(Topic ID: 337448)

Spending: Go for quality or quantity ?

By acupunk12

10 months ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 80 posts
  • 53 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 10 months ago by Jrotten
  • Topic is favorited by 2 Pinsiders

You

Linked Games

No games have been linked to this topic.

    Topic poll

    “Quality or quantity?”

    • 3 pro priced games 57 votes
      53%
    • 2 premium priced 45 votes
      42%
    • 1 LE priced, 1 pro priced 5 votes
      5%

    (107 votes)

    There are 80 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
    #1 10 months ago

    Based solely on fun factor, if you all had a pinball budget of around $20k, how would you spend it? Would you go for quantity and buy something like three pro sterns, quality in 2 premium machines or split the difference and go for one higher end tittle/ LE and a lesser , cheaper game? Have you personally dealt with this sweet dilemma?

    #2 10 months ago

    Quantity since I enjoy lot of the B list machines

    #3 10 months ago

    I would go with quality in 2 premium machines myself.

    #4 10 months ago

    I think you can get 3 killer games for under 20K and some $ to spare, depends on what you like.

    Ive played tons of games at friends homes or on route ( i typically despise playing on route as always some switch integral to game progression not working or volume is too quiet) but ive a fun/price equation in my head. plenty to be had in that 5-7K price range. Many new games don't wow me and don't meet my equation, ok im babbling.....

    #5 10 months ago

    Get 1 pro, 1 system 11, 1 wpc and 5 EM's

    #6 10 months ago

    Don’t waste your money on a LE since premiums are always the same game play.
    BUT there are a lot of PRO’s that are great and minimal game play changes from the premium. Guardians comes to mind as an example

    #7 10 months ago

    Why only Sterns? Buy one premium and some older machines.

    My Genie gets as much play as my a-list titles.

    #8 10 months ago
    Quoted from ASAC_Schrader:

    Don’t waste your money on a LE since premiums are always the same game play.
    BUT there are a lot of PRO’s that are great and minimal game play changes from the premium. Guardians comes to mind as an example

    The current premium $ NIB seems insane to me now, original MM could be had at that price, crazy times

    Edit^ just a few short years ago, hence my fun to price mind game

    #9 10 months ago

    Yeah pinball machines sure cost a lot of money these days!

    An issue worth exploring.

    #10 10 months ago
    Quoted from Tranquilize:

    Why only Sterns? Buy one premium and some older machines.
    My Genie gets as much play as my a-list titles.

    I was just using that as a price point example since it’s the entry point price to most contemporary games

    #11 10 months ago

    For 20k you can get 4 kickass DMD or system 11 games and have cash leftover.

    A lot of the pro games have little gameplay difference, FF pro vs. premium for example or GOTG.

    A forth (fifth?) option is a premium and a couple DMD games. GZ Premium, WCS, and another WPC would be a fun combo

    #12 10 months ago

    I’d go for like 20-30 EM machines, myself.

    #13 10 months ago

    There are still some relative bargains around so would get 3-4 underrated machines and/or excellent pros like TWD pro, DP Pro, GOTG pro, XMLE, LZ Premium, Oktoberfest, LOV... Seems to me that pinball prices have never been so distorted with so many chasing art & theme and putting far too much weight on Pinside ratings, i.e. following the herd.

    #14 10 months ago

    I would definitely go with the more the merrier. If you have 4 games, a newer title from the last 10 years, a 90s dmd, a ss, and maybe an em you have so much variety to keep you entertained even though they all don't have great depth. I mean, I doubt one machine will keep you entertained for as long as 4 machines. If you are trying to luck out and get machines that hold or increase in value, then yeah, maybe go for some more expensive titles, but then again, you might be sitting for awhile to find someone who wants a godzilla LE because they've played it a lot already on location or at someone's house or they don't have something you want to trade for. Vs. 4 machines odds are at any given time you might find someone who's got something to trade of interest for one of your 4.

