For a pin on location, I absolutely agree. I'll put a few plays on any pin. If it's fun, a lot more.

But if I'm buying a new game for home at $5k+, I have to love the theme too.

Even though I am not impressed by the theme... I am not able to tell at this time, whether I would like to add an WM to my basement or not.

Last time I said... "no way" was Mustang, but it turned out to be my xmas present

A lot of my favorite pinball machine are not really based on my personal top themes...

MM - knights, castle, medieval... meh
Tron - ultra poor movie (not only the "remake")
Fathom - mermaids... wtf?
CV - circus... mostly boring
EBD - pool... a bit of a yawn
Whatever superheroes - never bought one single comic book copy, okay some movies were okay

I love fantasy and science fiction, but this does not necessarily means all fantasy or syfy related pins are on my honor roll.

Looking forward to get some photos of the playfield, but most probably I am not an early bird on this one.

I can see coin operators making Wrestlemania work out on locations but I don't think it's a pin that's going to end up in the hands of very many collectors.

if I had the money I would buy an LE/Premium

oh god, i bet all the wrestling call outs will get annoying quick.
wrestling is a soap opera with big guys in speedo's yuck.

each to there own I guess

What is more amazing, Stern releasing a wrestling themed game or the fact that there isn't a post yet asking "what will Stern's next title be"???

I know this pic comes from AC/DC but it is reasonable to assume this is used on Wrestlemania too especially since there doesn't seem to be a lot of cables going to the playfield.

Any other ideas on the technology in this pin?

It is clearly a DMD and not LCD. I don't see a big transformer at the bottom center of the cabinet. Is it located somewhere else? Smaller? (Or just blurry pic hiding it).

Game of thrones

This pic looks like a power supply to me behind the play field on the right sideimage-578.jpg

I don't see a transformer in the cabinet

I could see a Blackout Mode for Bray Wyatt

Thanks for the kind words, very appreciated!

Since when is this kind of wrestling sports??? Being a stage show i'd put it into the same genre as Phantom of the Opera...

But i get your point. I hate soccer (except for WorldCup) and even though it plays great I wouldn't put a WCS94 in my home even for money!

Friend of mine pointed out that we're seeing a finished machine with goody bag stapled into the cabinet. So these are on the line at Stern as we speak.

I may be wishing too much but I hope there is The Ascension in the modes

There are a lot of pins with themes I don't like that have surprised me with great gameplay. The opposite is true as well. I don't think there are many people that buy every new Stern. Perhaps this will do well on route and might be fun.

Why aren't the whiners complaining about how sexist this theme is?

Total guys theme, almost as if they are targeting males!

I'm so glad this was not Iron Maiden. That would've been the only new game I would've committed to, and my wallet is not in a good spot right now after buying TS, Medusa and HSII.

Given my wife's fawning over dudes with their junk splattered all over the place last night, and subsquently getting slapped in the arm about 20 times when I downvoted her post, I beg to differ, even though it's clear that you're doing little more than trolling.

Wow, a grail pin for me! Been waiting for an update from the 94 DE version . I thought it was a long shot to ever happen, but was surprised it didn't occur during the red-hot Attitude era into the early 2000's. Wrestling is still a very popular show, in the U.S. the Monday Night RAW is consistently the top rated cable show with the big 18 - 34 demographic. The downside of that demographic is the number of folks that have the disposable income to buy a pinball. On the plus side, you do have folks that travel to go to Wrestlemania every year, with some near-ring seats selling for $2000 / each !

Edit: I hope it sells poorly so I can get it on the cheap, ala Mustang. (I can't afford NIB). But this will be a big hit for those that put their pins on location!!!

They are going to need 3 titles out this year to push revenues up.

GOT.

Has to be a music pin as well - KISS.

Just goes to show you how many Pinsiders go by theme alone. Nothing unusual about that.

With this title being released so early in the year, with an apparent finished game at ces, I'd bet that this year we will see 3 new titles from them, plus whatever else they squeeze in.

unlikely.

WWE, then WNBJM and MMR, then LOTRve, then GoT (or something else) in Oct.

Keep in mind they need to move to the new plant at some point. They have plenty going on.

WWE is earlier then expected in the cycle but has been worked on for the past 10 months. They pushed it out now to try and get some dollars before hitting with LOTRve when TH is actually getting closer to delivery.

No comments on how Stern just shows up with a ready-to-ship game?

Considering most of the other companies can't seem to hit deadlines for games they have been trying to pump for months and even years.... Stern just goes to CES and shows off a pin that's ready to purchase.

I think that deserves some respect. Development and production funded by profits from previous projects.

Well what theme (if any) do you like. A serious question not a jab.

I think they released it early so they they can try to move plant in-between pins, it's only logical right?

Oh well, la de da...

CES OFFICALLY STARTS TOMORROW.

S'truth!

Officially sucks!

