The Official Latest NEWS And INFORMATION Discussion Thread

[Matt McIrvin]

The economics of downloaded apps, especially mobile apps, are tough these days: tables on TPA don't cost very much, and it's got to be bringing down revenues from people who are casual pinball fans and only really care about playing one or two tables.

That's likely why Farsight is so keen on pumping out table after table. It's the one way they can get more money from their loyal fan base.

I imagine Farsight is looking for any way to make a buck from premium content that they possibly can. The Pro Menu upgrade is part of that. If people think it's not worth the price, they just won't buy it. I personally think it's marginally interesting on TPA but I'm not quite enough of a pinball nerd to buy it for other tables.

 

[Kevlar]

They have hinted at a token system for tournament mode and the latest beta hints at it too with the new UI. I just hope they don't take it too far and make it so you can play so many tourney games for free per day or earn tokens as credits.

 

[bavelb]

I'm completely with you. I have the pro menu with TZ and I don't see anything that would make me pay for it, not even 69p. The one thing that I thought I wanted, the freecam is very limited and once you've had a look around once there's no need to do it again and frankly this should be free anyway. The ball control mode is interesting but I don't feel the need to use it. The tips are throw away, you can get far more info reading the awesome guide on this forum. The operators menu lets you fiddle around with settings but once you do your scores don't go on the leaderboard so I won't be using that.

The only thing that interests me is unlocking the family mode in Scared Stiff but I won't be paying £2.49 just for that.

Question to those who really wanted the operators menu, do you actually make use of it? if so in what way?

People pay money, lots and lots of money, for hats and other decorative items on games like dota2 and tf2. I have about 300 dollars worth of said items in my steamaccount (had I bought them of the store instead of getting them through playing the halloween-mode that was on for a few weeks). I have common items worth 2 bucks like hats, up to rare item-courriers worth 10+ bucks each that have even less functionality than the pro-mode in TPA (as in 0 added gameplay value).

I don't get why people pay for such things at all, Ill never pay for it, but someone obviously does and if it allows companies to a) keep making and supporting awesome games like dota2, TF2 and hopefully Blizzard All-Stars in the future and/or b) make those games absolutly free for those not interested in those micropayment things, I won't complain.

If pro-mode will allow the game to expand in tables, features and move on to newer consoles, I certainly won't complain. We will found out how succesful the modes are post-STTNG I guess.

 

[shutyertrap]

Awww man. No Scared Stiff on PS3 till end of January? (notice I could care less about Big Shot?!) It's gonna be completely out of fashion by then! People are gonna point and laugh when we finally enter the conversation on the forums. Long dead threads are gonna limp back to life with comments of "duh" and "been there, done that". Any bugs that pop up are gonna get reported to FarSight and they're gonna say "wait, didn't we finish that table last year?"

Oh the humanity.

I guess I can settle for having TZ and ST:TNG in the mean time

 

[Matt McIrvin]

Awww man. No Scared Stiff on PS3 till end of January? (notice I could care less about Big Shot?!) It's gonna be completely out of fashion by then! People are gonna point and laugh when we finally enter the conversation on the forums.

When it comes to XBox, we'll try to have those conversations again, but it'll just get us harshly punished by the apes who rule the earth.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

When it comes to XBox, we'll try to have those conversations again, but it'll just get us harshly punished by the apes who rule the earth.

And the PC contingent will venture out of the caves in the far future to find that pinball-playing humanity had long ago perished from the face of the earth while waiting for enough votes to get published.

 

[Russell Bergman]

On what post did FarSight announce the Scared Stiff pack and Star Trek pack until January. I know they were trying to get Star Trek out in December and put out the Scared Stiff pack soon. I've been looking for the announcement on the facebook page and on the forums but can't find it. I'm sure I'm overlooking it on the forum pages.

 

[Kevlar]

On what post did FarSight announce the Scared Stiff pack and Star Trek pack until January. I know they were trying to get Star Trek out in December and put out the Scared Stiff pack soon. I've been looking for the announcement on the facebook page and on the forums but can't find it. I'm sure I'm overlooking it on the forum pages.

PinWiz announced it in the main news thread.

 

[Russell Bergman]

I saw that, I was seeing if FarSight made an official statement on the Scared Stiff table pack in January I missed. I don't doubt PinWiz's announcement, as much as I am on the facebook page dodging and killing trolls (Lol!), I was surprised I might of missed some news from FarSight.

 

[Kevlar]

I think PinWiz is unoficially on their payroll!

