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Stern, 2009
AC/DC (LE)
Stern, 2012
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Stern, 2012
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Stern, 2012
Addams Family Gold (Special Collectors Edition), The
Bally, 1994
Addams Family, The
Bally, 1992
Aerosmith (LE)
Stern, 2017
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Stern, 2017You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider jeffspinballpalace.
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Time for Stern to bring back Dirty Donnie as artist. He did outstanding work on MET and I’d love for him to have another go at it. I’d forgotten he did AS, Pabst and Cosmic Carnival. It’s too late for him to be used on the pipeline of BTTF, Bond or Welk, but Jaws may join the rotation one day and it could make for a good candidate. Don’t care what theme he gets, as little no as Stern just brings him back.
3F912534-E25B-42CC-B676-31C71758BE12.jpeg
Until announced, the details around Godzilla are subject to change. The one thing I wish Stern would do differently is to double the number of LE’s offered. There were 650 Avengers LE’s and 750 Mando LE’s and each was oversubscribed so much that the market place has them listed for $3k-$5k above list price. Having too few LE’s drives the secondary price up too much. This is not good for the market nor the buyer. To solve this the number of LE’s offered has to rise.
Would 1000 LE’s have been too many for Avengers and Mando? No those titles were hot and could have used 1,250 LE’s to meet demand imo. Now Godzilla is on the doorstep and we are led to believe Stern will announce 1000 LE’s. I say that is not enough and they should announce 1,250 instead. Then Stern could sell 1000 through it’s distributors and 250 directly to customers on day 2, after the first wave sells out on day 1. At 1,250 LE’s sold, that would make Godzilla the best selling LE to date and maybe the start of seeing 1k -2k LE’s offered for all models going forward. This gets more high margin games into the market place and earns Stern a few million dollars extra x 3 releases a year = $6M extra profit and makes a few thousand customers more happy each year. Bond and BTTF could each have 2k LE’s sold. How many Harry Potter LE’s could sell - 5k plus 1k SLE’s? That one is the motherlode.
Quoted from onyxx:Stern is doing a new Elvira Premium run in 2022.
Will it get another $1k price increase that put its price tag around $9.4k? Those $2k toppers are really taking a hit. Prices for high demand, out of stock toppers will have to rise ....
Quoted from Only_Pinball:It's going up to $9195 according to Cointaker
Gotcha and lowest priced EHOH premium on Pinside market is $12.5k. It would seem that as popular as this title is, and with so many people liking it and not having one, that Stern will make these for another 3 - 4 years.
Quoted from mrclean:This thread just hit 420 pages! .... Godzilla approves!~ [quoted image]
So does BACK TO THE FUTURE!
[quoted image]
& RUSH! [quoted image]
Look at all three pics and tell me what they have in common. Do you think any of these pins might have that as a feature?
Here’s a Bond for your collection
BB1AFCB4-CDFD-4925-BA58-3FD3971E7936.gifGodzilla premium looks like the answer to me, but at $9k I won’t be rushing to get one. The game looks very interesting but this one definitely needs to flipped to get a feel for. We don’t know what shape the rules are, but Elwin releases completed games that only require polishing and no turds allowed. I’ll be waiting a year or two before buying and will have many chances to play on location. Halloween should be delivered next Summer so Godzilla premium purchase between Fall of 2022 and 2023.
Stern, you messed up on the number of LE’s offered, again. This will lead to a market for flipping pins at $1k-$3k over msrp. Stern should have offered more LE’s, and while 1,250 was a safe bet, 1,500 would have been just right. How about LE’s being available for purchase from today until whenever for a pinball fan who wants an LE but can’t find one because you didn’t announce enough of them. The extra units are needed to satisfy the surge in opening day demand. By my reckoning, Stern left 500 LE’s on the table. I’d have bought one as would other people up to the 500 more.
** Wanted to Buy - Godzilla LE at msrp with 2021 build date. **
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:Even Elwin does not own an AIQ. That ought to tell you something.
Is that because he doesn’t want one or is Stern backlogged in making it? What games does Keith own?
Quoted from gambit3113:BTTF LE armor should be brushed stainless steel, like the DeLorean.
Thank you for coming to my BTTF Design Ted Talk.
Don’t forget to mention the flux capacitor capable of producing 121 gigawatts of power.
Quoted from KnockerPTSD:This statement seems contradictory
I’ll bring up Never Ending Story, again.
This is what happens when Stern underestimates the number of LE’s they should release. Maybe Stern will figure out 1k of a hot title barely meets demand. They should have been around 1.5k Godzilla LE’s and between 1.5k-2k LE’s of Bond and BTTF. How will Stern respond?
Quoted from mrclean:Damn pinside marketplace!!! I can't keep up with all these upcoming "LE" Releases gonna break the bank!! ...
"Honey.... I gotta sell my sperm & blood again!"
[quoted image]
1B7AB7E5-CFB1-4441-AE9D-5640804FEDDB.jpegPatiently waiting for Borg to design a music dream theme pin. Not Rush, but I’d take:
Lawrence Welk
Weird Al
Randy Newman
How about it Borg, wanna switch now? Themes to NOT MAKE:
Rush
Eagles
ELO
Quoted from KnockerPTSD:This Goliath site sounds like the same kind of site that says they just drained Niagara Falls last month and found some ancient ruins
What kind of ancient ruins?
I don’t believe rumor that JJP’s planning to rerun POTC. It would be a great thing to have them made and sold in quantity for $14k. I just don’t think JJP wants to rerun them nor have the parts laying around. If they did decide to run them in seriousness I wish they’d change the art and label them a different version.
My preferred rumor to come true would be for JJP to start up a second line that runs only wide bodies. That would be awesome. They could run finally run POTC & Hobbits. And then …. maybe Eric’s next game could be a widebody.
Quoted from skink91:Well there you go. They chose Rush over Welk.
I’d have have chosen Wush, and battled everyone with accordion polka’s. Say it slowly and loudly …. Wush, it feels so right. Would have joined the best of both worlds.
7025571F-8D13-4F6B-B22D-D1B0E3D0342B (resized).jpeg^^^ Godzilla pro playfield is packed….. with fun. Playing GZ pro is an all round mind-pleasing experience. Imagine playing the premium will be mind-blowing.
Quoted from starfighter:The next band after Rush is rumored to be The Monkees ... so ya got that going for ya, if that's your thing.
The Monkees are so quiche they’d make for an interesting pin. Imagine Franchi art covering every spare inch of space. A large lcd in backbox looping episodes and they have 100% of assets. Maybe some live concert (performance) footage with badass lighting, all synchronized to the millisecond. New sculpts from Back Alley. Original call outs from surviving band members.
Anyone else want a Monkees pin? Bueller? Bueller? OK I’ll state the obvious. The pin we really want Stern to make is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Now that would be fun!
haha, I meant to use niche and was thinking about the word kitsch too, so wrote ... quiche
Stern art has risen to a level where it needs to be. Today we can celebrate the death of using photoshopped art to mess up a perfectly good theme. (I think the Pin still uses photoshop work, and that is fine by me). Some pinball themes with plenty of egg that are prime for pinball ... Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror, Hellboy/2(original).
