Official Announcement.

[EldarOfSuburbia]

There is some concern that should this lead to Farsight's demise due to a dramatic drop-off in revenue (reports from various sources have indicated that the Season 1 pack is still by far their biggest income stream - don't imagine it will be if it loses all the WMS tables), leading to Farsight's servers being switched off, anyone who has tables or seasons unlocked via anything other than buying them (Kickstarter rewards, giveaways from the Twitch stream - anything tied to their Farsight/Pinball Arcade login, basically), will lose tables that aren't downloaded, or need to be re-downloaded for whatever reason (new device, replaced hard drive, etc).

 

[Pinballwiz45b]

There is some concern that should this lead to Farsight's demise due to a dramatic drop-off in revenue (reports from various sources have indicated that the Season 1 pack is still by far their biggest income stream - don't imagine it will be if it loses all the WMS tables), leading to Farsight's servers being switched off, anyone who has tables or seasons unlocked via anything other than buying them (Kickstarter rewards, giveaways from the Twitch stream - anything tied to their Farsight/Pinball Arcade login, basically), will lose tables that aren't downloaded, or need to be re-downloaded for whatever reason (new device, replaced hard drive, etc).

Yeah, that's what I'm concerned about. I don't have 4, 6, or 7 on Steam, just tied to my Farsight account.

Here's hoping for backup servers in case that happens.

 

[Michael]

How many seasons were released on discs? I have all tables of all seasons, purchased through PSN store for PS4. So I should be able to redownload them if I change hard drive or console or whatever, at least as long as I have access to my PSN account and there actually IS a PSN. But what if Farsight's servers go down? The downloaded game contains ALL tables, but when starting the game it checks against the Farsight servers which of them I have purchased/unlocked, right? I would sleep easier if it was possible to buy all seasons in their latest updated incarnations on a physical bluray before the cutoff date, but I guess that won't be possible, right?

 

[shutyertrap]

I would sleep easier if it was possible to buy all seasons in their latest updated incarnations on a physical bluray before the cutoff date, but I guess that won't be possible, right?

Nope, not possible. FarSight isn't allowed to even sell the digital version on Switch, so putting it out on a physical disc that would then have a shelf life after the cutoff date is for sure a no go. I'm hoping to put these server questions directly to Bobby when I interview him on Thursday for the podcast.

 

[lettuce]

Damn that really makes a dent in the overall quality of the tables available after June, like over half were Williams/Bally tables. Someone who is not privy to this information after June will look at the available tables and probably not be that impressed.......which table will now be the free table to try and entice people in seeings a Theater of Magic will be no more??.......arrrgh guess Monster Bash will never get that much needed facelift

So what the hell was the point of the Stern App then if all tables will now be on the TPA app.......guess yet another instance of FarSight not really thinking things through!

I guess the only thing we can hope for is by some miracle down the line FarSight are able to get the licencing rights back so we can getting the missing classics like Mousing Around, Grand Lizard, Bad Cats, Congo, Medusa, Barracora etc....maybe Farsight should of got these tables out when they had the chance rather than forcing Gottlieb tables down our throats for a season and a half!!

Nothing good can come of this really what with the announcement of no more monthly releases at the start of the year and now the pool of not only the amount of available tables but also the lions share of high quality tables removed from selection that FarSight can recreate is going to be a massive blow, think the only way they might reclaim lost profit is if they go hard on the 2000 era of Stern tables!!....but then that only like 7 or so tables

 

[shutyertrap]

Damn that really makes a dent in the overall quality of the tables available after June, like over half were Williams/Bally tables. Someone who is not privy to this information after June will look at the available tables and probably not be that impressed.......which table will now be the free table to try and entice people in seeings a Theater of Magic will be no more??.......arrrgh guess Monster Bash will never get that much needed facelift

So what the hell was the point of the Stern App then if all tables will now be on the TPA app.......guess yet another instance of FarSight not really thinking things through!

