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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)
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Quoted from unclerudy:He might have liked that. Don't kink shame him.
I wonder what it was like for him when they told him "ah, Mr. Stern.... we can't build more this year....... you're killing us"...... and he had to make the call to remove planned releases from the lineup. Surely he didn't like having to do that. He seems to be very clear "this year only".
It would be so interesting to be a fly on the way in a meeting with his production managers.
I'd be more curious about who's pin was bumped.
Gomez said his pin would be out in 22..... that was before this delay stuff....... will it be his game out later this year?
Let's get to the time when pin #2 was due and then have Stern say "we changed our minds...... 3 pins this year!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
All it means is more backlog, which means more orders and higher prices....... why wouldn't they? There's no one to slap their hands.
Why fill all the orders and run out of orders? If you can't make 'em fast enough, the only way to make MORE money is to grow the backlog even bigger.
All this Back to the Future and Jaws talk.......
Stern could blow some minds and release: WWE Legends of Wrestling 2: Rock N' Wrestling!!!
Capt. Lou Albano bash toy, Piledriver the Album for tunes, and the classic big blue cage for battling King Kong Bundy......
Don't need to produce Mando, JP, DP, or any of the others.... just wrestling. You open a pin box, any pin box, out comes wrestling.
"My GZ showed up today!!! [Opens box] Capt. Lou?? And he's painted green? Oh hell......." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!
"My DP showed up today!!! [Opens box] Capt. Lou?? He has a DP mask on? Oh hell......." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
"My BTTF showed up today!!! [Opens box] Capt. Lou? He's in a Super Mario outfit? Oh hell....." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!
Quoted from radium:You ok?
Evidently not.... 
Holy Grail music pin:
Kinda would prefer JJP to do it over stern though..... WOZ style
Stern is probably the one with the money to do it though: The licensing would be extremely expensive.
MJ Logo3 (resized).jpgQuoted from timbo74:We were buying CDs back then too... bit different to today. I think being able to at least play your own music in games via a streaming service would be awesome.
I'm still buying CD's...... ha!!
Quoted from Rizmo:I think a new IP would be nice something we have never seen. Personally I would like to see them maybe tone down the superhero pins for a bit, but I understand why they make them. I think BTTF would be pretty cool. I would imagine the licensing would be a nightmare.
They could make "Black Knight: Rage at Steve" as a parting insult to Stevie jumping ship.
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:Danger is working on Foo Fighters as we speak.
You guys left off the "D" at the end.....
This is a better theme anyway 
Food Fighters (resized).jpgQuoted from Saltimbanco:What if no band, no Marvel, no movie. And you only get one pick, what would it be?
I'd like a exaggerated reality based game........ "Gary Stern vs The World"
A factory style pf, where you are trying to keep the business afloat and gather enough parts to get pins out the door (collecting cash and fame along the way).
Big animated Gary bash toy with comical wild doc Brown style hair and a Metallica style grin........ a wild Gary.
Put some funny callouts from every important pin person in the industry..... all driving Gary nuts with jokes galore. Sounds from every pin they've ever made, progress from the Sega takeover to present. All the problems and action from every era of Stern revisited.
Revisit all the best toys/mechs Stern has made over the years (rethemed of course - or maybe not).
It'd be a blast.
Quoted from Fsdre:I thought venom was going to be the next cornerstone, is that still the word on the pinball streets?
I wonder too..... if they are trying to clear the backlog, then wouldn't you sell something not expected to be a blockbuster?
But then again.... they already missed a release this year...... do you need to release a blockbuster to make up for the sales of the missed title?
Not sure what the answer is......
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:I hope so, but Stern machines have not all been hits at the time of release in the past few years.
I would say the following have not been knock out hits for Stern *at time of release.
Rush
Led Zeppelin
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Black Knight
Beatles
Aerosmith
With that said, I would give Stern an 80% chance of releasing a hit next. Demand is sky high.
I agree, but I do think there is a big difference in sales between releasing a Venom and releasing a BTTF or Jaws.
One would move a couple thousand units total, the others...... 4k? 5k? More? Do you want to release something big which is going to draw 6,000 units when you're busy clearing a backlog?
If GZ's backlog really is running to 2024 (nonsense)..... do you want to release another pin with GZ demand in Aug?
To be fair though, I think Stern fulfills half of the existing backorders by Aug and knocks them all out by year's end.
Quoted from frankmac:Topper?
[quoted image]
Close..... that was the toy Steve wanted in the game and when Gary said no he went to JJP.
People are already crawling up the walls now..... what kind of strung-out junkie rehab'ers are they going to look like come Aug?
Ain't going to be pretty....... maybe some people will move on to something else to get their "fix".
Perhaps they can bring pogs and beanie babies back from extinction......
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHA
Stargate SG-1 would be awesome, but I don't think that will ever happen.
Even less likely to happen would be Babylon-5...... ohhh that would be a dream come true.
Battlestar Galactica (2004)?
Quoted from bigguybbr:Walk into either Harry Potter themed section of Universal Orlando. It is always packed in there and people are decked out with the merchandise they sell there. It's definitely still a valuable license.
Yup, that what I think too...... they're even building another HP land at the new Universal park under construction right now.
People want the classic HP, not the fantastic beasts and all that nonsense. Just like how people love LOTR and could care less about the Hobbit movies.
Same thing with IJ, same thing with Star Wars, same thing with Trek.
Quoted from richierich85:Guys it's a comic vemon pinball and a jaws pinball are two next titles.... I have personally seen the art package for both titles, and I am not at liberty to discuss how, who, when I was shown and my source from inside stern factory.. thanks
Who told you??? Who showed you?? When did you see this? How did you get this insider access??
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Now if they tell you which one was in Aug.....
Quoted from Utesichiban:I'll file this one under more unsubstantiated rumors but for discussions sake, lets say Venom is the next title. How many would be interested? I know I would be out.
I'd be out, but would hope others enjoy it. Same thing with Jaws. Neither one is really appealing as a theme for me.
HP = Yes!
TS = No! (yeah I know: JJP)
BTTF = Yes!
Godfather = No! (yeah I know: JJP)
Vault of something good = Yes!
Bond = No!
Whatever remake is after Cactus Canyon = Yes! (yeah I know: CGC)
Elvira's Whatever Fill in the Blank = Yes! Yes!
It'll be nice to see 2023 with different titles than we've had this year. Pretty lackluster if you ask me.
Quoted from redman822:It wouldn't have any custom callouts by Bruce Willis anymore, unfortunately...
I think he is just retired from acting. He could still do voiceover work with his (hopefully mild) dementia. An afternoon or two reading lines isn't that taxing and actually would be good for his condition and mental health. The worst thing you can do is nothing when you have mental health issues. Gotta stay engaged, active and feel like you're useful/productive.
Quoted from redman822:Reportedly, Bruce is suffering from Wernicke's aphasia. It involves difficulty understanding spoken or written language.
Oh wow, that's way worse than I knew. Poor guy. I hope they have something that can help him. I had read that he's a really good person.
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:Next Cornerstone Stern Pin due out August!
Per the math below, the next Stern pin was due out on or around 14 May, but for those of you that did not hear Stern publically announced they would not be releasing 3 cornerstones this year and would instead do 2, Rush and another pin to be released in August per the blast message below.
Next Stern pin reveal was due 14 May 2022, but now expected August.
Stern delivered slightly ahead of predicted (2 weeks early!) with Rush being revealed 4 January instead of the predicted 18 January based off of prior releases.
Math below.
Star Wars 5/31/2017 (147 days after Aerosmith, the first cornerstone Spike 2
Guardians of the Galaxy 11/2/2017 (156 days after Star Wars)
Iron Maiden 3/25/2018 (144 days after Guardians of the Galaxy)
Dead Pool 8/3/2018 (131 days after Iron Maiden)
Munsters 1/12/2019 (162 days after Deadpool)
Black Knight SOR 3/25/2019 (72 days after Munsters)
Jurassic Park 7/26/2019 (122 days after BK SOR)
Stranger Things: 12/23/2019 (150 days after Jurassic Park)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 5/27/2020 (155 days after Stranger Things)
Avengers Infinity War: 9/2/2020 (98 Days after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Led Zeppelin: 12/15/2020 (104 days after AIQ)
The Mandalorian: 5/11/2021 (147 days after Led Zeppelin)
Godzilla: 9/14/2021 (126 days after The Mandalorian)
Rush: 1/4/2021 (112 days after Godzilla).
Delayed Stern Game 5/14/2022 (130 days after Rush)
Next Stern game "August 2022" per Stern press release.
The average time between cornerstone releases is now 130 days.
*Note that only “cornerstone” games with a Pro/Premium/LE pricing model are included for the purpose of this exercise.[quoted image]
I hope they bite the bullet and discontinue a big swath of these older titles....... just put them out to pasture.
2020 release or before, just axe it at the end of this year once these runs are finished.
Even better would be an official policy that a game will be in active production for two years and that's it. Streamline production and stop the guessing game of if something is going back on the line or not. Six titles active at any one time, with around two months of production time each year per title. That's 8,000 units for games that sell well. You'll know if you'll get one, you'll know when a game is going OOP, it would even support the secondary market a bit once the game is done, and those buying new could actually get the game on time if they want it. Stern gets to move on to the next game rapid-fire without fans bugging them and distros aren't left in the lurch. Everybody wins.
Quoted from vikingerik:That leaves out the ability to react to market conditions. What if, say, GOTG 3 is a great movie and bumps demand for that franchise again? Or another Deadpool, or say a Led Zep biopic documentary or some such. Stern would be doing disservice to all of themselves and the distributors and the customers if they said "nope, sorry, archived, can't make more" when the demand is there.
They don't do that now..... why would they change their behavior later?
Case in point:
Stranger Things: Breaks Netflix viewing records last month: Archived right before season 4 is released.
JP: Third and final movie about to release.... is there a big production run in anticipation or a scheduled large run? Nope.
GOTG: Next movie will be out May 2023. Last call is towards the end of the year, but only in Pro. Canceled and archived before the movie release.
Ghostbusters: I'm not sure when this game was canceled but it was before the latest movie was released (pinball 2016, movie 2020).
GOT: Also not sure when this one went OOP, but it didn't last to the end of the show (and the show peaked in viewership the last season)
ST: Multiple new TV series, another movie in the works.... canceled before all that. Matter of fact, canceled before the 1st three new movies were finished.
They missed all these opportunities, things which were obvious.... but none of that matters to them. They want to hit a title and move on.
Stern even seems to go out of their way to cancel a license well before something good happens with that license on purpose.
Quoted from ZoraShinoda:I guess distis are getting tired of getting phone calls to be put on lists for games that are rumored. Got this in an email from LSOG, my local distributor, you can pay them $5 to put you on their "list" for these rumored games.
https://littleshopofgames.com/shop/machines-for-sale/new-pinball-machines/wish-list-five-dollars-to-express-interest-in-a-fantasy-game/
That's not what it is at all (IMO).
It's a money grab where you give them money for absolutely nothing. I think it's an extension of the $1 Cointaker GZ "Spot"......... only this time it's $5 a game and they're loading up as many "games" as possible.
Notice it's non-refundable, doesn't guarantee a game, doesn't actually do anything beyond give them $5 per game.
Sell ten thousand "spots" and that's 50 grand of pure profit for absolutely nothing in return. Genius.
The customers get the warm fuzzy of falsely believing they are at the top of a list....... a list which doesn't really exist since the games themselves don't exist.
The next step will be selling "spots" for $100, and then more. Buy the right to buy a game..... a distro's dream come true!!!
After that would be a paid allocation list, where you are paying even more to be on a real list when a game is a lock to be produced.
How many would pay $500, $1000 to be a confirmed recipient for BTTF LE, Bond LE, HP LE, or whatever? Surely enough people to sell a distro's allocation, and this has the benefit of raising the price without touching the MSRP and looking like a pure crook.
What if it becomes a auction type thing where people are bidding the highest dollar just to have the RIGHT to buy an LE/CC game when it's released?
Not even a matter of being 1st to put a deposit down..... PAY to be able to put a deposit. HA!!!
This is only the start (IMO).
Quoted from Only_Pinball:Only 20? I figured you would be in for at least 50! I hope you get your dream theme soon.
I going to buy a "spot" on the super-premium ultra insider fastpass express list and bypass the "regular" list.
Quoted from frankmac:You know Stern is cooking up magic!
Yes they are..... the greatest musical pinball ever
Xanadu (resized).pngQuoted from Only_Pinball:Same. Prices are are also skyrocketing on the used market. If they could make the premium more reliable, I would be all over getting one.
Stern totally dropped the ball on this one.
No last call. No premiums built on the last production runs. No warning of it going OOP.
The game had two years of builds and almost all during a global pandemic. They should have said "we can't get projectors, thus we're pausing (not ending) production until 2023 for one last run. Put in an order now to lock a spot".
