The Walking Dead has short ball times as well.

I emulated my video pinball machine build after the virtuapin product (even ordered parts from them). Their price is fair for all the work that goes into one of these things. I might have saved a grand by building it myself, but I gained a lot of information and had a great time.

Haters gunna hate. I love my machine, I was able to play Lotr, TSPP, and many others for the first time. The software will always improve; if you think it's crap now, come back in a year it will be better. I only have room for 4 cabinets, this will always be one of them.

Some pbfx tsbles may have long ball tines but did you beat the table? Doubtful. The games are pretty deep and tons to do

So.. .to paraphrase, you cant afford one?

Anyone who buys a Virtua(l)Pin and THINKS its exactly like pinball is buying it for the wrong reasons and/or is just dumb.....

It's a DIFFERENT game. This is like saying the 5 trillion people who bought grand theft auto are crazy because the computer game doesnt react EXACTLY like a real HumVee driving through a shopping mall window...

Virtual Pinball is a great toy....
Pinball is a great toy
Mustang GT- great toy
Girls boobs- great toys.

Not everyone has the same tastes...

For me, Virtual Pinball allows me to enjoy the occasional "VIRTUAL" experience on tables Ive either never owned, never seen in real life and/or couldnt afford to buy.

Example: BBB & CC. Fun games. I'll NEVER own an original. I'm OK with the tradeoffs to enjoy them virtually.
Example: SS. I like the humor of the callouts as much as the actual physics of the game, hence, virtual is a gre4at alternative.

etc, etc, etc.

So here's something I don't get. Total noob questions. You've got your hardware in the cab. You've got your HyperPin front end. Ok. Are Visual Pinball, Future Pinball, unit3d all applications/platforms with their own attendant software that open and run "files" of individual tables? Are such "files" shared between the platforms, or is there, for instance, a given table built separately for each of them? How hard is it to switch between the different platforms?

Can the Pinball FX2 platform run any regular games, or just the crazy proprietary ones?

^ It couldn't be more F'n difficult lol

Funny thing is your favorite VP table won't work on all VP versions & it mos def won't work on FP, FX or Unit3d.

PinballX is the frontend to use. In a nutshell will launch any Virtual Pin engine you like with table on command line, don't know about TPA (UI sucks as well here) but all the rest can be launched with a push of button.

You're only really going to experience version issues with old VP tables. Like VP8. VPinball990 does most.

VP_physmod5 is a different story though but this is still very new. Reason for this is because of the extra variables/options for the new physics stuff.

I discovered this program about a week ago, and was floored how simple it was compared to hyperpin. Granted you will need to stretch/move your screen if you're doing arcade mode no matter what, but just getting files to open automatically, and easily adding tables to the list (and artwork files) is a breeze. Also pinball-X has an ftp site where a bunch of artwork files reside so you don't have to make your own for most titles. I've already swapped out the horribly overplayed "pinball wizard" song for this when the menu first loads:

Tspiers was awesome when he first put that together, any feature request I put his way was implemented almost straight away.

Watching PAPA tutorials/gameplay is the best in the frontend. Trying to script stuff like that into the Hyperpin FPlaunch was a PITA. It's not just for the cab, you can push one button to flip to a desktop menu too.

Yes, Virtual Pinball (VPMAME), Future Pinball, and Unity3D are all separate programs with their own tables. You can not open a Future Pinball table in Virtual Pinball and vise versa. Think of it like using a Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and Super Nintendo emulator on your PC. HyperPin Is a front end or Launcher that makes transitioning from one pin program to another seamless. Each pinball program can be set up in HypinPin individually and run with its own parameters if need be.

I haven't used Future Pinball much, but I use VP quite extensively. VP consists of 2 elements: Visual Pinball and VPMame. Visual Pinball is where you load and design tables. VPMame is the program that takes the game roms and apply them to a table layout. VPMame is what controls the table rules and what you see running on the DMD.

The best way to start with Digital Pinball would be to get each program up and running individually, then add in any extras like a real DMD, LEDwiz, etc, lastly configure the front end. the VPForums is a great resource to help you get up and running, but their guide could use an update. I find myself getting a bit lost looking for the latest and greats builds or everything. Hope that helps.

