Pro Pinball

[Jeff Strong]

I think Sean is right when he says that PC and PS4 hardware may be able to pull off similar lighting with 3D models (Mike said he's personally running the PC version on an 8800GT, which is over 5 years old, so the current game isn't even close to pushing modern hardware limitations). We should be able to have our cake and eat it too.

 

[Pinballwiz45b]

Let's keep going, guys! I'm sure that they have MUCH more in store for us

 

[jaredmorgs]

I've asked the question on the latest update page. Lets see what they say.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects.../559476?ref=email&show_token=c589b83165ffc0ad

UPDATE

@Jared: Thanks very much for the good wishes. I do pop over to Pinball Arcade Fans from time to time and am also happy to answer any questions there that are directed at me.

But to answer your question on Android/iOS; Yes and No... It depends on the exact hardware.

The iPad 1 for example is very RAM and GPU limited, so there will have to be some compromises, but it will still look dynamic and impressive. But top end hardware like the latest iPads and the Nexus 10 should have little trouble doing what you see in the video. One of the big benefits of pre-rendered graphics is that the bulk of the hard work is done in advance on an array of PCs.
Thanks again.
Ade.

 

[Patrick]

The Ipad demo is still impressive to see. For me it is 10 time better than TPA in term of lightning. Perhaps PC will do more but an ipad it is simply excellent.

 

[Bill Paterno]

Agreed. If they end up trying to do a kickstarter for every table, that's really going to put me off.

Seriously? TPA has created several Kickstarters (will continue to do so) AND many people (including myself) have still not received what we pledged for. Pot...meet kettle. Unfulfilled pledges aside, you could make the argument that TPA has made enough money that people don't have to pay for their licensing fees. Are you also questioning what they use their money for and asking for an accounting report? Bottom line is if you want it to happen, you pledge. If you want it, but are willing to wait and purchase afterwards (taking the risk of the KS not getting funded), so be it.

Also, pre-rendered > real-time

 

[Nightwing]

I have never heard of Pro Pinball until reading about it here. Timeshock looks like it could be fun. Are the Pro pins that good?

 

[Tabe]

I have never heard of Pro Pinball until reading about it here. Timeshock looks like it could be fun. Are the Pro pins that good?

In a word: Yes.

 

[Jeff Strong]

Seriously?

Seriously. At least the TPA Kickstarters are for licenses, but this Kickstarter is just so they make Timeshock a "priority". They're going to make it with or without the Kickstarter, so why not just make the product and sell it like businesses have been doing since the dawn of time. I guess I'm just sick of Kickstarters in general, especially when they aren't really needed.

P.S. I still love Pro Pinball.

 

[canuck]

Pre-rendered is just compensating for lack of technological advancement, its so twentieth century. Real-time 3d all the way, works better for the physics, and is future proof as well.

 

[night]

Pre-rendered is just compensating for lack of technological advancement, its so twentieth century. Real-time 3d all the way, works better for the physics, and is future proof as well.

You call something that looks better a compensation? The only advantage of real-time 3D I can think off is dynamic camera action. And if there is 1 thing I hate, then it must be dynamic camera action when I play pinball!

 

[Tabe]

Pre-rendered is just compensating for lack of technological advancement

Then I'll take "compensating" any day since it looks SOOOOOOOO much better. Better physics, too, at least in Pro Pinball.

 

[Nightwing]

Well I'm not trying to start anything here...but If I'm reading my history here Pro Pinball has been dead for quite a few years. So now,with the popularity of TPA and Zen - now the people behind PP are trying to update it for today.

To me it's all apples & oranges. I happen to love TPA for what it does. I also happen to like the Zen stuff for what it brings to the table,so to speak. I see many people praising the Zaccaria app,and while I don't personally think its all that, I still have fun with it.

Back on topic: I've seen enough of PP to try and get some of the PSone tables to try. I also might join the KS (haven't decided just yet). Regardless,I'll get Timeshock when & if it comes out on iOS. But if PP is the be all end all of pinball gaming - then why do they need a KS to bring it back?

 

[tripleplonq]

I think the pre-rendered approach is great for weaker devices. The only downside is a fixed viewing angle, but the superior lighting gives more depth perception than the fixed view takes away. (And there is no law that prohibits multiple viewing angles if memory capacity and bandwith allow this)

Zaccaria pinball does both: Pre rendered lighting mapped onto real-time 3d. It looks pretty nice, even with the relatively low resolution light maps.

The physics can(and are) of course be computed completely independent of the display tech.


After seeing the video my opinion about the Kickstarter has changed in favor of this project. (But I still think the iPad demo app is ****, because it is completely unconvincing.)

 

[jaredmorgs]

Pre-rendered is just compensating for lack of technological advancement, its so twentieth century. Real-time 3d all the way, works better for the physics, and is future proof as well.

Real time 3D to this magnitude on current mobile devices would be technically impossible. Let them compensate all the way if the pyrotechnics will look this good.

 

[sotie]

Seriously. At least the TPA Kickstarters are for licenses, but this Kickstarter is just so they make Timeshock a "priority". They're going to make it with or without the Kickstarter, so why not just make the product and sell it like businesses have been doing since the dawn of time. I guess I'm just sick of Kickstarters in general, especially when they aren't really needed.

P.S. I still love Pro Pinball.

Jeff, I agree with you. This KS feels unnecessary. Yes, I'll buy it for iOS when it's released but they haven't made a clear "Now here's where you come in" pitch to me. I do understand that they've been "squeezing the work in between other paid projects" but that leads me to believe that without the KS they'll eventually complete it and bring it to market. This feels to me that they want our help in finishing it sooner so they can cash in on their time/resource investment that much quicker.

I'm not pledging but I'll certainly purchase it!

 

[neilpinbot]

I have pledged £5 which I think is a fair price for a download of the original plus a download of the new build for my tablet. If I had spare cash then I wouldn't mind stumping up for the boxed hard copy. But Is the kickstarter necessary I'm not so sure.

 

[Gord Lacey]

Guys, we don't need to rehash the "pre-rendered vs 3D" argument. Please stop.

 

[night]

Guys, we don't need to rehash the "pre-rendered vs 3D" argument. Please stop.

Oh c'mon, just for the fun of it.

 

[Gord Lacey]

Nope. Anything related to that will be deleted.

 

[superballs]

Guys, we don't need to rehash the "pre-rendered vs 3D" argument. Please stop.

Thank...you...