Sana'a
Quoted from HighProtein:Ohhhhh Yeahhhhhhh
1st UV light pin
Don't forget BBB in 1997.
(Topic ID: 13401)
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Predator
Skit-B Pinball, 2013
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Midland Township, MI
Lots to answer tonight. First of all, the show was a blast and we are more tired than any time in our lives. Lots of people got to play the Predator and at times there were lines ten deep to give it a shot. Only minor problems with the game all weekend, and our crude ramps survived the whole show! Anyways, on to the replies.
Quoted from spfxted:So you ARE going to be in Allentown, correct?
Yes, as long as nothing catastrophic happens, we will be in Allentown next month. Hopefully we will be able to have a more complete proto for that show, but this one seemed to work well enough.
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:Can you hit the right ramp backhand with the right flipper?
It has been known to happen, but from a cradled position? For now, good luck on that. We'll have to test it after we get the new ramps built and installed. In a perfect world, it would be possible, but not very probable to execute deliberately.
Quoted from EchoVictor:and they're both also volunteering time for scorekeeping/help/etc to assist the overall show. Definitely a cool couple of dudes.
Thanks 
We get more and more involved with the show every year, and this year is no exception. There is just an overwhelming amount of work that goes into these shows, and along with giving limitless thanks to the guys who put on the show, it's good to help out as much as possible. At the end of the weekend, everyone is dead on their feet as they're unloading the last truck, but it's always a good time.
Quoted from BigPhil:Thant's the thing about these types of events. You don't get to savour the sound effects of the pin you're playing.
This was a bit disappointing. While the game was in the shop, we tested it at full volume and it was obnoxious, so we thought it was fine. At the show we left the game on full blast and it was almost completely drowned out by all the games surrounding it. During the conference it was extremely loud, though, so that was nice.
Quoted from Jetzxi:will it come with a shaker motor? If not will the P-roc be pre programmed allowing for an easy add on Mod?
I don't see us putting a shaker motor in it, but I don't see a problem with adding a bit of software to control a shaker motor at appropriate times if you wanted to add one in.
Quoted from Drano:I wonder what those two dark lines between the pop uppers are?
This:
Quoted from EchoVictor:Simply dark bits of woodgrain in the whitewood.
Quoted from Jetzxi:Make sure to get a video of Gary Stern playing it or at least some pictures!
Gary Stern didn't hang out at the show for very long at all, but Jersey Jack Guarnieri thoroughly enjoyed playing Predator and gave honest, real world compliments on the project. He was a genuinely real, nice guy who took us and the project itself very seriously. I don't believe there are any pics, though.
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:Lowering the UV lights to the playfield was an awesome idea it appears to make a big difference.
Yeah, as soon as we put the other ones on, we knew it would need to be changed. The new design is way more reliable, way more visible in more light, and doesn't risk being broken when you raise the playfield. Again.
Quoted from PinB:Haha, I love the lone little Predator figure that they used as a topper (seen in the second video).
Yeah, we do too. I don't know if it was intentional, but EV left it at the show, so it will now adorn my desk until he asks for it back 
Quoted from herbertbsharp:and also see them ditch that wretched Comic Sans font on the DMD!
I can't believe more people haven't called us out on this yet. Most of the DMD animations will have layered, programmed text in them. We just used the Comic Sans font because it was selected when we were doing the test animations. So, yes, they will all be updated when the new animations are done.
Quoted from Crash:Does anyone else notice how crazy powerful the jet bumpers are in this game?
Hell yes we do.
Quoted from PinB:Is there a tentative date when we'll be able to see the playfield artwork or is it still a ways off?
It's coming. Trust me, we're pretty anxious, as well.
Quoted from Rick471:See the blades this guy is carrying?
Wouldn't something like that make nice slingshot plastics??
We have bigger plans for the arm blades. Stay tuned.
Quoted from musketd:I hope skit b opens the ramps entrances up a little and makes them wider to make it easier to hit the ramps on the game. Anybody suggest this to kevin
Kevin suggested this to Kevin as soon as they were attached. The ramp entrances (the right, more than the left) were a bit of an oversight, and the playfield is going to be adjusted to open them up quite a bit wider and give an angled opening at the base to allow shots. We were legitimately impressed whenever anyone made a right ramp shot on purpose on this prototype.
