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New Attack from Mars remake
- Thread starter BigBear77
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Good that speaker lights can be turned off as they detract from the screen.
Kind of feels like we are in bubble territory now with all these Super Douper LE's. Wonder if we will look back at 2017 as the year it all peaked?
Certainly a milestone for pricing out the average players. It might get worse too, because I'm not sure how it can better unless China/Homepin makes some significant waves in the industry.
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Homepin I think is aiming to compete with Stern pro. Virtually everything made in house. But who knows what the games will be like and Thunderbirds isn't a theme for me.
D
Deleted member 2463
Loving this! The green is epic!
TBH it does look rather good!
The AFM Remake is now available for Pre-Reserve
According to the site, this will be only for US.
http://www.planetarypinball.com/product/remake2_coming/
According to the site, this will be only for US.
http://www.planetarypinball.com/product/remake2_coming/
Or try @philpalmer - he has them on his site.
https://www.pinball.co.uk/shop/pinb...shed/attack-from-mars-pinball-machine-remake/
I would feel happier about handing Phil a deposit - he is the only guy in the UK (or world) who would get money from me up front!
https://www.pinball.co.uk/shop/pinb...shed/attack-from-mars-pinball-machine-remake/
I would feel happier about handing Phil a deposit - he is the only guy in the UK (or world) who would get money from me up front!
It is a damning indictment of the industry that remake games - MMR, AFMR, BOP ? sell for the same as brand new deisgns. The same old timers are designing and making the things after all. Nordman, Lawlor, Ritchie, Sheats, Freres, the JJP geeza, Mr Stern ....
It reinforces my view that there has basically been no progress in pinball design for about 25 years
Stuff like the supercharger on HS2, the power on TAF, the clock and magnetic flippers on TZ, the DMD panels used back then ...... it is the equal of virtually anything employed on today's games - other than the sound. The improvement in digital sound has made new games (acdc for example) so much better in this regard. If a colour screen floats your boat, well they are only just emerging on the new games.
Brand new games just have not moved on. Contrast this to a car or tv or computer game dating from 1991 to ones today
It reinforces my view that there has basically been no progress in pinball design for about 25 years
Stuff like the supercharger on HS2, the power on TAF, the clock and magnetic flippers on TZ, the DMD panels used back then ...... it is the equal of virtually anything employed on today's games - other than the sound. The improvement in digital sound has made new games (acdc for example) so much better in this regard. If a colour screen floats your boat, well they are only just emerging on the new games.
Brand new games just have not moved on. Contrast this to a car or tv or computer game dating from 1991 to ones today
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RFM moved on and gets slammed. No wonder the makers are conservative in their design
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Keith Elwin joining stern has got to be a positive step, blood some new designers by exposing them to the greats in their final working years. Hopefully Archer will be made, I'd enjoy that
I would generally agree. But JJP have made a serious effort to move the industry along in several areas. Features, code and quality. Kicker is that you pay a heavy price, of course. I couldn't really say the same for any others and don't really see any of the other incumbents innovating.
I'd consider JJP games modern equivalents of the SuperPins. Perhaps not that far beyond them, but it is a huge leap given how stale the industry and bare games were before their entry.
Fairly optimistic about American Pinball (if they can sell enough machines to be viable), given what they achieved and how quickly with Houdini. Also very curious to see where HomePin go.
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D
Deleted member 2463
JJP hasn't moved anything on. The gameplay in WoZ and Hobbit is like EM pinball; let's see what happens with dialled in. But for many, myself included these remakes are welcome as they are great games that many of us didn't get to play that are now available in a reliable way.
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Yes and no.
Yes, most games haven't moved on at all except for colour screens.
No, in that P3 is hugely innovative and there were 8 P3 games set up in Texas. That said no one seems to be raving about them.
It is strange there haven't been hardly any very innovative toys on games in the last decade - well, in Stern's case it is all about lowering BOM so it figures.
The Hobbit is about as far from an EM as I can imagine. A lot of work has gone into the programming, there are 32 book modes alone, each with different objectives, not just shoot the blinking light. Loads of multi balls, and the pop up beast mechs make an interesting gameplay change. Sound and LCD display are awesome. Have put many hundreds of games on mine so far, whereasnI struggle to complete a full game on an EM without losing interest. If you mean the floatiness of the machine, well that's easily rectified by cranking up the rear leg levellers, the tables are usually set pretty flat at shows so don't show the full potential.
Anyway in other news, I'm all for remakes, MMr has been super reliable, my original AFM spent months out of action undergoing AV board repairs, and rewelding of Main saucer bracket, which snapped at an NLP show!
I'm in for an LE, any one know how many are allocated to the UK?
Fantastic @mark9 , I will be over for a few games ! Your MMR plays really well which bodes well for AFMR
I would idly speculate that these "R" games are also boosting the values of the proper wpc games
Big money for AFMR and MMR, as indicated by hundreds of worldwides sales is bound to reinforce the view that tip top originals of these games are worth about the same, less a grand or so.
