This is good news. What are the odds Stern can focus on improving game codebase??

That is what I hope for.

I just wonder whether "Export Market Allocation" means more coming or less... because it is already less than a trickle for non new cornerstone games.

This is the way

This is needed and will help with prices.

Bond isn’t a cornerstone

Rush
Bond
Cornerstone 2

3 games, just like last year right?

They know that cannot compete with Homepins "Spinal Tap"

Or they can simply print money without investing a dime in R&D of new titles for 2 years.

I'm thinking this is more the case.

I think Stern has nearly done a complete 180 on how they treat code, that started a few years back. Some games took forever to get updates (Ghostbusters and Munsters…) but they got it done and then some.

Other games have received regular updates to complete code and then all LCD games have been updated to support Insider Connected with additional polish. Hopefully more updates are to come for existing LCD games as it helps increase the value of games as well as increases customer confidence for future purchases.

Sign me up. Maybe I'm in the minority but I can't keep up with the constant releases. Maybe it's because I play league, but once I finally feel like I start to find the shots and get into the rules a bit, another title is out and its on to the next thing. I love pinball but it's starting to feel like diminishing retuns when so many games are constantly coming out. Probably a big ol first world problem to be sure, but it will be nice to be able to dig into some of these new titles a bit more before the next one comes out and everyone moves on.

If Stern actually listened to pinball nerds’ business advice, they would have gone under within a month of pinside’s launch.

I doubt this move is because of the bitching and purely because they are a manufacturer that can't keep up with demand so why continue to introduce new product (that costs money to develop)?

Next they need to step back the pricing. Glad they are putting the effort into producing current releases instead of focusing on future releases that will add to the backlog.

The wait for months if not year stopped me from buying NIB from stern. I want to discover the game when the hype is there. Not waiting forever and trying to avoid spoilers on youtube or twitch.

I am just amazed that there is so much demand even with the jacked up prices. Hope you LE buyers are ready. Less titles means more FOMO.

It's a good start. They should cancel the second game of the year as well, fulfill their backlog, and then vault some of the games that have skyrocketed in value in recent years. We really don't need any new games right now. If we could just get the games that we actually want at a reasonable price...

The problem with just backlog/vault titles is, how do you keep the design teams employed and busy?

Maybe they have a hard time hiring and retaining design team employees right now.

Here's an idea... Maybe they should put all those design team hours into fewer games and make the games better. Or maybe have them work on things to be released down the road. There's nothing wrong with having a bunch of content on deck. If you're just cranking out games to stay on a schedule, you have to question the quality of those games. Even if the games are good, what does it matter if you can't build them?

It's like if they announced Playstation 6 right now while people still can't get a PS5. Gotta keep the design team busy, right?

You do?
I'm not sure pooling a bunch of people on Elwin games is gonna help; in fact I'd say its general consensus its not needed.
Borg is going to make his "rush time warp tour" thru his and Lawlors layouts; so that isnt going to chnage. Lyman wasn't going to be able to save him this time anyway...so maybe pollkng more people to him might help I guess.
SR is gone, whom else is there? Danger making a real release upcoming?

Def the worst "let's put stern out of business this year" idea we've heard in a while.

I don't see how more people on a design team for one game = "better games." All of the "best games" you've ever played were made by design teams of a similar size. That's how pinball has worked for about 35 years.

The Flintsones movie had about 30 people working on the script, how did that turn out?

Pretty sure that's how every successful large-scale manufacturing company on the planet operates. They have a schedule, they stick to it, and they crank them out, and they stay in business.

Seems like you think Stern and all of us would be better off if they fire most of their staff and embrace the "boutique model?"

I applaud this move as i have been waiting patiently for my JP premium build. Hoping they can spend time balancing the scoring on TMNT. Stern said fewer cornerstones, does that include home pins?

This probably has more to do with the uncertain economic outlook. I'm not necessarily referring to the Russian invasion..I'm referring to the current inflation and coming rate hikes. They are fully aware the demand will probably drop some....no one knows how big that drop will be. The last thing they want to do is to get caught with a bunch of money tied up in IP, engineering and parts they can't move. Smart for them to slow downs and take a breather and see where things go. This is not about listening to the consumer....it's about their bottom line and long term projections, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

They didn't listen to us. They listened to the thought of having a license but not being able to maximize their profits on said license due to a huge backlog of games with expiring licenses.

