Official Twilight Zone News

[Kaoru]

Its a kickstarter, not a kickestablishedmodel. Most of these projects ask for money before they can show anything, apart from perhaps conceptart. The timing for this makes most sense now, both from an already established user/fanbase as an expansion opportunity and PR standpoint.

I'm not really sure if it makes sense right now. There might be an established fanbased... but is it large enough already to fulfill the kickstart goal? 55.000 aren't peanuts. Right now we're at 15.000something and the growing number of backers is going slow already... and I'm a little worried that the amount of people who want to give their support is drying up. (I hope to be proven wrong, though!) In my opinion they should at least have waited until the first wave of DLC made it to the consoles. Heck, the actual game isn't even out on some of them, let alone in some regions!

Anyway, I pledged some money. But what if it's coming short of its goal? If that happens I think it could hurt the game a lot in the long run...

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

I'm not really sure if it makes sense right now. There might be an established fanbased... but is it large enough already to fulfill the kickstart goal? 55.000 aren't peanuts. Right now we're at 15.000something and the growing number of backers is going slow already... and I'm a little worried that the amount of people who want to give their support is drying up. (I hope to be proven wrong, though!) In my opinion they should at least have waited until the first wave of DLC made it to the consoles. Heck, the actual game isn't even out on some of them, let alone in some regions!

Anyway, I pledged some money. But what if it's coming short of its goal? If that happens I think it could hurt the game a lot in the long run...

These Kickstarter things typically have a burst of enthusiasm at the beginning and then they drop off into a slow but steady stream of backers. If a project's close to its goal right before the deadline, you'll sometimes see a last-minute surge as backers up their pledges and people who were on the fence decide to contribute in order to push the project over the top.

It's sitting above $16K now, which is 30% of the goal in 24 hours. That's a pretty good showing. And actually, while you're correct that $55K isn't pocket change, it's a lot less than I thought they were going to need (I was expecting $150K-$250K). I think the goal is very doable at this point.

If it does fall short, I don't think TPA itself will suffer much - there's a huge backlog of unlicensed and minor-licensed tables just screaming for virtualization - but we probably won't see the heavy licensed tables included. And I think that would be a tragedy if some of the greatest tables of all time were unable to be reproduced on TPA due to lack of interest.

 

[Richard B]

These Kickstarter things typically have a burst of enthusiasm at the beginning and then they drop off into a slow but steady stream of backers. If a project's close to its goal right before the deadline, you'll sometimes see a last-minute surge as backers up their pledges and people who were on the fence decide to contribute in order to push the project over the top.

It's sitting above $16K now, which is 30% of the goal in 24 hours. That's a pretty good showing. And actually, while you're correct that $55K isn't pocket change, it's a lot less than I thought they were going to need (I was expecting $150K-$250K). I think the goal is very doable at this point.

If it does fall short, I don't think TPA itself will suffer much - there's a huge backlog of unlicensed and minor-licensed tables just screaming for virtualization - but we probably won't see the heavy licensed tables included. And I think that would be a tragedy if some of the greatest tables of all time were unable to be reproduced on TPA due to lack of interest.

Also keep in mind that we're in the worst economy since the Great Depression, and there is still too much uncertainty out there, so funding will be harder to get than it would in better times. If they fail to meet their goal this time, they could always try again in a year or two, when the economy does improve.
Also keep in mind that this game is a niche title and has only been out about two months. Without a massive advertising campaign, or a popular genre, it will have to rely on word of mouth, which takes time. It took a year or two for Zen to be on a solid enough footing to obtain the Marvel licenses.

 

[Arcflup]

How anyone could abhor Cirqus Voltaire is beyond me. Yes, it's easy; yes, it's pretty garish with all the colors and whatnot....

Add to this mild but very real Automatonophobia and Coulrophobia and that god awful circus music,...shudder!

And why not TZ?

No reason other than I have personally played it to death.

LOTR is probably one of the most expensive if not the most expensive table license-wise FarSight could do

I know, hence the ....Gasp!...

TZ isn't a beginners machine. I know there seem to be a lot of them around but I don't think they were huge hits with operators back in '93 - mine's been in home use since '95. It's a very complex and unforgiving table that in the home on freeplay repays the time to learn it but on standard settings in an arcade it tended to irritate the casual player before he could get hooked. That there are so many around is testament to the strength of the theme and the Bally/Williams marketing department

 

[Jeff Strong]

I think this is a good route, and I made a pledge today. I wish I could give more, but both my wife and I are between jobs right now, and might be for a few months. I should be able to donate a larger amount to future licenses down the road, so I'm looking forward to seeing this goal fulfilled so that we can have more tables like this that wouldn't be in TPA otherwise.

 

[HOW]

At Arcflup-TZ has it's pluses and minuses for sure.
PL went a bit MAD after the success of TAF-and some say it was the beginning of the end of PB for the casual player as too complicated for people in bars/pissed, and the kids were too busy learning SFII/MK moves or being dazzled by Daytona in the arcades that were beginning their death slide....

But us Pinheads LOVE it
BUT it NEEDS open menus, selectable ROMs etc.
Plus-even Ted Estes who programmed it admits it's got bugs !

I'm still supporting though

Andy

 

[Moon Jump]

I just wish they would have added a couple of more donation options. I think everybody that wants it will fork over 10 bucks for the table on a platform of their choice, but for 100 dollars I get a "Special version with access to the operators menu?" Woopty $hit. So the normal version of the game won't let us access the operators menu? I'd go in for a 50 dollar option if they had a t-shirt or something. Since they don't I don't see myself putting down more then 10 to get the table on iOS and since they can't get MS to give out table codes I'll just buy it again when it's released on the 360.

