According to the 'making of' podcast, the sound engineer, Vikas Deo, has never done a pinball game before and his background is in slots. He and Joe readily admitted that Joe had to explain all aspects of pinball audio to Vikas and 'hold his hand' through each area.

Dialed In and Pirates did the same thing, just not an LCD screen below the glass. Simply moving the feature from one LCD to another LCD 12" below it isn't really feat worth calling innovative.

It looks like a great game, but I don't see anything new or special over previous JJP games in it.

IF it was not a sound bit in the move they should not of used it IMHO. How do you use sound unrelated to Willy Wonka in a Willy Wonka game? And JJP thought this was ok? The movie has plenty of audio/sounds to use and implement into pinball.
Ball drain could of been "I don't like the look of this".

I agree completely. I've only watched two videos on the game so far and this was the first thing I noticed. WOZ has all the characters or impersonations of each, doing all the call-outs and frankly I expected this and nothing less. This is a HUGE letdown for me as well.

This is my single biggest issue with the game. I was ready to pull the trigger on this game on day 1, then I HEARD the reveal. The layout, rules, lights, art all work for me BUT the sound. It's like a wall of sound that doesn't stop. Where is the ebb and flow? I didn't experience the build-up upon great achievements or sounds that felt like I was experiencing different parts of the movie. It felt like long monotonous wall of sound. Plus as others have mentioned, the audio from the movie clips doesn't seem to exist. Also, maybe it's just me, but the announcer sounds like some old guy they pulled off the street with no voice-work experience. Those generic call-outs were actually deflating instead of building excitement.

I'm used to WOZ and Hobbit and to me, the sound gap between those and WONKA is huge. I have my fingers crossed that the sounds will go through some major polish because that is all that stands between me and a purchase of this game.

Where is the iconic lines from the brats ?

Veruca - I WANT IT NOW

etc

Hell the music too..

Ken;

Anyone that was "angry" over a podcast really needs more things in life to worry about. You guys all called it like you saw it. Everyone has different tastes, everyone has different experiences, it is what makes us all unique. I really do think this game will get better over time, and many love it just the way it is. we are all grown adults and we all need to be responsible for our own decisions....right or wrong.

Now with that said, I had to chuckle about JJP inviting all of the podcasters in for a sneak peek....does anyone not see the irony in how this happened in comparison to the Wonka story? lol They all found the golden mic and got let into the secret world. You got to play the games, eat some pizza, and have a little fun. Maybe telling JJP the game needed work and offering suggestions was the correct answer to the "test" and you would have been invited to run JJP! lol (Just a bit of Wonka Humor)

Oh man how many games have I worked on that we shouldn't have made?

AP: Can't show 3 or 4 of the best animations in the game. Oh well, better not do it.
TSPP: Can only have 3 voice actors. Sorry, Marge, Lisa, Burns, many others. Oh well, better not do it.
LOTR: Can't get movie shots from ROTK. Can't get Ian McKellen. Oh well, better not do it.
Elvis: "Elvis wouldn't have said that." Oh well, better not do it.
WOZ: Everyone's dead and can't find anyone that sounds like them. Oh well, better not do it.
Hobbit: No one associated with the movie will even look at your email for < $100K. Oh well, better not do it.
JJPOTC: No assets with people in them. Oh well, better not do it.

Relax dude...it will get better. part of being out in the public eye is taking some of the criticism. Everyone making pinball knows full well going into development they are not going to make everyone happy 100% of the time. Use that passion to make the game irresistible to even the worst critics..........

1 magnet is above the upper left flipper to catch the ball.

the other 6 are split 3 and 3 underneath the 2 small lights sections of the playfield.

Cherish it.. you're getting a bargin!

I am assuming/hoping the call outs and videos will be better integrated in the final code
If not - that's a huge fail - unless there is a licensing issue that is holding them back

That is pretty funny when you put it like that, haha! I didn't turn purple and expand or drown in a chocolate river so I have that going for me. Thanks, Manimal.

That is my thought, as well. If more movie assets are integrated (especially obvious ones, like Wilder yelling 'Jackpot!' instead of the voice actor), then i think everything will be fine. My order is in, either way.

