Quoted from lordloss:LTG is spot on.
Years and years worth of innovation and designs have been lost, happens to every company. Look at the recent release of Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD. They had to recreate the entire game from scratch since they didn't have most of the original files.
The ROMs all exist, even if the source code is lost. Emulation already exists. You don't need the code if you can commit to just re-releasing exact duplicates, with no code changes.
Quoted from TigerLaw:(Also, for some odd reason people forget that MB was a licensed theme . . . I've never understood why that is the situation for that game.)
Is Monster Bash licensed or just the monsters? Some games are kind of a cross between original/licensed. CFTBL comes to mind.
Quoted from TigerLaw:There are about 20 people doing this already so I have heard on RGP...I don't know any details and am not one of them.
Agreed; but MM and AFM contort the view of that fact in the eyes of many current collectors. (Also, for some odd reason people forget that MB was a licensed theme . . . I've never understood why that is the situation for that game.)
I know people have tried securing parts and doing a conversion but have not seen many people posting success stories doing conversions. Its entirely possible but to make one conversion you almost need one donor MM machine and those just do not exist in sufficient quantity.
Quoted from LTG:Now that is funny.
If it was, somebody would be doing it.
Game is designed - really ? Where are the designs ? Look at how many of the Williams parts JJP had to redesign because stuff was missing. Programming is done. A lot of the other stuff might be lost. And work around obsolete things.
Then the costs to get all the parts, tool up a line. Build the games. Probably get you up around $8K or more.
And then you are back to square one. How many will you actually sell. 20 ? 30 ? People that have a MM or paid huge money to get one won't. People with money will always want an original. And there would have to be changes. Remember Wayne couldn't use the Williams logo on it, so he was going to use Bally.
And you'd likely have to sell 500 to a 1,000 to make it happen.
I'd like to see it happen. The only way would be out of China or something so you could get the cost down to $4K. Then they'd fly off the shelf.
LTG : )
I don't buy it. If Stern and JJP can build games from scratch while employing whole factories filled with artists, designers, animators, engineers, programmers, musicians, manual labor, etc and sell those games for $7k-$8k....rebuilding a game like MM and selling it for less than that would still be profitable. You don't have to pay anyone to design it, program it, animate it, score it. That was all done 15 years ago. Just gotta build it. Jack has a factory...contract him to do it, cut him in on the profits. Most of the parts are available or have been repro'd already...make new ones for the parts that aren't...again - just gotta make 'em, don't even have to design them. You think they'd sell 30!?!? HAHA... They'd sell tons...it's the one game that pretty much everyone into pinball wants to have. If I listed a shitty used MM for $7k, 500 people would probably Email me to buy it. 
Sell a brand spankin' new one for 7k? They'd fly off the shelves.
The only reason it hasn't been done yet IMO is due to rights madness and Wayne's incompetence. He's out of the picture, I feel that better players are at hand...make some money. I'll be first in line to buy one. 
Quoted from vid1900:95% of Williams' talent works for Stern now.
So in a lot of ways, Stern "is" Williams (but with higher quality games out of the box, better sound, more memory....)
If Williams reopened the pinball division tomorrow, who would they employ? Not Ritchie, not Kordek, not Gomez, not Sheats
Me train me damn it all I got is time and talent. Fund me I'll build a pinball company from the ground.
Quoted from jjsrt8:Me train me damn it all I got is time and talent. Fund me I'll build a pinball company from the ground.
Www.kickstarter.com or ask for prepayment of games and see what happens. Have access to a Lawyer handy.
Quoted from MrBally:http://Www.kickstarter.com or ask for prepayment of games and see what happens. Have access to a Lawyer handy.
Ehh I'd rather do it with my own money start small build up. If the demand is there then bam orders then make it bigger. But I need help I have designs some know how and artistic skills to be set forward.
Quoted from TigerLaw:There are about 20 people doing this already so I have heard on RGP...I don't know any details and am not one of them.
Agreed; but MM and AFM contort the view of that fact in the eyes of many current collectors. (Also, for some odd reason people forget that MB was a licensed theme . . . I've never understood why that is the situation for that game.)
Not really for AFM; because if you look at the production numbers relative to licensed themes (mfg. in the same time) the License theme still sold 30% more units. For MM that is one that you could argue because it sold about 30% more (In the same time frame) but the volume was so low either way for both units in terms of total numbers relative to a licensed theme. You could probably argue it is in the noise. They really don't contort anything. Collectors think they are the "Sh@@". But in reality they were an average Williams release with average game play. Pretty much sold on par as the division was being liquidated and closed.
Quoted from markmon:So since the code is not being used, what's the harm in letting someone modify it and give it out for free? Maybe it will rekindle interests in some older machines which would in turn sell more parts etc. What's the downside?
Exactly. PPS doesn't have to put in the time/resources to do this - people in the community will (I know I'd give it a shot).
A basic license agreement should be all it takes to protect any patents still in effect and release PPS from any liability.
Would be awfully cool if we could start generating custom ROMS...
Quoted from robertmee:PPS, JJP or Stern don't even have to build the games. Put all the unique parts together in a Kit (PF, BG, mech's, wiring harness, plastic sets. decals) and sell them for $5K...Use a $2K NBA and you're out the door with a $7K MM, and noone had to build anything but the individual owners.
The rarity of NBA would skyrocket.
Quoted from LTG:If it were possible. If it were profitable. It would already be happening.
LTG : )
Absolutely.
Quoted from LTG:Then why isn't anyone doing it ?
LTG : )
Like I said...Wayne sucks...but that era's over. Lots of new pin companies and people throwing wads of money at them. It will happen.
Quoted from Rarehero:The only reason it hasn't been done yet IMO is due to rights madness and Wayne's incompetence. He's out of the picture, I feel that better players are at hand...make some money. I'll be first in line to buy one.
I'll be second. I have my distributor on speed dial.
Quoted from LTG:Then why isn't anyone doing it ?
LTG : )
Send a complete MM to China and it would happen. Hell, Stern could do it easily here.
The potential lawsuits over "rights" and other bickering keeps a lot of good ideas from happening.
It could be done easier and cheaper than designing and building the next unknown pin.
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