I'm not even sure they built more premiums after they released the topper. How crazy is that? This would sell better than Mando in this market for sure. Insane.
Still a little hopeful they will do a "final edition" for the release of the last season. Completely unlikely, but a limited run ala 40th would be so cool, and it would sell out.
Years from now when Stern goes out of business, they will give a tour before closing the doors forever, and there in the corner will be the finished prototype of the next cornerstone which will never be placed on the line....... BTTF.
LOL!!!
Now what they need is to have an Ozzy, McFarlane, Pierce Brosnan booth with special guest Shamu......
Quoted from crujones4life:Wuts happening?
They are announcing BTTF3: Western Carnival to compete with TS4.
No Biff, no Doc, no Marty.... but it will have a frisbee pie plate taking up a quarter of the PF.
Callouts by Needles.....
BTTF needles (resized).jpgQuoted from Zartan:Next stern?!
[quoted image]
Terrible table..... but look at those graphics right off an 80's blister pack!!! That would be soooooo good!!
Easy dream theme for me.
GI Joe (season 1)
Transformers (g1)
Master of the Universe (season 1)
That would be the ultimate trifecta.
Some real 80's nostalgia pins.
Quoted from crujones4life:I have a dream. My dream is that one day you can decide you want a game after playing it in person, call your favorite distro who will have it in stock, purchase said game, and have it delivered within a week. I have a dream.
That's too old-school.... the new way is to wait a year, and only after putting down a non-refundable deposit.
This is far superior, as you have a year of anticipation to build up before delivery.
It makes for happier pinheads too, as all will have skin in the game and have to "tow the line" instead of tomato'ing machines with "Free-choice" and objectivity.
The natural ups and downs of cycling between buyers remorse and the elation of news releases/teasers will be more fun than the pin itself!!!
What the manufacturers need to come to terms with is taking in all that money, creating and storing all the pins, then shipping them all at once!!!
The pinworld will melt down in week-long orgy of happiness and disappointment as all rip open their boxes after a year of rumor, spin, propaganda and conjecture.
After a week of playing, the exhausted pinheads need a new fix, yank out their wallet, and the blind cycle begins anew!!
The ultimate new-school rush will be the annual "Surprise Pin", where you put all the money down, wait a year for the box to arrive, and no one knows what's inside!!!
12K for a one day only LE!!! Get it or not!!!
Is it BTTF? Is it Transformers G1?
Only Gary knows.... and he has your 12K!!!!
After a year of waiting, the big truck arrives, an event replaying all around the country and the world..... could it be Jaws? Or My Little Pony?
A 12K pin turning into 30K if it happens to be GI Joe Season One, Michael Jackson, or Voltron.......... or does the pin end up being worth 6K as a Matrix 4, Rambo 3, or Hanson Umm-Bop?
Howls of outrage on pinside over missing the "Dream Theme of their Life!!!"...... or outrageous laughter over the stupidity of playing the pin casino and getting Rainbow Brite?
"Imagine all the people....... pin'ing 'round the world...... WoooHoooo---Arrrrahhhh'Garryyyy"
Quoted from SimplePin:I love wide bodies as much anyone but can you imagine the cost?
We're already paying it, we're just not getting it.
I heard when they hooked up the Flux-Capacitor topper onto the prototype BTTF..... lightning struck the machine and it was thrown thru time....... Gary has been waiting for it to reappear since 2014 so they can put it into production for the 30th anniversary.......
BTTF (resized).png
Will they make everyone wait the whole month to find out?
If they really wanted to turn the screws, they'd announce that they will announce on the 30th.......
Anticipation for the anticipation of the announcement!!! 
Quoted from freeplay3:If it was JJP they would run the new version, then after 3 years run another LE 80s edition and jack the price 5k.
We still need to wait 2 years for the gnr 80s edition with skinny Axel.
I haven't played the new GNR..... They're using fat Axel? Really?
There is only one real GNR: the one with skinny Axel and wasted Slash.
Quoted from PinMonk:I was in Walmart last night and they randomly had a display of Hallmark ornaments with a number of them being He-Man for some reason...
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hallmark-Ornament-Masters-of-the-Universe-He-Man/552436403
Don't tell JJP..... they'll try to get the license and put them on a PF!!!
Quoted from crujones4life:Lotta games being archived "early". I guess a 2 year run is the new 3 year run? Feels like Stern is gearing up for something they know is gonna be huge...
IMO Stern is getting ready to knockout punch all the upstarts.
I think 2023 will see four titles (maybe 5 with a Kapow) and they will absolutely swamp everyone else.
They don't need to have a knockout every time, they just need to suck up all the cash people have to spend.
They're clearing the line of old titles so that they can do what they do best: pump out new titles. Two months of production and *BAM* onto the next title. Rinse and repeat. I think Stern doesn't want to go back and forth anymore, just forward. It's a good plan: it doesn't let anyone catchup and keeps everyone guessing when the next hammer will drop. No one will be able to get momentum since the next Stern is always right around the corner.
Quoted from mpdpvdpin:There is still a chip shortage.
Lead times on chips are 3months and lower now. It was 12 months or more last year.
It's only a longer procurement period now, not a "there aren't any" situation like before.
Quoted from crujones4life:[quoted image]
Sorry Cru, not going to happen.....
Because:
Biff wins (resized).jpgWell, to be fair.... there SHOULD be a BTTF thread..... but it would mean this thread losing 75% of it's daily posts. 
Sometimes you are waiting for the news to be released, you see 20+ new posts in the thread... get excited!!! Maybe this is it!!!... you click on it.... and it's a bunch of BTTF pictures and memes.
An hour later the whole process repeats.
Biff may as well be laughing each time it happens.
What will happen to this thread if the next reveal is at Expo? Imagine the meltdowns, hysterics, rumors and hallucinations by then....
Quoted from Mudflaps:We saw Jaws in IMAX last night. Still a great movie after 47 years. The head scene still gets everyone… it’s fun to imagine seeing it in theaters in 1975.
And even more fun in my gameroom! C’mon Stern![quoted image]
I watched it last night in XD (Cheap version of IMAX) & 3D...... wife had never seen it before.
Lots of fun, they did such an amazing job of making the movie 3D.
The whole time I was thinking to myself: would this be a good pinball? 
I don't know how you make a slower paced movie into a pin, but if anyone can do it..... Stern can.
Quoted from John_I:Pretty sure they skipped over Venom. Maybe they are re-doing the Venom sound track with Ozzie music?
Venom is just sitting in the que, finished...... at least we know what will be next. That takes us thru the end of the year or early into next year.
What's after Venom is the real question.
Very curious what Stern prices this at.
Won't have to wait long.
I will guess (like others) that they are hiking by $1000 across the board.
Good question is: where is the ceiling where players push back? I don't think it's at $1000 more...... it's that boiling frog effect: they'll do it $1000 at a time until they get to whatever it is they really want (15K? or more than that?). In a rough economy prices aren't coming down, they'll just build less of them.
Quoted from Dantesmark:Anyone bought a machine off Sterns site?
Is it a couple thousand deposit or pay in full?
It's pay in full. I think they ship immediately when you buy direct from Stern.
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:or they are maybe just gonna take one more and last shot and milk this cow dry before the relentless and unavoidable recession that is coming. A quick $500 increase per trim, makes them a few millions, investors happy. With the .75 increase in borrowing costs and possibly more to come... it is just a matter of time now. no?
100%
Hit the nail on the head.
Quoted from PinMonk:Completely.
Stern is nowhere near "eeking" out a profit these days. Since the investment company took over around the 2008 crash, Stern has been sharply managed, profit-focused, often to a fault. Electronics, cabinets, hardware, plastic parts, playfields all of it has been cost-reduced, sometimes multiple times, sometimes too far (cabinet corner braces come to mind) where they've had to back off and restore the cost reduced item, occasionally in a lesser form.
Stern's making plenty of profit, but the drive is to make more. So excusing ongoing long-running parts problems because they're great to deal with on warranty claims or because golly, they're having a hard time (like everyone else) with supply lines doesn't really wash when they're being paid very handsomely for those machines.
PinMonk is 100% right.
With increased prices and enhanced production there should be a corresponding increase in quality, not a decrease.
Incredible looking machine.
Godzilla who?
Ob-Wan: "I felt a great disturbance in the force.... as if thousands of GZ deposits cried out in horror and were suddenly returned".
I like the art too..... and I HATED 2010ish era Stern art due to the print quality.
Bond looks blocky and square instead of rounded and organic.... and I like that. Very retro.
I like the colors from what I can tell too.
As long as the PF isn't that freaking ugly cheap pixilated crap. I hate it when they do that. It has to be smooth and without dithering artifacts. You should not see the dots making up the picture.
Well, the excitement for Bond is over.
Cool looking game, just a little before my time (personally). Ready for the next Stern.
There's going to be a music pin either next time or the time after..... so by mid 2023.
What are you hoping for?
Since we can assume it will be a rock pin..... My vote is:
Great+White+-+Once+Bitten (resized).jpgQuoted from mpdpvdpin:This band once set off an unapproved pyrotechnics display in a small club here in RI that resulted in the deaths of 100 people and 230 injuries. There are horrifying videos of people screaming while burning alive inside the club. So…I’m definitely not buying that one for location haha. Oh Also, they suck.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Station_nightclub_fire
Wrong..... that wasn't Great White.
The band that night was "Jack Russell's Great White". Great White was broken up before this, and it will never reform to the 80's roster. It's like the Beach Boys still being on tour without any of the Wilson brothers. Is that the Beach Boys? Nope.
Once Gene Simmons sells KISS, and the replacements burn down a stadium with ten thousand inside...... then Gene and Paul will be villains' right? 
The nightclub was a really stupid tragedy born by unthinking people. Bad venue owner, bad pretender band. Both have nothing to do with the heyday of the 80's glam rock group.
Quoted from Grantman:Why would you think Kapow is affiliated with either Bond game if it wasn't mentioned anywhere?
Yeah, I don't think Kapow is involved at all.
Stern doesn't want to share all that delicious cash with anyone!!! No more studio titles going forward, Stern is 100% all for themselves now.
The really strange thing to think about is...... in the mirror universe, both Christopher Loyd and Michael J Fox want a Cru pinball machine as their dream theme!!!
Quoted from crujones4life:Awww yeahhhh! Y'all ready?! I'd love a Borg BTTF!
And if it's a single level Beatles reskin "Hey Butthead" edition for $20K?
Biff wins (resized).jpgQuoted from crujones4life:[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Sorry Cru..... you must not know that after his acting career was over, Christopher Lloyd got into the fortune cookie fortune writing business.
"The Future Holds Something Special For You"
"Your Lucky Numbers are 11 05 19 55"
"You should avoid your mom"
"Don't leave your girlfriend on the porch"
"Only a slacker opens a fortune cookie like that"
"Data East still owns the rights"
"Your real dad's name is Biff..... sorry"
Quoted from crujones4life:BTTF is always the next pin until it's not and will continue to be the next pin until it is![quoted image]
Stern used up all their license money on Bond, there's none left for BTTF......
It's time for an original theme that everyone will love......
EGG DROP SOUP: The Pinball Experience
No one is expecting this game 
MSG Multi-Ball
Elwin's next masterpiece
egg-drop-soup (resized).jpgQuoted from JakePG:Does stern have kids? Wonder if he's trying to pump up the numbers to be more attractive for a potential sale of company.
He already sold the company.
Gary isn't in charge anymore, he's a spokesperson with a minority stake.
They're moving him towards the door already, that's why that Disney guy was hired.
Quoted from PinMonk:Do we know he sold the whole thing? I thought he just sold a large stake in it (likely a controlling interest) back when they almost went under in 2008.
Well, if you sell the majority share of the company: you've sold the company.
51%+ is all that matters.
I'm sure they try and make Gary happy to some extent, but all the big decisions aren't his anymore.
Sorta like Jack..... it's not his company anymore either. He's along for the ride, but he ain't calling the shots.
At this point, they both have financial pros building up the companies for a sale someday. I'm sure they're both happy seeing their minority shares worth more today than they ever were when they owned it all. Happens all the time with small business when a founder gets bought out. Dollar signs and greed take over.
What will be really interesting is the day pinheads wake up and the headline news is "Stern sold to xxxxxx". Then as bad as it is now, it'll get so much worse. Whomever buys it will have to recoup the purchase price of the transaction, and once again players get boned. Cheaper games, higher prices.
I hope we can get someone to be a credible competition to Stern and JJP at some point. There's no checks and balances in this market.
Stern could have been the McDonald's of pinball and instead they want to be "a lifestyle brand".
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:My Uncle in Law just "retired" from working at Wendy's for over 30 years. He was hit on his bike by a car (wear your helmet) and had to basically relearn everything at 8 years old. He's "Special" and could not do other work. But you know what, he could work the fryer at Wendy's. He worked and earned a solid wage for 30 years. $15 an hour was more than fair for him in the end. Married one of his co-workers with similar abilities and was perfectly happy. I'm glad there was entry level work for him.
