Ha ha, I see what you did there...good one.

Mike said that his first machine Thunderbirds will be released this year. He has given no date yet, but I'm really looking forward to the reveal.

Homepin is a really good example of starting a manufacturing business first then building up to pinball manuafacture. He started out manufacturing cocktail arcade cabs and building boards and such. He has been building the infrastructure required in order to build up the pinball machine manufacturing arm of his business. It has been a long road. Unlike Stern, JJP et. al. Mike has had to manufacture almost every part that will go into a Homepin machine. It has been a huge challenge for him, but I get the impression that he is on the verge, and things are coming together nicely. You should check out the Homepin thread, it is a great read.

In the long run, this will give Homepin an advantage over the likes of DP. He will not need to outsource the manufacture of individual components or be at the whim of multiple parts suppliers. Mostly everything will be in house. He has direct oversight for quality control, and the factory is in China, which means he can keep his costs down. The machines will therefore be affordable and of a high quality. Something that he just couldn't do in Australia or the US.

Damn, that's bad luck.

You will find the OFFICIAL Homepin thread is very factual and informative and focuses on the progress of the factory and the making of the parts. It has no anti-American sentiment and very little pinball politics.

This was from the un-official thread some years ago. Mike has, in the past, been known to fly off the handle. I think he would admit to that, but I think you will find that the OFFICIAL Homepin thread is very informative. The official thread doesn't contain all of that stuff. Mike has been quite open with the process of building all of his parts. (Building the machine to build the machine, so to speak). For a layman like myself the whole process has been enjoyable to watch from the sidelines. I even think there are a number of Americans enjoying the thread and participating.

I don't think there are many manufactures that have showcased in this detail the process of building a pinball machine from scratch. He has had to build almost every part that will go into a Homepin pin (right down to the screws he uses), due to import restrictions in China. No off the shelf stuff. You have to give credit where credit is due. He has been very open about this process and it is worth giving the OFFICIAL Homepin thread a go.

You poor buggers with a finished TBL held hostage in a warehouse somewhere should get together and plan a heist. By the sound of that update, I think that will be the only way you're getting hold of your machine in the next 12-18 months. Seriously.

Bummer. That must be a bitter pill to swallow.

I wonder what is going to happen to the TBL's being held by Ara? Are they able to sell them off privately?

If so, that will make for an interesting auction. Or will they remain held to ransom by ARA until a court settlement? It will be interesting to see how all this pans out.