Dude... I've been doing this for 20 years, sometimes you just have to call out the absurdity.

Part of the problem is that most of these “insiders” are relatively new to the hobby and don’t seem have much knowledge of anything other than what’s been released in the last 8-10 years. I don’t know if the gobble mech is like the ToM trunk, but that’s the first thing that came to mind when I saw it (forgetting the fact that it’s not actually a gobble hole unless you like the ball). For the most part, pinball design has been evolutionary, not revolutionary but that clearly was t what the Wonka hype suggested.

IMO, the pre-release hype hurt Wonka far more than it helped. About the only thing the hype train had going for it was the the game was coming from JJP who seem to be the most likely manufacturer these days to develop and include toys potentially worthy of the hyperbole. Fortunately I don’t think it will hurt the game in the long run as people seem to have moved from “it isn’t what I thought” to “let me see what’s here” and it seems like most who like the theme like what they see. I’m waiting to play it before deciding but it seems like most of the major complaints are addressable with software and use of IP assets (I have some quibbles with the art but they aren’t fatal flaws).

It seems every new game is met with “Best game ever” and “Worst game ever” with fanboys and haters pushing both extreme viewpoints, neither of which is helpful (or true). If a product is good, it doesn’t need hype. Most hyped products can never meet initial expectations and some fail just because of exactly that. Take the “Joe Friday just the facts ma’am” approach along with good marketing and let a game speak for itself. I want to hear from the design team and people involved in producing the game not people who may be temporarily awed and blinded by the new toy in the room.

(And, yes I know Joe Friday never actually said that ...)

Dude I just wanted to quote you because I LOVE JJ and want you to see it, I am so in on this game... I keep hitting the Buy it button but then remember I need to pay for it - so the Premium I like the ball stealing feature from game to game, but that price increase is a tad hard for me to get to right now, will the ball be virtually locked between games as well like the physical ball or am I not understanding it right?

They really did nail the CE looks, in my opinion. I won't ever spend that kind of crazy money on a pinball machine -- but I really can't say I blame people who do.

Gene Wilder Wonka was clearly the correct marketing choice.

For me, the Danny Elfman Music of the Burton Wonka would make for much cooler mode/multiball music.

Imagine Augustus Gloop Multiball with this friggin' Bollywood type music! I'd love it....but more people love the original Wonka.

Mike TeaVee's song could go head to head with Black Knight Sword of Rage lol

LOL...I completely understand, and I know you have been doing it for 20 years......but you can't tell me in all of those years you haven't come to expect this on just about any high profile reveal. You can't make everyone happy, and you know that....absurdity? absolutely, but that is what this forum is about sometimes. My point was not to take anything you read here to heart...don't let it dull your passion and what drives you. There isn't a soul here attacking you personally....just a bunch of people with too much time and money trying to convince the world our opinion counts for something, when in realty it does not.

It’s the whole effect. A bright light shines at you as it sucks you into the camera like what you would have seen in the movie. Then you see yourself travel through the big screen and down into the wonkavision screen. This is different/new.

I also heard it’s not polished yet.

Also this was 60% code shown. It would not surprise me if final code is like “Hobbit” all over again where it’s like a whole different game. When it starts shipping in June and we see much more completed code, I’m betting a lot of people will jump into a purchase.

JJP does not half ass code. They will get it right.

Plus over here you have everybody endlessly yammering their opinions... annoying as it is this is a good thing.

It could be like the Black Knight thread where it's already turned into crickets.

I was also ruined by the over hype and was on the list for a CE which I cancelled for now. This is not a bad pin by any means. We just have to look at it for what it is. I think this all boils down to JJP needing to produce a pin with a better profit margin that scratches the surface of the coin-op market as well as enthusiasts, to convince their investors to stay in for the long haul. If that was the goal then they hit all of it but the enthusiasts. Unfortunately they decided to become more practical with a dream theme that had potential to be so much more. Many enthusiasts have an emotional connection with the Wonka theme, which automatically raises the bar on what would wow them or even satisfy them. That is hard to live up to, when you have to make a certain amount of profit and keep pricing from going up. We all know JJP is capable of the creativity and engineering necessary to blow us away, but my guess is they had to make some grown up decisions and think of the longevity of the company this time.

