Farsight must counterattack!

[shutyertrap]

At some point didn't Stern include digital rights in contracts when they secured licenses? I don't remember when that started it or if it's been consistent.

It's never been 100% confirmed. The language used is more that the license can be used for digital representation, but I don't believe it covers the cost. It essentially eliminates the need to go through lawyers again. We have estimated that it could be as early as Metallica, but for sure by Game of Thrones.

 

[shutyertrap]

Well, yeah, but so is TSPP now.

D'oh!

 

[wilbers]

D'oh!

We were even 'told' in 1998 that it would happen.

 

[Dan]

It is obvious now that FS will never get back the WMS license.

But Farsight must fight! (Farfight! )

Nice fantasies you got there. But they should actually switch to bowling games, maybe fool some other people

 

[dmil666]

Ever since Farsight announced it wasn't doing monthly releases anymore it really took away the motivation for a lot of people to play TPA, then when Chris and Jared had the one podcast interview with the head of Farsight, he talked about 5-6 tables a year which I didn't think would be too bad, roughly a bi-monthly schedule, but this year has mainly been the end of season 10 with Banzai Run, the end of the Williams' license and Arrocoda mess, then the incorporation of the Stern tables into TPA and finally the two new releases of BBH and Whoa Nellie! and that looks like it for this year.

Really liked the idea that Blahcade podcast had about focusing on the EM's and early SS of Gottlieb and then maybe 3-4 heavy hitter tables from Stern that would get people excited again like Metallica. Maybe do a 3-4 pack of EM's, since they seem to be fairly easy to scan in quickly, SS tables like Joker Poker, Spirit, Alien Star and Count-Down in a Gottlieb pack and then the big Stern releases.

Possibly get another manufacturer's license like Capcom or Game Plan as well.

Yes, this. I'm a big fan of TPA and I'm really hoping that Farsight goes after new content aggressively. Releasing a batch of SS tables would be great too....

 

[David Pannozzo]

Farsight’s next batch should be a 3 pack, to battle Zen Pinball. I say Farsight should do The Walking Dead, Game Of Thrones, and Metallica for their next batch, what does everyone think.

 

[wilbers]

I haven't seen any flying pigs today.

 

[Rayder]

We're still waiting on Woah! Nellie and Big Buck Hunter to release on all platforms before we can even hope to start expecting anything else. And that would likely mean many months down the line before even getting an idea of what other tables may come in the future. Remember, montlhy table releases are no longer a thing.

 

[Teamski]

At this point, I am pretty well done with Farsight and sticking with the future of Zen. At least they offer cabinet support without having their customers fork out $150 for something that should already have been developed like.....Zen did. I think that was pretty ballsy for them to pull something like that.

-Ski

 

[Silverball67]

Farsight’s next batch should be a 3 pack, to battle Zen Pinball. I say Farsight should do The Walking Dead, Game Of Thrones, and Metallica for their next batch, what does everyone think.

That´ll be a wonderweapon, but i bet this will never happen (technical, licence issues, menpower...) I would be very, very surprised if we see one of these great tables in the next 6 months (or ever?). Metallica would be the most likely candidate and a must-buy-table for me. I think the pinball-battle is already lost. But that´s just my opinion.

 

[Nomorestalker]

They said in the last stream that the next table(s) would be substantial Sterns and maybe a gottlieb. We also know they have been working on the stern dmd video screens so that means anything from batman 66, aerosmith, star wars (least likely unless the licence is baked in with the stern deal) guardians of the galaxy (see star wars) iron maiden or Deadpool. Of that group i'd say the most likely is batman, metallica, aerosmith, iron maiden. They could even potentially get some savings by trying for both batman tables at the same time?

Just a little speculation of course.

 

[yespage]

I don't think Farsight can counterattack. There is no fight to be fought here. Farsight is no longer a big fish in the pond. Zen now has the best license agreement for Pinball it is that simple.