I wonder how much of the 55,000 goes to the estate of Rod Serling, because as they said they have to pay for the actor's rights. Which makes me wonder how much The Addams Family or Star Trek TNG will cost since there's A LOT of actors on both of them. I also wonder how much is going towards the music. If they try to get Red and Ted's Roadshow or The Getaway they'll have to pay to use ZZ Top's La Grange and R&T has a song by some country singer. I've said this before on here but, I could care less if they get the rights to the country song in R&T and just use a generic country song. But if their going to do The Getaway they NEED to include La Grange. It just makes the game.

 

[HOW]

I just wish they would have added a couple of more donation options. I think everybody that wants it will fork over 10 bucks for the table on a platform of their choice, but for 100 dollars I get a "Special version with access to the operators menu?" Woopty $hit. So the normal version of the game won't let us access the operators menu? I'd go in for a 50 dollar option if they had a t-shirt or something. Since they don't I don't see myself putting down more then 10 to get the table on iOS and since they can't get MS to give out table codes I'll just buy it again when it's released on the 360.

I wonder how much of the 55,000 goes to the estate of Rod Serling, because as they said they have to pay for the actor's rights. Which makes me wonder how much The Addams Family or Star Trek TNG will cost since there's A LOT of actors on both of them. I also wonder how much is going towards the music. If they try to get Red and Ted's Roadshow or The Getaway they'll have to pay to use ZZ Top's La Grange and R&T has a song by some country singer. I've said this before on here but, I could care less if they get the rights to the country song in R&T and just use a generic country song. But if their going to do The Getaway they NEED to include La Grange. It just makes the game.

+1 for HSII AND La Grange!

Also agree ***100%*** on this Ops Menu *S*H*I*T*.

Have something like:

$10 the game on x1 platform
$25 game plus a trinket - FS TZ Instruction card, keyring (cheap to post ouside US)
$50 game, trinket and teeshirt or something
$75 All above an....something else - I'm not TPS/FS's marketing dept!

******************************************
BUT MAKE OP MENUS OPEN!
MAKE ALL ROMS- INCL. HOME VERSION AVAILABLE
******************************************

Andy

 

[lettuce]

Any ideas of the total amount of members on this very forum??

 

[Moon Jump]

Well, I'm an idiot. If they wanted to get Red and Ted they'd need to get the rights from the county singer, Carlene Carter because she doesn't just have a song in the game, but she's the voice of Red too. So they'd have to get her permission in order for that game to come out. Hopefully she won't ask for as much as the cast of The Next Generation.

 

[jrolson]

Not sure we can reach the $55,000 goal, it's starting to slow down now at $18,000. But we do have 28 days left so hopefully the donations stay strong until then...

 

[Moon Jump]

They just updated the Kickstarter page with a 50 dollar option.

Everything above PLUS an exclusive Twilight Zone Pinball wallpaper for the device of your choice AND an entry into the Pinball Arcade Supporters Tournament!

I still want to know about the "Special Version" but I guess we'll find out soon.

 

[Hinph]

Yeah, Kickstarters usually fizzle out after the first couple days... everybody who is passionate about this game has likely already donated. It was worth a try for sure, but I'm not really optimistic.

 

[HOW]

Yeah, Kickstarters usually fizzle out after the first couple days... everybody who is passionate about this game has likely already donated. It was worth a try for sure, but I'm not really optimistic.

Well 33+% there in 2 days seems pretty good.
Up to us to promote on forums/FB/twitter, etc now.
You're a newbie I see. Can you be BIT more positive

 

[Hinph]

Not really a noob... just lurk more than post. Haha.

But perhaps you are right... there is still plenty of time left and hopefully some people are just waiting to see if their donation will be necessary. I posted the link on the forum I frequent and got at least one guy to contribute.

 

[Richard B]

Well, I'm an idiot. If they wanted to get Red and Ted they'd need to get the rights from the county singer, Carlene Carter because she doesn't just have a song in the game, but she's the voice of Red too. So they'd have to get her permission in order for that game to come out. Hopefully she won't ask for as much as the cast of The Next Generation.

I don't know what the law is regarding vocal performances though I'm pretty sure Farsight didn't have to get Tina Fey's permission to do MM. If Carlene appeared as herself (or an established alter-ego) they would likely need her permission, but since Red is a fictional character, and does not look much like the real Carlene, it's unlikely they'd need to get more than permission for the song.

 

[Moon Jump]

When I was checking the profile for Roadshow on IPDB I looked at the backglass of machine and it has her picture on one of the billboards and I think it might be in the playfield near the radio. (Haven't played it since the last PAPA) So they'd have to get her permission to use her likeness.

 

[RetroDude]

I don't know what the law is regarding vocal performances though I'm pretty sure Farsight didn't have to get Tina Fey's permission to do MM. If Carlene appeared as herself (or an established alter-ego) they would likely need her permission, but since Red is a fictional character, and does not look much like the real Carlene, it's unlikely they'd need to get more than permission for the song.

You could haeve stopped at "I don't know what the law is"

 

[brakel]

It all depends on what kind of contract the performer signed. Sometimes contracts cover future and derivative works and spell out whether and how much the performer will be compensated.

 

[xNiCeGuYx]

WOW! Over 20k in just two days is great!