**The Next Stern Pin**

That Tesla is not a home brew?

Not what i was expecting when searching lol.

This would be a hard pass!!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/who-is-in-on-a-tesla-pinball-machine

Ok this is interesting benheck

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/tesla-vs-edison-pin-john-popadiuk

Finally struck gold. I interesting thread and worth the read

https://vpinball.com/forums/topic/my-nikola-tesla-themed-cabinet-build/page/2/

Yeeessss!!!!! Intergalactic rocking my BBLE pin!

Looks like it, I was just kidding. Looks amazing and one-of-a-kind.

"The Man with no Name" It's time.

No Deathsaving Allowed

Beastie Boys would have to have:
No Sleep Till Brooklyn
Fight for Your Right
Sabotage
Intergalactic
High Plains Drifter
So Whatcha Want
Brass Monkey
Funky Boss
Sure Shot
Root Down
Three MC's and One DJ

It would be awesome to get Mix Master Mike to do some custom tracks for background music, but there's probably no way that's happening.

Over 20 million records. Seven platinum albums. Best selling rap group of all time. C'mon Stern, make it happen!

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Don’t get me wrong as I pushed for Maiden to get made for 8 years, yes it’s a ton a fun and I enjoy, just wished more in it can’t help it but want the best of both worlds in a game. I always wish the toys and features in Metallica were in Maiden, I can play Maiden way better than Metallica and debate about if one of these two games should be my next one or a different pin.

I had Metallica and Maiden next to eachother for a bit. Metallica is gone. Maiden will never leave. It comes down to preference in play style but owning Metallica started to feel repetitive to me whereas Maiden doesnt. I loved the shots and flow of Metallica but would turn the machine off after a good long game. Maiden has me hitting start again. Not arguing one over the other, just saying how i feel about these games. I will say my little boy liked Metallica way more. Sparky is always entertaining.

Thanks for the comparison appreciate the info. I like Maiden music way more than Metallica, maiden plays faster for me but feel the middle of game or shots up ramp repetitive. I would love to have in a big collection, just debating if it works well in a one game set up.

Did anyone else see that Kapow premium pins increased to $8399! I hope if we get BTTF it's a regular release.

They have to pay for those from-the-grave Adam West phone calls somehow. Re-animation is not cheap.

http://www.kapowpinball.com/promotion.html

Yeah that's what I meant. Brain fart.

Stern should blow peoples mind with an original themed pin for a change....

You mean like BKSOR from 2019?

“BuT ThaTs a LiCEnSeD ThEmE” said no casual player

You mean a sequel to an original thought Williams made? That's just the same as taking a licensed theme in my opinion...

Well, BKSOR didn't sell very well AFAIK, so the chances of them doing a truly original theme are slim to nil, I think. People for the most part buy and play pins on location based on theme, so it's pretty important from the business POV.

I feel like there is room for a proper original theme but only if there is internal passion for it. Stern employs a lot of creative folks that I'm sure could excel if not limited by a license and pre-existing characters/ideas. For example, the team that did the animations for BKSOR nailed it, in my opinion and you could definitely build up more of a story with what's there. And for a pinball machine, the actual "story" really doesn't need to be overly deep and it could be catered directly to pinball much better than a pre-existing story.

But ultimately, the reason we see so many licensed themes is that a lot of people are just more willing to buy a machine with a theme they already love, sometimes sight unseen. Additionally, it's much easier to overlook gameplay, layout or artwork deficiencies when you are attached to the theme itself. So the question is, how the hell do you make sure you sell an original themed game? Since no theme, licensed or otherwise, appeals to every pinball player or buyer, I'd suggest that making a good game is the first step. Or maybe the real solution is to have someone like Elwin or Lyman attached to an original theme.

But then again, why would Stern take the risk when their current strategy seems to be working just fine.

Also, can we get Iron Maiden re-themed as Archer? I really like Maiden but damn would it be cool to see that machine return to it's roots.

I guess I just respect the Williams pinball approach...443 game titles and most were original theme titles...

Williams Pinball is out of business.

WIlliams/Bally accomplishments....I don't see Stern on the top selling list....

1. The Addams Family (20,270 produced plus 1000 gold editions later on, Midway Manufacturing Company - trade name: Bally 1992)
2. Eight Ball (20,230 produced, Bally Manufacturing Corporation 1977)
3. Flash (19,505 produced, Williams Electronics 1979)
4. Playboy (18,250 produced, Bally Manufacturing Corporation 1978)
5. Firepower (17,410 produced, Williams Electronics 1980)
6. High Speed (17,080 produced, Williams Electronics Games 1986)
7. KISS (17,000 produced, Bally Manufacturing Corporation 1979)
8. Star Trek (16,842 produced, Bally Manufacturing Corporation 1979)
9. Mata Hari (16,260 produced, Bally Manufacturing Corporation 1978)
10. Capt. Fantastic and the Dirt Brown Cowboy (16,155 produced, Bally Manufacturing Corporation 1976)
11. Twilight Zone (15,235 produced, Midway Manufacturing Company trade name: Bally 1993)

That was another age and time. How can you compare today's numbers(which nobody really knows) to those?

