<duplicate post>

Many operators don’t update the code that ships with the game. Not sure expecting those types to embrace a new ecosystem is the key to success.

Probably more sizzle than steak and a novelty that will be used by a tiny fraction of players.

You are giving Stern WAY too much credit.

They could do all this stuff but there’s nothing in their history that suggests they will. Everything you mentioned used to get looked at with pre-release location testing. They certainly aren’t going to make physical changes to existing games based on the data. Maybe some software tweaks but that’s not likely either. This is all about marketing the existing product, not improving it.

Well, guess Stern doesn’t want me. It says the email address I’ve used for over twenty years has an invalid domain name and will not let me join Insider.

Obviously there are still some bugs in the system.

Doubt it. Stern has already indicated new aprons will be included in the Batman and Elvira kits.

Batman and Elvira require new aprons

Elvira was 9/17/19 (Cassandra’s birthday)

I stand corrected. I could have sworn it was the 17th. But it turns out it was *my* birthday

There are a lot of reasons not to buy a new Stern game. The possibility that assets won’t be changeable by DIYers isn’t one of them …

Lol! No chance Stern would allow this.

The expectation is that the cost of fully completed software is included in the development BOM of any given game.

Is there an app for IC for the iPhone? I can’t find one.

flynnibus has been dead on with his analysis of IC so far, but this is slightly off. Stern will sell the retro kits closer to $300 for sure and more for games like Batman and Elvira that require special aprons.

If Stern really wanted to see IC adopted they wouldn’t be making a profit on the readers/kits (and perhaps subsidizing them - think giving away the razor to sell the blades).

I’m sure there will be some use of IC moving forward (because it will be built into the game) but there’s no way most ops are going to pay to retrofit existing games at hundreds per.

What are you expecting?

I presume that was for the games that don’t require new aprons?

And this surprises … whom?

IC is an interesting idea, but I’m extremely skeptical Stern has the ability to take the concept and actually make it a success.

[edited for grammar].

So Stern will charge $100 …

I wasn’t talking about their price for the kit … just the price for the dongle

If true, big fail by Stern.

I suspect Stern is far more interested in using IC to drive incremental revenue rather than product improvements.

People are buying new LEs and Premiums sight unseen on rumors and hope. Significantly increased prices haven’t seemed to matter. Any additional game sales revenue based on IC data will almost certainly be rounding error.

Anyone have a cliff notes summary of George’s IC discussion today? Got to imagine there isn’t two hours of news there.

Agree. I only have two games I could add IC too but one of them is Elvira which already has an awesome mod in the spot that Stern uses for the QR reader. I might consider hooking it up if it could be used to scan with the coin door open, though that doesn’t seem likely.

Stern may sell more upgrade kits if there some clever modder can come up with a way to move a reader from game to game for home use.

Is the node board connected to the QR reader?

You would think users would be automatically logged out when a game is over.

No

Why not? In marketing that’s known as a loss leader and considered part of customer acquisition cost for products expected to produce recurring revenue and/or locking in a customer.

I’m a home user and really don’t want the reader on the apron of either of my supported games (Batman and Elvira)

I’m hoping that someone will make a mod for the QR reader that houses the board/reader in a more rectangular box (small as possible) that would connect to an RJ-45 fit into the tournament button hole so you could easily move the reader from game to game. I’d have an Ethernet cord a few feet long connecting both ends so the box could be easily positioned on the outside of the game somewhere (Velcro/magnets). This obviously doesn’t work for location games but home users could easily move the reader from game to game.

Putting a $20 dongle in each machine is a no brainer or I can hardwire the games to the LAN. Multiple options in my arcade room since I didn’t know initially where RFM was going to go. As long as the internet connectivity can be used without an active QR reader I’ll connect the games.

Good point on the power cable though. I presume there’s no PoE support.

Wasn’t expecting hot swap support so assumed games would be powered down/rebooted. Forgot about termination but that should be easy enough.

And what about code updates over Wi-Fi/Ethernet? Are they going to require a QR reader to function? That would be really dumb. Sure most will have the QR reader but don’t nerf connectivity if you have a connected machine.

Maybe it does, but why? IC supports two main functions — logins to IC and remote code updates. Why deliberately disable a key feature?

Well, they need space to download and verify an upgrade image before updating the image on the motherboard SD card.

Have retro fit kits for older games shipped yet?

Elvira and Batman have special kits. Haven’t seen them available for order yet.

Two distributors I’ve called say not yet.

The microSD card makes sense but this implies that no connectivity is possible without the QR reader, which would be unfortunate.

Why? I’m going to try that. Run the cable out the tournament button hole or just inside the coin door. I may get one reader for home but don’t see getting two and I only have two Spike 2 games.

As long as you don’t want the Elvira specific apron either kit will work. This mod was tested on Elvira.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-insider-connected-qr-code-reader-coin-door-mount#post-6633319

Anyway to share a QR reader between two games across the room from each other without running a cat5 cable across the floor?

(Yes, I know the easiest way would be to put the two machines next to each other but easier said than done)

Yeah was afraid of that. Thanks.

What strikes me right away is how ugly it looks. It really takes away from the artwork on the game.

I’m really glad the coin door mod is available so home users can relocate the reader.

I don’t have a reader yet but I would probably run it from the CPU to the coin door. I’m sure there is a way to do it without having to running a cable that could get pulled inadvertently.

The kit is known to work in Elvira.

It’s listed as not compatible because there are special aprons for IC for Batman, Elvira and Beatles (maybe a couple more).

Stern hasn’t announced anything other than Pro or Premium kits with replacement aprons.

I really like the look of your plate but would love to see what you could do with a “Bat Scanner” or similar text to integrate it into the theme since home users are going to know what it’s for.

Yes

The SD card is very different from the node board.

If the node board is at issue, that’s definitely a Stern issue

Swapping the SD card is cheap and trivial. Nothing needs to be done as the game will format it correctly.

You can’t even begin to equate the value of a ColorDMD with an IC. The first fundamentally changes the game experience for everyone; the second is a gimmick for a minority.

The Pinnovators folks think that they can make a plate that will fit PinPAC4 and the QR scanner but I didn’t have a scanner to send them when we talked.

Stern made three key, possibly fatal, mistakes;
1) Releasing a half baked product.
2) Not selling kits to early adopters at cost/loss leader
3) Having nothing to appeal to casual users

Any port

The idea of getting a couple for home is getting less and less appealing. No (apparent) improvement in functionality and flaky hardware doesn’t inspire excitement.

Nothing special required for the LE.

Where did those come from?

So could you use a scanner once to get set up at home or is all of the IC function blocked at power on if the scanner node board is not found?