Stern - Big Juicy Melons - going into production

[pinnies4me]

Those under the hood shots have me scratching my head wondering what your dollar buys. Must be a lot of fat in the profit margins.

Could not agree more.

Modern style games have more wiring dedicated to lights than to switches and solenoids combined (Capcom for example uses around 120 controlled lights, and they are 20 years old....). This thing has hardly any insert lamps. More obvious here http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IR6LeSOAztk/TWFtbj0V8gI/AAAAAAAAA3o/yNSPm_8gt7A/s1600/WN_PFieldLit_9-14-10.jpg

I haven't had a lot to say on the pricing so far, but those shots really show this as being extremely expensive for what it is.

[swinks]

they were saying that on some of the photos the scrore reels are run via microsteppers hence why the alignment was not great.

as for the chimes there is probably a way to mod a mech for that, but getting the sound right might take a little bit of patience.

[Caveoftreasures]

People are blaming Stern for the price of Whoa Nellie, but aren't Stern just building it and selling it on behalf of Whiz Bang, being Nordman and Ferres.
My comments don't refer to any specific member, and espescially not the few above posts but more like a thought that just came to me after thinking for a few days.

Wouldn't Whiz Bang have the majority of the say re decisions and overall direction and final pricing given it is their project. Also, isn't it Whizbang who designed the entire machine.

I think people are assuming that Stern is making a mint on Whoa Nellie. Perhaps Whiz Bang is making a nice chunk of coin for doing the artwork and design etc and are now making a nice profit whilst Stern is paying itself for the labour putting it together and their usual margin for organising all the manufacturing of the parts etc.

The issue isn't neccessarily Stern, it's the fact there are 3 people trying to make profit of only one machine.
Gary - profit
Dennis - profit
Greg - profit

Whoa Nellie technically is just like the Medi Evil Madness remake, it's not a Stern title as such, it's a contract job for Stern to profit share on.

Sometimes on a lot of these Stern threads, people rip the guts out of everything and anything Stern and it's usually everything negative which people focus on.
It does get frustrating to us Stern fan boys because no one on Australia has seen a machine or played one yet. Yet people bag a lot very quickly.
Maybe some people are naturally more comfortable being critics. Lol

As a Blatant Stern fan, I just like to focus on the positive.
Each to their own. I just hope prices on Stern only Pro designs do not climb to anything higher because then I will become something I don't like, a critic. Lol

[Retropin]

People are blaming Stern for the price of Whoa Nellie, but aren't Stern just building it and selling it on behalf of Whiz Bang, being Nordman and Ferres.
My comments don't refer to any specific member, and espescially not the few above posts but more like a thought that just came to me after thinking for a few days.

Wouldn't Whiz Bang have the majority of the say re decisions and overall direction and final pricing given it is their project. Also, isn't it Whizbang who designed the entire machine.

I think people are assuming that Stern is making a mint on Whoa Nellie. Perhaps Whiz Bang is making a nice chunk of coin for doing the artwork and design etc and are now making a nice profit whilst Stern is paying itself for the labour putting it together and their usual margin for organising all the manufacturing of the parts etc.

The issue isn't neccessarily Stern, it's the fact there are 3 people trying to make profit of only one machine.
Gary - profit
Dennis - profit
Greg - profit

Whoa Nellie technically is just like the Medi Evil Madness remake, it's not a Stern title as such, it's a contract job for Stern to profit share on.

Sometimes on a lot of these Stern threads, people rip the guts out of everything and anything Stern and it's usually everything negative which people focus on.
It does get frustrating to us Stern fan boys because no one on Australia has seen a machine or played one yet. Yet people bag a lot very quickly.
Maybe some people are naturally more comfortable being critics. Lol

As a Blatant Stern fan, I just like to focus on the positive.
Each to their own. I just hope prices on Stern only Pro designs do not climb to anything higher because then I will become something I don't like, a critic. Lol

No one is assuming anything... its a back to basics machine that has come in more expensive than a Pro. The original design has been taken right back... electronic chimes instead of real ones...automatic ball feed etc etc etc.
What was promised and what has eventuated are 2 different things and the price is way above what anyone expected.
Not a lot of positives there and so discussions reflect that.
I can however find 2 positives... artwork is great and no lump of nothing impossible to miss bash toy.

[GORGAR 1]

I think we all realize Stern and just building a game for an outside company like the MMr , Stern didn't design it they are just building it money for jam really :) oh and they probably made even more money for letting them use Spike-but who knows most are just guessing lol

[oldskool1969]

Sometimes you are like a pitiful with a toy Cavey, you just won't let it go. Don't feel you have to defend everything all the time. It gets old very, VERY quickly! Breathe in, breathe out. 
I like that people have views, I l want by BIG JUICY and am more than a little ticked that some items have been canned. But, hey, what ya gonna do?
IT'S ONLY PINBALL! 

[swinks]

as per the Texas show Gary stated this - this game falls into the bracket of a Studio game with Stern parts and stern operating system so not a full contract job. In stead of Stern paying their designers to design the game Dennis and Greg (who works at Stern as well) designed it so the price wouldn't be to much above a regular pro and this may have a different cabinet and rails but doesn't have ramps and toys.... so anyones guess but the pricing model might be wrong like the Home version....

Gary Stern spoke tonight at TPF. Here are the more interesting talking points:
* Pro/LE business model with occasional Premiums as the market demands. They may revisit the Home version in the future - but admitted they didn't get it right the first time.
* 3 cornerstone Stern titles a year
* VEs will continue to be made - but NOTHING is planned currently
* If a VE was originally SAM/Whitestar - it will be remade as SAM/Whitestar. It will NOT be converted to Spike
* Accessories/Mods business will continue to grow
* Last day in the current Stern factory is 4/14
* AC/DC is DONE - no remakes, license is expired
* Whoa Nellie does not count as a cornerstone title. He referred to that as a "studio" game. Another facet of the Stern business model that he seems to welcome.

