Man we are a mellow crew of dudes. Nice video compadre I take great comfort in that. Schlaggin' the way the code is shaping up.

Great video, this game is shaping up nicely.

Thanks for sharing - perhaps the most convincing TBL video I have seen so far. Most shots feel satisfying - as if I could enjoy the spinner myself just by watching. Good to see the rug working. The rules seem straightforward, which is a good thing (settings for each character seemed relatively easy, right?). Videos are very helpful and well integrated. Congrats to all achievers!

Finally got to see the rug in action - yeah. Agree match sequence is a good one.

Thanks for sharing !! Def looking more polished since TPF! Code concerns fading fast!!

Awesome video!!! I don't know what to do

Yeah and I saw your question earlier.. It's tough. Many of the people in the club, myself included, paid $8500 and paid for it in installments starting in Dec,2013 when it was just the theme. It's now a year late from original ship date so those that are still in on the game want to see it through. So, not the place for totally unbiased opinions.

Ghostbusters looks good too, been debating on selling IJ and NGG to add GB premium to TBL and go to 2 games.

Made a short gameplay video of my machine. Vid start with the Nihilist Showdown and some charmanter MB action later on...

Machine runs code version 0.41. New code update is expected next week! will provide update on that too.

.. Never mind ..

For the nihilist showdown, Doing the light show that introduces the mode for the entire mode would be cool as well.. Visually distracting

Have been checking the last vid, but it is the same...

Have been opting for during Nihilist Showdown to put all GI out/low and light some red insert around the flipper area so you get nihilist multiball in the dark! Will fit the scene perfectly and most probably make it in future software updates

I can only base an opinion on watching videos of each, but they both look like they'll be great games to own and you won't go wrong either way. If I could only have one, TBL would be my personal choice as I like the theme better and DP has done a fantastic job with unique features, artwork, and video display. The jury is still out on the code, but I'm confident that the final product will shine as well.

That said, GB is less expensive and you'll probably be able to get it a lot sooner. Given TBL's current slow production rate, I'd probably go for a GB if I were looking at both fresh, as you are, and wanted to acquire one in the short term.

So if a person were to order The Big Lebowski now, what sort of wait times would we be probably looking at to get one?

Thanks for the videos

Love the mystery award and match animations.

Now just imagine if they could produce 100 of these every week. 2 weeks and all the pre-orders would be done. I'm greedy, I know

As long as they reach their goal and are able to do 10 every week, I am happy.

The wait is tough, but hey, as long as there is progress, there is no reason to complain.

Looking forward to some more footage of the new code when it drops

Hard to say really - the first machines started shipping around a month ago, and mine (number 8, which I ordered within 10 minutes or so of the pre-order becoming available in December 2013) is due to be shipped this week. They do plan to speed up production, but there are 180+ machines pre-ordered so there will be a bit of a backlog to get through.

I'd imagine that if you were to order one now you'd be looking at the end of this year or early next year, but that's very much a guess. If you're interested it may be worth contacting Cointaker and asking them?

Cool, we have Nitro Amusements distributing it here in Canada. I'm afraid to start talking to Tommy at Nitro about it, because then I might actually get crazy enough to buy one! Ha!

Good question. Dutch Pinball is probably the only one that can answer that accurately and they haven't issued any official production updates since their initial preliminary schedule provided in February.

I will give the instrumentals a chance. Already in the videos I see more variety of music now, so it's coming along. Plus they can up tempo the music to sort of liven it up as well. Possible the originals might be a little too mellow.

But yes, I will be curious to how locked down the music tracks are. I would presume it'll be open. I mean, stern seems to have made the call to not take extra measures to protect it (they had opportunity with Spike, but pinball browser easily adapted)

Thanks for the video very nice to see. I did get the opportunity to play PDX Monkeys for hours last week before we drove down to Pinagogo. I will first say, I have had my money down in full since the beginning so you can take what you want from this however I was on the fence about keeping my position.......not anymore. The shots are extremely satisfying and the the flow is as good as many of the top flowing machines out there. This machine, if done right, will be a very fun pin to hold for long period of time. I was wondering from the current owners why the carpet, when hit directly, does not seem to move back on many occasions. I believe it must not register during certain times? I really hope for 10k, they spend the resources to program this thing to the hilt because as far as I am concerned the game is a blast to shoot and it deserves it.

