Were people paying $4500 deposit on the seminar days?
IF so, Dutch Pinball must be trusted by the Americans, espescially being a European company half way around the world.
Maybe Someone can start a Dutch Pinball thread. Hint hint hint.
The worlds a much smaller place now.. we can all communicate with each other very easily. Funds can, or at least SHOULD be able to transfer from one country to another at the touch of a button ( or many plus large fee if using a bank).
Pinball has changed so much.. USA no longer believes that if it isn't a Gottlieb, it aint worth having... many now realise that WMS and BALLY made some great machines.. even Zaccaria is respected and only because the world has become smaller.
I can get ripped off in Australia, China, USA or any other country for that matter.
Dutch Pinball had some customers who were willing to put money down in blind faith... they've now made the machine and controlled information release VERY well... they've presented the machine and in doing so pretty much put Stern and JJP back in their boxes while at the same time securing many more sales.
All they have done is give the pinball community what they've always wanted.. a well thought out game with some great technical execution. That bowling alley alone tells everyone that these guys can ENGINEER a machine... they knew it was good and now so do we.
If Stern can secure pre sales by churning out bash toys... JJP by churning out a Stern recipe fairy story, then DP will surpass them all with a serious machine... why wouldn't anyone have confidence in them? Just look at the game.. it is honed into TBL perfectly.. great design well executed.
The European pinball market is huge as is the US... estimated figures are for US sales only so far.
Its a cheap 6 or 7hr flight from US to Holland... when I lived in London, we would fly return to New York just for the weekend for 99 quid instead of going to the pub... that was over 20 years ago. The world has shrunk a lot more now and im pretty sure that from US to Holland doesn't feel like half a world away.
Maybe the world doesn't need respected and known pinball designers.. after all, the recipe is stagnating to a certain extent.
US$ to Euro is gaining strength and those who signed up before the deadline were give a free all chrome upgrade..
..Clever marketing.
Well said Gav,
Don't forget the rug, as a upgrade - cool little extra.