here's a ces 2015 news clip about stern going forward...

http://www.bnn.ca/Video/player.aspx?vid=525172

From what I've heard The Pin isn't a flop. It's just not aimed at the collector market, we're not the audience. And hey, maybe it ends up being a "gateway drug".

What are the sales numbers on The Pin?

Stern does not release any sales numbers.

I would like to see a parts price list of replacement parts for SPIKE.

According to gamespot the new system took out the 20 pounds power supply and replaced it with a 5 lbs alternate. A lot less wiring estimated 2 pounds, less boards 10 pounds, no metal apron 3 pounds.

So that's at least a 40 pounds savings at a minimum comparing to let's say early 2000 era stern games.

*/////// GAMESPOT REVIEW BELOW -- GAME OF THRONES MAYBE??? MMMMM////*
As well gamespot said they have been told that the next games will most likely see "dragons, swords and boobs"

http://www.gamespot.com/videos/pinball-s-glorious-revival-ces-2015/2300-6422988/

I designed a FAST Frame/Rail system a couple years ago to enable swapping games in a cabinet and allow you to do away with a rotisserie when working on them outside of the cabinet. It has been on The back burner while we finished up our new pinball control hardware. Interest has been strong and increasing so we will be producing them for others later this year. There are some posts about it here:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/lets-figure-out-the-bare-minimum-costparts-to-build-a-whitewood/page/2#post-2119558

Aaron
FAST Pinball

If I could buy a Stern SPIKE system game and then down the track buy a populated playfield, translite and cabinet decals to switch to a new game, I'd be a happy man.....too much to ask?

Wow. That is actually a very big deal!

I think this is a little exaggerated....

Maybe a little bit hehe. I'm just glad games are getting lighter! Forgot the brackets replacing the lock mech.

What in the fuck? LOL

It's still laughable...

True dat. I did stretch myself to past $7k on my METLE though, and I never thought I'd go there.

I'd agree. I asked the sales people at 2 stores (where I was working on their game) and they have sold WAY more than I would have guessed. And they sold them last year too and they continue to let them use floor space today.

They're for people with money who have a game room. The kind that walk in and say "I want a pool table, and give me that anniversary edition Ms Pac-Man Galaga, my kids will love that. Oh, and you have pinball? Rad, I'll take that too. Put it on the American Express."

They're not pinheads. They have an electronic dart board that gets used twice a year. The game room is really a "man cave" that people drink beer in and hang out. And hey, a pinball machine, they still make those? Cool.

Well said.

I always wanted to find one so I could play it and see what it is like. Very curious.

Id play a "the pin" If I ever saw one... Hell if it was a good/fun game i wouldnt hesitate to buy for a good price. But the prices ive seen are out of the world way too high. And goodness they are ugly...

I think they ought to lower the price, make the cabinet/backbox look less cheap and more like a mini pinball... and sell them in more visible places....

Maybe it would get the target demographic down from stupid filthy rich that just figure "eh, why not throw in a pin for the summer home.." Better to target the "doing well" peeps with 2 or 3 kids that want some family activities. Theyd be willing to spend about the same as a week family vaca to have family time at home...

Im thinking $2000 ish, an attractive cabinet design, and get 5 or 10 of them in every sams/costco.

There will be One at the Arcade Expo
This weekend , Avengers

I have the Wwe pro and from what I can tell
stern is making them cheaper ( less in them)
But not passing savings on to consumers

Less means cheaper to me

Again, they could be paying for R&D. Any place that I've worked, usually you have to justify making changes through cost savings (to pay both for the tooling, and your salary to design those changes). The only way we can sometimes get away with it without lower cost is if a tool is getting worn out, so as long as they're paying for a new tool why not make some improvements. Stern is also not making millions of units like many big companies are, so making big changes like this has a bigger impact. Let's also not forget that Stern is moving into their new building soon, which I'm sure is costing a pretty penny to fix up, build multiple production lines, etc. That money has to come from somewhere. Not that Stern isn't doing well, but they are spending some serious money these days. My only hope is that all that investment eventually gets paid off so that they can lower costs, but nothing is going to drive them to do so unless sales go down, or the competition offers something comparable at a better price (which is very difficult from a volume standpoint).

New tooling yes...but you also have to account for tools that they have used for decades...like the dimple press from Williams! that machine has been dimpling playfields for the last + 30 years! They don;t make them like they use to i guess Everything toyotaboy said is logical...but I'm sure some of that money is riding the gravy train

Its a company whose purpose is to make money. Stop complaining that they have cut costs, which makes them more likely to stay in business, and gives them more leeway to increase quality without increasing prices when needs dictate.

Shesh.

Here's what a Stern game will look like in 2021 based on their cost-cutting trends.

stern-2021.png

Deposit sent!

All State Billiards. Its a gameroom/man cave supply store. There are a few around here.