Grand Rapids, MN
Theme and funability are the top drivers in what ends up in my home.
(Topic ID: 28794)
Maybe this should be a poll?
Although it's looking rather 50/50.
Me - Well I own WCS and I'm hoping to pick up a Shadow real soon.....so theme is not a huge deal. Bang for the Buck is were I'm at.....for now.
Although if I hated the theme that would probably be a no-go. Can't think of any of the top of my head that I actively hate though.
Play trumps theme but if you can get both then perfect.
Villejuif
My go / no go criteria would rather be the backglass than the theme. This may look odd, but that's the first thing I see.
No way I could ever consider buying Hardbody, Raven, Bay Watch or Special Force for example... but why not a pin with the same theme and an alternative backglass ?
So yes, I think I could buy a pin with a theme I hate. But it should have a beautiful backglass.
Yeah, I guess there is a difference between HATE and just not being a fan of the theme. I'm not a fan of Johnny Mnemonic, but I don't HATE the movie. Maybe that's the difference. There are very few things I actually HATE. I guess I'd probably never own a mayonnaise themed machine, damn!
Game play is king with me. As long as the theme is integrated well, a good player is better than a good theme that plays badly.
Quoted from Chrizg:I like WWF Royal Rumble but I don't care for the theme.
Same here on WWF, love the game,hate the theme. I guess theme is not the only thing that matters to me.
Quoted from Chrizg:I like WWF Royal Rumble but I don't care for the theme.
Same here on WWF, love the game,hate the theme. TFTC is a great game but the show was not great. I guess theme is not the only thing that matters to me.
Absolutely yes. I'm into pinball for the play, not the theme.
I don't care for fishing, pro football or soccer, but just love playing Monday night Football, Fish Tales, and World Cup Soccer.
On the other side of the coin, I don't automatically like a pin for it's theme over the game play.
Breda, Holland
If i ever will buy a nib it would have all i want in a pinballmachine.
Fun lay out, good code, great theme, great gameplay.
Any of this not there, i wont buy it. Its to much money for me, when i go for it, it has to be perfect.
Only a very few machines ever made would pass this for me, like Ac dc, adams familie, lord oftherings, fishtales maybe.
Dont get me wrong, i like to play and have almost every machine, but when i have to pay and suffer for the savings, it will be only 5 or 6 pins i would pay the money for.
That is cause almost every pin has something i dont like.
Dislike yes, hate probably not unless it was such a great deal that I knew I could flip it for more cash later as it might be somebody else's favorite.
Example: CV - Really hate that theme and would not want to own it. If one came up for 3k, then I would reconsider as it has enough value I could get something I really wanted later.
Theme is nearly all important to me. Gotta love the theme or I won't like the machine. That said, I like most sic fi or action themes so I'm petty fortunate. I'd struggle to get into fish tails or a golf game.
Quoted from mcclad:I really liked STTNG but would never own the machine because I hated the show. (Please put down the torches and pitchforks its just my opinion.) Same thing with DR. Who. Or the Rolling Stones and Austin Powers. It is kind of foolish since there are some games that I really liked how they played but I could not stand the theme. I would have a REALLY hard time putting down some cold hard earned cash for a STTNG because I would hate looking at it. I wish that I had never put quarters into the damn game. So with that being said, would any of you buy a game that you loved/hated?
I thought the same way, but got it and the game is just too good to not have at some point.
Sometimes an oddball theme can just right. Future Spa looks insanely stupid, but recently I thought what the heck. I heard it plays well, and the art (for all its gut-wrenching tackiness) is actually top quality Paul Faris/Dave Christensen content.
Sunshine
Quoted from TigerLaw:Theme is nearly all important to me. Gotta love the theme or I won't like the machine. That said, I like most sic fi or action themes so I'm petty fortunate. I'd struggle to get into fish tails or a golf game.
Agree,'theme is nearly all important to me' ,but I'm the other way.No sci fi with licensed characters or a car theme.Adventure titles? whitewater IJ ...yes please!
personal choice,it's all good.
if you hate the theme don't buy the pin!
event though gameplay comes first, theme is important also.
