trusting the boutique pinball builder......
I think it comes down to their approach and I don't think it comes just down to boutique but any pinball builder.
- Stern are a big setup so pretty safe to trust them and when they launch a product and distributors take deposits they know a delivery date.
- JJP had their share of problems and lots of aussies getting burnt there with long term deposits and people getting supplied pins ahead of people in the line alot longer.
- Skit B had enthusiasm but basically lied about a license to everyone and took so much longer than they should of.
- Heighway Pinball have enthusiasm but lately have been making promises of delivery dates of April for Alien when it's taken over 18 months to deliver their first game which hasn't even started to be produced so April is fairly unrealistic but they are taking deposits for a second pin when they haven't delivered anything - though they have been setting up a factory and investing alot so potentially can jump above the boutique level once they start delivering.
- Dutch Pinball have enthusiasm but had license issues which lead to a rift between the part owners and many people had deposits and got nervous - rightly so
- Jpop has been taking lots of money but years to build the first and second machines and taking names on the 3rd - yet still to deliver games
- Vonnie D was another failure as they tried to kickstarter their game when all they had were ideas and some general graphics - not even a flipping white wood to excite people - they have now disappeared....
- Homepin (our local Aussie company based in China) with all respect is technically in the same group as the above (except Stern & JJP) and taking deposits but has a reputation of many years in the industry doing boards and cocktail games so have proven he has the ability though yet to deliver but once the first one is delivered the gates will open.
- Spooky started after Skit B but technically the first boutique pinball company to deliver a game - and their approach was totally different to all the above apart from Stern in that they wanted to build a pin, debug it, show it and then produce it only taking deposits from a name reserve list 2 months out from delivery.
Personally I think Spooky's approach is the best as people know once they pay a deposit 2 months later it is finished. I think this is the way for the boutique companies as it shows that they are serious to design, show and prove their pinball and then start production and only then take deposits to cover the parts of their games not setup the business infrastructure.
I doubt boutique companies will even want to ask for long term deposits due to recent fiasco's.
