The Pinball Arcade

[Freiherr]

Some iPad players must be admitting that there is nothing like physical flippers and plunger.

http://gizmodo.com/5948194/ipad-pinball-controller-makes-no-promise-of-wizardry

Ah, but the elusive physical silver ball does not come with this package so still keep playing the real thing.

[oldskool1969]

Funhouse and Cirqus Voltaire came out yesterday for the PS3 and I am loving it. CV is another table I have yet to play in real life and some pretty cool features,
FH is an awesome translation of the real deal  and captures all its glory, I believe CFTBL is next up and am pretty chuffed to OWN these tables so far
Tournaments are due on-line shortly so that that will make it a GLOBAL competition, pretty cool me thinks.
Any others on line that want to share there user name let me know as I would love to multiplayer up on-line.
OLDSKOOL1969 is obviously mine
Cheers
p.s. for the EM players amongst us  , Gottliebs 1973 classic BIG SHOT is in the makings too!

[oldskool1969]

Enjoying MB and BK for my latest tables and ELVIRA confirmed that SS and EATPM are coming soon - way cool
check the vid if you like  

http://www.trueachievements.com/n11146/the-pinball-arcade-elvira-tables-trailer.htm

[oldskool1969]

more light reading if ya like - TWILIGHTZONE coming soon cccccccoooooooooooolllTable Pack #7: Scared Stiff™ and Big Shot™ has just been released for OSX, iOS and Android. These classics are great tables that we hope you all enjoy. The Table of the Month is No Good Gofers™, which can be played for free if you haven’t bought Table Pack #6.


      
Scared Stiff™ is another amazing game featuring Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. It was designed by Mark Weyna and Dennis Nordman, who also designed Elvira and the Party Monsters™. The players are challenged with completing the six Tales of Terror in order to achieve the ultimate goal: to rise to the level of Scared Stiff. A unique feature is an interactive 3-D spinning spider on the backglass.

Big Shot™ is the two player version of the 1973 table Hot Shot. This pool themed game is very popular among expert players and collectors because of the skill required to hit the 14 drop targets. There were only 2900 units manufactured despite the fact that the gameplay is now considered classic.


We have Videos!!!

We present some really cool videos to sync with the release of Table Pack7!

First is the video footage of gameplay from Scared Stiff!!!

http://youtu.be/KzaAiJsvbTA

After that, how about some footage of Big Shot gameplay!!!

http://youtu.be/WRFWySWiIXc

And finally, a very special promo thanks to a very special woman: Elvira!!!

http://youtu.be/0gqgi5x2GVU


Playstation Update

New title updates for PS3 and PSVita have been released. Thanks to Sony's help in North America, Table Pack 6: Elvira and the Party Monsters™ and No Good Gofers™ will be available on Oct. 30th in time for Halloween. Table Pack 5: Harley-Davidson®, Third Edition and Taxi™ will appear in the menu with this update. Harley and Taxi are currently expected to be released in North America on Nov. 6th, so those two tables may not be available until then even though they appear in the menu now.

European PS3/Vita Release Dates:

Table Pack 1: Medieval Madness™ and Bride of Pinbot™ was released on Sept 19th.

Table Pack 2: Cirqus Voltaire™ and Funhouse™ was released on Oct. 3rd.

Table Pack 3: Gorgar™ and Monster Bash™ was released on Oct. 10th.

Table Pack 4: Creature from the Black Lagoon™ and Black Knight™ was released on Oct. 17th.

Table Pack 5: Harley Davidson, Third Edition™ and Taxi™ is to be released on Nov. 7th.

Table Pack 6: Elvira and the Party Monsters™ and No Good Gofers™ is to be released on Nov. 21st.


XBox 360 Update

FarSight offers its apologies for the delays in releasing additional content for the Xbox 360 of Pinball Arcade. We want to assure 360 players that these delays are temporary and we fully intend to continue supporting this console. The issues are not the fault of Microsoft nor are they due to the title update procedure. The 360 is the only platform that we cannot publish on directly. Selling digital content requires a current Publishing License Agreement (PLA) with Microsoft to release games. We are working through complications regarding our publisher Crave Entertainment filing bankruptcy. At this moment, we are not able to submit new content. However, we expect to start rolling out the updates shortly and catch the Table Pack releases on 360 up to the other platforms within a few months.

iOS/OSX and PC Update

iOS - Table Pack 7: Scared Stiff and Big Shot was just released.

OSX/Mac - Table Pack #6: Elvira and the Party Monsters™ and No Good Gofers™ was released on Oct. 20th. Table Pack 7: Scared Stiff™ and Big Shot™ was released today.

