The story of "The Pin" reminds me that sometimes non of us is a dumb as all of us.

I'm sure it started as a good idea. At some point, someone realized that this was not a great idea, but wasn't able to just pull the plug and walk away. Get enough people in a group that are afraid to speak their mind, and you get something like this machine. Maybe it wasn't all the machine, but the marketing and support.

I'm sorry to see it fail. It wasn't marketed to someone like me, so I certainly don't think it failed because of hobby/collector types. It might have been marketed differently.

Perhaps it's the distributor model that wouldn't allow it, but it seems like Stern should have put 4 or five of these at the entrance to every pinball show in the country for a year. They could have gotten some good PR out of it and maybe even encouraged the faithful to tell their more casually interested friends about it. They could have donated them a raffle prizes etc. You are either proud of your product or you are not.

Maybe they will make more when the factory slows down 0_o

It was gone for 2 weeks before on Amazon, then it came back.

I would not count it out quite yet.

Personally I hope they don't completely abandon the idea, I would like to see them do something like Fender does with Squire, build them offshore somewhere else to keep costs down. Whatever they can do to drop the price. If they can get it down to around $1500 I could see some selling.

Back in 1978 Bally sold 10,000 of the home Fireball for $750 each.

$750 in today's dollars is $2688.

So adjusted for inflation, Stern actually has the Pin priced historically correct.

It will probably end up being a huge collectors item.

but hasn't peoples wages and everything increase since then? And pinball isn't what it was in the 70s? and back then we didn't have ebay to pick up older full machines from? and there wasn't 40 years of existing pins already selling cheaper

Like Vacation America?

I had a lot of fun playing one at CES. It felt like real pinball to me with satisfying shots. As everyone has said, the price point was too high . . . I don't think it needed to be $999 to be successful though; they would have sold fine at the $1,999 price point in my view. I might have bought one for my son.

Your pathetically biased review of the game on amazon was friggin lame. Naming Stern employees specifically by name was especially low. You even posted reviews on other items the same day to try to legitimize your obviously biased pin review. It was painfully obvious you had an agenda. In no way was that good for the hobby. You saying I told you so here is even more pathetic. Do us all a favor and try to make a positive contribution to the hobby now and then.

Anyone who hasn't read his 'review' should click on the link below and read it. Then look at the other reviews he posted the same day.

http://www.amazon.com/Stern-Transformers-Pin-Pinball-Machine/product-reviews/B009AVLBS0/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt

After making what I felt were very personable and constructive statements regarding the price of The Pin, my comment was deleted and I was promptly banned from posting on their YouTube videos. That was right after it was announced. One could've seen this coming a mile away just by looking at all of the other comments that were getting deleted. At one point, their were more deleted comments than readable ones.

I hate that it failed, but it seemed a fool's errand from the beginning.

Vid is in this thread and he has the all time greatest quote I have ever heard about Vacation America . . . I think he said "it is charmingly awful".

You got it! Here in the States we call it "inflation".

That is why today's dollar has a different buying power than a 1978 dollar.

You just went to the local coin-op auction once a month in 1978.

100s of machines, much better than Ebay.

You brought your own extension cord and tried before you buyed'.

If you share the belief that the first real pinball machine with flippers was Humpty Dumpty in 1947, then there was 31 years of existing pins selling for cheaper in 1978.

I always keep a lookout to buy one of those games.

Just to have Steve Kordek's last game is worthy of my quest.

Heard it was supposed to be just like a real pinball machine. Who doesn't love pinball?

What makes me really sad is that Stern did not listen to the core market here on Pinside who said it would fail. Sure, they are going for a "blue ocean" strategy like Nintendo did with the Wii, but regardless: Few people want to spend $3K on an tiny piece of interactive furniture.

Or Iron Man "Home Edition"?

um at least i played it lol. TOLD YAH! Yescalling out powers and gary was oh so bad booo hisss ahhhhh. Getting a little personal there. Sorry I reviewed my kids skylanders. How many of those reviews up there with 5 stars are from Jody.......... Another one joins the ignore list. Getting might big these days. 23 people ha.

The Pin is not marketed towards the core here at Pinside - that's for sure.

The Pin is marketed towards people who will impulse buy a game to go next to their pool table.

Someone who would never buy a used game.

Someone who is not a pinhead.

Someone who needs the security of an in-home warranty.

I know of three owners total...of which I am one....we formed a collectors club. Actually I may even get the parts manual and wiring diagram soon I am told from Stern after dogging them. Jpop

This is why it tanked... This "rec room" market goes to Sports Authority and buys $30 electronic dart boards and $500 pool tables, and that is about the max price of the casual market. Even at a grand it would be too high.

