As stated in this thread by others, Maiden is a retheme, of Archer.

Also someone else brought up a good point. Maiden’s reception as a theme is very reminiscent of Dialed In where folks often state the game’s weakest link is it’s theme.

The Pro looks great. Can’t wait to see what they do to the Premium & possibly buy one. I am going to look into swapping out the songs for instrumentals if I buy it but would prefer a retheme from the jump.

However, theme isn’t everything. To me the ultimate theme is Star Wars but I didn’t buy one even with space, funds & wife approval all 3 perfectly aligned.

Wait... what if Maiden was rethemed as Star Wars?

I’m all for the re-theme idea. The game itself looks awesome. So much so, it made me second guess buying GOTG, which I was about to do...
I don’t like the music or the art package. I don’t want my kids to take one look at it and have nightmares for a month.
Theme holds sway. It makes me consider buying an arguably generic GOTG and not buy an awesome Iron Maiden pin.

A re-theme would depend on who programs it.

What's sort of ironic is that Keith was originally going to do GOTG but the timing didn't work out so he got the next one up.

Stern has done it in the past. It makes sense to me that when you have a great layout, use it for several themes. Band themes are popular so just use the same layout for several band themes. Keep the same basic rules and just change out the art and songs. I'm really liking the layout of Iron Maiden but still on the fence about the theme. Metal bands do go good with pinball but just not sure about this one. It's better than a lot of other themes used for pinball, I will give it that. Just not really what I am into at all.

You're saying all those games from the 80s and 90s everyone loves the licensed content?? Who knew Demolition Man and the Flintstones movies were such loved properties...

I wonder what Keith thinks of a retheme... It looks like he poured his heart and soul into the layout of Archer and really did a great job of tying the shots, toys, mechs, etc. to the Archer theme. While Iron Maiden is most definitely a version of that Archer layout, it is by no means the Archer layout. With the toys and mechs that were removed, simply "retheming" Iron Maiden to make it Archer I think would fall incredibly short of his original vision. If it was me, I'd have a hard time being excited about an Archer retheme of the game if it was missing all of the awesome toys and mechs that had been originally intended for it.

I have very mixed feelings. On the one hand, I'd probably prefer to have them focus on something new. On the other hand, I love the layout of Iron Maiden. I know it's not Archer, but I think they did a pretty damn good job of scaling it back. It's perhaps the most excited I've been for a layout in quite some time. I also dislike the theme. If they could somehow flip a switch and just give it a more generic Mummy theme with original background music, I'd instantly be more interested. Actually, that might be enough to get me to buy my first NIB.

Better watch what you wish for. If that was to happen and it went over big Stern would have 1 playfield layout per year and 10 different sets of decals.

I have never seen so much whining in my life. If you don't like IM music or it makes you physically ill, buy any one of the other 7 games Stern is producing or wait for the next one.
No one cares about your FEELINGS towards IM. I can't stand Elvis music, but I still play the pin occasionally when the opportunity presents itself and I don't whine on message boards thinking any else cares....

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And none of us give a shit that you don't care aboot our feelings.

Stern shouldn't (have to) re-theme because a small majority didn't get their way. Don't like IM? Sorry, maybe next time... That being said I don't remember this amount of disdain with any other music theme pin released to date (not even Aerosmith). Which is crazy to me because IM has arguably the *best* most fleshed out source material and music of any music themed pinball machine EVER CREATED.

I would rather stern let Keith do Archer and use a completely new design. I’m hoping the innovation in Iron Maiden raises the bar for all future titles.

Neither have I. One thing I have learned in the past month is that Maiden fans are very sensitive about people not liking Maiden. They are a very whiney fan base. Must be the old age.

There’s always so much bitching...

I hate fishing and Fish Tales. Is my favorite game. I love Guardians if the Galaxy and do not like the game. I live Iron Maiden, I am lukewarm on the game right now.

And yes I have played it.

There is so much more to a theme than the art on it. This would be a huge amount of work, and I doubt Stern would spend the resource.

And really, get over it. I have two games (Metallica and AC/DC) from bands I didn't like that much. It all came down to rules and gameplay. The rules on both are amazing, and that leads to the fun and interesting stuff. If this one ends up that good, I won't care that I don't like Iron Maiden. It take a really bad theme like Avatar (I hate it) to spoil a game for me.

I don't mind re-themes with the same rules and different art, visuals and sound at all, as long as it's not overdone. Family Guy and Shrek: fine. Iron Maiden and other theme: fine by me. Metallica and other theme would be fine by me too. As long as they only do it if a game proofs to play well and is very well received (clearly better then average) and it's just 2 versions for different people who may not like a band or theme, I think it's a good idea. Just don't do it every game.

Edit: to me it also depends on how much work it'd be. Do they save a lot resources by not having to do rules and layout, or does it take so much effort you'd almost just as well develop a completely new game? I'd say only rewriting software for cal outs and visuals, saves a lot of time. (but creating new visuals and call outs probably still takes quite a lot of time too).

No, because not only is theme is already awesome, but a re-theme would take away valuable personnel resources at Stern which could instead be working on their next release. This shit ain't easy, people. It takes a lot of time and resources to create all the artwork and video that go into these games. Plus, two versions means double software support, double inventory stock, etc.. It's just a bad idea. If really can't live with the theme, sit this one out. Keith will design another one.

It does... I mean besides the music part

I'm generally against re-skins/re-themes mainly because I don't want to see Stern get (more) lazy and start doing that regularly. Those take time, money, and new ideas (for rules, modes, themes, etc) out of the picture that could be used on the next truly new title. I'd really just prefer they pump out unique titles - if you hate IMDN then just wait for the next release.