    #15 10 months ago

    I’ll just say this here, Godzilla is just a slop game, starting tons of crap you didn’t know you started.

    My buddy had to walk away at MGC while I had a 30 min ball/extra ball as we were playing 2 player. Snore to the #1 game on pinside 100

    #16 10 months ago

    This is easy, just get the games you like in the best version you can find. Some Sterns are considered better in Pro. If you go LE, that money won't spread much anymore. When I fist joined pinside that would get you one Big Bang Bar or 4 Stern pros NIB. Now it's, barely two Stern premiums.

    #17 10 months ago

    I say take a gamble, buy two of the next Elwin LE for msrp and then you can trade the other for whatever else you really want.

    #18 10 months ago

    I’d take a basement full of EMs over a single LE any day.

    -10
    #19 10 months ago
    Quoted from Pdxmonkey:

    I say take a gamble, buy two of the next Elwin LE for msrp and then you can trade the other for whatever else you really want.

    Following on my last comment, Elwin games are just Slop no skill games, makes Noobs feel like they can play lol.

    GZ is somewhat fun to play though, I’ll give it that. I’d never spend more than 8k on a premium.

    foo feels like it’s little brother, a lot less fun because I don’t like lame pop rock bands.

    #20 10 months ago

    I'd get a WPC title, a couple nice System 11s, then I'd spend the rest on early SS and EMs

    #21 10 months ago

    I would buy a whole lot of broken games to keep me entertained. Sell them and repeat.

    #22 10 months ago

    With $20k I’d buy as many early 80s SS games as possible.

    They are truly some of the best, most imaginative machines ever made.
    Sure, now we have rules, and modes and yadda yadda.

    In the 1980s the ass fell out on pinball and they were throwing out ANYTHING to see what would stick. Those games are pure, unfettered entertainment! We will NEVER get that kind of experimentation again.
    Instead we get a basic death-save post or a moving building and people cream their pants.

    #23 10 months ago
    Quoted from centerflank:

    Following on my last comment, Elwin games are just Slop no skill games, makes Noobs feel like they can play lol.
    GZ is somewhat fun to play though, I’ll give it that. I’d never spend more than 8k on a premium.
    foo feels like it’s little brother, a lot less fun because I don’t like lame pop rock bands.

    You think Iron Maiden is a no skill game?

    #24 10 months ago

    OP, how much space do yo have. Very important if you only have limited space or trying to fill a gameroom. People saying by 10 EMS might not make sense if yo have room for three games.

    #25 10 months ago
    Quoted from RyanStl:

    OP, how much space do yo have. Very important if you only have limited space or trying to fill a gameroom. People saying by 10 EMS might not make sense if yo have room for three games.

    Even if he had the space for 3 games I'd still say fuck the new Sterns. The old stuff is where it's at

    #26 10 months ago

    The non-overpriced (by ridiculous pinball standards pricing) 90s DMD games that interest me.

    #27 10 months ago

    OP, if has the room should not overlook Data East or Sega.

    #28 10 months ago
    Quoted from RyanStl:

    OP, if has the room should not overlook Data East or Sega.

    I’ve been going the DE/Premier route lately and digging it!

    #29 10 months ago
    Quoted from Isochronic_Frost:

    With $20k I’d buy as many early 80s SS games as possible.
    They are truly some of the best, most imaginative machines ever made.

    This. Totally great advice.

    #30 10 months ago

    There is no reason to buy just 'A' list machines
    I would rather have three good WPC machines than just one new Stern/JJP/AP

    #31 10 months ago
    Quoted from beergut666:

    You think Iron Maiden is a no skill game?

    No, I would say that game is pretty amazing all the way around, so there is an exception to his games

    #32 10 months ago
    Quoted from acupunk12:

    Based solely on fun factor, if you all had a pinball budget of around $20k, how would you spend it? Would you go for quantity and buy something like three pro sterns, quality in 2 premium machines or split the difference and go for one higher end tittle/ LE and a lesser , cheaper game? Have you personally dealt with this sweet dilemma?