PC - We are at #92 on Steam Greenlight! We need to get to the top 20 to be published! Please vote for us at:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=95907686

Announcing the Pro Menu!

The first Pro Menu has been released on Tales of the Arabian Nights for iOS and Android. This is an exciting new feature that will give players a wide variety of options and modes to play with, as well as tracking in-game stats. The options and modes in this Pro Menu are:

Operators Menu:

Set how easy it is to earn extra balls and how many can be earned
Set the number of balls per game
Set how long the ball saver lasts
Set how long the Shooting Stars stay lit
Track your in-game stats, i.e. number of times Genie Multiball was started
Explore Table Mode: gives you camera control so you can look around the table and explore each playfield.

Ball Control: control the ball with the touch screen, disabling gravity and giving you complete control over the bal(s) in play.

Finally, in the Pro Menu: access Pro Tips from the IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association) pros themselves!

All of this is available when you upgrade your table to the Pro Version!


Now For Something a Bit Different:

We have, in our studio, 20+ real working tables! These tables are what we use when we create a digital version for our game. Above is the first in a series of pics that will be featured in the coming issues of the newsletter. Who knows? We might end up revealing a table or two. :)


TOURNAMENTS!!!!

Believe it or not! We have hinted at this and we have talked about this and now we are announcing this!! We will be releasing the beta of our tournaments. This will be an open tournament, featuring the first four tables we released: Tales of the Arabian Nights, Black Hole, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and Theatre of Magic. This will be open for everyone on iOS and Android next month.


Pinball NYC

We were pleased to help sponsor a real pinball tournament for Pinball New York City!

Pinball NYC was founded in late 2010 with a mission to help promote and revive pinball in New York City. At the heart of Pinball NYC is a competitive team league which currently features 18 teams and more than 125 competitors. Every team has a "home" bar, and every week they play against another team either at home, or at their opponent's bar.

While the league is the main component of Pinball NYC, it is not the only one. They also host pinball parties and tournaments throughout the year, and help promote local pinball related news and events on their website: (www.pinballnyc.com)

They actually have a team of young players whose captain discovered the league after first discovering pinball on his iPhone.

We're very happy that pinball is experiencing a resurgence. We like to think that this is due in part to our efforts and organizations like Pinball New York City!

Video Interviews Are Now!

We’ve been conducting video interviews with several legendary table designers and pinball players. The first interview we have for you all is Josh Sharpe, son of legendary pinball wizard Roger Sharpe. In this video he is talking to us about our approval process that happens before a table can be submitted to anyone for release.

This video can be seen at:

http://youtu.be/qjfX-9sn7ps

Twilight Zone!!! Coming in November!!!

Kickstarter Update video is coming this week!

Twilight Zone™ is coming!!! TWILIGHT ZONE IS COMING!!!!! Let us know your comments on our Facebook page!

[oldskool1969]

Just got TAXI and Harley Davidson 3rd edition today for the PS3, TAXI is furkin great and gives that good system 11 buzz, meanwhile HD3 is an absolute dog !
I have never seen HD3 in real life and I believe they are sought after, WTF it is as boring as Bat Crap and is way to corny for my liking.
Am I right ? feel free to disagree or if you love it.

[Crashramp]

Just got TAXI and Harley Davidson 3rd edition today for the PS3, TAXI is furkin great and gives that good system 11 buzz, meanwhile HD3 is an absolute dog !
I have never seen HD3 in real life and I believe they are sought after, WTF it is as boring as Bat Crap and is way to corny for my liking.
Am I right ? feel free to disagree or if you love it.

You are 100% correct in my opinion, dullest game ever! For me, its got nothing going for it, perhaps if you we're really into your bikes you'd feel differently but I don't get it.
 Also agree taxi is cool but the best thing about these games is that they give you the opportunity to play games you may not have ever come across as well as give you the chance to play some of the games you might not have seen in years.

[ajlaird]

Just got TAXI and Harley Davidson 3rd edition today for the PS3, TAXI is furkin great and gives that good system 11 buzz, meanwhile HD3 is an absolute dog !
I have never seen HD3 in real life and I believe they are sought after, WTF it is as boring as Bat Crap and is way to corny for my liking.
Am I right ? feel free to disagree or if you love it.

Interesting, I have played a Harley Davidson but probably only a few games. Certainly wasn't boring in that time-frame. The machine is really impressive in terms of looks in real life, maybe it looks better than it plays!

[PSY]

I want to fight against computers taking over pinball.. but I play the simulations too,, and they are fun

[ajlaird]

I want to fight against computers taking over pinball.. but I play the simulations too,, and they are fun

Before I had a pinball machine and especially when I was looking, I used to play on computer to get a feel for the gameplay. Since owning a pinball machine or two, I can't remember playing on the computer, and in fact don't even have any software installed at the moment!

[oldskool1969]

I agree somewhat with you A, but the simple fact is most of these CLASSIC and highly collectible games are now in collectors homes and the chance to play such a wide variety is now virtually non-existent. ( unless you are in a great club like PPCR  )
I for one applaud the developers of this concept as they utilise the original ROMS and also individually scan each part of the machine to make it as authentic as possible.
Plus they also are keeping the dream alive! Just have a look at their website and watch the video to see how much detail they go through.
Yeah its not the real thing, I too have a few machines, but due to ill health can not stand and play these for long periods of time , Pinball Arcade allows me to at least have a good bash in the comfort of my recliner. 
Oh yeah BTW I just downloaded EATPM & NGG , what a blast!
What ever happened to original, fun, humorous games. Enough already with the licensed themes and comic book crap! I am still waiting to spend my cash on fun fun fun, thought Heighway Pinball had a pearler coming with their CIRCES ANIMAL HOUSE, but nooooooo they had to change it to a serious theme as it appeals to the masses ppppffffffttttt !!
I hear amongst my small little world that people want fun and humour back 

[oldskool1969]

Because I know we all like some reading, looks good for the future of this game.

TWILIGHT ZONE™

We are very excited to announce that this fantastic table is now available in the Pinball Arcade for iOS, Mac, and Android! This table will also be released on other supported platforms in the near future. We want to acknowledge the amazing support our Kickstarter backers have shown in funding the up-front licensing costs for this table. Thanks to you we’re able to offer this table for only $4.99 (instead of the $9.99 we had planned), despite having to pay a royalty on each sale that is several times higher than any table we’ve done before. As a small token of our appreciation, anyone who backed this table on Kickstarter at $10 or more will receive the table on the device of their choice PLUS the Pro version of the table PLUS a cool Twilight Zone™ custom pinball that can be used in any table in the game. Thank you for supporting us! The Table of the Month is No Good Gofers™, which can be played for free this month only..


Twilight Zone™ is based on the TV series of the same name and is arguably the most popular and complex pinball machine ever made. In fact the Pinball Arcade instructions we wrote for this table are over 700 pages long! Imagine having to figure all of that out on your own! After the commercial success of The Addams Family®, Pat Lawlor was given free rein to create this brilliantly designed table.


      
When it was released, Twilight Zone had more features with patents pending than any other game in history. Among its notable features is a fully functional gumball machine, an analog clock that functions as a timer in various modes, industry first MagnaFlip™ magnetic flippers and a unique ceramic pinball called the Powerball.




We are on Gametrailers!

You can now watch all of our videos on Gametrailers.com! Check out:

http://www.gametrailers.com/games/4fjij5/the-pinball-arcade/videos-trailers



We’ve produced several new videos to celebrate the release of Twilight Zone!


Here is some video footage of gameplay from Twilight Zone!!

This video shows the steps we took developing this amazing table!

Playstation Update

On November 21 we released Table Pack 6: Elvira and the Party Monsters and No Good Gofers in Europe for PS3 and Vita!

Twilight Zone and Table Pack 7: Scared Stiff and Big Shot for both Europe and North America will be available soon.


XBox 360 Update

FarSight offers its apologies for the delays in releasing additional content for the Xbox 360 version of Pinball Arcade. We want to assure 360 players that these delays are temporary and we fully intend to continue supporting this console.

The next table we release for the 360 will be the Twilight Zone! The other table packs will follow. We will let everyone know when we have a release date.


Nintendo Wii-U Update

Pinball Arcade for the Wii-U is now in Beta testing! The Wii-U is going to be a great platform to get your pinball fix- the DMD shows on the GamePad screen, and the lower triggers on the GamePad feel just right for controlling the flippers!

iOS/OSX and PC Update

iOS and OSX/Mac - Twilight Zone™ was just released.

PC - We are at #96 on Steam Greenlight! We need to get to the top 20 to be published! Tell your friends, family, dentist, pediatrist, grocer etc. to please vote for us at:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=95907686

Announcing Pro versions of Twilight Zone and Scared Stiff!

The Pro version of Tales of the Arabian Nights is ON SALE for this weekend only at 50% off- just$1.99! Try it out!

This month we are pleased to announce new Pro versions of Twilight Zone™ and Elvira’s Scared Stiff! Each Pro table gives you access to the table Operator’s Menu, the ability to move the ball around the table at will, tips on playing the table from IFPA pinball pros, as well as other cool stuff. You can access the Pro menu from within the Table Menu of each table. We’ve heard a rumor that it’s possible through the Operator’s Menu on Scared Stiff to turn off Family Mode and hear Elvira’s uncensored voice-over as you play the table (not that WE would ever do such a thing…)

Pro version support for other platforms will be released soon.


