Official Twilight Zone News

[dtown8532]

Kickstarter or higher table price or both? I agree with dyleck in that I need more information. If Kickstarter is used, how much does Farsight need. I think they should, at least, give us an estimate on their goal. If it comes down to their worry over just how much would people pay for this table, well, why not a post a poll with price increments and find a sweet spot for the majority of people. Start at $5.00 and work your way up. Say 5, 10, 15 and 20+ dollars. Nonetheless, the impression I get from their post is that they're not crazy about going into this without some extra capitol up front. If it gets done (which I do hope. TZ is possibly my #1 pick overall) I'd bet that the table will be a combination of donations from us and a premium price once released.

 

[Chris Dunman]

I'd be happy to see £25 - £50 for TZ. Considering a tip top refurb, fully modded version in the UK could set back close to £8000, a donation is a no brainer really.

Keep up the good work Farsight. Most of us here are right behind you.

Not bothered when DLC's arrive or what tables arrive in what order, just love playing the game and appreciate how much effort it all must take

 

[gypsyshred]

Why is it so expensive? They haven't done anything with the IP in years, and I doubt they will anytime soon. You'd think they'd be happy to have some free advertising for whatever DVD/BluRay release, and basically free money for the IP rights.

 

[PiN WiZ]

Why is it so expensive? They haven't done anything with the IP in years, and I doubt they will anytime soon. You'd think they'd be happy to have some free advertising for whatever DVD/BluRay release, and basically free money for the IP rights.

I don't think most people know how much licensing is involved in The Twilight Zone pinball table. With The Twilight Zone (CBS), Rod Serling's likeness, music, etc. this is without a doubt one of the most expensive licensed pinball tables for FarSight to pursue and to tell you the truth, I'm surprised they were able to aquire the licenses this quickly.

 

[Nik Barbour]

It's the top table on my wishlist.
But I would personally prefer it to be sold as a stand alone premium priced table as i'd prefer all the heavy licence tables to be sold.
The max I would pay for 1 premium table would be £10.

 

[PiN WiZ]

It's the top table on my wishlist.
But I would personally prefer it to be sold as a stand alone premium priced table as i'd prefer all the heavy licence tables to be sold.
The max I would pay for 1 premium table would be £10.

I'm with you Nik, I suggest FarSight release a heavily licensed table, by itself, at a premium price every three to four months in addition to their monthly DLC table packs.

 

[Nik Barbour]

It's the top table on my wishlist.
But I would personally prefer it to be sold as a stand alone premium priced table as i'd prefer all the heavy licence tables to be sold.
The max I would pay for 1 premium table would be £10.

I might have understated my max pay per table.
If (or hopefully when) Farsight put this up for sale, i'd probably be elbowing my way down the line waving my money at up to £20.
Problem is I don't think most of Farsight's customers would pay what this forum's members would pay.

 

[Kevlar]

Whichever way this shakes down I'll support FS but what really worries me is this is just the first, there are probably 20+ big movie licence tables right behind this one, I think we better get used to the idea that most of these tables are not going to make it to TPA. Doing a kickstarter for 1 or 2 tables is one thing but doing it for all these tables is obviously going to wear thin pretty quickly. In the long term either FS had better improve at their negotiating skills or we just aren't going to see most of these tables.

 

[PiN WiZ]

Whichever way this shakes down I'll support FS but what really worries me is this is just the first, there are probably 20+ big movie licence tables right behind this one, I think we better get used to the idea that most of these tables are not going to make it to TPA. Doing a kickstarter for 1 or 2 tables is one thing but doing it for all these tables is obviously going to wear thin pretty quickly. In the long term either FS had better improve at their negotiating skills or we just aren't going to see most of these tables.

Believe it or not, the Stern licensed movie tables would be much easier and possibly cheaper to aquire than past movie licensed tables since FarSight has the backing of Stern who would no doubt help FarSight negotiate licensing fees since they already have a standing relationship with the movie companies.

 

[Kevlar]

Believe it or not, the Stern licensed movie tables would be much easier and possibly cheaper to aquire than past movie licensed tables since FarSight has the backing of Stern who would no doubt help FarSight negotiate licensing fees since they already have a standing relationship with the movie companies.

