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The Pinball Arcade |OT| play them all from Soho to Brighton

V

Vyse24

Member
Newsletter stuff!

As many of our fans have noticed, the Xbox 360 version of the Pinball Arcade is no longer available in the Live Arcade store. Our publisher for the 360 version recently emerged from bankruptcy and we'd been told that we would be allowed to immediately submit all of the unreleased Table Packs to our long-suffering 360 users. Unfortunately, Microsoft has elected to revoke the publisher's license agreement (which is why the Pinball Arcade is temporarily not available in the store). However, we have some very good news to share- Microsoft has just announced that indie developers (like FarSight) can now self-publish on Xbox Live Arcade instead of being required to find publishers for their games. This means we can bring the Pinball Arcade back to the 360 ourselves, and also opens the door to an Xbox One version of the Pinball Arcade in the future! Microsoft has stated that the new program will open in August- we will do everything we can to get the Pinball Arcade (and all of the new Table Packs) back on the Xbox 360 as quickly as possible.
Click to expand...

The version of our new Steam platform for the Pinball Arcade is now Beta! If you are one of our Kickstarter backers entitled to Beta access on the PC platform, watch your email for information on how to get access within the next few days. We are planning an August release for the Pinball Arcade on Steam with all of the current table packs available.
Click to expand...

Table Pack 17

The next update will be a great one! The Table of the Month will be Centaur. The new release in Table Pack 17 has a pretty famous character on the backglass that shares a thing or two in common with Centaur, so we think this pairing is pretty cool.

Sorry, no picture to help you with this month's hint - our artists are all tied up in creating art for the PS4 version. They'll be baaack next month with a new hint pic. :)
Click to expand...

And here's a preview video of Table Pack 16 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1WJXmeUdFo
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Hm, I hope anyone who bought the X360 version doesn't need to buy it again. Yeah, it's saved in the download lost, but what if they redo the code?

And I'm calling it. Table Pack 17 is Terminator 2, they seem to have it almost done anyways.
 
S

Shaneus

Member
Vyse24 said:
Newsletter stuff!







And here's a preview video of Table Pack 16 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1WJXmeUdFo
Click to expand...
Nice. Although I'm sure they said that for people who backed tables and chose PC for their platform, they'd be able to get beta access just to that table. But I haven't seen anything mentioned of it since.

twinturbo2 said:
Hm, I hope anyone who bought the X360 version doesn't need to buy it again. Yeah, it's saved in the download lost, but what if they redo the code?

And I'm calling it. Table Pack 17 is Terminator 2, they seem to have it almost done anyways.
Click to expand...
Surprise out of left field: Terminator 3 is also included. BOOM.
 
J

jvm

Gamasutra.
twinturbo2 said:
Hm, I hope anyone who bought the X360 version doesn't need to buy it again. Yeah, it's saved in the download lost, but what if they redo the code?

And I'm calling it. Table Pack 17 is Terminator 2, they seem to have it almost done anyways.
Click to expand...
Hopefully you won't have to buy it again. :(

Back when Chillingo gave up publishing Angry Birds for PSP on PSN, and Rovio took over (I hope I have those right) there was a new revision of the binary on PSN ... and old users didn't get access to it unless they asked for it.

Not sure it really got you anything but a different publisher's name when you booted but...
 
P

plagiarize

Banned
jvm said:
Hopefully you won't have to buy it again. :(

Back when Chillingo gave up publishing Angry Birds for PSP on PSN, and Rovio took over (I hope I have those right) there was a new revision of the binary on PSN ... and old users didn't get access to it unless they asked for it.

Not sure it really got you anything but a different publisher's name when you booted but...
Click to expand...

when doom changed publishers on the 360 I didn't lose access to it. so things should be fine.
 
G

Gentleman Jack

Member
How does Goin' Nuts work? The game starts with 3 balls and you have to keep at least 2 in play or the timer counts down and kills you? Hitting the trapped ball restarts 'multiball?' Anything else I'm missing?
 
Minsc

Minsc

Gold Member
Table pack 16 banners and new info from newsletter posted above updated in OP:

Rgz9Dl4.jpg

tYzdwWw.jpg


Surprised to see Terminator 2 releasing already next month, but maybe that just means they're already at work digitizing an Addams Family machine... :D
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
I think the ETA on the Kicksarter page was September, so they probably had everything done before they raised funds for the license.
 
