Stern - Big Juicy Melons - going into production

[humpalot]

I agree with Wotto on this one, over priced POS.

[Strangeways]

Am I the ONLY person that thinks this is an absolute overblown / overpriced POS?

Seriously - this hobby collectively complains and complains until the cows come home for the last 5 years that Sterns Pro version of X title doesnt have this / doesnt have that , the game doesnt have many good shots ,what a rip off etc etc and picks the sh*t out of any new release down to the finest playfield detail and then debates those details for weeks/ months over and over - yet here we have basically an EM game in a shiny new box with a nice 'cool truck' on the artwork that overall looks BORING as all hell and a terrible player if you see the video and yet no one is 'complaining' about the lack of 'anything, rather just mainly carrying on about Sterns / AMD business models - sheeeeeeesh 

I am truly astonished at this release of such a dud game ( at this price )
Yes I understand its a different concept and all but 10k landed or so - COME ON
Maybe at 2k - tops - MAYBE.

Love your work mate - Brilliant 

I thought the game looked terrible the day they posted initial pictures. I would like the powers to be to explain EXACTLY what the buyer is paying for ? It is a $3000 pinball - and lucky to be that high.

[Freiherr]

Paying for the big juicy melons.
I will stick to 99c a kilo tops.
Spit the pips and enjoy the taste.
To spend 10K on this thing would make me a melon head!

[swinks]

I can't believe this response from Stern in regards to their lack of promoting a product.

[Caveoftreasures]

No one in Australia has seen or even played Whoa Nellie in the flesh yet but a lot are whinging. It cracks me up.
Some people will complain about anything. Lol

Maybe wait until the game arrives in Australia and people get to play it themselves.
Then make an informed decision would be more common sense to me.

And who wants to see some stuffy tournament player holding a ball on a flipper for five minutes and hitting the same high point shot over and over again.
If a video of a game shows an average player having a bash, at least newbies to pinball think that they have a chance of having a bit of fun.

Sometimes I think the pinball industry has the highest complaint rate in the world.
Pinball is meant to be fun. It's not meant to be a complaint fest.
I am happy someone has made something very different and unique in Whoa Nellie.

Do you think Stern is going to try something Unlicenced and different again if every one whinges about every single detail ?
Everyone has been asking for Unlicenced and different/unique for years. It arrives and people complain and complain.

Another thing that makes me laugh hard is people calling the Medi Evil remake a Claytons. Pffftttt. What a crack up.
It's like identical gameplay wise. And the new MM remake is 2015 technology not 1990,s etc.
Calling it a Claytons is just ridiculous.

Is that what you do if you have the shits and realise you paid ridiculous money for a 1990,s model Medi Evil Madness when the hype was ridiculous and now people are seeing their friends buying brand new MM,s for apx 10 grand USA or less than 12 k in Australia for a brand new and improved build.

I would have a brand new MM any day before buying a machine which is close to 20 years old with 20 years of use on it. Claytons just started tasting a lot better, and cheaper. Food for thought.

[Homepin]

The saving grace for the Nellie is that it uses the new Stern SPIKE system. IMO that is a good think - forget looks or game play for the moment, at least it should be a reliable and repairable platform into the future.

The refake MM uses a hobby/toy controller board and it is a complete joke that they are asking the idiotic money for it.

The controller in the MM was designed for HOBBYISTS to learn about microcontrollers and then use that knowledge to make a REAL PRODUCT!!! It was NEVER intended to be used in a finished, commercial product. This is an insult and demonstrates a complete lack of ANY electronic knowledge by the people responsible for this abomination (not Stern).

It certainly cements the value of the originals and the originals will be repairable LONG after these POS are junked.

[goodolddays]

I've been ignoring all the hype cause I'm not interested in it LOL

[pinsanity]

I can't believe this response from Stern in regards to their lack of promoting a product.

It's called projectional blame shifting, swinks.  

Rather than reflect inwardly on their own character defects they project themselves with defensiveness outwards onto others.

Plenty of people do it to protect their self esteem, particularly after having unrelated ongoing personal problems befall them.

Better to take the high ground and feel pity for them rather than to respond with matching hostility.

The downside is that in an online world that course of action will be interpreted by simpletons as some kind of weakness when it is anything but.

The refake MM uses a hobby/toy controller board and it is a complete joke that they are asking the idiotic money for it.

The controller in the MM was designed for HOBBYISTS to learn about microcontrollers and then use that knowledge to make a REAL PRODUCT!!! It was NEVER intended to be used in a finished, commercial product. This is an insult and demonstrates a complete lack of ANY electronic knowledge by the people responsible for this abomination (not Stern).