I hope you are right. On a personal note none of the tables everyone mentions mean any more to me than any other becasue shock horror I've never played any of them!, so all these people posting on facebook that they would donate $100+ seems rediculous to me.

 

[PiN WiZ]

I hope you are right. On a personal note none of the tables everyone mentions mean any more to me than any other becasue shock horror I've never played any of them!, so all these people posting on facebook that they would donate $100+ seems rediculous to me.

It might seem ridiculous, but without those people (myself included), you might never get to play a genuinely recreated version of some of the best tables of all time. Let us crazy pinheads donate our money and all I ask is that you and everyone else buy and enjoy these masterpieces.

 

[ND3G]

Someone on facebook mentioned advertising. What do you think of the idea of an ad playing when you first open TZ? Nobody likes commericals but if it helps get the table made I am for it.

 

[ND3G]

I hope you are right. On a personal note none of the tables everyone mentions mean any more to me than any other becasue shock horror I've never played any of them!, so all these people posting on facebook that they would donate $100+ seems rediculous to me.

I am one of those people. I don't see it as rediculous. Right now aside from a few places here or there pinball machines are locked away in collectors basements. Most people will never own let alone get the chance to play TZ if not for efforts like TPA. I would love to see pinball continue in both digital and phyiscal form and that is worth at least a $100 to me.

 

[Nik Barbour]

Someone on facebook mentioned advertising. What do you think of the idea of an ad playing when you first open TZ? Nobody likes commericals but if it helps get the table made I am for it.

I hate adds, which is why i always buy the 'pro' version of an app I like, plus it supports the devs.
Also rooted users on android can use an app called 'no-adds' or something like, which I think kills the revenue stream to the devs making it pointless.
I'd prefer not - but if that's what it takes!

 

[Nik Barbour]

I am one of those people. I don't see it as rediculous. Right now aside from a few places here or there pinball machines are locked away in collectors basements. Most people will never own let alone get the chance to play TZ if not for efforts like TPA. I would love to see pinball continue in both digital and phyiscal form and that is worth at least a $100 to me.

I'm with ND3G and PinWiz on this!

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

Offering those who donate early access to the table in the form of a beta (for beta testing) would cost FarSight next to nothing and would make most people happy since everyone seems to want to help beta test anyway.

Also, for those of you who do not support the kickstarter idea, I respect your decision, but please don't leave negative comments debunking the whole program. From what I've seen so far, there are more than enough people to back such a program (myself included). If you don't support this idea, I ask that you please refrain from leaving negative comments and let the majority of us support the cause, so that even you can purchase and enjoy the table whenever its released. I don't expect anyone to do anything they don't feel comfortable with, but if you don't like the idea, then don't donate...simple as that. Please don't mess this up for the rest of us.

First of all, I'm not against the Kickstarter idea...but if it happens, I'm essentially being offered the opportunity to "invest" in FarSight's software development (the potential return being not monetary but instead the availability of premium tables that might not otherwise happen). Like any intelligent investor, I'd like to know more about what I'm getting into before making a final decision.

But I disagree that people who do not support or are hesitant about the idea should keep their mouths shut; as long as they are offering constructive criticism, I think they should be heard. Using my case as an example, if some people are willing to support a Kickstarter once or maybe twice, but not every time an expensive licensed table comes along, then I think it benefits FarSight to know that. If people are hesitant to donate because they feel whatever rewards are offered would drain the funding too much, or if they're not sure how much of a difference it would make in the final price of the table, or whatever concern they have, then I think FarSight needs to know that so they can answer these concerns and hopefully get more people involved.

Yes, I know people should be willing to pay more for these tables - especially given that many people do not have access to a wide variety of real machines and so this may be their only chance to play the "real" tables - but we have to remember that the members of this forum are generally more appreciative of real pinball and its history than TPA's general audience. Since I don't think we have the numbers here to fund the licensed tables ourselves, even if everyone were willing to donate $100, that means that FarSight has to think about the less zealous but considerably larger overall crowd of players, and what their concerns/objections to Kickstarter funding might be. That shouldn't mess things up for anyone, on the contrary, it would give FarSight a better shot at getting their Kickstarter right the first time and therefore getting maximal participation and funding.

