Normal
I've given it a few days and now I can look at it more objectively after my first impression. Although, It hasn't really changed.Don't get me wrong - i love announcements - "sometimes" even announcements of announcements, but we've been seeing this "THE PINBALL SHOW" thing plugged by Zen as the coming of the great info scoop and given the lack of news for all of 2020, this was anticlimactic at best.My one word description for it: Inauthentic.Nothing against Bobby and Rose personally - they did what they had to do with what they were given but ugh. They are clearly reading a script word for word. I've seen enough marketing sell-sheets in my time to know when I'm being read one aloud. And the "kewl" pinball black t-shirt outfits and the "I'm so excited" reactions to things that are not really things to be excited about. Just.. no. It's trying too hard to convey authenticity without actually being authentic. I don't know that I care if the hosts actually play pinball or not. If they can ask the right questions in interviews and make it sound good enough, then their job is done. But when the script doesn't include anything other than "tell me about" questions and reading off bullet points and introducing the next title card segment, it does them no favors.I don't see the value in Mel's "interview" either. We like Mel. We like Mel Interviews. But Mel interviews come when Mel has something to announce or say. And this was supposed to be the time that Mel had something to announce or say because it's "THE PINBALL SHOW" and... it's not good. Battle Royale? They spent a bullet point in the 25 sec teaser video on it, and then in the interview, it's got it's own animated intro card, which we're obviously suppose to "PAY ATTENTION HERE" to it. But... Mel was asked about it and all we got was "we're huge fans of Tetris 99" and "bonkers... so fun.. new creation...kid of crazy. with a lot of players all together at the same time...pinball wizard at the end" with a lot of filler. It's never been done before and that's it?!? And this isn't an off the cuff interview where Mel got ambushed by the question. It's a show WHERE ZEN CAME UP WITH ALL THE CONTENT, enough to make it's own title card, and this is the content that THEY picked to put in it. "Ask Akos" - By the title, it sounds like it's a Q&A but, I guess since it's only the first episode - he talks about discord tournaments and Lups club and some stuff you have to go elsewhere to see. It wasn't bad but if there is a future "Ask Akos" where someone is going to actually "Ask Akos" something, there was no mention on HOW to submit a question to actually do that. It doesn't work. If it was stiff, but authentic then it would be something to grow on. Presentations can get better as those involved get more comfortable. But it wasn't authentic. It was heavily scripted and if you're going to script the whole thing, make it shorter with flashier music and hype like we know Zen can do for every table pack video. A scripted show about product is.. an infomercial. And all of those infomercials include a lot more demonstrations and examples than this did. If you're not ready to give a conversations worth of detail about something, don't include it in the interview. This was a show full of future announcements packaged in different segments but they almost all delivered the same thing - Promises of future announcements. "Content" breakdown2 minutes of intros and future promises about future shows*~30 sec "trailer" for Pinball FX*7 minutes of Bobby interviewing Mel about his history in Pinball, Battle Royale*, FX (4)*30 secs of Bobby and Rose reading "key selling points" over Mando table footage* 60 secs of Bobby and Rose reading "key selling points" over "animated" 1up tables still photos60 secs of "Ask Akos"15 secs of Bobby and Rose making future promises about future Star Wars table announcements* for the next "show"TLDR version - watch the Pinball FX teaser, skip the rest. If you really want more info on Pinball FX, read the Reddit thread. (but there's not much there either*) https://www.reddit.com/r/PinballFX3/comments/l6drpp/pinball_fx_the_new_pinball_platform_for_zen/*may include future promises
I've given it a few days and now I can look at it more objectively after my first impression. Although, It hasn't really changed.
Don't get me wrong - i love announcements - "sometimes" even announcements of announcements, but we've been seeing this "THE PINBALL SHOW" thing plugged by Zen as the coming of the great info scoop and given the lack of news for all of 2020, this was anticlimactic at best.
My one word description for it: Inauthentic.
Nothing against Bobby and Rose personally - they did what they had to do with what they were given but ugh.
They are clearly reading a script word for word. I've seen enough marketing sell-sheets in my time to know when I'm being read one aloud.
And the "kewl" pinball black t-shirt outfits and the "I'm so excited" reactions to things that are not really things to be excited about. Just.. no. It's trying too hard to convey authenticity without actually being authentic.
I don't know that I care if the hosts actually play pinball or not. If they can ask the right questions in interviews and make it sound good enough, then their job is done. But when the script doesn't include anything other than "tell me about" questions and reading off bullet points and introducing the next title card segment, it does them no favors.
I don't see the value in Mel's "interview" either. We like Mel. We like Mel Interviews. But Mel interviews come when Mel has something to announce or say. And this was supposed to be the time that Mel had something to announce or say because it's "THE PINBALL SHOW" and... it's not good.
Battle Royale? They spent a bullet point in the 25 sec teaser video on it, and then in the interview, it's got it's own animated intro card, which we're obviously suppose to "PAY ATTENTION HERE" to it. But... Mel was asked about it and all we got was "we're huge fans of Tetris 99" and "bonkers... so fun.. new creation...kid of crazy. with a lot of players all together at the same time...pinball wizard at the end" with a lot of filler. It's never been done before and that's it?!? And this isn't an off the cuff interview where Mel got ambushed by the question. It's a show WHERE ZEN CAME UP WITH ALL THE CONTENT, enough to make it's own title card, and this is the content that THEY picked to put in it.
"Ask Akos" - By the title, it sounds like it's a Q&A but, I guess since it's only the first episode - he talks about discord tournaments and Lups club and some stuff you have to go elsewhere to see. It wasn't bad but if there is a future "Ask Akos" where someone is going to actually "Ask Akos" something, there was no mention on HOW to submit a question to actually do that.
It doesn't work. If it was stiff, but authentic then it would be something to grow on. Presentations can get better as those involved get more comfortable. But it wasn't authentic. It was heavily scripted and if you're going to script the whole thing, make it shorter with flashier music and hype like we know Zen can do for every table pack video. A scripted show about product is.. an infomercial. And all of those infomercials include a lot more demonstrations and examples than this did. If you're not ready to give a conversations worth of detail about something, don't include it in the interview. This was a show full of future announcements packaged in different segments but they almost all delivered the same thing - Promises of future announcements.
"Content" breakdown
2 minutes of intros and future promises about future shows*
~30 sec "trailer" for Pinball FX*
7 minutes of Bobby interviewing Mel about his history in Pinball, Battle Royale*, FX (4)*
30 secs of Bobby and Rose reading "key selling points" over Mando table footage*
60 secs of Bobby and Rose reading "key selling points" over "animated" 1up tables still photos
60 secs of "Ask Akos"
15 secs of Bobby and Rose making future promises about future Star Wars table announcements* for the next "show"
TLDR version - watch the Pinball FX teaser, skip the rest. If you really want more info on Pinball FX, read the Reddit thread. (but there's not much there either*) https://www.reddit.com/r/PinballFX3/comments/l6drpp/pinball_fx_the_new_pinball_platform_for_zen/
*may include future promises
