Would Anyone Buy A Retro Looking New Pinball Machine?

[Pintoxicated]

Just throwing this one out there.....

Whilst new pinball machines are great, how do you think a brand new retro looking machine would sell.  By that I mean model a machine on those made in the late 70's and into the 80's with awesome artwork along the lines of Centaur, Medusa, Fathom, Paragon etc etc or even the classic Gtb wedgehead machines.  Classic looking machines but built with todays technology, no DMDs or expensive toys, just heaps of drop targets, spinner or two, gobble holes, captive ball, proper backglasses - not translites etc etc.

You would think that the machines could be produced relatively cheap compared to new machines of today which could open up the chance of owning a NIB machine to some of us that just can't afford a new machine at the moment.  No need to develop new toys, LED displays are already available along with everything else that would be needed in a machine like this.

Personally I think it could be another success like AC/DC and generate more interest in pinball all round.

Your thoughts????

[Pop Bumper Pete]

Like the remske of 'Kings and queens'?

[Cow Corner]

Not for me..I need dmd,toys ,lots of mulitball action.

[Pintoxicated]

Like the remske of 'Kings and queens'?

yeah but done by Stern for example and not so much a re-make of an old machine.  An un-licensed title that is what some may call 'pure' pinball.  Even make a series of machines with a likeness to say the early 70's, late 70' and the 80's including chimes.  just wishful thinking I know but I reckon they would be cool.

[pinnies4me]

I used to think there would be a market for that sort of thing, potentially through a mainstream vendor (ie a Harvey Norman) where Baby Boomers with cash and fond memories could relive their childhood. Nug and I talked about this a couple of years ago before the GFC, I really thought with the right game it was a possibility. We were even looking at getting costs for wiring looms etc done at the time for a game we had in mind (assuming a licence could be obtained if needed). Aim was to make a game that looked and felt just like a restored original, no Zizzle shortcuts.

The King of Diamonds remake doesn't seem to be getting much discussion, so maybe the idea was not as good as it seemed, although we were looking at early solid state rather than EM.

[Pintoxicated]

I think early SS would be the go as well.  How hard is to find say an early SS machine along the lines of Centaur, Evil Knievel, Fathom, Paragon, 6MDM, Superman etc etc.  There are plenty of non-licensed machines that are up there on many people's wish lists that are tucked away in collections that rarely get traded.

 

[Greg]

Capcom tried it ("Classic Pinball") with Break Shot , old style single level Layout, DMD, modern underneath, and sold at a good price and aimed at operators
( Capcom had at least 4 other machine on the drawing board for there Classic division)  Break Shot sold quite well

Churchill Cabinet tried it with Vacation America single level  no ramps, 7-segment displays aimed at the home market = flop ( it did have a couple of good ideas in it)

Kings and queens  no real interest = flop

Zizzle well   flop

[Pintoxicated]

Fair enough.

How do you think someone like Stern would go with the concept though?

[Retropin]

Yeh Kings & Queens was exactly this concept... we all sat here behind our computers and poo pooed it

[Greg]

Fair enough.

How do you think someone like Stern would go with the concept though?

IMO Capcom did a very nice / smart job with Break shot, it was to bad they closed there (pinball) door before they had a real  chance
to test the Classic idea out.

Stern....I don't think they are smart enough to make a game thats   fun/ classic layout .......(just look at there Pro's ),
they would need to  keep away from watered down games of LE's   and do a original game  (Capcom at least hired a designer (Greg Kmiec)  to do ONLY classic concept games)

as for Kings and Queens "A+" for the idea....... but why that one, they could of chosen a better game

[spacejam0]

I think it's a great idea. Provided it was as much fun to play as say a Paragon or Black Knight ect I would love one (have had the same idea myself before)..Old school sounds,looks, layout and play without all the toys and speech . Also the reliability of modern technonogly and at a good price without all the bells and whistles.
I love the look of Breakshot..a member had a mint one for sale last year but at the time I didnt have the funds or I would have brought it.
For all the older blokes who love the SS machines it would be like a trip down memory lane back to pure pinball as we remember it.

[Strangeways]

Yeh Kings & Queens was exactly this concept... we all sat here behind our computers and poo pooed it

..and rightly so. A horrible product. The cabinet was a DMD style cabinet and the game looked like a converted or custom game. Even the door and plunger looked wrong !

I don't think we can ever recapture the magic of a NIB EM. A remake using the original technology would be difficult and time consuming. If the crew that did Kings and Queens used the original plans to build the cabinet, it wold have been a successful project.

Greg made a great point. Breakshot was basically an EM or SS style playfield using DMD technology - and it worked. For those who have not played Breakshot - it is "As good" and any DMD, and plays much better than a game full of ramps and toys. I only wish this innovation continued into other titles.

I think an SS remake could be done, or the style followed. If decent themes and licenses can be found, it would be a winner. Imagine an modern day Fathom, Paragon, Black Knight, Flash, Haunted House, Black Hole, Meteor and Galaxy !

[Pintoxicated]

That is what I was thinking.  The parts aren't really any different to what is available today meaning minimal R&D on new toys and less cost overall you'd think.  The above mentioned titles prove that a machine doesn't have to have a licensed theme to be a success.  Any sort of sci-fi, futuristic, spacey sort of theme always seemed to work well.  

I am not 100% sure if making every machine family friendly is the way to go, afterall who buys these machines.....us old farts who have a connection to these machines with some spare cash here and there.  The themes didn't affect us when we were kids or no more than what video games are doing to kids these days.

This of course is just a personal wish but I would love to see a modern version of an early SS style machine brought to life.  Not a re-make but a new title.

[Homepin]

That is what I was thinking.  The parts aren't really any different to what is available today meaning minimal R&D on new toys and less cost overall you'd think.

This is exactly where the wheels have fallen off in the recent past with certain 'rights holders' putting the kybosh on any new concept or machine using 'off the shelf' (insert patented) parts. I was certainly told, in no uncertain terms, not to even dream about using flipper asemblies, drop targets etc etc etc. by one 'rights holder' because if I did I would never get to sell even one machine!

I believe this situation is far more relaxed recently.

[pinnies4me]

That is what I was thinking.  The parts aren't really any different to what is available today meaning minimal R&D on new toys and less cost overall you'd think.

This is exactly where the wheels have fallen off in the recent past with certain 'rights holders' putting the kybosh on any new concept or machine using 'off the shelf' (insert patented) parts. I was certainly told, in no uncertain terms, not to even dream about using flipper asemblies, drop targets etc etc etc. by one 'rights holder' because if I did I would never get to sell even one machine!

I believe this situation is far more relaxed recently.

I suspect most patents will be expired now, or close - generally 20 years, so for example, flipper assemblies similar to Williams system 11 games must have been designed in the mid-80's, and probably even WPC later will be close to 20 years old too. P2K has a time to run though. We used assemblies on Coconut Island from system 11 age where they were Williams, and used Data East and other manufacturers where possible for targets etc.