What's new
Pinball info

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

ALIEN LE

Spadge

Spadge

Registered
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
1,814
Location
Wakefield
So I was lucky enough to have a quick go on Alien LE at a good friends yesterday. Whilst I know that the subject is a thorny one, if you step-by the fact that it was a rocky road and a financial disaster for most involved (I wasn't) but the end product is a great one - the game looks and feels the part. I only had a quick go (my choice since I like to take time with a table) - the quality of the thing shone through and my mate clearly rates it as the best of an amazing collection he has.

It seems an immense shame that something was put together so well, great use of the license, etc only to ultimately fail, regardless of what people think of Andrew Heighway etc. As someone who's been involved with many startups, I have to say that the passion had to be there to deliver this. Not everyone who has the passion has commercial nouse and it's no doubt a very very tough nice market.

Anyway. my pal has sold this one, it was nice to see it, but it has to be borderline if a 7K table suddenly becomes a 7K paperweight overnight with so much custom electronics.

My apologies if this post gets people irate and spitting their tea out. Such a shame, had I been in a better position to own one, I would - and I still might - I enjoy living on the edge :)
 
Last edited:
I agree that the end product is pretty impressive when it works, and it's a massive shame that it ended as it did.

Not sure what that has to do with Steve Heighway though, but personally I think he was one of Liverpool's greatest ever players during the club's golden period in the 70s.
 
Mfresh said:
I agree that the end product is pretty impressive when it works, and it's a massive shame that it ended as it did.

Not sure what that has to do with Steve Heighway though, but personally I think he was one of Liverpool's greatest ever players during the club's golden period in the 70s.
Click to expand...

Haha, my mistake! LOL Great Leeds-Liverpool games of the 60s 70s
 
I didn't realise they had folded until I just did a Google search to see what the latest was with them :oops:
 
Just short of 2m debts. I was looking at the game and wondering just how much in terms of licensing they paid, for both film rights, video, sound effects and such. Certainly one of the best uses of a license in my book, even if the playfield itself was a little bare - makes great use of the 3 (!) LCD screens and audio.
 
I'd certainly like to have a play on one should the chance ever come around, but wouldn't dare own one should it ever develop a serious fault
 
Don't worry you didn't miss the boat, hydrofoils is where its at now. Fools Investors wanted now!
 
I felt much the same when I finally got to play one a few weeks ago, really enjoyed it. Such a shame and another wasted licence...
 
There is quite a lot of effort being put in by peeps on Pinside to keep it running. A guy has sorted the LED boards and is selling them, another has 3D printed a keyed gear for the Alien head (the OEM one just has glue in the centre to keep it attached to the bar!). Someone else is working on duplicating all the plastics as I understand it.
 
I was really surprised that Some like Spooky didn't try to buy up the license and remaining stock. Obviously I don't know how it all works, but it certainly looked the part.
With a few tweaks to mechanisms and internals, then it could be a top game.
I have never seen or played one though. But in terms of theme and the use of it on the play field, it looked stellar.
 
I'd like to have a go, it looked good.
I had a few goes on FullThrottle though and never really got on with it...
 
I was in talks with the guy in Sweden selling an le on pinside as it looks great and he'd take 8700 euro for it plus another couple to get it palleted over... but then I realised I didn't have any money....because if spent it all on pinball machines....bloody hobby. Still for sale btw, happy to go 4 ways with 3 others and have it 3 months of the year....like pinball roulette, you have to fix anything that breaks when in your possession. If it goes terminal you've only lost 1/4 of its value......
 
it is a good game and as I understand it a couple of companies tried to pick it up as HP went down but the pinball crooks^wbrothers didn't want to play. The custom side of It is a serious risk though and I think coin taker have a warehouse full of paperweights...

Unfortunately I couldn't own one knowing what I now know about how it came to be.
 
Neil McRae said:
it is a good game and as I understand it a couple of companies tried to pick it up as HP went down but the pinball crooks^wbrothers didn't want to play. The custom side of It is a serious risk though and I think coin taker have a warehouse full of paperweights...

Unfortunately I couldn't own one knowing what I now know about how it came to be.
Click to expand...

The irrational in me (admittedly fairly most of me) is quite excited about the crazy possibilities, but am comfortable and fairly well connected enough to consider fixing one a challenge. Maybe I'll hang on until one goes bang, maybe not. Liked it a lot, good job I have no space for one right now.
 
Horsey said:
? Good idea that haha.

Are the ones in HLD for sale or just showroom pieces?
Click to expand...
They had price tags on them when I visited a few months ago, I don't recall what they were asking for them though. They have two in there, one is the LE.
 
Sorry to post here and then put up an old thread, i do not know where to do. maybe i should open new thread?
Anyway, i was wondering if it was "easy" to sell here in UK since Brexit.
I'm not anymore in the hobby and i've recently put my Alien LE for sale. it doesn't really excite people in France (except trade proposition).
people has bought in France since Brexit? any issue?
thanks
 
grospaquet31 said:
Sorry to post here and then put up an old thread, i do not know where to do. maybe i should open new thread?
Anyway, i was wondering if it was "easy" to sell here in UK since Brexit.
I'm not anymore in the hobby and i've recently put my Alien LE for sale. it doesn't really excite people in France (except trade proposition).
people has bought in France since Brexit? any issue?
thanks
Click to expand...
Anyone doing so would need to pay import VAT at 20% at the border, so you would need to be offering it for a low price to make it worthwhile.
 
grospaquet31 said:
Sorry to post here and then put up an old thread, i do not know where to do. maybe i should open new thread?
Anyway, i was wondering if it was "easy" to sell here in UK since Brexit.
I'm not anymore in the hobby and i've recently put my Alien LE for sale. it doesn't really excite people in France (except trade proposition).
people has bought in France since Brexit? any issue?
thanks
Click to expand...
In order to sell on here you need to become a site supporter.
 
grospaquet31 said:
Sorry to post here and then put up an old thread, i do not know where to do. maybe i should open new thread?
Anyway, i was wondering if it was "easy" to sell here in UK since Brexit.
I'm not anymore in the hobby and i've recently put my Alien LE for sale. it doesn't really excite people in France (except trade proposition).
people has bought in France since Brexit? any issue?
thanks
Click to expand...
Theres one up for sale on the forum already for about £6.5k so you would have to look at selling for about 25% less than to account for import VAT and additional shipping cost from France.

Might not be worth it with that in mind.
 
Fantazia2 said:
Theres one up for sale on the forum already for about £6.5k so you would have to look at selling for about 25% less than to account for import VAT and additional shipping cost from France.

Might not be worth it with that in mind.
Click to expand...
You may be right.

Mine is a HP game, #234, one of the last built.


Anyway i don’t think it is worth to put it there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom