Been a while since we've seen a nice working backbox animation that interacts with the table.

Agree 100%

A Danesi lock 2.0

Strongly agree! I was playing Scared Stiff the other day, and couldn't help but admire how engaging and interactive the backbox is, compared to any game from 2019. Imagine if Munsters (Pro) had Zap! and multiplier gauges integrated into the backglass (instead of tucked away in a tiny font on the screen) along with spooky LED candles. Stern would make less money, so it will never happen, but it's cool to think about.

The home owner in me wants to see Achievements, different modes to play like “Speed Run” (flippers die after a predetermined time each ball), actual story being told with cut scenes on the screen to bring the whole package together.

Though not new, the tournament player in me would like to see call backs to inline targets, split flippers, tap passing.

I want a free roaming autonomous robot that interacts with the ball.

Or repairs dimples and pooling lol

Now the manufacturers have there big lcd screens I think that’s the end to the fun back box mechs as it can all be done in software far far cheaper

A laser show of some kind.

Maybe something more to it than what we got in ST Premium/LE. That’s pretty cool.

Dual kick backs like Roller Games, sending the ball to 2 different spots.

Spiral type ramp like in Tales From The Crypt.

Big 360° ramp like Hook.

I should have stated reintroducing/ rehashing these.

Maybe some black light reactive artwork that comes alive during certain modes like a black-out mode

how about near complete code?

A projector that beams naked ladies onto a screen on the playfield like at those old drive in theatres.

I would like to see Williams return to the Business and begin building pinball machines.
Barring that someone researching Williams archives and bringing out devices that were discussed, prototyped but never utilized or devices used a limited number of times.
It is obvious by now Bally/Williams were.are,and always will be the epitome of what a pinball machine is supposed to be.

Jurissac Park!

Hologram playfield plastics...And possibly a real steel ball that sparks with a lazer show and seemingly disappears.

Extending the sparky ball concept: a special mode using a clear ball with discoball mirrors inside, and a laser (or other focused light) that follows the ball automatically. it's only used for that mode once in a while, so hopefully the ball can manage to hold up ok. Or maybe a steel ball can be polished in a way that achieves the sam effect but stays round. It would look kind of like photon torpedoes in the old Star Trek movies.

Drop targets in the inlanes, can be used as locks or as a reward for shatzing

Like this style. On the right.

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I'd like to see some creative use of outlanes. Maybe have an "up post" (or some sort of drop target) that blocks the out lanes that you can earn through other shots. The old "kickback" (and now even more boring "virtual kickback") are really stale.

Even a return of the old school "gate" that leads back to the shooter lane would be nice.

Yes like on Spirit little flippers to act as ball save.

I'd like to see a pin with no shooter lane. Why do we need one if we are just pushing a button anyways? Use that space for something else!

I'd also like to see a pin where it is possible for the ball to be rescued from beneath the flippers like in Orbiter 1.

Works in Spectrum & Zodiac but you might have an issue with MB games. Also games that have an older style like the ones mentoned, & TNA for that matter, usually have some skill in the plunging area.
But yeah I guess you could have it shoot diagonally out above the slings and have that space available above.

I agree that if there is just a button to push, then the shooter lane is a waste of space. However, I wish more machines did have an actual plunger instead of a "launch" button. It just seems like "real" pinball should have a plunger.

I'm planning on buying a MBr soon, and the one thing I wish was different about it was that it had a plunger.

Persistent User Data - You need this before you can do anything else.
Online play - Doesn't have to be complicated, lots really easy online modes are super fun. Race modes as an example are really easy to implement. Online team play would be awesome but this would take more effort to implement.
Friends List - people get so fussed about cheating, to me this would basically solve it. I have no idea why people think cheating is such a big deal.
Achievements - These are super popular and a great way to improve engagement.
Collectibles and or Modes that span multiple games. I want story in a story based theme that may take me a hundred games to get to the end but at least I get to see the Wizard modes and finale. Pinball still spends way too much resources coding stuff most people never see.
Leaderboards - that include things like no of game to complete the story or to get to the wizard mode.
Mobile Companion App - Need a good app to track all your friends, high scores and achievements.

I was going to incorporate a "smoking" Genie lamp as a topper for ToTAN, but thought better of having something filled w water on top of the game. But since we're just spitballing -

What about using this kind of water-atomizing technology popular for tabletop decorations to make steam come from a dragons nose (Game of Thrones, LOTR) or just as a scary-looking swamp area to shoot a ball into, where you couldn't really see where it was going, just "shoot for the swamp" and the ball ends up going to a diverter/subway and coming up somewhere else. I realize it's not practical at all, but would look cool -

swamp (resized).PNG

The coding being done for a pinball game (especially current ones that run on PC boards) is not all that complicated.
Back when it was done in assembly, it was harder, but those games were simpler too.

Oh I don't think any of this is hard, I think its all trivial, my comment was more about telemetry. I want great coded machines with deep modes. At the same time I want them coded so that everyone gets to enjoy that depth. I don't imagine any pinball company has any telemetry beyond ball times and earnings and I doubt even that makes its way back to the company. It's just info for the operator. Telemetry really improves your product it also makes it painfully obvious that your assumptions are complete bullshit. I guess I should have put telemetry on the list of what I want in a pin.

Funny you say that. I was hoping the new JJP GNR would have some sort of concert laser show.

I've actually pitched an idea to Stern,P3 and Deeproot about an active outlane post. P3 guys liked the idea but unfortunately wouldn't work with there platform, the rest looked at me like I was high

Here was my pitch.

I would like to see active outlane post that move up and down via either a motor or kicker system. The thought behind this would be twofold. One for handicap ability and one for scoring/modes.
Handicap - Ever have friends over and they wont play pinball with you because you have the games set up hard so you don't play forever but it's to hard for them to have fun? Or Visa Versa? With the active outlane post on ball 1 before you plunge you select your skill level. Expert - the lanes open up fully, Average - they stay in the middle, Novice - They lower to reduce the outlane gap.
Modes - For specific modes they can open and close the outlanes to make certain modes harder and others easier. For example, during MB the lanes open up but in single ball play they can close. Can also be rewards from mystery or achievements from doing things in the game. (Using DP) Collect 50 weapons and outlanes move one spot lower for the rest of your ball.

I really want to see this as I think it could make party play more fun between multiple players of all different skills as well as the added features during modes.

I'd like to see a game themed around kids that grew up in the 1950s hanging out a drive ins and such.

And the main toy will be a drive in movie screen that folds down and becomes a ramp. And when it folds down it reveals a 1958 Edsel and the object is to hit the ball up the drive in ramp into the front grill of that Edsel.

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And switch blade combs...

Like The Munsters.

How about a 1958 Plymouth Fury?

I have no delusions that I could design a playfield layout, but I do have some interesting ideas for various features that have never been used. Most of them involving the return lanes, out lanes, shooter lane and a kickback.

The easy call is give us another manual kick back.

Nice! But it doesn't have that seme sexy front grill the Edsel does. I want to shoot a ball into that oriface.

Southpark and Austin Powers both have toilet bowl shots

Yes, this would be cool, though I was thinking more of a "closed/open" thing for some amount of time or number of uses.

Suppose you had an angled drop target in front of the outlanes. You could earn an "up-target" on one or both lanes depending upon objectives completed, and then when the outlane target is hit, they drop down, re-opening the outlane.

Apparently their latest game does too.

Yunk yard also have a toilet to shoot the ball Into.