There are only three companies presently delivering pinball machines, and they all answer emails and/or phone calls to my knowledge and experience...

There are a plethora of companies NOT delivering pinball machines and they almost universally suck at communication.

Coincidence?

Bingo.

I do hereby approve of this message / GIF.

Stern doesn't answer every email.

Maybe, but I've personally never had an email or phone call to Stern go unanswered, and certainly not any dealing with actual problems regarding their machines.

While publically they are essentially mute, I've had great experiences with them in private. Maybe I'm lucky?

This is silly. Stern doesn't take pre-order money either. I don't think anyone here is owed a game by Stern?

I'm sure they ignore a large portion of the "WHER IZ MUH CODE" or the passive aggressive emails: "Why did you make a stupid fucking theme like Wrestlemania?".

I would.

I think there is a difference between that and ignoring people asking for refunds. Stern doesn't have to deal with that. They just show up with games, like them or not.

It certainly feels like most of these smaller companies are guys who are super passionate about pinball, but have never dealt with million dollar budgets before and the expectations that come with that.

Bingo!

I only emailed tech support for a broken aux board for Xmen Le
and a separate email asking if i could get a blackbird plastic.
both emails went unanswered.

Also emailed Gomez asking about a game

All emails unanswered.

I'm not making excuses for Skit B just saying Stern does not answer all emails.

In my other experiences DP, JPOP, Spooky Heighway and JJP have all answered every one of my emails.

Occam's Razor suggests that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one... As it relates to Skit-B, any news worth communicating may not be good, and because they don't want to lie, but they also don't want to deal with the consequences of telling the truth, they simply say nothing. It's a very common psychological reaction, but not very wise from a business perspective.

Oh man! So sorry! I usually reply to messages from email and not the pinside interface. I found your message threaded with a bunch of others with the same "FAST Pinball" subject line. Please accept our apologies.

I am out birthday shopping for my son but I will give you a proper reply when I get to my desk.

Aaron
FAST Pinball

Yeah, one downside to that is it doesn't mark the message as viewed when you do that, so you end up with a big unread count on Pinside to messages you're replied to. I tend to not use it for that reason, I get so many PMs I'd totally lose track otherwise.

In reality, it suggests that the one with the fewest assumptions is the most likely correct. Therefore, the answer with fewest assumptions is that SkitB is building machines.

Is that naive? Perhaps it is. I may have my head in the sand, in the clouds or in my anal orifice. I'm sorry, but these arguments have gotten way past old. I made the choice to support this fledgling company and purchase their vision of a Predator themed pinball machine. No one twisted my arm or placed a gun to my head; the decision was mine entirely.

I fully expect to get the machine I ordered. If not, it will have been an expensive life lesson. I would surmise that there is not one person among us that has not had an expensive life lesson at some point in their lives.

I will continue to support SkitB until they prove they are unworthy of the trust placed in them. That is my choice and that choice (and the consequences attached thereto) can only harm one person; me.

Phil
#229

Been on this ride for a very long time and not getting off now till it stops.I just hope the next update is either some completed machines or at least an update of production order or an estimate of completion.Would love to know when I can hope to get my Predator.Just want something of substance and not old pictures we have seen.

Amen brother!!!

I'm in til I decide I'm not. Gonna see how this plays out.

Well I see a bunch of folks that voted with their wallets staying in arguing with guys that are not involved yet stirring the pot. Same story on each game.

could not have been said better.

I paid in back in June and either I get the game or I loose my deposit. That was my choice and I will be the only person happy or hurt with my choice.

The sad part to me is that some people that are not in for the game have made an active choice to do everything they can try and make the game fail. I am sure a book could be written about it, but pretty sick to see some very active members in our hobby and the industry that are doing everything they can to shut this project down, with little regard that if they succeed they will be tossing 250 real pinheads under the bus along with their witch hunt to fail a pinball company.

Let's be honest, SkitB (or any company startup) has enough troubles on their own failures and the last thing any of us need is the continual 'sky is falling' mentality or weekly calls to a license holder from some pinsiders to complain. We (those that paid in) made our own decision and anyone that is trying to actively screw with that is not just having a negative impact on SkitB, but also the community of 250 as a whole. Just lay off the BS and let things unfold as they will or won't. You are not doing any of your fellow community members a favor with the continual BS.