B

BobTheFork

Member
Shaneus said:
So, this happened yesterday at AusPAX:

Means I can bypass the qualifying rounds and go straight into the state finals :D No idea how many are in those finals (have to be a lot from PAX alone... I think around 30?), but it means I'll get my own entry in the IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association) database because I'll have some kind of championship points.

Was a pretty average score and there were FAR better ones (I had ~36mil for my 3hr bracket, other brackets had up to ~116mil) but it's a crappy table with crappy tilt detection (seriously, it's beyond fucking bullshit, even for tournament mode) but hey, certificate and IFPA entry! Woo!
Click to expand...

Who's the man? YOU are!

Nice you hear you get some whopper points for that. That's how it starts... I get bent out of shape now when I miss out on IFPA points. Those scores sound good. I got 45 mil at the Metalica launch party but since then I can't get anything over 30. The people here have pushed upto ~175mil and it's going to get higher. I'm terrible at that table and I can't keep it in play. I'll probably have to play it this weekend at the Tourney so I need to practice.
 
S

Shaneus

Member
BobTheFork said:
Who's the man? YOU are!

Nice you hear you get some whopper points for that. That's how it starts... I get bent out of shape now when I miss out on IFPA points. Those scores sound good. I got 45 mil at the Metalica launch party but since then I can't get anything over 30. The people here have pushed upto ~175mil and it's going to get higher. I'm terrible at that table and I can't keep it in play. I'll probably have to play it this weekend at the Tourney so I need to practice.
Click to expand...
Wow, thanks! To be honest, I really only entered to compare myself and not with any thought to doing anything significant. A mate from Sydney (who I know from GAF, funnily enough) has entered a few comps and he only got ~100k more than me, so I was pretty damn chuffed with that :) Couldn't believe how twitchy the tilt sensor was though. It may have even been buggy, because in my highest-scoring run I tilted on ball 3 while it was in multiball and was sure I barely touched the thing.

My excuse anyway was that it was a Stern table and as a rule... generally shit. Guessing the guys who did better are the sort of bogans who would shell out money for a pinball just because it's Metallica, not because it might be decent. The dude from Sydney and myself had a good old bitching session about them. It felt cathartic ;)
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Shaneus, the Steam port of Pinball FX2 added Excalibur and Mars a few days ago, if you want to get those.

I'm going to have enough in my Steam Wallet for TPA and the two season pro passes, and have enough left over for Guacamelee. Hurry up and come out already!
 
S

Shaneus

Member
twinturbo2 said:
Shaneus, the Steam port of Pinball FX2 added Excalibur and Mars a few days ago, if you want to get those.

I'm going to have enough in my Steam Wallet for TPA and the two season pro passes, and have enough left over for Guacamelee. Hurry up and come out already!
Click to expand...
Rad. Looks like I wasted my money on that other one then (kinda) ;)

Hopefully they have an even cheaper bundle for both seasons if you get them together. That reminds me, I should head to my local EB and grab some Steam cash. $1AU=$1US Steam credit for some reason. How much will I need? It should be under $100, yes?
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Shaneus said:
Rad. Looks like I wasted my money on that other one then (kinda) ;)

Hopefully they have an even cheaper bundle for both seasons if you get them together. That reminds me, I should head to my local EB and grab some Steam cash. $1AU=$1US Steam credit for some reason. How much will I need? It should be under $100, yes?
Click to expand...

If they have cheaper bundles, I'll probably get extra copies and gift them to friends. :)
 
V

Vyse24

Member
Welp, it's August, which means that the watch for the 360 and Steam versions is on. Hopefully they'll happen more sooner than later.
 
C

Chiaroscuro

Member
I am not confident over the 360 and X1 versions. MS plans for indie self-publishing is not like PS3, MS limit the access the program will have to the hardware . I guess the indies will be limit to a Windows 8 store and OS partition. Plus I doubt they will have the same features as full games (achievements, leaderboards?). I will be much more like the indie channel in the 360.
 
