Pinball FX3 announced!!!

I was about to post all of this as a front page article, but then I saw Sun Vulcan had already made a post, so I just promoted it!

This potentially looks like a lot of fun. Whether you like Zen tables or not, you have to admit their user interface and how you are kept up to date and challenged by fellow users has always been top notch. I can't tell if they are setting up clans here or not, but I certainly hope they are. I'm also excited at what looks like the return of head to head, which I played back on the PS3 but has been absent from PC.

Lot to digest here, guess I know what we'll be talking about in the next BlahCade Podcast!

Im not sure why they needed to release a new game, couldnt they have just updated the engine in FX2 and keep that???

Zen 3: community edition heh, my zen stuffs on iOS but features might sway me

I play zen on iOS too, but since they allowed transferring tables from PS3 to PS4 I have been buying all the new tables for the console too. (Unlike farsight). Now my investment is still solid as I can transfer those tables again into fx3.

lettuce said:

Im not sure why they needed to release a new game, couldnt they have just updated the engine in FX2 and keep that???

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They release a new game because it allows them to fully implement everything they want to without being hampered by old tech. This is something Zen has realized and FarSight fails to. By doing this AND allowing transferring of tables to PFX 3, they move everyone off last generation game and into current. This means not having to try and shoehorn in all the new for PS3 and Xbox 360, since those systems are essentially dead. They can focus all their attention on making PS4 and Xbox One run the best they can, while allowing Steam to run full tilt as normal. I imagine this will also fall under the umbrella of what Minecraft and Rocket League are doing, where you can play against others on a completely different platform than what you are playing. This whole thing is community, something mobile game apps have figured out for a while.

On top of that, it gives Zen the opportunity to implement a completely new UI that is no doubt gonna continue dropping notifications while you play the game. I'm excited, can't wait to see what they have in store. We saw FarSight drop the ball with how they introduced Stern Pinball Arcade, now we get to see how a real re-launch should look.

Oh, and if their are 'clans' or 'teams' for the league they mentioned, without a doubt we'll have one for BlahCade. Please send your application to blahblahblahcade@gmail.com along with...(hehe)

But then again, Zen seems to uses similar system and programming techniques for every table. That might be why it's so much easier to release Zen tables on every platform simultaneously. Whereas with TPA and SPA, every table is recreated in different ways and uses different system roms which have to be individually programmed.
Zaccaria also has fewer platforms to update, making their upgrading process considerably easier.

It'll be interesting to see how PFX3 plays out when released, and hopefully FarSight will take some notes. I have few doubts that Zen can pull off this re-release.

rehtroboi40 said:

But then again, Zen seems to uses similar system and programming techniques for every table. That might be why it's so much easier to release Zen tables on every platform simultaneously. Whereas with TPA and SPA, every table is recreated in different ways and uses different system roms which have to be individually programmed.
Zaccaria also has fewer platforms to update, making their upgrading process considerably easier.

It'll be interesting to see how PFX3 plays out when released, and hopefully FarSight will take some notes. I have few doubts that Zen can pull off this re-release.

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The key difference is that FarSight has to emulate the tables, which takes up one set of processing, while a different set if processing handles the TPA game itself. Essentially they're running a game on top of a game. This is why the game can be taxing on devices. Zen functions as one fully integrated thing. SPA technically could do similar as I believe they are running source code and not emulation.

shutyertrap said:

The key difference is that FarSight has to emulate the tables, which takes up one set of processing, while a different set if processing handles the TPA game itself. Essentially they're running a game on top of a game. This is why the game can be taxing on devices. Zen functions as one fully integrated thing. SPA technically could do similar as I believe they are running source code and not emulation.

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processing thingys...love you genass

Heretic said:

processing thingys...love you genass

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I speak layman. Real tech facts are for nerds.

shutyertrap said:

I speak layman. Real tech facts are for nerds.

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I was wondering why you've never brought up FarSight's stato-intellicators, binary rectifiers, and pomegranates.

Thanks for elucidating that for us!

rehtroboi40 said:

I was wondering why you've never brought up FarSight's stato-intellicators, binary rectifiers, and pomegranates.

Thanks for elucidating that for us!

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Well, those are too hard to say or type is why! Thingy majigger just rolls off the tongue easier. Doodad is easier to type.

shutyertrap said:

Well, those are too hard to say or type is why! Thingy majigger just rolls off the tongue easier. Doodad is easier to type.

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shuiyertrap , it`s been awhile since I heard thingy majig , notice we love cutting words . as for keeping it simple with my pea brain , TPA = REAL ZEN = FANTASY !!!! I just pre ordered Project Cars 2 , Forza 7 and NFS Payback not long now !!!