Steve Ritchie joins Stern!!

[RareHero]

as for wheel............unfinished software? seriously? i'm not a STERN expert by any means, but that's the first i've heard of that.

Dude, it was a massive fuck-up that really turned the collector community away from Stern. People who bought NIB games at release held onto their wallets after the WOF debacle. WOF has a section of the playfield that says "WIZARD BONUS" w/ 4 inserts. They do absolutely nothing - they were never programmed into the game. There are also some other features that have audits, but aren't in the game (Clean Sweep and something else...). Finishing Multiballs always shows a score of "00" (you get the points, but it doesn't tally them up) ...there are some other bugs and unfinished aspects....no sound cue for Extra Ball, things like that.

The game didn't sell that well, so Stern didn't think it was important enough to finish - leaving buyers of the game pissed, and potential buyers of other games skeptical. At that time, Spider-Man wasn't finished yet....and then Batman came out unfinished and Indiana Jones came out not having much stuff from the 4th movie.

The pro and con of the SAM system is that game updates can be easily released thru the Stern website and updated w/ a USB flash stick....the pro is the ease of updates, but the con is that Stern can release unfinished games - and if they decide NOT to finish them, you're fucked. This is part of the reason games got depth stripped recently....the prorammers CAN finish them in the time allotted, and the owners can't bitch about unfinished games anymore.

Thankfully, Lyman was awesome enough to put his own personal time into Spider-Man and Batman, and now they're WAAAY more awesome than they were when released. Unfortunately Keith Johnson was layed off during Stern's restructuring, so WOF will remain unfinished unless Keith decides to do it as a "labor of love."

 

[FrizzleFried]

They need to do a "Hoarders" pin... shove every freakin' thing they can think of on the playfield and let `er rip!

 

[More Cowbell]

I'm always surprised to hear about software issues with Stern pins. I know Lonnie Ropp and any time I talk to him, he is working incredibly long hours trying to keep up with the software design needs. Maybe they just schedule too much work for too few people in too little time. I know he is working night and day right up to the time of release on most games so it's not for lack of effort that the software doesn't get completed.

 

[joeycuda]

If they could only come up with a way to mass produce the playfields, within budget, but with a better look to the printing of the art. It wouldn't keep me from buying a great game, but every Stern playfield I've seen looks like absolute ass compared to everything pre-Stern, including the artwork quality from the 40s.. The cheap inkjet sign look just sucks.

 

[Lindsey]

unfinished unless Keith decides to do it as a "labor of love."

Even then he wouldn't have access to the development systems Stern uses so it would be pretty difficult. It's unbelievable that Stern would just fuck the buyer like that. Totally unacceptable. Just because it didn't sell they think it's okay to deliver an unfinished product for full price. Total bullshit.

 

[jar155]

If they could only come up with a way to mass produce the playfields, within budget, but with a better look to the printing of the art. It wouldn't keep me from buying a great game, but every Stern playfield I've seen looks like absolute ass compared to everything pre-Stern, including the artwork quality from the 40s.. The cheap inkjet sign look just sucks.

Have you looked at the Simpsons and Family Guy playfields? Those look great.

 

[RareHero]

I'm always surprised to hear about software issues with Stern pins. I know Lonnie Ropp and any time I talk to him, he is working incredibly long hours trying to keep up with the software design needs. Maybe they just schedule too much work for too few people in too little time. I know he is working night and day right up to the time of release on most games so it's not for lack of effort that the software doesn't get completed.

Well, with the more complex designs, they just didn't have the reasonable time they needed to get the games thoroughly done. The logic was, they could get it "done enough" for release, and because the USB update is so easy for the game owner, they wouldn't mind updates trickling in. Williams games had multiple updates, and you had to burn new ROMS each time. The problem is, Stern's programmers would get swept up in the next game and just didn't have time to go back and get updates done on a regular basis. Lonnie's a great guy, and I know he wants to get some old updates done....but it's like, as soon as he finishes Iron Man, he's on to Avatar, then onto Stones...there's not much of a breather to revisit the last few games.

Even then he wouldn't have access to the development systems Stern uses so it would be pretty difficult. It's unbelievable that Stern would just fuck the buyer like that. Totally unacceptable. Just because it didn't sell they think it's okay to deliver an unfinished product for full price. Total bullshit.

That's why Starburst/Playdium in Canada was blowing out Wheel of Fortune for $2500. I bought one...lol....at that price, I felt it was a fair discount for the unfinished code. It's still a very fun game, but they really screwed the pooch by including those Wizard Bonus inserts. If those weren't there, you'd never know the feature was missing!

