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Author Topic: Transformers  (Read 4083 times)

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Q*Bert_OP

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Transformers
« on: October 30, 2011, 03:09:23 pm »
Oh yes, we did.

Going up to Houston right now to pick it up...pics coming soon.

I'll be setting this one up on location tomorrow.
WTB: The Grid by Midway (2001), looking for 2 or more complete games, and large marquee

Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2011, 07:20:54 pm »
WTB: The Grid by Midway (2001), looking for 2 or more complete games, and large marquee

TopJimmyCooks

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2011, 07:32:02 pm »
Uh, could you put it on location somewhere near NC?  ;D

AlienInferno

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2011, 10:54:35 pm »
Take lots of pictures and perhaps video as well.  I haven't really seen many pics/vids that I found entertaining/educational/etc.

pinballwizard79

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2011, 11:43:49 pm »
Man I cant stand you Q*Bert_OP...

 :cheers:

EDIT: might as well post video, take pics, rant & etc too.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2011, 11:58:21 pm by pinballwizard79 »
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Re: Transformers
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2011, 12:01:13 pm »
Congrats! I'm definitely jealous of this one.
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Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2011, 08:36:16 pm »


I'll add better pics later
WTB: The Grid by Midway (2001), looking for 2 or more complete games, and large marquee

Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2011, 09:28:47 pm »
Better pics posted below 
« Last Edit: November 02, 2011, 12:44:11 am by Q*Bert_OP »
WTB: The Grid by Midway (2001), looking for 2 or more complete games, and large marquee

Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2011, 09:36:43 pm »
Mods:
-subwoofer (sound really sucks without it)
-bill acceptor (game is set at $1/play, so why make it hard for the player to give money?)
-black flipper rubbers
-added rubbers on the outlane posts...game was shipped without

WTB: The Grid by Midway (2001), looking for 2 or more complete games, and large marquee

AlienInferno

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2011, 09:54:15 pm »
Nice.  Have you played it yet?  I so need to buy me a pin one of these days.

Jeff AMN

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #10 on: November 01, 2011, 12:27:30 am »
Woah, I've never seen a game set at above $.50 a play. Is it common to have them higher?
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Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #11 on: November 01, 2011, 12:58:17 am »
Woah, I've never seen a game set at above $.50 a play. Is it common to have them higher?

The newest pinball is always priced higher for the first few months to keep it from killing the earnings of the other games, and to help pay for itself a little quicker.

The game difficulty(outlane settings) was modified to compensate for the $1/play pricing.

As of late, yes. Starting in '07, new pinballs defaulted at $.75/play. Since people seem to hate that odd price, I use $1 pricing, as well as a lot of other operators that still buy new pinballs. Nearly all the new Sterns I've played in the wild were $1 to play.

$1/play also works on newer driving/racing games, air hockey, pool, large plush cranes, etc

All of my fighting games and other quick games are $.25. Classics are also $.25.

$.50 on the older pinball machines and just about everything else.
WTB: The Grid by Midway (2001), looking for 2 or more complete games, and large marquee

Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #12 on: November 01, 2011, 01:10:27 am »
Nice.  Have you played it yet?  I so need to buy me a pin one of these days.

Somewhat. I don't really know what's going on rule wise, but mechanically, the game flows well. Think of it as a cross between many George Gomez games, all cut and pasted into a new game.

-Pop bumpers from RFM
-Shooter lane/outlane divider lamps from LOTR/MB/Playboy/TDK/RFM
-"soft kick" saucer on left from MB/Playboy/NBAFB
-Center "ball bash" toy from LOTR/MB

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smartbomb2084

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #13 on: November 01, 2011, 08:30:29 am »
Is that $1 per game for 3 balls or 5 balls?

pinballwizard79

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #14 on: November 01, 2011, 12:19:47 pm »
Q*Bert_OP post smaller pics  >:D
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Re: Transformers
« Reply #15 on: November 01, 2011, 05:28:29 pm »
The local op around these parts prices all his Sterns at $.50 a play.  I played Avatar and Tron at the airport for $.50 a play.

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #16 on: November 01, 2011, 09:05:08 pm »
I remember pins set to $1 for 2 credits as far back as 1988.
NO MORE!!

Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #17 on: November 02, 2011, 12:40:36 am »
WTB: The Grid by Midway (2001), looking for 2 or more complete games, and large marquee

Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #18 on: November 02, 2011, 12:42:59 am »
More pics...

Last pic shows factory outlane setup...drains too easily for $1 to play
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smartbomb2084

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #19 on: November 02, 2011, 08:09:16 am »
One dollar for 3 balls or 5 balls?

Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #20 on: November 02, 2011, 01:19:58 pm »
3 balls.
WTB: The Grid by Midway (2001), looking for 2 or more complete games, and large marquee

Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #21 on: November 02, 2011, 02:36:03 pm »
WTB: The Grid by Midway (2001), looking for 2 or more complete games, and large marquee

smartbomb2084

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #22 on: November 03, 2011, 08:11:16 am »
This is none of my business but do you own the location this game is in?  If not, are you splitting the revenue with the location at the customary 50-50 split?

At a dollar per play this $5000 beauty will need 5000 plays to break even if you get all the money and 10,000 plays if you split 50-50.

What kind of shape will this game be in after 5000 or 10,000 plays?  Will it make it to 5000 games played without any serious malfunction?

This scenario is why location pinball is so scarce.  It is just too hard to make any real money at it.

I can barely get 50 cents for a 5 ball game on our pinballs around here and I keep them in tip top shape.

People  are too cheap to play a game of pool for 75 cents but they will hit a boxing machine bag ONE TIME FOR ONE DOLLAR!!!!!

How does that make any sense?



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Re: Transformers
« Reply #23 on: November 03, 2011, 10:24:07 am »
Do you offer 6 plays for $5? About how long will you expect to make your money back?
Where's my gold star :P

Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #24 on: November 03, 2011, 12:48:18 pm »
Do you offer 6 plays for $5? About how long will you expect to make your money back?

$1/1 play
$2/3 plays

And no, I don't own the location...so with a 50/50 split, I have to bring in $9200 to break even. At approx $1000 a year, that would take almost 10 years, once we add $600 for licenses over those 10
years.

Also, the game needs to be moved to another location at least once a year, or the income will drastically drop.

I also have a newer pinball in another location that brings in over $80/week @ $.50 play, but that is one of my rougher locations...but around $4200 a year, that game will pay itself off in around 2 years, and junked within 5 years.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2011, 05:50:11 pm by Q*Bert_OP »
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Jeff AMN

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #25 on: November 03, 2011, 05:59:03 pm »
People forget that operators get a thousand or so back when they sell the machine when it's finally pulled off route for good. I guess some titles fetch more, some less. It all really depends on whether or not the operator cares to repair and shop out the game before selling it.
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Re: Transformers
« Reply #26 on: November 09, 2011, 02:15:20 pm »


People  are too cheap to play a game of pool for 75 cents but they will hit a boxing machine bag ONE TIME FOR ONE DOLLAR!!!!!

How does that make any sense?




Well, it really doesn't make sense other than people love to get drunk and show off? What a better way to score points on hitting something? I hear those boxing machines new are like 8-10,000?

A local operator friend of mine here has a barbercut he bought from the local distributor for $6500 and he put in $900 of merchandise in it(ipods, etc) After putting $7,400 into it he has it in the local mall's food court which is overly popular. It is $2 per play and he says he gets around 200 plays a week, but has to 60/40 split with the mall.

That will take him roughly 36(ish) weeks to hit. However, when people get the prizes he has to reload for $50-$150 a pop.

I know another operator with a mini redemption downtown and pulls in 400-600 plays a week on his barber shop.

On that note, I hate redemption.
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Re: Transformers
« Reply #27 on: November 09, 2011, 02:16:48 pm »
There is also a LARGE arcade downtown Portland here that has a bar in it and is ALWAYS packed. It is really cool to see, but less cool to hang out with stinky old nerds in leather jackets.

They have a pinball room upstairs with 26 pinballs and at least half are ALWAYS being played. It's the random anomaly of arcade games doing well. If only....
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Re: Transformers
« Reply #28 on: November 16, 2011, 08:26:18 am »
How about giving us a little update on the popularity of this game?

Is it making any money?  Do the players like it?  Have you had any game malfunctions yet?

Do you think it's an all-time STERN top 10?  Top 5 maybe?

THANKS.


Q*Bert_OP

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Re: Transformers
« Reply #29 on: November 16, 2011, 02:51:12 pm »
How about giving us a little update on the popularity of this game?

Is it making any money?  Do the players like it?  Have you had any game malfunctions yet?

Do you think it's an all-time STERN top 10?  Top 5 maybe?

THANKS.



Besides the usual mechanical problems of a new game, nothing too bad.

Making money? Will I still have to pull in $9000 to break even  :laugh2:

Top 5? Nope, but somewhere betwen 6-8. IMHO, XFMRs is a cross between SM and LOTR in mechanical feel, ruleset still unknown.
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Re: Transformers
« Reply #30 on: November 16, 2011, 04:59:32 pm »
Thanks Q for the hands on real world view of this game. I respect your opinion(s).

There was some annoying static on the line before I was able to receive your response clearly....

It must have been a nearby 'outgassed' Dot Matrix Display causing excessive interference.