Quoted from oneballjab:... we’ve had enough Marvel pins.
and enough with the music pins already too.
Quoted from PinballManiac40:What makes you so sure there will be one?
he played it in 2022 and he liked it. He then traveled back to 2021.
Soda Wars Pinball -
Coke Classic (Stern) vs
Pepsi (JJP) vs
Diet Mountain Dew (CGC) vs
Dr Pepper (Spooky Pinball) vs
Munich Beer (American Pinball) vs
deeproot-beer
W H Y would Stern run a vault? With a backlog of 10k games and growing and a pipeline of blockbuster themed pins coming, there is no reason to vault anything. They can’t build what they want to, now. They should spend their dollars extending licenses a few years for each game in production.
overrated or not, Stern has laid many a musical turd pinball machine. Stones, Aerosmith, Primus, KISS and Zeppelin are bad. The rest rate from great to excellent on my scale.
vaults .... N O ! Issuing vaults are for losers who can’t come up with something new to put on the line.
cam inside Illinois First National’s vault showing a machine counting Stern’s profit in real time. There are ten more like it that are being used. Ten additional machine have been ordered to handle surges when the money spills onto the floor and quickly fills the room. I am pretty sure this is the only kind of vault Stern wants.
Rumored for months now, Kapow/Stern gave Elwin design of BTTF for 2022. The newest rumor is Kapow has Beetlejuice license. Joe at Kapow signaled they intend to use Team Elwin AMAP (as much as possible). Therefore it is possible to connect the dots and expect an Elwin Beetlejuice for 2023. That leaves Keith’s 2024 slot open for ……. Harry Potter. Joe will try to make Harry Potter happen in the near term.
So that’s a pretty good lineup for Keith: BTTF, Beetlejuice and Harry Potter. I’ve started saving $25 a day x 365 days for my Kapow/Elwin pinball funds. I am only saving up for the premium models.
Quoted from Donnyman:You know there hasn't been a golf pinball since 97 with NGG and before Teed Off. A Licensed Caddy Shack animated with great voice actors could be killer. I'm not a golfer, but a fan of the movie and Stern seems to be spot on with toys, ramps, and code now. I do want a BTTF and Megadeth though, time will tell.
Golf pins aren’t exciting. The best part of watching golf is when they have a long drive or trick shot contest.
Quoted from Donnyman:Didn't you have the Lizard King as your avatar way back when?
No lizard king avatar in the past, only on my 3rd one in 18 years but it’s time for a change. Need something new for 2022. ...... and changed.
Quoted from Only_Pinball:Stern had this a few years ago and none of the designers wanted to make it.
What’s wrong with those fools?
I predict there is going to be a food fight in Stern’s cafeteria soon and it will be won by a band of singing fighters that are not turtles.
LZ sold 5 x more albums than Muse + FF combined. Unfortunately the popularity of a band does not equal a better pin. If so, LZ would be Stern’s best selling pin to date.
Quoted from big-c66:ABBA WOULD BE GREAT they sold over 300 million records they are known around the world
Mariah Carey has sold 300M albums.
Taylor Swift has sold 200M albums.
Celine Dion has sold 131M albums, topping AC/DC.
Cher has sold over 100M albums.
So I am thinking a Divas pin with each star licensed and custom callouts by Cher. This is a slam dunk / no lose theme and any fool can see that. Come on Stern, give people what they cry for. Why U no Give Us a Gomez Divas Pin? I am hoping Bond will have a premium Bond Girls edition. Hubba Hubba.
Quoted from DanQverymuch:I loathe New Country, but the classics would make a great theme.
Modes could include hurry-ups to prevent wife leaving, dog dying, pickup breaking down...
Agreed, I’d go for that.
I watched a video of an Asian singer that was a contest in the late 70’s. He sang a sappy country western song with a slow tempo. I think he won too, but afterwards he was interviewed and had an interpreter with him. He didn’t speak any English and didn’t know what any of any of the words meant that he sang. They weren’t words to him but sounds to imitate like a parrot does.
No interest in Rush theme, but if it had been a Brian Eddy design and had a stage raise from center of playfield and then used the projector mapping technology out of STh, it might have been a super interesting pin.
Quoted from frankmac:Great review from Zack and Greg.
Yippee. A modern game has been reviewed.
Quoted from PinMonk:Sometimes it only becomes clear in hindsight. Here's a list of prior code words for pins...
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/what-will-be-the-next-stern-pinball-machine/page/415#post-6482253
so you need to add Mando, Rush and Venom to your list. We should know Mando & Rush by now and nobody can confirm Venom is ??? Cobra Kai ?
Quoted from John_I:Don't hold your breath on Cobra Kai or BTTF. They are not coming.
You mean all the podcasters who announced BTTF and had multiple sources, were really blowing smoke? I could see that. But I base my opinion on Kaminkow’s interviews alone and he will be doing BTTF. Many also believe that Kaminkow is involved with the upcoming Bond theme pin. I could envision a swap with Stern so Bond is credited to Kaminkow and Stern claims BTTF. Or maybe both are listed jointly as Kaminkow/Stern. I think both Bond and BTTF pins are well underway and will be released this year. I can’t miss an opportunity to point out that should BTTf get pushed until Dec, then we might need to revise the $10k by Christmas saying to account for extra Covid costs and it shall now be known as $15k by Christmas. Then pray we can buy BTTF premiums for ….. $15k.
Quoted from Utesichiban:Just curious, do you have inside infornation to support these statements? If not, they fall into the opinion and conjecture category like the bulk of comments in this thread. None of us really know when and what the next Kapow title will be but with the musical in the works, I wouldn't be too surprised if it is his next game.
You are right to question whether limited anecdotal data defines a manufacturing policy. For Bond and BTTF to be coming out after Venom, they need to have been in Stern’s rotation for awhile. IMO, they have been and nothing prevents them from following each other nor both from occurring in the near term. I am grouping Bond and BTTF together because I believe each will be released under Stern/Kapow brand.
Quoted from BasementFacts:Heard this from a legit source?
Craig Bobbie from TPS was caught whispering BTTF to his shadow. Elwin is on design, and that’s good enough for me. Maybe Stern will nickname the game Dark Shadows. The rumors about a Jaws pin are a lot shakier, but I’m not going to cockblock those fans by telling them it isn’t’ coming anytime soon. it’s pinball and rumors change quickly.
Quoted from J85M:I heard that also but don’t you think it was a little too out there for it to be true?
Would Craig Bobbie lie to the public, just for a cheap laugh? Not in this case. I believe the soft whispers coming from those gentle lips. Today’s broadcast was the second time he’s said it. Once more, and by the third crow of a rooster, it’ll come true.
Quoted from skink91:I will say without reservation that if Keith Elwin designed a 2022 take on Skateball, they could make and sell as many of them as they could conceivably make.
An x-games style pinball teamed with Tony Hawk license, would make a perfect skateboarding pinball machine. No scoops or subways and no trapping ball on flippers, as they won’t stay up. But ramps, bowls, slam ramps, inline targets, moving newton ball, physical locks, magnets, kickbacks, single pop bumper, cannon, dracula mist etc. All kinds of ways to make the ball do a “trick”.