That's beautiful
Quoted from Rizmo:They really need to retire a bunch of games and that will help. I know that TMNT, Guardians, and LZ are on last call. They also should add Iron Maiden, Deadpool and SW to that mix. Then I think there would be enough room for them to get caught up.
Yes. 100%..... start nuking games, clear that catalog!!!
Still.... This is Stern we're talking about..... they enjoy amassing orders for premiums and then only offering Pros (sometimes not even that much) before flipping off the customers and canceling the game entirely. I wonder how long people have been waiting for their DP's & IM's? Another incoming case of STH/Munsters? Ask GOTG.....LOL!!!
Will they ever cancel SW?
Quoted from crujones4life:Y'all still use cash?[quoted image]
Stern figured out how to sell all the 60th Bonds..... you have to buy one in order to get on the list for BTTF SLE 
"Agent Cru....... double 0-BTTF"
Quoted from OutlawTorn304:Just talked to a guy in my local league that has heard from rumor mill that the January game is going to be themed from the Netflix series Wednesday. Would definitely be a hot seller I think, the show is shaping up to surpass Stranger Things in popularity
Meh...... haven't seen an episode, and no plans to.
Another easy pass from the brain trust at Stern.
Quoted from PinMonk:JJP *had* Muppets license, but no idea if they still do.
Well, at least they didn't let Pat Lawlor butcher it......
Muppet cake toppers..... everywhere!!!
Quoted from Ecw0930:Hasbro = GI JOE
Or maybe He-Man.
But more likely (not really) and much better (definitely) would be GI JOE.
So GI JOE it is!
Transformers G1......
Although a Transformers The Movie with a big Unicron planet toy eating pinballs would be INCREDIBLE (would put the T-Rex to shame)..... and of course Stan Bush music (everybody loves "The Touch" but I think "Dare" has a better chorus).
Quoted from Daditude:Dozens of movies (including current ones and future projects that are still in the works), Billions of dollars of box office revenue, being a household name, and being considered (and voted) as one of the funniest people on earth would all be contradictions to your ideology.
I can appreciate that your opinion differs, but to say you are not in the minority is just silly.
Will had a very funny early career....... his initial SNL years were great, Mugatu in Zoolander 1 was amazing, Night at the Roxberry is still one of my favorite movies..... but since then? Nah. Not funny. I haven't seen Elf, I know a lot of people love that one. I just gave up on Will. Too much cringe for too many years. Just like Eddy Murphy was awesome and then couldn't be trusted to be funny anymore. After Nutty Professor 1, he just didn't have the touch anymore.
Maybe it's not their fault? Comedy in general has gone down the toilet the last 20 years. Comedians have admitted it themselves. All this nonsense about not offending anyone instead of being ruthlessly honest. At least Dave Chappell finally came out of hiding and isn't holding back.
I really wonder how Richard Pryor would have handled the 2000's..... or if they'd have run him out of town.
Let's just get this Bond stuff out of the way........ it's been here since Sept.
Five months of Bond...... com'on Stern we're so tired of this theme already. Give us something new.
Quoted from demandecan55:She wants BTTF like so many others.
Here's a question......
How many BTTF LE's would they need to build to meet demand? I wonder if they'd ever do the Spooky way and allow an open build on their most expensive model. Demand is going to be off the hook...... I hear Cru is on every list that exists and could tie up the 1st 1000 units all on his own. 
What I don't understand is: Pinball companies are so needle-stuck on a theme. If the terms or assets aren't favorable to you.... move on!
JJP saying Disney told them TS4 or nothing.... beyond not believing that for a moment..... if they didn't want to give the needed theme or assets..... walk. There's plenty of other fish in the sea.
Same thing with Stern's LZ. Richie was sore that there was no Stairway..... well if they don't want to provide what you want..... walk away. Screw them. You're doing the licensor a favor giving them money and promoting their brand.
The Bond license holder was a pain in the azz.... so flip him the bird and get another theme. Flip him two birds for good measure and wait for him to croak off.
It's really dumb to try and push a rock uphill. Get a license holder that is happy to work with you...... <cough> Cassandra Peterson...<cough>
Quoted from Elephanthead:Since Godzilla sold like crazy, who is his twin? King Kong.
Oh that would be so great..... but 1976 King Kong, not this modern garbage CGI Kong.
Quoted from crujones4life:[quoted image]
Cru is going to cry when Disney buys the rights to BTTF......
The remake will star Brie Larson as Marty and Lil Jon as Doc.
"Ohhhhh-Kayy!!!!"
back_to_the_future4 (resized).jpgQuoted from J85M:Gomez said Dwight/Eddy in March and they’ve been rumoured to be on Venom for a long time, conic based thankfully and not the terrible movies. If it was the movies I would have less than zero interest.
It has to be based on the comics: The movie would cost more, and you know what Stern thinks about costs.
I'll take Chance over Harley Quinn any day of the week......
A cartoon vs a flesh and blood hottie psychopath. No contest.
Quoted from gamera9:Most people in their 50s are not boomers. They are now Xers. The baby boom stopped after 1964. We have money and we are tired of being lumped in boomers.
Yeah, boomers are in their 60's and 70's.
X'ers are in their 40's and 50's. The oldest Millennials just crossed 40 two years ago.
Quoted from Ballderdash:I’ll throw some more out as long as you stop downvoting me.
-
Saved By the Bell, Double Dare, Home Alone, The Real Ghostbusters, Home Improvement, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Wayne’s World, Nerf, Friends, American Pie, Matrix, Ferris Bueller’s Day off (80’s).
We haven't gotten the 80's yet in pinball.
The 90's will be great too, but let's not skip the greatest decade for music and pop culture.
Quoted from JakeFAttie:Not to be rude, but you can say it all you like; do you have any actual evidence or proof that Stern does market research beyond pinside and pinball gatherings?
Do you really think market research led them to decide Rush was the most desired musical themed pin they could produce? Or Sean Connery Bond for that matter? I suspect Grantman may be closer to the truth. A cheap license popular with the over 60 crowd seems the safe bet, no market research necessary.
I think it comes down to Stern's annual license budget.
They shift between cheap and expensive to try and balance costs. The expensive ones also don't get all the assets normally. Balance.
'19
Munsters = Cheap
BKSOR = Cheap
JP = Expensive, but cheaper than JW (and without assets)
EHOH = Cheap
STH = Expensive
'20
TMNT = Cheap
AIQ = Cheap
LZ = Expensive (Music Rights)
'21
Mando = Expensive
GZ = Cheap
'22
Rush = Cheapish (Music Rights)
JB = Expensive
Where does Stern get a lot of their ideas for a theme? At licensing shows. They find what's cheap, probably appeals to a good portion of players (or at least enough), and go with that. Never know what's going to be a hit and what's going to be a miss...... just grab whatever is convenient. Whenever they start out with an assumed instant blockbuster it's always a flop.
Essentially they buy themes on sale most of the time.
Quoted from Grantman:Why do you think that happens?
I'm not sure there are enough examples to make this conclusion. Are you thinking Avatar? IJ4? What else?
Happens almost every time.
Failed Blockbusters (I.E. Expensive Licenses that don't sell as well as "cheap" licenses and typically no interest after release)
Terminator 3
Austin Powers
Elvis
Sopranos
Shrek
POTC
IJ
Batman (2008)
Avatar
Transformers
GOT
STH
Beatles
LZ
Mando
JB (yeah it's early, but you can already tell.... no lasting wide interest in this game or it's variant)
*Note the license would be expensive at the time of production, not necessarily now*
Maybe I shouldn't have said always..... there are a few outliers with really expensive licenses...
Intended blockbusters with expensive licenses that succeeded right out of the gate:
Kiss
Metallica
JP
SW
Stern has a 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 batting average with expensive licenses (IMO).
If we're going to get a Richard Dean Anderson pin...... let it be Stargate SG-1
Stern already has the ring mech they could use for the gate.
SGI-Front (resized).jpgQuoted 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
That's the cornerstone of the Universal parks...... but they do lease the Marvel comic properties from Disney with the preexisting license. Maybe the same arrangement all over again?
Since I'd like to see Disney fail and go belly up, I'm all for it. Pay that 30 billion!!! Universal still has the exclusive theme park license, and the HP franchise is 20 years old anyway. The original actors are dropping like flies, no more movies are coming even if they wanted to. Last time I was at Universal Orlando, it was full of middle age people dressed as Hogwarts students. 15 years left in that world tops, and it's already on the decline. Epic Universe has another HP land being built now (too old Universal, it's getting too old).
Magical Beasts shows that no one cares if it doesn't have Harry, Hermine and Ron. They are the new Luke, Leia and Han. Disney just wants to bury them too.
Quoted from bigguybbr:Still excited to see it. Michael Keaton was an amazing Batman
Totally. It's so good to see the real Batman back.
So much better than Kilmer, Clooney, Bale, Affleck and Pattinson.
Wow, this is like debating which Bond is best. Maybe in 10 years we'll have have a Stern Batman Anniversary pinball to whine about.
Quoted from Roostking:Bale IS Batman.
batman (resized).pngOnly makes sense if they turn it into Stranger Things 2.0 with the other 3 seasons in it.
Too expensive a license to just sell 500-1000 more units....... oh wait, this is Stern..... maybe 13K a premium will be the price by then.
Stern is being smart....... trying to take away some attention from the next JJP and Gal Tank Force.
They getting in front of them all, dividing excitement.
Quoted from Aurich:Or, it just wasn't that great of a game. No offense to people who like it, but the Pro was the definition of decontented fan layout, and the Premium's upper playfield existed because "Black Knight is supposed to have one". It's just not that interesting of a physical game, and that matters as much as the theme.
If it had Godzilla's layout people would be talking about it differently.
It's a fun game (prem - I haven't played a pro).
The wife likes it as her favorite on location..... the taunting call outs make her laugh.
Easy and simple is a good thing: just shoot the bad guy. Wife doesn't know what's happening, but if there's movement, surprises and flashy lights - she's happy. It's fun watching someone who doesn't know what they're doing discover why pinball is great. Fan layouts are great for that.
For us, Steve nailed it. For someone really experienced, yeah I could see that it's thin for them.
Absolutely on my list for a purchase someday. Great music too.
Well, this confirms (IMO) that the next Iron Maiden is the last run.
Stern isn't going to start 2024 with three music pins in the active catalog..... would they?
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:Let the trolling commence.
[quoted image]
Drac-Attack!!!
I hope it has somewhere to hide like drac does..... I don't like characters on a rail being exposed all the time. That's why Dialed In and Rolling Stones are so.... meh.
Fine to block shots... but block some shots and GO AWAY. Monster Bash had it right. All the benefits, none of the drawbacks.
Quoted from Prince66cali:How many posts on here have been asking for BTTF, Jaws, Van Halen, MOTU, 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.
Quoted from crujones4life:All 1000 LEs sold out in minutes...hmmmmm
They just getting ready to sell the company, that's all.
Gotta pump it up so investors will jump at the IPO.
Quoted from Prince66cali:That would be an interesting shift. Do you think stern would go public?
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.
Quoted from jeffspinballpalace: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?
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.
Quoted from PinMonk:Businesswire basically just reprints company press releases. It's not like a real article.
They wouldn't be doing press releases touting sales for no reason.... especially ones talking about how they're selling out in record time, in record numbers.
It's all about building a narrative and establishing a history for investor due diligence.
They're showing that they can print money on demand (which they can)...... and are a safe investment: one deserving of a high stock price.
Very smart.
Quoted from PinMonk:"Past performance is not indicative of future results."
Especially not recent past. Stern has a bunch of rundown to the dirt moments in their past. This could just be another peak, followed by a "to the dirt" episode. It seems WAY too early for them to be considering an IPO.
I don't know.... how many years of success are needed to establish it as "safe"?
They could easily say that following the 2009 investment from Hagerty that they have been profitable and successful. They can also say that the boom currently underway could last for a generation (I'd certainly sell it that way if I were them).
In the end, all they have to do is have a good story and something "proven" & "unique", and investors aren't the brightest bulbs in the bathroom anyway. Promise growth and plenty will bite.
Stern is probably better for an IPO than 90% of the IPO's now. Established brand, very positive sales, industry leader, big growth, luxury segment, 1st and only in a market segment to be listed (if they do). These are all things investors love.
That being said, you're absolutely right. Another "to the dirt" time will come knocking at some point, and if I was Gary..... well, would you want to go thru that all over again, right as you want to retire? I wouldn't. Sell this trash to some morons, and if I really missed it: buy it back for pennies after it's been ran into the ground. He's already shown he's happy to do that (DE & Sega).
I don't know man, sure seems to me that's where they are moving. I think JJP also wanted to do this, but they weren't ready AT ALL. Stern is though.
