(Topic ID: 120776)

The Big Lebowski to begin shipping by June 2015

By fosaisu

9 years ago


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  • 60 posts
  • 36 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 8 years ago by sd_tom
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There are 60 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
#1 9 years ago

The latest email bulletin from Dutch Pinball included the following: "[W]e will stop taking Pre-Orders for The Big Lebowski™ Pinball (TBL) on March 31, 2015. We are preparing for the production of our first run and expect to deliver the first TBLs in Q2 2015."

Seems like great news after all of the unpleasantness this winter, and I really hope that they hit that shipping date and these start showing up in June (or before)!

#2 9 years ago

Misleading thread title is misleading.

It's been Q2 for a long long time, dude.

#3 9 years ago
Quoted from zucot:

Misleading thread title is misleading.
It's been Q2 for a long long time, dude.

Fair enough, changed it to "by June" to cover the off chance that they ship earlier in Q2. I hope they do, but that'd probably be a first for anyone making pinball machines!

As for the newsworthiness, seemed like a good sign to me that they're sticking to their ship date estimate despite all of the upheaval.

#4 9 years ago

If they stop taking pre-orders this month, does the price increase? I'm just wondering because I would love to buy a TBL pin but not into the pre-order thing anymore.

#5 9 years ago
Quoted from chrisjens2:

If they stop taking pre-orders this month, does the price increase? I'm just wondering because I would love to buy a TBL pin but not into the pre-order thing anymore.

This is an interesting question. Since they plan on selling future games through distributors, it raises the possibility of MSRP v. street price, which I guess could be higher or lower than the current pre-order price. With the weak Euro, it sure would be nice if they cut the price to US distributors and the street price of TBL dropped a bit as well!

#6 9 years ago

When did you receive this email? I have nothing at the moment, last one was on 20th Feb

#7 9 years ago

Here's the whole email (minus pics and a link to the web video). I am on the mailing list they started back before the game was revealed, but have not pre-ordered the game:

March 9, 2015 - Rug Edition / Pre-Order Stop

Dear Achiever,

Welcome to another New Shit Newsletter™!

In this newsletter we would like to inform you that we will stop taking Pre-Orders for The Big Lebowski™ Pinball (TBL) on March 31, 2015. We are preparing for the production of our first run and expect to deliver the first TBLs in Q2 2015.

Does this mean you can't buy a TBL after March 31, 2015? Of course not! We are in the process of distrubuting TBL through resellers/distributors. More details will follow soon.

This is a valued rug...

Parallel to this we are testing the toys' durability. We want to make sure that the "Rug" will tie the game together for a long time, not just to keep you achievers happy, but to keep the achievements of your loins happy as future generations of achievers want to achieve (high scores).. It's very important, therefore, that the moving/rolling Rug Toy can take some peeing, er... pounding.

Here's a short movie of our setup to test the Rug Toy. The contraption shoots a pinball at the Rug with varying strengths, if a hit is too weak it does not register a hit, (which is exactly what it is desired to do in the game). They got us working in shifts on this!

One of the things we've concluded so far is that the rug needs to be a bit heavier for a better 'Newton effect' and to have better friction with the playfield so it rolls smoother.

It all started with a rug…

We’ve also been searching high and low for a supplier that offers the best quality for the Rug and we think we’ve found him! This is far from the most modestly priced rug available!

On the right in the photos above you see the rugs that we have used until today for shows. On the left you see the rug that you will receive. Needless to say: It will really tie the room together!!

Well sir, it's this rug I have...

If you pre-order a The Big Lebowski™ Pinball you can add an optional upgrade set that contains: crome/high polished legs, siderails and lock bar plus as well as this valued rug I’ve been telling you about. The price of the upgrade set is $500. Oh, the rug will not be sold separately.

You can pre-order your The Big Lebowski™ Pinball (with or without upgrade) via http://www.thebiglebowskipinball.com/preorder. Please do this before or on March 31, 2015! After this date the pre-ordering shuts down and you will have to wait and get in line for a TBL.

We will continue to improve the game and keep you updated on the progress as we make it. We are dedicated to delivering to you a game that you will get the maximum amount of enjoyment from for the maximum amount of time! After all: it’s a whole new game!

