If FS is limited to the number of B/W tables, why waste them?

Richard B

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Apr 7, 2012
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FS can only do a limited number of B/W tables, then they have to renegotiate. If that is the case, why are they making tables like Black Knight, Space Shuttle, and Gorgar, "wasting" their limited choices, when they could be making White Water, Junk Yard, Who Dunnit, Fish Tales, Jack Bot, and many other much newer, better machines? I mean, if they told me I can only have 10 cars and that's it, I'd be choosing Ferarris, Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis, and all the other cool, luxury, even fantasy, cars, while FS would be picking some Ford Escorts and Honda Civics among their choices. If given the choice between having 10 great things, or 5 great and 5 crappy-merely good, I'd go with the 10 great. Why doesn't FS see things that way?
 

Sinistar

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Jun 20, 2012
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Why sir? The tables you mentioned have one pre-requisite to being added to Pinball Arcade , they have to BUY a real table , to digitise it .
Centaur was last we heard proving to be really scarce to find for them. Just remember they aren't making these tables based on popularity all of the time , sometimes it's about the studio acquiring the real machines .
 

Bowflex

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Feb 21, 2012
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I believe that while it may not be the most popular tables being selective, there is sound strategy behind it. Tables like Gorgar, Firepower and Black Knight do offer an amount of historical significance. Gorgar was the first talking table, Firepower had the first SS multiball, etc. Additionally, tables like Space Shuttle do offer more variety of challenge. To a tournament player, it is very easy to rack up a huge score but it is truly an ideal table for a beginning or novice player.

As Sinistar mentioned, they are also limited to what's available. But the "best" tables are subjective. I actually do love playing Gorgar. I find myself playing that more than many of the other "newer" tables. It's great to have variety that can appeal to all tastes.

It's also been mentioned that WMS does have a certain amount of influence as to what gets produced. That was a good part of the reason why Jive Time was included; WMS had insisted it be a table in the orginal PHOF collection and pushed Bride of Pinbot out.
 

9u1d0

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Jan 7, 2013
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FS can only do a limited number of B/W tables, then they have to renegotiate. If that is the case, why are they making tables like Black Knight, Space Shuttle, and Gorgar, "wasting" their limited choice

And most of those old tables have already been released on Pinball Hall of fame The Williams Collection & The Gottlieb Collection. I think it takes much less time to release them on TPA then building new tables from scratch, since they already have all 3D models and maps.
 

Fuseball

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May 26, 2012
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Why sir? The tables you mentioned have one pre-requisite to being added to Pinball Arcade , they have to BUY a real table , to digitise it .
Centaur was last we heard proving to be really scarce to find for them. Just remember they aren't making these tables based on popularity all of the time , sometimes it's about the studio acquiring the real machines .

Would it be cheaper and easier for FS to fly someone over to digitise my Centaur rather than buy one locally? I've no idea if that's even an option.

Whilst I agree that the likes of Whitewater, Junkyard or Fish Tales would be preferable to almost any early-SS games (and I grew up playing them), it doesn't always follow that the older games are bad choices. I'm playing Firepower, for example, far more than Dr. Dude. The improved flipper physics really shows on older games too. The only one I regret is BK and that's because they made a mess of it rather than it being an inherently bad game.
 

Worf

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Aug 12, 2012
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Would it be cheaper and easier for FS to fly someone over to digitise my Centaur rather than buy one locally? I've no idea if that's even an option.

Did you make them the offer? HEre's the thread in which they're calling out for help. They're looking to buy, but maybe they can be convinced to borrow instead.

You'd need to ship it to them and have to be without for a few months, but they were looking for one. If it's in need of a small bit of 'shop, they do enough to be playable.

And no, they can't send someone to digitize yours - they need yours to digitize over there as they have to tear it all the way to the plywood, do 1:1 scans, lots of photos, etc.
 

Fuseball

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May 26, 2012
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Did you make them the offer? HEre's the thread in which they're calling out for help. They're looking to buy, but maybe they can be convinced to borrow instead.

You'd need to ship it to them and have to be without for a few months, but they were looking for one. If it's in need of a small bit of 'shop, they do enough to be playable.

And no, they can't send someone to digitize yours - they need yours to digitize over there as they have to tear it all the way to the plywood, do 1:1 scans, lots of photos, etc.

If I was in the US (rather than the UK) then I wouldn't hesitate to lend them mine. Damn geography!
 

SKILL_SHOT

Banned
Jul 11, 2012
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FS is within a couple hours of PHOF in VEGAS and they've worked with Tim Arnold before when they made Gottlieb collection. I suggested this before since PHOF is Non-profit why not make a donation or a portion of sales from the table they borrow from PHOF its a WIN WIN then you have hundreds of tables to chose from all in working condition.
 

Richard B

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Apr 7, 2012
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Why sir? The tables you mentioned have one pre-requisite to being added to Pinball Arcade , they have to BUY a real table , to digitise it .
Centaur was last we heard proving to be really scarce to find for them. Just remember they aren't making these tables based on popularity all of the time , sometimes it's about the studio acquiring the real machines .
If they can get a CC, they can get any of the machines I mentioned (especially since none are really all that rare or sought after compared to tables FS has already acquired and done). Most of the cost for FS is in the conversion and programming; unless they're seeking out a BBB or PC, acquisition of the machine itself is probably the smallest expense.

It's also been mentioned that WMS does have a certain amount of influence as to what gets produced. That was a good part of the reason why Jive Time was included; WMS had insisted it be a table in the orginal PHOF collection and pushed Bride of Pinbot out.
That was stupid. B/W is either cruel or crazy.
And yes, B/W is Bally/Williams, which brings up another question - Why did Williams continue to release tables under the Bally name after they acquired them in 1988?
 
Last edited:

brakel

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Apr 27, 2012
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If they can get a CC, they can get any of the machines I mentioned (especially since none are really all that rare or sought after compared to tables FS has already acquired and done). Most of the cost for FS is in the conversion and programming; unless they're seeking out a BBB or PC, acquisition of the machine itself is probably the smallest expense.

What is a BBB or PC? Personal computer does not make sense in context but I'm having trouble understanding the post without understanding the acronyms.

I agree that it isn't the availability of tables that is the deciding factor in what tables are made. I disagree though that the tables chosen have been a waste.
 

Kevlar

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Feb 20, 2012
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which brings up another question - Why did Williams continue to release tables under the Bally name after they acquired them in 1988?

If you are really interested in the history of it I suggest you listen to the awesome Topcast podcasts, interviews with just about everyone who was involved around that time. Great listening.
 

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