 

[Russell Bergman]

Too funny! I was hoping FarSight would release a table pack, or perhaps even start releasing pro modes for PlayStation 3 to get some holiday sales going along with Twilight Zone. There is always hope! I do understand FarSight's plate is pretty full.

 

[Sinistar]

Y'know I keep the Latest News and Information thread subscribed to, so I can get GOOD NEWS as soon as it happens, so far it aint working out, delay delay delay , that's all we keep getting here .

 

[PiN WiZ]

On what post did FarSight announce the Scared Stiff pack and Star Trek pack until January. I know they were trying to get Star Trek out in December and put out the Scared Stiff pack soon. I've been looking for the announcement on the facebook page and on the forums but can't find it. I'm sure I'm overlooking it on the forum pages.

Star Trek : The Next Generation is due by the end of December on Android, iOS and Mac with releases on Kindle Fire, PS3 (NA/EU) and PS Vita (NA/EU) by mid-late January 2013.

 

[grashopper]

Why delay big shot and scared stiff? How do you go from early December to late January? Let me give you money farsight. Android had it so long ago.

Also looking at the comments on the google play store I think it's a bad idea to release star trek right after TZ. Looks like quite a few people are thinking 5 for one table is outrageous and saying if that is the new price structure they are done supporting the game. I think they need a two pack in between or better communication in game like a newsletter on start up to let people know it's not the new normal.

 

[smooverr]

Why delay big shot and scared stiff? How do you go from early December to late January? Let me give you money farsight. Android had it so long ago.

Also looking at the comments on the google play store I think it's a bad idea to release star trek right after TZ. Looks like quite a few people are thinking 5 for one table is outrageous and saying if that is the new price structure they are done supporting the game. I think they need a two pack in between or better communication in game like a newsletter on start up to let people know it's not the new normal.

Yup same thing in the Apple store

 

[Nik Barbour]

Also looking at the comments on the google play store I think it's a bad idea to release star trek right after TZ. Looks like quite a few people are thinking 5 for one table is outrageous and saying if that is the new price structure they are done supporting the game. I think they need a two pack in between or better communication in game like a newsletter on start up to let people know it's not the new normal.

Just had a flick through the play store comments, it was only about 4 people in the last 30 who were pricing structure confused.

Sadly you will never get around the uninformed but vocally critical.

Might be a good idea if Farsight edited the play store 'description' to explain kickstarter table pricing structure, then state it's back to 2 for 5 bucks.
Editing the 'play store description' is more likely to get read by these people than a newsletter (which already exists).

 

[DarkAkatosh]

Why delay big shot and scared stiff? How do you go from early December to late January? Let me give you money farsight. Android had it so long ago.

Also looking at the comments on the google play store I think it's a bad idea to release star trek right after TZ. Looks like quite a few people are thinking 5 for one table is outrageous and saying if that is the new price structure they are done supporting the game. I think they need a two pack in between or better communication in game like a newsletter on start up to let people know it's not the new normal.

Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.

 

[grashopper]

I know the newsletter exists but it's not in app and you need to signup for it. Even doing that, your chances of getting one aren't 100%. I was thinking just have a short here is what's new and what's coming with short descriptions when you start the app. Maybe could do a score challenge of the month or something.
Just a small bit of text on startup could help reassure the uninformed.

Also saw this review on the google play store. Made me laugh
Sick of being milked. I bought the first pack. Then bought the second pack. How many dam packs are there? Where's some free tables?

They need to make their intentions idiot proof and they need it front and center in the app. Because look who they are dealing with...

 

[Dinosaur Toy]

The problem is that the mobile/iOS audience has become conditioned to extremely devalue games. They are largely used to games that are nearly disposable and freemium. Since games like that are very cheap to make, throwing out freebies is common to entice users into spending more on microtransactions. A lot of people in that audience would not see or even comprehend the investment that goes into making a Pinball Arcade table. Nor would they see the value that a fully functional, virtual pinball table provides in terms of game play and lasting power.

Yet another reason why they desperately need to get on a service like Steam and stop depending on mobile/iOS as their most commonly updated/invested platform. (I realize the Steam situation is ridiculous and out of Farsight's control, I am just making an example.)

 

[dtown8532]

If we get TZ on PS3 before the end of the month and it isn't plagued with the Kickstarter redemption problems that are affecting ios then I'll be a happy camper. While I am looking forward to SS and BS, they don't hold a candle to the amount of time I'll spend on TZ