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Stern, 2009
AC/DC (LE)
Stern, 2012
AC/DC (Premium)
Stern, 2012
AC/DC (Pro)
Stern, 2012
Addams Family Gold (Special Collectors Edition), The
Bally, 1994
Addams Family, The
Bally, 1992
Aerosmith (LE)
Stern, 2017
Aerosmith (Premium)
Stern, 2017You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider Markharris2000.
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Just got this from Jason at ClassGameRooms in Georgia:
Today Stern Announced their latest Cornerstone Game "Avengers Infinity Quest Pinball Machine".
https://sternpinball.com/game/avengers-infinity-quest/
jason is a great guy to deal with and ships free all over the USA.
What about all of the crazy History and Travel channel themes? Apparently some of those titles have huge following by a wide range of audiences. We could easily see an "Ancient Aliens" or "Mysteries at the Museum" machine, and I can't imagine the licensing would be any harder than the rock and roll or Marvel themes. Those History/Travel themes can inspire so many gimmicks and toys that could be presented on the playfield, and through imagery/illustration across the machine playfield, back glass, and cabinet sides...
Would BeetleJuice translate? I think it might, in the same way Munsters did. But would people under the ago of 40 understand the reference or remember the movie?
Quoted from Drain-O:Here's a thought --- something that's NOT an IP. Gone are the days when someone just thought up a theme like High Speed or Funhouse or whatever. I don't know why everything has to be based on a movie/show/band, and then digress into opinionated conversations on whether or not that IP is cool or lame. I would kill for something that was just about pinball. </end rant>
I agree in theory, but for the same reason one-off restaurants struggle at first in contrast to franchised "Name Brand" ones, the idea of a new original title may be a higher risk of poor revenue on location. And with machines costing $7-8K, it's tougher to make ends meet when making wrong machine choices. That said, Funhouse and ToM are great examples of original content that drew in and hooked the curious from day-1. So many other titles too. It can be done....
Quoted from Flyfalcons:Stern's new President came over from Disney.
...So he knows all about the crazy licensing fees they would charge!!!! LOL. But seriously, that might make him more aware of the less obvious do's and don'ts when licensing from Disney, to keep costs down to a minimum. It might be like a ala carte menu. every branded item costs!
If worldwide movie (franchise) sales has anything to do with this thought process, the biggest money-makers are (in order, highest to lowest):
Marvel Universe
Star Wars
Harry Potter
Spider Man
James Bond
https://www.investopedia.com/highest-grossing-movie-franchises-5085228
I was that guy that 'accidently' bought a Funhouse and TOTAN in the late 1990s (paid a total of $2500 for the pair, each in perfect condition), sat on them for 20 years, and then got the bug again in 2020 right before COVID. Sold FH for $5K and TOTAN $9K when I decided to dive in to the hobby again. (Although I loved those machines, and kinda still wish I had them). So I started looking for themes that really felt right, and ended up (after some dabbling with RCT, RBioN and Houdini) with three Sterns: A Jurassic Park for depth and skill building, a GOTG for (mostly) gimmicks and some straight-forward shooting, and a Stern PoTC (because I found one NIB a few month ago). Three machines, all Stern, and each for a different mood.
I ran into this very unusual video of a CASABLANCA pinball concept. I particularly liked the magnet 'dish' idea. Very minimal, but got me thinking if a modern take on the theme could work... ? Kinda same vintage as Indiana Jones, and there apparently was a BELL arcade machine in 1945, but no pictures found. Is the theme too dated by now?
Quoted from pinball2020:Markharris2000 To a certain degree the "instant grabs" with magnets (in Stern games like Godzilla, etc) and American Pinball (Hot Wheels, etc) have that - I guess the difference would be if you had then other magnets keeping the ball "bubbling" and then send the ball in either a specific direction each time on release - to plan shots or randomize the direction they go. Actual game designers who have worked with magnets will need to chip in here - Stern guys?
Too dated? Sadly, yes.
Too bad the movie is mostly unknown to the 16-34 crowd today. Casablanca has so many scenes that could inspire playfield gadgets and artwork....
Would Suicide Squad (Margot Robbie) be interesting? Seems like it might be time for another Women of Pinball theme?
Quoted from PinMonk:It's Elwin, who has become Stern's premier designer (And brings in the $$$). They seem to give him a better BoM than others, so I doubt it will be unsatisfying as either a Pro or a Prem.
There is a great Stern video of "The Making of Godzilla" which provides a ~5 minute glimpse into Keith and his team, how they work together, and their level of passion for what they do. Harrison (the hardware guy) even says they have developed a non-verbal communication style that guides/speeds their work! LOL. After watching this video, I could easily see that ANY desired title could be thrown into this team and turn out something really special.
This is clearly not just a job for these guys!
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Fremont, CA
