Yeah, I think they learned their lesson on TronLE. Not smart to leave so much money on the table.

I hope....PRO cabinet + LE playfield = PREMIUM

BAD ASS!!! Can't wait to play one and pick one up a HUO down the line!! Looks fantastic!

Don't kid yourself... There will be a Premium version if the LE sells out and the game is a big hit. Too much money on the table for it to NOT happen. Heck, they even made an Avengers Premium months after the LE was released and that game was a dog. I'd imagine the Premium will have the Pro cabinet and standard trim which in this case is not a bad thing at all. I'd imagine it would have a different translite but that's about it. It will be easy for them to make a Premium 1-2 months down the line.

Fire, Mars God of War, probably a lot more I can't think of at the moment.

Don't forget the mirrored backglass on the LE versus a translite on a premium. I would expect the cabinet and translite art to be different to separate the premium from the pro.

Oh holy crap the MSRP (I know I know) is 5995 not 4995. Wow.

I hate that phrase …"leave money on the table". Clearly they make business decisions that will benefit them financially. Not announcing (or having) a Premium WILL make the LEs sell out. $$$$$ If the game is awesome, they'll sell a ton of Pros. $$$$$ That's not leaving money on the table.

Home run!
Photoshop artwork can look great after all!

You just may be right, but let's see if their DMD animations stack up to TFTC...

Ah...I just looked at the LE.

That will be hard for sure. The chainsaw Jackpot is still an all time classic.

And see my post above that I misread the Pro price which is batshit high.

I'm confused about the ramps. It looks like the left ramp would feed back to the left flipper (I like the slight dip like White Water), and the right ramp would feed back to the right flipper. But in the spec sheet it says left ramp feeds back to right flipper and right ramp feeds to left flipper. Maybe with the ramps going though the backboard this is what's going on?

MGOW is one of them (maybe the first).

Now THAT'S how you do hand drawn art. Kudos for not phoning it in

That's what it looked like to me

Yes, and sometimes they make poor business decisions that "leave money on the table".

Case in point, no Tron premium.

On the other hand the second AC/DC Premium (Luci) was a money making business decision.

Looks like I'm in the minority, but so far the LE cabinet and playfield art really don't do that much for me. Not big on the repurposed Incredible Hulk toy either. Having said that, I'm really digging the pro's cabinet, the LE's fish tank, and the ramp that apparently lifts.

I think I get your logic now.

From Gary ....

Dear Ladies & Gentlemen

In my email two weeks ago I announced that our next pinball title is The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead TV series, about a Zombie apocalypse and based on the comic books of the same name, is soon to start its 5th season worldwide. This show continues to break ratings records for the over 120 countries in which it is televised.

I am more excited about this game than I have been about a pinball machine in years. This game captures the world of The Walking Dead with brilliant art and great playfield mechanical toys.

I love to shoot The Walking Dead playfield. The shots are great, and the ramps are smooth. Included among the mechanical devices and toys are a “Cell Block C” with cell doors that are bashed to open, then a Walker bash head inside, “Well Walker” bash toy, a playfield magnet, 3 bank drop target, a shot lane returning the ball to the shooter, custom molded Walker characters, decaled cabinet and speaker panel, and more. We have designed a new and reliable star rollover switch, always a favorite in past games. And of course all the playfield lighting is LED’s.

The Walking Dead Pro is loaded.

The Walking Dead Limited Edition is even more loaded with features, including a Crossbow ball firing mechanism, fire button in the lockdown bar, “Well Walker” guts, a 2nd playfield magnet at the “Well Walker”, a magnetic ramp ball diverter, “Governor’s Fish Tank” with illuminated head, a single bank drop target, spinning targets, traditional playfield supports and lock down bar, rust powder coated armor etc., unique decal art, and mirrored backglass. The LE has multicolor GI lighting, and certain inserts have tri-color control lamp LED’s.

We have designed a The Walking Dead Pro model with production starting next week and a 600 game The Walking Dead Limited Edition model for production in late October. The Pro distributor price will be the same as price established starting on August 15. We will tell you the LE price as we talk with you. As in the past, a deposit is required from our distributors with their LE orders, and there is an added charge to specify a particular LE number, should that number be available.

I have attached The Walking Dead Pro and LE photos, a Game Features matrix, and today’s Press release.

Did I say that I love this game? I do!

I'd love to see a nice high rez shot of the playfield for sure. It's hard to take it all in right now.

I'll say this, it seems like Stern gave people what they wanted. This doesn't feel tame, or "family dumbed down". Lots of gore and blood and zombies, my sense is they hit the mark.

