I feel like you gotta love the theme AND layout to buy a game. If either falls short, why spend so much money? This is especially true if you live in an area with decent locations.

How many posts on here have been asking for BTTF, Jaws, Van Halen, MOTU, Super Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon? Instead they made Rush, Bond, and Foo. Great market research.

That's because they aren't making games for you or me..... they're making games for themselves.

Clearly, they are making terrible decisions, based on their lack of current backlog of games.

Oh wait...

Who else here agrees with this guy? So the last few themes were poppin?

Three of those are from one of the most tightly-guarded, controlling companies in any industry. Pinside is not "the market" and this sort of thinking highlights why.

my bad I forgot the pinside thread motto regarding stern. "They should raise prices, why shouldn't they?" really.

“Poppin”… is that what the kids are calling it these days?

Perhaps that is why Stern isn’t “poppin”. I think I am starting to understand finally!

There is no way that if you put out a survey the results would show in favor of foo over bttf.

my bad. groovy, hip, legit, slick.

Someday they will make BTTF....and so many people will be upset with it

K

Like you said, everyone is different. Some people are all about the theme. Others are more interested in the layout & rules. And it’s all just personal preference.

For me owning at home, I want it to stay interesting for awhile. So for me that means a pin with

1. A good layout with a couple interesting shots

2. A rule set & callouts that make it fun to play and that gives those energetic pinball moments where you celebrate accomplishing something, and

3. Depth with a few fun wizard modes that makes it not terribly easy to get to the end of the game.

So theme is relatively low on my list of factors.

However, while a great layout is certainly nice, I think an average layout with good rules and good callouts/music can be much better to play and own than a great layout with average rules and bland callouts/music.

poppin, fresh, lit...try those

I won't be upset. Good or bad shooter, I'll sit on the sidelines and save up some money for a theme that I like. Maybe by the time it comes out in 2025 from Homepin, I might change my mind.

At this point, I doubt it. Even if it's a bad game, people will just accept that it exists so they can finally move on.

Im out. its not necessarily the themes but the methodology that sucks. we spend hours thinking up and discussing themes here. none of which get made, then we are expected to pay 10k for something no one asked for. makes sense.

Confused… you’re “out” of what exactly? This thread? ‘Expected to pay’ for something?

Yes… very confused indeed.

Im out = I have to get back to work.

That might be the case, but there are plenty of factors other than just public opinion that go into these choices. Another company might own the rights to the license or maybe Stern knows that BTTF4 is coming out in 2028 and they should be patient. Companies will listen to feedback from customers, but only to a point. They're not a pinball co-op. Also, you're not "expected" to fork over your money if you don't want to. This might sound crazy, but people other than yourself might be interested in something you aren't.

That’s just madness, sir. Madness.

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.

I think that pinside and youtube play a bigger role in the primary and secondary market for the pinball hobby than you realize.

Because the rest make so relatively few you can kinda keep them all in ordered in your head. Stern has made over 20 Spike 2 games alone...

And also how far back do you go with the counting. Just Stern Pinball? Data East Pinball? Pinstar? Stern Electronics? The Sam Stern games at Williams?

Okay.... and? That still doesn't mean Stern is expected to cater to those audiences. It feels like you're frustrated that Stern doesn't act based on input from a subset of their customers -- which I can sort of understand, I guess -- but why should they? They certainly aren't struggling to find success. They're leading their industry in a boom period for a niche hobby.

Every game / theme / layout / art package / ruleset will have people who are in or out based on totally personal reasons, so there's no reason to let that same public dictate business decisions.

This is exactly my point. Do we all agree with this?

You mean you have to use your hands?

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I'm the same age as Dave - it's 100% dad rock LOL

What is your point to agree with exactly? That Stern should start acting based on input from the community? Or that not doing so means they don't care about their customers or something?

Both.

No worries at all, music is so subjective...I can tell you where I was and what I was doing the day I first heard Nirvana's Smell's Like Teen Spirit the first time..I literally had never heard anything like it...and this was coming from GnR, Def Leppard, ACDC, Van Halen, Metallica, and the harder stuff of the late 80's...This all hit my first year in college in 1990 at age 17, flanel shirts, Doc Martins, binge drinking, Gulf War just started... you get the picture...those 1st 3 years were bonkers and are forever in my DNA now. Foo Fighter's just filled that gap for me from 94 until present, super nostalgic references on most songs I hear from them. Thanks for giving them a chance

The reason I really respect the Foo Fighters guys is because of their covers of Abba and Bee Gees songs. They pay respect to music from the past that their fan base wouldn't necessarily be into, and it takes a lot of guts (or not giving a shit) to dive into stuff like that and show people it's okay to be influenced by all types of music.

So while they might not be considered "dad rock" (for at least the next few years), they wouldn't be who they are without having listened to it growing up.

My hope is there will be an alternate music mode which is the Dee-Gees.

Hoping video is up to the caliber of Yellow Submarine.

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So what's on your "not dad rock" playlist that you would like to see a pin of?

Confirmed today: “Jack is the biggest troll in history”, just as you stated.

Now that’s cleared up, we can look forward to seeing FF.

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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?

I think in light of the teaser that it means it's not just a "featured band playing their music" pin. It's a themed STORY, original IP, but with a band's music powering it. So for the people decrying the lack of original non-licensed pinball machines, it's a half step in that direction. Essentially a non-licensed theme with licensed music. We'll have to see how it's implemented, but props to JD and Stern for testing giving pinheads what they say they want, in a way that's not too radical for Stern's balance sheet.

Jack has dealt with a LOT of DMCA garbage while streaming… sure would be awesome if somehow they were able to nip all that in the bud for this pin (i.e. if you bought the pin you could stream with the songs playing loud and proud without worry of that stuff). Probably wishful thinking though.

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!

15 songs not bad!

Nice that’s a good amount of songs. That is usually a problem with the music pins is they fall short on the amount of music you get.

I just listened to all of them. I know/like 3 of those songs. Was hoping I would recognize more of them. Just confirms that it's not a pin for me...and that's okie day. When do we get Eddy's BTTF (code Venom)?

Awesomeness. Love this. I get it!!!!!

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.

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