You could argue they already have done this with other main games - KISS/AS, Tron/Xmen, MET/GOTG, etc, and some of those worked out ok, but they at least had some differences in layout with unique rules, etc. A true cut and paste would be even more disappointing.
Again, I'd just prefer to see them make a game, then move on to the next one vs get bogged down with rehashing games over and over.

I can understand disappointment when you see the new hotness, from a new exciting designer like Keith, come out with a theme you just can't stand though. It's not like this will be the only machine from Stern for the next year or more though - well see another new one in a few months...

Not sure I'd want to encourage more "generic" themes from them, but a lot of these band themes in particular are going to be pretty polarizing, at least for home users. If their bread and butter is truly operators then I guess this becomes less important, I'll drop a few quarters in almost any game I see in the wild on location...

One mans garbage is another mans gold! I see you own DI and that is a "turd" theme to me, but many others like it. The world would be a boring place if we all liked the same things. Why not just be happy for all of us IMDN fans who finally got our game.

I played the pro multiple times at MGC. I couldnt hear the music or call outs. The art, playfield and possibly the rules are great on this game. Interesting enough to possibly buy this game.

Ive been trying to listen to Iron Maiden. The instruments sound like bands I do like. But the vocals. I had a discussion with a coworker that is an Iron Maiden fan thats not into pinball. The conclusion was, there was a time and a place when Iron Maiden or some other metalish bands would appeal to you. But in current times its hard to appreciate this band when I never listened to them before.

I think the Eddie character is pretty cool. I even tried watching some live Iron Maiden. Its not clicking.

I would love a Masonic game, but it would have to be done correctly and I'm not convinced that it would be. However, a game is a game, and that's the way it is. If you start retheming every single game then you'll have another El Diablo situation on your hands except with newer games.

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I respect you don’t like Avatar...but it's probably the most-watched film in the world or the most box-office hit. what I mean is that this film brings together a large majority of fans. Iron Maiden is far from unanimous musically.
For me, Stern ruined 3 games in a row and should have associated archer layout with SW or GOTG theme.

How many you are?

This is a horrible example. Avatar is one of the poster childs for 'high box office, but not praised/adored'. It doesn't really have fans.. it's panned for being a rip off of another story, and it's value was really about technology+time+place in movie production.

There is almost no title that is 'unanimously' adored... so not sure why anyone would consider that comparison even valid. Every title picked appeals to AN audience, not ALL audiences.

KISS is another great example... huge following, but hated by many too.

I agree, they don’t have to do anything. But, I am actually surprised that Stern doesn’t do more re-themes. It would be way cheaper to make multiple themes with the same design rather than creating whole new designs every time.

Make this same, great design with an alternate theme. Archer, Bob’s Burgers, Rick & Morty, Led Zeppelin...whatever. It would dramatically increase sales of this design.

Simply put, many people want this design but not this theme.

Signed,

Russell, theme-whore.

Sorry but this is because of my poor english that I can’t manage to express my thoughts as I would like

Yes, Kiss is like Iron Maiden for me. Just a kind of music I really don’t like. I guess metal bands and hard rock bands must have many many fans in the US for Stern to build 3 pins and Spooky one pin.

Anyway, Stern will do as they want and if they think there is money to make with a re-theme they will do it.

And re-theme doesn’t mean same game.

This. Exactly. Couldn't name one song by them, and would never buy this game. But like the layout and with a tolerable theme I might be interested.

People bash the crap out of new games when they have a playfield layout similar to games of the past. How many side by side picture posts have we seen by people saying "this game is just like...xyz. Can't they come up with anything new?! They are just being cheap!".

IMDN layout is soo good, that years down the road Keith and stern could flip (reverse) this layout and re-theme it. Jus sayin...

Yeah I would have much preferred Archer or basically ANY other band. In this case the artwork is pretty cool even if I do think that their music really sucks balls. It's not something I can get used to either. Fortunately the artwork is not indelible to the band like say KISS, so the game could easily be made palatable by simply swapping out every song. To me a good idea would be to not have "Iron Maiden" on any of the cabinet art or playfield. Then we could swap out the music and get a replacement backglass and basically have a retheme.

Need to start a "remusic" thread for those who want the game now. I would pick a few songs each from Black Sabbath, Ozzie, Hendrix and Deep Purple.

It's because this situation is people WANT this game, but just not decorated this way.

They don't want to encourage cloning... they want KME's archer or 'anything' but not KME Maiden because they've fixated on that for some reason.

How hard is it to replace the music?

How about Stern fires every other designer, artist, programmer and just keeps Keith/Yeti & the whole team who help designed Iron Maiden and just keep the Iron Maiden pinball machine design and it can be re themed into every single title that Stern obtains from now into infinity. Or You could pay $20,000 to Stern and have your own personal custom theme to this machine. Unreal.
Just buy the fucking machine! It’s perfect. Iron Maiden is perfect for the machine. Do you think when Keith came over to Stern, that they didn’t try to obtain Archer or think about trying to do that. Enough already.

Keith may have not been a fan of Iron Maiden but he never said he didn’t like the music.

In the C2C show he basically said it wasn't for him and he wasn't a fan of them or anything.. but once he did his homework and worked with it he felt it really lent itself to good pinball music

Absolutely! This is the worst music in the history of pinball. IMOP

Here's a great re-theme idea.

Maiden maiden maiden !!!