I don’t get it. Beatles is a dream theme for people. I have hundreds of hours in on Beatles research for various projects. I am AMAZED that this is what Stern is showing.

From a marketing standpoint- they used very feminine colors. I get the scheme is accurate for 1964 BUT it looks like a teenage girl’s fan magazine for the Beatles.

From a marketing standpoint- most pinball buyers are male, right? Not being sexist- just pure demographics. Most male Beatles fans I know of acknowledge the early years- but if they have memorabilia or photos from the early years- it doesn’t look like this. It’s stuff from the cavern club. It’s Hard Days Night stills. Usually harder edged and Black and White.

More to the point- most male Beatles fans I know focus on Sgt. Peppers, Magical Mystery Tour, Yellow Submarine, White Album, Revolver, Rubber Soul, and Abbey Road.

So much interesting stuff going on in that era. For a pin that is presumed to be home use only (no coin door- no routing— not to mention the prices are probably too high to let it get slammed around) it doesn’t seem very deep. Not a ton to do on the play field. The spinning disc is interesting but it’s not super innovative. Nothing in the layout to make me want to buy.

For years I imagined a deep game where you work your way through the albums- or famous concerts and performances- with art to match the amazing album artwork we would spend hours studying looking for clues to the Paul Is Dead Mystery. I halfway hoped there would be references to the weird stuff hidden on albums.

If they paid $500 per pin for the license, I don’t understand why they only have a few songs from one era when Rock Band had stuff from every era.

I really am not the guy to come on here and bitch. I’m not normally yelling “Attica! Attica!” I think Franchi is a talented artist. Incredibly so. He was hampered by the way Stern went on this pin.

I would buy a Seawitch reissue. Because it’s Seawitch. Older style games are fine if they’re vintage or cool. I’d buy a Big Shot or a Strikes and Spares reissue. I don’t want a Beatles that isn’t amazing and a Seawitch that isn’t Seawitch.

I feel like this doesn’t work in the art era of Iron Maiden, Deadpool and even Alice Cooper. I think people expect more from a AAA, 5 star, million dollar license. I felt that way with Star Wars too. Another pin that I was afraid I was just going to HAVE to buy when it came out. I know people hear ‘world under glass’ and some just get mad because of association- but that pin WAS missing what I was looking for. I know a lot of people enjoy the way it shoots. It’s a good Ritchie pin. But it didn’t have a carbonite chamber with a frozen Han Solo that would pop up. It didn’t have ‘use the force’ magnets. It didn’t have an ecto- goggles style Spirit of Obi-Wan or Hologram Leia. It didn’t have a Jabba’s throne that slid back to reveal a Rancor monster lower playfield.

Now- I know that all sounds like crazy, over the top stuff- but in this era, for these prices, for the AAA, 5 star licenses- the ones we’ve wanted done a certain way for decades- Star Wars disappointed.

Batman 66’ disappointed initially- but Lyman was able to save it with code.

I don’t think code will save the Beatles. There is no ‘Beatles world under glass.’ I feel like they missed the essence of the Beatles and what they represent to the biggest demographic of pinball buyers.

If Stern is handcuffed by what they can do (as rumored with Star Wars art and now questionable with regards to The Beatles) with a big license- I’d rather see them do amazing things with a cheaper license than disappointing things with a legendary license.

Long story short? I’m saving money.

Good point about Rock Band and economics. Supreme feels different to me. That market buys anything with the name. Brick included. Maybe I’m not familiar with the entire fan base, and certainly there’s literally MILLIONS of Beatles fans and levels of merchandise for all collectors- but unless these things are being shipped for $3,000 - it’s hard to imagine there will be people lining up for Christmas to plunk down thousands for this thing- especially if they see modern pins and what’s available comparatively.

I thought I was both a pinball and Beatles fan but this doesn’t do it for me. It’s a weird feeling. I’m not a Maiden fan, but I was honestly tempted to buy a Maiden. I am a Beatles fan but I am not tempted to buy this Beatles pin in the slightest.

