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Hobbit Whitewood

Moonraker

Site Supporter
10 Years
Joined
Aug 18, 2011
Messages
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Location
Salisbury
I've not seen anyone post the photo of the Hobbit Whitewood (minus Smaug toy) on here...??? :eek:















Here you go then...:cool:






Hobbit Whitewood.jpg
 
IMO a big improvement on the extra ball graphic compared to WOZ. Wonder how complete software etc is considering the release date was originally meant to be before this summer.
 
No Jack, no no no no no!
Please don't tell us what you're doing until it's done. No more drip feeding like with WOZ ok? No more piece by piece show and tell of the playfield, cabinet and backbox. And no more code slowly released over a year.

If Jack really wants to be a contender, he needs to impress all the people who wanted him to succeed first time around with WOZ and were disappointed. Not just with the game but also the marketing, information exchange, pricing, hype etc.

C'mon Jack, we're all rooting for you. You have a killer theme this time. Just don't spoil it by giving too much away or being too greedy. Better to knock it out of the park and reap the rewards on games 3 and 4 if you're in it for the long term? Another WOZ and that could be your goose cooked.
 
I am thinking the same thing, it was a shame that so many people had negative responses to WOZ before it was even released due to tease releases and then delays.

However, those who have signed up and committed money want to know things are happening, plus JJP probably need to keep selling units to keep cash flowing.
 
Problem is he's relying on pre-payment so he's got to give people something to keep them in, we're probably still 18 months+ away from some customers getting their machines and in the meantime there will be 2 or so new Sterns coming out. For me the real problem with WOZ (apart from the theme) was the initial machines. You can call them pre-release versions or whatever but if people's first experience of a machine is crap then that sticks with them. The software may be fantastic now but I'll always remember the one at the LPC that stood unloved and unplayed at the LPC:(

Looks like Predator is suffering from similar feedback in the US at the moment. Really want to love that machine but if it wasn't so limited I think I'd toy with dropping out due to the shows where it didn't work.
 
I'm not sure I'd call a sneaked photo of someone doing some whitewood testing a part of drip feeding... The fact that the game is together and has persumably some useable software (which may or may not be shown in the teaser) means it's a lot further down the road than WOZ ever was after original announcement and that must be seen as an improvement over the WOZ fiasco...

I saw WOZ get played plenty at LPC (even had a game myself) until it's ball launch issues proved too much of a problem for people and it was switched off. Sorry John, but I don't class a u/s machine that is switched off as unloved and unplayed.
 
going to disagree with this a bit;)

was really looking forward to playing WOZ at the LPC, mainly because several people I knew and respected had played it at the EAG (? might have got the name wrong) and all said that they thought the build quality was amazing.

Played one game on Sat at the LPC and thought - mhhh. Lots of intial interest seemed to be shown. Thought my 9 year old son would be drawn by the video screen, he wasn't and sat and read a book all day instead (doh!). Turned up relatively early on the sunday and tried playing a few games. The ball launch was **** and the game play was really lacking regarding ball locks, stuck balls etc (all down to missing software). Pretty much gave up. The game then seemed to sit there until it was turned off. Saw quite a few people walk away from it half way through a game due to the issues (hence the unloved comment).

Couple of weeks later got to play again at Matt Adams' house (Thanks Phil). Although it was working and there was easy access to it there didn't seem that much sustained interest.

This isn't to say that it's not a great game more that there is a real danger of revealing stuff too soon. Releasing a machine before it's 99% working IMO just highlights the flaws. JJP fans were raving about the quality without many of them playing it, I'd just played a machine that looked great but clearly wasn't really ready to be played.:(

Think it's a fine line for JJP about trying to keep people in on the pre sales vs spoiling surprises. I'm seriously considering taking my deposit out of the Hobbit and buying another game now rather than tying up the money for another 12 months. My head tells me to buy one second hand or even NIB after I've had a chance to play. My heart still says that I like the theme.......

Disclamer: I've been out since lunch (bloody teachers/end of term.....) so this might come over as a bit of a rant...:mad:
 
I was going to put my money down and pre-order a Hobbit, as really love the theme, but with all the fiasco surrounding the pre-release and release of WOZ I decided that I didn't want to tie up x amount of £'s plus who knows the same might happen with The Hobbit, hopefully won't but who knows!!

So instead i'm using the money that I would have paid to buy other games so that I have something to play. A machine in the house is better than a promise and your money held in somebody else's bank account.
 
I had lots of games on the prototype and lots of games on a production game. Can't put my finger on why but they are like chalk and cheese.

People saying that Woz was a disappointment want to come and spend an hour on mine now that it's properly dialled in
 
I had lots of games on the prototype and lots of games on a production game. Can't put my finger on why but they are like chalk and cheese.

People saying that Woz was a disappointment want to come and spend an hour on mine now that it's properly dialled in
Would you take it to a show to give people a chance to play a fully up to date machine ?
Could be just what WoZ needs.
 
Id consider it.

I'm fully aware I'm a selfish bastard but I'm a little dubious about taking my nib £6500 game and letting the general public smack the game around like I see some folk at shows do!
 
I had similar concerns with my babies (not quite as expensive as your's mind) but in hindsight I think the biggest risk of damage is in transport - get that sorted and they're pretty safe was my experience :)
 
Id consider it.

I'm fully aware I'm a selfish bastard but I'm a little dubious about taking my nib £6500 game and letting the general public smack the game around like I see some folk at shows do!

I have dropped more coin than that on my ACDC. but it will be front and center at the Slam. these things need to be played and appreciated.
just sayin' :)
 

Ok, stolen from Pinside but interesting video of whitewood being played. Not too sure what I think. Guess we at least know they are pop ups now rather than trap doors (or at least one is)
 
I had similar concerns with my babies (not quite as expensive as your's mind) but in hindsight I think the biggest risk of damage is in transport - get that sorted and they're pretty safe was my experience :)

Yep - been taking games to shows since 2005 .......... moving in/out house and transport is the biggest risk. Pack them well if you are bothered and all good. People playing them will not damage them.

Treating these things like fragile ornamental investments is just a recipe for worry. We just dragged Wills minty ACDC around the beaches of Brighton and Worthing....literally.....letting Joe Public play the crap out of it. Not a scratch on it. :cool:
 

Ok, stolen from Pinside but interesting video of whitewood being played. Not too sure what I think. Guess we at least know they are pop ups now rather than trap doors (or at least one is)

Hmmm. I know its early days , but they put these things out to be commented on ......underwhelmed is my first thought :hmm: I do question why bother showing the game in such a relatively primitive state.
 
Probably because all the people who have pre ordered are desperate for news on the JJP forum. He's damned if he does and damned of he doesn't I suppose
 
Watching again ...I am really struggling to see the point of the upper flippers ??? There appears to be nothing to shoot for that couldn't be hit from the lower flippers. No obvious killer sweet shot to be made from either. Odd.
 
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