Good luck.

If history is any indication, you're right, they'll need it.

Wonder is their hubris blinds them to the millions they've lost to new market entrants over the last couple years. Hope not. Would like to start buying their products again.

Why Elvira?? They say they want new blood buying and playing pins, yet Elvira? I dobut most 20 -30 something's even know who she is.

Now before I get a bunch of downvotes, I understand the previous Elviras were fun pins, not debating that. I just question the selection.

Don't.

I agree - Stern is not immune or too big to fail. I would think that competition would at least get the code issues resolved (or going in the right direction).

I have seen some improvements in 'innovation' with the LCD from Stern - at that is good (and frankly expected). But the big surprise for me is the QC issues we are seeing. They need to step up the game quality and code updates for not only a TRON VE/Premium (eg. BM66 - if they ever go that route) but the NEXT release (maybe GoTG). Stern seems to be stuck in reverse right now, and their competitors have the momentum and are gaining ground.

I think Stern will get it straightened out, but they better get going on it fast.

Incorrect.

More than half of the pins they sell today go into home use only environments.

One pinball in a "Man Cave" isn't it being a collectible. That's where real collectors have gotten their project games from for decades.

huh?

A single pinball machine that sits in the corner of the basement rec room doesn't count as a collectable. The guy who buys it doesn't care about resale value, or maintaining it, or anything. He's not a collector.

Perhaps. I have no idea what % of pins are sold to one time only home buyers.

As more meaningful purchasing options become available they likely google 'is stern or Jersey jack a better pinball machine to buy' before they drop $10-15K.

You'd hope that Stern would understand what the results look like when they do that.

In my experience, the guys who buy the one-off just go to a gameroom store and buy whatever is there. If there's more than one pinball machine, they buy the theme they like or the one with the brightest lights.

Again, perhaps.

But there's no way to know what percentage of Sterns sales go to people that drop $10-15K on a pinball by walking into a store and pointing.

Judging the state of retail I would say the percentage is very low...

It's the 40+ crowd that's buying the games. Cassandra Peterson was a big draw at TPF earlier this year. The demographics support her and a campy/spooky based pin.

Elvira 3 is being done by the same team that did the first two. They brought it to Stern to get it made. Might be more of a boutique pin, which Stern does occasionally now. We'll know more next year.

You just described me to a T. One pin so far and would have been a instant buyer for Iron Maiden or GOTG. LEs. No way am I going to spend that $$$ with Stern on a NIB until the myriad issues relating to Stern are resolved. My buddy has 30 odd games, many A List and he says Dialed In is possibly the cream of the crop. His opinion of course, but it just shows that Stern may be the largest seller, but their are chinks in the armor.

Who cares is probably a fitting title

Some did, like me, but don't know.

NEEEXT!

Elvira

I'm guessing Elvira will be at Expo next October. Something else for spring 2018.

Iron Maiden next!

Someone on Pinside questioned DN about when Elvira would be released when they announced it at TPF in March. IIRC, DN said it was a year away.

Perhaps that means a debut at TPF '18. Maybe it was to be later, but whatever game Trudeau was working on may have been scrapped/pushed back, bumping up Elvira?

Who knows, though.

True. All that stuff may have shuffled the proverbial release deck...as I know it has before when certain pins aren't ready in time, etc. (let alone something as major as losing a designer mid-stream to criminal charges).

Now we know why My Little Pony was in the pipeline...

I think this is the most likely scenario especially since Lyman is doing the code for Elvira. Stern can't afford to have him on two back to back projects that release with minimal code. Besides, launching Elvira near Halloween makes the most sense from a marketing standpoint.

So Stern will release it at Easter then?

October seems too late, IMO. Pros don't ship until a month or so after the announcement, LE's and Premiums take much longer, I.E. January and February.

Announcing it in the Spring, getting all three into production by the summer, builds up nicely to October.

But that only gives Lymsn 5-6 months on code. If they announce in October, he has closer to a year.

Hell no !

Likely!

But will it feature the Archer layout?

I hope not, Keith and his Archer layout need an monumental/epic theme, seems a waste on a music pin for all the gadgetry, shots and mechs he put into it.

GotG would have worked, but if they're not doing a surprise Jaws machine, then iron maiden would be a great next choice, imo. Or princess bride, since they supposedly have that license too.

Regardless, it's probably wishful thinking that the Archer design will remain unmolested by substantial cost cutting. Whatever it is, i hope it at least somewhat resembles the original.

Iron Maiden them could be monumental and epic if they do it right, and not just copy paste kiss/aerosmith code.
It depends on the approach:

For example, Maiden has just released a mobile game (which i dont play) but featuring many different worlds based on the different Eddie's and themes throughout their album. Taking that approach could make it into a more story-driven pinball rather than just "tour the world" approach. And for each "world" there could be two/three different modes with some songs attached to each mode from that album.

They also had a crap computer game in the late 90s, Ed Hunter, which also if done correctly and in a much better way, could be laid as base for a story..more like chase eddie through all the albums themes.

Point is, things can be done so much more complex and storydriven than kiss,acdc or aerosmith, and there is a massive amount of artwork and themes to take from. I cant even decide what would be the best them if they were to take ONE album theme and make the upper part of the playfield reminiscent of their live stage from that corresponding album tour.

Live after death/powerslave, with a desert egyptian theme and an eddie rising from the grave in the back or as an egyptian god.
Somewhere in time, which could be merged with a blade runner-ish theme and having cyborg eddie in the back.
Seventh son of a seventh son, with the ice/winther theme and the iconic eddie holding the fetus in the back..
etc etc..

I have no either way idea how stern will be able to fuck it up, and not fuck it up at the same time

Sorry not on the radar according to my last visit to the factory. You have a greater chance of a Bon Jovi pinball but not saying anything ....
Elvira is due Aug 2018 though for sure after discussions

Rien compris!

I’m not laughing at you, I have the same problem in the other way. Sometimes google translate is terrible

I hope you are right as Elvira theme is much more appealing to me than Iron Maiden (that is still a rumor or a wish of some pinheads?)

Would still love to see a Beatles Machine. Sound Leisure of the UK has started taking orders for a Sgt. Pepper's themed jukebox. I can't see why a pinball machine license might not be far behind. Also, the domain "beatlespinball.com" was set up within the last year.

You are right, someone could license the St Pepper's (or other Beatles) images & artwork, but can you imagine the screams here when they can't get the actual songs licensed for the pinball machine?

That is a jukebox, without any music in it. Heck even the promo didn't use real Beatles' recordings.

If Stern aint shelling out for GOTG soundtrack, they ain't gonna pay for this.

Dream on. Oh sorry, they didn't pay for that one either.

edenecho, I totally agree with you on this. I say take it a step further and do completely different Eddie/album themes for Pro/PREM/LE. That would be great!

They've already done 75% of the work. Just swap out Groot for Eddie. Leave the hands the same and everything. Done.

Eh, Dwight did back to back code on GOT then GB.

I'm assuming Lyman goes back to back with Batman and Elvira.

I would to see Weatern theme style pin. Maybe something with Clint Eastwood during his epic spaghetti weaterns

Fist full of dollars
A few dollars more
High plans drifter
Good the bad and ugly

I think that would awesome

Westworld is probably the best bet for a western pin currently. Season 2 supposedly has some of Samurai World in it, which is cool, too. I'd be interested in that licensed pin.

+1 on The Good The Bad And The Ugly. This would have to be a widebody.

Matching "Dread Pirate Roberts" and "Princess Buttercup" editions would be awesome!

In theory at least...

Would also love to see an "Inconceivable" LE.

Elvira..........yep!