Quoted from big-c66:Another one BEETLE JUICE would be another great pin it would be fantastic n a big hit
That is the second time someone has mentioned that one.
wonder what would happen if …
Quoted from JToeps:Legit think that Minions would be a great $$$ theme for location.
I'd personally like to see more modern moves to pull in some younger folks (for the good of the industry). TBH, I'm 40 and those 60s/70s cartoons don't hit me with the same nostalgia that they do you. (I assure you I understand their draw to you but I'm media-addled and don't feel anything pre He-Man.)
As someone new to the hobby, I have to believe the nostalgia window for pin-affording aged folks is moving into the mid 90s, which synergizes will with the Bally/Williams golden age, IMO.
Weird Themes for Xennial nerds:
- AOL instant messenger/Netscape 1.0/Geocities
- Homestarrunner/Strong Bad Emails
- Green Day
- Winamp
- The Matrix**
- Mystery Science Theater 3000
- TuPac/Biggie East Coast vs West Coast
- Robotech
- Akira
- 80s Slasher Films
**(Can't believe this didn't happen with #4, prob not worth it now)
Do I think a ton of those are any decent or would sell? Not REALLY but trying to illustrate a shift in the nostalgia window as the millennial hit 40 w/ disposable income.
I’d buy Minions. Never considered it before, but it is one of those licenses that grabs you and doesn’t let go. Give us Minions or give my friend, Death!
Quoted from JimB:Yellowstone could work. Western themes are rare.
[quoted image]
Cactus Canyon remake is a good pin if you like westerns, in general. Better licenses would be westworld or blazing saddles. I don’t see either of those themes making the cut. I’ve been playing CCr SE and enjoying the game, even without the cool topper. The code has been polished, old bugs were squashed and dmd was colorized. RGB lighting makes the dmd game appear modern, in spite of no lcd screen. With demand low, Stern has no justification nor incentive to make a western pin.
What do we want for a pinball machine? Many people answer - a licensed theme. Top all-time licenses for a pinball machine / # times made / # additional pins wanted —
Star Wars / 7 / 3
Star Trek / 4 / 1
Toy Story / 0 / 3
Harry Potter / 0 / 3
Jurassic Park / 4 / 1
LOTR (Tolkien) / 2 / 1
POTC / 2 / 1
Indiana Jones / 2 / 1
Simpsons / 2 / 1
Terminator / 2 / 1
Ghostbusters / 1 / 1
BTTF / 1 / 2
Superheroes (evergreen) / 14 / 1
From this list, Star Wars sits atop all others, but we’ve yet to see a great game. Toy Story and HP are behind schedule and overdue for a release or three. Toy Story pinball is expected in a month, while a rumored HP can’t come fast enough. Rumored BTTF should be widely embraced when it drops. Superhero themes are evergreen and a Venom pinball is expected to drop sometime.
Since we’ve guessed BTTF … I wonder what a good code name is that Stern might use? I will guess the band’s name of Pinheads. Anything related to enchanted sea is too obvious and would be ruled out.
Likewise, Jaws rumors are heating up so what would Stern code name it? I’d like to think Venom would be a possibility. But that would require me to accept Venom never was, and that it was always smoke and mirrors. If I had to come up with another guess, I’d call it Jaws2.
Any guesses on code name of either title?
Quoted from crujones4life:Huey Lewis and the News
Mr. Sandman
Einstein
Time machine
Darth Vader
Van Halen
Time Machine has a nice ring to it.
Quoted from PinMonk:I don't remember if the SLEs came first for Batman '66. I DO remember that there was basically no code in it for about 18 months. You could see the entirety of the game code in about 20 minutes or less. It was just a cheap money grab. The pinstriping on the lockdown bar that looked so nice was actually not pinstriping at all, but die-cut vinyl stickers that came off from the warmth of your hand within a few dozen plays. The beautiful foil cabinet art with relief started delaminating on mine around the shooter plate. Stern didn't have any spares for warranty claims, they said. So, tough luck on your $15k defective pin. Everything about how that pin was handled was a dumpster fire for almost two years, and the cabinet never got fixed.
I’m curious then. If the differences between SLE and LE were cosmetic and were x, and the differences between the LE and the premium were cosmetic and were y …. which model do you wish you had bought?
I bought the BM66 prem and like the entire package, just as it is presented. The premiums were definitely run after the SLE’s and LE’s. For $6.7k delivered, I could live without the topper. I’m pretty sure the premiums were $6.3k at first, but soon jumped to $6.7k level. Street pricing was in effect and the world was running amuck with craziness.
Quoted from Zartan:I have Spider-Man Black, awesome game! Almost bolted to the floor! Worth every penny!
I need to get hold of the HO train club to make the buildings for me. The others don’t look right.
You don’t like the ones back alley does? I have a set on my BSM and really like them. You have to remove them to lift playfield but mine also use Velcro to hold in place. The biggest detriment are the roof is not detailed out too interesting. They made a custom set for me with damaged windows and roof stuff. In worst case they are already made to fit and they can be modified further. Can’t get to it to take a pic.
I like widebody pins and would welcome another. 16 titles have been released since 1993.
Bally / Williams / Midway produced 7 in total: TZ, IJ, JD, STTNG, Demolition Man, Popeye and RS.
Sega / Data East released 3: Batman Forever, GNR and WWF Royal Rumble. So Stern has yet to release any and I don’t think they will start.
Full Throttle and Alien are Heighway’s 2 examples.
WOZ, Hobbit and POTC are JJP’s 3 examples.
When Pinball Brothers revamped Alien, they kept it a widebody, so PB has 1 example with Alien.
From this list, only 2 manufacturers survived, JJP and Pinball Brothers. Of these, JJP is best positioned to make more widebodies in the future since they have done it from scratch three times already. They should have necessary tooling and understand how to get it done. The biggest obstacle is the need for a thicker playfield to carry the added weight of an extra 2.5 inches of width and presumably an extra toy.
Wouldn’t it be quite the uproar if Keith Elwin designed a widebody BTTF pin and forced Kaminkow / Stern to make it as is? Oh boy, that is the kind of disruptive event that could change the course of history. All right it is 2pm and time to make a second round of Sunday cocktails.
My fav recipe - fill 1/2 metal shaker with ice. Add 1 oz oj, 9 oz Jose Cuervo traditional repossado, 6 oz old smoky tenn lemon drop moonshine and 5 oz tres agaves organic margarita mix. Add the top and shake vigorously for 5 sec. Remove cap and pour into 2 cocktail glasses.
7DE6301A-0B03-4D5B-B622-25B226A2C3AC.jpegQuoted from SimplePin:I've never had any complaints about they way my RS shoots. Not exactly loaded with mechs either.
RS has a lot of mechs counting Red and Ted heads as bash toys (2), shooting into both mouths (2) and a bull dozer blade in front of Ted (1). Add the turnaround shot to barrels to start a shakefest (1). That’s a good amount if not, then at least average
Quoted from Saltimbanco:The Shadow is one one my girlfriend's favorite movies, so yeah, lol, there's no accounting for taste! Then again, she also watches a lot of those Hallmark movies, so maybe not the best example! But Shadow the pinball is a solid, fun game! We really enjoy it!