I would not buy a game with a theme that I hate.
That said, I can only think of three examples of themes that I hate; Family Guy, Kiss and Dr Who. Of those none are what I would consider great playing games except maybe Dr Who. I am not a big fan of the playfield on FG or the mini zizzle playfield; otherwise I would maybe get a Shrek at some point. I've had my fill of Shrek and Dr Who at friend's houses. Kiss I have never played and don't care to try.
I liked the WoZ movie as a kid and I don't "hate" per say the theme, but I was out the minute the theme was announced. Theme definitely kept me from buying that game sight unseen. Even still, I might have some day bought WoZ if the gameplay was great. From what I have seen it is not my style of play and I really dislike that big monitor and the sound/music. I will be happy to play WoZ (I have three friends who are getting one), but I seriously doubt I will ever own one unless I win lotto and my collection grows to triple digits.
Quoted from TaylorVA:Could care less about theme.
I think you meant to say "Couldn't" care less about theme.
Quoted from fazed:For example, I would never own a Green Bay Packer themed pin, no matter how fun it was.
Same here, but a Chargers pin. I'm sure it would reset every time at Ball 3 especially in Cleveland.
Weitersburg
No, I wouldn't buy it. To me gameplay AND theme are important.
Of course I may enjoy playing games with themes I dislike (e.g. superhero themes or most sports themes). But if I'm going to actually buy a pinball, I have to like the theme.
STTNG. Love the game but dont really care about the show. Why wasnt it a star wars instead? 
I thought CSI was a pretty lame theme. Had no interest in game. Then I played it. Hmmm. Weird game, cool shots. Theme, not as bad as I thought. Then I bought it. Theme is cool and game rocks. Ya just never know. Kinda like this Matthew Sweet lyric: "you've come to love what you used to hate. You've come to find what you threw away."
I think WoF, WPT and 24 are even worse themes than CSI...and I like all those games too, and would own them all under the right circumstances.
Quoted from -Raul-:Raul give this his mark of Wisdom
Its about time Raul got his own handle. And to stay on topic, I used to not be a fan of older movie themes such as TS & JM. After some time looking at the Bang Per Buck page, JM is right there up on my wishlist. Great gameplay with an unfortunate lame-o theme.
Would you consider a game if it had great gameplay but you HATED the theme?
I bought a WOZ, so I guess so, GOD I hope Jack fixes that music.
Only way I would own a pin with great gameplay and a horrible annoying theme is if the price was fairly low (relatively), and I knew I could play it for a while and then sell it without losing money.
I would drop some coins in a "good gameplay / bad theme pin" out in the wild just to check out the gameplay.
Quoted from zippydapinhead:Would you consider a game if it had great gameplay but you HATED the theme?
I bought a WOZ, so I guess so, GOD I hope Jack fixes that music.
I played it twice at PPE and I felt like I was stuck on the "It's A Small World" ride at Disneyland.
Can't stand anything about the show Baywatch, but in pinball form it's really fun and I enjoyed the one I owned.
Quoted from pinster68:Sometimes an oddball theme can just right. Future Spa looks insanely stupid, but recently I thought what the heck. I heard it plays well, and the art (for all its gut-wrenching tackiness) is actually top quality Paul Faris/Dave Christensen content.
Future Spa is a gem. It's a scoring game that'll kick your ass when you're not destroying it!
Quoted from TheFamilyArcade:Future Spa is a gem. It's a scoring game that'll kick your ass when you're not destroying it!
Sounds like a perfect candidate to put next to my Paragon. Complementary gameplay, contradictory artwork. Gutsy macho-medieval meets neo-fitness disco palace.
Thinking of it more... Hard to answer that question. 2 self-contradicting cases:
Well, I do not like Transformers at all - could not stand being close to TV while my kids were watching it. But I guess I could buy that pin. Art is so-so, but I enjoy the game enough to overcome my reluctance.
An entirely different proposition would be a new Kiss Stern pin (well, if this is not a joke...can't believe it). NO WAY...Or else it would have to be greatest game of all times, and an alternative translite showing anything but Kiss could help as well.
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