Team Dutch Pinball

#8 9 years ago

Build it ! Then let me know , No More pre orders,
WOZ, MMR burned me out

#9 9 years ago
Quoted from chrisjens2:

If they stop taking pre-orders this month, does the price increase?

The price has already increased! (from $8495 to $8995).
Add to that the change in exchange rate between dollar and euros:
at the time the game was announced 1 euros = $1.33
now less than $1.1
Meaning Dutch pinball is actually milking an extra 1700 euros per game.

You still want to pay more?

#10 9 years ago

It's the same email I got back in Feb, other than the first paragraph.

#11 9 years ago
Quoted from fosaisu:

The latest email bulletin from Dutch Pinball included the following: "[W]e will stop taking Pre-Orders for The Big Lebowski™ Pinball (TBL) on March 31, 2015. We are preparing for the production of our first run and expect to deliver the first TBLs in Q2 2015."
Seems like great news after all of the unpleasantness this winter, and I really hope that they hit that shipping date and these start showing up in June (or before)!

The word "expect" sure leaves a whole lot of wiggle room.

I'm sure most of us expected that.

#13 9 years ago
Quoted from jlm33:

The price has already increased! (from $8495 to $8995).
You still want to pay more?

I don't want to pay more. I've have a bad experience with the whole pre-order thing from JJP and won't do it anymore. I'm in the market for a TBL pin and want to go on the record of saying "If anyone wants to sell their TBL pin when they actually have it in their possession, I'm a serious buyer"
I love the theme, love the gameplay video's I've seen, but absolutely hate the pre-order option
Chris

#14 9 years ago

The pre order thing: wait forever to find out you could have bought the machine for a bit more when it finally comes out. You could put the cash into a muni tax free fund and you might just come out even. I waited over three years for a WOZ: that is a long time to tie up your cash.

#15 9 years ago
Quoted from zucot:

It's been Q2 for a long long time, dude.

It has? Doesn't Q2 technically begin in April?

#16 9 years ago
Quoted from reynolds531:

The pre order thing: wait forever to find out you could have bought the machine for a bit more when it finally comes out. I waited over three years for a WOZ: that is a long time to tie up your cash.

I waited almost 3 years myself. But I'm referring to tying up your money and seeing them sell on Craigslist for LESS than you paid before you even get yours. Machines that were available right then with around 100 plays for around $1000 less than you paid. All while you are waiting "just a little bit longer"
Sorry, the butthurt is still lingering.....

moral of the story - never again get caught up in a pre-order fiasco.

#17 9 years ago
Quoted from Robotoes:

It has? Doesn't Q2 technically begin in April?

I presume they meant calendar, not fiscal, so yeah, April/May/June. Plus I think a lot of European countries use Jan as the start of their fiscal year anyways.

Quoted from Pinhead1982:

It's the same email I got back in Feb, other than the first paragraph.

Yeah, this email was targeted to people who have been on their list, but aren't currently fully in on a pre-order, so some of it was a repeat.

#18 9 years ago

I really want to play the final version before I dump my entire collection for this....which I will....or at least most of it.

#19 9 years ago

How's the software coming along? Any updates?

#20 9 years ago

So the rug is extra, what is the shot like if you don't upgrade to the rug?

#21 9 years ago

Hopefully DP will bring a game to pin a go go in Sacramento, 2015 !

#22 9 years ago
Quoted from FightNightFZ:

So the rug is extra, what is the shot like if you don't upgrade to the rug?

Not sure if you're joking but just in case the rug they're talking about is a physical rug designed to sit under the machine. So it shouldn't affect gameplay (other than the traction it provides, I guess!)

#23 9 years ago
Quoted from FightNightFZ:

So the rug is extra, what is the shot like if you don't upgrade to the rug?

Did not see a sarcasm icon ....
There is a rug toy on the PF...when you hit it it rolls back, each time a little further.
And there is a actual rug where you can place you pin on....or pee on

#24 9 years ago
Quoted from Robotoes:

Doesn't Q2 technically begin in April?

I think he meant the date of delivery had been scheduled for Q2 already. Not that it is already Q2 right now.