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:This is part of the issue with being so up front it's not finished guys you can't treat it as us such.
Yeah, a lot of people didn't know what to think of the game at this stage. We had to keep reminding people that this prototype was less than a week old when it came to the show. This is also why we are hoping to have a more refined proto when we get to Allentown.
Quoted from mipinballexpo:The Predator also showed up to play as well.
This is one of my favorite pics from the show. The guy playing in the pic was a really cool guy, too
Quoted from loren3233:Anybody hear from the Skit-B guys lately?
Who?
Quoted from mipinballexpo:Last we saw them was two hours ago after we unloaded a truck of pins at our staging location. Something about wives, backrubs, and zzzzzzz.
No, that was YOU. We still had to drive an hour, get our games from a drop point, and drive another hour and a half home. Yeah, it's almost 6am and I'm on the computer... I wonder if my wife will go for the whole backrub idea at 5:39 am...?
Leaving the figure there wasn't intentional, but it's not an issue, either. No worries. Just consider him on long-term loan for a while. My only request? Since people seem to get a kick out of it, he's gotta be up there for all the other shows you go to.... 
Later,
EV
I was glad I was able to get out there on Friday and check the progress on the game.
The Skit-B guys are always awesome to talk to. They really are on top of everything with this game. I hope the rest of the show was a raging success for them!
Sorry to hit you guys with another artwork question...but do you have any samples of the OTHER work your art-dude has done before? I did a quick search on Google, but I don't think I came up with anything useful.
I don't need to see drawings of Predator, or Carl Weathers, or anything...but I'm curious to know what the guy's style is like.
Pete
On the drive back Jen and I mentioned the comic sans thing to each other, and were thinking that a language selection would be great, one for english, one for predator. Many of the predator sounds are on there anyway so it would be not overly difficult and cool to owners who know what to do in their game.
I talked to Kevins quite a few times during the expo. Unfortunately I didn't have too many more questions that weren't already covered here on the group! The only thing I could chime in on is that release date, and I'm not wanting to show their hand, so I'll just say.. Sooner than you think!
here's the vids I posted in the other MI pinball thread, probably better here in the Predator thread..
Hope I'm not disclosing something I shouldn't here, but I talked to them about the DMD animations looking "muddy." They said they are talking to folks in the industry, and this would be greatly improved.
Kevin also talked about the DMD and its "checkerboard-box" looking quality. He wanted to stress that it would NOT be that way in the final game.
I think the important thing is that they are listening to the group, but they certainly need to know that there is a time they should IGNORE us. Some suggestions just suck...and the designers need to avoid trying to cram every bit of fan service into the game.
From my conversations with them, they certainly seem aware of how to put out a fantastic game.
Pete
Consett
Quoted from EchoVictor:he's gotta be up there for all the other shows you go to
For prototype purposes, we might find some place on the playfield to secure him to for now. Whatever we do, double-sided tape won't quite cut it next time
Quoted from pmWolf:the designers need to avoid trying to cram every bit of fan service into the game.
This is absolutely true. While most of the suggestions we've talked about are cool at the least, some we've gotten (not necessarily from Pinside) are pretty silly. We're certainly not trying to build a made-to-order machine here, but even ideas we don't personally like can be viable if they're simple, such as the shaker motor coding. Most of the ideas we talked about at the expo revolved around toys, and there were some sincerely awesome ideas on the table. Let's just say that I have some phone calls to make.
Quoted from pmWolf:do you have any samples of the OTHER work your art-dude has done before?
Sure. I should have put this up before, so thanks for reminding me, Pete. Like you said, these aren't Predator-related, and they probably don't reflect the exact art style for the playfield, but these should settle any worries about talent in the art department.
n2327351406555528231.jpg n2327351377863909761.jpg
It's exciting that the playfield art will be hand drawn by an artist! It will be a nice change up to what has been put out there more recently. Looks like there is plenty of talent in the art department to make this pin look very unique.
Awesome to hear you all will be putting in the code to allow us to add a shaker motor! A shaker would be a great mod for it and fit the theme perfectly. Do you anticipate running the necessary wiring for the shaker up to the front as others have done?