I guess the only thing we can hope for is by some miracle down the line FarSight are able to get the licencing rights back so we can getting the missing classics like Mousing Around, Grand Lizard, Bad Cats, Congo, Medusa, Barracora etc....maybe Farsight should of got these tables out when they had the chance rather than forcing Gottlieb tables down our throats for a season and a half!!

Nothing good can come of this really what with the announcement of no more monthly releases at the start of the year and now the pool of not only the amount of available tables but also the lions share of high quality tables removed from selection that FarSight can recreate is going to be a massive blow........think the only way they might reclaim lost profit is if they go hard on the 2000 era of Stern tables!!

Actually 2/3rds of the game will go poof. As for getting out WMS tables instead of Gottlieb, that wasn't how the contract worked. After the initial agreement, FarSight negotiated and was limited to 20 titles. On top of that, they had to get approval for their choices by one of the Sharpes, who are the keepers of the WMS pinball license. So the reality is the Gottlieb and Stern tables just spread out the time frame between contract negotiations, they didn't take away from any tables that could have been done.

 

[Dan]

Well guess that an official cabinet view in PA for PC is now gone for sure. Enter Nintendo Switch and Stern Arcade....One can only hope that one day they'll release a cartridge with Gottliebs in cab view...

 

[Heretic]

My name is hetertic and ive been unable to play for six weekss now, thankss for listening, pity ****s in the slleyway!

We are piball refugees, agreat time topivot to the digital momkier, at some point ill make 1-3 click vesion of tpas table list in vp just for our guys, if the gods smmile mayCobra Kai be more very drunk very sore dont lese me baby!

 

[Narc0lep5y]

There is some concern that should this lead to Farsight's demise due to a dramatic drop-off in revenue (reports from various sources have indicated that the Season 1 pack is still by far their biggest income stream - don't imagine it will be if it loses all the WMS tables), leading to Farsight's servers being switched off, anyone who has tables or seasons unlocked via anything other than buying them (Kickstarter rewards, giveaways from the Twitch stream - anything tied to their Farsight/Pinball Arcade login, basically), will lose tables that aren't downloaded, or need to be re-downloaded for whatever reason (new device, replaced hard drive, etc).

Yes this is huge. Especially considering emailing out steam keys should be something that could be done before the June 30th deadline. Zen went through a similar kerfuffle with the FX3 transition and their coupon solution, while messy, is another alternative.

 

[Jeff Strong]

My name is hetertic and ive been unable to play for six weekss now, thankss for listening, pity ****s in the slleyway!

We are piball refugees, agreat time topivot to the digital momkier, at some point ill make 1-3 click vesion of tpas table list in vp just for our guys, if the gods smmile mayCobra Kai be more very drunk very sore dont lese me baby!

That's my hairy. Hope you get some relief soon bud.

 

[Narc0lep5y]

Guess that whole Arcooda cabinet thing is majorly screwed over now too.

 

[tizzomr]

This is sad. Funny, I feel like the cmplainers made this happen. They all want this perfect game, when in reality, these people worked their asses off to try and bring consumers all they could, which for all the different platforms, could not have been easy. I mean with all the negative reviews on iOS alone, how could people possibly expect these guys to stay in business to fix everything. Its just a game and for a few bucks a table, I have no regrets having boight all of them, if not for any other reason, to support these guys for making it so I can play classic pons on my phone. All in all I hope they figure things out and finish strong. God bless Far Sight studios, nobody else had the gusto to put this idea in action, so kudos to them.

 

[Blkthorne]

This is sad. Funny, I feel like the cmplainers made this happen. They all want this perfect game, when in reality, these people worked their asses off to try and bring consumers all they could, which for all the different platforms, could not have been easy. I mean with all the negative reviews on iOS alone, how could people possibly expect these guys to stay in business to fix everything. Its just a game and for a few bucks a table, I have no regrets having boight all of them, if not for any other reason, to support these guys for making it so I can play classic pons on my phone. All in all I hope they figure things out and finish strong. God bless Far Sight studios, nobody else had the gusto to put this idea in action, so kudos to them.