I played it at yegpin , loved it , loved the sounds , the callouts . I found as the day wore on , the flippers definitely got weak .

Right flipper was getting stuck sometimes when i held it when i was shooting my video, but for the sake of the video i tried not to hold it for long so it at least looked like it was working ok. It got a lot of play that weekend, more than it will ever get in someone's private collection.

Thanks man! Is there any concerns about Dutch Pinball as being a reliable pinball maker? Very little on them. Are they just a one off maker or is this there start and they intend to move on to build other machines?

There are no guarantees with new pinball manufacturers. Recent history has shown that and it has been a roller coaster ride with TBL since it made its big debut at Expo 2014. Things have settled into a long slow final development of the game since the Phil (former DP partner) debacle in early 2015, but TBL will not be a sure thing until all pre-orderers have received their games and it lives up to set expectations.

Other than TBL, DP has completed a well received reprogramming and display upgrade for Bride of Pinbot. They have not yet announced their next game although they supposedly plan to make more. Their stated focus has been finishing TBL first.

I, and many other pre-orderers, have invested in TBL because we love the theme, we want to see this game succeed, and we believe in DP. That said, I would not presume to tell you whether you should bank $10K on TBL and DP or not. Lots of history here on Pinside though to help you decide. Good luck with your decision!

They have not talked about future plans in any detail other than there is a future.. Further, They don't talk much about anything at all.. Their communication sucks, know that above all . They are a no news till good news kind of outfit, and even the good news takes us harassing them to pry it free.

Things used to not be this way, but there was a meltdown on pinside by their marketing guy and they didn't replace him and since then they just keep stuff close to the chest (trust issues maybe now?). However, not all is bad.. If I get antsy (I try to keep it to once a month or less), and email Jaap or Barry, I do get a response at least.

I have read and heard that the carpet needs to get hit with a certain speed of the ball, which is monitored by optos, so not all hits would register as a ''full'' hit.
Not sure if this feature is still in but it would explain..

If you order TBL now, you are probably going to wait 9 months to get it - Spring of 2017. If you order an Alien and want to wait for an LE, it will probably be next Spring or Summer 2017 before it shows up. If you reserved a RZ but were a week late to jump onboard, you will be waiting until next Spring also. Spring next year Stern will still be running GB premium & MMr. So if you didn't already order one of the above and want one, plan on sitting by for a little bit. That's ok, let code develop while you start saving money. Try saving $500 a month for 10 months if you want one of these nib pins and you'll have half what you need come Spring 2017.

TBL looks solid and instrumental music is ok. I still want ability to swap in original score before I purchased one. Meaning - lack of swappable music is a deal breaker. Jury is still out on how that ends up. Price is a concern too, I'll be watching code develop until it gets to the point I feel game is worth $10k. Every video shows a little more and gets incrementally better.

There is no reason for them to not allow pinball browser to do its thing.

Gotta be able to replace that instrumental crapola. I realize they had no choice and did the best they could with it but its gotta go.

Maybe you have to hit the rug x amount of times before it does its thing?

The Dude doing the callouts sounds pretty weak and depressing? Hard to tell not hearing it in person but combine that with the instrumentals and that seems to be the weakest aspect of TBL right now imho.

Production at one per week right now and #8 getting his next week. At least pins are being delivered. Plenty of time to get code polished up.

Everytime I see some new footage with new code implemented I'm impressed how well all the various elements have been integrated into this game. If games could be ranked on best theme integration TBL will be a 10 out of 10 in my book.

I think the music is really well done. It's hard to say without a direct comparison but it might actually integrate into gameplay better and feel less repetitive than the original songs with lyrics. I like that they made music especially for the pin, it must have been a tonne of work. The call-outs are great, as is the narration. The whole package just makes me smile, and it seems that there is a lot more to come. Well done DP!

The Nihlist Showdown music is amazing! It sounds like their boom box music from the movie but with "We...believe....in nothing" lyrics lol. So good!

No pussy shots at the rug Dude... You need to hit the Rug with some substantial force to get it registered. Had none malfunctions on the rug toy so far!

