His podcast tends to be the only consistent and “public” source for production updates, and he has no obligation to do that either.

Imagine fielding 30 emails, messages, and texts a day for customers asking questions about the production schedule, then getting another 15-20 from non-customers. You’d probably tire of it after a while... Dude has to draw the line somewhere. He’s not some kind of public servant, and has plenty of other stuff to do on a given day.

With the podcast update he just says it once and it’s out there.

Not a customer of Zach and he can be a bit of a windbag, but he’s got passion and has done a crapload to support the pinball community.
Just call the guy and work it out.

Again, totally get that and was understanding of the non answer I got from him because of this. My issue was that he come here and is touting that he's does this and that even for non customers in the exact same day of him pushing me aside. Just a little misguided to post that is all I was pointing out.

Yes, thank you.

The latest info I’ve received from a distro regarding GZ premium is that it’s still expected on the line in the next week or so, and that in his view, Stern has been ramping things up and keeping the line moving. We will see

Here's the info we have. Apparently Godzilla starts on the line next week. Woohoo! If you do get any updates on what's on the line or where it falls on the schedule, please share on this thread.

Mar 2022 - Godzilla Pro & Premium
Mar 2022 - AIQ Pro & Premium
Apr 2022 - Rush Pro & Premium
Apr 2022 - JP Pro & Premium
May 2022 - Godzilla Pro & Premium
July 2022 - Deadpool Pro & Premium
July 2022 - Godzilla Pro & Premium
Aug 2022 - Star Wars Pro & Premium (original art package)
Aug 2022 - NEW STERN CORNERSTONE
Sep 2022 - Star Wars the pin (original & comic art)
Oct 2022 - JP the pin
Nov 2022 - Elvira Premium
Dec 2022 - TMNT Pro & Premium

One way I look at the extended wait, is that I don’t have to put out 20k in an instant with the couple of games I have on order. Now, I am in a spot where I can possibly buy the new cornerstone game as well in the same stride…”so to speak”. BTTF??

It’s amazing even with the dropped games like BM66 there’s so many available options. Compare to JJP who could have a successful re-run on most of their pins but if you don’t like Wonka or GnR you’re out of luck.

Contacting your distro every 2 months seems reasonable considering titles were getting pushed back more.

Anyone know if Mando's are still rolling off the line this week? Was expecting mine this run

Stern’s head engineer was on Marcos twitch stream yesterday and mentioned Mando was still on the line with GZ next.

Excellent news, Thx!

Oh boy one more run of RUSH this year. I'm trying to be patient, I'm trying to be cool, but I'll admit I'm very nervous that my day-one Premium pre-order isn't going to be met. I contacted my distro about my line position, didn't hear back - keeping my fingers crossed!

If they start GZ next week there is no way they will be doing AIQ in march. Just my thoughts. I wonder if they will be posting an updated schedule at some point since it already appears they are getting behind.

Is Iron Maiden done??

No plans to run this year. That’s all the distributors knew when I asked

As far as I understood it, the final run was done a couple months ago.

I did that and got a four word response. Yay communication!

Just got my in line #s
JP pro #5 YES!
DP prem #4 YES!
Dp pro #11 YES!
GZ prem #52 -#54 NOOOOOOOOOOO

This was just the first quarter info, and it changes. There's a big gap after April. So there might be a May or June run of Rush. We'll get more information in April I hope, but I'm currently at 6 months for my day-one Premium Godzilla order, and not sure if Stern will provide enough to my distributor to get mine before the Fall, which would be a year wait.

That seems very accurate. When they originally moved AIQ, I believe the target was Godzilla from March 14-25, and AIQ starts on March 28. But if there's 2 weeks of Godzilla, it looks like AIQ will start on the line on April 4, unless the second line is doing AIQ. No one has released the second quarter schedule which would give us May and June line updates. But looks like they're wrapping up the current run of Mando which is a good sign that they're moving towards us.

That would actually be a really great idea! But I think this poses a high risk for distributors. Everyone would check the line order, and if one was up to 20 on back order and the other was at 100, then a lot of people would start canceling their orders or switch distributors, so although it would be pretty nice to have a deli number for your position, it's a lot of work for the distributor and just risks them losing customers. And since some distributors will get bigger allotments, it's hard to gauge when you would end up getting it.

I’m curious about the “no show” rate. Plunking down $500 on a game is one thing but actually handing over $10k (price+tax) after a year wait when the initial excitement is over is quite another.

I also put down a deposit on a GZ premium but the longer the wait, the less my desire to own one may be. And $10k is still a lot of money.

In my case, early 2023 is when I have the space but if “my” GZ isn’t available in 1Q2023, at least my spot in line will likely go to someone else.

"Blow off you wanker!" ??

I’m in the same boat , I have one on order but the longer this drags out the less I’m concerned
Really. I had 10k on hand ready to buy on day one , at this point I’ve already ordered another machine I wanted and if GZ eventually shows up
Well see how I feel about the game then. All the
Craziness and uncertainty is a real turn off

This thread can feel a bit gloomy at times with very little info out on what’s next, and wondering where we all are in line ect.
With that in mind I hope we will all remember to post on this thread. What game did you order, and when you pre-ordered it. Just for some good news to be on the thread and maybe give others in similar situations with said game a little hope.