 

[Lindsey]

That's why Starburst/Playdium in Canada was blowing out Wheel of Fortune for $2500. I bought one...lol....at that price, I felt it was a fair discount for the unfinished code. It's still a very fun game, but they really screwed the pooch by including those Wizard Bonus inserts. If those weren't there, you'd never know the feature was missing!

I remember that but didn't have the cash at the time

A friend of mine bought one at that time. I remember seeing them in the local "retail" operator's showroom. That's the only time I've played one. Can't remember what they were trying to get for them but I have to assume it was $5K+. Damn shame.

 

[RareHero]

A friend of mine bought one at that time. I remember seeing them in the local "retail" operator's showroom. That's the only time I've played one. Can't remember what they were trying to get for them but I have to assume it was $5K+. Damn shame.

Yeah, it's a very unique design and a pretty fun game, w/ some good humor and pinball references (one of the puzzle categories is "PINBALL TERMS" and there are even some pinball jokes in the back-and-forths w/ Pat Sajak). The thing that bugged me the most wasn't even the code stuff - it was that it didn't have the classic WOF theme music that I remmeber from growing up. I guess they don't use it anymore, and it just sounds like some random porn music now. ...the Chicago Multiball music though, is FANTASTIC.

Chicago Multiball @ 2:20 ...there's only a short clip though

http://daudioguy.multiply.com/video...inball_Music_and_Sound_Effects_by_David_Thiel

 

[pudluther]

Dude, it was a massive fuck-up that really turned the collector community away from Stern. People who bought NIB games at release held onto their wallets after the WOF debacle. WOF has a section of the playfield that says "WIZARD BONUS" w/ 4 inserts. They do absolutely nothing - they were never programmed into the game. There are also some other features that have audits, but aren't in the game (Clean Sweep and something else...). Finishing Multiballs always shows a score of "00" (you get the points, but it doesn't tally them up) ...there are some other bugs and unfinished aspects....no sound cue for Extra Ball, things like that.

The game didn't sell that well, so Stern didn't think it was important enough to finish - leaving buyers of the game pissed, and potential buyers of other games skeptical. At that time, Spider-Man wasn't finished yet....and then Batman came out unfinished and Indiana Jones came out not having much stuff from the 4th movie.

The pro and con of the SAM system is that game updates can be easily released thru the Stern website and updated w/ a USB flash stick....the pro is the ease of updates, but the con is that Stern can release unfinished games - and if they decide NOT to finish them, you're fucked. This is part of the reason games got depth stripped recently....the prorammers CAN finish them in the time allotted, and the owners can't bitch about unfinished games anymore.

Thankfully, Lyman was awesome enough to put his own personal time into Spider-Man and Batman, and now they're WAAAY more awesome than they were when released. Unfortunately Keith Johnson was layed off during Stern's restructuring, so WOF will remain unfinished unless Keith decides to do it as a "labor of love."

thanks dude.....i had no idea.

 

[stevenp61]

thanks for the info on the NBA......i'm one of the twelve people on planet earth that actually like nba fastbreak, so i think STERN's NBA title may be up my alley too (i've actually never played it). again, i'm waaaaaaaaaaaaay in debt right now over a RFM and my "stash" for a NIB TRON.....so i ain't gonna be buying anything else anytime soon.

Hey! I'm another Fastbreak lover, so that leaves 10 more out there... Did not like Stern's NBA game so much. FB has lots of fast flowing shots and surprisingly interesting modes for strictly basketball scoring. Stern NBA was closer to Space Jam; the basketball hoop and theme seem like more of an afterthought on a so-so layout.

(P.S. My idea of a more blockbuster headline is: "Keith Johnson joins Jersey Jack Pinball!!")

 

[sosage]

I am so late. I just heard about this. Ritchie on Tron would have been cool, but Gomez is just as strong of a designer IMO when it comes to physical gameplay. He can do quality quick flowy designs like Ritchie (Johnny M for example...such an underrated and fast game). ...and I say that being a bigger fan of Ritchie over Gomez.

ANYWAYS! If we can get a new "Spider-Man" quality game...damn...I'm gonna thank Ritchie, then walk over and thank Jersey Jack. Thank you for making Stern nervous about having competition and swooping up/placing quality designers on projects again.

Futurama btw...just saying...too cute for Ritchie, but still...