As #187 I say take the deal. Even though this forum has been therapeutic at times and I have stayed pretty much on the sidelines. I would like my machine that I paid for and sooner rather than later. Although, I am thinking no matter how hard I hope later if at all seems to be the likely scenario! I am with all you other Early Achievers and hoping we all end up with a quality machine that WE PAID FOR!

10:04am

No pin for you! Well don't feel too bad because the way it's going there are a lot of us in your boat!

As EA #187 i have basically been very silent in all of this. However, I will be happy if and when I get my TBL. I do think that the least DP can do is ship the EA games out at no extra cost! Just my opinion, but for me that would satisfy this dude! Let's hope these things keep going in the positive direction!

Thanks for the insight from the Great White North! Honestly, I posted an opinion and I could really care less that there are 150 people in front of me. I am hoping everyone of the EA's get their machines after enduring this long drawn out saga. If you have a problem with other people sharing their opinions take it somewhere else bro!

I just contacted XYTECH through their main contact page for any updates on their end. I am skeptical whether I will get a response, but in the event I do I will post it here immediately. While I was searching for their contact information I stumbled upon this gem. I am sure many of you may have seen this already, but for those who haven't enjoy:

http://funwithbonus.com/expo-blitz-xytech-and-dutch-pinball/

I've been in from the beginning and i'm #187 or at least that is what number I thought I was until the new business came into the picture. I honestly think at this point us EA's have no other recourse than to stick it out and hope that we get our machines. I was always interested in the pinball hobby from the outside, but I love Star Wars, so when I had an opportunity to buy a DE machine back in 2012 I took the plunge. I love it and even though it is an older game and it might not be as complex as the newer games it has served me well. So then I see all this talk about Big Lebowski, which is another favorite movie of mine and I was instantly sold. Not knowing much about the Pinball hobby and some of the other pre-order disasters, I sent DP my money and was so excited as to how cool this was going to be in my mancave. Here we are how many years later, how many e-mails later and I am almost to the point that I feel I was taken. Maybe I am naive, oh well such is life. I have been following this thread from the beginning and have run the gamut of being hopeful to flat out sick to my stomach. I am willing to continue to wait as long as it takes until that truck drops off my machine in front of my house, but if there are others that are out there that are proceeding with trying to recover their money please let me know. The last e-mail sounded pretty optimistic, but now it seems as though no news is BAD news and I just wanted to vent a bit. So to all you other EA's out there I feel your pain and I only hope that this journey that we have all been on together turns out for the best!

highdef I am not telling you that waiting is YOUR only option, just that what is our other recourse? I mean if we go class action lawsuit does that even guarantee we get our $$$ let alone ever having the chance of getting our pins. I am in the same boat as you and for the most part I have sat on the sidelines watching the back and forth here for years. If I offended you, that was not my intention and I am just explaining how I feel on the whole matter. Like I said I have one other pin so I am not as familiar with the ins and outs of the hobby. So I am just looking to see what other options are out there for all of us since this thread seems to have become more hostile and full of best and worst case scenarios.

Does anyone think that taking this offline to discuss as a group (EA's) how we can proceed would be a good idea? I would much rather get as many of us together who have money invested into this putting some ideas together. Maybe it results in getting our machines/money or maybe bubkus, but I know that sitting in the shadows for the last 4 or 5 years listening to all of this has done little to ease my mind or my wallet. I think it would be wiser to try to come up with some ideas for those of us here on Pinside. Obviously there could be many who do not come onto this site, let alone thread, but does this sound reasonable? I think if we have people contacting Universal complaining (although its deserved) could possibly torpedo all of us. In fact a wide array of other things that individuals or small sectors of the EA's do on their own could kill this whole thing and we might not even know it. I appreciate those opinions of people who don't have skin in this, but we might want to proceed as a group. Any thoughts?

Mr68 thanks for the suggestion. I don't use FB and really wouldn't want to join just to be in a secret group. I was thinking more along the lines of maybe getting people together via gotomeeting or skype to discuss. I know there was a list of people that was started way back in the beginning. Would any of the current EA's be interested in trying to put something together? I mean I don't mind taking some of the effort to set things up, but just don't want to be the only one trying to do everything. It would be great to hear what other EA's think without the background noise of those that want to see this fail or have no stake and just provide negativity. If you are an EA and are interested i guess PM me and we can figure the best way to proceed. I don't want to wast peoples' time, but if we constructively move forward together it might help.

