The Walking Dead (Pro)
Stern, 2014You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider underlord.
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Stern sold out of LE's quick. Made a decision to make preemies while monitoring LE sales. Done. That's it. Nothing was being withheld except insider information to me and to distro's until later on when numbers were tallied up for Pro and LE sales.
Original decision was a two tier model only.
What kinda stinks is now TWDLE is just a blinged out Preemie. But I love this pin. It's fun and that's all that matters.
Think of this as a good sign that this title exploded with popularity! 
Quoted from thearcadegeek:Everyone here keeps quoting them as saying "there will NOT be a premium", yet no one has a link to that quote? I think people just heard what they wanted to hear...
That's because they were told that the preemie model was scrapped due to David@stern wanting a 'simpler' model for consumers. But once again David and Gary underestimated the popularity of this title, and back pedaled in a premium version two to three weeks ago. Only Dave and Gary knew for sure this model was going to be announced. It's just a business, not a friendship or partnership with collectors. If a model is popular it will be sold.
Now why are they ignoring or getting annoyed about Tron? Maybe licensing? Maybe timing? Dunno.
Quoted from n0s4atu:Did they sell out before the playfields were printed? Because all the LE playfields say prem-Le, which implied to me when i saw it on mine that they bailed on the premium idea late or had it planned all along.
It was a just in case. If no preemies were ever made, it wouldn't of mattered.
Quoted from Rarehero:It's not. Explained above.
Greg, you forgot 'but I love this pin.' That was part of that quote. No unhappiness with TWDLE.
Congrats on future preemie owners ( how ever many there will be).
I'm stoked this title is so popular!
Quoted from flynnibus:Seriously... people were fearful if they didn't buy a top selling game in the first 2 months of it's availability that it would never be available again? Under what rock are they living? Everywhere around Stern is making titles MORE available with MORE re-releases.
Let's step back and put some perspective.. these are all people that bought a game virtually right at release in a cycle that Gary himself will be made for years to come.
People just aren't patient and now they are upset their eagerness got the best of them.
Nevermind there is always the second hand market. People are jumping before they look and want validation for their moves. Sorry, if you bought the LE out of fear of availability.. instead of being the game you wanted... you really should have some more self control and stop buying into the hype that a title is going to be the next unobtainium in just weeks after release.
OMG. This. Exactly. Thank you.
Quoted from cooked71:So next model is released using the same smoke and mirrors.......This time almost everyone decides to sit it out an wait for the Premium.....therefore the LE's dont sell because everyones waiting. Then what, they dont make the Premium because the LE didnt sell? But the LE didnt sell because everyones waiting for the Premium..and so on.
Its a flawed strategy and will catch up with Stern at some point.....
No its not a life changing issue, and despite what Chambahz sais, no its not going to make people get a new hobby. Its just lame and Stern loses goodwill. Its a small boutique industry.....everyone feels like they know Gary, Jack etc. You do tours of the factory with John Borg. For this reason people feel like they've been screwed. Just be honest with your small base of customers and they'll support you for the long term.
People expect this sort of stuff from large consumer companies where customers are just faceless credit cards. But not from boutique companies like Stern.
Stern is not a boutique company. They sell pins around the world.
And yes, expect this stuff from a large consumer company.
Quoted from Rarehero:How many more f*cking years will this inane speculation go on for!??!?!
How old are you? 
Quoted from iceman44:Yeah Gweem, it's basically an open F U to the people that bought LE's and Pros not knowing how good it would be. So F that.
Yes we knew it could happen. Im gonna lead an LE boycott campaign on the next pin!
Ignorance is bliss...for Stern I guess.
Jaws LE Ice. You in?
Quoted from mnpinball:This is actually my main beef with this deal.
The LE does NOT have a real screened backglass as stated in the matrix release. It's a mirrored translite. And to top it off the the Pro and LE use the same image just sightly colored different.
Now the Premium has the single unique translite art that sets it apart from the LE/Pro image.
The LE should be the one with the different more cool, more unique, more limited art.
That Premium translite should have been the LE art.
Nah, preemie translite is just tiled looking. Besides, it over does the fishtank thing. That was a tiny aspect of this show.
