Why The Recent Emphasis On Licensed Tables?

CC13

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Sep 1, 2012
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It just occurred to me that FarSight have followed an odd pattern where licensed tables are concerned. After having 1 licensed table (RBION) in their first 8 offerings, FarSight have had one licensed table per DLC Pack since DLC Pack #3, in addition to Twilight Zone. Personally, I would have loaded up on the license-free tables first, then use the receipts from those tables to go after big-shot licenses such as LotR, The Simpsons or The Twilight Zone. What made FarSight opt for a different approach?
 

Richard B

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Apr 7, 2012
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My guess is that the licenses expire after a pre-determined time, so the sooner they get them out, the longer they are available. Also, just one big licenses like LOTR probably costs more than all the other licenses FS has acquired combined, with the possible exception of TZ and STTNG.
 
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Hinph

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Feb 29, 2012
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Well, having big licenses will likely increase interest in the game... there sure are a ton of great non-licensed tables to look forward to, though.
 

Kolchak357

Senior Pigeon
May 31, 2012
8,102
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Well, having big licenses will likely increase interest in the game... there sure are a ton of great non-licensed tables to look forward to, though.

I agree, those big licenses bring people in. I assume they are always trying to acquire licenses, and put them out when they get them. They can always fill in with unlicensed tables when they hit a licensing dry spell. And that is ok with me, as they are many great unlicensed tables I want to see. AFM, W2O, FT, and many others.
 

bavelb

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Apr 16, 2012
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Quite simple, out of the top tables the ratio licensed/nonlicensed is 50/50.

If you want to emphasize on bringing the most popular tables, and you already brought out 4 of the most popular nonlicensed one (MM, TOM, CV and FH) you are going to have to bring out licensed ones. In fact, the only unconfirmed nonlicensed table out of the top 20 is White Water. The rest is either already brought out, a bit delayed due to "unforeseen opportunities" (AfM was most likely delayed in favor of the timecommitted Elvira deal and the kickstarter bound TZ) or already announced/confirmed.

So a 50/50 split between licensed/unlicensed tables is only to be expected.
 
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Worf

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Aug 12, 2012
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Exactly.

FarSight is concentrating on the popular tables for the most part (with minor ones used to round out the pack), and really, if you look at the IPDB's top 10 list, all the original tables are there (TOTAN is there). So the rest left are licensed tables, especially the top two - STTNG and TZ. It's time to do licensed tables if you want to appeal to the masses with the popular tables.

Of course, TZ and STTNG also are VERY expensive licenses to obtain requiring an upfront "prove you're serious" licensing payment in order to even get the licenseholder to talk to you (hence the kickstarters). It's hoped that with these out of the way, the other licenseholders will be more accommodating.
 

ScotchYeti

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Apr 13, 2012
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We will see with the ST:TNG table how much influence a license has on the sales. That one should appeal to all Star Trek fans out there.
 

Hinph

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Feb 29, 2012
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Yeah, I'm especially curious to see what TNG does for Pinball Arcade... Twilight Zone is an amazing table, but I doubt that the license itself will do much to pull people in.
 

superballs

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Apr 12, 2012
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Yeah, I'm especially curious to see what TNG does for Pinball Arcade... Twilight Zone is an amazing table, but I doubt that the license itself will do much to pull people in.

I have a feeling the Addams Family might not be as much of a draw based on license as one might think either. The franchise doesn't quite have the steam it had in the early 90s.

I think the popularity of the table is going to lend itself well to bringing new players, but not based on the license. Much like TZ.
 

Worf

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Aug 12, 2012
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It's also a damn good table, which is why FarSight is bringing them in. They aren't in the top-10 list because they're good licenses - they're there because they're well-designed tables that play well. They'd probably be just as good even if they were original.
 

bavelb

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Apr 16, 2012
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They'd probably be just as good even if they were original.

I'm not so sure about that. The Pirate table and Agents in Zen1/pfx1 are almost exact replica's or mirrored versions of TAF and TNG and both are boring as hell :)
 

Fungi

Active member
Feb 20, 2012
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I'm not so sure about that. The Pirate table and Agents in Zen1/pfx1 are almost exact replica's or mirrored versions of TAF and TNG and both are boring as hell :)

Yeah, everytime I start up a game of Agents or Buccaneer, I'm always disappointed. Something about the lack of flow I think.
 

Draftcard

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May 10, 2012
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i think the licensees could possibly see an adverse effect
i think the younger generation will want to play these licensed tables that are highly rated but unavailable to them
dont be surprised when you hear "whats a twilight zone? does it have vampires in it?"
but then they may somehow get interested in the source material today and may perhaps want to watch it to relate to the game they are playing
 

Fungi

Active member
Feb 20, 2012
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i think the licensees could possibly see an adverse effect
i think the younger generation will want to play these licensed tables that are highly rated but unavailable to them
dont be surprised when you hear "whats a twilight zone? does it have vampires in it?"
but then they may somehow get interested in the source material today and may perhaps want to watch it to relate to the game they are playing

Then let's hope FS never attempts Baywatch.
 

Worf

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Aug 12, 2012
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I'm not so sure about that. The Pirate table and Agents in Zen1/pfx1 are almost exact replica's or mirrored versions of TAF and TNG and both are boring as hell :)

Probably because they were copies rather than designed. Williams had the same problemw with SWE1 - the table was designed for another game and retrofitted to Star Wars. Not the best ideas and if it wasn't a time pressure to release, they'd have re-done it properly from scratch.

The table has to be designed to fit the theme. You can't just take an existing table and try to come up with some theme to flow around it.

Also - well, it shows the subtleties of design - Steve Ritchie, Pat Lawlor - their work isn't just good design, but in adjusting the design to get good flow. On a real table, moving something 1/16" can change the game dramatically (either way more fun, or completely frustrating). (And we've seen it happen on TPA until FarSight re-adjusts the table. It's that finicky).

And even if the license makes no sense anymore, I'm sure the younger players will treat it as an "original" style table. Unless all the pinball players are old aging folks and thus the IPDB ratings never get modified anymore... in which case pinball's dying and there's no hope of rescuing it.
 

Kolchak357

Senior Pigeon
May 31, 2012
8,102
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All this discussion makes me wonder.....if you removed all of the sound and art from all pins, what would be the most popular & highest rated tables?
 

Worf

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Aug 12, 2012
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Well, the layout is dependent on the theme. The designers are given a theme to work around when designing the table. Take the theme away and you get things that don't "flow" right. Sometimes a rough shot is required because the theme makes it relevant, but other themes will demand a better shot.

I don't think TZ would be any fun with any other theme - mostly because the flow isn't there.
 

Fungi

Active member
Feb 20, 2012
4,888
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On the other hand, there's ProPinball's The Web. Same layout as Zen's Agents. (Mirrored TNG) Yet, SO much more fun. Within a few plays, I understood the rules of The Web easily. I'm still scratching my head on Agents. So, there's definitely more to a good table than just layout. And with the right set of rules, a borrowed layout can still be amazing.
 

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