She’s obviously got horrible taste. The movie is a disaster and she’s dating you, you say? 
Quoted from screaminr:Black Sabbath - Ozzy and Tony Iommi closed the Commonwealth Games ( which Australia won )
Could be a good omen .
Thanks for sharing. I had no idea Ozzy was back. Really good. Definitely time for Ozzy pin. What’s the holdup Stern? We’ve been waiting 30 years. Come on all ready.
Quoted from Vecna:I would take my chances with the shark over this!
[quoted image]
that one disturbs me
Quoted from SLAMT1LT:Retro, music, trending... The Stern model, which seems to cover all the bases to maximize profitability.
Retro... Anything older than Justin Bieber is up for grabs (JAWS, BTTF are top of the wish list for many).
Music... If they can get The Beatles, they can get anyone (Ozzy Osborne, Pink Floyd, Van Halen... the sky's the limit here).
Trending... Hot new TV shows that the whole world is talking about (Rings of Power, House of Dragon, Cobra Kai... you know the drill by now).
Maybe, once in a blue moon, they'll throw in an original theme... but they don't sell well.
So, Bond ticks the retro box, now we move on to music or trending. The problem with trending, you have to strike while the iron is hot, so it can be a gamble. Retro and music are sure things.
My retro choice...
[quoted image]
As great a theme as Airplane pinball would be, it is too edgy or asleep (unwoke). People can’t go around quoting jokes from a movie all willy-nilly like. Sounds like a “dangerous” pin to make.
The Bond reveal is making my hyper-hype gene go to sleep. Watching Bond movies is great but where the f**^ is the pin? By March of 2023, Stern will reveal their next game and officially move on to the pin. Jack Dangers The Pin is due to hit.
Here is something that could happen and it might. March 2023, Stern will run 2 models of JB and also, JB60 will be available. Now what if Jack Danger’s game is …. JB? That would mean JB as an overall theme was produced and sold in every which way and market Stern wants to be in. Such a move would be brilliant imo.
If you want James Bond pinball, your choices would be: $17k for JB60, $14k for JBLE @ market, $9.5k for JB prem, $7.3k for JB pro or $5.4k for JB thepin. Then in a final move to checkmate the industry, Stern would release all versions for virtual pinball at $250 for mass public. Total take by Stern might approach $75M.
Never noticed it before but Lemans is the French word for Lemons. Well the car was low frills but had power windows. The cloth roof liner would often come loose and hang down inside the car like a circus tent against your head. That car lasted 4 year of high school, 4 years of college and 2 years of young work life.
Quoted from RA77:This one's for you mbwalker
Perhaps the Top Gun version Stern Pinball is doing ?
Great Balls of Furr!! 
I’ll take an LE of #OwlKitty / Maverick2 please.
The BIG ??? about Venom is Will it be Based on comics, movie or cartoons? That choice will make a big difference to me. Seeings how McFarland first made the comic Venom, that’s what I prefer. Will love to see cabinet art, translite art, playfield art, side blades, playfield sculpts, lighting and illuminations be cohesive and beautiful. That would be a first for pinball. We have never had a game that was top to bottom, everything artistically perfect. Art is subjective but I hope Venom will be the prettiest pin ever made. As I intend to purchase a version, I’d hope all versions were equally perfect.
Quoted from WizzardRob:I wish we had australian prices. Compared to us here in Europe you are getting Pinball machines quite cheap
LE in Germany
in EUR: 17300
In USD: 18000
In AUD: 26700
They seem all sold
Premium
In EUR: 12289
In USD: 12820
In AUD: 18980
The first run Pro/Premium are still available from distros
Those EUR prices suck and wonder how much is import tax. Knowing my Brethrens around the world are getting screwed in multiple positions makes me wonder if the outrageous prices paid in US are a “good deal”. We are starting with an 22% discount*.
* LE’s $18k - $14k / $18k = 22%
PREM’s $12.8k - $9.8k / $12.8k = 23%
Quoted from paul_8788:Yes, but the Euro is still a bit stronger than USD. I think the VAT and extra shipping charges is what is having the most impact for Europeans. At least I hope the prices being posted already include the VAT...
how much is VAT in Germany that is included? Would that include trade tariffs?
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:Ok I am glad my opinion matters on pinside.
Lol
your reputation is on the line. How good of a tv show picker are u?
Keep watching. I spent the past 4 days watching 7+1 years of Gilmore Girls. I can’t get enough. So I am relying on Beezle to verify the hot tip. If it checks out, I’ll start watching it.
Stern - Why not an oculus 3d pinball machine about drone racing? I can think of no better untapped craze. This could become a whole new category of pinball. Come on Stern, you know you want to …. Talk to me and let’s make this happen. 
Pokémon Go! would mark a new direction. Since reading the rumor above, I am starting to get excited to see JD’s PG! Makes sense from nothing.
I wish what the new direction was a 3d playable game that incorporates oculus goggles. Still have the physical table but buy the goggles to get an “enhanced” play. With the technology driving what’s new, He-Man or Foo Fighters themes would work and then would make sense with one part of the rumor.
Last 2 pages made me really pumped for …. BTTF and Pokémon Go! I’d pass on He-Man cause I’ve never watched a complete episode. It is just a theme I don’t care for, but happy to see people want it.
Seriously Stern, give us one of these themes a year: BTTF, Top Gun 2, Pokémon Go!, Pee-Wee’s Adventure, the Matrix and Kill Bill.
Quoted from PinMonk:I think a LOT of people would dig The Warriors as a pin, especially if Deadpool-type license was taken to embellish and expand the base movie events.[quoted image]
Select your weapons ahead of fighting - telephone, hand to hand, chains, tire iron, switchblades, baseball bats or broken bottles.
One way to motivate kids is to buy their attention. Hold a tourney at home and each winner earns $20. Different goals for each kid. If they miss out one week, tell them to practice. Next week rolls around and another tourney and they’ll both meet their goals and you’ll have fun playing with them.
Quoted from dboeren:Great idea, does it work on wives too?
Yes but you have to buy them shoes. win-win-win.
I don’t know much, but I want comic art for Venom and nothing from the movies. They stink! I really like the way Spooky divided two artists for one game. One did cabinet front, sides and head but the other did playfield, backglass and topper. We know about ZY doing the art, but will Todd McFarland do some piece of art or a custom topper? Also hopeful wishing the LE cabinet gets butter cabinet treatment and that game has the best mech in history of pinball. And unique Todd McFarland inspired and sculpted toys. I know game will be expensive. Oh yeah, have it call out my first name. Give me a piece of Todd McFarland’s casting couch. Each game gets a signed Venom trading card. Make me say, “Yes, yes, yes, BABY”.
Quoted from ahdelarge:Keith Elwin should leave Stern if he doesn't want his games to be released in a timely manner....as an example, look at what happened to Chris Franchi. The man has created some of the best artwork in pinball history and we don't get to see it on any new machines because he's tied up with delays by other companies.
