When will the next Pinball Arcade table be released?

[jonesjb]

Not sure if it will be a Stern or a Data East or something else. Can anyone share if and when we'll see another game from Farsight?

 

[Rayder]

I've been wondering the same thing. Could maybe be a Gottlieb too.

 

[Blkthorne]

Well, before Farsight lost the Bally/Williams' license they were saying 5-6 tables a year, but since that time I've only heard Mike Lindsley say on some Twitch streams that they got some current Stern tables to play on and then someone asked if they would do future releases as one offs or in packs and Mike said they would be in packs going forward.

I have been personally hoping to seeing more Gottlieb EM's(Abra Ca Dabra, World Fair, Royal Flush and Cross Town), Stern Electronic's tables(Quicksilver, Seawitch, Star Gazer, Catacomb and Nine Ball), Gottlieb classic tables(Joker Poker, Spirit, Robo-War, Alien Star and Count-Down), and the few Data East unlicensed tables(Time Machine and Laser War), plus the last Alvin G. & Co. table(Mystery Castle).

 

[Nomorestalker]

If after everything that went down and the almost complete silence from the farsight camp if they released a couple gottliebs that would be a giant letdown. I'm curious what their plans are for 2019 forward.

 

[Kolchak357]

Licensing can take time, if they are working on some modern Stern pins. But yeah, we haven’t heard a peep in quite a while.

 

[vfpcoder]

Another license that’s sitting out there untapped is Capcom. (“Big Bang Bar, et al.)

 

[trash80]

Another license that’s sitting out there untapped is Capcom. (“Big Bang Bar, et al.)

Capcom pinball table IP digital reproduction rights may be in license limbo. Does anyone have a definitive official answer to who actually controls these properties?

From what I know:

1999/2000 IPC licenses all pinball table IP from Capcom with a deal for a duration of 4 years
2004 to 2007 IPC manufactures Big Bang Bar tables without license and Capcom doesn't pursue any legal recourse
2013 IPC files for bankruptcy
2014 Planetary Pinball purchase much of what remained (which wasn't much) of IPC in bankruptcy auction

Farsight had a couple Capcom tables in "beta" at different times in the past, and the "official" statement addressing the lack of full release was "emulation issues." Has there been any development since?

 

[Gorgias32]

At this point, would it hurt FarSight if they just said, "we're not going to be developing any more new content for TPA"? Because that's frankly what it feels like right now. Possibly they're worried it would impact sales somehow, but at this point if there aren't any new tables coming, they could just move into support mode and get what sales they can on what remains. I don't feel like someone coming in to the platform fresh would be dissuaded from buying tables just because it's a locked down set of content, as long as it's reasonably supported (updated to continue working on new OS versions, etc.) and the servers keep working. Maybe they have already done this internally and just don't want to announce anything publicly.

I would absolutely LOVE to see some more older Stern and Gottleib EMs, as well as Surf N Safari, Alien Star, Seawitch, etc. There are still really compelling 70s and 80s tables to be done, not to mention more newer Sterns. I would continue to buy what they put out. I still play TPA multiple times per week, there are so many great, well implemented tables in it. And it's going to take YEARS for Zen to catch up on content.

 

[shutyertrap]

I would absolutely LOVE to see some more older Stern and Gottleib EMs, as well as Surf N Safari, Alien Star, Seawitch, etc. There are still really compelling 70s and 80s tables to be done, not to mention more newer Sterns. I would continue to buy what they put out. I still play TPA multiple times per week, there are so many great, well implemented tables in it. And it's going to take YEARS for Zen to catch up on content.

I actually don't believe the list of newer Sterns FarSight will do (considering cost and licensing) is all that large. Realistically I believe it looks something like this:

- Wheel of Fortune
- CSI
- Transformers
- Striker Xtreme
- Sharkey's Shootout
- NASCAR
- World Poker Tour
- Shrek
- Wrestlemania

If you want to read the post where I break it all down, it's the 3rd post down and you can check it out here http://www.digitalpinballfans.com/showthread.php/13836-BlahCade-156-Williams-Pinball-Volume-2-Release-Retrospective

 

[vfpcoder]

Yeah ... But like the previous poster stated there are still *lots* of Gottleib EMs out there that need digital repros ... including one of my favorites: “Spirit of ‘76”. I would *really* like to see a Gottlieb EM Volume II package ... like NEXT WEEK!!

