Quoted from TheLaw:Movie version would peak my interest
I prefer the cartoon version however I would be in on the movie version if that was the choice. I thought the movie was much better than the critics gave it credit for, they were looking for another matrix I guess from the Wachowski's, this is a family film. I think it holds up well - just rewatched it not all that long ago.
Quoted from Aurich:Even if I wanted a job in pinball beyond the contract work I already do (I really don't) my idea of a dream boss isn't one who goes on podcasts to talk about employees sleeping in their cars.
I've heard a few people criticize this comment a few times now, and I feel like it was taken out of context, and taken too literally; Bryan's quote on the FlipNOut podcast was "if you'll sleep in your car for a few days to come to work, I'll find a place for you, I'll hire you; you can hire people with skills, but you can't hire commitment and passion. I've always done better hiring people who are committed to what they want to do".
To me that doesn't sound like he's trying to encourage overworking his employees or exploit passion to keep them in the office; the emphasis in my head was the second bit of his quote, where he says if you're the type of employee who is passionate enough about this type of work (in this example, passionate enough to make a personal sacrifice), that he'll hire you regardless of skills/work experience because the passion will bring you places in the company also.
Never worked with or met him before, so what do I know though, maybe I'm totally wrong. Seems like people are nitpicking over his words a little too much ("sending this to my employees", he's probably not literally giving them an itemized list saying "make a fun game", he's probably just sending this pinside forum and telling them to read through what people are saying to know what the community finds important and how to guide their mindset for the customer).
Overall the vibes I've gotten from him through the interviews and interactions on this forum have been positive, seems like a good guy, I'm excited to see where AP goes under his ownership.
Quoted from Aurich:Why someone hasn't done a new dungeon crawler (that isn't a D&D license) is a mystery to me,
It's a shame someone actually did D&D and totally beefed the dungeon crawling mechanic. "Shoot any shot and pick a direction onscreen." Borrring.
How about, four shots are compass directions and you shoot your path? Capcom Kingpin wizard mode figured this out 30 years ago.
Quoted from timballs:getting direct replies from a guy they think has the power to make the pinball machine and company of their dreams,
I don't think that and I don't think most pinsiders think that, it is not our investment or risk. What I do think is I like it when a company is paying attention to their customers, because it increases their chances of not making a costly misstep, which in turn keeps their costs down and improves their chances of making a profit and staying in business, which means more games to play and enjoy. It also increases their goodwill and reputation.
Most of us could list which pinball companies have good customer service, and you better believe that reflects in their bottom line. As a owner of two Spooky pinballs (with Beetlejuice on the way), I can tell you I KNOW they take owner's concerns seriously. They are active in the forums and feedback does make a difference - I think the Evil Dead boomstick shooter handle upgrade came out of Bug's Scream and Stream/from users and it is awesome. I had no issue preordering a pin from them in large part due to my confidence they will make any issue right.
AP customer service has been in the toilet, so Bryan is starting in the hole and I think he is on the right track to dig AP out of it by engaging the community that statistically will buy at least HALF of any pins AP sells.
Quoted from TurnerPinball:I just contacted the game's owner, who reached out to the manager there, to make sure there wasn't an issue. The manager confirmed the game is and has been working fine.
Another owner taking care of customers. You can also argue Chris started in an even bigger hole after buying Deeproot assets and listening to his customer base is one thing that has helped him overcome some of that Deeproot baggage (and making a quality game).
Quoted from Aurich:This is a good example of "theme matters". Steins and tents just don't communicate a whole lot, it's pretty abstract. Oktoberfest just doesn't have a lot of great hooks for adventure.
But when we talk "roguelike" you're generally calling back to the original Rogue in some fashion, which was a dungeon crawler.
Exploring a dungeon offers so many more ways to communicate rules and excitement to the player in a way that's intuitive and enticing.
Say you have 3 item slots, and as you're progressing you get to save things to it. You find a grappling hook:
[quoted image]
And now you have a single use straight-down-the-middle ball save that plays a satisfying whip crack and the clink of metal on stone when it activates. It's pretty easy to remember what that does and how it works.
You find a love potion, and the next monster you battle you only have to make a single pink shot to beat it, because it's smitten with you and you stab it in the back.
