Caught that to. Interesting.

He should do an F-35 Lightning game.

I was in that exchange and it's pretty irreverent. I think it's just Steve screwing with us. As much as a BK3K would kick all of the ass!

Maybe stern is seeing the good reviews of DI and with alot of ppl going crazy about TNA they might feel a non licensed game could payoff right now and save them a ton of money.....They could call it "Bait and Switch the ultimate fisherman"

Was just about to say the same thing!

I like how you guys think.

If Steve did a Black Knight 3000 It would almost be like a licensed theme, with the license being "Steve Ritchie". Most pinheads know Ritchie games and are familiar with iconic Black Knight and Black Knight 2000. A sequel to those games would have street cred just by the name alone.

Yep you all have heard of Dialed In... Now get ready for Steve Ritchie's next big hit. Dialed Up!

HEY JJP You GOT MAIL

aol (resized).jpg

Really a few down votes. Just a joke I own Dialed in and enjoy playing it. Stop taking everything so serious.

When Steve Ritchie spoke at California extreme this past summer he mentioned enthusiasm at an unlicensed game in the future. It was vague but I could tell he was excited about something unlicensed.

Grain of salt. But.
I noticed and
I am also excited to see what he comes up with next. The immediate next one And the one after that too.

We already have BK3K

(GOTLE)

As much as I'd like to see a third Black Knight or High Speed, I think we've reached the critical tipping point in pinball where it'd be best to just come up with something entirely new. I think the market can handle it. Besides, a 3rd black knight or high speed or firepower will be so heavily compared to the games before it, it'd be tough to please people with everyone wearing rose tinted nostalgia glasses.

Either way any unlicensed theme is good in my book. Especially if it's coming from Ritchie.

Black Knight and BK2K are Bally Williams licensed themes, so is High Speed and Getaway HS2.
His next pin is a complete original idea. His words from California extreme talk.

Ha! Steve is a Preacher fan. that's rad!

I always felt like No Fear was pretty much as close to Black Knight 3k as we would ever get in terms of layout.

In the overall cost of a game, the license is a relatively tiny portion of that.

Its much more difficult to create non-licensed games and there is a big chance customers might not like the theme. Stern plays it safe by securing good themes that resonate with a good variety of people. Unless Stern finds an original that is already done and they can just convert it to spike (like whoa nellie) you won't see an original anytime soon from Stern.

I don't really care what the theme is as long as it's not some stripped down game with mediocre features. DI just looks amazing, plays well, and is full of interesting features. TNA is kind of basic but still a lot of attention to detail, great music, cool retro vibe, etc. I've been really disappointed with SR latest pins. They are ok but just that - ok. Maybe there are valid reasons such as higher production costs but don't think better art, more attention to detail, and such cost that much.

I hope it is an original theme. That would force them to up their game I think.

It's been said before, but I'm curious, how many people would have bought SW if it was an original theme?

If Stern starts making original themes then pinball is back in its prime again. It is simply the best direction pinball can go. It will confirm its universal popularity.

Hopefully it helps him get his creativity back, the man is capable of a lot more than his recent projects.

His best years might be behind him. I love his 80's-90's pins the best myself. He is not getting any younger, maybe it is time to retire. Pinball could really use some new blood.

Just because something isn't a license doesn't make it compelling or exciting, ideas are ideas, good or bad, original or taken from a film or whatever, and you can't make everyone happy with a theme either way.

That said, if Stern was willing to do unlicensed games that's the most exciting thing I've heard about them in ages. Even if it's a game I don't personally like I'd definitely respect them more for trying.

I dunno dude, SW aside (I haven't played it more than a few times now) Star Trek and GOT were both pretty fun.

That said, he does have a "style" these days you really haven't seen him break out of since what, WPT? Still, I think SR has gas in the tank, he just needs to get a little crazy.

you all read too much into facebook posts. If I had to guess, he IS building an unlicensed whitewood, and then someone is going to slap art on it with a licensed theme.

Agreed. I was just discussing recently how the shot geometries on ST and GOT just gel for a lot of us. Sure, except for the Warp Ramp, both of those layouts are basically fan layouts. But SR has a knack for where shots go from typical contact points on flippers and then how to have the lanes 1-2' away align perfectly with them to minimize the clunky-factor. Compare that to something like BM66 where I can't get a constant feel for the ramps at all.

I'd love to see a full-on 2017 SR design, before Stern neuters it. Some of those SW pencil drawings looked bad ass. Take away BoM/cost constraints and let him go to town. New blood and new ideas aren't ever a bad thing, but to say SR doesn't have much in the tank is ridiculous. Dude is designing geometries, not running decathlons.

When is Stern going to be making the third Elvira pin? I thought that Trudeau's next pin was supposed to be coming after SW, which may or may not be true now.

Probably a year out still.

Not sure if the landscape has changed but according to some posts I read here yesterday from 5-6 years ago Gary Stern supposedly said that with unlicensed titles overseas will order a few and see how it goes vs. With A licensed title they might order $400k worth. Also a license from that time added 5-7% to the cost of a game.

A great theme is on about the only great feature left on Stern pins nowadays. Imagine a Stern dialed in with only the mick on a stick toy and 3 drop targets with unfinished gamecode.

Yeah... that will be fun!

Metallica was almost an original theme. Yes, band pin, but unique approach, with personality. Hand drawn art, original callouts, toys invented just for the game.

Great code, inline drops, multiple magnets, metal ramps. Great dots, no movie clip smears or 3D models, amazing hand drawn animation.

One of my favorite pins. Only LE I own.

Stern is full of talented people who can do great work. I just don't feel they have the support to do it.

I'm hearing 6 months. Should be the first game of 2018, and shown off at TPF.

But who knows?

They might show something at TPF but I expect Expo 2018.