Quoted from Rarehero:Generally Stern gets a 3-year deal for licenses. Historically, when a game is out of production, it's done forever. In the past, a few big sellers like Simpsons Pinball Party and Lord of the Rings had their licenses extended and games were made longer. Iron Man was the first game that was declared "dead" which later found massive popularity after the license expired, so Stern re-licensed it and called it a "Vault Edition" (kinda like when Disney movies come back on DVD or Blu-Ray...they're released from "the vault"). It had a few minor changes (new backbox design, metallic foil decals, re-molds of the action figures, light in Monger's chest, all LEDs). After that happened, everyone has been speculating constantly about every game getting a Vault re-release, especially the post-2012 new collectors who ONLY buy NIB, and can't imagine a world where they go out and find a previously owned machine.
I love that last line. It's so true.
As someone who only really got into owning Pinballs from 2013 (although a lifelong arcade nut), i can't imagine EVER buying a NIB game. I'm not a gambler & don't have the patience to wait years for a game to be 'done' before getting the maximum enjoyment from it. MY early-adopter urge to have the latest shiny things died long ago. VERY happy buying used but tidy machines with full features and complete rules, where the tweaks and fixes are documented (if not done already). I bought my IMVE 2nd or 3rd hand, but it could've been mistaken for NIB! Same for Tron Pro too - that was 2nd hand.
Venice, FL