Correct. I can't afford one.

I can't afford the price it will take on my soul, and my well-being.

And I certainly can't afford the many hundreds of dollars I will lose when I try to unload the ghastly white elephant in my living room - nobody in history has ever made their money back on one of those wretched novelties, because everybody knows they suck.

So yes, I agree with you. I KNOW Virtual pinball is ridiculous toy. The people who have rationalized themselves into believing "it's like having 200 pinball machines for the price and space of one!!!" are the people who have lost their minds.

I can't argue against your assertion that whomever buys a virtua-al-whatever pin is dumb. But it's not very nice of you to say that on a public forum. I would certainly never resort to name calling like that.

^^^

Lol, calm down drama queen. It's just a TV inside a cabinet that plays a video game.

SOOOO much passion for an item you profess to have so little interest in?

reminds me of the "Gregster" from Cruel Intentions....

gregster.jpg

LOL...this thread is hilarious.

So far I've been accused of being stupid, gay, and broke...just because I think virtual pinball sucks!

And I'm the drama queen...

I'm glad I came over here. Honestly, it really is just like RGP circa 2005 - complete with all the idiocy. I missed that.

I guess it makes since, since everyone is now posting the exact same stuff here they used to post there.

Including me.

We really like our VP it has forced feedback, real flashers, shaker motor, a motor that runs when a target bank goes up or down or other motors run. It also runs FX pinball. Many days my youngest son will just play this one and not my real pins. Everybody that plays likes it so far anyway. Non pinball people gravitate to it on stay on it.

I think if you are going to build on you need to go all out because it is not just one thing that makes fun it is everything put together that makes it fun. It is also just one or two things that makes not fun. Flipper delay is just a killer. Not all tables are fun.

This is not a VP friendly place try going to http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?38-HyperPin-Cabinet-Forum for your info.

VP does not replace real pinball machines at all for us but it is still fun.

Most of the replies don’t agree with my views but that is fine your mileage may vary.

No one is really taking this too serious BTW so don't worry about it so much.

I didn't like RGP 2005 either. Personally I liked RGP 2007 "delicious again Peter, naturally I'd say it's the wine. Mmmm it does go well with the chicken"

It's just a matter of time before Virtual Pins start replacing real pins on locations. Not all locations mind you, but routed pins in non arcade/bar establishments.

Kids these days don't have the same hang-ups that we do about real/simulated pinball, they have all grown up playing pinball on their Xbox and iPads and whatever, to them there is no difference, it's just another 'video game' and they would gladly put their money in there as any real pin.

On top of that, imagine a routed pin that never needs to be shopped, never needs new rubbers, never breaks down and costs half of what a real pin costs.

Sure, the physics and graphics aren't quite there yet, but that's just a matter of time, compare a driving game today to one made 10 years ago and 10 years before that.

All that said, I love my real pinball machine. I've played every version of BK2K on almost every platform and nothing holds a candle to the real McCoy, but when my pin is broke, I'll play it on the sims because even virtual pinball is better than no pinball at all.

And also, VpinMame is not a pinball simulator, it's an emulator for the ROM, it still needs a simulator to control.

I had 15 pins and I was out of space. I thought the only way for me to own every pinball game I liked would be to add a virtual pinball cabinet with all of them emulated. Thus I could have my 15 actual pins plus virtually have The Shadow + Getaway + Funhouse + Indy 500 + Party Zone + Medieval Madness, etc. It looked like a virtual pin was perfect for a person who feels he has to "own" everything (something of which I have been accused on occasion).

Then I got to play several different games on a brand new high quality virtual pin with all the latest tech advances. It looked cool, but playing it just was not satisfying to me. I realized that if I owned one I would hardly ever play it. So no virtual pinball for me.

Come on man, he's from NYNY, home to 8.34 million of the best 8.36 million people on Earth. There are standard to uphold.

Each of these is a separate game launched with its own set of tables. You might be close enough to me to come out and spend some time with my vpin. I'd be happy to help you build one or configure all the software if you buy one and bring it out.

I don't agree. I've been to the pinball hall of fame probably over a hundred times and I can count the number of times I've seen someone playing the Orange County Choppers virtual pin on one hand. Yes, I understand the theme isn't the greatest, but people just aren't as interested.