#25 9 years ago
Quoted from luvthatapex2:

How's the software coming along? Any updates?

No updates maybe now that they are out of crisis mode we can get updates that are less about finances . They are prob very manufacturing focused at the moment.. For better or worse software always is last. Plus BOP2.0 software still in work.

But heres hoping some video clips with some of the real modes show up soon.

#26 9 years ago

A bit off topic, but if these are shippng in june. We should hear soon what theme #2 has, or am i wrong?

Please let it be the whole star wars saga.

#27 9 years ago

Rumor is JJP got the new Star Wars license

#28 9 years ago

from what i saw at Expo,
the rug is a toy on the playfield

#29 9 years ago

Without really checking, hasn't Phil mentioned 'Back to the future' as the next game somewhere in Philgate posts?

#30 9 years ago

That was a red herring

#31 9 years ago

Lol at no oreorders

The day they don't take a fucking dollar in exchange for not shipping game

Hilarious

#32 9 years ago
Quoted from scott_freeman:

from what i saw at Expo,
the rug is a toy on the playfield

Yes it is - to clarify all "versions" of the game will have the rug bash toy on the playfield. The "preorder bonus" rug is an actual, woven rug that you can put in the floor under your game, or in your bathroom, or wherever you want (but not on the playfield if you still want to play the game). If you ordered later, you can still pay an extra $500 to get the "real world" rug.

#33 9 years ago

Man why are you bothering?

#34 9 years ago

Rug not available later ? If you could sell more rugs n chrome later why not ? That's BS ,if there dollar is tanking where's the discount ? If it was the other way around you would be paying more right ?

#35 9 years ago
Quoted from whitey:

Rug not available later ? If you could sell more rugs n chrome later why not ? That's BS ,if there dollar is tanking where's the discount ? If it was the other way around you would be paying more right ?

It's a pre-order bonus. Pretty standard stuff, really. See for example WOZLE.

#36 9 years ago

Because it was literally the only bonus for pre ordering this non limited run pin.. It wasn't even announced initially, not till around March of last year when there was literally no reason to pre order. They added the rug, small token. If you ordered by end of October 2014. Then at expo they tossed in the chrome as well. So in some ways you could see the chrome upgrade as an offset from the euro/usd though its never been stated as such

The fact that they let anyone past October buy in the rug and chrome at $500 is already a change in policy so its fine.

Yeah its exactly like for emerald city edition "throne room topper not available later? Bs" .. Its a perk.

As far as currency.. It could of gone either way so good for them. They fixed the usa price so if the euro had gotten stronger they would of lost money. Given how much is bally/Williams parts anyway, they are getting eaten alive on parts right now (guessing all to PPS) so it somewhat balances out.

Maybe the post pre orders and the new distributor system will shake up the pricing some.

#37 9 years ago

I still don't get the currency thing.

I think stern prices their machines in $ and the rest if the world prices move with th le currency.

The price of the machine should fluctuate with the strength/weakness of the $. If not I would assume they would be in trouble if the $ weakened.... Or they would raise prices.

#38 9 years ago

I imagine a lot of this had to do with whatever their strategy with DPUSA vs DPBV as different businesses was. The USA money staid in USA dollars in Phil's PayPal.. Until that situation unraveled. Why they did it that way in first place I dunno.. Reasons.

Hear's the currency rate increase.. so they were losing a bit until May.
currency.pngcurrency.png

They still have to pay for USA parts from PPS, P-ROCs, etc.. so they're getting screwed on those items. That have to put these USA parts in the Euro paid for games as well. I guess maybe they could subsidize the shipping from Chicago some if they really felt like this windfall was excessive but I wouldn't expect that.

#39 9 years ago
Quoted from ataritoday:

I still don't get the currency thing.
I think stern prices their machines in $ and the rest if the world prices move with th le currency.
The price of the machine should fluctuate with the strength/weakness of the $. If not I would assume they would be in trouble if the $ weakened.... Or they would raise prices.

