What implications does the new Stern-Pinball Arcade app have for PC?

[L33]

If FS are making the stern games and TPA games, I wonder if it's the same team working on everything, or additional staff etc. if workload is increased then this could have a knock on affect on things...not just for PC either.

 

[AshleyAshes]

I think it is basically the same app, just keeping things separate for licensing.

It's not a licensing thing, it's a marketing thing. If Stern is going to push out it's pinball tables to virtual space, especially ones that they still sell in the real world, they'll stand to make more money having a dedicated 'Stern Pinball Arcade' app that people can buy rather than saying 'You can get this amazing Stern table, among 60+ other unrelated pinball tables, in something called 'The Pinball Arcade'!'. For older tables, in the past, it made sense for Stern to just license a few to FarSight, but for a partnership, their products will be far more visible in a dedicated app.

 

[invitro]

It's not a licensing thing, it's a marketing thing. If Stern is going to push out it's pinball tables to virtual space, especially ones that they still sell in the real world, they'll stand to make more money having a dedicated 'Stern Pinball Arcade' app that people can buy rather than saying 'You can get this amazing Stern table, among 60+ other unrelated pinball tables, in something called 'The Pinball Arcade'!'. For older tables, in the past, it made sense for Stern to just license a few to FarSight, but for a partnership, their products will be far more visible in a dedicated app.

Nah. The main reason it's a separate app is that the licensors are more likely to deal with Stern than Farsight, and secondly to have an excuse for dropping weak-device support. Why would someone be more likely to buy DLC for The Stern Pinball Arcade than The Pinball Arcade, if the included tables were the same?

 

[chinzman93]

I would suspect that Metallica may be the first table made where Stern started including digital rights into the contract. So my guess would be that anything Metallica going forward could be on the table. However, we really don't know when they started doing this. Perhaps they have been doing it for years....but I doubt it.

 

[invitro]

I would suspect that Metallica may be the first table made where Stern started including digital rights into the contract.

It doesn't make much sense to me that any table made before right now would have video game rights. Why would Stern want to pay that extra amount unless they were definite that they would be used? I'm just guessing of course...

 

[pm1109]

We are all guessing and speculating right now!
Just have to wait until the next piece of news sometime latter this year hopefully

 

[Bowflex]

It doesn't make much sense to me that any table made before right now would have video game rights. Why would Stern want to pay that extra amount unless they were definite that they would be used? I'm just guessing of course...

Especially in the earlier days. Before TPA was even announced, there was no reason to include digital rights when digital recreations weren't really a thing (at least with Stern since they didn't have inclusion with the original PHOF collections). Much like digital music, there are many bands that don't have a presence, or only partial presence, on the various digital music outlets. Those old record contracts did not include digital distribution.

Stern has publicly discussed it for some time and it is what they've desired over the last couple years so I could see it being a contract inclusion for the last year or two and possibly they've been able to make it an addition to games where they've released new versions (Like when AC/DC Luci or the most recent Metallica that's about to come out)

 

[mpad]

If FS are making the stern games and TPA games, I wonder if it's the same team working on everything, or additional staff etc. if workload is increased then this could have a knock on affect on things...not just for PC either.

Not necessarily. As said in the other thread, if Stern provides all the resources and no real table has to be actually disassembled etc. this could be a huge time saver instead.

 

[mpad]

And I think we don't need two threads for this?

 

[Locksley]

And I think we don't need two threads for this?

You are right - three is the way to go... eh...

 

[Dedpop]

Not necessarily. As said in the other thread, if Stern provides all the resources and no real table has to be actually disassembled etc. this could be a huge time saver instead.

Good point.

And I think we don't need two threads for this?

We need more !

 

[mpad]

OK four should be enough

 

[invitro]

Sounds like new and recent to me. The pics they're showing are of the Metallica playfield, which is still being built new.

Does this come from this article?
http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/22/s...-drain-your-savings-to-own-a-classic-machine/

I saw that Stern linked to this article with a thumbnail of Metallica from the article. That pic was chosen by the article writer, and probably doesn't mean anything except that the article writer thinks it's a good example of a Stern machine .

 

[TNT]

Someone asked that question on the Stern Facebook page and the response was something "Farsightish" like we'll see.

Edit: Just looked and it's "Maybe! Maybe not."

 

[Sir_LANs-a-lot]

Personally, I would like to see this consolidated into TPA, but perhaps the front end/table selection could be optionally filtered/sorted by manufacturer?

It's good news for those of us who enjoy pinball though and hopefully, it might persuade other table manufacturers to review their licensing options to FarSight.

 

[DaPinballWizard]

Hope to hear more solid news about this next month at the 31st Annual Pinball EXPO! Maybe it will be on display on Farsight's cab at Stern's booth. Hmmmmmm

 

[Robert Misner]

Having this be a new separate program does have the added benefit of starting fresh.
Implementing new features and better physics (Ball spin, slight random deflection from targets,less on the rail shots etc.) without the pressure of having to go back to 64 other tables and retune everything might lead to some really interesting surprises (yes I expect great things )

 

[wolfson]

Hope to hear more solid news about this next month at the 31st Annual Pinball EXPO! Maybe it will be on display on Farsight's cab at Stern's booth. Hmmmmmm

sounds like a great place and time to announce there plans !!!!

 

[wolfson]

here`s a wish for XMAS,a initial 4 pack ,maybe 2 recent tables plus 2 older tables !!!!

 

[Dedpop]

here`s a wish for xmas,a initial 4 pack ,maybe 2 recent tables plus 2 older tables !!!!

This !