But look at the Zaccarias tables. Those weren't huge in the US, but it is a great game and they continue expanding portability, so a small fish can do well. Farsight must continue with what remains in their stables.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

If they can get the modern Stern LED screens working, and can get day-and-date release in step with new Stern tables (which I think is a hope shared by both FS and Stern), that might be what keeps them up with Zen.

 

[shutyertrap]

If they can get the modern Stern LED screens working, and can get day-and-date release in step with new Stern tables (which I think is a hope shared by both FS and Stern), that might be what keeps them up with Zen.

FarSight has talented people, just not enough bodies. When Mel said that if demand on Zen pumping out tables gets to much they’ll just hire more people, I thought there’s where FarSight never stepped up. They were thinking too small, too financially conservative. Zen realizes you have to spend money to make money.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

FarSight has talented people, just not enough bodies. When Mel said that if demand on Zen pumping out tables gets to much they’ll just hire more people, I thought there’s where FarSight never stepped up. They were thinking too small, too financially conservative. Zen realizes you have to spend money to make money.

I've said it before, but Farsight is in a bad position when it comes to hiring talent, due to their physical location. If they want to get more people, they need to come down the mountain - or at the very least find a location better suited and use it as a satellite studio. They're on the doorstep of the second largest city in the USA, so there should be no excuses about the size of the local talent pool.

 

[shutyertrap]

I've said it before, but Farsight is in a bad position when it comes to hiring talent, due to their physical location. If they want to get more people, they need to come down the mountain - or at the very least find a location better suited and use it as a satellite studio. They're on the doorstep of the second largest city in the USA, so there should be no excuses about the size of the local talent pool.

You're not wrong. At the very least they'd need to come off the mountain, but the cities at the base aren't exactly attractive destinations either (we SoCal locals refer to that area as the Land of the Dirt People). If they moved into Orange County or near Pasadena their talent pool would be way easier to pull from. Or they could do what everyone else does and have the studio near the beaches of Santa Monica. Of course the overhead would be absurd for that location, but throw a rock and hit a local talent!

 

[Gorgias32]

I've said it before, but Farsight is in a bad position when it comes to hiring talent, due to their physical location. If they want to get more people, they need to come down the mountain - or at the very least find a location better suited and use it as a satellite studio. They're on the doorstep of the second largest city in the USA, so there should be no excuses about the size of the local talent pool.

Good point - it's definitely a factor that, in addition to being in a remote location, Farsight is in southern California, which is one of the most expensive markets for software developers in the country. I'm not sure but I would suspect that the salaries in Big Bear are not all that different from San Bernardino, only an hour away, and Zen can probably hire two or more equivalently skilled developers for the price of one in CA, just due to their location and local economy. A satellite office in another part of the country could have saved them some money, but obviously there are downsides to having your team spread out as well. It's a tough position for them to compete.

Making pinball is hard.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

Ship the entire studio to Chicago, I'm sure they can carve out some space in the Stern factory!

 

[Naildriver74]

Maybe Mr Obernolte is running his business exactly the way he wants it to be.
I could hire more people in my business and spread out across the state. But I choose not too. Money is not what it’s all about.

 

[Jeff Strong]

You're not wrong. At the very least they'd need to come off the mountain, but the cities at the base aren't exactly attractive destinations either (we SoCal locals refer to that area as the Land of the Dirt People). If they moved into Orange County or near Pasadena their talent pool would be way easier to pull from. Or they could do what everyone else does and have the studio near the beaches of Santa Monica. Of course the overhead would be absurd for that location, but throw a rock and hit a local talent!

They say certain parts of San Bernardino are actually more dangerous than Detroit, haha.

My wife got her masters from Loma Linda which is considered one of the best medical universities in the country, but as you know is unfortunately situated right in the heart of the Inland Empire since it was founded way back when before that area was all built up, so I lived near there for a few years. Thankfully there are pockets of nice neighborhoods, but still surrounded by sketchiness.

I remember before I moved to Cali: playing GTA and venturing outside of the city into the land of rednecks and hillbillies. I thought, “no way this is realistic...California is all glamourous and glitzy liberals, right?”....turns out I was wrong! lol