I think my main issue with Stern is that they don't seem to learn... They couldn't sell a superior decontented machine at Costco, how could they possibly think stripping one down even further for nearly the same price would work? How could everyone but them see this was a bomb?

I know it's hard to fathom, but not only do the pinball companies know about Pinside, they also know when to ignore Pinside.

Your open minded about the concept. That's pretty cool. I'd like to see a video review from you on this game.

It really depends on where you live.

All of my neighbors have $3500+ billiard tables (you get your beer spit in if you call it a "pool table") in their basements. I have a client that has 3 billiard tables in what most people would call the dining room (he also has the obligatory Bally Playboy that I restored for him).

$2500 for a fast and fun, brand new pinball machine means nothing to a middle class household.

Correct but seeing as how these people are presumed to have some Equipment wouldnt you think they would ask the Amusement guy for a pin rather than pick one up at flapping costco?

If you want the best example look at those expensive but cheap multicades that sell for $1500-3000 to the same target market. These have more appeal to a wider audience and I don't believe they sell that well either. Anything in the $3k range is a tough sell. To expensive for lower middle class in general and not real enough for the bigger earners that want something in there "Man" room to show off. I have been in many high end homes and this was nearly always the case.

Most people probably don't have an "amusement guy" in their circle of friends.

Even if they knew me, I can't sell them a used machine with one year in home service for anywhere near $2500. The machines I restore are $3500+. I charge $75 /hr for a house call.

Even if I did have a really nice machine that I did not have to restore for lets say $1500, would the kids want a dated looking Bally Nitro that beeps and boops, or a ripping fast Transformers with 4 ball multi-ball, ramps, speech, great sound and lighting?

Exactly.

those multicades don't come from a big company though do they? They wouldn't have to be producing and investing as much cash into the whole process and would probably attract a larger marketbase considering that retro games are now cool and you get essentially the same games you would on a real cabinet but thousands more in one new cab.

I ment the person that they get pool tables from

If you are talking about those 60 in 1 multicades that are always on CL, they are built locally because they are not licensed products.

You probably don't want to get caught trafficking those across state lines, LOL.

$36 for the board and you can convert any JAMMA cabinet.

http://www.excellentcom.net/detail.asp?catid=47160&Pdtid=307139

yeah I was into arcades before pins, that's what I was assuming but I wasn't 100% sure in the u.s what was being refered to, as I thought I remembered someone who had a company doing it (but i think their in jail now?).

daddona from automated and foley from ultracade.

$10 by Xmas!

would it be difficult for a company to re make EM machines as solid state remakes and sell them at a home based price? Would that be cheaper not having to re do the art and design process and having a simpler table lay out?

Guys. It didn't fail. It didn't tank. It sold out.

More coming later in the year. Don't get too excited lol

Maybe the guys who remade King of Diamonds could chime in. They remade an EM game w/ SS parts....crickets. I think it's safe to say THAT game tanked.

Bahahahahahahah!

All the Sad Sallys were so eager for it to fail....

That is what Bally did in the mid 80s, reissue the popular EMs with SS guts - but they sure did not sell them at home prices.

Stern is figuring the cost of producing Whoa Nellie right now, it will be interesting to hear what they come up with.

That is awesome news!!! As I have said, if the price comes down a hair on these I will be buying one for my son. I think they are a lot of fun; they certainly feel like real pinball (and will fit in places like my son's room) . . . they are just a bit smaller and cheaper; it all comes down to price.

ok, I may be in the minority but I know i'd be all over re releases of em or earlier ss games if they could keep the costs down. They are also simpler and less maintenance to market to the home user but then again a home user not into pins will ikely be looking to a movie tie in or something they recognise rather then a retro looking art theme.

Did you buy a King of Diamonds?

wasn't around then, also talking about someone large doing it with distribution that would be able to target the home market well not a boutique run if thats what that one was.

Another idea for something like that would be to try and target designers too if it's for the home, i know recently some design mags and stuff have started mentioning and showing pins as art work in the house

If that's the case, good news!

If true, that's awesome. But how? Amazon showed an in-stock number that held at 14 units for months with no increase in sales or reviews. Then it sells out?

Maybe Stern moved the inventory to Costco or amazon decided to discontinue carrying the game, but I can't believe that amazon sold out overnight.

Please make Whoah Nellie!

Those are some juicy melons.

Dennis Nordman told me at TPF that they were negotiating with Stern to make Whoa Nellie. That would be cool.

They should have just had the whole thing made in China, MSRP $1500 and they'd have been good to go....

Pricing at at greater that the cost of an entire home entertainment system (big screen TV, sound system, DVD and an Xbox) was not a good strategy- at least not for mass market.

Maybe they should repackage mini playfields from existing games and sell them as standalones.... That be fun to have on your desk, eh?

You need a better sound system ; )