That benchmarks the whole wpc back catalogue. Then you see a tired old fish tales going for 2 grand on ebay
I would idly speculate that these "R" games are also boosting the values of the proper wpc games
Big money for AFMR and MMR, as indicated by hundreds of worldwides sales is bound to reinforce the view that tip top originals of these games are worth about the same, less a grand or so.
That benchmarks the whole wpc back catalogue. Then you see a tired old fish tales going for 2 grand on ebay
I agree, and I don't think the original AFM value will be hurt by this at all.
I admit that the remake seems very expensive over the price I paid for MMr. But that is mainly down to the pound, and the price we are paying for Brexit.
I am optimistically hoping for a recovery of the pound over the next year, hopefully before the AFMr is ready, but I have no idea, it could be like this for years.
I do like the added value of the extras you get with the AFMr LE, there was very little difference between the MMr LE and Standard.
If you have the green, something like MMR is a beautiful toy.
Most folk would rather have a fresh, new one as opposed to one 25 yeas older that has wrinkles, been fooked around, mauled, through the grubby hands of various sweaty men, bearing the scars of over use and all manner of repairs trying to hide the realities of the ageing process
You just have to pray that you can afford it and that the thing has longevity before tossing your used one aside
Most folk would rather have a fresh, new one as opposed to one 25 yeas older that has wrinkles, been fooked around, mauled, through the grubby hands of various sweaty men, bearing the scars of over use and all manner of repairs trying to hide the realities of the ageing process
You just have to pray that you can afford it and that the thing has longevity before tossing your used one aside
D
Deleted member 2463
well in my view playing the hobbit is as exciting as playing an EM machine 
I think the pound will stay as it us until the brexit terms are clearer which is at least two years away unfortunately, its under valued right now (and most of the traders agree on that) but its actually useful for us to be in this position to encourage exports.
I think the pound will stay as it us until the brexit terms are clearer which is at least two years away unfortunately, its under valued right now (and most of the traders agree on that) but its actually useful for us to be in this position to encourage exports.
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Latest update is pretty decent. They can't make em fast enough!
Hi Everyone:
If all we did was produce pinballs, it might be so much easier. However, many of you know that this building still produces a lot of cabinetry and other wood products for the professional coin-op amusement industry as well as a complete line of other products that we sell under the CGC name. Yes, we are super busy at Chicago Gaming and forgive me if I only get to Pinside on occasion. Here is a bullet point update and some news surrounding CGC:
• In addition to starting the production of Attack From Mars, we are also are putting the final touches on our new assembly line. Yes, we are still on course to start shipping pinballs in May. At first is will be slow, but we hope to get up to 15 games per day within a few short weeks. This line will run 6 days a week.
• The first quantity of games off the line are going to be AFM Special Editions. These games will be shipped to our dealers worldwide for the purpose of pinball festivals, trade-shows, and display models. After that our focus will turn to producing Limited Editions.
• Yes, there is still a lot of demand for MMR. In fact, we have orders for nearly 500 games standing at this point. It is our plan to build the first 500 AFM pins and then break to make the next run of 500 MMR’s. Following the MMR’s it will be back to AFM.
• As many of you know, the original artist, Doug Watson, was involved with the design of the LE topper. He hand sculptured the new Martian out of clay, provided the city background artwork, and prepared some conceptual drawings. CGC did the remaining engineering work. What you don’t know is that Doug Watson was also involved in creating some playfield back panel artwork as well. I am not going show any images of this, because I want to keep you all in suspense. However, it will be installed on the very first machine out of our building. I know you’re going to love it.
• Yes, even the very first AFM will be shipped with the mylar and metal hole guards installed.
• For the past few weeks, we have had the first AFM put on location in Chicago, Logan Arcade. With the exception of one coil issue, the game has been playing flawlessly. This is the same prototype pin that appeared at the TPF and the Amusement Expo in Dallas, Texas. This one game has probably already seen more play than most pins will ever encounter in a life time in someone’s home.
• I promise to post more pictures and information as the first games are being boxed.
Thank you for all of your enthusiasm.
Doug Skor
Hi Everyone:
If all we did was produce pinballs, it might be so much easier. However, many of you know that this building still produces a lot of cabinetry and other wood products for the professional coin-op amusement industry as well as a complete line of other products that we sell under the CGC name. Yes, we are super busy at Chicago Gaming and forgive me if I only get to Pinside on occasion. Here is a bullet point update and some news surrounding CGC:
• In addition to starting the production of Attack From Mars, we are also are putting the final touches on our new assembly line. Yes, we are still on course to start shipping pinballs in May. At first is will be slow, but we hope to get up to 15 games per day within a few short weeks. This line will run 6 days a week.
• The first quantity of games off the line are going to be AFM Special Editions. These games will be shipped to our dealers worldwide for the purpose of pinball festivals, trade-shows, and display models. After that our focus will turn to producing Limited Editions.
• Yes, there is still a lot of demand for MMR. In fact, we have orders for nearly 500 games standing at this point. It is our plan to build the first 500 AFM pins and then break to make the next run of 500 MMR’s. Following the MMR’s it will be back to AFM.