All good info, so far. Still unassigned is six week period from May 15 - June 30. Is big money still on a Kapow release? Need to know whether BTTF LE will be sitting under my 4th of July fireworks.

I’ve got a Deadpool Premium ordered (ordered on December 16 2021 thru FlipNOut) and am expecting to get it from the July/August run.

Also previously ordered a Mandalorian Premium from them on June 24 2021 and picked it up January 27th 2022.

My distro said nothing planned that they had heard. A used one popped up for a good deal so I jumped on it.

.

You and I both know it will be...

Screenshot_20220227-213119_Chrome (resized).jpg

If kieth Elwin drops a masterpiece of back to the future with some cool mechs and has call out by the doc himself I will sell every pin I own and cancel every order I have to get it LOL

Crap. My distro said there’s a lot of people ahead of me for GZ premium. I don’t think I’m probably getting one of the march builds.

Unfortunately, there will be a lot of people waiting until later in the year at the earliest for many titles, GZ included. It seems as though most distributors are reporting that they only receive an allocation from Stern these days, gone are the times where a distributor could place an order for X amount of games. Demand far exceeds supply and doesn't appear to be about to change anytime soon.

I miss the days of feeling like I was doing Stern and the distributors a favor by buying a game from them. Now it feels like I’m a nuisance for wanting to buy a game from them.

Definitely. Now it seems you're lucky to get a game. Which does nothing at all for keeping price rises in check. Hopefully that doesn't lead to a future industry downturn.

So much for the “bubble burst”! Hahahaha

Me too. I also miss the days that I could get a used game at a decent price. Nowadays NIB can be far cheaper than used.

DP pro f/s at the price of a nib premium.

You used to NIB because you had to have that game before everyone else then you sold it for a few hundred below if it wasn’t for you

Now you buy NIB to save money or not pay for $1000s in mods you don’t notice

Do distributors usually share where someone is in line in their list? I was initially told I was last one in the original run, then that their first run was just short by mine.

Last time I checked they still wouldn't guarantee me a March game and just said that I should get one this year. Maybe I'm reading into it too much but this seemed a bit off given that shouldn't I be first in line and be a lock for March if I was just barely bumped from the initial run..

Without knowing the total number of machines Stern builds in one “run” and/or how many your distributor gets from Stern, it can very well be that you are first in line with your distributor but your distributor may be last in line at Stern and not get any from the March run.

I guess that’s why it may make sense to get on the lists from several distributors, large and small, in different states, if you are totally itching to get the game.

It is a bit ironic but we have gotten what we asked for shaping Stern into a 4 legged stool. We wanted our games to come out immediately after announcements - check. We wanted multiple releases each year - check. We wanted great licenses - check. Now we just want our games - no soup for you.

Never has a nib Stern game been coveted by more, even at an outrageous msrp, by more people and at a time when Stern is making more games than ever. People can play games on location while they wait or they can pay a $3k market adjustment and buy one in the marketplace. All options are ok.

Now think back to the 90’s when pinball was run in batches. One title with only one version would hit the line and run for 2-12 months. Games would continue to be run and sold until the next one showed up. A two month run would be considered a success and probably involve 5k-8k units. But when they were done, they were done, unless they weren’t. Games were made and sold and distributor inventory was low. Parts shortages was an unknown term. Life was simple.

Wasn't it Winston Churchill who said, "Never in the history of mankind has so much been owed by so many for so few pinball machines."

It was Paul Masson wine that said, “we will build you no pinball machine before it’s time”.

Amen to that - I was hanging on to some pros of my own until I upgraded to premiums, but with the current market I'm blowing out the ones I know I will eventually get. I can wait, so I'm feeding the sharks that can't.

Al czervik said " Wang, what's with the pictures, it's a pinball machine."

Stern has a super deep money making opportunity, all limited by what they can produce. Just imagine if they could expand production. And with all the pinballs lined up over the months, they could still sell A TON of old Vault machines if they decided to do them... tens of thousands IMO... Kiss, Metallica, AC/DC, Tron, Iron Maiden, LOTR, Etc...

But it’s not a production capacity issue, it’s a parts shortage issue…and in order for stern to keep their profit margins they need to source in bulk from China, but this means they’re competing with everyone else like major car manufacturers and other tech companies for parts. So the supply chain issues and delays continue.

If only it were as simple as expanding production capacity.

I just read an interview with Gomez about the Rush pin which he said most of the parts were sourced locally. https://www.dailyherald.com/business/20220313/what-a-rush-stern-pinball-scores-big-in-elk-grove-with-rock-stars-help-on-new-machine-line

But just like with auto manufacture, a supplier Stern uses that's local to them may incorporate parts in the product they make for Stern from overseas, which causes shortages anyway.

Nice that Gomez confirmed that the home market is over 50% of their business now. HOW MUCH over 50% is the question.

I just know that the industry I'm in and all of the supporting industries surrounding us are starving for man power. We offer a 3000.00 signing bonus. I wouldn't doubt it if that was part of the equation also.