TOURNAMENTS!!!!

We are releasing a beta version of our new Tournament Mode to all of our players on iOS and Android this month. This Beta tournament features the four launch tables and is free this month. Based on your position in the rankings for each table, you will be awarded a point value between 1 and 100. The person with the most points when the tournament is over will be the winner. You will need to be logged into your Pinball Arcade account while playing. Good luck, everyone!


FarSight in the POWER 50!

We are excited that our own Bobby King and Jay Obernolte were named to Game Developer Magazine’s Power 50, a list of people in the videogame industry who have stood out in the last year for doing work that is new, different, or better!

Read about it here:

http://gamasutra.com/view/news/180513/Game_Developer_magazines_Power_50_Business.php#.UKwmYWdmN8E


X-Play Announces Top 5 Pinball Sims and Best Of 2012!

We area very happy to be named on X-Play's Top 5 Pinball Simulations, not once but twice!

Catch the line-up here:

http://www.g4tv.com/videos/61308/x-list-top-5-virtual-pinball-tables/

We also have heard a rumor that we may be nominated on X-Play's Best Of 2012 in several categories on December 5th! Tune in and see where we land!

Star Trek: The Next Generation is coming soon!!

Kickstarter Update video is coming this week!

Star Trek™ is coming!!! STAR TREK IS COMING!!!!! Let us know your comments on our Facebook page:

facebook.com/pinballarcade

[oldskool1969]

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION™

We are very excited to announce that this fantastic table is now available in the Pinball Arcade for iOS, Mac, and Android! This table will also be released on other supported platforms as soon as possible. We want to acknowledge the amazing support our Kickstarter backers have shown in funding the up-front licensing costs for this table. Thanks to you we’re able to offer this table for only $4.99 (instead of the $9.99 we had planned), despite having to pay a royalty on each sale that is several times higher than most other tables. The Table of the Month is still No Good Gofers™, which can be played for free.

Check out this video featuring Star Trek gameplay!

Star Trek: The Next Generation™ is another incredible design from Steve Ritchie. Based on the hit television series, it puts players in the roll of an honorary Starfleet Officer serving next to their favorite characters from the show. Features include eight different U.S.S Enterprise missions, many Multi-Ball Modes, Holodeck Video Modes and opportunities to advance in rank.



One unique feature is a patented, below the playfield multiple ball delivery system, which results in continuous gameplay when balls on the playfield fall into a cellar hole. With its amazing feature set, custom speech by eight original cast members and the show’s theme song and music, this table appeals to all players but is a Star Trek fan’s dream come true.



X-Play Names the Pinball Arcade Best Mobile Game Of 2012!

We are very happy to be named Best Mobile Game of 2012 by X-Play!

See the full list here: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/729580/x-plays-best-of-2012-awards-results-2012-game-of-the-year-and-more. By clicking on the title of the award you can watch the segment they aired about it.

We owe it all to you, our supporters. We sincerely thank you for all of your support and for helping make us the best mobile game of 2012! You guys are awesome!

Announcing Pro versions of Star Trek and Medieval Madness!

This month we are pleased to announce new Pro versions of Star Trek™ and Medieval Madness! Rumor has it that you can use the operator's menu in Medieval Madness Pro to turn off Family Mode and hear the original voice-over from the unrated ROM as you play the game- very cool! This brings the total number of Pro versions available to 5, including Twilight Zone, Scared Stiff, and Tales of the Arabian Nights. Pro version support for the PS3 and PS Vita will be released with the next update.


New User Interface

The new update fearures a brand-new user interface built around easier access to your tables! The new interface will be rolled out for all platforms over the next few months. The interface initially works only on a landscape orientation, but we are working on a portrait orientation that will be released in the January update. The pinball tables can still be played in either portrait or landscape modes. Tell us what you think of the new interface!


Latest Playstation News (updated Dec. 28th)

We were hoping to get Twilight Zone released before the holidays, but it will about a month longer.

There are currently 8 different packages for the Pinball Arcade in submission for the PS3 and PSVita versions at SCEA and SCEE: the Twilight Zone table and the Table Pack that includes Scared Stiff and Big Shot plus Sony Format QA is currently testing the Pro Versions of Medieval Madness, Scared Stiff, Tales, and Twilight Zone. The TZ custom ball is also in test.


