Andrew commented on Pinside
Hi everyone,
Apologies for the radio silence - but we are just getting back to normal after Expo.
We have taken onboard any criticisms over the Expo period and reveal, and are working on a few key changes that can be implemented without delaying our production process.
Yes the production process has begun. Many parts have been ordered and some have already begun arriving. Production of the first games will be relatively slow - but this process will speed up dramatically as we get closer to Christmas.
Production of certain elements are happening now - the cabinets are virtually unchanged from Full Throttle - except for the EL blade panel recesses - and hence these can be built up first. Many sub assemblies will also be built in the coming weeks. This is how we can say that production has officially started. The more parts that are made now - the easier and quicker it will be finish the first games and get them shipped out to customers.
Part of this challenge is ramping up the production processes over the coming weeks to meet our target of producing 100 games a month by the end of this year. We have hired the necessary people with the knowledge and experience to make this happen.
We are significantly strengthening all areas of our company to meet the needs over the coming months. This includes extra personnel in all areas of the company. We know that there have been some delays in replying to customers over the last few weeks and for us, this is unacceptable. We will endeavour to deal with existing customers, and new enquiries, in a much faster manner in the coming days and weeks.
Many people have commented on the CPU and the need to upgrade it for existing Full Throttle owners. We chose the current Full Throttle CPU 2.5 years ago. It was a great CPU back then but 2.5 years is an eternity in the PC world.
As a company we want to constantly evolve our product and make it as new and relevant as possible. We tried to "cover all bases" in our original design concept, but inevitably some aspects of the system may need to be upgraded in the future. We could have kept the same CPU for Alien - but you, the customers, would suffer from not having the ultimate experience that we, the creators, can deliver to you now. So in choosing a new CPU, we have tried to make sure that it WON'T need changing over the next 2-3 years.
For existing customers, we will do our very best to look after them. It won't mean 'free' CPU upgrades, but it should mean substantial discounts for Full Throttle customers. When the time is right, we will announce such pricing and incentives.