*The two names we haven't heard before to go with Pro/Premium/LE lines
Studio games - games like WNBJM where game is fully designed, but they add Stern electronics and maybe some additional sound/lighting effects.
Private Label games - totally engineered by another party (think MMR). No Stern parts/engineering involved, just assembling the games (I.e. Provide the manufacturing line).
Gary said these will continue if they are approached with complete, vetted games but that Stern isn't looking to build games for everyone that wants to make them.

http://aussiepinball.com/index.php?topic=13597.0

[Caveoftreasures]

Sometimes you are like a pitiful with a toy Cavey, you just won't let it go. Don't feel you have to defend everything all the time. It gets old very, VERY quickly! Breathe in, breathe out.  
I like that people have views, I l want by BIG JUICY and am more than a little ticked that some items have been canned. But, hey, what ya gonna do?
IT'S ONLY PINBALL!  

I had two Pitbulls a few years ago. Brother and sister. They used to fight a lot so I had to move them on to someone who knew the breed better than I did.
Maybe one was Pro Stern and one was anti- Stern. Lol
It gets old very quickly for us Stern fans also always seeing people rubbishing Stern.
A lot of Stern owners don't even post about their brand new in box days anymore cause they don't feel comfortable anymore. These days, a lot of us who do buy Sterns just PM each other and share photos and stories that way.
It's only pinball.

I am glad u are buying a Whoa Nellie. It does look amazing.
Anyway, I am off for a holiday and to visit some fellow pinheads on a road trip. Keep flipping.

[Retropin]

Sometimes you are like a pitiful with a toy Cavey, you just won't let it go. Don't feel you have to defend everything all the time. It gets old very, VERY quickly! Breathe in, breathe out.  
I like that people have views, I l want by BIG JUICY and am more than a little ticked that some items have been canned. But, hey, what ya gonna do?
IT'S ONLY PINBALL!  

I had two Pitbulls a few years ago. Brother and sister. They used to fight a lot so I had to move them on to someone who knew the breed better than I did.
Maybe one was Pro Stern and one was anti- Stern. Lol
It gets old very quickly for us Stern fans also always seeing people rubbishing Stern.
A lot of Stern owners don't even post about their brand new in box days anymore cause they don't feel comfortable anymore. These days, a lot of us who do buy Sterns just PM each other and share photos and stories that way.
It's only pinball.

I am glad u are buying a Whoa Nellie. It does look amazing.
Anyway, I am off for a holiday and to visit some fellow pinheads on a road trip. Keep flipping.

BS... no one has ever rubbished anyone's BIN.
Sure we pick games apart but it happens with every game and in fact very few posts on this thread actually rubbish the game. Most criticism is the price and at $10K landed, our jaws have still not left the floor.
Yep - you need a holiday cavey.

[pinoffski]

Really maybe the market for this is not for Australia

unless you are a collector

[Pinprick]

Really maybe the market for this is not for Australia

unless you are a collector

Or a melonhead 

[oldskool1969]

Sometimes you are like a pitiful with a toy Cavey,

PITBULL not PITIFUL, fxxxking auto correct, you are not pitiful, just PASSIONATE!

[elkor-alish]

You know what?
I hope it turns out to be kickass and hardly anyone bought one.
Then all the nay sayers will be scrambling to get their hands on one and they won't be available.
Happens all the time.

[pinoffski]

at $9250
i dont think it will be a BBB

but time will tell

[Caveoftreasures]

Sometimes you are like a pitiful with a toy Cavey, you just won't let it go. Don't feel you have to defend everything all the time. It gets old very, VERY quickly! Breathe in, breathe out.  
I like that people have views, I l want by BIG JUICY and am more than a little ticked that some items have been canned. But, hey, what ya gonna do?
IT'S ONLY PINBALL!  

I had two Pitbulls a few years ago. Brother and sister. They used to fight a lot so I had to move them on to someone who knew the breed better than I did.
Maybe one was Pro Stern and one was anti- Stern. Lol
It gets old very quickly for us Stern fans also always seeing people rubbishing Stern.
A lot of Stern owners don't even post about their brand new in box days anymore cause they don't feel comfortable anymore. These days, a lot of us who do buy Sterns just PM each other and share photos and stories that way.
It's only pinball.

I am glad u are buying a Whoa Nellie. It does look amazing.
Anyway, I am off for a holiday and to visit some fellow pinheads on a road trip. Keep flipping.

BS... no one has ever rubbished anyone's BIN.
Sure we pick games apart but it happens with every game and in fact very few posts on this thread actually rubbish the game. Most criticism is the price and at $10K landed, our jaws have still not left the floor.
Yep - you need a holiday cavey.

I didn't say anyone ever rubbished anyone's BNIB.
But the truth is that I have had quite a few people email me and share BNIB photos and stories that they have decided not to do on a open forum because THEY felt and said that they felt the Stern bashing was over the top and THEY didn't feel comfortable doing a public BNIB opening thread. I can assure you it's not BS.

The Stern BNIB opening threads are a shadow of what they used to be.
It's not because less people are buying Sterns but because some members chose to email n share only with other people who they know are Stern fans.
I haven't publically posted my last 3 Stern purchases. I am certainly not the only one.
I don't need a holiday. I am just taking one for fun.
I am not going to get into a further debate. No need to.