Quoted from SkitBPinball:Most of the ideas we talked about at the expo revolved around toys, and there were some sincerely awesome ideas on the table. Let's just say that I have some phone calls to make.
Like music to our ears!! Can't wait to see what you all come up with.
Adding the software for a shaker mod is awesome.....you guys rock!
I almost feel guilty being part of the pre....pre order deal and not putting a deposit down yet.
I said almost
Chris
Hey there!
The top drawing is by Michael Turner for Marvel's Civil War #1.
Turner was probably my favorite artist of all time...but I'm pretty sure he's not doing your playfield art. (He's dead).
Pete
Correction: Here is the original Turner sketch: http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=132281&gsub=11357
Nice repro of the original, though. Turner was awesome..
Pete
Quoted from vster23:I hope you guys are still gonna have the playfield with the special paint which can be see when the uv lights are on like the predator vision
This is still the plan. I can't wait to see it come together, and I hope it's all worth it!
Quoted from spfxted:Nice art!!
I know, the talent the artist has simply blows my mind. I'm on pins and needles to get ahold of some Predator-related stuff to look at!
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:It's exciting that the playfield art will be hand drawn by an artist!
Photoshopping was not an option for this project from the beginning. I miss truly awesome artwork and dammit, we're bringin it back.
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:Awesome to hear you all will be putting in the code to allow us to add a shaker motor! A shaker would be a great mod for it and fit the theme perfectly. Do you anticipate running the necessary wiring for the shaker up to the front as others have done?
Probably. I kinda think that shaker motors, while pretty cool, are very 'fluffy,' and aren't necessary for production games. That being said, I can totally see why people like them, and it makes little difference to me to make it easier to install the mod if you want it.
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:Like music to our ears!! Can't wait to see what you all come up with.
I haven't even talked with the guy who will be making the toys yet, so we are still in the 'coming up with ideas' phase. We have a pretty solid rule, here, though, regarding the toys that will be going into the game: All toys, no matter what they are or where they are on the machine (playfield or not), WILL have something to do with the gameplay and WILL interact with either the player or the ball in some way.
"This is still the plan. I can't wait to see it come together, and I hope it's all worth it!"
Such a great idea, I love that you are doing it!
Quoted from SkitBPinball:All toys, no matter what they are or where they are on the machine (playfield or not), WILL have something to do with the gameplay and WILL interact with either the player or the ball in some way.
This is great news!! I am so glad I got in on the pre-order cause I have a feeling this pin is gonna be something special
Mississauga, ON
Congrats on a great show guys! I'm really looking forward to meeting the team at some point and I'm definitely going to have to plan a road trip to pick up my game in person once its ready! I haven't been this excited about a new pin in years!
How did you do on pre-orders at the show itself?
Quoted from Jetzxi:I almost feel guilty being part of the pre....pre order deal and not putting a deposit down yet.
If you ask me, taking money without having a product ready has too many chances for something to go wrong. Besides, what if I died or something before the game came out? My wife would certainly thank you all for your deposits, though, so she could afford an HUO Attack From Mars to bury me in
Quoted from pmWolf:The top drawing is by Michael Turner for Marvel's Civil War #1.
I'm not too into comics, but I absolutely loved the Civil War series. Didn't recognize the artwork, though. For shame!
Quoted from Drano:I'm really looking forward to meeting the team at some point and I'm definitely going to have to plan a road trip to pick up my game in person once its ready!
By all means! We'd love to have people come hang out at the shop for a few hours and play some games when their games are done.
Quoted from Drano:How did you do on pre-orders at the show itself?
Our pre-order list looks like an incredible round of Battleship took place on it, with boxes checked off all over the place. We're pretty excited, to say the least!
Definitely looking forward to seeing this at Allentown. Don't think I read it anywhere here but is there a very rough estimate on release? I'd hate to pre order and have it be ready and not have all the cash because it comes out in 2 months. Will it be this year? Next year? Next month?
SkitBPinball, will you be uploading the video of your speech from the Michigan Pinball Expo? I'd really like to see it, and I'm sure a lot of other Pinsiders would, too! Thanks.
I would assume 5 to 10 a week once things got rolling.