On the music; those instrumentals are indeed very well done! So far there are a couple of them in and hopefully more get implemented with future code.

But I would prefer having the option to insert the originals too AND switch between both by a flick of the button.

Do we know yet how the software is updated? If it's similar to Stern - ie download file to PC and transfer it over - then hopefully a solution similar to pinball browser is possible.

I would think it could be done (now or eventually) through wifi....

Pinball browser does not work and is not needed on a P-ROC game. The audio files are single files and can be copied/replaced if you know the names and locations on the disc. The sound/music that was in the most recent video is very much improved from the last time I played it. Give it time until its done, they are moving in the right direction to a wonderful soundtrack.

With Dutch Pinball's Bride 2.0 you can either do code updates over WiFi in the settings or download and install from a USB stick. I've done all mine via WiFi, it's pretty slick. Tracking your scores online is is cool too. I feel integrating WiFi and player profiles into pins like Golden Tee golf has done for years opens up a whole new area for pinball.

Got the email today - my machine is ready and will be collected on Thursday. Should be with me Monday or Tuesday next week. Very exciting.

Nice, great machine Dude! I was sad when i had to finally walk away from it. Then i couldn't get the music and call outs out of my head for like a week!

For those anxiously waiting like myself, got word from the man himself a NSNL will be out next couple of days with what I found to be quite a positive update on the shipping container and the estimate for it heading out packed with games! I won't steal the thunder but made me excited, fingers crossed!

Sounds promising. Hoping that the news is that they have upped the production to 10 every week

'The Dude Abodes' is their motto. In Madison WI. They'll probably need one for the lobby.

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Somebody is l having fun with his TBL . I think he was, not serialno, delivery no. 3.

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So, I just checked the Dutch Pinball forum for the first time in ages, and there is a post from Koen with instructions as to how the software update will work:

How will you receive your updates:
- When a new update becomes available we will e-mail the download link and changelog to all The Big Lebowski™ Pinball owners (for the machines that have shipped).

USB Update instructions:
- Download the .zip file of the latest software version (without renaming the file and without extracting the zip - some browsers have a setting to do this automatically, so disable that if needed).
- Copy this .zip file to the root (meaning not in a subfolder) of a USB memory stick.
- Start your pinball machine and insert your USB memory stick in a free USB port of the computer in the backbox.
- Enter the Service Menu and go down to "Software Menu" -> "USB Update".
- Now you'll see a list of the available versions on your USB memory stick that are not yet installed. Select the version you want to install.
- Wait for "downloading" and "installing" to finish. The menu will then jump to where you can "Select" the new version.
- Select the new version and confirm the NO / YES question by pressing the "right" (Volume +) button.
- The game will restart using the new code.

Good to know:
- All your profiles, settings, highscores, audits etc. will carry over when you update to a newer version.
- The most recent change log will always be available here: http://www.dutchpinball.com/tbl/software/changelog.txt

If you encounter any specific problems with your software update, please e-mail us at [email protected] with a detailed description of the problem you are experiencing.

Out of curiosity I clicked on the link to the changelog, and it details software 0.43 - whereas the machines that have shipped to date have 0.41. So, one can assume that the incoming software update adds the following:

--- Official The Big Lebowski Version Change Log by Dutch Pinball ---

Version 0.43 (xx-05-2016)

Rules:
- Implemented Rug Modes rules, music & intro lightshows.
- Rug & Bowling skillshots now lite those respective modes (if not lit yet).
- "Mark It Zero" can now be skipped.
- Added possibility to cancel starting "Character Multiball" with the launch
button, so it's safer to collect "Mark It Zero" and "Let's Go Bowling".
- Multiball jackpot value now is increased with each jackpot.
- Light Lock targets are now blocked while Lock is lit (in other words lit
locks can't be stacked).
- Added setting "Adjustment Menu -> Rules -> White Russian Targets" with
options "Precise", "Forgiving" and "Always add ingredient". Defaults to
"Forgiving" which spots a neighbour target if the actual hit target is lit.
- During multiball, "Let's Go Bowling" can't be progressed towards anymore.
- If 0 points are scored the ball is always saved.

