The approach I'm taking on Alien is really more about keeping the data we display really encapsulated and contextually relevant. Keep it in the spirit of a DMD, in how and what it displays, but with all the advantages of an HD display, for high resolution art, numbers and text, and of course video. And that means both in the backbox (small or big or not at all, your choice) but also the playfield. And it has to work for both.
Ever use a car with a windshield projected HUD? You can watch your speed or directions as if it's floating in the air in front of your car, without ever taking your eyes off the road.
That's the hope for the middle playfield screen. If it's designed right, then it should be a valuable place to see important information, that's contextually relevant. If you're in a mode, the status of the mode, and instructions, and the timer, and your score, things that are vital to the moment are all within reach of your eyes whenever you need.
The status of the modes is done with inserts on the playfield. With full RGB lighting we can put as much info into there as we need to.
And when you get a jackpot or finish a mode or something, then sure, we can rock a full screen animation. But it should still be fast and punchy, so you can get back to the ball and the info you need.
I think some modern DMD games have gotten a little too overboard with some of the animations, only because they can often hide your score for too long. You don't see what's going on. But I like their brevity and singular focus.
But if you get the big back box screen option, that's similar to the JJP setup, and you want to provide eye candy for people watching. So you gotta keep it looking cool even when it's not in full on engaged multimedia mode.
So my hope is that we've found our own path with Alien. We can show your score all the time, and still have the proper level of overboard, but without turning into a game map, we still keep that on the playfield in the more traditional fashion.
I think that I've basically described the mindset of the Alien pin. It's got the spirit of the 90s in some ways. Lots of toys, 4 flippers, wide body machine. Modes that are laid out in front of you. But with modern thinking. So full color HD display, RGB lights, great sound system.
I think it's going to be crazy fun to shoot, and I have a lot of ideas for the lighting and animations, and so does our animator, Kelly, and our plan is to really design everything to help make the rules feel more fun. We want them to feel engaging, and clear in what you're supposed to do. I like pins that communicate to you so you can understand your shots. It makes them more fun to just step up and play. The rules can still be deep and interesting, but not a mystery as to how to play them.
That means that we need to be smart with our light shows, and make them work with the rules. Really can't wait to see the inserts in action in person the first time.
I want this game to be fking amazing to play in a dark room, with the sound up.
Excited!