Quoted from Hazoff:Just have the Pro and Premium with options. I don't need a plaque or signatures, in my opinion classics are done. Its like cars today, they are striking and cool but I don't see people in 20 years wanting a 2014 mustang when they could have a 2035 model with all the tech of that time, If pins are still being made which I think they will the advancements will be to a degree that TWDLE will not be sought after, very unlikely.
It's true. Time and time again. Enjoy the latest and greatest now. Then in a few years. Then in a few years. 
Quoted from Tseamans:The fish tanks were one of the coolest parts of the show and even better in the comic, you could always throw a pro translite in there and call it a day.
Really? Ok I guess. 
The artwork on the cab of the preemie looks good.
Quoted from iceman44:Damn right you do, will end up in the class of "best ever"
It's looking that way Ice. It really is.
Quoted from gweempose:They did not really say this until many people already had non-refundable deposits in. Even then, they never made any type of official statement. There was never anything about a premium on their website or Facebook page.
You think that Stern has the foresight to pre plan an ingenious idea to try to dupe the collector market?
Or, that they just woke up and read the sales numbers.
Yeah, Stern will make a global conglomerate someday.
Quoted from Concretehardt:Nope LOTR next, you better run out and sell your LOTR quick cause a better VE version is coming..
See I can do this too (it's annoying huh)
Annoying? No. Entertaining? Hell yeah.
So let's recap. Been a busy week.
Heighway loses Nordman. Oh well they say, game's pretty much done...
SkitB sends a love letter wthout updates or real substance to Pinside...oh well well they say...
Stern says BTW, we ARE selling a premium TWD now. Oh well they say.
We all need your money to keep pinball viable! Send those payments in!
Oh well we say...
I have tried my best as one consumer to support Stern, JJP, SkitB. No longer. When a product is announced, let us see how it plays out without a rush of buyers like myself to spend money.
Quoted from TigerLaw:It is not a Backglass. It is just a mirrored translight.
I'm still excited about my TWD LE that is going to be shipped to me today (Refinary Edition, can't wait!) but I am less than enthused about Stern right now. I will be buying JJP or Spooky for my next game.
You won't be disappointed Tigerlaw. It's a total package game and I gotta admit, the LE has the best artwork.
Now onto my upcoming bill to be on the black and red armor for a measly $500 clams, after I bought the Govs fishtank topper and the side art.
I am such a glutton for punishment...and cool...definitely cool...
Quoted from gweempose:I have been one of the most outspoken TWD LE owners on this topic, and I feel that my reasons for being upset have been clearly laid out. That being said, people continue to twist my words and completely ignore the rationale behind my arguments. Because of this, I feel compelled to clear up a few things:
For starters, I am not fundamentally upset by the fact that there will be more games hitting the market with the same gameplay as my LE. In fact, quite the opposite is true. I'm thrilled that the title is a hit and that Stern will be making more of them. I love the game, and it's great that more people will be able to experience the full featured version. I didn't buy the LE because of its exclusivity. I bought it because, at the time, it was the only way I could get the game with all the features I wanted.
Secondly, I am in no way, shape or form opposed to Stern making money. I openly acknowledge that when Stern is doing well, it is good for the hobby. I also feel that they have every right to maximize profits. I just don't feel they should do it by being deceptive or taking advantage of their customers. We are the ones that enabled the company to thrive. Without our dollars, there would be no Stern. Because of this, we should be treated with respect, even if that means slightly more risk or slightly less profit for Stern.
Lastly, it is not about the money. I can't emphasize this point enough. Of course, I'm not happy about something I own instantly going down in value. Who would be? The monetary loss isn't what made me so upset, though. I knew the risks when I bought the LE. I knew there was a possibility that Stern would release a premium if the title sold well. Despite this, I went ahead and bought the LE anyway, grasping to the foolish notion that Stern wouldn't purposely mislead us. Now that the smoke has cleared and I can clearly see what their plan was all along, it's extremely frustrating. They used me, and I fell for it hook, line and sinker.
And I want to apologize for everyone who I misled into buying an LE because I was misinformed.
I am sorry guys. 
Some folks asked me for an informed opinion, and I tried to be as upfront as I could at the time, not knowing a premium was a last minute decision from the bossman.
I am very pleased with how the LE came out, if it's any consolation.
