Confirmed upcoming tables

[Heretic]

For me its all groovey really

Im happy with the upcoming selections and all i can say is im in .....bop and me are having marital issues....dont laugh at me *****!

 

[campbell0691]

How about some 80's Widebody Classics (before Multiball) like Space Invaders. Would make a great table and the back ground sounds and lighting would be assume!

 

[Richard B]

How about some 80's Widebody Classics (before Multiball) like Space Invaders. Would make a great table and the back ground sounds and lighting would be assume!

No, especially since Space Invaders is an outside license.

 

[shutyertrap]

If you're trying to get people into pinball for the first time, old EM machines are not the way to go! Those that have never played real pinball *might* have played it in some digital form, most likely a Zen table. That's who your competition is, and that's the level of sophistication to table design that would be expected. FS is being smart with putting out the types of tables they are, even if there's a large contingent of people feeling like they're being ignored. Those old machines might one day get made, and sneaking in something like Gorgar is a good test for how well those might be received. For now though, I'm pretty sure there's at least 50 more modern tables that the majority of players would like to see reproduced than a single ball table bumper like Space Invaders.

 

[Matt McIrvin]

No, especially since Space Invaders is an outside license.

As I said in the "tables that will never be licensed" thread, Space Invaders is particularly problematic in that the real table itself was yanked from production because of a licensing problem: the artwork infringed on Fox's Alien franchise, which is still very much alive. (It was a lot worse than, say, Alien Crush; the creature on the backglass looks just like the one in the movie except that it has eyes.)

 

[Brian Clark]

If you're trying to get people into pinball for the first time, old EM machines are not the way to go! Those that have never played real pinball *might* have played it in some digital form, most likely a Zen table. That's who your competition is, and that's the level of sophistication to table design that would be expected. FS is being smart with putting out the types of tables they are, even if there's a large contingent of people feeling like they're being ignored. Those old machines might one day get made, and sneaking in something like Gorgar is a good test for how well those might be received. For now though, I'm pretty sure there's at least 50 more modern tables that the majority of players would like to see reproduced than a single ball table bumper like Space Invaders.

Space Invaders is not EM, it's early SS. It's very disappointing people are outright requesting for Farsight not to make older tables since there is an audience for them and many of them are very good. There will be plenty of newer machines, and are already, but I don't like how companies are being asked to cater to the casual audience for a game with realistic machines. Don't get me wrong, I love Zen, but next thing you know, Farsight will be asked to make games with smaller flipper gaps. People have already started asking for Cirqus Voltaire to be altered. I want Farsight to make what sells too, but, personally, I think it's a mistake to exclude older games just to target an audience that probably wouldn't even play the DMD games. BTW, I want this to sell too and I know they got a lot on their plate, but many of these tables have never been converted before and I think it's extremely disrespectful to tell them outright not to make older tables.

 

[Sir_LANs-a-lot]

Well, I hope Eight Ball Deluxe gets done at some point.

 

[shutyertrap]

Space Invaders is not EM, it's early SS. It's very disappointing people are outright requesting for Farsight not to make older tables since there is an audience for them and many of them are very good. There will be plenty of newer machines, and are already, but I don't like how companies are being asked to cater to the casual audience for a game with realistic machines. Don't get me wrong, I love Zen, but next thing you know, Farsight will be asked to make games with smaller flipper gaps. People have already started asking for Cirqus Voltaire to be altered. I want Farsight to make what sells too, but, personally, I think it's a mistake to exclude older games just to target an audience that probably wouldn't even play the DMD games. BTW, I want this to sell too and I know they got a lot on their plate, but many of these tables have never been converted before and I think it's extremely disrespectful to tell them outright not to make older tables.

Well I'll make no bones about it, my favorite tables are those from '87 to '97. Those are what I want to play, they're what I played back in the day, they're what I downloaded when I was into Virtual Pin. To have the best base install group you can possibly have, FS NEEDS those casual players, and I hate to say it, but an old SS table (my bad about the EM reference) like Playboy or Evil Kneival is not going to sell half as well as a more modern game. Shoot, it's doubtful I'd pay for one, and I love me some pinball. But again, having downloaded those same tables within VP, I barely ever played them. Not when I had the top 20 tables of all time at my fingertips. When I went to the Pinball Hall of Fame in Vegas, I tried a bunch of old tables, and they did nothing for me. I'm just not amused by 'only' getting points, and I think the same holds true for the vast majority. If FS wants to sneak in an old table with TZ, well then so be it. At least I'll have TZ. I just don't see a lot of people clamoring for Jive Time again.