Quoted from Aurich:"I'm not wrong but we can move on" is my new favorite response to being confronted with inconvenient facts.
HA!! I like it.
Quoted from acedanger:I heard it's Madonna; I'm down for "like a virgin" multi ball
[quoted image]
Ewww..... the really scary thing is what that will look like in another 10 years..... or 20..... or next week.
Formerly super beautiful, now give that dog a bone.
Quoted from beltking:Heard $14k le on Elwin’s only bc of demand. Hope not.
They need to go full JJP and $15K that next Elwin.
The real problem is Stern being so lazy and only doing two games a year. They need to get back to four and then people will start getting the themes they want.
Fewer games with much higher prices...... that's the Disney-Boy way.
Quoted from crujones4life:Fake news.
I heard BTTF is #64 in their current game release que, right after Goonies and Gi Joe...... at two games a year it'll a Nov 5th 2055 release.
Only 32 years to go Cru...... at least we're young enough to be around then!!
Keep the faith!! 
What if BTTF is code for:
teen-wolf-01 (resized).jpgQuoted from RonSS:What could Venom be code for?
If this truly is such a tough title, as suggested, then perhaps the name is a place holder for . . . . _______
SNAKES ON A PLANE!!!
Nope.... it's code for.......
DISNEY-BOY PRICE INCREASE!!!!
Premiums $10.5K!!!!!
It is the Venom to the cash in your wallet!!! Wallet withers, gets weak, and dies!!!
Quoted from sandro:Whenever there’s talk of re-issuing a licensed theme, I look for the tie$in that justifies the expense. I know there is a new Tron movie, but it’s scheduled for 2025, so that seems like it’s too far away. GB Afterlife has a sequel scheduled for December, so that’s a relevant theme with good timing for a pin release. Any other vault tie$ins to upcoming media releases?
GB is done as a franchise.
We only care about the originals, and the actors are fossils now. Everyone said goodbye with the nostalgic last movie.... that was it. Next movie will bomb like that horrid female GB movie did. There is no next generation in GB-world.
They should have made more movies 30 years ago.
Tron? Modern Disney can't make a good movie to save their life. Write that one off too.
Best vault/remaster at this point would be Stranger Things 2.0 and put all four seasons in it. Everyone wants that machine now (premium) while Stern choose to be stupid and push pros on us that last year of production. 
If they had just renewed the license when they had it - they'd have sold a ton of them the last three years. Certainly more than Mando, LZ or Rush.
Quoted from TreyBo69:I'm expecting a massive price increase based off the junk in the Stern store lol
[quoted image]
That's what you call a LIFESTYLE BRAND!!! 
Quoted from frankmac:No price increase!
All they have to do is EHOH everyone..... take the deposits...... say it's backordered due to the "factory", and right before shipping: increase the price multiple times.
Pricing problem solved!!!
Sock it to 'em Disney-Boy!!! They'll pay anything and you know it!!!
Quoted from Thunderbird:Every friend (and there are many), were LE buyers. All without exception have stopped further LE purchases. Keep hearing “sold out” only to find out every LE including Bond and FF are still available.
I succumbed to Bond and FF, but now out too. No other titles other than BTTF will bring me back in to NIB, when I know I will be able to get anyone of these LEs on the 2nd hand market and save as much as $3000.00. Every 3 LEs at that price savings gives almost an extra one free on the used market. Seth Davis and his baseball card trading imp are at the helm of this and it will blow up in their faces, just as it did for this same type moronic thinking SD had at Disney too.
Venom = SOLD OUT!!!! 
No really.......
Quoted from Thunderbird:No really Venom is not sold out. They spin that lie/yarn every time and yet, we can still easily purchase the last 2 overpriced STERN LEs NIB even though the Stern Army hype train claimed SOLD OUT!
It's SOLD OUT!!!
Just ask Disney-Boy
Seriously though..... I asked my distro about getting an LE in the future and if I could get on the list (MOTU) and he said every LE he gets is already sold. Doesn't matter what title it is, the price, release date..... doesn't matter. He has a list where he wacks their card automatically. He said I could get on the list to wait to be on the LE list if a spot becomes available, but there would be four people ahead of me AND I'd have to agree to buy every LE no matter what (no pick and choose). Something is announced: card gets wacked the same day for the deposit..... decline a game, you get kicked off the list.
SOLD OUT!!! 
Quoted from Gubbin:I can't afford one but who still has Foo LEs at msrp ?
This is a great question..... because there should be LE's listed in the pinside marketplace (NIB) from distros, and you never see that.
2nd hand NIB, sure.... but from dealers/distros? Nope.
I wonder how many (if they don't sell them all instantly) hold some back to charge more later (I think a lot do this). Instant and easy margin increase.
Wait for it to be accepted as SOLD OUT!!! And then offer this "limited and rare" machine for a couple grand more.
I've had plenty of emails from distros doing this exact thing over the last couple years..... especially with toppers. 
If a dealer today said "I've got a GZ LE NIB..... 15K!!!", it wouldn't last the hour.
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:Well, Stern announced there would only be 2 Cornerstones this year, same as last year. I give it very good odds either a home edition Godzilla, or a VE pin of some sort comes out in November instead of a Cornerstone pin. I don't see Stern releasing no more new pins before Christmas. If I HAD to put money on a VE pin it would be on a non-LCD pin, but we shall see.
6+ Months is a loooonnnngggggg time to go before another release..... the "super factory" needs something to do if it's really going to make a thousand units a week.
Three cornerstones this year...... just think about it..... Stern lies. "Exclusive topper!!! Exclusive shooter!!!!"..... it's all nonsense.
Whatever to make a buck.
Nov is coming.
Com'on Elvira 4!!!!
Quoted from Vespula:I hope you guys are right. I'd love to see this bubble burst. I'll do my part. Will you?
HAHAHAHAHAHA.... Each time a new game is coming, the pinheads say "I'm not buying - we're taking a stand!!!", then once the game pictures/video are released: the same people race to grab one ("I was going to say no - but they got me again" ).
It happened with Foo..... it happened with GF.... both times people said they were dumb themes and then couldn't help but gobble the LE's/CE's up within a day.
Venom is a better theme than those two (not a great theme, but a better one).
Really, the themes are only going to get a whole lot stronger from here on out. The pinball companies are going to step up themes because of the threat that outrageous prices can slow down their sales. They are not going to make better games, nor increase the BOM.... just have titles pinheads can't say no to (and open the door to even MORE price increases).
(Stern)
MOTU
BTTF
JAWS
Whatever VE (Tron, STH, Whatever)
(JJP)
Harry Potter
(Spooky)
Princess Bride
(Somebody)
Big Bang Bar
(AP)
Whitewater 2
The good news is the glut of these "must have" titles will put pressure on the overall second hand market. Sure, some people can spend whatever all these titles add up to (well over 100K), but many people will have to sell games to have the cash and room for the new ones.
I'd love to know the ratio of how many new games are "absorbed" into collections vs replacing already owned machines - but there's no way to know this.
For sure the increased production across the board will put some pressure on the second hard market: you can't inject twenty to sixty thousand machines a year into the market indefinitely without making a splash (especially if it's true Stern's new factory will pump out a thousand a week).
My bet is the NIB market is stronger than ever the next two years, and the second hard market absorbs whatever downward pressure is created (how big - I don't know).
Quoted from iceman44:Those Distros will be the 1st bag holders. Some will fail as they are “financing” these purchases and overhead now at MUCH higher interest rates.
And that has added to the artificial demand.
The smart Distros have a storage facility with no debt.
As the Inventory piles up NIB we will see how that plays out.
They still need buyers. Will take a bit to flush out
Some titles are future sellouts but why buy NIB? $13k for an LE hoping it goes to $15k for a quick flip?
As the saying goes, “the juice ain’t worth the squeeze anymore”
Totally..... that'll be the canary in the coal mine: Distros start going out of business. Whenever that is, the avalanche will have started and no one will be able to stop it (someday - not today).
Quoted from beltking:Yeah Indy is correct but he man is so yesterday. I grew up on that and the toys but I don’t see it. Too many better themes in the works.
It makes sense though...... of the "Big Three" of the early 80's (MOTU, Gi-Joe, Transformers G1), He-Man is the cheapest to license by far.
Alright that's out of the way.......
Time for the next Stern game!!!!
Com'on Stern, hurry up already. Sheesh.
Quoted from darkryder:You like Jaws? Hard pass on Venom and Jaws for me. Will be fun to throw some dollars at them on location, though
Nope, passing on Jaws too...... need these out of the way for a theme I'd like.
Bring on the 80's and 90's themes!!!! (please, hurry up Stern.... we ain't getting any younger)
Quoted from Pinstein:After watching the Netflix series I want an American Gladiators pin.
[quoted image]
I own Zap's screen used "hero" outfit...... this one:
Huge crash on her when I was a little boy.
s-l1600 (resized).jpgI'm more curious what the next Elwin will be after Jaws......
I wonder if he picks his themes or if they are assigned?
Quoted from crujones4life:[quoted image]
Nah..... he's not gonna do BTTF: It's going to sell out no matter what...... they'll throw him on something else, so they get two games sold out instantly.
So what effect is the new factory going to have on the industry?
If they are going to pump out 1000 units a week (right?) then won't they have to return to the 4+ titles a year like in 2019?
Double the production, you need double the new releases. Half the existing catalog is ready for retirement, it's not like you need thousands of those anymore.
What are they going to build?
Unless we're going to get 2 re-release/vaults a year from now on?
The amount of capacity would allow very short run (cheap) licenses instead of expensive long term renewals.
I think we'll see spike 3 add native Color-DMD/SAM emulation - then we could see the whole back catalog open up with zero main development (only needing an insider connected wrapper to be added on top). Fast, cheap, and super profitable.
Of course this will kill off most of the other makers very quickly.
Quoted from Vino:Largest gift shop with Margarita bar?
[quoted image]
What's it going to be called? The Lifestyle Brand Store????
Quoted from ChuckRock:Is BTTF even that requested/hyped or is it like the same small group of people spamming memes and bringing it up over and over again on this thread?
I can't say I notice usernames when scrolling through so maybe it's only like two people. From this thread, you'd think the only pinball machine pinside wants to see from Stern is BTTF with Jaws a distant second. Every other theme sucks.
"Is it the most requested theme?". No it isn't......
Yes it is a great theme, and holds tons of nostalgia.... but you don't see people fighting to get a Data East BTTF do you? Nope. Theme alone doesn't do it.
Stern's version would be much better, but it is the greatest, most requested, ultimate theme of all time? Not a chance. (Sorry Cru)
On the other hand..... Jaws vs. BTTF: BTTF kills Jaw all day long. Why Stern would go with an ancient theme like Jaws (or Bond) over BTTF is really, really stupid on their part (IMO).
The sad truth is whatever creep is in charge of licensing decisions at Stern thus far has gone out of their way to not do 80's themes. This person needs to retire and take the 60's & 70's with them.
Quoted from iceman44:I'd point out that BOND is still a relevant theme today. Seeing as though we get a new Bond movie every few years for the past 50 years. Seems obvious. A great theme.
And one of the best games ever now!
THEME is #1. I don't get JAWS either, loved the movie but not a theme i care about seeing in pinball.
Maybe Bond is a good theme - if it is modern..... Connery Bond? Lots of us weren't born when the last of his movies came out....... same with Jaws. 
It's like releasing a "Six Million Dollar Man" pin....... who'd want that? Who even remembers that? (not me - not born - but not by much 
)
Seems to me pinball is heavily skewing older and older to 60+ and younger and younger for comic peeps (38 minus) at the expense of the middle.
Where's the stuff optimized for 42-55 year olds? That should be the permanent prime buying age for pins no matter what year it is (spending demographics).
Normally you get a generation to their 40's and then there's a nostalgic spending boom - there is one underway now (Gen-X), but we don't see that in pinball.
The first millennial's are hitting 40's now.... seems like it was boomer themes forever (too long) and now they'll move right into millennial stuff and miss us X'ers entirely (not like we're not used to it 
)
Am I right?
Quoted from Br81zad:If BTTF isn't "the most requested", then what is?
The rest of your post, I 100% agree with.
I honesty don't know.....
Maybe the right question isn't what is most requested - maybe it's what would have the most (and largest) "POP" (to coin a wrestling term).
I think there is a whole stable of titles which would equally sell the extreme potential of units.
Let's say the maximum potential is 10,000 units (or whatever)..... are there other titles besides BTTF which would sell that many? Sure there are.
By that standard, there are many "equals" to BTTF and they all peter out at the end of the maximum potential sales/production limitation.
The common denominator being it would be an 80's favorite. Top Gun, Goonies, Muppets, Michael Jackson, TFG1, the list goes on and on.... all selling equal to BTTF because the demand for a generational defining theme would carry it.
Just my opinion.