Steve Ritchie has gone to work at Jersey Jack. Again, still waiting to see his next game. I don't want this to happen to Elwin's titles.
That’s a terrible idea and why I downvoted your post. Elwin is not leaving Stern anytime soon imo. This is the real world. People don’t quit their jobs because of a single, Pinside over reaction.
Is Bond stream still on for end of this month? Hope so, unless some new wrinkle has developed. Any leaking lips got an update?
Quoted from PinMonk:Maiden (Pro or Prem) is my favorite Elwin, then JP Prem, then GZ, then AIQ. It's kind of shocking because I thought higher of AIQ at the beginning and MUCH LOWER of JP at the beginning, but JP's code made the design shine in the end, and AIQ code became too tedious with mediocre assets for me to love.
I agree with everything except that AIQ isn’t up to par as his other 3 games. The code is really similar in structure and depth to Maiden. Forget the theme is another horrible super hero themed pin and embrace the game for what it is. Check one out in the marketplace and you’ll find a huo top20 game at less than msrp.
Where I go too far is in saying JB60 isn’t up to par with the others. The first 4 games are all A’s, while JB60 will be lucky to maintain a B- that I am assigning it.
Quoted from EchoVictor:This may have a ray of hope, or maybe just fan-boi wishful thinking....
https://www.disneydining.com/disney-to-acquire-harry-potter-bb1/
Later,
EV
A deal for HP’s full rights might cost $30B imo. That is serious money and a commitment for Disney. Don’t know the amount but I’d bet it is even higher. Disney is pushing hard to make it happen. After the dust clears, pinball licensors will be in touch. They’ve been waiting for this to play out and it is moving at breakneck speed now.
Also, if Stern is being positioned for sale, what if Stern is courting Disney for a $600M sized buyout offer? They are aligning themselves in new ways by seasoned entertainment industry vets and a direct phone line to Disney.
I don’t care what it takes, get me an Elwin-Potter pinball by 2028 or endure the spells from he who must not be named (lord v
Quoted from Saltimbanco:How do you get to that number? Disney bought Lucasfilm for a bit more than $4B..
I believe Harry Potter license generates about $6B per year (wag) x 5 years of cashflow = $30B. I am talking about EVERYTHING included. Books, movies, tv, films, broadcasting, streaming, characters, individual actors, products and theme park licenses. Even assets, props and wardrobe, exhibits, trademarks, copyrights and probably stellar constellations and jk Rowling’s heart. But an all-in approach and Disney wants to win the bid so they may offer $50B as a comfortable margin. Then after they get the licenses and assimilate it, we’ll know if it was a wise investment or a folly.
^^^ agree. This probably an example in life of when things aren’t fair. I’d buy Ozzy and probably VH pins. No way to FF nor Elton John pins.
edit - this croc don’t rock that way.
Quoted from bigguybbr:Still excited to see it. Michael Keaton was an amazing Batman
meh on Batman role, but mk made a fabulous Beetlejuice.
I don’t want a foo fighters pin so won’t buy one. It is going to take a special band to get my interest. Stern can make a hip-hop pin and I’d buy one. Cypress Hill, Eminem, Notorious BIG, NWA or Dr Dre would scratch the itch.
I don’t want an Elton John pin so won’t buy one. JJP can make an Ozzy (Black Sabbath), Hendrix, Santana, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson or Prince pin and I will buy a CE.
Quoted from lockeness:First off I am 52, just about the same age as Dave Grohl. Nirvana’s Nevermind was the soundtrack to my junior year of college. FF’s debut album and The Colour and The Shape were permanently in my 20 CD changer in my car for a few years. I consider FF one of my favorite bands. Over the years they have put consistent albums, each with 1-2 great songs and the rest pretty good. I do not consider them anywhere near the greatest band in the world, but their combo of rock anthems, great live shows and sense of humor click for me. I was lucky enough to see them play Lollapalooza in 2021, one of their last shows with Taylor Hawkins and it was awesome. So, yeah, I’m a fan.
Here is why I think this is going to be a successful pin:
Dave Grohl is arguably the biggest rock star in the world right now and the Foo Fighters are a very relevant band. For those people here who say they’ve never heard of the FF, I’m not sure what to say other than “sorry sir, I apologize for being on your lawn”. Grol was in Nirvana. Tom Petty fired him as drummer for the Heartbreakers when he heard his demo’s and told him to start FF. Letterman asked them to play his final show. It’s a band in the RRHOF. Grohl has a text thread open with Paul McCartney, Brian May and John Paul Jones, who he has played with many times all showed up at TH’s tribute concert. This is not common for a pin - most themes are generally old, bands that broke up years ago, movies that are 20+ years old. FF still play the biggest festivals in the world, all over the world. They are headlining 11 music festivals, including Bonnaroo, this summer. It’s okay to not like the FF, but to say they are irrelevant and no one likes them is just not true. I think there are going to be a ton of Pro’s in bars around the country and world.
Grohl and FF do not take themselves too seriously. From day one, after what looked like not a whole lot of fun in Nirvana, the FF and Grohl have been fun, silly and stupid. The have a library of the funniest/dumbest videos of all time. Studio 666 - a terrible slasher movie starring the band. The Dee Gees. Jamming with Fraggle Rock. Drum battles with a 14 year old girl. Trolling churches by playing on a flatbed truck. The Hanukkah Sessions. Arguably the best episode ever of Hot Ones, where Grohl owned Sean Evans. This always boded well for a pin and I think the trailer confirms it. A FF pin where the goal is to get play venues to ultimately get to Bonarroo wizard mode muiltiball. No thanks. Cartoons + Scooby Doo + Ghostbusters + Area 41 + FF music. Much more interesting.
FF control their catalog and assets. Through Rosewell, they will be able to give Stern probably anything they want. Compare that to what seems to be going on with Bond. The only issue I could think of is what impact the estate of Taylor Hawkin might have on his likeness in the game. However, he striked me as the kind of guy who would have no problem with a cartoon version of himself screaming callouts for eternity. He’s right there in the front seat of the van, which bodes well.
Dave Grohl is a shill and the Foo Fighters are a marketing machine. If you don’t like FF or Grohl its probably because they are everywhere and Grohl probably annoys you. They take advantage of playing festivals, going on the late night shows, playing the grammy’s. I think this pin will be one of the first that will be actively marketed by not only Stern and distributors but the band. While I think the Stern creative team has been doing nice work lately, I would bet the assets in this game are next level because FF/Grohl and their creative agency will be involved. I can see them having the assets/machine playing on the big screen behind them on tour this summer. They can leverage the investment in the creative assets that way. The last thing they need is whatever minimal royalties they get from a pinball machine - they can make $1m for playing an hour concert at some billionaire son’s bar mitzvah. Grohl does not seem to do anything half assed and I’m sure he’s pretty involved in the development of the game/assets and will do his part to make it successful. It not out of the realm of possibility that he/they put together some new music for the pin. I would bet that when Jack Danger does the livestream reveal of the machine, Grohl will be there downing Coke and Crown shots between every ball.