 

[trash80]

Yeah ... But like the previous poster stated there are still *lots* of Gottleib EMs out there that need digital repros ... including one of my favorites: “Spirit of ‘76”. I would *really* like to see a Gottlieb EM Volume II package ... like NEXT WEEK!!

Farsight management has gone on record that while Gottlieb EM tables are something they would like to do more of, they have also stated that they do not have the in-house capability to maintain EM tables to the level required for digital reproduction. I know they have made at least one trip in the last year or so to the Banning museum for information and photo gathering, but I'm a little concerned that the tables may not be tuned properly if they are built solely from video and "what I remember." I suppose time will tell.

Also, last week Universal Music (via Bravado) purchased EPIC which was a huge license management company (Elvis, Ali, AC/DC, KISS and many more). Not sure how/if this will impact Farsight, but it may make certain licenses both easier to gain consideration and also more expensive.

 

[Rayder]

ANY new tables would be welcome in my book, even if they aren't the most popular. But yeah, I would really like more old EM tables.

 

[Citizen]

ANY new tables would be welcome in my book, even if they aren't the most popular. But yeah, I would really like more old EM tables.

This. They release something, I'll buy it. Stern, classic Stern, DE, Sega, Gottlieb EM, classic Gottlieb SS, Mylstar, Premier, Alvin G., whatever.

Not holding my breath though. They've been rolling out BBH and WNBJM for 4 months now and still don't have them on every major system, after like 2 years of development. If they did start some new Sterns last year, it could be a while.

And frankly at this point I'd rather see Capcom stay in limbo for a few more years and then get picked up by Zen, rather than see FarSight get them.

 

[timxtr]

I thought the same, until I wasted $10 on Mustang. Juicy Melons & Big Buck would be $15 down the drain. They don't have replay appeal to me.

 

[rehtroboi40]

This. They release something, I'll buy it. Stern, classic Stern, DE, Sega, Gottlieb EM, classic Gottlieb SS, Mylstar, Premier, Alvin G., whatever.

Not holding my breath though. They've been rolling out BBH and WNBJM for 4 months now and still don't have them on every major system, after like 2 years of development. If they did start some new Sterns last year, it could be a while.

And frankly at this point I'd rather see Capcom stay in limbo for a few more years and then get picked up by Zen, rather than see FarSight get them.

You have a noble idea about Capcom-but I don't want this to happen. It would all but end any chance of getting Big Bang Bar. For Zen's censors, cigars would seem quaint compared to the stuff that goes on in BBB. Censorship would reduce it to near nothing.

 

[shutyertrap]

You have a noble idea about Capcom-but I don't want this to happen. It would all but end any chance of getting Big Bang Bar. For Zen's censors, cigars would seem quaint compared to the stuff that goes on in BBB. Censorship would reduce it to near nothing.

Outside the dancing alien girl, I don’t think there’s anything all that ‘naughty’ that isn’t in Medieval Madness or Xenon. I just played it again 2 weeks ago, but correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[David Pannozzo]

During Mikes Lindsey’s Thursday Pinball showoff, I saw Matt right down Game Of Thrones as one of the tables. Don’t go crazy yet, but he mentioned in April, so we just have to wait and see. I’ll take Game Of Thrones, Walking Dead, and Metallica as are next Stern Games anytime, I will be happy with those for Monthes, until they figure out the LCD games like Batman 66, and The Munsters LE.

 

[shogun00]

Matallica isn't very likely, since Stern's license expired last month.

 

[Pete]

Seriously? Metallica is off the table now?! Ive been hoping they would come out of nowhere with that and surprize us all. Looks like they have rolled over and died. did they really say they couldnt maintain an EM well enough to do any more... that is just crap. At least they gave us beer pong for 8 year olds on switch. Just kidding that game sucks

 

[HOW]

Matallica isn't very likely, since Stern's license expired last month.

[MENTION=1729]shogun00[/MENTION] - So Farsight have now lost the Stern licence that they were using to produce SPA titles?!

SPA has been such a disappointment
Remember all that talk of joint/dual development and in tandem releases with new Stern tables........Seems a lonnnnnng lonnnnnng time ago now....