[quoted image]
If I dropped a bunch of icons for weapons and magical items and gems into this thread I bet people could come up with a rule for all them without any trouble. I was just scrolling through a stock resource, saw that love potion, and made up a rule on the spot for how it might be useful.
Maybe some are automatic, maybe some go into your "action slot" for the lockdown bar button and don't active until you use them. You could manage them, or the order you pick them up decides, whatever.
By picking a theme that lends itself to this kind of exploration you've made your job as designers (both for rules, and graphics, and sound effects) easier, but also you're communicating to the player better.
With all due respect, that holds absolutely no appeal for me. Just proof that there is no one-size-fits-all theme. (BTW: I owned the original Bally D&D game back in the day. To this day I'm still traumatized by how bad it was!)
Quoted from Aurich:It sounds like you don't want to work for the new American Pinball. Cool. I don't want a job there either.
I listened to the 48 minute interview and there was barely any mention of "coders" or engineers or artists. Plenty of mention of leg colors and manufacturing buildout. And some great talk about the goal of having full lines by the end of 2026.
Quoted from Aurich:But since nobody here is working for Bryan the kind of boss he is doesn't really matter to anyone.
This isn't true. There were existing staff at American Pinball. He mentioned being in the same building. Right now, these are the only people who have any clue as to what processes were in place. They have been building some number of games, testing them, working with distribution partners and parts/service. I am empathizing with them.
I imagine life at American Pinball in 2025 was pretty dismal. Imagine going into the office every day with just a handful of other people where the best you can hope for is building 3 GTFs in a single week. There are some parts and lots of service tickets but the guy who is handling those is also tasked with handling sub-assembly, cables, and working with all the vendors, who are probably not prioritizing you at all. Suddenly, you get an introduction email that says you now have a new boss and he's bought everything American has. You're probably excited and thinking "hey we're gonna be able to get the resources we need!" You would probably have a laundry list of ideas about where to start, how to improve, and how to move forward. Instead, you're getting forwarded forum posts from people who have never set foot inside your building.
Quoted from timballs:I listened to the 48 minute interview and there was barely any mention of "coders" or engineers or artists. Plenty of mention of leg colors and manufacturing buildout. And some great talk about the goal of having full lines by the end of 2026.
This isn't true. There were existing staff at American Pinball. He mentioned being in the same building. Right now, these are the only people who have any clue as to what processes were in place. They have been building some number of games, testing them, working with distribution partners and parts/service. I am empathizing with them.
I imagine life at American Pinball in 2025 was pretty dismal. Imagine going into the office every day with just a handful of other people where the best you can hope for is building 3 GTFs in a single week. There are some parts and lots of service tickets but the guy who is handling those is also tasked with handling sub-assembly, cables, and working with all the vendors, who are probably not prioritizing you at all. Suddenly, you get an introduction email that says you now have a new boss and he's bought everything American has. You're probably excited and thinking "hey we're gonna be able to get the resources we need!" You would probably have a laundry list of ideas about where to start, how to improve, and how to move forward. Instead, you're getting forwarded forum posts from people who have never set foot inside your building.
Guys, this is alll ridiculous. Call anyone at AP on the team right now and ask them how they feel. We have an awesome core team to build on. I am not a leader that tells people what to do- I want buy-in. Our people are smart and we are talking regularly and we collectively have a clear list of priorities and deliverables. Forwarding a post - of course there was context given by me to the team. Regarding the car thing, its this something called an analogy. The point is that I want people who are passonate and love what they do. Both of these posts are silly and taken out of context soley to create controversy by people that speak with great authority on things they know nothing about.
Quoted from stickman802:I've heard a few people criticize this comment a few times now, and I feel like it was taken out of context, and taken too literally; Bryan's quote on the FlipNOut podcast was "if you'll sleep in your car for a few days to come to work, I'll find a place for you, I'll hire you; you can hire people with skills, but you can't hire commitment and passion. I've always done better hiring people who are committed to what they want to do".
Okay that's fair.
Not gonna lie, I don't listen to many pinball podcasts, and this wasn't one, so I was relying on other people's quotes. Which is always a bit risky, so that's on me. I agree in that context it's different.
I was being a bit tongue in cheek with that comment. I'm super uninterested in working at any pinball company. If I ever build my own complete game it will be on my own terms. I've spent enough time on other people's visions. Better to keep my passions separate from the day job.