S

Shaneus

Member
MightyHedgehog said:
Not FarSight's The Pinball Arcade, but video pinball news, anyway. The ended, but not funded Pro Pinball KS project has been restarted again with a far more realistic funding goal.

Pro Pinball: Timeshock! The ULTRA Edition Kickstarter
Click to expand...
How is it they have 43 days to go? Do UK-based Kickstarters get more time or something?

Also, new thread (or old thread bump) worthy?

And are they going under a new name for Kickstarter so people don't see their old KS? Says this one is their first.
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Got the latest newsletter, and as I predicted, Terminator 2 is Table Pack #17, and it'll be out by the end of the month for iOS/Android.

Hopefully, there's a big PSN update soon, I'm still waiting on Champion Pub and Whirlwind.

Full text:

The Pinball Arcade is excited to announce that Table Pack 17, Terminator 2: Judgment Day™, will be available later this month for your mobile devices!

As you guys all know, T2 is unquestionably, one of the greatest pinball tables of all time. Designed by the legendary, Steve Ritchie and based on the hit movie, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, including several features that have become pinball standards. It was the first Williams table designed to use a Dot Matrix Display and the first to have a Video Mode feature. It was also the first to feature a Swing Out Cannon that can be fired by the player using a specially designed Gun Grip Ball Launcher. With its dramatic music score, staggering light and sound effects, breathtaking graphics and speech from the one and only Arnold, this table brings the thrills and suspense of T2 to life...and then some.

In this mobile update, the Table of the Month will be Centaur™. You will be able to play for free this great classic table!

We appreciate your support. Without your help, we wouldn't have been able to bring T2 to the Pinball Arcade.
Click to expand...
 
V

Vyse24

Member
twinturbo2 said:
Got the latest newsletter, and as I predicted, Terminator 2 is Table Pack #17, and it'll be out by the end of the month for iOS/Android.

Hopefully, there's a big PSN update soon, I'm still waiting on Champion Pub and Whirlwind.

Full text:
Click to expand...

That's from Kickstarter, not a newsletter. Strange that they decided to announce this on there.
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Minsc said:
I really haven't played much of the 360 version (especially with the PC version right around the corner), but does the lighting on the consoles even come close to this recent Pro Pinball demo? Amazing, even if perhaps a bit over the top. :)
Click to expand...
Nope, but it looks like the PS4 version may do the trick, and the PS4 version's lighting effects will be patched into the PC version eventually...
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
I just acquired my very first wizard goal set, for Centuar, and standard goal set #26, for PinBot. It's amazing what can happen when you get into a good rhythm in both tables.

I also got credit for a wizard goal in PinBot (score 2.5 million points) even though I kept playing after completing that standard goal set. Maybe that's a new feature, I don't know. I did hit 7 million in PinBot and 3 million in Centuar, yay me!
 
B

BigWeather

Member
twinturbo2 said:
I just acquired my very first wizard goal set, for Centuar, and standard goal set #26, for PinBot. It's amazing what can happen when you get into a good rhythm in both tables.

I also got credit for a wizard goal in PinBot (score 2.5 million points) even though I kept playing after completing that standard goal set. Maybe that's a new feature, I don't know. I did hit 7 million in PinBot and 3 million in Centuar, yay me!
Click to expand...

Well done! I'm chasing the wizard set for Big Shot -- have 4/5 but the score 250,000 eludes me.
 
S

Shaneus

Member
I fucking love Centaur. It was the first one I scored all wizard goals on as well I think. Actually, there may have been another (Bride of Pinbot) but checking now, that was on 360 because I definitely haven't filled in all the wizard goals for it on iOS (unless I lost them all prior to when data backup/restore was implemented).
 
S

Shaneus

Member
FatBaby said:
Anyone get an e-mail for the Steam beta yet? I haven't seen anything.
Click to expand...
I'm still not sure on the circumstances for qualifying. I thought you just had to pick PC as one of your tables for either TNG or TZ (or T2, I guess) but I think it's now that you had to put in at leas $100, although I don't know for sure. I have another tab open on PAF so I'mma check and get back to you :)
 
B

BigWeather

Member
jvm said:
That one's the difficult one. Took me a good while to get that, but I think I finally got it. I really like that table... so primitive.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there's something great about a table like that where the rule set is so basic that the focus is on every shot (because it is a drain monster). My big problem with Big Shot, however, is that there is way too much emphasis on the fourth and fifth ball since you only get the 2000 multiplier on the fourth and 3000 on the fifth. I don't mind it being a drain monster, giving me five balls compensates -- but when I drain the wrong ball (like have great balls one through three, then blow four and/or five) that's really annoying.
 
