Stern announces new KISS pinball

[Caveoftreasures]

So John Borg has designed KISS so it looks like Borgy has EASILY not only taken the number one designer spot in the world, but is now so far out in front it's crazy.

I am happy Borgy designed this game.
(I reckon this game was designed on paper by Stern 4 or 5 years ago and it's only now been tweaked and finally got approval by the Band and the timing is perfect).

WHAT Pinball machine is going to be the bigger seller in Australia, ACDC or KISS ?

I am going to buy the KISS Pro to sit next to my ACDC.
Those two pins sitting side by side in any lounge room spells out DOUBLE COOL any day of the week.

Another question is, is WHAT pinball is Steve Ritchie been or going to be working on if Borgy has done KISS ?

Isn't the King well overdue to release something. ?

And how do I know (or strongly believe) Borgy has designed KISS, in the photos etc, they are clearly Borgys arms and John Did say to me in a email only a month ago the next Stern release was going to be his next title after The Walking Dead.
So the designer has to be Borgy for KISS. I looked at a few photos and other Stern videos and they are definately Johns Arms.

Go Team Stern !

[Brunswick Brawler]

I bet JPop was thrilled with the announcement 

This will make like difficult for JJP.  I expect KISS will do what ACDC did by taking a heap of money out of the buyers hands, such that any machine released soon after will struggle to compete.  With such a huge gap between WOZ and Hobbit, JJP would need Hobbit to do well.

Interesting to see that stern are sticking with a standard DMD.

[Caveoftreasures]

Makes you wonder if this announcement is also too close to the release of Sterns Wrestling Pin ?
A die hard wrestling fan would prob buy the Wrestling Pin but if you are both into Wrestling and into KISS, I am assuming you would hold onto your $ til the KISS Pinny comes out.

The JJP title has been a long long time in the running.

I know some people don't like Sterns marketing ways of not giving away anything before a release and its guess work up to the last second before release, but the Stern title always feels "very now, very current" where as others who release all the media details before design even starts, the title "feels old" very quickly and feels like yesterday's news when it finally does get released.

Glad people like Nino(Strangeways) and Peter (Gorgar) are finally getting their dream pins made.
Definately a very cool addition to their huge KISS Memorabilia collections.

[Cursed]

Happy for the KISS fans, not a pin for me personally but I am sure it will play and look great.

Nino buying a NIB! Nice!

Also happy for Pete who I am sure is over the moon now that this is indeed official!

Would love to come to any unboxing parties! 

[Brunswick Brawler]

Thinking about the timing, TWD was released not long after it was announced that Stern got the Kiss licence.  JPop took his non playable prototype to Chicago expo I think (oct 2014), only to have the licence granted to Stern just a few weeks after.  So the timing is right that Borg could have been given KISS immediately after TWD, with instruction to get this done ASAP.

KISS would have wanted to rush out the game out to coincide with their just released album - something that Stern probably explained to the KISS marketing people was not achievable by JPop.  Stern probably passed the game to the person they feel is their fastest designer - the master John Borg.


...This has to be a KISS machine!

I can't help but brag about my prediction above made one month ago.    (Admittedly, I did change my mind later based on a Stern FB post ).


Here is my next prediction:  Denis Norman is designing Thunderbirds.

I won't explain that logic just until my prediction becomes fact.


...I Love the pop bumper caps on KISS.  I hope that retro style becomes the common practice for all machines.

[MartyJ]

Thinking about the timing, TWD was released not long after it was announced that Stern got the Kiss licence.  JPop took his non playable prototype to Chicago expo I think (oct 2014), only to have the licence granted to Stern just a few weeks after.  So the timing is right that Borg could have been given KISS immediately after TWD, with instruction to get this done ASAP.

KISS would have wanted to rush out the game out to coincide with their just released album - something that Stern probably explained to the KISS marketing people was not achievable by JPop.  Stern probably passed the game to the person they feel is their fastest designer - the master John Borg.


...This has to be a KISS machine!

I can't help but brag about my prediction above made one month ago.    (Admittedly, I did change my mind later based on a Stern FB post ).


Here is my next prediction:  Denis Norman is designing Thunderbirds.

I won't explain that logic just until my prediction becomes fact.


...I Love the pop bumper caps on KISS.  I hope that retro style becomes the common practice for all machines.

Its been very quiet from the Steve Ritchie camp...I would have locked it in that he was doing KISS.
Maybe he is doing Thunderbirds!?.. Now that would be cool.

[RottyGuy]

Nino buying a NIB! Nice!

A NIB Stern at that. First time for everything. It's not a theme for me, but I hope it's a success for Stern and KISS fans.

[Caveoftreasures]

I think Brunswick Brawler is on the $.
I am not a gambling man but I would put a thousand down on John Borg being the designer of KISS.
If it hadn't of been for his email 3 or 4 weeks ago saying his next title is going to be released next, and his arms being in those photos, I would have been still thinking it was a 50/50 between Borgy and Steve Ritchie doing KISS.

Either way, both designers are brilliant.
It just seems that John Borg can design a pin much faster and with great success than any other designer on the planet. For a long time, Borgy was the backbone of Sterns design department. A few titles like Avatar and Transformers were Sterns cost cutting tables in a financial period where Stern was struggling to survive so I dont blame any designer for those Budget playfields cause they can only design what the boss allows them to $ wise, but Stern has done very well with all Borgys designs (and Steve Ritchies tables) and there hasn't been a dud for a long time.

