BlahCade Podcast #21: BlahCade Theatre w/Bobby Pt 2

[Crawley]

Definitely perked up with the mention of Stern tables in the context of future Stern tables. That would be great. Also good to hear they're exploring license potential with some of the more recent pinball manufacturers. Would be neat to get tables like America's Most Haunted or Full Throttle.

Also liked the talk about a prototype setting for the tables. Would be cool to be able to turn those on. I hadn't heard of the Firepower stand up targets before - been ignoring Firepower at most of the Expos so will have to pay more attention if someone brings one.

The Fastbreak talk of Festering both the visuals and audio sounds like pure fantasy though. I would love to have that table. It's another unique one and fun as hell to boot. But the amount of work with just the audio alone would be pretty significant and in the end it wouldn't really be Fastbreak anymore other than the table look/play (e.g. another Ghostbusters).

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

Also liked the talk about a prototype setting for the tables. Would be cool to be able to turn those on. I hadn't heard of the Firepower stand up targets before - been ignoring Firepower at most of the Expos so will have to pay more attention if someone brings one.

I played an FP prototype in Allentown this year. Funny thing was, I really didn't notice it was a prototype until I read the card on the backbox, then realized, "hey, this has drop targets!!".

 

[invitro]

Also good to hear they're exploring license potential with some of the more recent pinball manufacturers. Would be neat to get tables like America's Most Haunted or Full Throttle.

That'd be a heck of a lot of work to get just one or two tables. Has Full Throttle even been produced? It's not listed on IPDB, which I think means it's either prototype, whitewood, or vaporware only.

In fact, has -any- non-Stern machine other than America's Most Haunted or Wizard of Oz entered production yet? Those are the only two real pinball, non-reproduction machines I see on IPDB from 2010 to present.

 

[Crawley]

That'd be a heck of a lot of work to get just one or two tables. Has Full Throttle even been produced? It's not listed on IPDB, which I think means it's either prototype, whitewood, or vaporware only.

In fact, has -any- non-Stern machine other than America's Most Haunted or Wizard of Oz entered production yet? Those are the only two real pinball, non-reproduction machines I see on IPDB from 2010 to present.

Looks like its not quite out yet but can order it currently. I've seen it at two shows and played it at one so the hardware was real enough. And it looks like they have what they need to manufacture the machines.

 

[invitro]

Looks like its not quite out yet but can order it currently. I've seen it at two shows and played it at one so the hardware was real enough. And it looks like they have what they need to manufacture the machines.

Well I am hoping very strongly that the new manufacturers can actually get some of all these prototypes into production. I know I won't see any of them in person unless I go to a show, but that's fine, I'm just hoping for anything that feeds my fantasy of WMS getting back in the game . Spooky is super-awesome for making it happen with AMH. And Jersey Jack has done wonders already, but I really have my fingers crossed that the Lawlor thing will actually happen, and that the result will be better than his Stern tables, which are supposedly not so awesome (other than RBIoN, which I think is pretty awesome).

It's probably the best time for pinball since 1998, but I can't help feeling dread that the end is near. (The second end, after the one in 1999. That was the real end, I suppose.)

 

[jaredmorgs]

Good interview. I really liked the explanation about why some shots are impossible.

This type of stuff really interests me as well.

 

[jaredmorgs]

You are right. It was $100 for one copy and $150 for five.

If they are obstinate about not selling TAFG, they should at least offer it at the $100 tier on whatever the next kickstarter is.

And my guess is that the five Sony licenses are:

Bram Stoker's Dracula
Ghostbusters
Starship Troopers
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Last Action Hero

History suggests that Ghost Busters could be one of them. Considering they released a stand-alone Haunted House retheme app on mobile.

 

[jaredmorgs]

Also his comment about the Stern tables coming. Was he referencing digital-only pins or their standard tables? If he specified.

He didn't specify. But the speculation machine will be in overdrive in the Unreleased Tables forum I'm sure.

 

[jaredmorgs]

I don't see any reason to make any changes with ROMs on current TPA tables. Seems like it'd be fairly detailed work, and we don't want to encourage Farsight to do anything non-urgent that gets in their way of churning out tables at their current super-low prices, right?

Fairly detailed work is an understatement.

On the subject of Festering NBA Fast Break, doing what [MENTION=134]shutyertrap[/MENTION] suggests would be possible, but commercially unviable.

The audio swap out with Team BlahCade / Team FarSight / etc would not be that hard to do technically, with each sound being extracted separately.

Norman would "just" need to swap out the Announcer call with a custom call for each team. Which would require hiring voice talent. Tim Kitzrow would be needed to keep the sound package on a stock footing like it was in-game.

If you take a look at the Pin Sound project, and the NBA Fast Break package, you'll see how the audio calls are structured.

Decompiling the ROM and changing the dots for custom teams would be the thing that killed this Custom Teams project. That is non trivial.

Festering the faces on the table and backglass would be the the only way, and negotiating with the NBA to get the rights to team livery and logos in-game is really the only commercially viable way forward.

 

[Fungi]

Ya know... "Festering" is a real word outside of this forum. But then again, "Tilt" also meant something else outside of pinball, so I guess precedence has already been set.

 

[jaredmorgs]

Ya know... "Festering" is a real word outside of this forum. But then again, "Tilt" also meant something else outside of pinball, so I guess precedence has already been set.

The English language had a proud history of word abuse. We're just upholding the tradition.

 

[Nightwing]

That'd be a heck of a lot of work to get just one or two tables. Has Full Throttle even been produced? It's not listed on IPDB, which I think means it's either prototype, whitewood, or vaporware only.

In fact, has -any- non-Stern machine other than America's Most Haunted or Wizard of Oz entered production yet? Those are the only two real pinball, non-reproduction machines I see on IPDB from 2010 to present.

Full Throttle is in production. I just got a Facebook notification from the Pinball Wizard Arcade that FT is now available in the arcade. I'm going up to Pelham soon - looking forward to playing it again.

 

[DA5ID]

Looks like its not quite out yet but can order it currently. I've seen it at two shows and played it at one so the hardware was real enough. And it looks like they have what they need to manufacture the machines.

got to play america's most haunted - awesome table features and fun ruleset!

never heard of full throttle before - I like the video screen in the middle of the play field - what a fantastic idea!!!
I just hope the British can make pinball tables better than their television shows (just kidding - my kid is obsessed with doctor who - I just don't get the humor).

 

[invitro]

Ya know... "Festering" is a real word outside of this forum.

Maybe call it "Festerizing"?

(Kinda sounds like Pasteurizing... making milk safe to drink, Festerizing is making a pinball machine safe to emulate? My apologies.)

 

[invitro]

got to play america's most haunted - awesome table features and fun ruleset!

never heard of full throttle before - I like the video screen in the middle of the play field - what a fantastic idea!!!

AMH looks great to me. It's kind of just plain uplifting that such a tiny company, even mostly just the one guy (Ben Heck), can put what looks like a genuine real & original pinball machine into production these days. I guess everyone's curious to see what the Rob Zombie table will be like.

Glad to hear Full Throttle is in production, that's great news! Now maybe Big Lebowski can get back on the production line?

It's hard to believe that only 20 years ago, there were *four* pinball companies, making four machines a year, and at least 1,000 of each, and almost every one was awesome. Is it still nostalgia if the good old days really were so much better?

 

[Extork]

Just to be funny. You reminded me of this