It’s weird when you include the Bally games that were totally different than Williams Manufacturing

Especially considering Bally went from an also run to a major player when they started licensing titles. Many of which are in that list (or stuff like Eight Ball which is unofficially licensed and they were sued over it and settled by agreeing to license and make a Star Trek game)

Not really totally different and Williams bought Bally by the way...

Yeah, I know that. They did it many years after most of the games in your list.

That’s why I point out it’s dumb for you to include their pre merger games without context.

Yeah, but not because of original themes.

They did plenty of licensed themes, including their biggest seller. However, they were operating in a much different environment than we are in right now. The home/collector market, unfortunately, responds much better to themes they already love.

Ultimately, I don't see why Stern cant take a chance every now and again though.

While Williams very likely sold more machines back in the day, that list is saying nothing, since Stern doesn‘t announce sales numbers (and therefore can technically be not in ANY place of a sales list).

Williams bought Bally but the games Bally made prior to that time (1987?) weren't made my Williams in any way. It's kind of like saying that Scientific Games made great pinball machines in the 90s, it's simply not true.

Dialed In didn't sell as poorly as many like to claim, and it did have theme issues. This was back in the "family pins only" age of JJP. Look at what happened when they ditched this approach for GnR? Sales through the roof!

If DI was themed as Pat wanted, a disaster game, it would have sold even better.

There is definitely room for orignal themed games, but the game must be themed well and play very well, things that always applied to pinball. I'm actually surprized that Stern doesn't try it, seeing that their primary driver is cost savings.

How about world famous unlicensed themes that appeal to all ages from 8-80? Myths and legends don't cost a penny, so you can have King Arthur and Robin Hood. Or you could go hunting in the public domain where you'll find gems like Treasure Island and Peter Pan.

A genius game designer could create stunning pinball experiences from any of those, and have complete creative freedom.

Going all-in with a brand new theme is a tremendous gamble. So why gamble when you can have a sure thing.

Totally agree. Add Beowolf to that list...

Something more classic ... maybe Dante’s Inferno. It was a smash hit back in the day.

So many to pick from rather than doing Avengers for the 50th time.

We need more comedy pins, like Caddyshack, Animal House, Ferris Day Off, or seriously mistake to pass on Beatlejuice

Skip comedy how about other music pins that haven’t been made: Prince - MJ - Nirvana - Beastie Boys - Queen = Motley Crew

Action movies why hasn’t Fast and Furious been made seems like a natural. Why not more DC pinballs lets do Aquaman or Wonder Woman. Where is Matrix or Mad Max. Lots to choose from.

How about a classic lets do Universal Studios Monsters or Three Stooges.

So much to choose from.

Three Stooges could be GREAT.

stooges_eye-poke.gif

riffing a bit....How about WWII? or even the American Revolution? (staying away from some more controversial conflicts....)

I agree it’s a no brainer theme. It’s hugely popular throughout the world, car themes have historically done pretty well, and you can have a lot of good dumb fun with jump ramps and FAMILY multiball or some other nonsense.

But I imagine it’s a licensing mess from the huge star studded cast and the numerous vehicle brands.

I get why Stern won’t do it, at least without cutting a lot of corners.

Great list! I agree with them all. But missed one, well there a few that I would like to see on the list. But the big miss would be “pass the mic”. One of my favorites. Alternate targets to hit when the mic gets passed in the song. Also “Shake your Rump” is another song that I would want to see, and could be integrated with the shaker motor. Another song that’s not as popular but could integrate well in a Pin... Egg Man from on of my favorite Beastie’s album, Paul’s Boutique.

What about a spinning disc, designed like a vinyl record, placed in lower playfield that spins to the scratches of the songs.

Supposedly Mustang started as a F&F game.

American Revolution in the same sort of style as Medieval Madness could work.

Must be the same people always mentioning Fast and Furious since from what I see on my poll, it is lagging behind Gremlins, National Treasure, Men in Black, and even Top Gun. LOL

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/what-movie-pin-would-you-like-to-see-poll-inside

LMFAO

Shake Your Rump-ah. Love it.

Egg Man, "I woke up with egg dripping from the ceiling"

Paul's Boutique, "The best is men's clozing", ask for Janice call 718-498-1043, and we're in Brooklyn".

And my personal favorite "You got a mailbox on your bumper and a bald front tire"

Don’t do that...Don’t give me hope

If they ever get the licensing situation handled between the creator and the writer, I think Friday the 13th pin would be great. I would also get the guy who did the artwork for the boxset to do the artwork.

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