    Buy what YOU enjoy playing! I would personally mix it up to get the most variety of play for your money. Make sure to include your wife, partner and/ or children in the decision making process.
    Maybe a premium and a Pro or two pros and a classic solid state machine. Possibly add a Slugfest pitch and bat machine into the mix if you want something different for 2 player fun.

    #33 10 months ago

    I have 3 stern pros so I guess I have gone with quantity. Some premiums look really fun, but the extra cost doesn’t seem worth it for me. As far as gameplay, LEs are no different from premiums so I would never go for them.

    #34 10 months ago

    Are premium pins REALLY quality? I say not in all cases IMO GZ pro is just as much fun as the premium. So I guess put me done for more variety/quantity.

    #35 10 months ago

    It depends what defines "fun" for you (and what your space limitations are).

    If fun revolves around hanging out with friends, socializing and playing quick multiplayer $1.00 games, then a collection of EM and SS games would be the way to go, and $20K would easily scratch the itch and leave plenty of money for pizza and drinks. Playing these games solo can be fun, but they are designed to be quick where a player does not camp out on the game.

    If fun is playing a game for a long period of time devising new scoring strategies and watching video screens, then perhaps some premium modern games (which often have more features/modified rules) would be the way to go. These of course add up fast and 20k should get 2 games, maybe 3 depending on what you choose.

    If you like both worlds, then get one modern premium pin with a known deep and broad ruleset (which will take about 1/3 to 1/2 your 20K budget), some SS and multiplayer EM games and there you go. (Note: Wedgeheads are generally not fun to play with friends).

    Bottom line: However you define fun, a quantity of decent games, and even of different eras, is going to be better than 1 or 2 singular high-priced games.

    #36 10 months ago

    Two modern stern pros and one 80s or 90s 6k machine. Boom.

    #37 10 months ago

    Bond 60th and call it a day.

    #38 10 months ago

    Personally, my largest limiting factor is space. It's a downside of living in a big city, so I'd probably take the money and put it on the two premiums or similarly priced hard to get games, since that's all I could fit. I would probably then just start doing the selling/trade game with them, to cycle through a variety of different games from different eras.

    #39 10 months ago

    The way the OP framed the question makes it seems like you can only get "quality" (since when did Prem/LE = quality?) vs quantity and not both. They're not mutually exclusive, even with a price cap.

    You can get 5-10 nicely restored EM or SS or toss in some DMD games for 20k and have a very nice collection that are both quality and quantity. Open your world a bit. It's not just Stern.

    #40 10 months ago

    We are at a Stern pro and a Stern premium with $2500 left for beer. If BM66 wasn't my grail game we'd probably have 3 pros instead.
    Had a couple older games but fixing/restoring isn't our idea of fun.

    #41 10 months ago

    When I first got into the hobby I definitely wanted quantity and I would buy routed turds that would have a ton of issues. I think I spent more time trying to dial them in then I did playing them. Then over time I realized I like pristine examples that play like they just came out of the box. I sold all my routed turds and now I have quality and quantity. The key is to play what is fun to you personally-may try and find themes you can relate to. For 20k I would want variety so things do not get stale too quickly. A MAME arcade with 3000+ games, a classic Bally/Williams, a newer Stern, and maybe a Golden Tee? Variety is the spice of life

    Now we need to convince Centerflank that Elwin games are choice and Godzilla is the shit! Tons of strategy and paths for Godzilla. Elwin games are as deep as you want to make them and I really enjoy them now.

    #42 10 months ago

    I would probably get the whole Sega showcase pinball lineup for that total

    #43 10 months ago
    Quoted from acupunk12:

    Have you personally dealt with this sweet dilemma?

    No, because there are plenty other quality choices to choose from beyond recent Pros/Premiums/LEs.