Quoted from iceman44:That is THEIR problem, not ours, why is there an "oversupply"? Build a Mustang pin and make a premium to go with it, that's not the problem of the people that didn't want one and they are now stuck with it.
From day one I said it was "smart" to wait it out. With this pin i didn't want to and am still happy I didn't. But if you can't see the "deceptive trade practices" here then I don't know what else to tell you.
That said, I am going to do my best to educate and remind people the next time around.
Until the BS stops from Stern, you won't get pins that have code finished a year later or not at all.
Why the F is that right? You paid for it? WTF
I'm going with Ice on this one too. No more early buys on fear of missing out on a title, preorders on boutiques ( PRED is already paid for, so too late on that train!), and payments for a year or more on startups.
Let em build the damn things first!!!! CRAZY TALK!! 
Predator is my next upcoming, Jaws next year? Would be great, hard to resist that title though, but until I see real info on it and it's available for sale actually sitting @distros and more than a crappy phone vid to see.
Quoted from flynnibus:The problem with your 'simple ask' is, people are still going to be upset at times because it's unrealistic, and frankly, bad for us the customer, if you were to say they should announce every edition at one time. Because, how far do you take that? Every edition that will be available in the next 3m? 6m? 24m? 48m? Unless they NEVER make another game varient.. which would be BAD for customers... you are asking them to have a crystal ball about what ideas or concepts may come in the future. That's not reality.
Under your theory... how do you reconcile things like the new LED'd Metallica Pro? The improved AC/DC Pro? Luci? The DD Metallica Premium? All of these were decisions that were NOT known at the time of game launch - they were not the 'information withheld' scenario you are trying to stop. So what should happen with these games in your world? Should these games not be made? How do you reconcile the fact the SAME EXACT problem happening that happened this time? The motivations are different, but the rules you are proposing don't actually fix the customer problem.. it would just fix A situation, but not actually save the customer from this grief in other situations. It's not sound logic.
I understand your grief, but your solution doesn't actually work except in this one particular case and won't save you from OTHER disappointments with buying a game and having another more desirable version coming out afterwards.
I don't think it's a question of Stern releasing options, it's the timing. Literally the moment the LE's were just about all gone, Stern already had a Premium designed and ready to build. Unfortunately,it does come off as artificial scarcity and regardless of actual intentions from Stern, and regardless of how awesome this game IS (!), and it is, the situation gives some buyers the feeling of being duped.
I am in the 'very pleased with my purchase' camp, as I am blessed with a great job that I love and an understanding wife and kids, so losing some value on an expensive purchase is allowed. 
But the folks on a tighter budget who bought a Pro, and the guys I spoke with who bought an LE thinking it's expensive, even though no one forced them ( remember, emotion! Strong shit!), those are the gang I'm worried will walk away soured for a long time.
Remember, pinball buying is an emotional purchase, so if you toy with that excitement, you risk everything.
I will give much more serious consideration to anymore nib purchases going forward, only because I feel that I was responsible for others making spur of the moment decisions based on info I believed was correct, and that is bothering me a lot right now.
So I must 'buy by example' for myself the way I buy everything else I own. Research, options, and discussion. Not 'gotta get me that now!' Little kid emotion still runs strong with some things I guess.
Quoted from Yipykya:A fascinating discussion, if I could interrupt just for a teeny second and back up to acknowledge this crappy phone video of a Stern Jaws pin?
Underlord, is there a video of it or were you just speaking in a future tense?Because if you have a crappy phone video of such footage, it is your duty to show us!
Lol. No, future speak.
Quoted from Yipykya:darn, would have loved a modern pin with a shark in it
OMG! What a great idea! Maybe, just maybe I could redeem myself here...
Hmmm....
Quoted from TigerLaw:In the garage!!! Woot Woot!!! Gio was awesome to deal with in all matters. I cannot give those guys a loud enough endorsement. Pinball Refinary rocks!
image.jpg 120 KB
Looking forward to your opinion of the game Ed! Awesome...just awesome.
Quoted from John1210:Why are people having to fix dodgy crap like this on a new le ? We're talking many thousands for this pin.
Could be worse. Pf's warped or splitting. Boards frying. Real serious shit.
This is small potatoes. Big deal. Gotta add felt. You want perfection, not gonna find it anywhere.
First run of any new design is gonna be buggy.
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Springfield, OH