Confirmed upcoming tables

[Jeff Strong]

The Silverball guys have already gotten close to the same amount as Farsight did in their first Kickstarter. I think people are willing to support them, but the 400k goal is just too much.

 

[JoshuaKadmon]

The Silverball guys have already gotten close to the same amount as Farsight did in their first Kickstarter. I think people are willing to support them, but the 400k goal is just too much.

That's part of my point. For a well-liked objective, kickstarters can often garner 1000+ backers at an average $40-$50 per head, but that's only a tenth of what they're asking.

Here's another major difference -- Silverball seems to be asking for backers to fund the development of their game, almost from the ground up. FarSight doesn't do that. They just ask for us to help them fund the expensive licensing of individual tables that we already love and want included in a proven product. FS still pays development costs, and they never seem like they're asking for a handout to get them in business. As gamers, we can appreciate that no average company could afford the extravagent cost that could be incurred by multiple licenses, let alone years of support for such additions. Video game companies just aren't willing to jump through the necessary hoops, and licensing cost is a quantifiable obstacle that we can understand. It's the reason we will never see my much-desired Capcom/SNK vs. Marvel/DC, as close or capable as Capcom may be to making such a product reality.

In short, FarSight has gone miles above the call of duty, elevating this project to much higher-thinking territory, while still managing to keep their kickstarter requests reasonable. Besides, even if one of FS's kickstarters failed, it wouldn't bring TPA to a halt. They would simply acknowledge that backers didn't want that table enough to put it in the game and would move on to dozens of other options.

 

[Rudy]

There could be a third option for releasing the Kickstarter DLC: Having a regular November DLC and adding that as a separate thing altogether. But of course that'd mean Farsight will have to do a lot more that month and it'd rush the kickstarter DLC.

See, with the Kickstarter stuff it isn't just about a vague timeslot of when DLC is about, most of us are happy to wait a little bit, knowing how Microsoft/Sony/Apple etc. conduct their business >_> but when a Kickstarter goal says it should be out by the end of November then it probably should be out by November - which means the game should be nearly finished by mid-October in order to stick it in the queue at Microsoft/Sony/Apple etc. I think beta testing will be in early October with the results mostly meaningless if Farsight have been working their socks off.

So I'm only expecting one table per Kickstarter month. At the end of the day they're premium tables and WILL take a lot of playing to get to know the grips of, plus it'll allow Farsight to polish them up to Funhouse standards regarding ball/flipper physics. I don't even think we'd be disappointed in that

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

Actually, I just thought the kickstarter tables would be offered at $3.99 individually or paired with a PHoF table for $4.99 (with the PHoF table being $1.99 individually).

Both TZ and ST:TNG are going to have considerably higher residual (per-unit) licensing fees than something like RBION or MB. That kickstarter just covered upfront costs. Plus, FarSight has to "give away" a few thousand copies of each table to their backers, but the residuals presumably still have to be paid on those "sales". TZ is likely to be at least $5 by itself, and possibly closer to $7 or $8. The kickstarter was to make the tables "commercially viable", not necessarily to reduce them to the same price as non-kickstarted tables.

You just can't make a blanket statement that the "kickstarter well is currently dry".

Sure I can:

• There is a large contingent of backers who are willing to support FarSight once or twice, but who would start to sour if asked repeatedly. Evidence: Posts here, on Kickstarter comment pages, and (after a lot of sifting through dross) Facebook.
• There is a large contingent of backers who were willing to support FarSight once or twice, and who might be willing to do so again, but they are waiting for FarSight to deliver the goods on the first kickstarters and/or fix their various pet issues with the current game. Evidence: Same as above.
• The few individuals who are able and willing to drop large sums on the kickstarters seem to be holding back now. Evidence: TZ attracted fifteen $500+ backers, most of whom were in it for that amount before ST:TNG was announced. ST:TNG itself had only three, despite the relatively greater popularity of the license.
• There are few tables left that command the near-universal appeal of TZ and ST:TNG. TAF and to a lesser extent IJ are really the only two left. Perhaps something like Simpsons Pinball Party or Family Guy could inspire enough support for successful funding as well, assuming the rightsholders didn't demand an arm and a leg. But the other recent Sterns won't, and I'm not sure even something like Doctor Who would make it. Evidence: Consult your favorite "Top X pinball tables" list.

 

[Rudy]

Plus at the end of the day, pretty much every backer is probably going to own a copy of TPA in the first place. So even IF you were a stranger and liked the table and wanted it to be digitised... unless you owned a copy of TPA then there wouldn't be any point putting any money into it.

There was this weird idea that the Star Trek table would inspire a load of rich Trekkies to put a lot of money into it just because it was Star Trek related, but unless they owned a console and the game itself then they aren't going to contribute to the project. There's no point doing another kickstarter until TPA has gained a steady following or hits a specific target (something hundred thousand purchases of TPA or 50,000 likes on facebook or something) because right now there's the scary possibility of overhyping the game to create a false economy.

As far as I see it, we're going to get a much better version of PHOF:Williams just through the re-releases and extra Williams tables that didn't make the cut for one reason or another (Monster Bash, Bride of Pin*Bot, Star Trek:TNG) and we're probably going to get a much better version of PHOF: Gottlieb WITHIN THE SAME GAME! Everything else is just a sweet bonus, like all the Bally and Stern tables. We might not ever get the Addams family, but we've still ended up with the best Farsight pinball game yet and could end up with us having 60+ of the best tables in existance (and Space Shuttle )

 

[sharkbear]

Newsletter says Scared Stiff and Big Shot are next!

 

[pezpunk]

(and Space Shuttle )

... and Black Knight.

 

[Matt McIrvin]

There are few tables left that command the near-universal appeal of TZ and ST:TNG. TAF and to a lesser extent IJ are really the only two left.

I think this is about right. As you said, the well isn't completely dry: there's still The Addams Family, the holy grail of real-pinball simulation. If the rights situation ever got to the point where Farsight could actually announce a Kickstarter, it'd spark a wave of interest comparable to or greater than TZ and the campaign would probably be successful, because even a lot of people who aren't hardcore pinheads have fond memories of that table.

But that's likely to be it. Mere fandom for the media franchise the table is based on won't cut it.

 

[JoshuaKadmon]

I'm gonna take another guess at this:

Table Pack #07 October 2012 - Big Shot / Scared Stiff
Table Pack #08 November 2012 - Space Shuttle / Attack from Mars
Table Pack #09 December 2012 - Pin*Bot / Twilight Zone
Table Pack #10 January 2013 - Victory / Dr. Dude
Table Pack #11 February 2013 - Firepower / Star Trek: The Next Generation

I know Firepower hasn't been confirmed, and we're not 100% certain that premium tables will even get paired with a PHoF. I still believe FS will release 2 tables in the premium months, but they'll probably either keep them separate or just break them up on PSN and XBLA for the first time (thus allowing them to be downloaded together or separate as they've always done on iOS).

That being said, we're starting to run low on PHoF tables (Firepower, Whirlwind, and Sorcerer from WC and Genie, El Dorado City of Gold, Tee'd Off, and Central Park from GC). This is assuming Ace High, Goin' Nuts, Strikes n' Spares, and Jive Time may never make it to TPA. Even the remaining non-confirmed tables could carry us through mid-2013, but it sounds like FS is ready to start mixing in some more non-licensed NEW tables in the near future. Let's hope that includes some favorites like White Water, Fish Tales, Swords of Fury, Haunted House, Xenon, and TX-Sector!

Oh, and before you correct me, I realize that Twilight Zone and Star Trek were supposed to be November and January, respectively, but I'm betting that each gets pushed back by a month. I'm fine with that, though.

 

[Kevlar]

Have FS actually said that the kickstarter tables will be part of the usual double pack? it sort of screws up the pricing for people who backed the kickstarter; eg they have already paid probably a little over the odds for the TZ and now won't be able to save by buying the usuall double pack.

 

[JoshuaKadmon]

Have FS actually said that the kickstarter tables will be part of the usual double pack? it sort of screws up the pricing for people who backed the kickstarter; eg they have already paid probably a little over the odds for the TZ and now won't be able to save by buying the usuall double pack.

As I said...

I still believe FS will release 2 tables in the premium months, but they'll probably either keep them separate or just break them up on PSN and XBLA for the first time (thus allowing them to be downloaded together or separate as they've always done on iOS).

To clarify, the only platforms this problem would affect would be PS3/Vita and XBox360, as the tables are always sold in a 2-pack and have never been offered individually. Mobile platforms have always given you the choice of paying individual prices or a slightly reduced 2-pack price. I am willing to bet that FarSight will still release a PHoF remaster alongside the Kickstarter tables, perhaps with the following DLC options (just an example):

Pin*Bot = $1.99
Twilight Zone = $4.99
Twilight Zone + Pin*Bot = $5.99

For Kickstarter backers, that would just mean downloading the tables individually ($1.99 PB + $0.00 TZ = $5.00 savings). That makes sense to me, since getting a $5 discount for every $10 interval you pledged would be sweet. It's like getting a 50% return on your donation, plus any other rewards you may have hit. You shouldn't think about it as if you'd be paying extra for Pin*Bot; you're still saving money whereas non-backers are not.

I'd love to get actual confirmation from FS on this, but at any rate, I guess we'll find out within a couple months. Despite being a Kickstarter backer, I would actually be MORE frustrated by not getting two tables in the TZ/ST months.

Then again, who knows? Maybe FS will go the extra mile and give backers the entire table pack for free *hint* just to keep things simple.

 

[DarthVonDoom]

Has Farsight ever mentioned anything about Sorcerer. It was one of my favorite table on the Wlliams PHOF. I could understand if they chose not to release Jive Time but not Sorcerer.

 

[JoshuaKadmon]

Has Farsight ever mentioned anything about Sorcerer. It was one of my favorite table on the Wlliams PHOF. I could understand if they chose not to release Jive Time but not Sorcerer.

I think it's safe to assume that all Williams Collection tables will eventually be remastered (except Jive Time), including Whirlwind, Firepower, and Sorcerer. They're just not confirmed yet, and at one point, I think there was some question as to whether or not the latter two could be fully emulated. I doubt any of that will prevent them from inclusion as the remaining PHoF titles dwindle.

Likewise, I fully expect to see the remaining Gottlieb Collection tables at some point. Victory has been confirmed, of course, leaving El Dorado City of Gold, Genie, Tee'd Off, and Central Park. Like Jive Time, I have my doubts about Ace High, and I just feel like Strikes n' Spares and Goin' Nuts wouldn't fit the TPA library. They're just too reliant on odd gimmicks.

 

[Heretic]

Whats the diffictluy in emukating them? Excactly(havent looked feck all up)

 

[JoshuaKadmon]

Whats the diffictluy in emukating them? Excactly(havent looked feck all up)

Older SS tables (like Black Hole) apparently don't gel with current software emulation. Maybe someone else can be more specific, but it's not a new issue by any means. They can still be scripted.

 

[karl]

Table pack 7 will come out early November and not October.(Farsight said a couple of days ago on Facebook) I could be wrong but I believe they have taken approximately 5 weeks from one pack to the next (not counting submission time) for the most part. I know we have all placed the next pack to the month after the last one but October will probably be the first month we do not get any new pack and that is ok by me, just saying. (but then again we could get two packs in November or pack 7 and TZ) Lots of possibilities and I actually like not having all the schedule up front. Nice to have something to discuss and ponder about

 

[gooche77]

A premium table and dlc pack 7 in the same month would be a Thanksgiving miracle. The parade blows and Peppermint Patty is absolutlely rude to Charlie Brown. I'm fairly certain she wasn't even invited.

 

[Rudy]

I thought that the reason that we're not getting any DLC in October was because Elvira/Gofers was actually pushed forward?

So I don't think we'll get two table packs in November, but them rushing Elvira/Gofers out has basically given them two months to create three tables so we might see Twilight Zone VERY shortly after Pack 7.

 

[Brian Clark]

Older SS tables (like Black Hole) apparently don't gel with current software emulation. Maybe someone else can be more specific, but it's not a new issue by any means. They can still be scripted.

I'm wonder if the issue is related to Farsight's engine. From what I heard, it sounds like part of the issue if how the emulation runs on slower platorms and how the engine is the same across all platforms, to the point of the same bugs happening across multiple platforms. I feel they should have at least used a different engine for iOS and Android.

 

[Turbine]

I thought that the reason that we're not getting any DLC in October was because Elvira/Gofers was actually pushed forward?

So I don't think we'll get two table packs in November, but them rushing Elvira/Gofers out has basically given them two months to create three tables so we might see Twilight Zone VERY shortly after Pack 7.

Elvira was Septembers DLC