A lof of us had bigger visions for the toys and coding in this pin, but if you look at the mechs they did include:

Gobstopper - solid piece that sits on top of a spinning motor - easy to mass produce cheaply.
Wonkavision - A mini LCD which they always include anyway - all they had to do was put a white sparkly frame around it - easy to mass produce cheaply.
Wonkavator - A simple modular mechanical design with a sticker that looks like the real wonkavator on it - again easier to mass produce than a real one.
Vertical LED Wonka sign - Small modular unit, look easy and cheaper to mass produce and has a different design than we have seen before.

There is a common theme with all of these, "cost effective". I seriously would have paid over 12k if it was a grand slam on this theme. Perhaps they could have made an enthusiast version done right for more $$ and the current version for coin-op at the lower price point?

To outdo WOZ's theme integration or POTC mechanics, they would have needed more licensing rights and done a real model of a wonkavator that can receive the ball and move it to an upper playfield or something along those lines. Perhaps an "eggdicator" that could drop the ball into a trap door when you exit the upper playfield. They would have needed a multiball for each character (again more licensing) that incorporates each one's sub theme and ultimate demise. You have a golden ticket collected for each of those mini wizard modes or perhaps the main object of each one to collect (Veruca's golden egg, Violet's gum , Augustus's chocolate river, Mike's TV) and then "Pure Imagination" would be triggered after those are collected. The final touch would be a better narrator or actually use more character callouts.

I'm not seeing any problem here Keith . *

* just pulling' your leg!

I missed the post above that they'd already spotted this and it was sent to JJP from WB, lol:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/willy-wonka-reveal-details/page/17#post-4940366

-------------------------------------------

The typo is also there on the back box side panels as shown at 2:22 in the STDM video...

And some of the character callouts seem half-assed.

Veruca- Snozzberries!... and that’s it..? Why not use the entire quote?

“Snozzberries! Who ever heard of a snozzberry?!”

Violet- Spittings a dirty habit....

Why not finish that with Wilder saying “I know a worse one”

Etc

The only thing that doesn't look JJP to me is the 'factory' diverter. Wish that thing was a model of some sort that extended to the inside wall of the machine, like the WOZ munchkin huts. The plastic stickered box isn't to JJP's normal standards. @yelobird, take my money.

inviting the podcast gang in to review the machine was not a great choice, they are enthusiasts rather than professional journalists like Martin or Jonathan who would have given a more measured assessment of the game. But no matter what anyone basing a 10K purchase on something that you haven't played is just stupid.

Neil.

I wonder if the solution is just a stronger embargo. Don't say you've been, don't say you've played it. Sit on that info till release, if you want to be invited back.

I have had several games powdercoated here in Belgium at a professional powdercoater who also does work for the government and I never had to pay more than 140 euro, no matter how much parts there were. That was including special acidbath to get the black coating off but was not the sparkling kind of powdercoat as they need to order them specifically for one job and that is more expensive as they do not use that normally. But they do have 50+ colors to choose from.

Pinball is like Apple, everything they sell is more expensive than it should be. Radcals for 400 dollars (I estimate 30 dollars to make), powdercoating, led strips for hundreds of dollars etc. But if people like it and want to pay for it, why not.

They weren't going for objective reviews... they were going for exactly what they got. Promotion.

Jersey jack Pinball did not invite me in to "review" the game. I was invited in to record a panel discussion with the creative team for our podcast. I tried to explain that a few posts ago. I am absolutely a pinball enthusiast. I look for concepts whenever possible versus harping on failures. I shared my thoughts honestly without bias from anyone at JJP. I take the time out of my life to host a weekly pinball podcast because I love pinball. I have never tried to suggest I am a professional reviewer or journalist.

You guys do a great job

Anybody that takes time from daily life to do these podcasts is either F ing nuts or loves pinball or both

For the record, I do know Ken and Bill well enough to say they would never shill for anyone, especially for a sneak peek and pizza. As I said, they called it like they saw it, and we are all adult enough to make up our own minds. Did JJP invite them as a form of promotion....probably so, but I don't think the intent was to use anyone to over-hype the game. I really do think they were listening to the criticism regarding the way they reveal these games, and they were trying to do something new to embrace the pinball community. Based on the number of viewers to the reveal stream, I would think the idea worked on one level, but I don't know how to tweak it so folks don't have this huge build-up in their own minds and then get let down when willy Wonka himself doesn't jump out of the game and hand you an ever lasting gobstopper.

