I am sure that the absence of STLE from Expo didn't help their cause much.

It's hard to compete with the #1 rated pinball of all time. SR could have put 5 million toys in it and people would still order MM. Let's say they announced a remake of NBA FastBreak for $8k. Let me know if that one sells out in 24 hours. Ya fell me playa.

Thanks frolic! That had me steaming if true. I saw that in a couple places. Probably by the same people that said the 3pm lecture was going to be a major "announcement".

Have you played ST? NBA is exactly what comes to mind. Actually NBA seems to have a little more going on feature wise. Hard to tell what Stern's thinking when it comes to game design/toys/BOM. ST seems like it could play fast and fun like IM if the rules are good enough. Toys are secondary to rules and theme integration to me. ST feels good. But there ain't much there, especially compared to MET.

Yes I have played ST. It is fun. It's a fast players game. It doesn't have a crappy design with some toys in it like Avengers.
NBA is a clunk fest, I don't see the comparison. ST was very smooth. Only thing it needs are good code updates (a problem with many games lately as stated numerous times).

AFM doesn't have much either but it doesn't mean I don't like playing it.

Funny you bring up IM since most people won't buy it because it was stripped down.

Made a mistake on the poll, i said put a deposit on another LE, I mean a LE MM not for Stern LE.

I own a ST Pro, it's a pretty fun game with unfinished rules. I also own a Metallica LE and it is exactly the same in regards to the unfinished rules. I can't wait till all this new pinball business starts kicking in so there is actual competition in this market again and Stern will be forced to shape up some in this regard.

To answe the question, no. I put down a small refundable deposit in March and have been in for the LE ever since. I'm hoping to have it soon!

After playing the pro this weekend I feel better about the LE.

I agree. I really had zero interest in ST and normally don't even play or consider the pro model all that much but ill tell ya what, after playing a bunch at the show, the game is fun and has an incredible flow. Well done Ritchie.

Just cause you can't handle Avengers doesn't mean it sucks. The ST I played had a screwy Warp ramp. One shot and the ball flew off it so that you didn't even get a clean second shot. I hope this isn't a hopeless QC issue that can't be fixed and dooms the game.

Of course ST needs code updates...because otherwise there isnt anything to do.

Just because you can't handle ST doesn't mean it sucks. Do you see what I just did there?

Avengers is doomed. Still hope for ST.

Video of any game does not do it justice. With that said, WOW! If it looks that cool on video I can't wait to see it in person. I for 1 way more excited about this, preditors, spooky, etc than I am about the remake of a 20 year old game. Lets see more cool new stuff.

The game is 16 years old. Get it right you non-believer!

Man now I feel old... real old.

Questions to those at the Stern tour - Were you able to get up close to the machine to see what the difference is on the pro ship vs le ship mechanism? Rumor was that Stern would make up for the vuk issue, by adding 'something good'. Any truth to that, or just rumor 'bs'?

Yes what they added was the laser cut color controlled cutouts in the apron to tell you your shield strength.

Yeah, but I never said ST sucked did I? So wtf are you talking about? I saw what you did there...you farted out of your mouth.

I cant stop thinking about my LE. Am I out of my Vulcan Mind?

ST Wall.jpg
ST Final.jpg

You'll likely see Pinsider home video of STLE Friday night/Saturday.
Stay tuned for more details...

Cool.

I wish that were true. I'll believe it when I see it.

I heard as well that ST LE's are being made in the factory this week. Guess they retooled on the weekend after the tours.

Mmmmmmm, I wonder where that Bakushan guy is now? He said [no way, never happening this week, I feel sorry for you that you think it is]. Ummmm Hmmmmmmm.

This will be a big week for you. Either its game and fame! Or no show and oh oh.

The only thing that will keep it out of my hands now is the shipping company, which I have no control over. But I do know they are running them now and that they are shipping to my distro this Thursday.

Are you talking about the Starburst here or in Montreal
? I was at the one here today, and they aren't expecting any LE's any time soon.

Ya, you may want to recheck your source QG; I don't think anyone's getting an LE this week.

Yeah, at this point I think it will be a miracle if QG gets it but hoping he does.

Yah I hope it comes too. I double checked with Stern today and they said "it is on the production line but we are waiting for parts to complete", so it might be delayed to next week. But I don't think it's three weeks away like some are saying. Either way, I just can't wait

Well gotta go now and make a second attempt at installing my Eli Tron ramp kit.

People were saying three weeks last week, it's more like two now. Everyone's guess is end of Oct, early November best case.

When we get pics of boxes shipping to Australia, you know we'll get ours in a week or two.

The towel is thrown in...

Very well said I agree 100%. Stern's designs of late have been fun without question but the lack of adequate code for a new pin within a reasonable time period is just getting ridiculous. If they don't start focusing on the code more I think they are going to be losing a decent amount of business. Hope that doesn't happen and they start to put an emphasis on great code to go with these fast and fun designs they are putting out.

So true. I went downstairs to bang through ST and MET. And my first thought was how much I do love these games. But several games in on both and glaring code issues made me realize how frustrating Stern is at the same time. Sooo close...

100% agree. IMO, Xmen is a great pin that is sooo close to being awesome.

I thought yesterday ST was boring to you and you couldn't wait to get rid of it??

Like I said sooo close. Every other game in my basement has the Blades and shaker installed. Have not touched it yet. Hoping some code changes take it up a notch. I have to fiddle with it so this warp ramp shot stops going back down the shooter lane. That and the annoying ball getting stuck behind the pop bumpers. Oh and when you get extra ball a service menu icon pops up. Wish it would launch the ball every time I started a mission. Sometimes it does other times I select the mission and still have to plunge. There is more.

I hope ST grows on you because if it is boring in your 6 pin line up I could only imagine how it will be in my 4 pin one.

Hoping some cool code updates change it. But yeah right now its the weak link. But its not bad. Small things bugging me and too much lacking in code. I hate when its super obvious and it is. Play wise it has big potential. I do enjoy shooting for multi balls more than on AFM so I am trashing it. Just can't give it an A yet.

Well if you compare it to your other games of course it will fall short right now. All your titles rock except Avengers IMO. I really want to get a getaway myself but I'm having a hard time finding one in Canada.

Well, if we look at Avengers as a good example of Stern getting code done in a timely fashion, it still took a few months to get 1.4 done.

Ack!! See now you can feel good because I rank TAV as the single game I would own above all including ACDC and MM : o

Ok, knowing that ST might be the best game ever (joke)
I really do need to give the LE version of Avengers a try one day if I can find someone that owns one.

Avengers code history:

V1.4 - February 11, 2013

V1.2 - December 24, 2012

V1.1 - December 14, 2012

V1.0 - December 10, 2012

Star Trek code history:

V1.20 - September 23, 2013

V1.01 - September 10, 2013

V1.0 - September 9, 2013

Considering Lonnie is behind both, I can imagine/hope ST will follow the same schedule, but maybe some additional development since TAV was a sales bomb and ST should do better business.

My understanding is Lonnie is part of team not sole. Thought this was Tanio Klyce's baby.

Lonnie is the senior person there, it would be "a Lonnie game". Tanio is a new hire.

Likely Tanio is working with Lonnie, just as Waison does. If you watch the Avengers making of video, there were several people involved. Could also explain why Avengers got completed so quick when Lyman is left working on his own and it takes a while.

Tanio's baby but Lonnie his mentor

The LE could be!

Thank you!