Of course, there are always snags at the beginning. I know the biggest hassle with BBB was with figuring out how to handle the wiring harness. After that, things went pretty smoothly.
Pete
Quoted from Whridlsoncestood:Definitely looking forward to seeing this at Allentown. Don't think I read it anywhere here but is there a very rough estimate on release? I'd hate to pre order and have it be ready and not have all the cash because it comes out in 2 months. Will it be this year? Next year? Next month?
A while back I heard that the pins will start being produced sometime between August and October of this year. With all they are putting into this I would guess probably later in that window but that is purely a guess. Im sure they know we would rather wait longer for them to get everything just where they want them rather than rush it out the door. Based on everything I've heard from them they are going about this the right way and will not rush through the process.
Your policy of having all toys interact with either the ball or player is much appreciated Skit-B!!!
Quoted from PinB:will you be uploading the video of your speech from the Michigan Pinball Expo?
We did record the speech, but I haven't taken a look at it yet. I can post it in a couple of days, if you'd like. There isn't a lot of new information in there to you guys, but it was fun nonetheless. We started by getting some information about the game and the process out there, but I'm not gonna lie to you guys, people were getting bored with the techie info and honestly, so were we. So at that point, we just called everyone to the front of the hall and let them get up close and check the game out and it turned right around. Lots of people were having fun with it, and had tons of exciting things to say about it. Blakesell got to play it in front of everybody, too
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:Your policy of having all toys interact with either the ball or player is much appreciated Skit-B!!!
I'd like to second this, I can't remember the last pinball where all its toys/mechs actually interacted with the player/ball. POTC comes to mind but that's 2006, mayb csi would qualify aswell but wasnt that late 2007 early 08? So nearly 5 years of toys r us figures stuck on plastics without proper interaction/integration.
Cannot commend you enough for the passion and thought you guys are putting into this project. Potential for this too be the best pin in years IMO.
This is an awesome project. I'm in and hope they knock it out of the park. Based on where they are at with the project we need to all cut them some slack on the delivery timing. I know they mentioned earlier they would like to hit the October timing, but I really don't see that happening with all of the prototyping and pinball shows which will be going on. They don't have artwork, toy layout, plastics, ramps, etc...yet. When I spoke to them at the show, I told them the biggest mistake would be for them to start giving out dates and feeling rushed to get it out. Because they aren't taking any deposits, they owe none of us a firm date for production. If they continue to communicate with the forum and take our input, then all things good to those that wait.
Quoted from toyboy6:I told them the biggest mistake would be for them to start giving out dates and feeling rushed to get it out.
I agree. I'd rather wait the extra time & get a kick ass Predator pin than have them rush out a so-so pin. I'm pretty psyched about this one!
Quoted from PinB:toyboy6 said:I told them the biggest mistake would be for them to start giving out dates and feeling rushed to get it out.
I agree. I'd rather wait the extra time & get a kick ass Predator pin than have them rush out a so-so pin. I'm pretty psyched about this one!
Well, if it is delayed, I hope my game is ready to ship in Spring. Not looking forward to driving to upstate Michigan in the middle of Winter 
Quoted from PinB:I agree. I'd rather wait the extra time & get a kick ass Predator pin than have them rush out a so-so pin. I'm pretty psyched about this one!
+1k
I take "release dates" with a grain of salt. Remember, I was there signing up for the BBB when Gene first announced it. He told everyone some insanely soon date, and I rolled my eyes and thought "sure."
I never doubted that project (or this one)...but I do understand that delays are likely. I'd rather have it done right than done on time...and I'm sure everyone else would agree.
This is not a knock on the Skit-B guys, and I certainly am not questioning their awesomeness. My experience with BBB may also be influencing my expectations. I don't want to pretend that I know it all....
Pete
I with. It rushing anything. I was more hoping to hear later than sooner time frame. Gives me more of a chance to think about jumping on one of these. If they came out late summer I'd be out for sure
Lights under the ramp areas would be a welcome addition especially if it seems to be dark even in a low light environment (many pin rooms keep light low). While providing some extra light for the game they also give ramps a colorful glow.