Why would you keep buying licenses if you cannot produce the amount of product you want and maximize your profits?

If you think this is about your subjective wants, you are soooooooooorrrelly mistaken.

I am as well. Was not long ago half these games would set for months and not sell at half the prices they are going for now.

Oh yeah….maiden got made because we kept pushing for it

Well….we bitched and moaned loud and long enough for Kiss code to get updated and it finally did. Stern does lurk on here so well aware of what is discussed on here.

Maiden was asked for multiple times….the artwork is very iconic, and for the most part music pins sell if you pick the right bands.

For those of us who are caught up on titles and like new games this was a bad idea from stern. My money is now going to CGC, JJP, P3 instead. Yes their backlog is a problem for all the new hobbyists coming in (thats old business) yes its revenue but no new title til August is bad for new business . Stern just shot themselves in the foot. Imagine if car companies skipped years for new releases of the same vehicles.

Not a coincidence that's when timballs arrived.

If you listen to people on here, every single thing Stern does or doesn't do is simultaneously the best and worst thing ever done or not done.

nah, if you read the press release Gary claimed it was because of Insider Connect demand that NIB demand went up so much. W T F.

They do. Maybe for different reasons, but they do.

I’m at the point where it is taking so long to get new machines that I’m questioning whether I should just do without them and focus on other hobbies.

All Stern did was delay their release schedule….smart move as at some point they have to catch up on the backlog. Customers purchasing games want them now….not a year from now. A 3-6 month wait is not horrible but easy to lose orders with delivery times of 6 months to 1 year out. These are luxury items and not essential items/parts needed for a business that has no option. If parts delays/production capacity can’t reduce the current backlog at some point delivery times for future releases and backlogged orders will be even longer so there is a acceptable target delivery they want to reach. Release schedule can be adjusted once backlog schedule is reduced.

If I were to bet, it’s not production capacity but parts delays being the bottleneck. We know other industries/manufacturers have parts delays/shortages so it’s an educated guess.

And with this move there may be additional time to polish 1-2 of the next titles to be released. Plenty of work for design teams to do for the next 6 months and maybe even have more complete code at the time of the release of these titles.

Stern knows the ins and outs of licensing contracts so I wouldn’t worry about that.

Oh they 100% care about what we think and want. And I agree Maiden is exhibit A for this. I’m also 100% sure they get a good laugh about all the expert pinball manufacturers on Pinside who like to tell them how to run their business. I’ll gladly raise a glass to Stern because I’m stoked that they’re crushing it enough to have to make a decision like this. Cheers!

Done! I’ll keep working on my tolerance until then.

Edit: great to see you back here too, we needed more Gryszzz

Nice to see the flippers of some 8k pros and 12k premiums take em’ down a notch today.

Demand is high!!!! To damn high. It was never like this. Not even in the 90's

So, stern took a bunch of orders for games, held deposits, and kept making new games banking on the existing orders for old games which couldn’t be canceled? Is that the jist of all this? Im a little confused here. Or could the orders be cancelled? I tried to order an Iron Maiden premium and was told it’s like a year wait. I said no.

Is stern running 1 or 2 assembly lines? I would think that with the back log they could run 2 lines yet can they find enough employees to run 2 lines not to mention fulfill parts/raw materials.

I'm a nerd for efficiency and manufacturing. Id love to see the ins and outs of their assembly line/supply etc. Balancing act as you are juggling ton of variables. Can you keep enough parts to run 1 line let alone 2. Because a line goes down due to parts shortage you have employees that are hourly.

Think ford. Model t took 12 hrs from start to finish on assembly line when 1st introduced. Through streamlining the process, by end of production run it was down to 90 minutes.

They run 2 physical lines in the plant, but they are not duplicates. They have different tasks set for each station. They will often run one pin on one line and a different pin through the other stations.....thus working on 2 or more themes at the same time.\

Stern doesn't take deposits; distros do.