I bet they are doing great , AC/DC is Sterns best selling game ever!

Seems like the re-runs/longer runs of some games is a strong indicator. Moving to a new (bigger?) facility is also a good sign.

I hope so... I've loved their recent releases over the past few years. Go Stern!

If that was a home run, then Tron was a grand slam.

I would bet they're going to end up making more Mets than Trons... and that's the only reason Tron's prices will stay stupid. I would bet they could run at LEAST another 250 Tron today and still find buyers quickly. I'd put one on a credit card to get it back, and to hell with all the ridiculous mods that people think they deserve to get TWO THOUSAND extra dollars back out of their game on...

I think there doing good at the moment!

Do all the versions of Met have crucifixes all over them?

You mean gravestones. Yes

There's a software setting for the crosses to be changed to tombstones (Rounded head style..) in the dot matrix animations...I don't think there's any actual playfield differences in the regions they're using that for...might be wrong on that... o.o

A Crucifix is a Cross symbol with the body of Christ displayed on it.

So, none of the MET have any Crucifix at all - just tombstones .

Mod incoming.

I sure hope so and all indicates that Stern is doing ok. With these volumes of new games produced per year, one factory is enough to fill markets needs. And now when Stern has taken outside work for manufacturing, that opens up new door for all small companies that wants to produce a game. I don't know minimum quantity that they would produce but assume that it could be something like 500 to 1000 games. If title is interesting and well designed, thats not hard task to sell so hopefully we see lot's of new titles, remakes or new designs.

I'd buy a NIB Star Gazer, Nine Ball, and Seawitch.

Yeah me too. If Stern is going to build older games, let's do all of the M-200 games again and leave MM alone.

I talked with John Borg last summer, he told me that the boxes with Dubai on them had no crosses on the playfield due to religious reasons. Instead of a cross standing up it was changed to a tombstone.

Why in the f... would you downthumb this.. it's a statement of FACT, not even an opinion, you idiot...

: )

I dont mean thus to argue with you, but how do we know it beat tspp or lotr?

The son of a Pinsider works at Stern, and they told them that was the case at one of their meetings.

Does that include Sega and Data East titles too?

I don't know. They have become very dependent on the home market....there is very little coin op commercial sales to be had. So, a couple bombs here and there that can't be absorbed by the home market will hurt. Used to you could discount a bit and offer operators some no interest financing and clear out some dogs. I remain unconvinced all these home sales can continue. These are not $100 products and I'm amazed it has gone on this long. With others entering the fray, and Stern no longer being the only player, I would be a bit nervous. If this fad drops off, it won't take long for Stern to feel some major pain. They need to find a way to get the commercial market going again so they are not so dependent on the home buyers. I remember when the economy in our area nosedived a few years ago. Wow...my store was a ghost town and when we got a sale, instead of selling a pool table, a couple pins and a multi game, we would sell one or two games. We had to quickly change and adapt in order to survive. To their credit, Stern has successfully done that when necessary, so they know how, but if there are three good games at one time that are all decent, there is no way home buyers will absorb that many good games and there will be some fallout. Only good news is that for better or worse, it can't have a good effect on values for older WMS games. I really see a glut of product coming into the market in the next 16 months.

You mean beat POTC.

Just happened with MMr And they figured out how to get paid ; )

LE sales are primarily to the home market (over 80%, according to Gary). Flip that for Pro sales. Stern certainly has a large exposure to the home enthusiasts, but that seems limited to the US market.

The biggest hurdle for Stern (JJP, etc.) is coming…

Market saturation combined with space issues and not enough money to go around… the next 2-3 years will be interesting.

Survival of the fittest.

I'm amazed it's lasted this long myself.

The only thing that I think helps them is that the lastest new games that fun, are >$5k.

So as long as they can produce new games that people think might be the next Tron or Iron Man or whatever ...they will continue to sell new games from $4500 to $6000.

But eventually, people will either run out of space or run out of money; then it will be musical chairs...people sell one to get one.

Robert

I think space will be the primary issue before money ...

God I hope so.

This might create a housing boom when we all need bigger houses. Pinball could revive the US economy.

While I agree to a certain level, it's hard to judge without knowing one critical metric: How many games are going non-collectors?

Also, not everyone is running out space and money at the same time. There are still many new people coming in the hobby who are taking the place of folks that step out of the buyers market.

Besides gut feelings, I suspect we won't know until we a trend of all games (good and bad) not selling well.

I don't know since that last few Sterns have come out I've cleared space by selling off my B/W and older Stern DE games. They just do not hold up for me anymore, not that I didn't love them but for me anyway and please I said for ME anyway they just seemed childish with the bad jokes and circus music. I mean after Metallica, AC/DC, STLE, Tron, Xmen etc. its tough to play MM, MB. Remember I said "for me" JMO.

nah, space is an excuse... there's always room for a great deal or a must have pin.

Lack of money is a REAL issue...

In theory, yes. If you are single, yes. Otherwise space is the premium.

And I'm not talking storage space, but prime play space. I own 30 something pins. I have practical space for 19 or 20 and that's pushing it. I realize that's a lot of space for many, but I have no room for growth. There are 3-4 pins I would like to get for the lineup (and that doesn't count future games like AMH, THLE, Lawlor-JJP, Muppets that would otherwise be sure things) but I can't jam them in to the point where everything is too crowded. I'm probably at the point where if I want a new game, an existing one has to move.

The easy out is get rid of my EMs and early SS games, but I like having pins from multiple eras. I already took space away from games that would be more art than play to make room for newer games, but that only gets me so far.

You can send that River Boat my way. I'll be waiting!

As long as games like Volley and Jack in the Box continue to get as much play as ACDC and STLE at 1/10 the price, my EMs are not going anywhere.

I'll take the Central Park.

Are you sure your Hot Shot is getting enough play? Might be time to sell that one! I know someone who might be interested.

For me, it's all about space. In Silicon Valley, there's plenty of money and no land

2 for 1 shipping!

Meh, seems to heresay to really be believeable. Another pinball rumor through the vines. I'd love to see the numbers one day, not for money purposes, just purely to see what sold etc

That just can't be. I know its doing well but how many tspp or lotr did they sell? Had to be way more.

You missed his point

That just brought a smile to my face. Jack in the Box is a wonderful game. It's got nothing to do with being 1/10 the price, that game is just plain fun.

To me:

Stern is doing better financially as a company
Stern is producing games with much better themes than they were previously
The actual games themselves aren't any better than before the downturn. Compare Spiderman and AC/DC, very similar but AC/DC cost like 50% more in like 5 years.
I would agree with one of the posters above, if they continue to pound the home owner for more sales that well will dry up here eventually. In fact I think it's run dry.
Innovation on the playfields have been lacking a lot, I feel like they're recycling too many things. The rules are fine, but the games are slipping into ruts.

POTC is (was) their highest selling game with 6000+ units. This was more than either TSPP or LOTR and all their various runs.

ACDC has been continously run for 2+ years now (off and on the line but with no discontinuation like the above 2 games)

AC/DC was a big seller, but Stern has not released it's production numbers.

Until then, it's all just hearsay and speculation.

A company is always only one or two bad products away from disaster. Can't afford too many Mustangs!

Mustang is an awesome game. Your comment doesn't make sense....

I really should not list that game in my collection. It is folded up in the garage until I can find a new cabinet for it. It is a real project. I'd sell it for cheap, but I would have to know that the buyer was not just interested in putting the backglass on his wall and trashing the rest of it.