This could be the machine where new management’s DLC strategy kicks in. I have no inside info here and this is all conjecture. Insider connected and the OTA updates are cool, but you know Stern is angling for more. Building off the last point, FF are active and a marketing machine. Put a FF Pro in a few thousand bars and its a literal billboard for the band. During attract mode: list of upcoming concerts, FF appearing on Colbert Tuesday night, auto-download the newest single/video and play it for the patrons. While one strategy is DLC that owners pay for, the other is pure advertising. Most people here will hate one or both of those use cases that but its coming.
Zombie Yeti has a long relationship with the FF. He’s done many concert posters for them and the alien at the beginning of the teaser is straight from this art work. This is his wheelhouse and would think the art is going to be pretty cool.
Finally, who isn’t rooting for DeadFlip ? He’s worked his way up and now gets his first cornerstone with Stern and it’s for the Foo Fighters! We’ve all watched him stream from his apartment and Logan Arcade. Now he’s got Dave Grohl on speed dial. I hope he kills it. F’n A, Jack. Shots of Malort all around.
I’m excited about this.
Wow, thanks for the greatest analysis / write up / background intro to a pin, ever. Even without the specifics, you paint what’s probably going on. Not only that it hypes me for the foo. I might just need this pin.
How come we don’t mention release # for Stern’s cornerstones, when we do this for every other manufacturer? JJP release #9, AP release #5, Spooky release #9, CGC release #4 and Stern release #??. See how it is different? I guess we could agree to a starting year and count them once and for all. Counting all versions of a pin as one, Stern must have 65+ of them.
Or perhaps, beginning with release #10, a company grows up and joins the big boy leagues. The Big Boys are built to stay and I guess, have earned the right not to have to be tracked as closely as the startup companies. There is but one company in the big boy club right now - Stern. At the door are Spooky and JJP.
thanks for the JJP info, good to know. But this is the Stern thread so I’ll ask if anyone remembers Gomez interview that he said Jack Danger’s next pin reflected a new direction for Stern? I am wondering what that meant.
Initially thought he meant any music group needed to provide access to full music and video assets. Or maybe he meant any pin needs to have cooperation and provide voice talent for callouts. I could keep on guessing but I can’t read the tea leaves here. Anybody got a good theory?
As you mention DCMA, I am going to give you my left field theory. One possibility is that this pin’s code only runs on insider connect. One needs internet connection and Stern charges $10 monthly. HOWEVER the Big Bone dangled is that a player can pick their favorite 13 songs from catalog of 40 really good ones imo. Also since all 40 songs are licensed, anyone can STREAM the pin being played with full music and the band’s backing to do so.
The game becomes a personal experience. Play the game. Select 13 other songs and play again. I know it sounds kind George Orwellian, but it could happen and soonish. If you are still here … my personal wish is for $5 more, I could choose my 13 songs from the catalog of 40 great Nirvana songs. That idea makes me SCHWING!
Created a playlist of songs. I knew and like all but Run. It’s a strong song list. 15 songs is great, but pressuring Stern to add another 6 fans selected songs would be greatest. Especially at this early stage as it appears the songs will be played jukebox style and not be tied to specific modes. So far, Jack Danger has made good choices.
66DE3028-C9CD-4039-AB72-19D70277AD4C.jpegC3CEF973-1B06-4CCB-925F-3A5292022F64.jpeg
Stern pro’s have more stuff in them these days. If one can get 95% of the experience, spend less and bring that pin home, it is a homerun. Sometimes offering extra flippers, additional playfield, additional mode, splashy technology or impressive trim might make upgrading to premium model a good idea. But offering extras doesn’t result in an automatic upgrade. It also must be worth it and that is a personal choice. Play both models and trust your gut to make the choice. There were twenty two Stern releases in the past 11 years and I placed half under premium model, leaving half listed under pro model.
Pro’s
Aerosmith
Guardians of the Galaxy
Beatles
Stranger Things
TMNT
Star Wars
Led Zeppelin
Iron Maiden
Deadpool
Mandalorean
James Bond
Foo Fighters
Premium’s
AC/DC
Ghostbusters
Metallica
Batman 66
Star Trek
BKSOR
Munsters
Elvira’s House of Horrors
Avenger’s Infinity Quest
Jurassic Park
Godzilla
Rush
Quoted from PinStalker:100% they will..... that's why Disney-Boy is here. Gouge the customer and pump the valuation.
Gary is old and ready to hang up his spurs, same thing with what's-his-face partner investment guy. They made a lot of money, and it's getting time to cash out for an even bigger payday. It's not about pinball, it's about money.
The new factory can theoretically multiply their existing income (which already is huge), and they're coming off the hottest pinball market in decades, and the largest price hikes in history..... all numeric bullet points that wall street investors can't get enough of.
No better time to ring the bell. They aren't going to get the stars in alignment like this ever again.
Now it's just a race to get the factory done and the IPO filed before the economy goes belly up.
If Gary ever dreamed of getting close to being a billionaire: this is it. A 10x valuation (a least) will get him close, maybe even get him over the finish line. How much would he like that? Too tempting for most.
Earlier I estimated Stern would be sold for $600M. It could easily be higher. When it sells, I wonder if we’ll hear the price?
Quoted from PinStalker:I don't think they will sell out outright in one piece...... they'll get the most via an IPO, especially if they can get a sweetheart multiple.
It'll take them longer to dump their shares, but they'll be worth so much more. Sorta like how Vince McMahon was a Billionaire (in stock) but not in cash.
I do wonder what Stern's valuation is as it stands now. Annual sales is what? At bond prices, before dealer cut, their gross is somewhere around 300 million.
Costs: (In Millions)
Lease $2.7
Workforce (450) $30 (Averaging $60,000 plus added $6,000,000 for benefits & exec pay/bonuses - we know the majority don't make $60k)
Input $115 (this is high for sure..... averaging $4000 a machine - it's lower than that)
Dealer $45
Misc $4
Net $100.3
So a modest 10x multiple would be just above 1 Billion, but with the potential of 2-3x production from the new factory, and a history of fat price hikes...... it could get a 15x or 20x multiple fairly easy. Year over year has to be 30% for at least five years (HOT). Also don't know cash on hand.
That would make Gary a billionaire instantly on IPO day.
You can also see that the 1st thing to go after an IPO is clawing back all that juicy dealer cash, and go direct to consumer. Shareholders are going to demand it: it would increase profits by almost 50%. Once Gary is out of the way, the suits will play.
Good info. Where most people go wrong is they don’t generalize that Stern builds roughly 20k games a year at an average price of $10k is $200M gross in sales. Assuming 1/2 cost incurred for all labor, all materials, design, manufacturings, sales and support and Gary and partner may divy up $100M in profits. Five years would generates $500M in cash. Based on that level of profitability and cash flow you’d expect the company to fetch $1B in an all out ipo.
So that is where some of your accounting is a meaningful way to arrive at a similar conclusion.
Quoted from Apollo18:I don’t know…
I think I’d prefer Huey Lewis and the News,
In, some, sort of, “Time Machine” theme
Maybe with a flying DeLorean, maybe not
Huey Lewis guested an episode of Black List. Subsequently, it is one of the best episodes. He’s funny, personable, professional and talented. The episode was pregnant with jokes about Huey Lewis and he is a great actor too. So I second theming HL&TN into pinball and getting HL to do custom callouts. He’d be even better than Weird Al, so if Multimorphic made it, I’d buy Huey Lewis and the News P3 pinball machine.