As for narrowing gaps and such, so long as it's only an option and doesn't count towards leaderboards, who cares? Considering they've got enough bugs to worry about before even considering such a thing, I'm not too worried.

 

[Brian Clark]

Games should be about playability, not only sales. I don't think it will hurt anything if the older tables get released along side the newer tables and the newer tables still get made, as well. It's not like newer ones aren't about points (and I'm not content with playing a game only to beat it). There are a variety of different layouts on older tables, not to mention a couple tables that have a tic-tac-toe game in the middle, a table with runs counted like a baseball game (but still with scoring), tables with card game rules, and other things in the mix. Some older tables are just as much about trying to earn credits as points as well.

Jive Time is a poor example of an EM. It's a poorly designed machine with a random wheel as the only way to collect a bonus. People aren't clamoring for it becuase it sucks.

The issue with the gaps and other things already came up and, so far, not as an option. It was almost impossible to lose a ball down the outlanes in Cirqus Voltaire Pinball Arcade when it first came to iOS, with no option to change it. When it was fixed, people requested Farsight to change it back. Black Hole's rules went from innaccurate to accurate and than to innaccurate again, though the rules are harder than the original. When Black Hole first came to Pinball Arcade, it was much easier to keep the ball in play than on the real machine, as well. I know this wasn't done on purpose, but I rather have the tables as accurate as possible. However, I wouldn't mind the new rules for Black Hole to be included as an option.

Also, I don't need to be told that sales are important. What I'm saying is that older tables have a fan base that would buy and play these tables that cares more about gameplay than only what's hip and popular.

I actually wasn't in to EMs at first, until I played them. A lot of them can be a lot of fun if you take the time to learn the rules.

 

[Franky]

FarSide always talks about "preservation of pinball" - and therefore, in my opinion, it's not only a question of like/dislike a table - it's simply a MUST to preserve the old tables as long as they are still available. You always preserve the oldest stuff first.

 

[Sir_LANs-a-lot]

Fair point.

 

[shutyertrap]

FarSide always talks about "preservation of pinball" - and therefore, in my opinion, it's not only a question of like/dislike a table - it's simply a MUST to preserve the old tables as long as they are still available. You always preserve the oldest stuff first.

This isn't the Library of Congress! You want them to recreate the tables that literally had nails as pins and no flippers too? Cause you know, those ARE the oldest! Yeah, let's grind through 50 years of tables before we even get to the ones people know by name. C'mon! We're not even 6 months into TPA being in existence (never mind the collections on disc for a moment) and already you want them to do obscure tables that aren't going to garner much interest? The kickstarter for TZ was needed cause they didn't think they'd get enough sales to cover the cost licenses and make a profit on one of the most popular tables out!

I get it, you think it'd be neat to have these old tables at your disposal. But FarSight is not doing this for charity and historical preservation. It'd be like asking Fox to put off releasing Star Wars on Blu-Ray in favor of the Flash Gordan serials. Ya gotta make your profits and ensure your solidity before you can take the risk of mining your library.

Shoot, as happy as I am that all the dlc has been Williams and Bally, I'm wondering when another Stern or Gottlieb table are even gonna make an appearance. And I'm not even a fan of those.

I'm not trying to pick a fight, be disrespectful, or piss anyone off. I'm a bit of a sarcastic devil's advocate kind of guy, and there's no way any of you would know that about me. Hi, lemme introduce myself! Maybe I shouldn't have jumped down the throat of somebody simply making a request. I'll even concede I wanna see Centaur, which apart from multiball is pretty much in the same category of Space Invaders. I just think when FarSight talked of the 'preservation of pinball', the over all intent was the medium itself, the game of pinball. If people like this, they'll maybe seek out the real thing. If the real thing starts getting attention again, maybe more dedicated pinball arcades might return. It's a pipe dream, but I think more inline with their intent. Just sayin'.