Quoted from Nicholastree:I'm gen X. Got no problem with a Connery James Bond theme. I saw Jaws on VHS a few years after release. Great movie. Could make a good theme for a pin if done well.
Where's the stuff optimized for 42-55 year olds? You don't think Star Wars, Mandalorian, Star Trek, AIQ, Jurassic Park, Deadpool, Spiderman, Venom, Foo Fighters, etc. etc. etc. are good fits for Gen X? I respectfully disagree.
It's a great topic...... I'm going to show you:
X'ers are from 1966-80 (with 1974-80 subgroup being called "last wave")..... Boomers are from 45-65..... Mill's are 81-99.
For a theme to "belong" to a group - the group should be young and claim it as their own (I.E. in the single digits to teens - thus it defines their growing up. Adult themes are "claimed" by adults at the time, such as 20's so that it defines prime adulthood). There is some overlap between generations: young and older claiming something for different reasons.
Also important is to understand who popped out these groups of people....
The Greatest Gen popped out out the Boomers
The Silent Gen birthed the X'ers
The Mill's were made by the Boomers.
The X'ers popped out the Zoomers (Zoomers really? Gen Z sounds better).
Now your list.....
Star Wars (1977) - Boomer theme. Loved by younger people at the time of course, but never before were boomers so attached to a theme. Boomers (adults) & Gen-X (kids)
Mando (2019) - This is a Millennial theme. Millennial (adults) & Gen-Z (kids)
Trek (which one? 2009 JJverse?) Millennial theme thru and thru. (it isn't even real Trek)
AIQ (1992 comic) Gen-X (maybe some straggler boomers)
JP (1993) Boomers (adults) & Gen-X (kids/late teens)
DP (2016) Millennial
Spiderman (all ages)
Venom (1993) Gen-X but this is debatable..... he intro'ed in 93 but wasn't a main until the 2000's? Maybe a Millennial.
Foo (1994) Gen-X absolutely
Now..... look at the list.... see something missing? Ah yes.... it's the 80's!!!!!
Most of the X'er's existence is in the 80's as kids and teens!!! Where's the pins!!!!!
Quoted from Grantman:Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, and Transformers have been done. 2/3 of the Star Wars trilogy was during the 80s but more 80s themes are definitely needed.
I would say that Michael Bay's TF is NOT Transformers, certainly not 80's Transformers.
You're right about GB and IJ ...... I think of all the limited 80's selections for (modern) pins: GB is easily the best one..... and look at the prices!!!! I wonder why? People want the 80's.
It sure would be nice if SW was not lumped into a trilogy pin and instead had ANH, Empire, and Return as discreet pins. It would sell like hotcakes too.
Same with ST.... we should have a Wrath of Khan pin.
I knew weirdo Will was the source of evil....... look at that haircut, nothing good can come from that.
Change the side, change the backglass...... *POOF* you can make unlimited LE's.
Disney-Boy strikes again!!!
The other thing I don't understand is:
Why would a 30th JP, or a 60th JB, or a 40th EHOH be attractive?
In a few years the anniversary aspect is a huge detriment.
Just like JJP WoZ 75th..... who cares? What anniversary is that movie on now? 84?
You don't see people wearing Disneyland 50th shirts from 2005..... it would only show what a fossil you are.
Quoted from superNoid:Not only that, but Jaw's 50th anniversary is in 2025. There will not be a Jaws pin coming in 2024, if it's coming it would be 2025 or bust.
Nah, you need to think like Disney-Boy........ Jaws in 2024...... and then in 2025 you roll out the anniversary edition and close production.
You open with an "LE", and you close with an "LE". That's the new business model. If you miss the opening round, they catch you on the closing round (or maybe twice).
2000 machines a week to move with the new factory, Stern needs to Hussle. Incredible that they'll be able to construct all these JP 30th's in one day.
Quoted from Quiksilva86:I think they’ll end up needing to be very transparent with future LEs or maybe they start making more SLEs.. as a NEW hobbyist, I’m definitely feeling like I don’t need to scoop up old LEs anymore.
Yup, and that's where we're going (IMO).
"LE" is the new premium. Premium is the new Pro. Pro is..... I'm not sure. They aren't in a hurry to make Venom Pro's are they?..... maybe pro's are the new home version and something still cheap enough for location buyers?
SLE's are the actual LE's now.
I think EHOH showed the way: Premium was baseline. LE was sorta LE but not really (limited in number but not the most desirable) . Signature was the real LE. And 40th was correcting the mistake of not creating enough real LE's...... but they were lazy and overshot on price to compensate for not wanting to work (they really should have done 500 at $14K MSRP).
It is sea-change for Stern: From refusing to build machines people had on order (Munsters, STH Premium, Early EHOH) to now producing so many machines with so few new themes people don't want them (JB, JB60, V)..... 2019 was the high point for Stern: Five titles!!!
They have to get back to 4+ titles a year (I think they need six titles a year). Two themes a year just isn't going to cut it, not at this production capacity and price level.
Quoted from taylebl:That's just the pricing strategy for boutique games(Elvira,BM66,beatles). Higher baseline price because all games get the full premium experience; they do not strip out the base model to make a pro. This has no application to cornerstone titles where they specifically take things out of the game to create the pro model.
I know it's a boutique...... but watch Stern: everything they do is a trial run for the next thing.
EHOH pricing led the way for increases all the way to Bond pricing - all you had to do was watch. EHOH topper ushered in the $1000 topper - now all toppers are $1000 (or more). Doesn't matter it wasn't a cornerstone, it was the control test with the deniability cover that it wasn't a cornerstone. Haven't seen a boutique since have you? Nope. It's been four years. A little overdue wouldn't you say?
Everything they do is a test to see what they can get away with. Watch while pro's fade away..... watch as LE's aren't valued like they were..... something is going to supplant these things, it's not going to happen in a vacuum. The smartest thing to do is build UP to higher prices and models.... and that's what they keep trying.
Now they'll test "wave 2" LE's with standard LE pricing after poor results with JB60, EHOH40, (and can we lump in Beatles Diamond?). They haven't figured out the highest end recipe yet...... yet. They will. Stern isn't going to let those crooks at JJP hold the crown of most expensive general pinball machine forever. No.... they want it ALL!!!!
Quoted from finnflash:What game do you suggest?
You're asking Cru what game should be next?
We all know he wants a remake of Street Fighter 2 (32nd anniversary edition of course)
Quoted from curban:Setting precedent by casting doubt on the “limited” part of the “LE”. Ouch. So much for that $15500 average asking price for LE’s in past year.
That's the best part: squash those creeps trying to rake people over the coals.
Next they need to crush the STH people, then the GZ people.
Quoted from curban:…yeah, I don’t personally have any Stern LEs, so I dont have skin in the game.
BUT…if you take the “limited” out of it, I’m not sure what people are paying the extra $3k for. The material differences are usually worth less than $500 more than the premium, arent they?
I doubt it's $500 worth......
Glass, shaker, and different decals.
Glass = $100 wholesale to Stern
Shaker = $40 wholesale to Stern (maybe less)
Decal = same cost (direct replacement) just expense of artist time.... $10 per unit over the whole run.
Maybe $150 in parts over a premium. That LE badge should be plated in 24k gold.
Quoted from Rarehero:Lol “to save Stern”
The way some people talk about Seth, I’m getting the sense that there’s some deep-seated jealousy in seeing someone outside of the pinball world coming in to run the company. Like “if this rando can run Stern, why can’t I?!?!”
No, I don't think that's it at all......
Why do you need someone from the outside when you should be building people up on the inside? Does anyone think Disney-boy can possibly do a better job than Gomez? Not a chance. Surely there's others of Gomez-caliber already in the industry.
Who's next after Disney-Boy? Some dude from Starbucks? Or maybe a Six Flags reject after they go bankrupt again. How about some fool from IKEA? He could help them build cabs faster and cheaper!!! (Some assembly required)
There's been two massive changes at Stern the last twenty years: That money guy Gary is partnered with, and Disney-Boy. Money guy brought all the years of cost cutting but it was offset with all the cash he brought. Disney-Boy brings what? The first game completely under his reign is Venom right? Big success Certainly "Bond pricing" and beyond were under his direction.
Quoted from Methos:Stern should find the leak and fire their ass. How hard can it be?
It may seem counterproductive, but leaks are good for sales.
People talking is free advertising, and builds anticipation for a release.
Leak something here, something there, something true, something not....... the more people are fixated on a title, the more likely it sells out in seconds.
Look at TS4...... it was initially gone in 60 seconds, and we know what people think of that game now.
Quoted from Methos:yeah - I get that.
I'm referring more to whomever is leaking it to K.
Well..... he knows them all, and it's not like everything is hunky-dory at Stern. There's infighting, jealousy, snubs, and everything else.
Look how pissed off Steve was at the end: he didn't give a crap.
It has to be hard knowing there's only one "star" over there now, and one person is going to be treated very differently than everyone else.
No one can breakout in that situation, and look how they treated Brian Eddy: delay his game for years, and then undercut it with a re-release from the "star" (not to mention the "last calls" for the "Star's" other games) immediately before and after launch. What a kneecap move!!!
Look how they treated Gomez: He makes Bond, and then they have the "Star" go over the top and make a higher price version to compete with it? What a slap in the face. When has this ever happened before?
This isn't to say the "Star" doesn't deserve his accolades: he does. Very talented person obviously. He came in with something to prove, and he did. As long as he has something to "say" and is "hungry" to be the best - he'll stay on top, and be awarded more resources than anyone else. Only natural this is going to create friction with others, we are only human.
I think we see more leaks as time goes on, not less. If it's not K who gets the scoops - it'll be Jason Knapp. Makes no difference who gets it, it'll happen.
Quoted from crujones4life:Not what I've seen and heard about SLE trims brother...
No Cru, that's not what happened......
You see Stern DID stock plenty of parts for SLE's..... but then Biff traveled thru time and STOLE THEM!!!!
We were lucky: it almost created a time paradox between when pinball machine prices were semi-reasonable and now..... nearly destroying the universe!!!!
bttf (resized).jpgQuoted from Gubbin:Was on his FB. Commemorative Run [quoted image]
And once again lazy Stern refuses to build premiums.....
Quoted from PinMonk:Might be a parts issue with the mechanical orb exclusive to the Prem/LE. Or just that the Premium wasn't that well received because the groot arms blocked too much of the playfield and were often just removed so it played better.
I like the mech orb..... best reason to get the premium. The arms look good (IMO) - and from what I understand at the angle of playing they don't block anything important. Rocking Rocket is nice too. The extra magnets? I don't know.
They didn't sell many premiums - and that's the best reason to get one. Everyone has a pro.
Previous couple of times they didn't make any GOTG premiums, and now they'll continue not making them. Just reminds me of Stranger Things: people wanted premiums, and Stern kept flipping people off and making pro's only...... and then discontinued from lack of sales.
One more pro run is better than nothing - but "last calls" (IMO) should have both models available. Take pre-orders and build to demand - then shut them down.
Quoted from crujones4life:All in favor vote aye.
All against vote nay.
Nay
He had a thread to put his memes, and people had to go there and complain until it was locked instead of leaving it alone.
Quoted from iceman44:Stern just changed their policy on Distros using their credit cards at a 2% fee. Are they really gonna tap those CCs out now ?
I'm surprised Stern doesn't have their own branded CC already, and sending them to all the pinheads "pre-approved!!!!"
Nothing would get the FOMO going faster than 50 million of easy credit dumped into Pinhead laps.
Imagine the pinflation on that.
"Only two Elwins this year? Phhhh..... no problem, make them both SLE's [slaps down Platinum Pinhead Lifestyle Brand card]"......
Heck, when BTTF shows up, prices will be so high Cru will need a Stern Corporate Black Unlimited Limited Edition Gary Disney-Boy Numbered Collectors Super Premium Anniversary Insider Gomez Signature credit card.
Even with the unlimited spending limit - after adding the topper and shooter - it'll be maxed out.
Quoted from crujones4life:Stranger Things Vault to be announced Tuesday! Hoping both Pros and Premiums with UV kit installed! Dealers already have the info...Thanks Kaneda!
Those idiots at Stern should never have canceled it in the first place.
I'm wondering what it will look like - a regular "Bond" price game? EHOH pricing? Or it going over the top with a $13K tag on it?
There's no reason to do the pro..... those were available a heck of a lot longer than the premium (a year and a half longer).
Will they have fixed the lock? Probably not. Will they have added more seasons? Probably not. Will there be anything new? Probably not (maybe art?).
Very curious though..... and how long will they run them? A short cash grab with limited units - or building them unlimited for another year or two?
Quoted from crujones4life:You got some info on BTTF mechs?! I know people will lose their minds if I buy a BTTF Pro. Kinda hope that's the one I want so I save money and the heartache of broken mechs and peoples heads explode.