J

jvm

Gamasutra.
Yep. Also, there is a limit on extra balls, right? Or is that Central Park. I can't remember.

I'm currently playing Elvira and the Party Monsters as part of the PSN Stores tournament. Fun times.

Oh... speaking of tournaments. I never got a PSN message from Farsight about the ST:TNG tournament. I emailed them my PSN ID as requested... :(
 
B

BobTheFork

Member
Another Update for anyone near Colorado that wants to play.

On the 17th of August a new Annual event will happen at Flipper McGill's in Idaho Springs Co. $20 entry and they are are giving a Hard Body pinball table to the winner. It's a machine you'll never at a location and it's pretty cool. I don't think I'll be able to make it but I would recommend the location if you are in the area. McGill sold me my Arcade cabinets and they have worked great.

THE BIG ONE however is the Dory Hill Pinball campout at the Dory HIll Campground near Blackhawk Co. Last year was my first time and it was amazing. It's from the 6th-8th of August. It was 3 days of camping and pinball and it's lots of fun. There is a small tournament Friday night and then Saturday and Sunday are all day events: Golf Format. They set a par score for each game and how many balls it takes are your number of strokes for the 'hole'

I will say I live in Dnever and the alltitude still took it's tole on me. I would wake up, get breakfast, coffee, then have some scotch and I was worn out by mid-day. It's 9800 feet so it can affect you. There will be about 50 people this year, drinking, camping, and going to play poker on Saturday night. The cabins at the campground are booked but anyone can get a spot for a camper or tent. This year I may just stay in my car! Full facilities are on hand and it's one of the most friendly crowds you will ever see for pinball. Last time the tourny owner got us a big keg of beer and some kind of homemade whiskey we dubbed 'Wild Cherry Nightmare'

Basically everyone brings a table and sets them up around the camp site and you walk to each one and play 18 holes of pinball. It was also cold as hell last year but we are having it a few weeks earlier so I don't think it will be that rough.
 
G

Gentleman Jack

Member
jvm said:
Yep. Also, there is a limit on extra balls, right? Or is that Central Park. I can't remember.
Click to expand...

Big Shot doesn't have extra balls.

And I gave up on the 250,000 point goal. Grinding out Party Monsters goals atm, fun table but I shouldn't have played Scared Stiff first. The drop in sound sample quality is shocking.
 
J

jvm

Gamasutra.
Gentleman Jack said:
Big Shot doesn't have extra balls.

And I gave up on the 250,000 point goal. Grinding out Party Monsters goals atm, fun table but I shouldn't have played Scared Stiff first. The drop in sound sample quality is shocking.
Click to expand...
Well, if you get all balls of a certain type (solids or stripes) you get a light on the center obstacle which grants a replay. Right? That's what I meant. Sorry. :)
 
S

Shaneus

Member
BobTheFork said:
Another Update for anyone near Colorado that wants to play.

On the 17th of August a new Annual event will happen at Flipper McGill's in Idaho Springs Co. $20 entry and they are are giving a Hard Body pinball table to the winner.
Click to expand...
Wow, I thought the Rollergames pinball was the campiest-themed table out there... but Hardbody takes the cake.

Edit: Slightly unrelated, but the PAPA TV thing seems to be coming along well. This is *part* of the receipt for the t-shirts sent out as part of the Kickstarter rewards:
oICO0fpl.jpg

Crikey. People sure do love pinball (clothing).
 
V

Vyse24

Member
Though it really doesn't mean much anymore, Fillpoint is still going to court for the same reason as the last 3 times. Can't TPA come back to the 360 sooner than later? I wanna breeze through all those basic goals now!
 
S

Shaneus

Member
Vyse24 said:
Though it really doesn't mean much anymore, Fillpoint is still going to court for the same reason as the last 3 times. Can't TPA come back to the 360 sooner than later? I wanna breeze through all those basic goals now!
Click to expand...
TPA will be coming back under the guise of self-publishing rather than going through those guys. Unless there's some rights thing where Fillpoint thinks they still own the rights or something.

