The "Pinball Renaissance" has been driven by proven successful titles from the major pinball companies. Old games that simply provide an escape for us older goons with money. A lot of us are "set in our ways" and find it hard to accept the latest games from not only the boutique manufacturers, but also from Stern. I for one, are still "stuck in the past" when games simply could not fail, as they were produced "solely" for making operators money. We were blessed with legendary designers like Ed Krynsky, Steve Kordek, Wayne Neyens, Norm Clark, Jim Patla, Greg Kmiec and the later designers Lawlor, Richie and Popadiuk. It was an industry that is part of Americana.
For ANY individual or conglomerate to even attempt to produce a pinball should be given every opportunity and support because the standards set 50 years ago will be very difficult in a marketplace that is not even 10% of what it once was. I remember playing "Coconut Island" at Nug's place and I was totally blown away at the finished product.
The problem I see is that there are many boutique machines being attempted, all vying for our hard earned cash and sometimes the "stop and start" nature of these efforts can very quickly lose interest for some. The pre order lesson has been learned. What happened with WOZ has really created a cynical outlook on most of these projects. I certainly would never put a cent towards any project without standing in front of the finished game. I would also be quick to support any game that is produced after playing it. Watching the videos on youtube is a great way of marveling at these projects.
If I was to part with my hard earned, I would look at Homepin's TAG. The theme is basically my childhood fascination, and an engineer is producing the game. It is also an Australian effort, so I would support it. The others are basically overseas, so it is a case of waiting for someone else to order it before deciding. For us Aussie's, we are across the other side of the world. BUT, it is clear that Australia has been the country that has had the biggest pinball growth. More container games are headed HERE than anywhere else. The market is still growing.
The "start up" companies are a niche part of a niche market. There is definitely a place for them, and at the very least, they will force the main player (Stern) to lift their game (no pun intended). There is already evidence of more better titles than flops in recent times. This is great for the buyers. I personally don't pay too much attention to the boutique companies, but the noise is getting louder and I'm starting to take notice. I think that of any of us were able to fly to the USA to one of the shows and see a proto in the flesh, we would be raving about them.
Referring back to my first paragraph, my market is restoration - and the growth is increasing to the point where it is no longer a renaissance. IF a boutique pinball producer can tap into this market with either a theme or designer, then it is great for pinball. The common theme is that ALL these companies, no matter how big or small, LOVE PINBALL. I recently watched on of Steve Kordek's last interviews with James Loflin and Al Warner and you could see that Steve Kordek LOVED his job and loved pinball. All these boutique companies share this important ingredient. If any of these companies were doing it for profit, it would fail. The passion is the key element.