Quoted from crujones4life:I'm buying no matter who, what, where, when, why, how...obviously. My preference would be Eddy or Borg. Dwight has to code it (already know that he will).
When Stern makes BTTF, the code name stamped on playfield better read crujones4life
^^^ oh baby! That gets me excited. 
If one started saving now and wanted a premium, how much would they need to save every day?
Counting on 15 months until release is 7/1/24. A first public run might mean another 3 months wait for a total of 18 months (550 days). MSRP is $10.2k and in 18 months that could be $10.6k. Planning $400 for shipping is $11k. So for a mere $20 bill a day put into a lockbox, one could have enough cash to buy a BTTF premium and be playing it by Xmas 2024, in this mirage.
Quoted from Pinball_Eddie:Oh you know I’d find a way, we obsessed hobbyists always find a way
Yea, we have to strike when the iron is hot. Boom out of nowhere, we see FF and PF. We didn’t ask for these, but they came and they are spectacular. And once we are tired of playing with those, Jaws and BTTF will start shipping.
Saw Kung Fu Panda today. It would make a great pinball machine. 3 movies to date with all A-rated. New movie next year. Action, characters and kung fu wrapped into one. Animations prove an ideal medium for reuse in pinball. Could this be Stern’s golden dragon?
Quoted from littlecammi:Venmo . . . Venom . . . maybe the recent Stern rumor is just due to a typo?
That’s funny. Stern’s next pin by ex-Disney pay-per-view king is going to be John Borg’s Venmo.
Quoted from crujones4life:Yeah when I said I 100% guarantee it's Dwight coding BTTF I meant I 100% believe it to be true as it just makes the most sense. Dwight is the absolute best at coding moments (see SW and Mando) and BTTF is loaded with special moments. Dwight has been at the center of numerous rumors over the years as well.
Hold the presses. BTTF is in Stern’s que, so the most important question to be answered is …what will it be based on? There’s got to be a way to siphon the info out. Do we get old movies, animated series or new movie? What is the prize going to look like?
Got one word for those hoping for a cartoonish theme from Stern - H.R. Pufnstuf - and it would kill. I’d take one pro or a premium, if they created some kind of rocket / time machine adventure feature. Can’t pay LE money though.
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including witchiepoo and her vroom broom. which preceded H.P.’s nimbus 2000.
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Movie pins require good dialog and interesting characters to hold interest over time. It can’t be omitted. It doesn’t need to be an action flick. Using that as the criteria :
Good Movie Themes - Big Trouble, Beetlejuice, Matrix, Lebowski, Jurassic Park, IJ (1-4), Toy Story (1-3), Pulp Fiction, He-Man, Jaws, BTTF, Maverick, Pee-Wee, Futurama and Predator
Bad Movie Themes - Wonka, Toy Story 4, Godfather, Venom, John Wick, Barbie, Hot Wheels and Lego Movie.
Wondering if Brian Eddy will be adding projection mapping technology to Venom’s design. On STh the game launched with six issues. That included poor lighting from projector and almost zero code controlling it. But now he has experience with it. Eddy also oversaw use of UV ink on playfield in conjunction with UV during Upside Down mode. It is a pretty good bet that UV will be used on Venom. What do you think?
Quoted from beltking:He’s actually correct on all this except He man I haven’t heard this so don’t think that’s true.
John Borg sends you his best wishes.
85583E2E-0DE3-4FBB-8A3F-F7839492C161.jpegQuoted from Ballderdash:Would be a breath of fresh air if Stern would chose a more lighthearted theme. Not darkness, warring, attacks, etc.
so you passing on Jaws?
In spite of Jaws missing out on their years Oscar’s, Jaws did not receive a single nomination for lead actor nor best supporting actor. In fact, the Jaws shark was hung out to dry.
Have an idea for Brian Eddy’s next title to extend off Venom. It is Edge of Tomorrow. 2014 Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton film. Based on high tech fighting military and Washington politics and an ever-changing symbiotic enemy. Holograms are required and player repeats battle day, until you have enough success and you find the Queen mind. Battle and destroy her to finish the game, but fail and you must return to the beginning of training. It sounds like an ideal candidate for building and storing progress too. Stern just needs film footage and sound. What about it Stern? License can’t cost much, maybe $250k.
Quoted from frankmac:[quoted image]
Nice summary, thanks for doing this. You missed Stranger Things vault this year, which was recently mentioned by Brian Eddy in a stream and it will likely occur.
Quoted from crujones4life:How would that behoove us exactly? If Kman didn't have people leaking to him and he in turn didn't have that info to share with us...then only the same few insiders would get to know anything. How is that fair? Why should a select few get to know what's happening and plan their potential purchases around possible upcoming releases?
The Nov BTTF rumor would follow Elwin’s Jaws. Am I to read the tea leaves to learn Elwin is on BTTF also, in the same fucking year? I was pulling for STh in Nov but am willing to shift my allegiance. What’s the latest pump and dump scheme?
What do we want to see in 2025? Of the top 14 creatures in film - King Kong and Predator have yet to be made into pinball.
Predator (1987) - outer space creatures can be invisible and feeds on organisms that bleed. Strong casting and quotable lines.
Kong Skull Is (2017) - Weak storyline in movie Kong was better in earlier films. But people love this big ape.
—— No Good ——
Alien (1979) - Great creature but has already been made in Alien(s).
Aliens (1986) - Great creature but has already been made in Alien(s).
Godzilla King of Monsters (1956) - has been done made in GZ.
JP (1993) - has been made before in JP.
CFTBL (1954) - has been made before in MB.
Frankenstein (1931) - has been made before in MB.
Wolf man (1941) - has been made before in MB.
Tremors (1990) - sand creature has been made before in BKSOW
Them (1954) & The Blob (1958) - not scary creatures.
The Thing (1982) - has action but without memorable dialog or a specific creature.
Beast in 20k Leagues Under Sea (1953) - giant octopus threatens anyone deep under the ocean. Unmemorable actors and dialog.
———
I’d love to see an Elwin King Kong pinball and anyone’s Predator.
All this talk about Re-Run.
https://giphy.com/gifs/vh1-good-times-rockdocs-12dMIbAtJgFSfK
Quoted from MrBigg:If Pros break the $7300-7500 mark, I'll probably never buy another new machine, and will wait on a good used version.
You are in luck, Sir. But I think you mean $6.3-$6.5k HUO pro’s drop to $6.2k to $6.3k within six months after first shipping. Pickup a Bond or FF pro now and Venom pro will be ready for you Spring 2024. You can also buy show games and pro’s are the same I quoted above.
Your limit is in a real sweet spot. I believe the past five years have given us at least six great Stern pins. If you already own them, fine, but otherwise don’t overlook existing gems. If I was just getting into pinball and had $20k I’d buy 3 pro’s from dealer inventory, right now. But then once I was in the hobby and started learning about the market I’d start buying HUO’s games to save a grand. Also, I’d start considering other manufacturers. But don’t you think 3 pins would be enough?