Cru is afraid the flux capacitor mech on the premium will malfunction and send him to an alternate timeline without BTTF
Quoted from Bmanpin:So I'm a bit out of the know with vaults. Do they typically change anything in the game? Would my LE benefit from anything like a code update that would be compatible etc? Maybe they will incorporate Season 3 and 4?
It almost certainly will have......... absolutely nothing new. 
They can't change out the demogorgon toy, so no Vekna and no mindflayer mechs. Can't change the topper plastics to later monsters either.
To license seasons 3-5 content would cost a lot of money, plus the time to program modes and such.... if they had spent the last year programming more STH content you'd have been seeing very minor code updates the whole time (you haven't)..... plus this is coming out before the release of the final season, so those assets aren't even available yet.
Nope, seasons 1 & 2.... that's it. Cheap, easy and lazy.
If it was being released to coincide with the final season premier, then there'd have been a chance a big refit was underway.
It's just a cash grab to take up production time on the floor and make up for totally screwing the pooch by missing sales on season 4.
Maybe they add one Vekna endgame multiball.... maybe they'll tie that to the topper (They should)
Quoted from iceman44:The UV kit is a must they need to include in the price.
Now this is an interesting question....... half of me says "yes" they will, and half of me says "no" they won't.
The UV kit was what, $260? when it was out? Think of how much they would charge for it now..... probably the same as a topper or close to it ($800-$1000). It does way more than a topper and has more pieces (light bar, full UV plastics set, and a full metal special apron). I suppose they could include it as standard, but have they added one single thing besides IC to all the old games which are "Bond" pricing now? Nope. It'd be very un-Stern like, and since the game has big demand now (and even bigger demand next year when the final season releases)...... why would they?
I think if they do the whole $13K thing, then yes.... if they do Bond pricing, no. If they do EHOH pricing, then maybe? It's a good question. At least we'll know in a couple days.
The more I think about it - the more I think they do Bond pricing and ZERO improvements besides maybe making the TK lock better. There's too much money to make on accessories over the next year. The toppers sold like crap - they need to help the distros get rid of those. No one will live without a UV kit, so that becomes a mandatory purchase. Lots of people will want to hold a spare projector.
Wow, they can do unlimited premiums and end up with almost a JP30 sale = $9700 machine + $200 shooter + $300 armor + $800 UV kit + $700 topper +$100 blades +$100 shaker = $11,900 fully loaded. +$600 if you want a spare projector = $12,500
No LE badge to tick some people off, unlimited production for next year's fan rush, no custom art cost, no special powder coated armor cost, no mirrored back glass cost, no speaker upgrade cost....... It's Disney-Boy's profit wet-dream come true.
There's my prediction. Maybe I'll be wrong.
Quoted from Kkoss24:If a SThgs prem popped up in the market right now for 10.5 ,how many here (that want the game ) would “wait” on it ? This is a little different since most have played it a bit and there IS a demand for it ,so it’s the right thing for Stern to do right now to get the cogs turning .I do agree with most on pricing ,I just don’t see it going down so I will be exercising “patience “ also on cornerstones .With that said ,Elwin pins don’t count ,those will remain free for alls
Stern's job right now is to crush and suck out all the value in the secondary market to prop themselves up....... and they are. This is the current business model until it has been completed (won't take long - maybe a year).
The market will be flush with STH prem's soon, and second hand will go back under MSRP by whatever amount (I think it'll land eventually at $8K in the short-term and then lower over the long-term).
They're going to sell a ton this next production cycle: All the pent up demand, and all the buzz from the final season will move thousands, actually I bet they sell more now than all the production up to this point.
The extra bad news for the second hand market will be when the series is over: it's going to sink like a brick. No one cares about Walking Dead anymore, or GOT, or ST, or anything outdated and abandoned. It also doesn't help at all that the machine is season 1 & 2 = it's already massively outdated for real fans.
If there are any improvements over the original run, it will make the old machines even less valuable - no one is going to want the "substandard" version. So I hope there's a substantial improvement on the TK lock and projector.
The time to sell the old machine (at an inflated high) is over, and it can't come soon enough. All those crooks trying to get $14k+ (used) are going to get their hands spanked (finally).I do love that Stern is ending the false "investment" aspect of pinball. Back to reality!!! Thousands of underwater pins are great for the buyers market.
Uh oh..... BTTF going head to head with Jaws..... and not it's not Stern.
Someone restrain Cru.
Quoted from kool1:If true I hope that's not the beginning of the end of Pro machines. That would be a massive price hike from Stern.
It's been four years since a boutique Stern game = we're overdue.
I'd prefer it's not wasted on Jaws, but we're overdue.
Quoted from crujones4life:What's going on in here? Did I miss something?
You didn't listen to K today? He gave details.
Quoted from CoolCatPinball:What's the details? I don't know where to find Kaneda.
He's here: https://www.patreon.com/kanedapinball/posts
Oh wait a min.... am I breaking any rules posting that? I don't know. If I am, nuke the post (or I'll edit it).
He's been on a roll this week, lots of scoops.
Part of the show today he was talking about the first real BTTF news..... it was a bit surprising (to me anyway). It's finally coming (without spoiling it).
Quoted from crujones4life:Homepin has BTTF?! Man that seems so unlikely. How could they afford it? How could Joe K let this happen? This doesn't make sense...
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Nooooo, is that what he said? I missed that part then.
I thought he said someone else (but not Stern).
Quoted from John_I:I tried to tell you a year ago.
I can't see that happening - too expensive a license for them.
K talks about it at 16:20.... and he knows who's doing it...... if it has been HomePin, he'd be having a heart attack and throwing a fit like Cru would be if that was the case.
We're safe.
Quoted from crujones4life:Wait a minute...he didn't say Homepin! You dirty dogs! I nearly had a stroke!
I was wondering where you got that from
Figured you heard him say "not Stern" and leaped to the worst possible scenario.
Biff wins (resized).jpgQuoted from crujones4life:Well someone PM'd me it was Homepin and then ol'boy above...
They're yanking your chain...... and it worked
Quoted from thekaiser82:If not Stern, I would hope for Dutch. If they brought TBL level theme integration to BTTF…I would be all over it.
What a dream come true that would be...... Dutch!!! Oh man that'd be sweet. Best possible outcome.
A few years ago I'd have said "I wish JJP would do it".... not anymore. I pray they don't get any themes I want anymore. How sad.
Quoted from Rarehero:…and wait 10 years for it? Nah.
That is a good point.....
Who is it that's opening a plant over here? Dutch or Pinball Bros?
Quoted from Quiksilva86:Nice catch. Is this considered a vault or was it just paused?
Looks just paused to me - not a vault.
Thus: No UV kit / Bond pricing.
Quoted from PanzerKraken:Holiday season, so is this only going to be a final run for the holidays?
No - just that it's being re-introduced this holiday season.
Back onto the regular catalog as DP, JP, AIQ are getting removed.
Quoted from PanzerKraken:Their announcement says this is limited time. So this isn't a cornerstone
It says "Flip your game room upside down this holiday season" - just like a teaser movie poster would.
It's just meaning it's arriving then, not that it's only then.
Cornerstone again.
Quoted from PanzerKraken:You are looking at the poster. The social media posts and the email say it's "limited time only"
It only says Limited Time on Facebook - not in the email, Stern of the Union Page or the poster.
They probably have some noob running their social media. It's a cornerstone - the art isn't even different.
It could have a 1 year license extension instead of 3..... that would be a "limited time".
No way they run it for a month and stop = Season 5 will run thru the middle of the year (or later due to the strike).
Quoted from PanzerKraken:They put "limited time only" on their Instagram also.
They haven't started filming, so season 5 won't be till 2025 at the earliest. And the actor strike still ongoing could push that to 2026.
If it's not really limited that's great, but do wonder if they can really make this last till the next season at this point
I didn't realize they hadn't started filming - I thought it had started and then was paused.
Good to know.... thanks
Ehhhh, if it's 2025-2026, darn that's a wait (Really looking forward to the last season).
Look at all those ads for used premiums at 11K-$14.5K in the marketplace right next to the NIB ads at $9699
Reap it crooks. Try again at $8K where your used machines belong.
A limited release from spare parts? EHOH40th style?
Seems unlikely to me..... it's not like they have thousands of PF's just laying around..... and to not be in active production as the new season is released?
Zach at flippin said the accessories are being ran again..... does that imply spare parts too? There's hundreds of toppers just sitting at distros now - and they're making more. Doesn't line up does it? GOTG isn't getting it's accessories made for the Dec run (they'd sell), and that one is a final spare parts run.
I don't buy the license being that expensive either - it's the first two seasons only, and a license renewal. Everything points to a cornerstone returning.
If it was a final run edition - it'd be JP30th style..... why screw around with less profitable Pro's if there's limited PF's to build with?
Orders for projectors are probably in 1000 unit lots from China. They're going to make 2000 minimum, maybe 3000 or even 4000 by the time the new season starts.
Bet they renewed the license for 2 years: It carries them thru 2025 right when the show finishes and all interest is lost.
Could be one of the best selling Sterns of all time before the end...... and the largest drop in value after the show ends too.
Quoted from iceman44:No doubt. Ops have been clamoring for reasonable priced pros because STH has been a top earner for those that have one on location.
Common sense. Stern is a business whose goal is to extract every $$$ they can from us. Sound cynical? It’s based on their actions.
They aren’t doing this STH run just for the sake of filling the need.
Did they do that with JP30th, Bond 60th and selling 1,000 LEs of pins that people don’t want at $13K?
They tried didn’t they. Now the tables are turned.
Everyone seems to want to go into defense mode as if we are somehow protecting our “collection” and the value thereof.
DOWN is only direction this market is going. Some people just haven’t gotten the memo yet
100% Ice.
Fair value for STH premium is $8000, just like any used premium. Later it could be less.
Down it goes.... all of it.
Quoted from herbertbsharp:They aren't crooks, people were paying that. Nobody's going to walk away from money if they know it's there.
Of course they're crooks Herb...... think about it. Someone buys at an inflated price.... why? Because they believe it will further inflate or at least stay inflated: making their use of something "free" or at a profit. No one buys to have something lose value (unless they are going to keep it forever, in which case price doesn't matter).
Everything reverts to true value over time - there is a median value to all things. Sometimes things are overvalued, sometimes undervalued.
If you buy overvalued and have the express intention of pawning it off to someone else before it loses value - you're a crook. That's what scalpers and flippers do. They can lie to themselves that they are "investors" all they want, they're playing musical chairs and betting on the music not stopping.
The only exception is rarity, true rarity not perceived rarity or engineered rarity (both of those ALWAYS fail).
STH had minor rarity, plus a bunch of perceived rarity. People paid ultra high prices due to perceived rarity not true rarity.
You see the same in all things right now: Watches, Cars, Homes, etc. All are falling and will continue to fall. People chase false rarity and false value: wondering "what happened?" when the music stops.
The question is: when someone does this - are they responsible for what happens next? Of course they are!! They were the problem to begin with by chasing.
Stern is doing their part to slap their hands, and take that cash back - and they're right to do so, but at the same time they've increased median value by increasing MSRP. So they are helping those buying at the proper level and hurting those buying at speculative levels.
Used HUO machines as a rule of thumb should be 20% less then NIB MSRP. It's way past time to reset players value expectations and crush this bubble (just like watches, cars, homes, etc.). Nothing crushes bubbles quite like underwater people. For the 1st time in four years Stern is positioned to rock these people by flooding the market, and with Disney-Boy at the wheel they have the drive to do so (we see it nonstop now - and it's only going to increase).
It'll be a another bloodbath when CGC releases the next edition of MMr. It's coming, and it should come. This hobby has been out of control for too long, and everyone knows it.
Quoted from crujones4life:[quoted image]
BTTF CRU (resized).pngQuoted from Prince66cali:So the mass production is what sucks. The price increases are annoying. But literally destroying value, that's shit. I appreciate your words of wisdom tho.
It's only rotten if you overpay...... that's the whole point.
Pay 12k, 13k, 14k, 15k, 16K..... what should someone expect? To hold value up there? Not a chance - they deserve to get smoked.
I still contend the newer HUO premium machines have a true median value 20% less than NIB (right around $8000), and it can easily go lower than that.
What's starting on the way to $8000? (high 8K and dropping) GZ, Rush, FF
What's on the way to the $8000 level? (mid 8k and dropping) JP, Bond, LZ
What's right at $8000 level? Iron Maiden
Sub-$8000? Mando, TMNT, Star Wars and AIQ
Where is Bond60th? $16K (20%) and still falling (I think to $14K)
It will be fun watching Venom and STH drop like a rock over the next 6 months.
Open the box: you have an $8K machine (or less). Route that sucker and it's worth $6500
Pro's (HUO) to $5500, Routed to $4000-$4500
Watch and see.
At least they aren't Beanie Babies and do have a true median value.