Who is Stern?

Same old , same old

New rule: if you are in this project, you are free to discuss any and all concerns
If you are not, please refrain from repeating the same old "sky is falling", "bad communication", "no license" argument.

Oops, forgot...this is a public forum. "I'm free to say what I like"

You know what would be cool? If we could talk about how excited we are to get this machine after this superlong wait. It's F$&king Predator!!!!

All those modes.....all the possible mods

Played the game at Expo. Solid!!!

Yes sir, I'm in for the long haul.

The former commissioner of the NBA, of course.

The same group of dolts had similar comments about WOZ.

I hope you guys waiting for your Predator are made whole.

I like your post a lot, and agree with nearly all of it: except this part. "It only affects me" is just not true.

Lets be clear, the games are going to be made and shipped as promised: eventually. So... that really is (likely) the end of the story save for some grumbling about time delays...

But if it's not...

It wont be "just you" that it affects. 250 people don't get hurt here... an entire industry does. Even now, already without too much real reason, its widely considered on pinside that the "pay first, get the game later" model is dead or near death. Anything going wrong with Predator will not only kill it with authority, but it will kill similar used business methods by other manufactures.

No one... no one... will ever be able to pre-fund an idea on pinside and make a machine 12-36 months later... even if the theme is DD beach babes VS zombie nazi's on dinosaurs. The success or failure of this project... even the part before the success and failure... (like the emails, communication, refund requests, photos given, timelines etc) are all affecting downsteam the willingness of any pinhead to support any idea up front. Its true.

Should skit-b fail for some reason... they don't just hurt 250 pinheads... they kill the entire business model for everyone. No Wrath of Olympus, no time-shock!, no Alien Pinball, and many more...

Thankfully... the odds of this happening are pretty low. Skit-B will eventually put our Predator, and there will be much rejoicing and happiness. That's a good thing.

That is the reason that "non owners" are interested in this thread and have a valid reason to have some concern. We may not be in the "direct blast zone" like the 250, but we are certainly in the "radioactive contamination zone" that the blast would create. And by "we" I mean "every one of us".

So lets hope that no-one drops the bomb.

Where can I send my pre-order money for DD beach babes VS zombie nazi's on dinosaurs (aka DDBBVZNOD)?

Soon too be proud owner of #10 production #14

You might have just figured out how to save Experts of Disaster!

50b0ecb26fc07.gif

Get some good news lately?

Have to agree. In on a few titles but glad to wrap that up and just stay away from now on. Time for order and ship or dont bother. Sadly it may mean less cool stuff but it will mean more real stuff.

Meanwhile here is to these guys getting the games out.

I don't agree.

News no, just trying too keep this positive

Actually, without a machine present and verifiable, you are assuming Skit is building machines. The correct statement, with no assumptions, is" The answer with fewest assumptions is that SkitB is not building machines".

beach-babes-dinos.jpg

Let's not forget some of us even made donations to Kevin. Remember that fond time when he was soliciting donations here on Pinside now he's MIA.

Am I allowed to post here if I gave a donation?

I wish Kevin nothing but the best and hope those Predators come rolling down the line soon! Can't wait to see those happy unboxing faces!

I really like the direction this thread turned

Dude... you just took it to the NEXT FREAKING LEVEL!!!!!

I swear... if those beach babes don't get to team up with/ride the dinosaurs while fighting against the zombie nazis, I'm totally out.

(Also, my husband would buy this, as his favorite movie is SuckerPunch and that's basically a scene in there already. Well, without the dinos but with machine guns and school girl outfits.)

I feel the DD Beach Babes should be the ones on dinosaurs. Just makes for better imagery.

"Dino Ridin' DD Beach Babes VS The Nazi Zombie Army of Doom"

DRDDBBVTNZAD for short.

Pre-ordered

Give us an "Aurich's style" Hot babes vs Alien Zombies from Outer Space and you are allowed to post

How about a 'Hitler is not happy' pin?

HINH for short.

Looks like some of JPOP's cabinet art.

They made your Batman game

fc2fca5cc8833d35c92822a6af386914480a4e7c2411a6329d9742eb6bc89110.jpg