 1946-1959, games on the Pinside Most Wanted list as of 1/1/2018, Limited Edition games, games from less-often-seen manufacturers, and custom games. And you can stack the bonuses. Our games registration page has the whole point chart and it supports trial-and-error so you can try out different games to see how many points they get.
.................David Marston

We would like to have a balance among the various ages and types of pinball games. For 2018, it looks like we will get lots of 1960s games, based on advanced registrations, but not too many 1950s. That is similar to prior years. Bonus points encourage those 1950s games. (BTW, I'm an EM collector, too.)

If you can find Christian Marche and persuade him to come as a Guest Artist, all the games that have his art would get Bonus Points that year. That would be lots of 1960s games, and many are surprised to discover that he did the art for Delta Queen!

The Bonus Point system will be tweaked from year to year, but it will always work as an incentive to draw out game categories that aren't being supplied sufficiently through the natural inclinations of the game bringers.
.................David Marston

The majority of add-a-ball games get extra bonus points for their low production quantities. Given that New York and Connecticut were (are?) both add-a-ball states, we have a lot in this region. Bring 'em on!
.................David Marston

The long-range weather forecasts are coming in...looks like sunny weather for Friday through Sunday. Flea Market vendors take note!
.................David Marston

Another auction update: there will be some box lots of vintage parts, both pinball and arcade parts. EM restorers take note! One box lot is dozens of NOS Gottlieb coils. There is still time for you to consign items; see our auction page for details.
.................David Marston

We are reviewing our payment system for admissions. This year, we will be able to take cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, ApplePay, and GooglePay.
.................David Marston

The Pintastic segment on the latest Head to Head podcast gives a good summary of our struggles, innovations, and the scope of our show as of 2018. I want to correct one misstatement: I was involved with the first show, having started on the team in August of 2014, and I ran the seminar program for the first show in 2015. And I haven't burned out yet!
.................David Marston

The hotel lobby entrance has roof coverage.
.................David Marston

It's not ideal to go in through the lobby entrance. I don't think the hotel staff will mind, though. There is a ramp for the three steps in the lobby. Maybe people who use lots of shrink-wrap will go in through the direct route.
.................David Marston

We shot some great video of Bowen trying to destroy all 9 reactors. Lets' just say that much hilarity ensued. Check our YouTube channel for 2018 postings, and you may understand the hype a little more.
.................David Marston

Regarding the side tournament on Total Nuclear Annihilation, James wrote: The winner was Steve Bowden who managed to destroy 6 reactors on his own beating out even his own 4 player Co-Op team.

Bowen did better than that on Friday night. Video coverage is in the proverbial pipeline.
.................David Marston

The George Gomez presentation is now up on our YouTube channel. You can see how we used two cameras plus direct integration of the slides. More to come!
.................David Marston

PS: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1hsYk9HhlG9AxvS2IgaUkA