I know you all thought we were done with the quotes 
How about after the third ball drains and the game is over we hear: "You're ghosting us mother*&*&#$. I don't care who you are back in the world. You give away our position one more time I'll bleed you, real quiet, an' leave you here." 
WOW!! This topic needs its own web site Love the theme and what you are doing! 
Do you think JJP & Stern should take notice at this topic and see what actual pinballers like for themes for their pins?!? Not saying they are doing a horrible job but come on! The love this pin is getting speaks for its self!
Kevin have you and the guys at Skit B, settled on a final game over/match sequence yet? I like a good match/game over sequence so just wonder what scene you maybe using? "what's wrong the CIA got you pushing to many pencils?" hint hint
Quoted from J85M:Kevin have you and the guys at Skit B, settled on a final game over/match sequence yet? I like a good match/game over sequence so just wonder what scene you maybe using? "what's wrong the CIA got you pushing to many pencils?" hint hint
Earlier in the thread, it's been confirmed that quote is being used when losing a ball. Not sure if it's for your final ball or just one of the random quotes for any ball.
Quoted from BigPhil:JonM said:Kevin have you and the guys at Skit B, settled on a final game over/match sequence yet? I like a good match/game over sequence so just wonder what scene you maybe using? "what's wrong the CIA got you pushing to many pencils?" hint hint
Earlier in the thread, it's been confirmed that quote is being used when losing a ball. Not sure if it's for your final ball or just one of the random quotes for any ball.
Yeah I read that Phil I was referring more to the scene than the quote itself. Have the match numbers appear on Arnies bicep
Quoted from Drano:Not looking forward to driving to upstate Michigan in the middle of Winter
Nobody does...
Quoted from J85M:Kevin have you and the guys at Skit B, settled on a final game over/match sequence yet?
Actually, no, we haven't. I do like some of the ideas on here, but Russo, I really doubt we are going to use ALL of them
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:"You're ghosting us mother*&*&#$. I don't care who you are back in the world. You give away our position one more time I'll bleed you, real quiet'
These are also already called for First tilt warning: "You're ghostin us, motherf&*@er," second tilt warning (or, if you have it set to more than 2, all tilt warnings after the first): "Bullsh#t!," and finally, upon tilting, "You give our position one more time, I'll bleed you, real quiet..."
Beecroft
Quoted from RGR:how did it go at the expo? Good feedback? Wheres the next place that you are going to show this game off?
Expo was fantastic. We got to sit around all day and talk about our games, others' games, games in general... If you're asking about the reception to the Predator, we heard some incredibly awesome things both directly and indirectly from people of all "importance levels" in the industry. Most importantly, everyone who came out to play the Predator had more than enough chances to get behind it and really see what it could do. Also, from watching others playing and gathering feedback we were able to make some final decisions that we were on the fence about, along with taking valuable notes on shot layout changes. Nothing too drastic--no shots are being moved or removed--but we now know exactly how to balance the shot angles and openings to make for a challenging yet accessible game. Some rules and software will be altered as well, based on performance of local players and suggestions from the people who were the most involved in the game. Namely, completing the inlanes/outlanes will net you 4 hunt stocks instead of 1, and mystery awards will be lit by making loops instead of by making one of each shot. There are a few more "under the radar" changes that are being made, as well, but I think those are the ones that stuck out the most.
The next show we will be going to is Pinfest at Allentown. We are really hoping to have a brand new playfield done with the new shot dynamics and have some software issues tweaked and fixed before we come out there, so keep your fingers crossed. Also, the cabinet art should be done and applied to the cabinet by the time we get out there, so that's a bonus, as well. We aren't currently committed to any other shows at the moment, but we're always open to ideas. I don't want to give away too much, but I don't see many pre-orders lasting through the Allentown show.
Quoted from spfxted:What did you think about my comment about making a lenticular backglass that changes picture...or 3D.
I don't want to sound too businessy, but that will really end up coming down to cost and appearance. There aren't going to be any Premiums, Pros, LE's, LLE's, B-I-N-G-O's or Special Editions or anything like that, so room for extra stuff like that is pretty slim if it doesn't become the default for the game itself. The effect looks super cool on like a Tron, but for Predator I'm not too sure. I guess we should just ask everybody else here what they think?
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