If I really thought Bryan was a doofus (I don't) I wouldn't waste my time trying to defend the idea of him posting here. Maybe he's a great boss.
It's just wild to me as someone who's been around Pinside a little bit to watch how this community drives people away, and seems happy about it too. It's all ad homs and weirdly personal jabs. Some loser was in a thread Jack Danger was posting in the other day telling him what a shit designer he was. Like ... who does that?
All this "yOu SaId He WaS hOnEsT sO hE mUsT hAvE lItErAlLy PaSsEd On PeOpLe'S pOsTs!" is just performative. You reach a point where it almost doesn't matter if someone is stupid or trolling, if the end result is the same it just becomes stupid.
Quoted from AMpinball:Guys, this is alll ridiculous. Call anyone at AP on the team right now and ask them how they feel. We have an awesome core team to build on. I am not a leader that tells people what to do- I want buy-in. Our people are smart and we are talking regularly and we collectively have a clear list of priorities and deliverables. Forwarding a post - of course there was context given by me to the team. Regarding the car thing, its this something called an analogy. The point is that I want people who are passonate and love what they do. Both of these posts are silly and taken out of context soley to create controversy by people that speak with great authority on things they know nothing about.
Please don’t let the few relentlessly negative people drive you away from this thread. No matter what you say in this world, there will always be a couple of people who want to find fault. My mom had a great response to people who were difficult or rude: “I’m sorry I have to deal with you on one of your ‘off’ days.” She would have worn out her keyboard on Pinside.
Quoted from AMpinball:Guys, this is alll ridiculous.
Welcome to Pinside.
Your next achievement is getting moderated. Go.
Quoted from AMpinball:Call anyone at AP on the team right now and ask them how they feel.
Call me if you want. I feel great.
LTG : )
I bailed on my Oktoberfest and LOV when it was ugly. Didn't like the idea of a belly up company not being there to support with parts and whatnot down the line. Would have held out if I knew there was hope as I enjoyed both of those games!
Bryan, I appreciate your willingness to jump in these waters. There are lots of crazies here, but I imagine there is a larger silent majority who are appreciative that you are here and moving things forward! We just get to have the added entertainment of the crotchety few who run on negativity fighting relentlessly amongst themselves 
Excited to see where you take things!
Quoted from timballs:I listened to the 48 minute interview and there was barely any mention of "coders" or engineers or artists. Plenty of mention of leg colors and manufacturing buildout. And some great talk about the goal of having full lines by the end of 2026.
This isn't true. There were existing staff at American Pinball. He mentioned being in the same building. Right now, these are the only people who have any clue as to what processes were in place. They have been building some number of games, testing them, working with distribution partners and parts/service. I am empathizing with them.
I imagine life at American Pinball in 2025 was pretty dismal. Imagine going into the office every day with just a handful of other people where the best you can hope for is building 3 GTFs in a single week. There are some parts and lots of service tickets but the guy who is handling those is also tasked with handling sub-assembly, cables, and working with all the vendors, who are probably not prioritizing you at all. Suddenly, you get an introduction email that says you now have a new boss and he's bought everything American has. You're probably excited and thinking "hey we're gonna be able to get the resources we need!" You would probably have a laundry list of ideas about where to start, how to improve, and how to move forward. Instead, you're getting forwarded forum posts from people who have never set foot inside your building.
You didn’t seem too worried about the total crap state of
Code you left Wick in.
It has worked out and owners are better off for it now that you left Stern, but I wonder why we didn’t hear from you during that time frame?
Quoted from pinmagic:With all due respect, that holds absolutely no appeal for me. Just proof that there is no one-size-fits-all theme. (BTW: I owned the original Bally D&D game back in the day. To this day I'm still traumatized by how bad it was!)
It doesn’t matter.
No theme appeals to everyone. Trying to make everyone happy is a fool’s errand.
The point isn’t “make a fantasy game”, it’s that pinball is holistic.
Your theme isn’t a poster on the wall, or an album you like, or a movie you remember fondly.
It’s a collection of things that need to work together. The layout and the rules and the sound and the art and the music and everything that makes a pinball are stronger when they support each other.
Beer and BBQ are lovely things. Great way to spend a Saturday.
They aren’t great building blocks for all the pieces. You’re starting at the bottom of a hill with that. You are looking at a climb for no good reason.