Quoted from kermit24:If the new factory can indeed do 1000 units per week, it isn't impossible for a super popular game to hit that number. Assuming there is demand to support it, which I am doubtful.
However you can’t ignore Stern’s operating model nor 25 years of observation. To explain this further … Stern builds pinball machine and sells them all to dealers and distributors. Their model ensures 100% of their product made will be sold as it comes off the end of the line. Stern gets 100% of the money in the bank prior to shipping. Whether they make 500 or 1000 or 2000 LE’s, they will all be sold and gone. LOL, Stern doesn’t give a sh@t what happens to games once they leave the factory.
Subsequently the pro’s and premiums Stern builds are 100% sold upon being boxed and cash is then received and the games ship. There are no consequences for overproducing because if one dealer doesn’t want them, another will take their allotment. Stern operates in an artificial environment and that is the reason Stern owns 90% of the overall market and barely has a warehouse.. I don’t think this is legal but it is how Stern has arranged things. Has the above scenario not happened once? No. It is the one thing that has been consistent. Stern controls their dealers and distributors and have all the power. The dealers and distributors have almost zero rights nor influence. Until they revolt and make a stand or we can get government oversight, things will be the same. I’ll bet ten years from now, nothing is different. The dealers and distributors would need to coordinate their efforts, but unfortunately that is illegal too. Customers will moan about prices and readily-available inventory while Stern keeps churning them out, as fast as they can.
Quoted from Roostking:Yes, govt oversite of pinball is a must!
Then you don’t have a good excuse to complain (unless you weren’t).
Quoted from Roostking:What, exactly would you have them do. Serious question.
Stern, your MAP pricing equals your MSRP pricing, thus preventing distro’s from selling NIB for less in six months when values fall and demand may dry up. I hereby order you to lower your MAP to no more than 75% of MSRP and to not exceed that amount because I am telling you so. Ignore this if you choose but we can blowup your microwave ovens, remotely until you comply. Win-Win-Win
Best anime choice in my book is Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. It is the gold standard and would be perfect for pinball. Too beautiful, perhaps? Lacking action, yeah?
Quoted from Ballderdash:Gun to the head must buy one, Stern venom (premium) or JJP TS4?
Only one of them is despised, Venom for the win. Even have a V premium ordered.
Quoted from vicjw66:I would love a Lawrence Welk pin. Champagne bubbles multiball. Polka wizard mode.
[quoted image]
don’t forget gold trim, please.
I bought a Shrek years ago from a small dealer when I heard rumblings. It worked out great but think I’ll pass on a WWE. How does one find out when a game is being closed out and how does one contact that dealer for the price?
I still believe STh vault is coming in Nov. First, the writers strike is why Stern wouldn’t release an updated STh, but it is the reason Stern would release the same game with new hardware. That game is 100% designed. Second, I don’t believe Stern was ever going to update STh with new seasons because they have never done so before. That’s right,
Stern has never in their history released a pin with new updated content. Spooky has teased doing this on R&M and is actually adding minor villains to the current SD code. So don’t give up hope for STh yet. Rather save your penny’s and pounce when you get the chance.
I believe 2 Elwin’s are expected next year in Feb and again Aug. People love Elwin games. I predict fewer will be attracted to premium model and that LE’s for both sell out. Stern sells 2k pins at $13k and that means many people need to save $26k. I predict hardly anybody complains about Stern pricing as they order both LE’s. Also predict Stern releases 70th anniversary GZ. Elwin’s fans in 2024 are going to need a bigger allowance.
Anybody arguing it is worth trading STh pro with mods plus $3k to get a STh premium? Leaning towards it is a pretty steep ask and don’t think it would be worth it. Who can sell me on the premium projector feature?
Stern does not look at STh the same way fans do. STh pinball is based seasons 1 & 2 of the show, but there are no clips from the show. Imagine seasons 3 & 4 being added. Well, that’s more nothing burger. How would you even notice it was added? What Stern needs to do is ADD show clips from seasons 1-4. That would be enough incentive to make many buy the STh premium remake. It is simple to implement the physical changes, because they are none. It’s all in the software.
So Stern should add show clips including season 3 & 4, to cause demand for STh premium go through the roof. Of course, existing Owners will be getting benefit of this with code download. This would be a major shift in the way Stern views what could be done to improve a released game to make it fresh and new again. A less desirable solution would be to add the movie clips from all as attract scenes that play between games. While that would be frickin amazeballs! it too, likely won’t be done. And think about how easy it would be for Stern to add them into code. It is a terrific way to integrate their pinball with STh theme and make the pin a living, breathing pinball machine. Ball is in Stern’s court.
Quoted from Apollo18:No one’s buying a Van Hagar lol
This thread is making me hot for teacher.
Remaining movie licenses that are dream themes, after assigning Jaws, BTTF and Matrix. They could be done by any manufacturer, as far as I am concerned, including Barrels of Fun.
Jaws - Stern
BTTF - Dutch Pinball ?
Matrix - JJP ?
————-
Harry Potter
Maverick/TG2
Oblivion/MI4-6
Hellboy (with Ron Perlman)
Beetlejuice
Predator
I’m conflicted whether a comedy (Bill Murray movies) make a good pinball theme. I’d list for consideration: Caddyshack, Stripes, Groundhog Day, Zombieland and Ghostbusters. Can you see a pin based on one of these licenses? Content for Groundhog Day movie might be a little slim. As GB has been done before, what’s preventing another GB (not based on GB2 theme) pin? In Bill Murray, Stern has been cock blocking the wrong guy’s movies.
I don’t see the appeal for a new METLE to those who own original METLE. Same game except cabinet graphics and lcd screen for $4k more. Many people say they never look up from playfield while playing. I find the colorized dots to be exceptional. Also, METLE MOP cabinet is outstanding. Same great, fantastic game though, so it will sell.
I’m wondering about the age old postulating on the pluses and minuses on porting over LOTR to Spike 3. Stern should have a programmer build LOTR from scratch and Shirley it can be complete in 3 months, right? Just rebuild it Stern and you’re done. Sure, they could try porting it over, but that hasn’t been done yet. I say if Stern re-releases LOTR on Spike 3, I’d buy one.
Stern pumping out 25k pinball machines in 2024 at $7k to $25k each is like an auto manufacturer plant but without robots. At an average sales price of $10k, that’s $250M. That makes Stern a large manufacturer, regardless of industry and a 1000 pound Gorilla.
Quoted from vikingerik:Stern doesn't get the 10k per. That's the retail price but wholesale to distributors is less. We don't know by how much but rumors have been between $1k to $2.5k under. (Not that that invalidates your point, just lessens it slightly. Actually then Stern makes about that much on toppers anyway...)
Wonder if Gary ever built a tube from their factory to a local bank vault? That way Gary could flush it up the bank’s bum and into his Stern account, thus avoiding the daily round trips by car. Seth Davis has plans on testing a subscription service that would link gameplay to Owner accounts. Anything, to avoid daily drives to the durn bank.
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