Zen does it again - “Zen Pinball Party” for Apple Arcade

Scared Stiff

New member
May 18, 2019
184
0
Well Zen has done it again. More of alienating their biggest supporters, more fracturing of their content, more exclusives locked away on another platform. It’s gotten all rather ridiculous.

I am referring to today’s announcement of Zen Pinball Party exclusively for Apple Arcade. A lot of tables are stuff we have seen before, even some Williams tables, but some are new and well, unless I am not understanding their plans correctly when they say “exclusive”, I guess you’ll have to have an Apple device and pay a monthly subscription to access these new tables.

And that’s a shame as the How to Train a Dragon and Trolls tables look pretty good.

https://youtu.be/lp2dRMES3uI

The My Little Pony one, eh....not so much. Zen seems to think it’s a “Hot IP” though...lol.
 

shogun00

New member
Dec 25, 2012
763
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Zen's definition of "exclusive" is as farfetched as their definition for "soon". Personally, I think it is just a timed exclusive.
 

Gord Lacey

Site Founder
Staff member
Feb 19, 2012
1,991
3
I believe Apple gets a 1 year exclusive on the Apple Arcade games and then they can appear elsewhere. "Alba" was an Apple Arcade game that recently made its way to other platforms.
 

Narc0lep5y

Member
Feb 21, 2015
311
0
Whelp... 2021 is a wash but maybe 2022 will be the great year for Zen pinball. By then we'll get FX on steam and probably super discounts on all of these new licensed zen original table packs that maybe my girls (Trolls/Pony) will still care about when they release.

If you've got an Apple device sign up for a Target Circle membership (it's free) and get a 6 months of Apple Arcade for free and play them to bridge the exclusive gap if that's your thing.
Also has 4 months of Apple TV & music for free too for those (like me) who waited to watch Ted Lasso.

https://www.target.com/circle/partners
 

yespage

Member
Oct 31, 2015
466
2
My daughter would be interested in a few of them, but I'm not getting an iPad to play pinball on a tablet. What are they thinking?! I understand developing many different platforms can be an issue, but PC goes around? I don't get it. Zen had something great going, but maybe it wasn't making enough money.
 

HighFive

New member
Jun 9, 2019
153
0
Im going to laugh like crazy if i see Tarek Oberdieck leading all the leaderboards of these tables! :D. Poor kids trying to catch him up! :D
 

curtis

New member
Aug 30, 2015
110
0
I wholeheartedly agree. It's beyond ridiculous. I was so excited about Zen and it's pinball product/software. Now, being alienated, I've turned away from them. I feared craziness would happen with the acquisition, and here it is.
My 2 cents.


Well Zen has done it again. More of alienating their biggest supporters, more fracturing of their content, more exclusives locked away on another platform. It’s gotten all rather ridiculous.
 

Scared Stiff

New member
May 18, 2019
184
0
Whelp... 2021 is a wash but maybe 2022 will be the great year for Zen pinball. By then we'll get FX on steam

Well, not until one year after release on Epic. So the clock hasn’t even started yet on Steam. Meaning most of 2022 will be a wash too for Steam players. I guess I will devote time to my other Steam games instead.
 

HighFive

New member
Jun 9, 2019
153
0
Is one of those games Zaccaria Pinball by any chance?

Funny thing, on my side its what i did, but on Switch. I got use of the somehow different ball physic compare to fx, but got use to it. And by trying them all, i found some pretty interesting tables to play.
 

Kolchak357

Senior Pigeon
May 31, 2012
8,102
2
I have Apple devices, but if it’s a subscription service, them I’m out. I don’t do subscriptions for games.
I try and avoid subscriptions as much as possible for anything. In most cases, there is no bigger waste of money than a subscription. I don’t even have Netflix.
 

Gord Lacey

Site Founder
Staff member
Feb 19, 2012
1,991
3
So the good news for people is that Apple Arcade games usually have 1 year of exclusivity, and then they appear elsewhere. So, for those that don't subscribe to Apple Arcade (I don't), think of this as a preview of what's to come..

I'm more worried about their apparent lack of plans for the regular iOS game. That's been my platform of choice due to ease of picking it up and playing, and I own all but 8-9 tables on it, so I'd like to continue to see it supported.
 

Pinballwiz45b

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2012
3,677
33
So the good news for people is that Apple Arcade games usually have 1 year of exclusivity, and then they appear elsewhere. So, for those that don't subscribe to Apple Arcade (I don't), think of this as a preview of what's to come..

I'm more worried about their apparent lack of plans for the regular iOS game. That's been my platform of choice due to ease of picking it up and playing, and I own all but 8-9 tables on it, so I'd like to continue to see it supported.

Zen Pinball Party before FX, it seems like. Zen's wording of "currently" greatly implies a timed exclusive before arriving on other games. What's yet to be determined is how long before these tables arrive -- Dread Nautical was 6 months both on Apple, then on Epic.

As for the regular iOS game, remember that it's running on Zen's in-house engine, whereas ZPP is running on Unreal. If Zen releases a standard app for general mobile platforms, it'd likely be the same case we're seeing on Pinball FX re: no purchase transfers.
 

zmcvay

Member
Sep 19, 2014
356
5
Looks like Pinball Party is out this Friday, so we can start the exclusivity clock countdown.

Anyone remember back when one of the big plusses of the Zen catalog was that releases would happen on the bulk of platforms simultaneously?
 

Pinballwiz45b

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2012
3,677
33
Looks like Pinball Party is out this Friday, so we can start the exclusivity clock countdown.

Anyone remember back when one of the big plusses of the Zen catalog was that releases would happen on the bulk of platforms simultaneously?

It didn't really start out this way. Even the earliest of Zen's titles were exclusively on individual platforms, back in the FX1 / early Zen mobile days.
 

zmcvay

Member
Sep 19, 2014
356
5
It didn't really start out this way. Even the earliest of Zen's titles were exclusively on individual platforms, back in the FX1 / early Zen mobile days.

More thinking of the TPA heyday, but honestly, I'm not even really upset. I'm sure the last year and a half has been just as unkind to Zen as everyone else, and I do not begrudge them a few months wait to play tables if the exclusivity money allows them to keep the lights on.

Just looking forward to more pinball eventually, Pinball Noir, more Williams tables, and yes, I'll even give My Little Pony a spin when it's out for PC or Playstation.
 

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