Or maybe I'm just bitter cause I can't afford a real machine of my own that is either Whirlwind or Earthshaker or even Rollergames!

 

[Brian Clark]

How about some 80's Widebody Classics (before Multiball) like Space Invaders.

Space Invaders wasn't before multiball. Some EMs had it years before and there's even a PM from the 30s with it. According to ipdb, the first machine with electronic multiball, Firepower, predated Space Invaders by two months.

 

[Richard B]

If people like this, they'll maybe seek out the real thing. If the real thing starts getting attention again, maybe more dedicated pinball arcades might return. It's a pipe dream, but I think more inline with their intent. Just sayin'.

While dedicated arcades likely won't return (unless they're part of an entertainment complex), I think it is in the realm of possibility to once again be able to go into a restaurant, movie theater, bar, or other venue, and see a machine or two there. It's been too long since that's happened to me (unless I sought the place out on a pinball locator site). It might become popular enough to re-release classics like Medieval Madness, much like Big Bang Bar was.

 

[Franky]

there are one or two things to consider,

first: it's most likely that there are also pinball games on the next generation consoles (xbox 78994, ps 3235, wii uhu, ...) with the exact same tables (because they are amongst the top 30), so you end up with owning the 34th version of MM.

second: an old table is not much work to recreate, a nice playfield and three bumpers and you're almost done (i know that there is more to do but in comparison).

third: there is no law on how farside have to release tables. i'm sure they could recreate one or two old tables every month and store them till they have like 20 of them and then they could do a "nostalgica special" by releasing a dlc with 10 or 20 old tables at once (even with very old "nails").

i don't think it will scare people off, when older pins are released.

 

[Nik Barbour]

I'm a sucker for drop targets, so I dig their older stuff at least.

there are one or two things to consider,

first: it's most likely that there are also pinball games on the next generation consoles (xbox 78994, ps 3235, wii uhu, ...) with the exact same tables (because they are amongst the top 30), so you end up with owning the 34th version of MM.

second: an old table is not much work to recreate, a nice playfield and three bumpers and you're almost done (i know that there is more to do but in comparison).

third: there is no law on how farside have to release tables. i'm sure they could recreate one or two old tables every month and store them till they have like 20 of them and then they could do a "nostalgica special" by releasing a dlc with 10 or 20 old tables at once (even with very old "nails").

i don't think it will scare people off, when older pins are released.

That 34th version of MM will be telepathicically controlled and the console surgically implanted in your brain though!
Wonder if that will have a texture on the inside of the draw bridge though

 

[Fuseball]

Well there's a danger with modern tables that you can just happily whack the ball about and something cool will happen. As enjoyable as that is, you need some contrast, some games where you need to choose and aim your shots a bit more. There are good and bad games from all eras. I don't much care for Space Invaders as a game but Centaur, Fathom and Medusa (for example) all entertain and challenge me. The aim of those games is scoring points, sure, but also difficult to obtain extra balls and specials. I just wish that we could do something with those credits we win.

Once more of the emulation is up and running then I think pairing of a modern DMD game with an older SS game makes a lot of sense. I also think the older SS games will be more approachable to many players once the mid-late '80s is better represented. There's a natural progression of features and depth of rules throughout the '80s.

 

[Richard B]

While I'd prefer they just go up the ipdb and pinside lists, doing machines roughly in order of popularity, their preferred pattern is to release a newer, popular table with a PHOF table, which, for the most part, are older, pre-modern era machines. Based on what some of the FS employees have said they're working on, the new/old pairings will continue after the HOF tables are finished.

 

[Heretic]

If harely davidson is coming next month, why do people hate it so much...or whynis it so bad? Seems like a cool theme table doest look terrible.

Why dont people rate it?

 

[Richard B]

If harely davidson is coming next month, why do people hate it so much...or whynis it so bad? Seems like a cool theme table doest look terrible.

Why dont people rate it?

Don't know either. I played it years ago, and liked it. That was the Sega version though. The Stern version, though it uses a nearly identical playfield, must have a completely different set of rules or something.