Rumor is that Ringo insisted they go with the early Beatles because that was the real Paul, and not Faul, who replaced Paul after Paul died in a car crash in 1966. All because of royalties, because while Ringo never liked Paul to begin with, he loathed Faul. And now Faul won’t get shit from this game. But that’s created a bit of a stir, because now Faul, knowing full well the Diamond Editions are going to sell for $56,000,000,000 a pop, wants his cut. And he’s threatening to blow the lid off the whole shebang: the truth behind Paul’s death.
Gary took Faul out drinking, tried to cut a deal, but no go. Yoko’s involved, of course, but everyone’s beyond sick of her shit. Kaminkow even took Faul out for a spin in the Bat Mobile. Nada.
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Soooo good! True Beatles fan here. Would’ve loved some creepy, mystery Beatles conspiracy in this pin. Instead we got the very plain, very safe- Ed Sullivan Beatles.

Holy S#!+balls! Sooo good! TheRottenApple? Iamaphoney? Nothing is real forums??? Anyone?

If that’s the case, where’s all of the occult references from ‘the king of cosmania?’

Uh... BS, Levi. A lot of BS in this thread. A lot of it coming from you.

If I go to a Stones concert I expect a few deep cuts, but if they’re not playing the hits- I’m pissed.

This is not an intriguing set list. Not from a Beatles perspective. You wanna get intriguing? Then I expect Revolution 9, Blue Jay Way, Sexy Sadie, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Fixing A Hole... we could get more intriguing. The group of songs on that pin is mundane.

I will see Rob Zombie every time he comes in to the area. I like some deep cuts, but if I don’t hear Dragula, Superbeast, Living Dead Girl, More Human Than Human and Thunder Kiss 65’ every time - I’m gonna be pissed. I’m a HUGE FAN. I don’t go to concerts in a vacuum. I expect to share the artist/concert with friends. I’m not going to expect my friends to be super-enthused with deep cuts.

Was the KISS pin not made for massive KISS fans? Cause the KISS army is pretty rabid. What songs were on that pin? It wasn’t an ‘intriguing’ playlist- it was Rock and Roll All Nite, Lick It Up, Detroit Rock City, Deuce, etc etc. I’m also a huge KISS fan. If those songs weren’t in the pin, I’d be on a forum bitching and questioning why those songs are missing- just like most of us are doing the same about the Beatles pin. If the pin decided to ignore the makeup era that most fans are a fan of and instead concentrate on the unmasked era, I would say that’s a bad marketing move and I wouldn’t be interested in the pin. See the correlation here?

I’m new-ish to this hobby, and I don’t know you personally, Levi- but I’ve seen your stuff on the boards. I get the impression you’re a big fish in the Pinside pond- or maybe you just post a lot. Never had an opinion of your posts either way- but in this thread- $H*+s getting ridiculous.

You’re either the biggest shill I’ve ever seen for a game, or literally enjoying being a huge troll on this thread and taking the piss out of everyone by being a contrarian.

It’s okay to have a different opinion. It’s okay to say, ‘I don’t care what you think, I’m buying the game anyway. I like it and I’m going to enjoy it.’ But we’re at the point where someone makes a valid point- ‘the sky is blue.’ And you’re over here saying ‘no it’s not- it’s green. And the sky is really made for people who like green sky. You don’t know what you’re talking about blue sky people. You’re not a true sky fan. You’re not who the sky is actually for.’

There’s a lot of legitimate Beatles fans, people who would buy these machines and people who can AFFORD these machines on this thread. Potential buyers. The target market. And a big portion of the target market is telling you, they’ve got the money, but no longer the inclination to buy this pin because it disappoints them. But you’re pretending the people on here aren’t buyers.

Maybe you don’t know how you’re coming off to people- but I think I know what you do for a living- so you’re a smart guy. Unless you’re desperately trying to pump and dump this pin, and you’re planning on buying several to re-sell- let it go. You’re not convincing anyone but yourself... and maybe the K-man with a podcast.

The days of pinball speculation (outside of Supreme) are over. This pin, like Deadpool and Iron Maiden and Oktoberfest and Alice Cooper will sell on the merits of the build and features contained in the pin. Not hype. Not speculation. There’s always a few that will buy everything that comes out. But as a Beatles fan and a pinball fan, I can tell you, they’ve misjudged the demographic. The imaginary market you think exists- is infintessimal.

Nah- that’s just all the hot air you’ve been farting out all over this thread