Hope this doesn't somehow jeopardise the content I've already bought for it.

FWIW I think the whole "indie developer" thing was going to be active as of August (for 360) but don't quote me on that.
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Standard goal set #27 (Space Shuttle) complete. Got lucky there with lighting the three jet bumpers- activating multiball helped a lot. Now I'm back to scoring 550K in Firepower, activating harem multiball in Tales of the Arabian Nights, and activating gold rush multiball in Whitewater...
 
V

Vyse24

Member
Finally got the 1m Trapdoor Bonus in Funhouse. All I need to do is get the 4-way combo and I'll have all the wizard goals for it.
 
F

FriedConsole

Banned
Gentleman Jack said:
Big Shot doesn't have extra balls.

And I gave up on the 250,000 point goal. Grinding out Party Monsters goals atm, fun table but I shouldn't have played Scared Stiff first. The drop in sound sample quality is shocking.
Click to expand...

Party Monsters is my favorite Pinball Arcade table. I dig the crappy sound. Voice samples always sounded terrible in the actual arcade. More realistic if it sounds terrible.
 
S

Shaneus

Member
PAPA 16 this weekend! I'm thinking of creating a thread, given that livestreams for other events get them, never mind the fact that this is the first weekend we get to experience the fruits of the PAPA TV Kickstarter.

Yay or nay? I'm more than happy to sort it out with logos, links etc.
 
Minsc

Minsc

Gold Member
twinturbo2 said:
Still waiting on news on the Steam release, hopefully, there's a discount bundle coming...
Click to expand...

News is still the same, beta in a week or so (I believe they're waiting to be approved for generating the beta keys - first time you need a more thorough approval), full release of everything late August, though realistically now probably September. Season packs will be available at release, so I'm not quite sure what that works out to, $90 or something for both seasons?
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Minsc said:
News is still the same, beta in a week or so (I believe they're waiting to be approved for generating the beta keys - first time you need a more thorough approval), full release of everything late August, though realistically now probably September. Season packs will be available at release, so I'm not quite sure what that works out to, $90 or something for both seasons?
Click to expand...
Yeah, $90 for everything. I'm hoping for a super discount bundle where everything is $60 or some significant savings. I just blew $80 of the $90 I saved up in stuff today. I know...

Shaneus said:
PAPA 16 this weekend! I'm thinking of creating a thread, given that livestreams for other events get them, never mind the fact that this is the first weekend we get to experience the fruits of the PAPA TV Kickstarter.

Yay or nay? I'm more than happy to sort it out with logos, links etc.
Click to expand...
I'm down. :)
 
S

Shaneus

Member
Rad, I'll try and get onto it today, but work's been kinda busy. Worst case, I'll do it tonight.

I'm super pumped for it, too. Their new rigs plus an opportunity to exploit all their new equipment should be awesome as hell.

In the meantime:
http://www.papa.org/blog
http://www.twitch.tv/papatvpinball

Saturday 9:30PM-Midnight
Sunday: 10:45AM until they crown a champion
(not sure what timezones these are, I assume west coast US?)
 
B

BigWeather

Member
Shaneus said:
So, I'm putting together an OT for the tournament, and in looking for videos to put in it, I stumbled across this... ths most bullshit save you'll EVER see. Watch the right outlane from where I linked it.

What a bastard.
Click to expand...

Haha, wow!

I just got back from a 17-day drive-around the Southwest with only my PSVita for pinball. I get back on my PS3 and... wow. The difference. I knew the PSVita wasn't obviously up to the PS3's quality but it's stark once you don't see one for a while and get back to it. Still, hard to beat the portability -- was great for the vacation.

I did make it to the Pinball Hall of Fame and had a blast. My blog for that day is at http://www.bigweathergames.com/?p=2091. Note: I write these vacation blogs late at night when we finally get to the hotel room and the family has gone to bed. So they ain't exactly amazing prose. If anyone has any questions about the PHoF or any of my trips (done a ton of them in the last four years, all blogged, covering most of the country) just let me know!
 
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