I wasn't personally excited about this machine, I don't watch the show (read the comic though) so I'm gonna sit back and ignore the initial hype. But even though I don't have a personal connection to the theme I love horror pins, so I'm hoping it comes out good.

A little bummed about the lack of a Premium though.

We all know Gary's favorite game .

Wish it was 500 LE's but can live with 600

Agreed for the most part. LE should sell quickly, which is good for Stern. On the other hand, some potential Premium buyers might settle for a Pro, which means leaving money on the table (assuming Stern makes more money on a premium than on a Pro, which seems likely).

Yeah, maybe pro cab art, new translite, full-featured playfield with fire button and crossbow, but no "rust" powdercoating. No mirrored backglass; obviously no numbering, signatures, etc.

They're basically selling you a pro for a premium price anyway, so win win.

With Avengers, the Premium was still announced on release "if demand". This time there is nothing said.

Any idea what's up with that PF magnet? Looks much bigger than usual-new design to help prevent mushrooming?

Wouldn't it make sense to sell Premium's after LE's are sold off?

Like, why offer a Premium now if it will reduce LE sales..

People have been asking the same thing about Tron for years. I don't see any difference. But others might.

I don't give a shit about MSRP. Has anyone got an actual distributor quote yet?

Wouldnt surprise me if they came out with a Premium after the fact...Luci edition...vault edition.....

I rather think the potential premium buyers will first wait for a few months... because in a few months, they can still buy a pro (or a HUO LE if they are lucky), and probably if the game is as good as it seems, a premium will me made...

Probably from Stern's perspective. Not as much for a customer trying to make an informed decision.

Yep, that was my cutoff point.

And with no Premiums offered, it is even easier to live with the 600 LEs.

I'd love a pro (love the theme), but I swore I would never buy another stern until the code was mature, so looks like I might wait it out for a HUO down the line...

i won't buy a pro or an le so thats money left on the table. i am sure i am not the only one that feels this way.

Machonne Version
Maggie version

PRO MAP/MSRP Prices $5,495/$5995
LE MAP/MSRP Prices $8,095/$8,595

PM for quote

The Gov'nah couldn't be happier about the LE features!

govnah.jpg

Get over the whole LCD thing. Not that sweet. It's neat, but not essential

Stern will make a premium if there is a demand for it. Why would they announce it like they did in the past as people would rather spend less money on a premium than an LE. After all the LEs are sold, I'm sure they will announce the premium.

I don't see how one can keep an eye on the ball and watch tv at the same time.

just don't get all grumpy when stern announces a premium version.

Agreed. No premium makes 600 more palatable.

What does everyone's gut have to say about the value of buying an LE? Fun with a future of selling for $500-$1000 less in a few years if you want to move it? Or Fun with a future of selling for more$$$ in the future if you choose to move it?

I guess a lot of it depends on how good the game is and how mod-able the Pro version is?

Just curious, as I've never considered spending close to $8K on an LE before.

Buy it for $1000 less in three months if you really want one.

You're not in on MMr, are you?

Well, let's remove the dmd and go back to numeric displays Anyway I agree that a screen is better for people around, not the player. A bit like a RFM/EP1, which are great btw.

I did not want this...i wanted Iron Maiden...had no interest in TWD pin...but since the announcent a few weeks back I started watching the show on netflix, I had never seen an episode before but it quickly sucked me in. Now, after watching the first 3 seasons and eagerly awaiting the arrival of season 4 i ordered on e bay i was excited to see what the machine would look like...Im blown away, and think it looks great....Please release a premium before i settle for a pro...i do not want the LE

I'm no major TWD fan (saw a few episodes), but this looks awesome! It's a classic Borg layout, with about 2 or 3 extra little shots where there would otherwise be none. Very original! I also like the cross-field shot that starts up 2/3rds of the playfield, through the pops, Lawlor style. The R orbit seems to start further up, rather than the normal right side of the right ramp. The zombie toy looks pretty insane, do the head and arms move? Does the stomach open up? I sure hope so! I'm curious to see how the center house/cottage works. I love magnet action, and Borg never fails to deliver the magnet-ficence based on his past games.

My only current nitpick is the rather LARGE and obtrusive AMC logo. It could've been apparent but still smaller. No biggie.

The ramps have the Borg-ness to it, similar to IM's curving, contouring ramps. And I love the center gun on the LE, that's a new place for a cannon never seen before. I still have to play it to see/feel/hear everything going on, but I'm still stoked as hell!!