You are not wrong, and what you say may apply when doing direct business overseas. The reality is a bit different, though.
Depending on how the business is set up the foreign currency risk is hedged, meaning the rates are fixed at a certain point in time. This not only eliminates possible losses, it also eliminates possible gains. Not saying that the purchase positions or the final product sales are hedged at DP, but it would be quite unusual and an unpredictable risk to leave all foreign currency positions open and the company floating 100% with the exchange rate.

#40 9 years ago

Summary: Ya know, a Lott's ins, Lotta outs, lotta what-have-you's

#41 9 years ago

I'm struggling to understand why there is a pre-order cutoff date at all? Most businesses like to take orders until there are no more buyers.

#42 9 years ago
Quoted from Baiter:

I'm struggling to understand why there is a pre-order cutoff date at all? Most businesses like to take orders until there are no more buyers.

Don't struggle too hard.

From the update someone posted earlier here...

"Does this mean you can't buy a TBL after March 31, 2015? Of course not! We are in the process of distrubuting TBL through resellers/distributors. More details will follow soon."

#43 9 years ago
Quoted from Baiter:

I'm struggling to understand why there is a pre-order cutoff date at all? Most businesses like to take orders until there are no more buyers.

Because at a certain point they need to know how many parts to order. You can only leverage that stuff in batches, so pre-ordering helps you predict demand and set up your inventory.

It's really no different than how I do my translites. I'm not a real store, I can't just stock shit for later. So while I don't take money, I have people sign up for pre-orders as a way to know how many prints to order. I always get extra, pad it, but it gives me a little sanity and predictability. Which as a little side hobby I need.

Plus a cut off creates urgency, so people want to get in and be set, get the perks etc. It's an artificial way to plump initial demand.

#44 9 years ago
Quoted from Aurich:

Plus a cut off creates urgency, so people want to get in and be set, get the perks etc. It's an artificial way to plump initial demand.

And to create positive cash flow. They're ramping up for manufacturing, which consumes a lot of cash, and since they haven't secured external financing (they would have been announced it by now, if they had), pre-order money is their primary financing source.

#45 9 years ago
Quoted from Pinstym:

Don't struggle too hard.
From the update someone posted earlier here...
"Does this mean you can't buy a TBL after March 31, 2015? Of course not! We are in the process of distrubuting TBL through resellers/distributors. More details will follow soon."

Right, it may be that simple... 3/31 is simply the last date DP will take orders directly not that you can't place an order on 4/1 with a distributor. I'm just not seeing a significant incentive to pre-order sight unseen unless one is impatient or wants the $500 upgrade package (which IMO, should be a perpetual offering).

#46 9 years ago

Good luck DP !

Please do not forget to finish the code for BoP 2.0

1 week later
#47 8 years ago
Quoted from Baiter:

Right, it may be that simple... 3/31 is simply the last date DP will take orders directly not that you can't place an order on 4/1 with a distributor. I'm just not seeing a significant incentive to pre-order sight unseen unless one is impatient or wants the $500 upgrade package (which IMO, should be a perpetual offering).

No, you just want your cake and to eat it too. The incentive is to be able to get the rug and chrome for preordering. You're not willing to do that (certainly your right and prerogative), but want to have that option later as well. It's clearly a significant incentive, even to you, or you wouldn't proclaim that it should be available to you at a time later when the risks of preordering are gone.

#48 8 years ago

These guys secured the licensing rights, right?

#49 8 years ago

Yes.

#50 8 years ago
Quoted from KingDaddy:

These guys secured the licensing rights, right?

Here's a link to the original press release from Universal announcing that they secured the license:
http://www.thebiglebowskipinball.com/pdf/DP-UPL-Press-Release.pdf

There was lots of concern last winter about whether the game they were displaying was in fact in compliance with the terms of their license (seems like it wasn't). But DP announced that they were hiring Roger Sharpe to iron things out with Universal, and then announced that the playfield had been fully approved, including an image with Roger Sharpe's face stating that all elements (not just the playfield) have been approved:
http://www.pinballrevolution.com/threads/february-9-2015-the-big-lebowski%E2%84%A2-pinball-update.3122/

Final approval of the playfield appears to have been confirmed by Roger himself via Coast2Coast Pinball:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=544429042287448&story_fbid=852788638118152

All of which seems like very strong indication that they're in good shape from a licensing perspective.

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