Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons confirmed + pricing + pics

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4

#1 9 years ago

OP

JON

unigroove

Pinball Magazine

Utrecht

12y 80,900 2,145 11

Just received the following press release from Stern, no pics yet but they're likely to follow soon:

Stern Pinball Announces Immediate Availability of Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons™ Pinball Machine
World's Leading Maker of Arcade-Quality Pinball Games and Whizbang Pinball Announce It's Melon Season!

MELROSE PARK, Ill., March 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Stern Pinball, Inc., the world's oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games, and Whizbang Pinball LLC officially announced the availability of their Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons™ pinball machine.

Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons™ pinball takes players on a journey through the Mellon Family farm renowned for abundant produce. Players score points on the farm operated by the lovely Melony Mellon and her twin sisters while avoiding the wrath of their over-protective shotgun-wielding father. The colorful easy-to-learn game features a fun classically styled pinball playfield tuned for a balance of randomness and skilled shooting challenges. The game rewards players of all skill levels.

"Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons™ offers an entertaining classic pinball experience," said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball. "We're excited to work with Whizbang Pinball to provide players and operators with a unique pinball game and a fun playing experience."

"I love the combination of designing a retro-style playfield powered by today's latest technology," said Dennis Nordman, Whizbang Pinball co-founder.

This unique blend of classic and modern technologies creates a new breed of pinball machine that presents pinball as an art form while maintaining the reliability and serviceability of modern commercial pinball machines. The playfield, backglass, and cabinet art and styling, central to the game's unique visual quality, feature detailed original characters and fresh hand-drawn artwork that blend elements of mid-century pin-up art and classic pinball themes.

Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons™ offers many unique features including:

Original retro-style playfield designed by Dennis Nordman
Original retro-style hand-drawn graphics by Greg Freres featuring fresh fruit, a cool truck and the ever popular Mellon family
A unique, durable, weathered fruit crate cabinet design
A supplemental set of powder-coated legs for ease of operation and transportation
A standard coin-door for location play
Illuminated mechanical score reels
Retro-style bumper caps and flipper bats
Dual-action bullseye melon targets
A retro mechanical Knocker
Space for crushed beer cans to set the perfect playfield angle (players can choose their own brand or use Whoa Nellie! branded cans)
Pricing and Availability:

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price ("MSRP") for the United States: US$6,499

Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons™ is available through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world.

Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons™ merchandise and accessories are now available through the Stern Shop: http://costore.com/sternpinball/welcome.asp and select authorized distributors and dealers around the world.

About Whizbang Pinball LLC

Founded in 2009 by Greg Freres and Dennis Nordman, Whizbang Pinball LLC is a design studio that presents boutique pinball as a new art form by integrating its extensive pinball industry experience with its artistic vision for a unique combination of art and technology.

About Stern Pinball, Inc.

Stern Pinball, Inc., headquartered just outside Chicago, Illinois, is the oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games in the world. Stern Pinball's highly talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and manufacture a full line of popular pinball games, merchandise and accessories. Recent Stern Pinball titles include WWE WrestleMania, The Walking Dead, Ford Mustang, Star Trek, Metallica, The Avengers, X-Men, AC/DC, Tron, Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, and Spiderman. A broad range of players enjoy Stern Pinball's games from professional pinball players who compete in high-stakes international competitions around the globe to novice players who are discovering the allure of the silver ball for the first time. To join the fun and learn more, please visit www.sternpinball.com.

All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies

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#2 9 years ago

FRX

Frax

Pinside member

Conyers, GA

12y 103K 16,662 2 9

Horrible... good luck Stern.

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23

#3 9 years ago

PPE

ff6735

Pinside member

10y 76,150 1,765 6

$6499

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2

#4 9 years ago

BRG

IdahoRealtor

Pinside member

Eagle, ID

13y 137K 6,773 11 10

Cool, but very pricey. Not for me.

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51

#5 9 years ago

BAX

bax

Pinside member

Ellsworth, ME

11y 39,650 234 30

Must be organic at that price!!

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2

#6 9 years ago

DUG

dug

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 91,050 2,238

I'm out!

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2

1

#7 9 years ago

ARS

Robotoes

Pinside member

Rutland, VT

9y 48,650 1,250

aaaahahahahahhahaha. they make 100 of these tops.

as if anyone thought they would actually sell a new pin under $5-6k?

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4

#8 9 years ago

MFM

MMuller

Inactive member

Fail

#9 9 years ago

PEA

alveolus

Pinside member

Oklahoma City, OK

12y 87,300 2,884 13 30

Price fail

0

9

#10 9 years ago

JLM

jlm33

Pinside member

Villejuif

11y 152K 5,892 7 169

$2-3k too expensive. Out.

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3

#11 9 years ago

000

DCfoodfreak

Pinside+ Pro!

12y 115K 9,906 8 15

No freaking way. Its insane.