You are right. Just trying to get things moving in some direction than in complete flames! Thanks for the advice!

Well I guess maybe I was having a premonition of things to come and decided to speak out! So I guess we are SOL eh? Unreal. I mean I guess we had to figure this was a possibility, but now that it is here I am pretty bummed!

Hjbondar count me in please! I will do anything we need to try help us EA's get some closure.

So I thought I remember way back during the ARA initial fiasco DP indicating that if they were put in the position they are currently in it might take up to 5 years to litigate. Is this really possible if DP is telling the truth and ARA is in breach of contract? Like most the rest of you EA's I believe this is definitely done, but can we look at how we might possibly recoup some/all of our $$$$? Until we are told there is no way I have to think we can exhaust our efforts as a collective group.

I wonder if my e-mail to XYTECH yesterday prompted a call to DP indicating someone was inquiring about the status?

flynnibus if i am not mistaken Roger Sharpe was at the Expo last October when DP introduced XYTECH for the first time. So what is the consensus for all of us EA's sit and hope for a miracle? Take some kind of action? I think what is going on here is a lot of back and forth conjecture, but nothing of real substance that is going to get us anywhere.
http://funwithbonus.com/expo-blitz-xytech-and-dutch-pinball/

Yeah I am #187 so I am thinking I am toast. I also agree that trying to bankrupt them (which they most likely already are) is counterproductive to any positive outcome. I mean if there are other EA's out there that are looking to all get together to do something, then I am in, but l tried that a bit ago and only got one response. Well I guess I will just keep checking out this thread and hope for the best!

Does anyone have any screenshots of the initial preorder page from Dutch Pinball? I need the information as to when the preorder money was due and their timeline of when we were supposed to receive our machines. I appreciate this in advance.

Thank you kapper greatly appreciated!

I totally agree. Just got my NSNL and if it goes public we will only hear more of the conjecture!

More than that I am #187

I'm #187 and I just want my machine that I paid for. I am willing to do what the majority feels will get us that result the quickest. So count me in if that means getting together with the rest of the EA's. Just let me know!

$9500 #187

Awesome.....i sure hope one of those beauties finds its way on my doorstep at some point! EA #187!

Just to put things in perspective, I am an EA and was paid in full in 2015. I think if you have to wait a year without complaining you should consider yourself lucky!

I am EA #187 so I am certainly hoping that they don't stop at EA #180!

I am EA #187 any chance I see mine for my 50th Birthday February 2022???? Now that would be a present that could never be topped!!!

I know that this is going to sound bat shit crazy, but since I am EA #187 at this point I am to have stuck with this for as long as I have. In lieu of us never receiving our games that we paid for, would DP ever just send us the parts and let us fend for ourselves in putting it together? Just an idea. I mean I am a Pinball novice at best and probably would need help in putting it together, but I would rather have something than NOTHING! I guess Flame me for this post, but while I wait why not!

As EA #187 I have been waiting for 5 years so all of you that are complaining after 2 months should really cool your jets. Obviously before you got in the front of the line you knew that some of us have been paid in full and still have nothing. The fact that Barry is keeping this alive in some manner has given me a bit of hope, but I am really starting to get annoyed by hearing you all complain. Maybe DP should start shipping out 3 out of 5 new orders to EA's instead. From where I am standing in line, again for 5 years, I believe that is fair!

Like I said this situation is nothing "new" and by throwing your hat in the ring you are taking the chance. Just as us EA's did, so I think posting that you haven't gotten your game after 3 months of waiting just rubs salt in the wounds for 130 something other people!

No I completely understand that without this money we would be sunk, but it is still difficult to know that you dropped $9500 over 5 years ago and have nothing to show for it. Also, due to the few NSNL's that we have received over the years, this seems to be the only place to get any updates. I mean we have been told to be patient and I think we have past that point. I am still hopeful, but as time goes by it seems like its less and less likely!

Sorry but sitting back for six years watching buyers who will get theirs in less than a year whine is quite annoying! I understand you want a machine, hell I am one of those who have been waiting for SIX YEARS and I have been pretty patient with all of this considering. I appreciate all of those that are buying machines, but this was NEVER the EA's fault from the get go. We were the ones who funded this whole project and took the leap and most of us have NOTHING for our $9,500 so please send your complaints directly to DP so the rest of us can just watch the hopeful progress. Just chiming in here because the complaints do not seem to be advancing anything!

Well if it makes you feel any better I am at 7 years and counting on waiting for my Lebowski. EA#187