newest STERN tease on facebook...

[RareHero]

They also said about 65% of their machines are exported and the oversea's market is the only thing keeping them going. I asked gary about non licensed pins and he said the licensing makes it cheaper and easier as far as designing the concepts,artwork, and gameplay.

Just because something is "unlicensed" doesn't mean it's instantly a theme that appeals to all people. Lets look at some unlicensed B/W games:

No Good Gofers - some people discount this game because they hate golf.
Cirqus Voltaire - some people say this game is too effeminate or they hate circus themes
Road Show - some people don't like the rednecky construction theme

etc...so lets say Stern picked some random original theme out of a hat - who's to say it has any wide appeal?

I don't know why exactly, but there's something special about combining a good license with pinball. Addams Family got the ball rolling (har har)....there's just something that really connects when you take a pop culture icon and play pinball with it. It's something video games could never do - licensed video games almost ALWAYS suck...but licensed pinballs are almost always good ....even if the license is kinda "meh" like Dracula or The Shadow. So, in this day and age, when pinball itself is a hard sell...something with a wide demographic or "cool" factor like Spider-Man, Avatar, Family Guy, etc ....that is REALLY appealing to pinball fans and non-pinball fans alike. I mean - I guarantee the reason Pirates of the Caribbean sold so well is due to the LICENSE. People LOVE Disney merch, the Pirates movies, and chicks love Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom ...that theme/art package sold the game. Had the game just been a generic original "Stern's Pirates of the 7 Seas" or something....there's NO WAY it would have sold as well.

 

[SealClubber]

If Stern goes under there will be no more new pins. That's a given. But the new pins draw fresh interest into a dying hobby. When Stern dies, the hobby dies. They also keep prices down on the older pins as they reduce the demand for them. Pin prices will go thru the roof for about a decade or two. Then they will slowly decline because all of old hats will be gone and noone will want to buy an old pinball machine.


I just wish the features of the new titles weren't watered down to cut costs.
I also think putting out an LE version only months later is a bad move. It used to be a game got an LE version years later and only after it sold x number of games. I know I will now wait to purchase a LE instead of jumping on a new title.

 

[RareHero]

If Stern goes under there will be no more new pins. That's a given. But the new pins draw fresh interest into a dying hobby.

I think new pins are exciting for people who are already into the hobby....I don't think they do much to get non-pinheads interested....especially since so few of them are showing up on location.

When Stern dies, the hobby dies.

Disagree. When Stern dies, pinball on location dies. The hobby will be fine. Most hobbyists are in it for the cheaper/older games they can restore.

It used to be a game got an LE version years later and only after it sold x number of games.

Not true. Elvis Gold was announced at the same time as Elvis. Black Spider-Man came out about 3 months after the regular version was released.

 

[SealClubber]

My mistake on the LEs. I thought I read they only put them out once they made a certain number. I'm suprised they haven't put out a LE IM yet.

 

[AstroFrog]

Stern

Ok,

l will take 1 each TRON LE NIB, Have cash in hand. If you can wipe off James Cameron's piss on the BG of retavart, I'll take one NIB LE while your at it. LOL