    -1
    #44 10 months ago
    Quoted from pinmister:

    When I first got into the hobby I definitely wanted quantity and I would buy routed turds that would have a ton of issues. I think I spent more time trying to dial them in then I did playing them. Then over time I realized I like pristine examples that play like they just came out of the box. I sold all my routed turds and now I have quality and quantity. The key is to play what is fun to you personally-may try and find themes you can relate to. For 20k I would want variety so things do not get stale too quickly. A MAME arcade with 3000+ games, a classic Bally/Williams, a newer Stern, and maybe a Golden Tee? Variety is the spice of life
    Now we need to convince Centerflank that Elwin games are choice and Godzilla is the shit! Tons of strategy and paths for Godzilla. Elwin games are as deep as you want to make them and I really enjoy them now.

    Yeah slopzilla is alright, I’ll play it if I see it in the wild. It is better than that Jurassic park and avengers garbage

    #45 10 months ago
    Quoted from acedanger:

    Are premium pins REALLY quality? I say not in all cases IMO GZ pro is just as much fun as the premium. So I guess put me done for more variety/quantity.

    GZ is one of the first Pros that when I played it didn’t seem like it was missing a feature that made the machine less fun than a premium. Of course once I played the premium I enjoyed that too and ordered a premium. GOT is another awesome Pro machine.

    #46 10 months ago
    Quoted from Brewchap:

    I would go with quality in 2 premium machines myself.

    Me 2!!!!

    #47 10 months ago
    Quoted from centerflank:

    I’ll just say this here, Godzilla is just a slop game, starting tons of crap you didn’t know you started.
    My buddy had to walk away at MGC while I had a 30 min ball/extra ball as we were playing 2 player. Snore to the #1 game on pinside 100

    I have to disagree. GZ doesn’t randomly start things, but it can be busy. Some games are like that. There is “fake” excitement to keep noobs happy, but the rules of GZ are amazingly good once you follow them.

    As for the original question, I’d get games I already have for 20k. GZ Pro, Deadpool Pro, and then a couple of classic games (SS or EM depending on what was available). That way I have rules (GZ), fun (DP), and slap you in the mouth (classics the way I set them up). That would keep me happy for a long time.

    The reason I don’t list stuff like Iron Man or Metallica is that I’ve owned and played them for so long that even though they are great games, they will never feel fresh to me. But if I hadn’t owned them, one of them would be in the list.

    #48 10 months ago
    Quoted from DaveH:

    I have to disagree. GZ doesn’t randomly start things, but it can be busy. Some games are like that. There is “fake” excitement to keep noobs happy, but the rules of GZ are amazingly good once you follow them.
    As for the original question, I’d get games I already have for 20k. GZ Pro, Deadpool Pro, and then a couple of classic games (SS or EM depending on what was available). That way I have rules (GZ), fun (DP), and slap you in the mouth (classics the way I set them up). That would keep me happy for a long time.
    The reason I don’t list stuff like Iron Man or Metallica is that I’ve owned and played them for so long that even though they are great games, they will never feel fresh to me. But if I hadn’t owned them, one of them would be in the list.

    Yes it does , Slop Sloppy Joes! Needs extra sauce

    #49 10 months ago

    I'm limited to space, 22 games.

    So if I sell or trade one. I try to get what I believe my customers will enjoy most. Be it pro, premium, limited edition, or collector edition.

    Examples : Spiderman sold for Walking Dead pro. AFM sold and got AC/DC Luci Vault. jjp Pirates traded for GF CE. When Pulp Fiction gets here, I have three pins visiting, one will leave to make room.

    Great times for my pinball line up.

    LTG : )

    #50 10 months ago

    LTG I'm in a studio apartment haha

    There are 80 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.

    Reply

    Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

    Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

    Donate to Pinside

    Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


    This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/spending-go-for-quality-or-quantity- and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

    Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.