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3

#12 9 years ago

JEN

Quiddity

Inactive member

Dallas, TX

11y 49,300 868 2 8

Not worth it to me. Can't even be sad about it, it's just too damn expensive for what it is.

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2

#13 9 years ago

AMC

Krakatoa

Pinside member

Framingham, MA

11y 63,400 363 81

So if MSRP is $6500, what does that make the street price - around $5300 delivered? Yikes.

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3

#14 9 years ago

RON

ronlisa

Pinside+ Frequent

Odessa, MO

13y 98,800 1,763 25 42

I had hoped to own one, but not at that price. OUCH!

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7

#15 9 years ago

ARS

thedefog

Pinside member

10y 93,350 5,673 72

This blows for pinball and Whizbang. $1500k too expensive. They will never sell these at that price.

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30

#16 9 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

11y 158K 58,784

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2

#17 9 years ago

KJS

Mudflaps

Pinside+ Frequent

Springfield, VA

11y 181K 8,671 5

$6500 has been mentioned a few times, but thanks for actually linking a real press release.

Waaaay too much, but looks like a fun game.

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6

#18 9 years ago

JMB

Monster_Bash

Pinside member

12y 79,800 2,564 23 17

Queue LOTRVE please!

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6

#19 9 years ago

FRX

Frax

Pinside member

Conyers, GA

12y 103K 16,662 2 9

Quoted from Monster_Bash:
Queue LOTRVE please!

Why bother... it will be 9k MSRP at this rate..

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29

#20 9 years ago

NML

NickBuffaloPinball

Buffalo Pinball

Buffalo, NY

13y 94,550 1,461 18 53

Let me get this straight: They want more money for a game that has even less features than a standard pro? God bless their optimism.

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#21 9 years ago

FRX

Frax

Pinside member

Conyers, GA

12y 103K 16,662 2 9

Quoted from NickBuffaloPinball:
Let me get this straight: They want more money for a game that has even less features than a standard pro? God bless their optimism.

Gotta pay for custom printed beer cans somehow...

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#22 9 years ago

PEA

alveolus

Pinside member

Oklahoma City, OK

12y 87,300 2,884 13 30

This screams for a pro model.

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2

#23 9 years ago

NDE

Spyderturbo007

Pinside member

9y 108K 5,648

$10k by Christmas.

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41

#24 9 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

11y 158K 58,784

Completed code does have it's price...

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#25 9 years ago

LEV

CrazyLevi

Crazy Levi's Pinball

New York, NY

10y 148K 33,527

Remains to be seen if this is a disaster or not. Seems to me the people complaining wouldn't have bought this thing at any reasonable price - I don't think you can expect a made in the USA commercial pinball machine of ANY sort to be produced at the kind of price that people in this thread would find appropriate.

It's a specialty game I doubt this thing was ever meant to be produced in huge numbers.

We'll see how it does but I think people dismissing it outright and being so flippant about it's prospects are jumping the gun.

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#26 9 years ago

FJB

FrankJ

Pinside member

Fremont, WI

11y 62,300 1,400 10

Get it now, could be 2025's BBB - with only 10 units sold.

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1

#27 9 years ago

SCT

nicoga3000

Pinside+ Frequent

Avon, IN

10y 73,550 2,202 1 7

Holy cow at that price.

Yikes.

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8

#28 9 years ago

000

DCfoodfreak

Pinside+ Pro!

12y 115K 9,906 8 15

Quoted from CrazyLevi:
Seems to me the people complaining wouldn't have bought this thing at any reasonable price

You are wrong. Look at their collections. Look at yours. These are folks with New Stern titles. Folks that like buying whats new. An EM game is not worth more than a Pro and Pros are already expensive.

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#29 9 years ago

JMB

Monster_Bash

Pinside member

12y 79,800 2,564 23 17

It screams something alright...

Quoted from alveolus:
This screams for a pro model.

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40

#30 9 years ago

FAV

bemmett

Pinside+ Addict

12y 127K 3,967 126 2

amazing.jpg

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#31 9 years ago

WLC

BMore-Pinball

Pinside member

12y 122K 4,981 33

It think it's priced too high for what it is. Of course I have not seen it in person, but I assume it's an older style EM type game. They probably can't sell it for 2-3K less and have everybody make a profit.

Wizbang has to pay stern & stern needs to make a profit also.

I would consider it under $4,000 if it's fun, but i doubt it can hold up to the newer games with ramps and toys galore.

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2

#32 9 years ago

DOG

Whysnow

Pinside member

12y 187K 35,338 30 1

overpriced is an understatement on this one.

How many will realistically sell at this price?

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#33 9 years ago

NIC

NicToria

Pinside+ Member

Osceola, IA

11y 61,550 789 26 6

Maybe a Texas Pinball reveal. ???

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2

#34 9 years ago

000

DCfoodfreak

Pinside+ Pro!