 

[Draftcard]

I would pay $10-$20 per licensed table on every platform i own TPA on considering the non licensed ones are averaging $2.50 each.

Even though i already have them in VP9, i still see a great value in having them in TPA in my pocket and on the consoles/PC. These licensed tables from 90-95 are my favorites.

 

[PiN WiZ]

First of all, I'm not against the Kickstarter idea...but if it happens, I'm essentially being offered the opportunity to "invest" in FarSight's software development (the potential return being not monetary but instead the availability of premium tables that might not otherwise happen). Like any intelligent investor, I'd like to know more about what I'm getting into before making a final decision.

But I disagree that people who do not support or are hesitant about the idea should keep their mouths shut; as long as they are offering constructive criticism, I think they should be heard. Using my case as an example, if some people are willing to support a Kickstarter once or maybe twice, but not every time an expensive licensed table comes along, then I think it benefits FarSight to know that. If people are hesitant to donate because they feel whatever rewards are offered would drain the funding too much, or if they're not sure how much of a difference it would make in the final price of the table, or whatever concern they have, then I think FarSight needs to know that so they can answer these concerns and hopefully get more people involved.

Yes, I know people should be willing to pay more for these tables - especially given that many people do not have access to a wide variety of real machines and so this may be their only chance to play the "real" tables - but we have to remember that the members of this forum are generally more appreciative of real pinball and its history than TPA's general audience. Since I don't think we have the numbers here to fund the licensed tables ourselves, even if everyone were willing to donate $100, that means that FarSight has to think about the less zealous but considerably larger overall crowd of players, and what their concerns/objections to Kickstarter funding might be. That shouldn't mess things up for anyone, on the contrary, it would give FarSight a better shot at getting their Kickstarter right the first time and therefore getting maximal participation and funding.

This is exactly what I'm talking about. You either support the cause or you don't. Most of us are willing to throw in our money and see what happens. If FarSight gets what they need, we all get the table. If not, we get our money back and FarSight is back to square one.

 

[RetroBlast]

I have no interest in any type of kickstart program. Charge 10 -15 dollars for premium tables and start using what you already have availbable to raise more funds .... make dynamic themes and avatars which can be purchased online as DLC.

 

[ND3G]

First of all, I'm not against the Kickstarter idea...but if it happens, I'm essentially being offered the opportunity to "invest" in FarSight's software development (the potential return being not monetary but instead the availability of premium tables that might not otherwise happen). Like any intelligent investor, I'd like to know more about what I'm getting into before making a final decision.

But I disagree that people who do not support or are hesitant about the idea should keep their mouths shut; as long as they are offering constructive criticism, I think they should be heard. Using my case as an example, if some people are willing to support a Kickstarter once or maybe twice, but not every time an expensive licensed table comes along, then I think it benefits FarSight to know that. If people are hesitant to donate because they feel whatever rewards are offered would drain the funding too much, or if they're not sure how much of a difference it would make in the final price of the table, or whatever concern they have, then I think FarSight needs to know that so they can answer these concerns and hopefully get more people involved.

Yes, I know people should be willing to pay more for these tables - especially given that many people do not have access to a wide variety of real machines and so this may be their only chance to play the "real" tables - but we have to remember that the members of this forum are generally more appreciative of real pinball and its history than TPA's general audience. Since I don't think we have the numbers here to fund the licensed tables ourselves, even if everyone were willing to donate $100, that means that FarSight has to think about the less zealous but considerably larger overall crowd of players, and what their concerns/objections to Kickstarter funding might be. That shouldn't mess things up for anyone, on the contrary, it would give FarSight a better shot at getting their Kickstarter right the first time and therefore getting maximal participation and funding.

I couldn't agree more. Farsight made certain assumptions about the market in the past, like initially offering TOTAN free up to a certain score versus the table of the month idea and it really hurt their earlier user ratings and sales on iOS and android. If they are going to do a kickstarter they really need to go in with both eyes open. I hope someone from Farsight comes online to discuss this further. There is little to no point in keeping their plans close to the chest.