Assets:
- Updated rug mode intros and outros.
- Added Multiball jackpot animations.
- Added "Character mode ready" animation when spelling the last letter.
- Added knocker sound to Match sequence.
- Updated some switch & icon sounds.
- Updated coloring of in-game fonts, service mode & miscellaneous.

Improvements:
- A new game can now be started during the Match sequence.
- Shots with multiple purposes now only show the most relevant visual.
- Repeated incidental icons (top right) will now re-use the previous icon so
the screen doesn't get spammed with the same icon.
- Reduced Bowling pins default pulse time & setting range.
- The launch button can now also be used in profile screens in addition to
the start button. Also added more button sounds to these screens.
- Added Switch Checklist test.
- Switched right inlane & outlane switch addresses to match correct wiring.
- Added setting "Adjustment Menu -> Rules -> Ball Saver Length".

Bugfixes:
- Ballsaver would sometimes serve multiple balls.
- Rug would move all the way back at start of ball without cause.
- A new music track would be started in between "Let's Go Bowling" and
"Character Multiball" start.
- Rug mode arrows would be visible during multiball play.
- Rug wouldn't always move forward when Multiball was started.
- Various scoop & saucer lights would show lit modes that couldn't be
started during multiball play.
- Match sequence music wasn't very audible; now the Game Over music starts
after the Match sequence.
- Scores could be displayed duplicated from other players during highscore
screens and match sequence.

...and many more tweaks & improvements.

Version 0.42 (xx-05-2016)

Bugfixes:
- Hard disk space check was not checking the correct partition.

Looks promising!

Check your email inbox for the NSNL!

NSNL just landed!

As you may already know the first The Big Lebowski™ Pinball games have arrived at the first achievers. Our goal is now to ramp up production as fast as we can so everybody will soon get their game. We hope the shipment of the first container with 21 games for the US will leave the factory as soon as possible.

Here are some pictures of the first games that have been delivered to the first achievers!

TBL #2 in The Netherlands:

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TBL #3 in the US

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TBL #5 in Sweden:

unnamed_(2)_(resized).png

Production has moved
In the first weeks of production, we found out that we needed more space. That’s why we moved the production to another hall at our production facility. New people were hired as well and they now are fully trained for building (parts of) the games.

unnamed_(1)_(resized).jpg

The factory builds the games and pre-tests them according to our (very thorough) testing procedure. After this, we (Dutch Pinball) test the machine as well. Yesterday we tested and boxed game #9. Next Monday, TBL #10, #11 and #12 will be ready to be tested. When a game passes the test we will contact the achiever to ask what type of shipment he prefers.

We realize the amount of games that have been built might not seem like a lot, but we are confident that in the next couple of weeks the ‘rate per week’ will go up as we – and the factory – are getting better and faster at building the games.

Shipping FAQ's
We've received a lot of question about shipping. So here are some frequently asked questions and answers about shipping:

Q: How many games will be shipped in one container and how long does it take to travel on a boat to the US?
A: A 20-foot container will fit 21 games. As soon as it is fully loaded it will be transported to the port (Rotterdam) and ship to Cointaker who will handle the local distribution in the US. When we have 21 games ready will depend on the amount of games that are ordered for the US (we produce by number) plus how many customers choose to ship by air. From the 9 games that are tested and boxed, five are waiting to go in the container. Of the next 20 games, 16 are for the US.

Q: Is it possible to arrange shipping by myself?
A: Yes, you can. Please send an email to [email protected] to arrange the time and date for pickup. Please keep in mind that you need to arrange the insurance as well if you choose this option.

Q: When will my game ship and should I already let you know which shipping method I prefer?
A: As soon as your game is (almost) ready you will receive an email to confirm your delivery address and to ask which shipment method you prefer. Until you receive this question, you don't have to do anything.
We'll send out more updates as soon as we have more 'new shit' to show you guys!

Until then, stay tuned.

Best regards,
Team Dutch Pinball

I wonder if they can come up with a better name than "Character Multiball". Maybe something clever based on which characters you have collected when you start it. For example, if you have Dude and Maude = Coitus Multiball. Donny and Walter = Out of Your Element Multiball. The combinations could get really funny.

That would be great! Perhaps you should email Jaap or Barry...

Jesus and Walter could be 'Until the Trigger Goes Click Multiball'