Quoted from hypnotoad:I'm eagerly awaiting that sub $7500 Godzilla Premium
May take two years, but it'll get there. Put another six new games in front of it, and let the massive amount of GZ's produced take hold.
Patience.
Quoted from CoolCatPinball:This 100%, and I own a Zilla premium, along with several other pro/premium Stern machines. I'm very well aware that newer, mass produced games will be the first to depreciate in value in this downward trend we're currently experiencing. But, guess what? I bought my games because I enjoy playing/maintaining them, and my friends and neighbors enjoy playing them. PERIOD. If they lose value through the years, I don't give one single fuck. They aren't "investments" and that's what some people like @princecali66 don't seem to comprehend. If you want to truly invest, go find a good financial advisor and have at it. Pinball is supposed to be fun, not wether you made money on your last buy/sale deal. Jesus Christ, pass the liquor......
EDIT: One more thing, before @princecali66 brings it up again in yet another thread. I'm working class. I've worked 9 to 5 M to F for mediocre wages most of my adult life. I supplement that income by mowing 14 to 18 lawns by myself for the last 15 years. So yeah, I work very fucking hard for my pinball money. Just saying, pinball is fun and a passion. NOT AN INVESTMENT.
Sorry for the rant
What a beautiful outlook and completely proper. Buying to enjoy, with the full knowledge and expectation of depreciation...... and hard worked for = maximum enjoyment and appreciation for the purchase. Absolutely how it should be. Bravo.
Quoted from Rarehero:Addams has 20k units & still commands a high price. While it makes sense that more GZs in the world will eventually lower its resale…if it stays as beloved & in demand as it is now, it could be an Addams sitch. Then again, B/W is gone…as long as Stern exists, they could always run GZ again and again.
I think (could be wrong) that the reason Addams still has as high a value is due to the confluence of a few factors which can't happen again.
1. 20K made: it had widest exposure to players ever with lots of mainstream media coverage & arcades being red hot from Street Fighter 2
2. It kicked off the golden age of pinball with more innovation since pinball was invented (revolutionary & historic)
3. The age group of people who were exposed to it (teens) are in their prime buying years now, and nostalgia rules
4. The perception that a collection needs to have an Adams in it (players and arcades/barcades)
5. Of the 20K, much less survive today. The machines were beat to hell due to popularity on route. Several thousand (minimum) have been junked.
6. It is the lead machine in a series considered by many to be the gold standard of pins. So it isn't just a machine, it's part of a "Set" (the most collectable)
7. A theme which hasn't been superseded in modern times and replaced with a garbage remake.
8. Actors in the game which are still beloved: Raul Julia in particular (of course).
9. Who can ever forget the first time they watched Thing pop out in the 90's? Nobody. That one mech blew people's minds for years and years.
10. Surviving machines are generally restored before sale - thus a higher price
I don't think GZ has a fraction of the circumstances going for it..... even though it's a great game.
Maybe in 30 years people will be obsessive about collecting every Stern from this era..... I guess that could do it..... but I suspect the machines of today will be cared for far better than the 90's games: Thus more will survive (and in better condition) by comparison. HUO undermines rarity.
Quoted from Grantman:Elvira is back
Incredible game. Love it.
Stern's output is staggering now. How many re-runs since the factory opened? STH, JP30, EHOH, GOTG.... that's in only two months!!
Quoted from Rizmo:Whats next bringing back black knight and the munsters?
I'd buy both of those!!!
And release the toppers again (for every game).
Quoted from PanzerKraken:It's 13k
500 unit LE, black and white art package with red powder coat armor
Hard to imagine EHOH in black and white like munsters....... it has such a colorful (and beautiful) pf now.
I keep thinking it'd look like an old comic strip..... will be interesting to see.
Quoted from iceman44:Oh man, here we go again JJP style. How many variations of WOZ did they make?
Def a sign of desperation. Gotta keep that line moving and they must be pulling these $$ grabs forward to make it happen.
Anyone thinking of buying a NIB today for $13k will be able to pick it up much cheaper shortly thereafter.
The looky Lou/flippers will buy a few and then you will see the typical unboxed sale in 60 days or the best one ……
“….only 70 plays, time to move on “
The ship is starting to go down Ice.......
No wonder Gary bailed out at the peak. He knew.
Gary says they're coming out swinging at Expo
I knew they wouldn't give BOF, JJP and whomever else a free pass.
Who will run away with the show? Going to be fun.
Quoted from Utesichiban:I interpret that mean Stern came to their senses and are reverting to pre Covid NIB. Short of that, I am not sure I care what he has to say.
https://www.knapparcade.org/post/gary-stern-stern-pinball-will-have-some-surprises-at-pinball-expo
New EHOH, toppers, and (maybe) an unexpected game announcement.
Gary is retired, so for them to drag him out of the mothballs...... they aren't pleased with anyone else making money (THEIR MONEY).
Disney-Boy isn't going to let anyone else get a foothold.... watch for the counter-punch.
Quoted from Utesichiban:Another version of EHOH is big news? Disney Boy grossly miscalculated thinking the skewed pandemic and stimulus money driven spike in pinball machine demand and growth justified neverending price hikes. Their greed and misreading of the tea leaves is coming home to roost now as sales slow and demand craters.
Sure there will still be NIB releases here and there that still sell but they are going to struggle trying to move most stuff and keep the new shiny factory going at these prices.
Announcing a bunch of repackaging and new versions of existing games like EHOH is just going to devalue some if their existing high end customers LE's and piss off more customers (Stranger Things, JP 30th, etc, etc). Stern is out of touch with the market and customer and continues to make moves that only benefits them. That does't bode well for future sales, particularly at these prices IMO. Don't shoot the messenger.
I completely agree.
Well, it is the Disney way...... they just raised prices on theme park tickets even though attendance is falling. They raised prices on their streaming service this last year even though subscription rates are falling.
Not good business...... but that's their mindset - and Disney-Boy comes from this thinking style: Milk as much as you can, as long as you can, from the people who just can't say no to you, and screw everyone else. In a nutshell that's it.
Retread everything on the cheap with the highest possible prices until there's no demand left for that product and then release new product.
The Mouse doesn't leave one dollar on the table - and I don't think Disney-Boy wants to either (even though it may tank the overall company by doing it - just like the Mouse is doing).
Gary and Money-bags brought him in explicitly to do this, and he is.
Quoted from CoolCatPinball:Just got this email from Game Room Guys. BOOM!!
$2000 price drop on TMNT premium.
[quoted image]
Old news..... those game room guys are way behind the curve - price drop happened three days ago!!!
The other distros have already sold to those wanting a deal.
Gotta be quick!!!!
Quoted from Yoko2una:GRG was on it day 1 if you looked at their site Friday. Appears it may have just took some time to get it out in marketing materials.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-has-apparently-dropped-the-mandatory-msrp-pricing-from-distros/page/3#post-7837581
Oh, right on
I'm an email guy...... if it's late in email, I'll never know otherwise. HA!!!
They're only doing the dealer rebate for discontinued titles which aren't selling..... nothing to get too excited about - it's not like they're making more.
We'd have to see more games removed from the catalog and then watch them sit at least half a year before getting the $7500 treatment.
What's on the chopping block for Q1 2024? AIQ?, Maiden?, SW?, DP?, Mando?, JP? GOTG will be axed but there's not going to be inventory at dealers, no discount there.
Maiden, DP, JP won't sit for a year so no discount there.
Leaves SW, Mando and AIQ as possible discounts at the end of year 2024. Of course, will they ever discontinue SW? Never!!!
Quoted from Nicholastree:The trading card QR code stuff is exactly the kind of thing Stern might offer Pokemon...
In terms of the decal selections, Stern could always allow distributors and their buyers to customize the art on the machine they order... for a small additional price, heh heh.
All they'd need to do is stick an optional card dispenser onto the game and it becomes a hybrid pinball/redemption game.
Operator refills it with packs from Stern, or dumps a box of the real trading cards into it. Chance to get a card worth more than the cost of playing (unless the operator takes all the cards worth anything )
Put a sign on the top advertising the feature, you'll get kids to try...... at least they end up with a card at the end. Win/Win
Sorta like how you get cards from the WOZ quarter pusher.
Quoted from iceman44:Pre Order days are over for most people Cookie, I think, regardless of Xmas or not right?
These guys are making some phenomenal pinball machines that we mostly want. It’s really amazing.
But, it’s hard to look at it say “yep, that’s worth another $17k-$24k”, much less $13k-$15k here in the US.
I’m sure JAWS will be great, BTTF, Harry Potter etc
Also way too many pins to bust out BOAT for
They just need to bring back the $1 pre-order. Slap down a buck - you got a game
Then again, I slapped down a buck on GZ and never heard anything ever again..... so maybe not
Quoted from Apollo18:Is there a George Gomez badge ?
If so, how do we get the achievement for it ? [quoted image]
There is a George "Mikey" Gomez badge..... and there's only one way to get it:
goonies (resized).jpgOnly a couple weeks until Dec...... sure would be fun to have a reveal..... at least a tease.
Venom was soooooo long ago.
We need another "last chance" video out of Stern......
It should be titled "Last Chance.... until the next Last Chance!!!"
Love it!!! I'm getting in on this one: Black Knight Last Chance Edition LE
Quoted from Pin_Fandango:No Pro?
This LE is dime a dozen on the second market, are they expecting to sell this for 13k??
Lol
Well to be fair.... in order to produce the toppers again they probably renewed the license for a month..... why not pump out a few machines while you're at it? Make the most of the license while you have it.
I wonder if the 2nd hand value of Munsters and the topper are high enough for them to re-release that one too. I hope so = they didn't fill my order for a premium before abruptly canceling the title.
Quoted from KING-HENRY:They only remade the BK topper to bring in extra revenue, as new factory woes set in. I bet real money you won’t see BZkSOR get redone for another 6 months to much later, if at all. My lol is where I said 6 months or later; Stern will remake everything eventually. So does Disney
The latest run of EHOH toppers seemed like two months before BRK came out - they were unannounced too..... just popped up.
Maybe this will be the standard business model for LE re-releases.
Fancy way of selling a $14K+ vault (if you get the topper) without saying vault.
Well, considering the (current) rumor is Jaws, John Wick and then Pokemon....... 2024 Stern cornerstones are a real snoozefest (for me anyway).
At least there will be re-release LE's and Anniversary titles to choose from.
]
Quoted from KnockerPTSD:I didn't know anyone actually bought those 4k discs.
4K discs are amazing. Looks way better then any 4k online stream (by a mile).
Considering lots of theaters are still using 2K projectors, 4K looks incredible on a big 4K tv at home.
Audiophiles, videophiles, Ultra 4K discs have it all covered in spades.
Great format.
Quoted from m00nmuppet:Even money, JJP's next pin...[quoted image]
I'd sooooooo buy that.
Just don't let BOF make it...... "Where's Olivia?"
JJP out of the way..... Spooky out of the way..... AP has nothing......
The table is all set for Stern.
It should be time for Stern to discontinue titles...... the herd is too big.
Hope to see a goodbye to at least four: Rush, Maiden, DP, JP, GOTG, and AIQ (Mando should be on there too, but Stern doesn't cancel anything Star Wars).
Com'on Stern, back to three cornerstones a year..... on the way back to four a year. COVID is long gone and two a year just isn't cutting it.
Quoted from Grantman:These are the rumored games for 2024:
1. Jaws
2. Pokémon
3. John Wick
4. Metallica Anniversary Edition
https://www.knapparcade.org/post/stern-pinball-s-2024-forecast-the-4-cornerstones-are
None of those sound good at all (for me - maybe great for others).
Need to get back to 4 titles a year so they can "chew thru" bad themes and get to the good ones.
Quoted from PinMonk:If Metallica really is the debut of Spike 3, I expect it's finally the first in a long, profitable line of Whitestar/SAM remakes brought forward to Spike3. Once they do it for Metallica, Stern could bring forward LotR, Spiderman, AC/DC, Simpsons, TRON, Family Guy, Star Trek, and maybe even some SEGA era Whitestar to keep that factory with the huge capacity running.
Been thinking the same thing the last couple years: It makes the most sense. Little work, big money.
For me, this would be very exciting since I prefer DMD's to LCD's.... and it will absolutely collapse the used market on those titles.
Gonna be a lot of pissed older machine owners if it happens...... but at least they can have a newer version if they want it. I'd love an older Metallica with color DMD.
Quoted from CoachBacca:Quality of gameplay? Avengers is an excellent game, it's just a little brutal. Mando has to be the worst game on this list, horrible geometry and just boring code.
JP is the only one out of the bunch that I could see keeping around just because I believe it is still selling so well, it's next on my list.
I don't know if Mando is a bad game (I thought it was fun) - but it's a dead theme. Even the star of the show says he's out (Pedro). The original SW movies are one thing - people watch them again and again. Will people be hunkering to watch seasons of Mando in 5 years? I really doubt it. Dead theme.
