Is virtual pinball going prime time?

Actually, a lot of people are doing some homebuilt ones and using Pinmame/Vpin/etc to build a multigame. They use like a 46 inch monitor for the playfield and drop it in a repro widebody case and they actually end up being pretty dang cool. The Vpins are cool, but they don't capture the same feel of a real pin. They will always be a facsimile of pinball and will never replace pinball IMO...

That said, if you have limited space and limited $$$, a virtual pin is probably a good alternative to having your own game room...
 
I plan to build one (a smaller than huge one) just for the novelty. Of course it will never have that feel of real pinball but it gets you something. With 3D glasses and high-end rendering, along with a truly random physics engine I might consider a full setup.
 
I'd rather not play pinball than those simulations. Yes I've tried several incarnations of this idea.

They suck, no matter how "cool" they look.

The best virtual pinball so far is Video Pinball by Atari :D
 
These projects are a disgrace to the pinball community and i hope Stern doesnt get any ideas
 
SUCKS. Cool idea, but compared to the real thing, no way. The reason pinball is cool is because it has a physical aspect normal arcades don't. Variety is the spice of life, and this movement smells like garlic.
 
meh..

Good thing is that the FP / VP / hyperpin stuff keeps getting cooler all the time. I have my hyperpin project in mind and hope to get it going mid next year. I know it is not as cool as a real pinball, but to be able to play some of my fave tables that I cannot afford in a somewhat realistic way is fine by me. Three angels shows what can be done in a virtual environment, and I am more than happy to play on my 19 inch monitor turned sideways. I will be even happier playing it on a 37 inch screen in a real cab.

The ones in the vid seem to be the same company that was making them for nike or some cell phone company. Those cabs look dumb as hell and hard to play. It is not a true representation of what the hyperpin folk are doing.
 
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If I were to get a virtual pinball, which I do not plan on doing, It would be the UltraPin version.



Not perfect, but better tham some. The bigest issue for me is they they lack the tactile "feel" of real pinball machines. Sure the graphics can be good, but you don't get the same experience as the "real thing".

But if you want many machines, and have only room for one, I guess it's a viable option, but I hope it's not the "way of the future"


Chris
 
Has anyone heard on seen the new nintendo 3ds handheld game. They use what looks like cameras to detect where you are and redraw the graphics real time to make things look 3d with no need for stupid glasses.

If they could add that type of tech I would give virtual pinball more hope.

Then you would have to find a way to make the game feel like you are hitting things. Maybe a bunch of littler lfe devices mounted in a grid that go off on the proximity of the coordinates of the balls on the display. Think like a grid of devices like the butt kicker lfe's used in the home theatre world.
 
Bah.

Whether it's the old "pinball" games on classic consoles like the Atari 2600, today's pinball collections on the current consoles, or those PinMame/V-Pin setups, I just don't like video pinball AT ALL.

They're just not fun to me and feel a million miles away from the thing they're trying to replicate.
 
Pinball Hall of Fame - The Williams Collection is an AWESOME game. Yes it's not as good as the real thing, but they did a damn good job on it. Plus the tables don't break down and you don't need to maintain them haha. I also own it for wii and psp as well :)
 

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i have williams pinball for wii. its awsome! yes,not real pinball but its great fun and since finding most of these pins in the wild locally is not likely it feeds the pin monkey.
 
Pinball Hall of Fame - The Williams Collection is an AWESOME game.

I have it as well, but can only take it in tiny little amounts, and not very often at that.

I agree that it's well done, but it just doesn't do a whole lot for me. Virtual pinball just doesn't seem to be my thing.
 
As soon as I started getting into pinball, any console/pc gaming doesn't really appeal to me at all. I hardly ever touch the xbox/wii etcetc. I'd rather be playing pinball, or fixing/upgrading a pin :)
 
Virtual Pinball has value.. Why.. well, one reason only imo. It allows you to learn the rules and get a better understanding of how to play a machine you have never gotten the chance to play in real life before heading off and playing the real machine blindly at a get together or convention. Look at it as a learning tool and it has value. It is entertaining to guests as well.
 
Pinball Junky loves vpinball....

I have my 2 favorite real pins - Theatre of Magic and Revenge from Mars as well as a cool Baby Pacman, and a pachinko machine.

I also have several pinball games for wii and ps3. I play the ps3 with Gophers, Midieval Madness, and Arabian Nights regularly.

I really want to make a vpin ball table. I don't have any more space, I really like the idea of having 90+ tables, and the few I have seen are amazing to play and watch.

Price of lcds continues to drop so it won't be long before I set up a vpin.

I would like to review ideas with others who are interested in doing this as well.
 
I have my 2 favorite real pins - Theatre of Magic and Revenge from Mars as well as a cool Baby Pacman, and a pachinko machine.

I also have several pinball games for wii and ps3. I play the ps3 with Gophers, Midieval Madness, and Arabian Nights regularly.

I really want to make a vpin ball table. I don't have any more space, I really like the idea of having 90+ tables, and the few I have seen are amazing to play and watch.

Price of lcds continues to drop so it won't be long before I set up a vpin.

I would like to review ideas with others who are interested in doing this as well.

On the hyperpin forums there are several build guides. My problem is I don't have a space to build a cabinet (I live in an apartment) so my only choice is to buy a gutted cab from someone or one of the pre-fab cabs. However, those are somewhat pricey at around $400+ not including shipping...
 
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