The scheduled release dates that we currently have from Sony range from January 22, 2013 to February 13, 2013. We’re sorry for the additional wait. The Star Trek:TNG table will be submitted along with the January table pack shortly. Hopefully, the testing cycle will be quicker now that we’re out of the holiday rush.


Latest XBox 360 News (updated Dec. 28th)

FarSight has selected a new publisher for the Xbox 360 version of the Pinball Arcade! We are in the final stages of finalizing the contract. This process has taken months – as game publishing deals often do. With our previous publisher’s bankruptcy involved, it is extraordinarily complicated in terms of the Pinball Arcade.

We anticipate submitting this new version of the Pinball Arcade in January. FarSight has been assured that all previous purchases can and will be entitled when we re-launch. We will keep our fans updated as best we can and announce when we have firm release dates. The plan is for Twilight Zone and Star Trek: The Next Generation (kickstarter backers to be emailed a redemption code) to be available as DLC from day one.

We appreciate the patience shown to us. This situation has been difficult for FarSight from a business standpoint and we know it has been very frustrating for the fans. With a little luck and support, 2013 will be the year of the Pinball Arcade on 360 with 40 tables available by the end of the year!


Nintendo Wii-U Update

Pinball Arcade for the Wii-U is now in the hands of Nintendo! We will make an annoucement when we know more about the release date.

iOS/OSX and PC Update

iOS and OSX/Mac - Star Trek™ was just released for Mac and for iOS.

PC - We are at #83 on Steam Greenlight! We need to get to the top 20 to be published. Please tell your friends, family, dentist, podiatrist, grocer etc. to vote for us using the link below! If we keep spreading the word, we will get there!

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=95907686


TOURNAMENTS!!!!

We are releasing a second beta version of our new Tournament Mode to all of our players on iOS and Android this month. This Beta tournament features the four launch tables and Big Shot and is free. Based on your position in the rankings for each table, you will be awarded a point value between 1 and 100. The top 100 players with the most points when the tournament is over will win a special custom ball. You will need to be logged into your Pinball Arcade account while playing. Hurry as the tournament ends Dec. 30th!

Good luck, everyone!



PCWorld



PCWORLD VOTED US IN THE TOP 100 PRODUCTS OF 2012!!

PC World announced the best products in a wide array of categories, compiling them into a list of the top 100 products to come out in 2012. We certainly weren't expecting them to name The Pinball Arcade on this list as we continue to work towards the launch of the PC version. We are very honored by their recognition.

"Whether you’re a pinball wizard or you’ve never heard of these classic amusements, you owe it to yourself to check out these faithful reproductions"

For the full article, please visit: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2015065/the-100-best-products-of-2012.html

A Pinball Arcade Exposé!

We are happy to lnk an an article that was written by Chris Friebus (a fan from PinballArcadeFans.com) after visiting us up in Big Bear recently. The write-up includes a look into how we work, a few clues as to some upcoming tables, a little insider gossip and some insights about how passionate we are about pinball and our game. We'd like to thank Chris for taking the time to write this and to Gord Lacey and Jeff Strong for all that they do for the fan forum in supporting us.

http://pinballarcadefans.com/showthread.php/2992-An-Afternoon-At-FarSight-Studios?p=46114#post46114

Which Table Should We Make?

Pinballarcadefans.com is hosting a poll for us that will decide which classic Bally table we re-create. The table that receives the most votes will be put on the schedule to be released in May or June of 2013.

Please vote here: http://pinballarcadefans.com/showthread.php/2982-Vote-for-a-classic-Bally-table

Your options are:

Bally's 1981 8 Ball Deluxe: http://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?any=8+ball+deluxe&search=Search+Database&searchtype=quick#762

Bally's 1981 Centuar: http://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?any=centaur&sortby=name&search=Search+Database&searchtype=quick#476

Bally's 1972 Fireball: http://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?any=fireball&sortby=name&search=Search+Database&searchtype=quick#852

Hurry as the poll ends Dec. 30th! good luck!

COMING SOON!!!

We are happy to announce that January's table pack will be...

Attack From Mars!

and...

Genie!

[oldskool1969]

Hey Mr MOD. can you send this post to pinball emulation now as there appears to be a new topic created for this
Cheers

[Prince]

Pro pack enabled me to reach Battle for the Kingdom last night on MM, set to 5ball game + extra balls along the way.
Needed a few more shots to the gate and this wizard mode would have been done - bloody trolls.
This took me around 25min and there was no way i was going to continue the WHOLE process again.

Wish Pinball Arcade could change back to the original physics of CFTBL.

Can't wait for AFM.

[Blktgr74]

Dam pinball arcade misses wants an MM now. Like that's going to happen anytime soon