• As many of you know, the original artist, Doug Watson, was involved with the design of the LE topper. He hand sculptured the new Martian out of clay, provided the city background artwork, and prepared some conceptual drawings. CGC did the remaining engineering work. What you don’t know is that Doug Watson was also involved in creating some playfield back panel artwork as well. I am not going show any images of this, because I want to keep you all in suspense. However, it will be installed on the very first machine out of our building. I know you’re going to love it.
• Yes, even the very first AFM will be shipped with the mylar and metal hole guards installed.
• For the past few weeks, we have had the first AFM put on location in Chicago, Logan Arcade. With the exception of one coil issue, the game has been playing flawlessly. This is the same prototype pin that appeared at the TPF and the Amusement Expo in Dallas, Texas. This one game has probably already seen more play than most pins will ever encounter in a life time in someone’s home.
• I promise to post more pictures and information as the first games are being boxed.
Thank you for all of your enthusiasm.
Doug Skor
D
Deleted member 2463
Can't wait!
D
Deleted member 2463
SE's shipping!!!!
Quoted from CGC_DougS:
The CGC line is up and running – the first four games are scheduled to ship tomorrow! We are initially building one hundred Special Edition games; Limited Edition games will then immediately follow.
We greatly appreciate your comments – many of your suggestions have been incorporated into AFMr. These improvements include:
1. CGC Stroke of Luck Hole Protector
2. Additional mylar has been added to further protect the playfield.
3. Blackout Feature – the game owner can now set the translite illumination to be turned off during Strobe Multiball.
4. Back Panel Art – The original AFM did not have back panel art. Doug Watson, created all new artwork for the backpanel.
5. Topper – Since we first debuted the topper at TPS, a great deal of time has been spent refining and further integrating it into game play.
6. SuzoHapp Door – The new coin door now features two slotted coin openings (with US quarter coin mechanisms) and will now accommodate a standard upstack bill acceptor (being highly requested by the operating community). For European customers, we will be using the single slot electronic coin mechanism opening (no mechanism included).
7. Customized Logo Display – Both the LE and SE now allow the game owner to customize the logo appearing on the speaker panel. Games will ship with the Bally logo appearing in the small Customized Logo Display area. Details on file requirements and installation procedures to be included in the manual.
By Friday of next week, we will be sharing a rough production schedule with our dealers. It’s up to the dealers to communicate to their customers where they fall in line, collect balances due, and ultimately arrange transportation on the games. We are ever so grateful for your input and the passion that so many show towards this industry. Please also follow us at https://www.facebook.com/chicagogamingcompany/. More information to soon come out of CGC.
Thank you.
Doug Skor
Quoted from CGC_DougS:
The CGC line is up and running – the first four games are scheduled to ship tomorrow! We are initially building one hundred Special Edition games; Limited Edition games will then immediately follow.
We greatly appreciate your comments – many of your suggestions have been incorporated into AFMr. These improvements include:
1. CGC Stroke of Luck Hole Protector
2. Additional mylar has been added to further protect the playfield.
3. Blackout Feature – the game owner can now set the translite illumination to be turned off during Strobe Multiball.
4. Back Panel Art – The original AFM did not have back panel art. Doug Watson, created all new artwork for the backpanel.
5. Topper – Since we first debuted the topper at TPS, a great deal of time has been spent refining and further integrating it into game play.
6. SuzoHapp Door – The new coin door now features two slotted coin openings (with US quarter coin mechanisms) and will now accommodate a standard upstack bill acceptor (being highly requested by the operating community). For European customers, we will be using the single slot electronic coin mechanism opening (no mechanism included).
7. Customized Logo Display – Both the LE and SE now allow the game owner to customize the logo appearing on the speaker panel. Games will ship with the Bally logo appearing in the small Customized Logo Display area. Details on file requirements and installation procedures to be included in the manual.
By Friday of next week, we will be sharing a rough production schedule with our dealers. It’s up to the dealers to communicate to their customers where they fall in line, collect balances due, and ultimately arrange transportation on the games. We are ever so grateful for your input and the passion that so many show towards this industry. Please also follow us at https://www.facebook.com/chicagogamingcompany/. More information to soon come out of CGC.
Thank you.
Doug Skor
D
Deleted member 2463
Indeed - kind of wish they would build new machines or perhaps follow ups to the BW greats
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What is the link between them and Stern. I thought I read somewhere that the pins are assembled in the same factory. If so how do they manage to provide a superior build quality?
D
Deleted member 2463
stern made MMR for them but it was a stretched relationship with limited quantities, i think stern are making MMR up until the first 500 AFMR's are made then CGC are going to take over making MMR.
Neil.
...or at least develop some v2.0 rulesets for existing games, but i guess that's PPS property - CGC just make them. There was something about that on Pinside ages ago, but seems to have remained dormant since: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/wpc-20tm-extensions-to-wpc-20-games-from-tpf-pps-seminar
I've got to say. We are definitely seeing a purple patch with Pins at the moment.
