Williams are making far too much from pokies to even bother about pinball.
Homepin has spent two years building a factory and designing and manufacturing all parts from scratch. This takes a huge amount of time, patience and money but we plan to be here for the long haul.
We have not released a machine yet because we are still in the process of making the thousands of parts used in a pinball machine. Once that mammoth task has been completed we will be in a position to turn out several titles a year just like Stern. All those years ago Stern had a massive head start as they took over Data East so most of the parts were already designed and in production.
In between designing up all of the pinball parts we have re-designed the Hankin table and shipped out seven containers of these - this has also taken time but it will be time well spent as we ironed out lots of bugs in the assembly process - some that you would simply never even realise until you actually MAKE something like we did. This learning experience will pay handsomely when we start producing pinball machines. We are also in the process of developing several other arcade machines.
Designing a particular pinball machine is only 5% of the picture as some other start-ups are finding and relying on outside suppliers is a recipe for disaster (as JJP found out early in the piece). We have several titles ready for production as soon as all parts are completed - remember the Homepin factory comprises a FULL wood shop with CNC machines and cabinetmakers, a screen printing facility, an electronic design and assembly facility, a FULL metal fabrication shop with milling machines, lathes, folders etc and the final assembly lines for component parts as well as the actual machine assembly & packing lines.
We manufacture everything in house UNLIKE any other manufacturer. Stern outsources cabinets, electronics, playfields, mechanisms and who knows what else to outside suppliers, Homepin does not.
Stern have spent more than six months simply MOVING their factory from one place to another - I started from an empty building with nothing, in a country where I don't speak the language, to having a fully functioning factory producing merchantable goods within 18 months. [and boy did I have some problems and dramas along the way - watch for the book - it will make an interesting read].
Patience is needed and setting up Homepin has been tarnished by the efforts of a couple of others who were either straight out con men or simply misunderstood the gravity of the project they were undertaking.
We have several machines ready to go, and the time is fast approaching but they cannot be rushed! There will be a lot of very surprised people when Homepin starts shipping pinballs I can guarantee that!
We have already covered off on lots of things that most never even contemplate such as packing, storage, shipping logistics and Customs & AQIS requirements for various countries as well as electrical and RoHS certification. Asking me for "a look at the playfield or cabinet art" makes me laugh as that is so insignificant at this point in the building of Homepin although I appreciate that is what most pinball enthusiasts want to see above all else.
