Arcade Collecting > Pinball

Stern layoffs

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Cakemeister:
I think new machines will no longer be produced.

The new Big Bang Bar machines cost something like $6500 each to make. These were not the cheap Stern machines.

There's just too much labor involved in designing the playfields, software, and the actual assembly of the machines to make much money off of it.

As far as new MM machines go, the rights to that machine, and the other Williams machines such as Cactus Canyon, were sold to a guy to has proven himself completely incapable of producing new machines.

I don't see Stern sticking around as a manufacturer of parts, either. They probably will end up closing up shop and selling their warehouse full of parts to someone like Pinball Resource or someone similar.

Creating your own playfield, software, and artwork is a daunting undertaking, even if you had templates you could build cabinets from. I don't think that will happen, either.

RIP pinball    :hissy:

RayB:

--- Quote from: Xiaou2 on November 02, 2008, 03:32:13 am --- All I can say... is that if a pinball company was to re-release a game like
Medieval Madness... It would sell like Hotcakes.   From both collectors,
mom&pop stores, Ops...etc.     We are talking good gameplay, Amazing artwork,
hilarious commentary,  and great theme.    Im sure other Williams remakes would
sell very well too.      As well as any machines made which actually lived up to,
or surpassed  Willaims standards.
--- End quote ---
:laugh2: Yeah OK.

FrizzleFried:
X evidently has "zero" understanding of the market required for pinball to succeed.  Unfortunately the market isn't there...hasn't been there for quite a few years now,  and the chances of Stern staying in business selling "kits" to home users is about as realistic as death trains rolling to domestic human holding facilities.... :laugh2:

Mauzy:

--- Quote from: FrizzleFried on November 02, 2008, 01:42:18 pm ---X evidently has "zero" understanding of the market required for pinball to succeed.  Unfortunately the market isn't there...hasn't been there for quite a few years now,  and the chances of Stern staying in business selling "kits" to home users is about as realistic as death trains rolling to domestic human holding facilities.... :laugh2:

--- End quote ---

BA ZOW!

Xiaou2:

 Why dont you go look on ebay and witness sales of Pinball machines EVERY FREEKING
DAY!    Most of these are sold for well over $1000... and most are $2500 to $3500.
And some restored machines are selling for $4000 -  +$7000

 Medieval Madness cant be found for less than $5000 unless the seller is a fool.
Indiana Jones (Williams) continues to grow in its value..  and now for a good
condition machine is around $3000 for a 15yr old machine.

 Many of the buyers of these machines are home owners.   Yet, there are markets
for businesses and ops.   

 None of which are going to feed into lame themes like CSI, or Wheel of Fortune!
Even the people who play out arnt going to feed those machines quarters.


 As for Bing Bang Bar... the cost was very high because of a very limited number run,
as well as the guy getting crap quality work which had to be re-done several times.
(at his own cost)

 If he had a factory set up like Stern... where everything is done In-House... then
he wouldnt have had the Vendor issues to deal with and would have stayed on
budget.   And that was on an extremely small run.   

 Pinball isnt dead, and will not die.   Visit a pinball show,  and meet up with
collectors,  and you will see that these machines will be around forever...
and in time...  SOMEONE will make replacement parts and kits.   I never said
Stern would.   (Just as SOME have started to make ARCADE parts for us BYOAC people)


 While making pins is not an easy task... its far from impossible.   

 When someone brought up the idea of making a video arcade machine that
plays old arcade games...  were they shunned off as crazy?   Well look at what
we have here...  Thousands of arcade projects.   Many not even listed on this
site.   Not just simple boxes either... But cabinets with incredible complexity,
detailed artwork, and great woodworking.

 A BYO pinball machine is not very much more than what it takes to BYOAC.

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