Ordered a CE from Automated. Game looks great. Reminds me of being a kid again. I’ll take that in this day and age. Lots of great games to choose from these days. That’s a good thing.

You really have to give JJP credit for making the effort to make pinball great again. From a playfield side of things there isn't much more that they could do right. Its a brilliant and ORIGINAL layout however there aint much in the way of new innovative toys or new concepts.

The issue with this game, and most others prior is that they are trying to do too much at once in the code. I think people were a little let down due to the lack of focus of the theme within the game due to too much going on at the same time. This MB stacking I think is the main problem here, like that of POTC as well. There is so much happening that the theme gets pushed aside. Imagine if on Maiden that Mummy, Trooper and Cyborg were all stacked. It just would not be as good.

Just my 2 cents but I was all about getting an LE and have changed my mind after the reveal. I have to say I was not riding the hype train because I haven't done that since Transformers. I was however expecting so much more from this machine because of past JJP machines having so much content and toys in them that I feel this one has fallen flat on its face. Especially since they are still charging the same $ for the LE/CE. I am in the camp of they totally bombed on the sound package which also means to me not a very good theme integration. The rules seem more geared toward collecting wonka bars and not as much of the factory tour which is very disappointing and yes I know the code isn't done yet but I can't see them scrapping most of what is there and starting over. The people that say it sounds like a slot machine are spot on and that sucks as does the announcer guy that is always interrupting what good sounds are in there. I really hate what they did with the pop bumper sounds as I wish they would have used the umpa loompa songs for each kid. Also the lack of interactive mechs (Toys) doesn't help I mean the giant spinning gobstopper is boring and frankly just sad. Sure the floor opening for the "gobble hole" is a cool feature but making it "the most secret machine" and it looks nothing like it to me is also a fail. I think it would have been better as some type of molded bash toy that turned and opened up that hole instead of that blue pad garbage. I hope everyone that gets one will be happy with it but from my perspective this machine is way over priced compared to previous ones and no I'm not comparing it to any other company.

Good overview of the rules.. i like the direction they are going and there looks to be alot of ways to approach the game.

https://www.thisweekinpinball.com/willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory-deep-dive-overview-rules-features-images-more/

well said Keith

Exactly what I envisioned.

The lack of immersion in their coding of modes has been the let down for me lately, POTC being the worse case. The modes on POTC have no emotion to them let alone meaning.. Just shots convoluted by stacking multiballs. IMO this really takes you out of the experince. I wanna feel invested in the modes other than points.

Wonka Diverter (resized).jpg

100% agree! That little acrylic box is my only gripe with the entire playfield. Surely, there has to be a better looking solution!

As much as I'd like to see the Wonkatania or the Wonkamobile (where's the love for the Wonkamobile in this game?!) somewhere on the playfield, I don't think they'd fit in there next to the giant Everlasting Gobstopper. Maybe an unopened case of Wonka Bars? But, again, there's a problem of scale being next to the Gobstopper.

Keep it as the factory entrance, I guess, but get rid of the acrylic case and have it look like an actual detailed building with something other than a flat roof. All metal, like with the house in WoZ?

Here's hoping the modders come up with something better!

Or just "Golden Ticket" Multiball.

Ok, a little dust has settled and more time to get over my self imposed expectations. Started viewing over more pictures and video with a more open mind. And now I got to say. Damn! That artwork on the CE just nails it for me. They really did a good job. The LE is pretty good also. But like usual, I'm a secondhand SE/Pro buyer. Also looking over all the shots. It looks a lot more packed with shots then I first though. And lastly, it has Wonka vision in it. This part is exactly how I pictured it in my head. Allentown is gonna be a long two days standing in line to play this and BKSOR.

The problem with that is that you're also collecting five golden tickets on your own in order to get to the Pure Imagination wizard mode.

How do you know? They haven't showed the CE to anyone yet.

"But Easter is over." — Mike Teavee