It certainly cements the value of the originals and the originals will be repairable LONG after these POS are junked.

Well said.  

It was a quick money grab as a direct response to a price spike (pardon the pun) with little forethought put into long term durability or robustness.

[swinks]

RRP - $6500 USD = $8500 AUD + AMD markup = $9500 - $10000 + freight to your door.

The costing discussed in this thread is incorrect.  AMD do not mark up on a US RRP.  The simple way to estimate the Aussie price is to compare the US RRP for BJM and the US RRP of Sterns last release being WWE.  There is about a $US500 price increase from WWE Pro to BJM.  So with WWE Pro listed at $A7,850 retail, BJM should retail for about $8,400.

AMD just finalised the price
$9250 incl. gst ex our Alexandria,Sydney office,arriving here end May.

so not far off

[Brunswick Brawler]

Accept my apologies Swinks.  I never thought it could be possible that the Aussie price would be that high.

I can't see them selling more than two or three here.

For it to sell well, it needed to be less than a Pro.  I think that is one thing everyone on this thread agrees.

..there are much better layout EMs out there that you can buy for much less and in mint condition.

[swinks]

Accept my apologies Swinks.  I never thought it could be possible that the Aussie price would be that high.

I can't see them selling more than two or three here.

For it to sell well, it needed to be less than a Pro.  I think that is one thing everyone on this thread agrees.

..there are much better layout EMs out there that you can buy for much less and in mint condition.

No worries BB, no reason to apologise, we all have different view points and opinions so all sweet.

though I think AMD may have reduced the price as well as even the though the MSRP between the WWE and WNBJM is $1000 USD, AMD's selling price is only $500 difference between the 2 so I am sure they even know they aren't going to sell many at $9750 nor at $9250.

[Caveoftreasures]

I can't believe this response from Stern in regards to their lack of promoting a product.

It's called projectional blame shifting, swinks.  

Rather than reflect inwardly on their own character defects they project themselves with defensiveness outwards onto others.

Plenty of people do it to protect their self esteem, particularly after having unrelated ongoing personal problems befall them.

Better to take the high ground and feel pity for them rather than to respond with matching hostility.

The downside is that in an online world that course of action will be interpreted by simpletons as some kind of weakness when it is anything but.

The refake MM uses a hobby/toy controller board and it is a complete joke that they are asking the idiotic money for it.

The controller in the MM was designed for HOBBYISTS to learn about microcontrollers and then use that knowledge to make a REAL PRODUCT!!! It was NEVER intended to be used in a finished, commercial product. This is an insult and demonstrates a complete lack of ANY electronic knowledge by the people responsible for this abomination (not Stern).

It certainly cements the value of the originals and the originals will be repairable LONG after these POS are junked.

Well said.  

It was a quick money grab as a direct response to a price spike (pardon the pun) with little forethought put into long term durability or robustness.

All the PERFECT people in the pinball industry don't have to do any of this. Lol

Human nature is far from perfect. People try their best and fall in love with their hard work and pinball designs and engineering efforts. It's only normal people defend their efforts.
These people try their best and you have to respect the honorable efforts.

No person is perfect. No person is without problems.
We are human, not robots.
Sometimes a little compassion goes a long way.
You do your best and hold your head high knowing tomorrow is another day to try and try again.
Pinball design people have my vote for passion and dedication. They aren't perfect but they try their best to bring fun to our lives. Can't knock people for being passionate and trying their best. That's how I see it.
Just my opinion.

[oldskool1969]

The details are far and few between on this unique game. I have been asked for an answer by Friday morning. How the hell can I do that without any real details?

Does it have real reels? or LCD as it looks like!
Does it have real cow bells, bells and knockers as what was proposed?
Close up of bumpers as they look 2D unlike the original?
What happened to the gobble hole, now kick out?
just to name a few.

I need unique selling features as this is a lot of coin that I may part with and want to have the FULL picture, not a half arsed spool and no close pics, detailed features or decent video.
I am looking past the $ and willing to sacrifice a few pins and $ to get one as I believe this could be a lot of fun.
 

[swinks]

and this is what Stern should of posted originally, notice the mini lcd in the apron for multiplayer. In that video the score does look like mechs....

utoplay=1&rel=0


if Stern were smart they should of released 2 decent videos (a good game play and another about the rules) and let people think and dream for a few days before releasing the price.

makes you wonder about the marketing techniques..... not helping themselves but at least this is a better example.

[GORGAR 1]

^^ that's a better video and those little flippers are pretty snappy :) will be interesting to see how they sell.