I would be tempted by an Army of Darkness...

This Bond release is taking For.Ev.Er.

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Dune was one of just two movies that I actually walked out of the theater because it was so bad. My friend drove us there, so I had to walk home. Fortunately it was only a couple of miles.

On the line is People magazine. On the cover is you know who from you know where (back to the future). Stern’s BTTF pin can’t be far away.

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I hope so too, but why would this magazine article make it any more likely?

Because Olivia Wilde is on the Tron pinball machine. Jason Sudeikis was in The Mandalorian series. He was also in a Foo Fighters video so that is clearly coming, too. Don't you see? IT'S ALL CONNECTED.

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2025 SLE 40th anniversary Bookit.

Ah now it's clear....as mud lol.

Wondering if anybody on Pinside is a time traveler. The reason is I want to ask them something. When does BTTF get made?

Man I cannot wait until I turn on my Stern BTTF and hear Power of Love for the 1st time! It's going to be epic!

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BTTF will get made soon after Stern runs out of Marvel or Star Wars based themes they think will be popular coin drops at beercades, or soon after the market shifts and they have less NIB buyers than supply chain unaffected production capacity.

BTTF is the button that will be pressed when Stern's business needs a boost.

Yep, unless some other manufacturer already has the license, this theme is a certainty at some point.

Oh, we’re still going on about BTTF in here? I suppose we’ve got to hope for something as Stern has really given us nothing since…Rush? Where the f are the Bonds?!? Has anyone received one yet? This is crazy.

They have to code it first

Very funny but I think Stern is having a FAR larger problem with parts shortages then they are letting on. I’m not even sure that the pause was really for the purpose of addressing backlog at this point.

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.

Maybe another Stern announcement saying they will only make 2 cornerstones next year, instead of the planned 3 games..?

I don't see how part shortages and delaying games would affect coding , if anything it should give them more time to code .
They have movie clips , its not like they have to make their own assets like Deadpool or Jurassic Park

I saw a lot of original clips in the stuff I saw from the stream. Hard to remember at this point though lol

I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens. There was a rumor that Elwin was going to a 2 year cycle, which sounds crazy but if Stern do 2 pins a year, with 4 designers, that would be a 2 year cycle anyway if everyone stays in turn

Me too , a lot of dots

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They have the original clips.
It's the coding I was talking about .

My entire point was that it is not code delaying the game. If the game is far enough along for streaming and for expo and it far enough along to ship. Stern ships games with bare bones code allll the time. Which is fine by me, I like to see the code develop over the course of ownership

Pinside: stop shipping games with barely functional code

also Pinside: ship the game already!

Its's not just a matter of playing clips thiugh. I think it's easy to underestimate the level of work done to integrate the clips as well as create clips that are a hybrid of existing footage combined newly created content or 100% new content that matches the style of the game.

Even in a theme like Bond, Elvira, Godzilla, or Batman that has lots of available video clips to use, I bet they compromise less than half of the total content that ends up getting used on the screen.

Different types of people can want two different things, no? Some want code complete games immediately (impossible / mostly home buyers) others are happy to get the physical game and watch it grow (realistic / mostly operators and people who are interested in code developed and enjoy continuing to learn the game as it devs)

“Pinside” is not an entity. It is a collection of people of all walks with completely different sensibilities and they all just happen to like pinball. Of course, this much is obvious

Do you think it would take more work to use films clips or make your own animations ?

Stern should race, not walk to secure comprehensive licenses for:
Beetlejuice
Top Gun 2 and
BTTF
If I’m being asked to spend $13k today for an LE (will be $14k when these come out in 2025), then give me a theme I want. Heck, my first new car cost $14k and was a Pontiac Lemans.

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.

Jack isn't doing another "the pin", he is doing a cornerstone. I doubt it will be another JB.

You think operators are happy with games with unfinished codes ? Are you going to explain to players , sorry mate , that mode that isn't there , it's coming soon , it's all good ?
Personally I don't mind seeing a code develop , but operators liking that , is silly .

You are talking to an operator. I make MORE money when the code is unfinished because players keep coming back every time I update. Any other questions? Only thing silly around here is people talking like they know some s#it mate.

How would the average customer in a bar (where are your games?) know that a pinball machine had unfinished code?

I operated in the past, and most people don't notice code version. It really doesn't make a big difference on coin drop in my experience. Maybe if you have a lot of regular pin nerds, but the vast majority don't know the difference.

As long as there are no major bugs/crashes, then it's fine for location play.

They don’t care, for the average player they dont even think about this. Advanced players already know. They come in repeatedly to beat the game at every code version AND they like it! We talk about the new rules, modes, what has changed. WHY? Because we love pinball. Code dev is a PART of the experience

I know you're an operator , but do you think a casual player would understand that , but credit to you for being an operator .

This is correct and I DO have many pinball fanatics that come in and they know goddamn everything haha. Gotta love em

Yeah but those also sound like the sort of players who would come regardless. They just wanna play. So as long as everything is in mostly working order, they're happy repeat customers.

Casual players have no frame of reference for “unfinished code” my friend…moving on

I think we our got a paths crossed .
I said the delay in shipping could be the code , you said it could be due to parts , either way it's not like Stern .

Right, it ain’t the code tho haha

In the case of Godzilla. It shipped with no sub wiz modes and it earned like mad. Then it plateaued. Then…code update Terror of Mechagodzilla mode! Earnings back up. Then plateaued. Then…code update Monster Zero. Earnings back up. Then plateaued. Etc etc… as each mode dropped. I had one of the first GZ on location in the NE and I can see via IC connected how the earnings have corresponded with regular code updates. I’ve seen it with other titles a bit but it made a noticeable difference for GZ.

Good for you. I have anecdotal personal experience different than you.

..Sooooo.. since we're currently on a coded-not coded-operators discussion, what will be the next Stern that would excite both the crowds and operators?

Top Gun Maverick?
Back to the Future?
Some 'insert name' from Marvel?
A rock heavy game?

Does it matter to Stern anyway, since they showed pretty much anything will sell..?

And, @crujones4life, a clear reference to BTTF from LesManley

You just gotta sign up!!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinside-2022-secret-santa-program-sign-up-through-nov-12th/page/3#post-7216946

Stranger Things Vault ! Gets my Vote.

Wonder if anyone has a Godzilla (routed) that has paid for itself 1x or 2x times yet?

I wonder if the Supply chain issues that are plaguing the industry have started to let up a bit. Though
inflation seems to be the new kick in the pants for Pinball... Just got back from vacation and still somewhat
surprised from the Dinner tabs we ran up. Food was the major expense on this trip. Holy hell.

Never gonna happen. Better buy an STH now if you want it.

That would be a great opener for the game. For anyone paying attention: the name of Marty McFly's rock group when he auditions in Back to the Future is The Pinheads. Clearly a sign that this game needs to be made 37 years later.

Looks like a fun video mode

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Stranger things and its poorly designed TK mech will never be vaulted for the same reasons Stern abandoned making more Premium in the first place. It is a tech nightmare and most games play poorly.

Now back to the topic!
Next Stern is TRON VE!!!