Virtual Pinball - the way of the future or blasphemy?

[pinsanity]

Virtual Pinball - to some the first time they see it leaves a look of awe, to others more traditional it leaves them reaching for the sledgehammer to smash that 42 inch LCD playfield.  

Now I am not saying that a virtual pinball machine will ever replace entirely the lure of the REAL silver ball, as you listen with rapture to that metal ball rolling over clearcoated screened wood, but for the last few years virtual pinball (including both Visual Pinball but more importantly FuturePinball) has made leaps and bounds in terms of quality and realistic physics.

Also to add there are a number of addons that can be incorporated into VP to enhance gameplay including but not limited to:
Shaker motor, tilt mechanism, nudge mechanism, virtual motors to replicate real motors such as the MM drawbridge, LCD topper lights, and a real knocker for replays.

I would like to hear some views on Virtual Pinball (both positive and negative), but before you do so, please watch the selection of some of the newest Virtual Pinball designs and see what you think.


Twilight Zone

Aliens:

Yes the castle really explodes on this MM:

One for Strangeways, an updated KISS

Iron Man:

Black Knight:

Custom Robocop:

[Ant68]

Not Bad , very interesting

Nice find

[Pop Bumper Pete]

 VP/FP are great if you have no monry and/or space for a real pinball machine
They are also good for'auditioning' a game bofore buying it
It isaalso good for playing rare game thatyou would otherwise not get to play

But otherwise, I dont like playingthem. I have not had vp installed on my PC for years

I did find it fun when playing an older game.but once you start adding ramps the scren just got crowded

[Wotto]

I am a fan of Visual Pinball and always have been , but mainly as an auditioning tool.

My thoughts are - I find that the newer tables play fairly ‘averagely’ in most cases while the newer VP versions of a LOT of the older SS tables these days play OUTSTANDINGLY ( go play the last VP version ) Mata Hari for example – VERY VERY good. So if I am in the mood for a game on Flash or MH or Genie, Playboy etc then I am happy to play them on VP as I don’t own the games and couldn’t fit them in of I wanted to, but I really struggle to enjoy the later games as the shots don’t seem to come off the flippers nicely.

As far as the clips go in your post – they are visually excellent and Vp has come a LOOOOOOONG way, although the clips you show are of the Future Pinball platform that I personally find unbelievably difficult to watch as the ‘camera’ follows the ball,although FP is THE BEST platform out there for pinball emulation its like being on a rollercoaster.

Having said all of that I would still be VERY curious to see it set up and running properly in a pinball style cabinet with a 42 inch screen.

[swinks]

I am very curious about these for testing out games that you will never have a chance to own or just to play those SS's from the 80's - have heard the EM's play really well (sorry not sure what format) which is kinda funny old tech on new tech - but it must be more the game physicals can be replicated easier.

I agree with wotto on the videos where they follow the follow but apart from that they are impressive.

I know a guy that is making these in Aus to sell, was very tempted but spent my money on IM - though still have his details if anyone wants it, send me a PM.

Do you have one Pinsanity or contemplating making one?

[pinsanity]

Do you have one Pinsanity or contemplating making one?

No haven't got one, but would really enjoy finding some time to build a "no expense spared" version (proper full sized cab with latest hardware etc) just to see exactly what the platform is capable of when pushed to the limit.

One day......

Also interested to hear the views on whether it is a viable platform for a gamesroom addition or nothing more than a gimmick for playing tables on your desktop that you will likely never have the opportunity to play in real life.

[Cow Corner]

VP is lame imo and if that was all I had to play it would turn me off pinball very very quickly.

[Mr Pinbologist]

VP is lame imo and if that was all I had to play it would turn me off pinball very very quickly.

Have to say i agree.  
So its BLASPHEMY for me!!!!!

[goodolddays]

Give me the real deal any day .
I only use Visual pinball and/or Future pinball for trying out games I am thinking of buying , but do agree it has improved dramatically in recent times. I think it has its place for sure.

[Wotto]

My Mame cab has flipper buttons and nudge buttons on the sides of the control panel for use with VP.
Many a pinball player that has visited has been surprised by how 'real' that makes some of the VP games 'feel'

Again I state that I understand it isn't the real thing but this does add a better dimension to VP rather than whacking a keyboard key to raise a flipper.

So I can only assume that some of the current VP tables with much better graphics than my old PC is producing , laid out on a nice new 42' monitor in a pinball style cab MIGHT feel 'OK' 

[pinsanity]

Same boat here, Wotto. Still using the old keyboard trick to test out tables and it just doesn't feel right (getting some screen lag on some of the very latest table releases too, but that is my fault for not keeping up to date on hardware). 

I look at the quality of the latest FP table releases and think perhaps I am not doing the program justice?

[ajlaird]

I have used it in the past to get a feel for gameplay on a number of games.

I found this pretty helpful as I could roughly work out what games I would like and which ones I wouldn't.

But admittedly I haven't touched it in a couple of years. I would never bother with a VP cab personally.

[Olivia_jason]

i played a machine a guy machine who had the entire vp with dmd  and all that in a Williams cab, was one big screen with everything with buttons all worked and looked like a real machine, but even though it looked the same sounded the same and worked the same, it didnt feel the same and it doesnt play the same, it just feels like another computer game imo, and being 30 years of age my self i have played way to many computer games in my age and pinball is no computer game. so im not a fan, but i did respect the work and innovation the guy put into his pinball cab to make it all work and look good. but yer i dont like them, pinball makes a boring computer game in my opinion, pinball is only cool its real form

[Caveoftreasures]

I dont like it at all. Its not for me. Nothing compares to the real thing. It doesnt matter what they do to virtual pinball, its just a computer game versus the real thing.

AND the problem is, if the new generation likes it too much, it might kill Stern or JJP for arguments sake. Adding a new pinball will be just a upload away, 60 in 1 etc.

It has its place in the world, but not in a real pinball collectors house.  As Wotto said, its good to audition a new game MAYBE, but thats about it, unless u dislike real pinball machines (space n size etc) so maybe its good for kids who like virtual stuff only.  Each to their own. I will say the people who create virtual stuff etc are talented, u have to give them that. 

[Strangeways]

Tried it, but I like the physical interaction with Pinball. Visually, the depth and the collisions as the ball travels is the main attraction. I'm no fan of VP. It is like playing a video game for me.