It might be different if you could put a virtual pin on site with all the classics, but then you would be looking at licensing costs for each of the tables.

I just don't see it happening.

apples and oranges.. I've played it and it sucks because
A. Chopper shows are dead, and american choppers as a theme feels dated today
B. it's very one note (not a lot of variety in tables)
C. Detail is low because it's trying to put too much on the screen at the same time

I can play virtual tables for hours, even on a keyboard (working on a cabinet). Either you like virtual cabinets or you don't.

I can see this on some level. It won't replace pinball, but might be a profitable alternative. I mean I wouldn't seek it out, but if I were bored in a bar I'd drop some coins. Hell if stupid redemption machines can earn money, why not virtual cabs.

I mean other than a button failing, a virtual cabinet can run error free (if built right) for years and years without maintenance. It would have to be full blown (core I7, top video card, analog plunger, nudge detection through accelerometers, flashers, subwoofer). Maybe even have real 3d using webcams to detect head position so it can adjust the screen:

So what about a video pinball machine (in the future) that plays The Pinball Arcade (with better physics then anything out today) and all of their real game licenses?

I totally see that happening, we might be 5-10 years away before something like that could be possible, but it would make money.

That's really generous man, thanks. Might take you up on it. I saw your machine sitting there at the show and I just never made the time. The boy wasn't really interested and we started the show beat tired. Plus, a vid is a pretty hard sell sitting next to the rest of those tricked out machines!

So much missed at this year's show has me bummed.

I referenced OC choppers , because it's the big commercialized virtual pin that came to mind. The theme sucks, but a lot of real pinball machines have shitty themes too, yet people still play them there.

Even with the maintenance involved. I believe a real pinball machine would outperform a virtual pin, so I just don't see them replacing real pinball machines.

I think if you have the space and the money it is great as a show piece kinda like a MAME machine, its a gateway drug to the real thing and there is no problem with that. I wouldn't mind one next to my real games.

I didn't even know there was an OCC pin, Virtual or otherwise.

I think alot of the issue you and others have with it is comparing it to a real pinball machine and I also agree that it's not going to happen that way.

I don't think multiple tables are the way to go. I think you load a single table on it, it boots into that table and when you come by to collect your money you change the table out for another one. This would keep people coming back to see what's new and limits the amount of custom work you would need to do to get credits to work across the front end and keeps the operation of the machine as simple as an analog (not virtual) pinball machine.

I don't think recreations of real pins would work as well on a "routed" Vpin. I mean, they would work, and people would like them, but then you get into the comparison thing.

Just like arcade games don't always work well on an iPad, Virtual pins, at least something that could be on a location, would need to be made for the platform. Modes that change the playfield and backglass, levels to achieve, secrets etc.

Virtual pinball is bringing alot of people back into real pinball or getting them to discover it for the first time. I think for pinball to survive, especially at it's current rate, Virtual pinball will need to play a part in it.

As far as redemption games go, there's no reason you couldn't have it dispense tickets, You could even base the whole theme around it.

I am certain we will see virtual pins on route some day.

All it takes is a coin op manufacturer to sign a deal with PinballFX for a few exclusive simple tables. There could be some with ass n titties or some with Bubble Guppies. I'm sure folks would put some money into em & TV's/PC's get cheaper every day.

They could secretly program it to be more forgiving the first 30 seconds of play & increase the level of difficulty every subsequent 30 seconds per ball in play. This way ops make money & players feel like they get a value vs time like on BBH or GT vids.

Orange County Choppers in some ways did not have the real pinball feel to the lay outs.

PinballFX does and does cool stuff that can't be done with real games.

Stay tuned

Stern is a fan of virtual pinball

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/07/23/stern-sees-a-bright-future-in-digital-pinball.aspx

Still up to the rights holders to be ok with it.

But I don't think most Ios hardware has the ram to do it at least android hardware does.

I can run all the TPA tables fine on a first generation iPad and it runs great and is totally playable. The new Deadpool game on Zen (PinballFX) runs like crap on it and is totally unplayable (works fine on our mini tho).

