Not much of a topper either.

I hope we get some more clarification on the mode soon.
If it's a light/sound show, or maybe even some extra graphics on the display, I think that would be fun.
If it's really DLC, pitchforks are coming out.

Ya these are not 60 dollar video games. They are already way overpriced luxury items.
But we do keep accepting higher and higher prices so I can't blame them too much.

At least if it adds some sort of cool new feature it justifies the insane markup for some printed plastics and LED strips.

If it’s a backbox feature like Eight Ball Deluxe or something, then easy to skip on. If it’s some sort of special multiball like Encore on Elvis, then that’s harder to pass up. Could be a progress jackpot feature which would be another homage to DEJP

I guess I'm trying to be optimistic and was thinking maybe once you spell Jurassic Park, the topper does something special. Like maybe there's more to it than we can see in the picture. But I agree, it does sound like in game content.

The other potential sad side effect of this is Pinball Browser's demise. Someone else brought this up in the club thread, but it does seem related. If they are going hide secret content in the code, you can't have people poking around.

I am sure some people will buy it and be happy; others will wonder where everybody's senses have gone.

Pinball folks are easy marks (see all the scams over the years). I don't blame stern for walking all over their customers when their customers basically beg for it

$600 for that?

Pardon my ignorance.

The acronym "DLC" = ?

The price and quality of the topper don’t seem to be justifiable. That being said I’m not against DLC done right. Stern has to learn the lessons of the gaming world and this looks like they are following in their failures. Is there a trailer?

Downloadable Content. Basically the business model for all video games for the last few years.

Spared no expense!

what's next, Paying for code updates ?!?!

I would also add that lately video game companies have been releasing very basic games for full price and tacking on extra DLC at an additional cost for a "complete" game.

If these toppers take hold, Stern might stop making machines and move to toppers + new code for all the machines they’ve produced.

This is a complete joke...unfortunately plenty will buy it which blows my mind and Stern will feel justified. I recently installed my Tilt Topper JP (the newer version designed for the Stern JP) and it's amazing. It's less than half the cost and is MUCH nicer. I can't believe this thing is $600 PLUS shipping and will be in much more disbelief once people start buying this thing and posting pictures of them installed on their machines. That said, people are free to do whatever they want with their money and, if you decide to shell out this much money for this, then you clearly have enough money to not care at all that you're being ripped off!

What a joke Stern, KEEP IT!

Complete Joke! Sales on these need to die! Topper Lives Matter! Let's protest this crap

Shhhhhhh, saying something like that is like Viagra for Gary.

"Lifestyle Brand"

Have to admit the progressive wizard mode sounds pretty cool. They should have dropped this with a trailer and if it was sub $500 they would be on to something. Just dropping it like this is not ideal. An interactive light up topper is understandable at $250 and the progressive mode with new sound and graphics is worth $250. You got drop it like it’s awesome not like you bending people over for $600 after that Star Wars topper.

And I thought the price of the KISS topper a few years back was bonkers....

$600 for some plastic and LEDs? Uh, no thanks. I could make my own topper and still save a few hundred bucks. Most toppers aren't really all that complicated.

$250, and these would probably be flying off the shelves, getting compliments, and Stern would still be profiting from it.

Absolutely despicable.

It’s always something. I stopped buying Sterns when they made people beg for a $15k Super LE of an unfinished prototype. Then came horrible playfields as a feature. Then making Stranger Things owners pay to “unlock” a lighting feature.

I was almost tempted by TMNT...was thinking about getting one.

NAH.

Glad I didn’t buy a TMNT. Now that $600 mode DLC is a thing, this has cemented that I will
never buy a Stern on principal. Every game is gonna have a paid unlock now. I’m Done. Forever. Lost me as a customer permanently with this one.

But the topper does come with KY and a kiss on the neck before Gary bends over everyone who buys it....tell me it's not worth it.

No drama, just say no thanks and don't buy it. That stops that.

I hate the Pro/premium/special/LE business model and this just makes it even worse.

Just sell the whole damn game.

I hope someone reverse engineers what the topper unlocks and then releases it.

No, it doesn't. Nothing about this is cool.

Well... it’s sold out already. Way to teach them a lesson!

Just gross. This is bad.

I was going to say..... this will sell out and people will be paying 800$ for one in the not too distant future!

You’d have to be a complete putz to buy one, for no other reason than it looks like shit.

Well, I'm seriously underwhelmed.

Hard Pass.

This is a $250-$300 topper at most. crazy

Seriously? How? Is this just distributors buying them? It's just too hard to believe.

I don't know of a pin with a progressive wizard mode but I admit I'm not that knowledgeable. I have been hoping for data that carries over from game to game, if the wizard mode is great, this sounds pretty innovative (for pinball).

Really? It lets me add 500 to my cart.

Edit- it says sold out when I try to check out with them.

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Unless it Paypal's you $600 it ain't special.

OMG for shits and giggles what's the shipping?

Says sold out when I try to check out. We really showed them, guys!

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I wonder if it will be possible to just enable the topper in settings (to get the mode), but not actually have it. I mean, the usual Stern topper connection doesn't allow two-way communication, does it?

I take a step back from the rage for 1 second.

That does sound cool.

RageHat back on! My $6000+ toy should come with all of the bells and whistles.

Maybe they just didn't add inventory to the online store yet. Does anyone know anyone who actually bought one?

...anyone who will admit it, that is.

Yeah, I understand the anger, if you could just buy the mode for couple hundred and they marketed it properly. I think people would be generally excited. If they dropped the code free when you buy TMNT, I think they would sell a lot of toppers at $250 and a lot of pins.

I wonder who will get their JP items first? The people who ordered this topper, or the people promised populated playfields 9 months ago and still have not received them yet?

Toppers on pins are like having a set of bull horns on the hood of your Cadillac convertible.

Both are gonna get you laid.

This is an all time low. I thought the cost of the Kiss topper was RIDICULOUS!!! Which is why I did not get one. This topper looks at most like $100 bucks and if there is DLC for this ok make it $200 shipped.

I know this will never happen but people that keep on piping up saying I’d pay X amount or I’d pay extra for that are the problem. Manufacturers read these threads. Quit saying what you would pay for stuff. Every time someone does that you can guarantee it’s a price increase and money in the bank. We are slowly pricing ourselves out of the market if we are not already. Tired of pinflation. Especially when it is self induced and people don’t even see they are feeding it. But if people keep paying I don’t blame the manufacturers for sky high prices.

I am sure distributors are sitting on them. I seriously doubt there are none available unless they only made like 50