the problem with that is the EAs predated cointaker even being involved with dutch pinball. why would cointaker want to take on burden of dealing with the folks that they never took any money from or had as a customer. the beef should be with Dutch for not holding any back or offering EAs the chance prior to handing allotments to cointaker

LOL

Who's mad at CT? Personally I'd have liked DP to have reached out to the EAs through the NSN instead of selling the lot through CT... but like I say, maybe it was the quickest and easiest way to get the lot moved...

Safest way. Did you want to wire DP 12.5K and hope you get one after losing so much already?

Presumably DP, who CT is coordinating with on this sale, has that list. Seems like something that could have been resolved with one, maybe two emails.

Is there anyone in this thread who’s advocating to blame CT for DP’s sins? Clearly CT isn’t a villain here. Just would have been nice if they’d offered any games not claimed by CT preorders to the EAs first before opening them to the general public.

Aurich - To @fosaisu's point, CT was coordinating the shipping of the EA games once they landed stateside. Let's not forget that CT also met with the 2nd contract manufacturer via Skype back in September 2017. That was when Barry was gloating how 2018 was going to be an awesome year for all 3 companies. <insert "Price is Right" loser horn>

Ironically, this week marks the 3rd-year anniversary of when the first 21 games got shipped to the US.

I get it... even though I'd have paid 12.5k, I'd have only done so if the game was in my hands as I hand over the cash... which I'm sure is how any other EAs who'd be prepared to pay for the game again would like to handle it... which would have been a logistical nightmare of course... anyway, they're gone now... I wonder if any of the lucky 40 who managed to call CT soon enough were EAs...

I know of one.

Hopefully the $500k can get things settled and somehow this game goes back into production . Be nice too see the EA guys get there games at what the originally we’re going to pay or close to

Let's not give them false hope.

Stern should pick this up and run with it.....

Why would they? It's an expensive license, fraught with legal issues and previously burned buyers, it's insolvent/in the hole from the get-go, built on a different system and software... That's not how you stay in business, by picking up these kind of headaches.

Unlikely financial feasibility aside, I don't see TBL as a Stern game. Not in its current more expensive looking Bally/Williams-like form anyway.

A cheaper, more generic (typical Stern) looking TBL would be better than no TBL at all I guess, but still ...

If Stern built it sorry but I would pass on it !

You know that Stern built the MMRs right? If stern picked up TBL (they won't), it would be built using the parts DP used. In what way would it be cheaper and more generic?

If Stern contract manufactured TBL (which they might not even do anymore after MMR) they would use whatever parts they were supposed to. If they made it for themselves, they'd use Stern parts. They wouldn't use non-Stern flipper mechs and targets and they sure as heck wouldn't buy P3 boards when they have node boards at a much lower price. All of this really just makes me think they'd never touch it.

On a Stern platform!!!metal back box
And that Mickey Mouse lockdown to start won’t cut it

I like well built things , Sorry Stern lovers

Seems like CGC would be a more natural fit to make these, with their experience using Williams parts. I was told there are parts for up to 40 more and the initial 300 number is still on the radar. I wonder if CT might contract with ARA to complete more as well. Hope it happens after all this is settled.

So when are these machines getting shipped? Or have they already shipped

I think folks should play this game again, back when it came out it was interesting but now with so many other games out there it hasn’t aged so well!

I think that’s mainly due to the software which apparently is going to be updated if you believe what DP have recently said.

The machine itself is still very impressive and the light show, particularly in attract mode, is amongst the best out there.

Edit: The software isn’t bad, it’s just not as interesting / layered as many modern games. Its very much like a B/W game as far as modes, progression etc.

If Stern built it, at least there would be a game to pass on.

4633000725_8817dcedb9_b (resized).jpg

Not sure why that cartoon is in my post that was from a post in the other thread. It is a live view of DP's accountants creating the funding plan...

They have accountants?

Of coarse they do! Well know high dollar ones!

DB083D48-1A23-495B-BBF9-24F8A93F32A6 (resized).jpeg

I believe this will continue to be a BBB type of value as long as a remake does not happen. (In both machines cases). The cult movie and cult following of this saga (just like BBB saga) make it desirable.

Recent hype on JP2 will fade over time (although I like what I see) - as it does with all new honeymoon machines.

Does anyone have a link to the podcast done yesterday with Barry?

In a perfect world the EA's could/should have been offered an option to buy one of the 40 games. They would have then been able to on sell it for a $8000 profit thus recovering their initial investment. Or they could have kept it and still have a game worth $20K - almost the same as their total outlay.

But there were more than 40 fully paid EA's by the sound of it. So at some point most EA's would have lost out.

No matter how you cut up this steaming turd, someone ends up with sh*t.

No podcast available yet that I'm aware of.

It was to have been done by Martin Ayub and Jonathan Joosten so my guess is it will be posted on the Pinball News web site when completed.

Sorry, my mistake... it might be today...

First paragraph, 100 % totally agree with...

2nd paragraph: I doubt 40 EAs would have coughed up another 12.5 anyway... but I get your point.

3rd paragraph: That's only true if the plan which I believe DP have doesn't work out... DP now see that these games sell like hot-cakes at 12.5k... with this selling price they should be able to rack up enough spare cash to make the games for the EAs relatively quickly and give them the games they've paid for...

Just remember, when all the EA’s get their games in the future. The 40 buyers of these games from ARA will happily take that thank you.

The same 40 buyers should also be giving that thank you to the EAs for funding the games they bought in the first place

I don't believe any more TBLs will ever be made. I hope I'm wrong.

Based on?????

Your psychosis is very vivid, the name fits!

I predict no more games will be made. EA’s without games just lost the only asset they could have grabbed onto.

Y’all need to be more positive.

So who is making the games that EAs will be getting?

The 40 buyers of the ARA games are key to the EA's ever having a chance at restitution. And I'm glad they bought them to give this effort a chance. But let's not pretend they bought those games out of charity for others. They bought them out of self interest.

The reason for purchase doesn’t change the fact that it’s the only hope for EA’s. Still a reason for positivity imo. There is still a chance. Which is good. If I was an EA I would be happy that my chances went from 0 to something above that is all I’m saying. Time will tell I guess. Wish ya the best.

I thought these "new" units were supposed to ship beginning of August... any updates? Melissa?

How? Isnt the money from this sale going to be used to satisfy the DP debt to ARA? Nobody in their right mind is going to work with DP again. I mean, who doesn't hope its going to happen? Please see RTR meme above.

That's a question for Barry and hopefully his podcast will shed some light on it. I'm just hopeful that he finds a way and EA's will be taken care of.

Disagree. If games are boxed and sitting inside Cointaker or Nitro's warehouse for immediate shipping, they will sell and I think sell very well.

DP owes 150 games that have been paid in full. They are about 1.3 million in debt with no assets. Who in their right mind would partner with them?

One asset -> TBL license expiring at end of 2019 - allegedly. Value of license today ? and value on 01/01/20 is $0.

For those believing the license has already expired, value of license today is already $0.

Who in their right mind will pre-pay DP for a pinball machine now? They'll only sell further games if they're sitting in a box ready to deliver. And who is going to pay the manufacturer to have those games built?

Well, to be Devil's Advocate here...Barry could go to potential partners, and say/show them "Look, we just sold 40 units in minutes basically, at 12.5k a pop. The demand for this game is there."

Now...I'm not saying this would work, or that any manufacturer would go for it, I'm just saying, he has something to present, currently.

Barry's opening all the boxes all filling them with his dirty laundry... The whites.