I still think for a routed pin that a single table is the way to go. Having menu's and all of that is just going to be confusing for most casual players. I know Ryan from VP was talking about trying one in an arcade, I'd be interested to see if a single table machine would have more plays than a multi-table one. Part of the replayability of pinball is putting a token in to see if you can do better this time, if you can just switch to another table, I think you lose some of that hook.

Ios hardware likely can't do SAM games.

Pinball hall of fame has a VP cab. With a note saying wait for table load before dropping coins.

Yea, That's something else to think about. You would almost need something else keeping track of credits like an arduino os something that can check to see if the simulator is ready and buffer the credits if it's not.

Why wouldn't IOS be able to run SAM games, running a pinball machine doesn't require that much processing power compared to a modern computer.

Of course. Less parts = more money in there pocket. Crack open a Mustang and you can see for yourself how they are already skimping on things.

IOS does not have much ram and the SAM roms are like 32-128 MB just for the rom.

You don't need an arduino just a front end the holds them and after table load triggers the coin switch in the roms.

also may even be able to track replays as well.

Now that I think about it, you would just use the coin lock solenoid until the table was loaded then the token would just come out the coin return.

that may work or there can be a credit button that does not work till table load and coins are saved up in some background app / front end.

Stern has RBION on pinball arcade. 128mb IS a lot, but not out of the question. I mean iphone is at 32gb, the next generation will probably have a 64gb option.

32gb Flash and 512mb-1GB ram. needing 32-128 ram just for the rom is a lot.

RBION is the older pre sam hardware.

most androids have 2GB ram

A real, working pinball machine is great but not everyone has thousands of dollars to drop on original pinball machines, not counting restoration, repairs and maintenance costs and not everyone has the opportunity to drive cross country to snag a great deal on an older pinball machine requiring moderate repairs at best.

My favorite pinball game, Cirqus Voltaire...let's see...ooh! Two listings on Ebay at the moment, one for 12k and one for 8k, not counting shipping or pickup costs. One here on Pinside for 7500. One for sale in Finland, which is right out. I'll give you two guesses if I can afford any of those options right now.

So while it's easy to play the purist, when you've got thousands of bucks to drop or when you've managed to snag a sneaky deal or have time to drive from state to state, not everyone has that option.

Is Theatre of Magic as awesome on VirtuaPin as the actual real machine? Of course not. But even the most avid collectors can't afford what it would cost to buy and repair, all the greatest pinball machines ever (not to mention house a massive collection) and some are so rare, even if they could afford them, they couldn't buy them anyway. So go easy on VP and go easy on people who don't live in the middle of some Pinball Mecca.

The rom does not need to be entirely loaded into ram. Streamed as needed off flash is fine. The internal disk is flash and faster then the rom chip anyway

Heres my take.

I had one of the communitys best create a pinball 2k cabinet and I went overboard
With all the features. There was flipper lag that I couldnt resolve. Then I got my first pin, Tron.
It wasnt played for a little over two years. I wanted to sell it at a deeply discounted price.
Then I cleaned the garage and put 15 minutes of fixing up the software to play a game. About
30 hours later the first game played perfectly and then it took about 5 minutes per table after that to get them working.
The physics are great and they can be played with.
The flipper lag was resolved with direct x 9? Version of visual pinball. And you can modify how the
Flippers swing pretty easily. Over the course of 3 weeks my household of pins havent been touched and I sunk time and effort to bring this system back online. I gotta say its pretty amazing. Its not real, but I love a lot of games I dont own. And with pin prices in the secondary market in flux, Im wondering if its worth putting more money
Into the hobby as taking large loses to switch out a game isnt feasible.

Oh, Noah Fentz has great cabinets too. Top notch and well thought out cabinet.

That depends on how the emulator is setup. Maybe if they rip out all of the sound and play them as some like wave or some other type of sound files.

In my opinion VirtuaPin has the most accurate cabinet style and most attractive playfield monitors. Plus, the actual existence of a third screen for the DMD. I would love to get a chance to play one some day.

Visual Pinball Physmod5 is ruling the roost!

I read the other day that Unit3D Pinball is back under development again, There should be a new Alpha or Beta in the coming months along with some new tables, Can't wait!