Kind of refreshing seeing someone says something nice about Farsight, I do agree things could've gone better but in the end they did give us some fun. I personally believe Farsight went into making TPA with the idea of only doing 1-2 seasons and that would be it, never really knowing it would be grow into what it did otherwise we probably would've had an engine design like what Zen has with their game and be able to transfer past tables to a new platform when the time came or not going on as many platforms as they did.

 

[KaneRobot]

I'm not sure sure why anyone on this forum would be upset at this news.

1. Any pinball aficionado worth their salt will have bought most if not all of these tables.

Nonsense. I bought tables on the Xbox 360 and suffered through that ridiculous debacle of a release. Then I bought many of the same tables AGAIN on the Xbox One, since Farsight couldn't get it together enough to let DLC carry over like any other game "worth its salt" would have done.

I'll be damned if I'm going to pay Farsight's exorbitant prices again because they're taking the tables away now. They don't deserve a dime from me after how they treated the Xbox platform, although I'd at least consider buying some content from season 3 and beyond if they at least put them on sale.

 

[HotHamBoy]

The best things in life are free. Open your door step outside discover the world around you. It’s really amazing.

Tell that to the Farsight Employees

 

[HotHamBoy]

This is sad, but it isn't as if the tables we paid for will disappear. I am disappointed that I won't be able to play this on Switch, as that was my route to Season 7 and I convinced myself to get Season 1 as well, but that is no longer possible. I will be interested in the price points on Switch.

FS did an incredible job of giving us most of the best tables ever made in pretty good working order (minus Black Knight). We still have them and it looks like FS is moving forward, heavy on Stern. If they just release Monopoly, I'll be quite happy.

Also, I appreciate finding out before hand, instead of after the fact. FS didn't need to do that.

Actually, they could still disappear if the servers hosting the tables are shutdown (Farsight goes bankrupt), or rather, you won't be able to redownload them if you need to.

Also, Switch owners got majorly screwed. The game was pulled from the eShop just a few hours after release and when it returns it will not have the Bally/Williams tables.

A few lucky folks bought a few seasons before it was pulled. They are the only ones that will ever have access to those tables on Switch. Those are some valuable Switch accounts.

Furthermore, EVERYONE will lose Tales of the Arabian Nights on platforms where that table is the free table as it is not available for purchase.

Interestingly, on PS3 and Vita TPA is a $10 app, there is no free version, and it comes with TOTAN, RBION, ToM and Black Hole. So that will have to be delisted and replaced with a new app or just delisted and forgotten.

In either case, people who got the base app for PS3/Vita when it was offered through PS+ (like myself) will need to buy the app to ensure they will always have access to it - something you can't do while currently subscribed and you cannot out a subscription on hold just to buy a game before June 30th.

It's possible that anyone who got it through Plus will lose the access to the app when it is delisted, even if they have it on their system, unless they managed to buy it at a later date. If not, it may still be possible that ir can no longer be re-downloadesd if you let your sub lapse.

In either scenario, people on PS3/Vita would have no way to play any of the DLC they bought for the game.

All speculation on my part, we have zero answers.

 

[Citizen]

PS3 and Vita have both the 4-game $9.99 version and the 1-game free demo version.

https://image.ibb.co/dQqtuS/2018_05_09_03_46_38.jpg

 

[Naildriver74]

Tell that to the Farsight Employees

Living in Big Bear they already know

 

[Dan]

So, when Stern one day gets tired of FS and doesn't renew the license agreement, same thing can happen again?

 

[Citizen]

Yup. Same goes for the Gottlieb license holder.

That's licensing in the digital age, for you. It happens all the time. It's why Zen lost some tables.