Quoted from _xizor:

Basically one of two scenarios exist right now:
Either JJP is clueless about how to handle collector / enthusiast customers and are running into some form of financial constraint regarding this game (Ownership Pressure, Cash Flow, Earnings Target, etc.)
or
none of us collector / enthusiasts matter enough to the bottom line and these design changes help them achieve their goals with a market and demographic that has nothing to do with Pinside.
I've owned all the JJP pins to date, just missing a WOZ in the house at the moment. Pre-ordered a DICE and put up with the lack of communication regarding things throughout the development period. They did make changes from the original pictures presented in the pre-order, no material game play changes occurred, so when it showed up I was more than pleased. I am still waiting on my DICE Lunch though...
I canceled my CE on the second update, which honestly wasn't much of an update. In Canada the final price of the CE would be roughly $18,000.00 and some shipping costs. I can buy a number of light vehicles and other very material personal purchases in that type of price range.
Literally the difference from me continuing to pre-order whatever they made until the end of time like a dedicated customer and me second guessing if I'm going to bother to be excited about ordering anything again is the lack of communication that actually addressed the issue at hand which is:
The game was functionally changed from what was committed based on a set price. They took away functionality that has high PERCEIVED VALUE to the consumer, regardless of what the designer or owners think of the materiality of what was removed, the value taken away hasn't been addressed by them in order to make the customer happy.
The hilarious part is that a direct email or a phone call to the pre-order customer paying 10k+ on a CE unit regarding the situation would have probably calmed us most of to all of the way down. A video really explaining why the spinner sucks and an honest answer about why it has to go and an opportunity for real feedback would have probably allowed them to keep a bulk of customers happy. Which wouldn't cost much at all, yet would allow the perception of value to move from a spinning disk and opening chest onto what we should perceive value, the team and company building this product where we're appreciated clients.
I could have done without the spinner disk, as others have mentioned, it's just a pinball. Which is true, but isn't the point. This pre-order process has left me feeling like JJP as a company doesn't really care if I order or not. I don't feel like being one of the first to pre-order made any difference or me having multiple of their machines makes any difference, they didn't bother to treat me like the customer that I expect to be treated like.
Perhaps my perception is not correct, perhaps JJP knows exactly where their priorities are and we're not it. Maybe they feel because the deposit is refundable in most cases, that they shouldn't need to care or worry if a customer wants to bail out, because they can get their money back.
All I do know is that I'm out on my CE pre-order, I did get my money back and as a customer I feel like I've been screwed.
Now, I PERCEIVE I've been screwed. I'm not out any money, so why should I care?
I emotionally invested in the purchase, which is why I'm willing to pay 10k+ for a CE. I get excited when I pre-order a luxury item, I think about it, thinking about it brings me enjoyment while I wait for it, I get to talk about it with the mates while I wait and get more excited, then I get it and life goes on. The pre-order experience is something that needs to be managed in a luxury good. Which I believe many folks on Pinside see pinballs as, instead of a business item for their Bar, Arcade or Amusement Park.
I PERCEIVE I've been screwed because JJP handled my expectations poorly, didn't cater to my ego, didn't communicate squat to me officially that things had changed. Due to that I have a lack of trust about JJP. Now Jack, Eric and the team are good humans. What I'm talking about is do I TRUST I'll have a good experience the next time I do business with JJP. The answer is I trust them less now as a company than I did before. I don't trust they won't disappoint me in a pre-order process yet again and I don't trust I can buy a CE version of the game without pre-ordering. So where does this all leave me?
The fact that I'm this pissed off about not losing any money has been a great customer case study for me mentally. Luxury market mentally is way different than a FEC Operator mentality. I'm curious to know what percentage of collectors vs operators buy JJP vs Stern. I'm interested to see how many people share this type of view on pinside. I don't actually know if JJP as a company should care about my opinions, but I guess time will tell.
For me, I won't be pre-ordering from JJP for the next game and I'd probably go buy myself a ATV or something else instead of buy another pinball in the next few days to fill my emotional hole where a spinner should be.