So KISS is coming out, but what is Steve Ritchie working on ? Got my head scratching on that one cause Steve sticks to big titles like ACDC and Star Trek and so on.

When I was a kid about 8 years old in 1978, KISS weren't a band, they were an Industry. Gene Simmons has always been the genius behind KISS.
My favourite was always Ace, so I am hoping ACE features heavily on the new KISS pinball.

Can u imagine the mods that will be made and available for the KISS machine ! Should be some thoroughly excellent mods coming up from all around the world.

Will Stern sell and build more KISS pinnies than they did ACDC ? I wish production numbers were released.

[RottyGuy]

I doubt KISS will out sell AC/DC. Acca Dacca was a great price point and popular theme. Hard to beat that combo as far as sales go.

[swinks]

I think mods will be interesting as KISS (Gene) like to control their branding.....

Steve could be doing the next Star Wars or Superman? Plus read somewhere that he wasn't a fan of Kiss hence not doing the design. Curious if they do a Fast and Furious..

Anyway Kiss is a cool looking game so far and see what happens with the art. And as per Nino's request pretty sure the guys in the US have worked out how to replace songs in other games so should be possible on this one.

Pretty sure Kiss were around since 1973 though - could be wrong

[Caveoftreasures]

Who has the biggest following band wise in the world today ?
ACDC or KISS ? I don't have a clue.
Both bands have always been HUGE in Australia but the rest of the world ?

If the Aussie dollar was the same now as it was for ACDC, then the Pro would be apx $6600 with shaker and delivery versus the $7850 current Pro pricing. Can't blame AMD or Stern for the Aus $ but something tells me that this will be a lot of people's Grail pin and the extra $1250 or $1500 ain't going to hold people back.

[Caveoftreasures]

I think mods will be interesting as KISS (Gene) like to control their branding.....

Steve could be doing the next Star Wars or Superman? Plus read somewhere that he wasn't a fan of Kiss hence not doing the design. Curious if they do a Fast and Furious..

Anyway Kiss is a cool looking game so far and see what happens with the art. And as per Nino's request pretty sure the guys in the US have worked out how to replace songs in other games so should be possible on this one.

Pretty sure Kiss were around since 1973 though - could be wrong

1973 ? Swinksy ? Ask Nino.
I only remember from 1978 as a young kid and only noticed KISS for the first time at 8 with their smash hit "I was made for Loving You". The lead guitar in that song still remains awesome and the video clip is just excellent still to this day. If you design any mods Swinksy, I will be a buyer I am sure. Your mirror blades with KISS cut out by laser and backlit somehow would be a big seller in Australia.

[delarge]

I've got my sights on KISS as my next pin purchase....whenever that will be.

As for Steve Ritchie, Game of Thrones. This was hot on the rumour mill before today's announcement.

Looking forward to seeing the cabinet art on each of the KISS models.

Cheers!
Adam.

[swinks]

I wonder if they have 105 x 4 LE's, one for each band member ????

even though the mirror blades back lit would be cool, I doubt it would work as generally there isn't alot of room and to push the blades out another 1mm on each side to allow for lighting wouldn't work. For fun I did start a mod for KISS tonight, see how it looks in a few days.

[Strangeways]

Keep this thread "On Topic". It is a thread about the KISS pinball - if members want to discuss designers, costs etc - find an existing thread or start a new one.

I have ordered an LE.

I'm not revealing sources, but the rumor is at least half of the "possible" allocation of LE's for Australia are already reserved. 50 TWD were snapped up very quickly, and I'm told IF the same numbers of KISS LE's are allocated then they will be gone within 48 hours of the distributors information pack from Stern - which is by this weekend.

In other words - "now or never".

I've asked if the songs can be removed and the original recordings added at a future date on the new platform. A bit of "KISStory" (and the major reason I don't follow the tribute band = current line up) - The "classic" songs written and recorded by the original four members have stood the test of time. The 2015 setlist is 75% comprised of the first 6 studio albums (1973-77). Gen and Paul re recorded the classic songs with the current line up to disallow the two original members - Peter and Ace, from obtaining royalties for any projects using the early catalogue - which is what everyone wants to hear or use. Smart move if you want to rip off your old bandmates. The NEW recordings are bland and over produced. The "greatest hits" album these recordings were used for were only successful in Japan. So my question is that I would like to remove these poor recording and replace them with the original recordings that have the "magic" of the original four and not session artists.

This might seem like a bit of a whinge, but there are FOUR new premium customers waiting to hear if this is possible. NONE own pinball machines - obviously hardcore KISS fans.

KISS started their careers in 1973. Playing to a crowd of 4 people (3 were allegedly busboys) in Coventry New York, although some dispute that fact and suggest it was either in a Loft in Queens, or at the Hotel Diplomat.

biggest following - AC/DC VS KISS - Hard to tell. AC/DC have sold over 200 Million records - KISS have sold over 100 Million. KISS tour the world almost every year, AC/DC every 3-5 years. Both iconic bands. AC/DC broke through in the USA in 1978 opening for KISS in their heyday - Love Gun and Alive 2 tours.