12y 115K 9,906 8 15

Quoted from CrazyLevi:
It's a specialty game

I agree. I was ready to pay 4k for a collectors item/ Novelty game. Just for the art. Gameplay no way. But 4k for an art piece is pushing it...to me.
As always you are right. A few buyers / collectors will come out.

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#35 9 years ago

ARS

thedefog

Pinside member

10y 93,350 5,673 72

Quoted from Whysnow:
How many will realistically sell at this price?

Maybe 50.

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3

#36 9 years ago

TEO

Teo76

Pinside+ Frequent

Sesto Calende

10y 66,900 203 61 8

$6500....????!!!!!

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#37 9 years ago

JLM

jlm33

Pinside member

Villejuif

11y 152K 5,892 7 169

Quoted from CrazyLevi:
Seems to me the people complaining wouldn't have bought this thing at any reasonable price - I don't think you can expect a made in the USA commercial pinball machine of ANY sort to be produced at the kind of price that people in this thread would find appropriate.

Not completely untrue. I don't think Stern ever considered the market for that game to be important. May be they were counting on a very limited number of units. 100? 200? Hence a higher price.

In that case, to justify that price tag, announce it will be one single run (a "LE" without a Pro or premium) and give a "exclusive club" incentive.

Still, I love this theme, its double-entendre, the artwork and the balls (or melons) it took to start this project!

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3

#38 9 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

11y 158K 58,784

Quoted from DCfoodfreak:
An EM game is not worth more than a Pro and Pros are already expensive.

I have paid more for an EM game than a new pro would cost. And some have sold for three times that much. But not this one. It's not even an EM.

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4

#39 9 years ago

000

DCfoodfreak

Pinside+ Pro!

12y 115K 9,906 8 15

Quoted from jlm33:
Still, I love this theme, its double-entendre, the artwork and the balls (or melons) it took to start this project!

The only reason I wanted to buy one. Its art! not 6500 art but art.

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4

#40 9 years ago

PEA

alveolus

Pinside member

Oklahoma City, OK

12y 87,300 2,884 13 30

Quoted from jlm33:
Not completely untrue. I don't think Stern ever considered the market for that game to be important. May be they were counting on a very limited number of units. 100? 200? Hence a higher price.
In that case, to justify that price tag, announce it will be one single run (a "LE" without a Pro or premium) and give a "exclusive club" incentive.
Still, I love this theme, its double-entendre, the artwork and the balls (or melons) it took to start this project!

Probably true, but I consider it a shame that they have priced so many potential buyers out of the market for such a cool and unique machine.

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2

#41 9 years ago

MPC

ninedeuce

Inactive member

Gilbert, AZ

11y 32,150 86 12

If anyone is interested in a project build at (potentially) less than the Stern build, I have the parts, but not the inclination to tackle the original conversion. I would consider selling these (and may make a for sale post). Let me know if there is any interest with a PM.

Parts:
Continental Cafe Game (Complete)
2nd run playfield
Plastics set
Backglass

Everything is still in as received from manufacturers condition. I'm in Phoenix, AZ.

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#42 9 years ago

JLM

jlm33

Pinside member

Villejuif

11y 152K 5,892 7 169

Quoted from o-din:
I have paid more for an EM game than a new pro would cost.

By the way, I paid $1050 for my Fireball
(Not CQ, but nice. Pictures to follow when home in a few weeks)

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#43 9 years ago

MOC

master_of_chaos

Pinside member

Überherrn

11y 50,550 500 51

So if Stern would build Predator, it would Cost 9000?

Come on, the development costs are ... whait...nearly zero... ?

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#44 9 years ago

SBS

o-din

Pinside+ Addict

11y 158K 58,784

Quoted from jlm33:
By the way, I paid $1050 for my Fireball

Good deal! That wasn't the machine I was referring to. and I didn't lose a cent when I sold it.
This machine reminds me of an early solid state that still has chimes. Those can be found for a dime a dozen.

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#45 9 years ago

RF

PinPlayer2

Pinside member

11y 36,050 409

Good Luck with that one STERN!

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2

#46 9 years ago

ABB

Aurich

Mods and Opinions

Torrance, CA

11y 144K 23,395 3

I'm curious to see the final product. I've only ever played the original EM conversion, I haven't seen what it's like with solid state guts. And I think it's very cool that Stern was able to bring this project to life.

It's a tough sell at that price to this crowd, I agree, but I don't think it's really aimed at 'normal' Stern collectors, it's a pretty different kind of game and conversation piece.

Maybe there's a market for collectors we're not seeing.

I had hoped that with the simpler parts etc that Stern would be able to make it more of a The Pin sort of deal, instead of a Premium price.

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2

#47 9 years ago

KHS

ZenTron

Pinside member

Boobies r expensive

3

#48 9 years ago

GRV

GravitaR

Pinside member

Saginaw, MI

12y 129K 2,920 31 71

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price ("MSRP") for the United States: US$6,499
Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons™ is available through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA