DLC Release Date

[Carpy]

lets just hope the dlc packs don't get rejected in June :-(

 

[infernogott]

damn ms and their damn approval process...

 

[ND3G]

lets just hope the dlc packs don't get rejected in June :-(

Now that is a scary thought.

 

[Butterkins]

1. It may be not many earnings, but every pound is a pound. Plus I think you underestimate the brilliants of this game. This is not some 1 out of hundred thousands app... This is a great game, which will sell itself.

I certainly don't underestimate how good of a pinball simulator the game is, but pinball itself is still a niche, and hardcore pinball is an even smaller niche.

I know that we all love any decent pinball we can get, whether it's FarSight or Zen, but for the mass market, pinball really doesn't exist any more. (This is why Zen have concentrated on casual-player friendly table and licensing; they're trying to sell to a market that wants video games, rather than pinball.)

FarSight are predominantly selling to aficionados, fans, purists and the odd player who wants to relive a bit of history, yet at mass-market iOS pricing. Unfortunately, the iOS pricing model only really works for volume sales. (This is a huge trap that thousands of developers have found themselves in: they are effectively forced to drop their prices, yet don't get the volume sales in return. Leading to no business.)

Since FS are a very small company (as far as these things go) they have to ensure they put their time and dollars in to those areas which will reap the most rewards, at least initially. You can see this in their approach: they are going for saturation coverage on the devices they can manage most easily. In the process, they've created problems of quality and communication. Certainly, the initial batch of products do seem rushed. (Problems that will hopefully be addressed over time.)

For the PC version, it may make more sense for FS to charge a premium. (Want more features? Pay more.) But this has the obvious disadvantage of alienating players who feel they are being "ripped off". (Comparative pricing is a very strange field, and human psychology is even stranger.)

 

[RetroDude]

I have to wait until Mid-June for Medieval Madness? That's just pathetic. We were promised DLC1 the first week of May. Indeed, we were promised new table packs each month but now a whole month will go bye without DLC1 -- a pack that has been available for virtually every other platform for WEEKS! I want MM NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You must have been a real hell-spawn of a child.

Patience is a virtue.
Impatience dulls your soul.

 

[xNiCeGuYx]

I'm very disappointed about the latest news, but on the other hand I have so many achievements left on PHOF to work on. If only the ball physics were better.

 

[SqueakyG]

I want MM NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I literally imagined a toddler stamping it's feet when I read that! I'm not happy about this Microsoft rejection of DLC pack #1 either, but there's no point whining.

It's worrying just how much a failed certification can throw off FarSight's business model -- they are dedicated to releasing DLC every month, but their very first DLC has failed and been thrown off by at least 5 weeks. Not a professional-looking start. I'm also concerned about why it failed certification: was there a game-breaking bug in the code, or is it just bizarre Microsoft rules?


I want to continue supporting FarSight and The Pinball Arcade. However, in reality I'll probably just forget that it's installed on my Xbox 360. That's a sad shame, but what am I going to do? Keep reading this board, so that I can be irritated by announcements for the tables Android and iOS users can play? Keep playing the 4 tables I'm now a little bored of? Keep playing the Williams HOF collection (which contains MM and Funhouse, therefore leaving me unexcited about the tables as DLC)?

 

[Blunt Fish Games]

I don't mean to sound impatient (even though I am), but I simply must ask: Do we know why DLC1 was rejected the first time around? I can't help but be curious about this.

 

[rjspring]

Update from facebook page - "Quick console update: The first 360 update will include both DLC packs. The PS3/Vita updates may include both DLC packs. They'll certainly include MM and Bride. All console updates are at least 3 weeks away from being released."

 

[Richard B]

I don't mean to sound impatient (even though I am), but I simply must ask: Do we know why DLC1 was rejected the first time around? I can't help but be curious about this.

I don't think they're allowed to share that information.

 

[Jeff Strong]

I don't think they're allowed to share that information.

They told us why the iOS update was rejected before, but maybe MS has tighter restrictions....

Have they said for sure that the DLC was indeed rejected?

At this point, I'm doubting that because they said on FB just a few days ago that "Funhouse and Cirqus Voltaire have been approved by WMS for release! We wish that we had dates to announce exactly when. We understand your frustration."... So it seems that this approval caused the console submissions to be delayed.....that's the impression I'm getting as that's the only explanation for the delay that they provided. Only Farsight knows the whole story....

 

[monkspider]

I certainly don't underestimate how good of a pinball simulator the game is, but pinball itself is still a niche, and hardcore pinball is an even smaller niche.

I know that we all love any decent pinball we can get, whether it's FarSight or Zen, but for the mass market, pinball really doesn't exist any more. (This is why Zen have concentrated on casual-player friendly table and licensing; they're trying to sell to a market that wants video games, rather than pinball.)

FarSight are predominantly selling to aficionados, fans, purists and the odd player who wants to relive a bit of history, yet at mass-market iOS pricing. Unfortunately, the iOS pricing model only really works for volume sales. (This is a huge trap that thousands of developers have found themselves in: they are effectively forced to drop their prices, yet don't get the volume sales in return. Leading to no business.)

Since FS are a very small company (as far as these things go) they have to ensure they put their time and dollars in to those areas which will reap the most rewards, at least initially. You can see this in their approach: they are going for saturation coverage on the devices they can manage most easily. In the process, they've created problems of quality and communication. Certainly, the initial batch of products do seem rushed. (Problems that will hopefully be addressed over time.)

For the PC version, it may make more sense for FS to charge a premium. (Want more features? Pay more.) But this has the obvious disadvantage of alienating players who feel they are being "ripped off". (Comparative pricing is a very strange field, and human psychology is even stranger.)

This is an interesting discussion. FWIW, I am probably part of that "casual pinball fan" audience that Farsight must have hoped to attract. I only played one pinball machine in real life before (Addams family) and my fondest pinball memories until Pinball Arcade were playing Atari 2600 Pinball and Space Cadet Pinball back on Windows 95.

I just happened to download the demo though and got instantly hooked and ended up buying the entire game AND THEN buying Pinball FX2 as well. I am also curious to try a real life pinabll machine at some point. Sorry to get off topic, but my point is I am sure I am not the only one who never had any interest in pinball until Pinball Arcade.

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

At this point, I'm doubting that because they said on FB just a few days ago that "Funhouse and Cirqus Voltaire have been approved by WMS for release! We wish that we had dates to announce exactly when. We understand your frustration."... So it seems that this approval caused the console submissions to be delayed.....that's the impression I'm getting as that's the only explanation for the delay that they provided. Only Farsight knows the whole story....

But the originally submitted DLC on the 360 was for MM and BoP, not FH and CV. So the first two tables should have gone through regardless of any delay in Williams approving FH and CV...unless, of course, Microsoft rejected them.

 

[FurVid]

Today I did something I haven't done in years and played hookey from work to find some local pinball machines, all Stern of course. Tron wasn't that bad, not too impressed with the others (big buck hunter pro, rolling stones, transformers). Come on, Farsight, don't leave me strung out, man, I need my fix!

 

[Jeff Strong]

But the originally submitted DLC on the 360 was for MM and BoP, not FH and CV. So the first two tables should have gone through regardless of any delay in Williams approving FH and CV...unless, of course, Microsoft rejected them.

Yeah, good call. I almost forgot about MM and BOP since they've been out on mobile for so long......and I guess I'm just dying to play CV, heh...

 

[Emmanuel Papillon]

I only played one pinball machine in real life before (Addams family) and my fondest pinball memories until Pinball Arcade were playing Atari 2600 Pinball and Space Cadet Pinball back on Windows 95.

I just happened to download the demo though and got instantly hooked and ended up buying the entire game AND THEN buying Pinball FX2 as well.

I'm in the exact same case. I never ever played a real pinball machine in my life, only computer simulations, and I bought the Williams Collection thanks to reviews and gamer opinions. I'm extremely interested into what Pinball Arcade is trying to achieve, and if the graphics and presentation were improved, I'd like it more than Pinball FX 2 (which I like, but I find more appeal in "real" pinball gameplay).

 

[szycag]

Can we still expect these the first week of June or so?

 

[PiN WiZ]

Can we still expect these the first week of June or so?

Should be early June...don't know about the first week of June though.

 

[infernogott]

so it's been 4 weeks since the resubmitting of the dlc. chances of it coming tomorrow? maybe 30%?

 

[RKade8583]

Nothing doing today. Not too surprised. This is incredibly frustrating and I can't imagine how frustrated FS is at MS's crap. I just wish I had your guys' multiple platforms so I could enjoy more than 4 tables... Alas, my eyes.

It could be worse. It could be Spelunky which was supposed to be out in November... of 2010.