Need pics now!

here's the official press release

note the LE features including an LCD display and a "classic" wrestling theme

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/stern-pinball-ready-rumble-150000003.html

MELROSE PARK, Ill., Jan. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Stern Pinball, Inc., the world's oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games, introduced today the new WWE Wrestlemania pinball machine at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2015) in Las Vegas, Nevada. WWE Wrestlemania will be available in both Pro and Limited Edition models.

WWE Wrestlemania calls players into the ring as WWE superstars embarking on a quest to become the WWE worldwide heavyweight champion. Players train their wrestlers and then compete in a series of matches leading them on the road to Wrestlemania.

The WWE Pro and the Limited Edition machines feature an innovative upper pinball playfield wrestling ring. With the flipper buttons, players control two "Slammer" slingshot-style kickers in the ropes of the ring. Completing the three drop target bank starts a wrestling match. Players rack up points and pin opponents in the ring by shooting into a kick out hole. Keeping the ball in the ring and hitting as many targets as possible will advance players through the match. Multiple ramps guide the ball throughout gameplay, while brilliant lightshows highlight the all LED playfield. Ten licensed songs include intro music for wrestlers that players choose. WWE announcers Jerry "the King" Lawlor and Michael Cole add play by play excitement.

Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan will individually autograph each of the numbered WWE Legends of Wrestlemania Limited Edition (LE) machines on a bottom arch mounted gold plaque. With only 400 autographs available, this collectible must be limited to that number of games. The LE game art features classic WWE stars, of course including Hulk Hogan. Actual WWE wrestling action is projected on the LE's replica "Titantron" playfield level 5.7 inch LCD directly above the ring. The ball is always wild when it comes into contact with the LE's exclusive "Chaos" spinning DISC while a third "Wham! Arm" flipper allows players to knock the ball off a wire ramp.

"The WWE franchise features unique characters and fantastic action sequences that are captured in these pinball machines. WWE Wrestlemania pinball games will appeal to a very large and diverse group of both WWE and pinball fans," said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball. "This game is unique with an innovative wrestling ring and other features that will captivate pinball players of all skill levels."

WWE Wrestlemania is the first pinball machine to feature Stern's recently announced SPIKETM electronics hardware system. The new technology reduces product complexity and simplifies manufacturing, resulting in more reliable and easier-to-service games. SPIKETM is both modular and scalable, accommodating and supporting future designs. Players will quickly appreciate higher quality sound, enhanced illumination effects and a more engaging overall game experience.

At the CES 2015 Stern will also be showing its Star Trek, The Walking Dead, and Ford Mustang pinball machines.

Pricing and Availability:
WWE Wrestlemania Pro Model: $5,495 (MSRP)

About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 35 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all 12 live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on- demand library, is currently available in more than 170 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo. For more information, please visit www.wwe.com.

About Stern Pinball, Inc.
Stern Pinball, Inc., headquartered just outside Chicago, Illinois, is the oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games in the world. Stern's highly talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and manufacture a full line of popular pinball games, merchandise and accessories. Recent Stern titles include The Walking Dead, Mustang, Star Trek, Metallica, The Avengers, X-Men, AC/DC, Tron, Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman and many more! All of Stern's pinball games are crafted by hand and assembled by Stern's expert team. A broad range of players enjoy Stern's games from professional pinball players that compete in high-stakes international competitions around the globe to novice players who are discovering the allure of the silver ball for the first time. To join the fun and learn more, please visit www.sternpinball.com.

All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies.

Media Contact
Alexandra O'Leary
FortyThree, Inc.
831.401.3175
[email protected]

But there are pin people that are vendors at ces... Working on getting someone else to take pf pic while booths are being set up still

Stern Pins are cookie cutter, new side art, translite and plop a new table in. When you have a formula that works and don't take major risks in innovation they can probably spit out as many new tables as they have designers a year.

Could be a sleeper hit with this Gameplay!

or

.......3K by Christmas!

pretty sure northvibe is already there as a vendor?

Epitome of white trash? Next time they are in town, just go. You will see fans of all types. Young, old. White, black, all races. Urban, rural, very rural. It is Americana at its finest and it is more show business than "wrasslin".

Oh, and here's a black guy at a wrestling event, when Undertaker's streak was beaten at wrestlemania. Believe that.
wrestlemania-undertaker-fan-meme-elite-daily11.jpg

0.

The number of poor rednecks who will be at CES to see this game.

I got those images from arstechnica
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/01/biometrics-and-pinball-five-companies-on-ces-early-watch-list/

that upper playfield looks fun to me.

The LE Titantron sounds pretty cool. I can't wait to see that in action. You guys may hate on wrestling and call it a poor redneck sport, but it could be humorous if they did it right.

It's a shame that satanic one eye symbolism is creeping in everywhere more and more the past few years.

Official hulk hogan translightimage-536.jpg

WWE Wrestlemania is the first pinball machine to feature Stern's recently announced SPIKETM electronics hardware system.

Bit of an awkward name for the new hardware imo

Press release photo:
166777.jpg

Not a politically correct comment. I hope by now you've realized this and apologize.

Have to admit, if you're going to do a wrestling theme, that upper PF ring mech is pretty cool.