It used to be that a four year run was very long in the tooth unless it was still selling really well.
GOTG = 7 years (Same as Star Wars - HA!!!)
Maiden = 6 years
DP = 6 years
JP = 5 years
EHOH = 5 years (still selling great - probably because they were too lazy to build them during COVID)
STH = 5 years (same as EHOH - was too lazy to build, didn't take care of demand - selling very well now)
Mando = 2 years (Zero demand. Won't even build more until 2025 since no one wants it. Dead theme)
OOP
Munsters = 2 years (Gone)
BKSOR = 2 years (Gone)
TMNT = 3 years (Gone. Or was it two years of actual production?)
LZ = 3 years (Gone. Or was it two years of actual production?) I bet Rush has a similar fate to LZ. It is a much better game than LZ, but the market is much smaller for a niche music pin (heck, look at EJ - much bigger name, will sell far less numbers than LZ ). Once the true fans buy there's no one left for demand.
Quoted from littlecammi:So the only question is how did Stern get ahold of a large quantity of this alien metal to use on their new cabs?
The magic of licensing....... for a couple bucks you can slap Vibranium on anything.
The poor pinheads would buy it hook, line and sinker too......
"$3000 more for LE....Hmmm, what does it have... Shaker, glass, art, Disney-Boy signature.... HOLY $%&@ the cab is Vibranium!!!! BUY BUY BUY!!!"
Quoted from gonzo73:Sorry fellas.. if it's not full assets... it's dead on arrival.
[quoted image]
Sheesh guys........
It's not Marty's journey thru the BTTF world..... it's YOUR journey in the time machine.....
-Signed BOF
Quoted from PanzerKraken:So it's the Universal Studios ride where the background characters and a bunch of random new people have Delorean adventures
Ooohhhhh I miss that ride.
So much better than the Simpsons version.
Now that Disney owns Simpsons, I hope they tear it out and replace.
Crazy they have to send the mouse a check for the Simpsons and Marvel IP's.
Happy for those whose dream theme is JAWS.... hope it surpasses your expectations.
Also happy for me, as JAWS will be out of the way and we can get to the next theme.
Quoted from frankmac:I believe this is a cornerstone release . So no SLE at this time.
Good point.... when are we going to get another studio release? It's been forever.
Quoted from PanzerFreak:Stern shot themselves in the foot moving to a newer larger factory yet again. That decision was likely made when they were still selling games left and right and the secondary market was on fire. Now that's not the case. They expanded too quickly IMO.
Well, to be fair they didn't know how long the bubble would last...... it could have gone on another year, and that would have paid for the factory.
It's funny how they had just caught up on all production right before the move, and now they have all this excess capacity while their quality has dived.
Interesting to see over the next couple years what happens. Could be a very smart move, or a turning point with several years of decline.
Everyone always overbuilds and overinvests at the top of a market.
Quoted from Kabball:Has it? I mean I just got a new STH premium in early December and I def spent a lot of time tweaking bits and pieces on that machine and the coin box was floating loose inside etc. But has the quality dived? I am new to this hobbie in the past ~15 months so honest question.
Well, according to several people here..... yes.
I personally haven't bought a new machine since the move to the new factory, but it seems like there's a lot of small issues (like you describe).
I'd assume the extra space has allowed a lot of new assembly workers, and they need experience - but that's just my guess.
My EHOH (March '23) was the old factory, and it needed a couple small things but overall was very well made. The new ones evidently have a lot of issues.
Give it a year and I bet the new factory has quality on par with the old one.
Quoted from 2manypins:Jaws is just not Jaws without the chief.
BOF disagrees...... you don't need the main character at all...... it's not Brody's story, it's YOUR adventure thru the JAWS universe.
Quoted from blueberryjohnson:Those rushing to be disappointed: this is Elwin. Game will be great.
The pf (IMO) looks amazing. It will be a great game no doubt about it.
Quoted from mbl1116:I think you'll see everyone who already committed to this theme years ago will agree it's awesome, and already have deposits in
Those who prefer not to drop 9500-13000 on the premium or LE will poke holes and hope to get it for $8500 in a few months
It'll stay high for a couple years, and then go into discount once it's old news..... like all his other games.
What will be more fun is those who leap for an LE today and then cry about an anniversary edition trumping their LE later on.
Play it, enjoy it, lose money on it. The way it's meant to be.
Very excited for re-release of old games, especially if they're using dots (in color) and not remastering for LCD.
Metallica is 1st (but will it be a re-release or a whole new game as a certain podcaster says?).
Really want a Ghostbusters with color dots and reduced flipped gap. Day one buy for me.
A little strange that they would say "pros and premiums" when it isn't a "one for one" re-release.... speakers different, IC included, we can assume new revamped toppers for interactivity (and extra cash for Stern), expanded code...... more like a 2.0 version of a game instead of a re-release.
Library isn't that big for old in-demand games though is there?
Metallica
Ghostbusters (I think this would be the top seller if they fixed the flipper gap)
Kiss? (not sure this is in demand, is it?)
Tron (hope they make the PF art better)
LOTR (maybe this would be the best selling one and not GB)
Simpsons
Walking Dead?
That's about it. Seven games or so, unless they redo games that have already been vaulted? Would Iron Man, Spiderman and Star Trek make sense?
One or two a year, I guess that helps being in some extra dough for a while and keep the factory humming.
I'd love a brand new build Roller Coaster Tycoon, but that ain't happening.
Quoted from PinMonk:will sell very well if they're not half-assed (DMD emulation would be my definition of half assed).
Well some of us like dots better...... but, they could include both as a switchable mode with Spike3. That would be amazing, like getting two games in one.
I'm assuming of course if it is dots, they'll be emulating it on an LCD screen anyway and not use a color DMD.
Will be interesting to see. You know Stern will do the bare minimum to get the largest profit margin. I think the emulation engine, IC wrapper, upgraded toppers, and a couple extra bolted on modes will be the extent of it..... after all, if it's a complete overhaul to LCD then the need to license assets goes thru the roof and it isn't a re-release anymore right?
Quoted from PinMonk:I feel like they have to do updated LCD graphics to make the money they'll ask make sense, and I also feel like they'll be emulating Whitestar/SAM with all that Spike3 processing power Gomez has ruminated about - just hooking the new graphics with a trigger system or something. I very seriously doubt they'll be redoing the game system from scratch. New graphics, better sound, IC support and out. And that will be more than enough to make some bestsellers out of these. I've said it about the LotR Spike for years. The real question is what are the OTHER ones? Metallica seems confimed. The better sound there will be nice.
Oh, and cue the new toppers, art blades, shaker motors, etc. You know those are coming for these Whitestar/SAM remakes.
I think that's very possible..... except redoing the graphics and music. Too much licensing (IMO).
Take LOTR for example: what a nightmare that would be. You have to get the rights to likenesses, the movie rights to the film/s, if you redo the music from soundcard generated to recorded music then the rights to that..... the difficulty and expense of licensing everything already in the game all over again is very high, and then you still have to create all the assets you're swapping out. Ouch. Just as expensive as a totally new game.
On the other hand if it's a straight emulation and just adding color to dots.... it's a renewal (a very old expired one - but still much easier and cheaper). Soundcard generated music is literally a thousandth the cost, and dots have no likeness concerns at all. IC wrapper is a one-time expense for the entire platform, and they still have artists on staff who can do dots for expanded code.
I'd say the odds are this will be the end result (and it will be wonderful).
Quoted from crujones4life:Nope. Bob Gale is involved in this project with Dutch. There will be plenty of assets. Mosey on over to the BTTF 2 hype thread for more info.
If Dutch can't get the MJF likeness rights from him..... then I hope they put Cru in his place.
Same thing with Christopher Loyd: Can't get him.... it's Cru time with a crazy white wig.
Better have 1980's Claudia Wells on there too...... and if they can't get her...... Cru should NOT replace her.
Quoted from Goronic:That’s a damn shame..
Not if you want a GB
It'd be a day-one for me, and the re-released topper.
Quoted from Prince66cali:Day one? What is this, 2021?
For perfect themes you're going to keep forever: there's no reason to wait..... so yeah, day one!!!
For everything else...... day whatever, or never.
Thundercats? Yuck.
"Snarf-Snarf"....... how annoying.
Everyone knows 80's GI-JOE and G1 Transformers is what people want, but no pin company will get off their azz and do it.
If someone actually got Sunbow to make new animation for both pins..... what heaven it'd be.
Hopefully if they eventually do do-it, they don't screw it up by using voice actors who aren't the originals.
Quoted from Prince66cali:They better use the hand drawn art. No CGI. Also, they need to do an actual 80s cartoon. FF was a poor attempt at it. Actually the last several games have been trash: Jaws, FF, Venom, Rush. It's like an all star team of sh$t. Mass produced trash. In the past if the games sucked at least you had trade or monetary value based on scarcity. Now......
Well..... to be fair, Stern is the McDonald's of pinball..... just not at McDonald's prices.
If they were still at pre-Covid prices, no one would have a problem with them.
Few are happy to buy McDonald's at Five-Guy's prices (heck, no one is happy paying Five-Guy's prices for Five-Guys food).
Quoted from Zen_Monkey:have you been to McDonald’s recently?
Have you been to Five-Guys recently?
(Per person)
McDonald's = $9ish
Five-Guys = $20 and up
WTF to both.
I remember when McD's was $3 for any combo.
Don't forget taco bell....... .59 .79 .99........
Back when a value menu was a value menu.
My poor junior high/high school azz was super happy to see a taco bell back in the day.
Today they're even worse than McDonald's for what you get (for the price).
Maybe that's what Stern needs: some snappy jingle...... "$7K..... $10K.... $13K......"
Quoted from TreyBo69:Seems about time for a Borg rock pin
K says its Journey
They even put a pinball on the cover back in they day.
JourneyEscapealbumcover (resized).jpgQuoted from Rolls-Royce:#44444
And don’t show those DeLorean to Cru…
Cru would be like "Nooooooo!!!! Take me instead!!!!"
Quoted from PinMonk:...but you're going to get the Holiday Special.
Hellllllll yeeeeaaahhhhhh!!!
Carrie Fisher coked out of her mind....... I'd play it.
They'd need to split it up with Richard Pryor to make it complete though. Ballance.
Quoted from big-c66:So many have been screaming BEETLE JUICE AND THE GOONIES and I’m one of them. I wonder why Stern hasn’t gone after either one which would be a fantastic game if they got the assets. Is it maybe to get the licenses are to high or something.
Either one has so much material to work with the possibility’s of call outs and toys n mechs. Just my little brain could come up with some great ideas for these two themes.
Well, Stern does get licenses just to "block" other manufacturers right?
They grabbed Sonic just to prevent that Sonic Spinball from coming to market.
They grabbed Godzilla once they knew Spooky wanted it.
Maybe Beetlejuice and Goonies are stashed in their portfolio too? No intention of making them, but they don't want anyone else making them either.
It would be interesting to know all the properties they have locked up (presumably for 5-10 year increments).
Just glad Jaws is out of the way...... now we can wait for the next game.
Hopefully the next one won't be a dud, but if it is then that'll be out of the way too..... and we'll be waiting again.
Someday there will be a great theme.... someday.
Quoted from JakeFAttie:here you go, Stern...
[quoted image]
Don't help them!!!
Stern doesn't need to be digging up any more old fossils for themes..... they've done enough of that already.
Quoted from mdeslaur:Stern should just make a generic "70s and 80s rock oldies" cabinet with a built in 8-track player and you folks can make it play whatever old crap you want while you're playing.
8-Track was a 60's and 70's thing man....... you're trying to prematurely age us 80's kids.
We were the cassette and CD generation.
Quoted from RA77:Congratulations Jack Danger and team Foo.
A well deserved win !
[quoted image]
Who won the "Award show no one gives a crap about anymore"?....... TWIPY!!!
What a fall from grace.
Quoted from RA77:I still care,
It's a disappointment that a narcissistic individual had to spoil it this year.
At least we have a positive outcome for the hobby that he is excluded now.
Hopefully the Twipys will be back bigger and better next year.
Nah, can't pin it on that guy.....
They wanted to exclude (which is wrong).
They changed rules for their own preferences (which is wrong).
They kicked people out so they couldn't win again even if the people wanted them (which is wrong).
They canceled the live show (which is the whole point).
They killed the whole reason the show existed (which is for our enjoyment - not theirs).
I don't care if Todd Tuckey wins every year: if the people want him, they want him.
No participation trophies. No gold stars. No "everybody wins eventually".
It was sold to someone who just doesn't get it, and so it deserves to die (and it has).
Just shows that like anything in life, the people (or person) behind something IS that something.
Remove the people (or person) driving it, and it's over.
Quoted from Jcantelli:With Star Wars being re-released from the vault, any rumors on what is next from the vault? Tron?
Star Wars has never been in the vault.
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