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...

The wait for games has become ridiculous, but what makes it worse is when you see Stern release a whole new title (or two!) and then deliver a bunch of those games as well as older titles to people.. all while you just wait for the game you put money down on 5+ months ago during it's release.

Bitching to the choir here, but I needed to get it out

I'm not sure what to think reading all this. Does this mean that the bigger, been around a long time distributors are getting so many orders that it no longer makes sense to order from them? Now I can go to a newer (smaller?) distributor with no customer base and order a game and get it quicker? Sure looks that way! Some dealers marking up prices or just throwing extras they have (and I'm sure just not giving it to someone on their purchase list) as trade bait to get rarer games to make even more money on. All while we've seen crazy price increases for the same pro/premium games? I'm beginning to despise this hobby in a lot of ways.. but still want the escape Home Pinball provides me and my family as it has for over the past decade.

I have never been as frustrated as I am now... I was an early order for GZ prem and I keep getting delayed. Not going to mention who I ordered from, I know it's Stern's fault and the whole shitty process and what it has become, after all my distributer wants to make money and sell games. Why in the heck does rush get produced and pumped out while I'm still waiting for the game Stern sold me before it? Just to tease me while Rush buyers get to enjoy their games?

And now this whole thing has brought in speculators in record numbers, just to muddy things up even more.

Also, I see some mentioning that Mando is in stock and implying that Distributors are desperate to move them. That has to be a joke, right? In 3-4 months the NIB Mandos will be dried up and they'll be back in the "can't find" category with people paying over NIB prices, just like so many other releases have done. There are so many Stern games that have done this over the past decade you should never think a NIB stern is hard to move... that's comical to me...

Apparently, so does 1000 of us here LMAO. Meanwhile, "Bob's Pinballs" can get you a game quicker! or so it seems. Not saying it's right... it is what it is and it's not what it used to be!

This is ridiculous, actually. Is Stern punishing them or what? Now new dealers are taking inventory from the dealers that kept Stern afloat through the years? Kind of like a new Chevy dealer that hasn't been in the game getting new C8 Corvettes before long-established dealers.

Well, what the F is the sense of getting excited about new Stern pinball releases then? WOW, that's awesome!! Can't wait to own one in 2 (TWO) Years!!

I've seen dealers playing the markup game also... nothing you can do.

I'm still a day one order for GZ Prem, and NOTHING. I don't even want to watch the next Stern pinball launch video for the next game, what's the sense?

Hey, I want that! I guess I can order now and get it in a year!! I honestly prefer playing in my home over on-location... with my family and friends where I can hear the machine loud and clear.

Congrats to everyone getting their games, I remember that feeling

man this is disheartening, I thought way more GZ premiums would be rolling out.

So again, no or very little Godzilla premiums being produced.

Just THE Hottest game with so many that have had orders in since September. Nine (yes, NINE) months out and those just wanting a machine they ordered have no idea when they will get it.

Thank you, Stern!

man that would be too good to be true!! I miss my tron badly and would buy another in a flash!

So they're done with Godzillas already? WTF!!! UGGHHHHH.

I'm never getting mine.

Good point- I feel better about not getting the latest run. I owned a AC/DC with a warped playfield and it was an absolute nightmare to deal with and I never want to deal with that again.

Stern purging their GOTG parts bins. Wish they had some huge Tron parts bins in a cage somewhere lol

People talking about availability of GZ's- for the record, I could have had a Pro months ago at MSRP.. it's the Premium that is tough to get.

Maybe someone can answer this question- I've had a GZ Premium on order for almost 9 months with a large distributor... should they be able to tell me now whether my game is coming in July? IE, do they have an allocation number of how many they are getting in the next batch and they can look at the wait list and determine that my order is scheduled to be filled?

Well I finally got notice that my Day 1 Godzilla Premium will be here next week. I'm going to go pick up a lotto ticket while I'm out today... I thought this day would never come.

I love this hobby, but man I hate the fact that Stern is cutting corners and doing everything they can to save a buck... all while raising prices constantly. This last jump of $700 on premiums pissed me off, now learning that they're going cheap on little things "just because the customers can't tell a difference" is just unbelievable

Maybe they'll pass those savings on. Errr, nope.

As much as Stern squeezes dollars (and even pennies) from every little thing they can and given the way they have moved forward with being less personal with it's buyers and 100% about profits (and NOTHING else), I'd say this is even more of a pipe dream than a dream.

Now go buy that $2,000.00 crappy plastic topper that costs $128.00 to produce, please, it's the end of the year and they need to pump up the numbers.