But make it Elvira and the Party Monsters, and suddenly it’s a whole other thing. There is a BBQ in that back glass, and if not beer it’s there in spirit. And if that’s not your game that’s fine. But it’s a better way to build a good game.
Quoted from AMpinball:Guys, this is alll ridiculous....
I'm an early owner of Houdini (I still own it, and played it tonight) and I'm looking forward to AP finally turning things around.
As for the train wreck this thread has turned into at times...don't reply, it's a losing battle. No matter what you say, someone will turn it around as a negative.
Quoted from mbwalker:As for the train wreck this thread has turned into at times...don't reply, it's a losing battle. No matter what you say, someone will turn it around as a negative.
I mentioned I do community management earlier. I had 10 reports this morning, all from the same user complaining about the same troll.
The problem is, all those reports were said troll replying to the person who made the reports.
He would argue with the troll, then report their reply. Back and forth, just the two of them. Almost the whole last page of the thread.
It's like ... you know they're just baiting you, clearly, because you keep reporting their posts. But then you take the bait anyways! It just gives them another chance to spew nonsense. And I have to clean up after it. 
I try and remind myself of that at times, how stupid it is. Because we're all human. I'm just as capable of getting sucked into a dumb argument. (Anyone who saw me lose my shit over Spooky and a silly AI image can verify it. I drained that thread to stop irritating people once I was capable of even a little self reflection.)
If I find that I'm constantly having to avoid wasting time with the same person that's when I add them to my ignore list. I look at it as one less thing to expend energy on in a world where we're constantly filtering. The news or social media or work or whatever. Why exhaust yourself with one more thing when a click of a button makes it go away? Hell, if my overly long posts grate on your nerves ignore me!
Personally although waiting to see I would love to see AP be able to rise out of its recent past year or more and become a creative and strong company making fun and quality pins.
It sounds to me like there is at least hope.
Quoted from Aurich:But make it Elvira and the Party Monsters, and suddenly it’s a whole other thing. There is a BBQ in that back glass, and if not beer it’s there in spirit. And if that’s not your game that’s fine. But it’s a better way to build a good game.
NOW we're on the same page. I owned that back in the day. It's a classic. I even got to go up to her hotel room one time to get her autograph on the manual. I still play it on an app, and it holds up well.
Thats a joke right? Nobody in their right mind would suggest that. It was pythons fantasy.
Quoted from PinMonk:Maybe we'll finally see production run of the canceled Zingy Bingy from the new AP?
Quoted from Aurich:If I find that I'm constantly having to avoid wasting time with the same person that's when I add them to my ignore list.
This thread is such an excellent example of this. I occasionally look at posts from the few people on my ignore list, then roll my eyes and remember why they were on my ignore list to begin with. Their aggressive/ridiculous posts are a waste of time.
I love spending time talking with people and contemplating different ideas. Cool. I like that.
Constantly watching one or two people aggressively attacking? No thanks.
Quoted from luvthatapex2:Thats a joke right? Nobody in their right mind would suggest that. It was pythons fantasy.
Oh, come on now. How could it be ANYTHING but a joke?
Quoted from AMpinball:Guys, this is alll ridiculous............ The point is that I want people who are passonate and love what they do. Both of these posts are silly and taken out of context soley to create controversy by people that speak with great authority on things they know nothing about.
Man, bravo for speaking and defending your business and your passion! That's taking ownership!
Quoted from Aurich:It sounds like you don't want to work for the new American Pinball. Cool. I don't want a job there either.
That’s good to know as there are many of us that don't want you anywhere near the pinball industry or even Pinside. We enjoy your Pinside departures that you continually remind us of when you return.
For me, I don't care for your smug, arrogant and condescending attitude towards the good people here. But that’s just a personality thing.
Professionally, a lot of people still remember your conduct during the Heighway Pinball fiasco when they hired you and you became the company spokesperson.
You posted on Pinside, almost daily, as if you were the CEO of every aspect of Heighway. And ultimately you cost a lot of people their deposit money by them trusting you before Heighway suddenly closed their doors without any warning.
And the way you threw your employer under the bus and proclaimed your complete ignorance of the pending disaster was truly embarrassing.
It may have been many years ago but people have long memories.
Quoted from Mr68:For me, I don't care for your smug, arrogant and condescending attitude towards the good people here. But that’s just a personality thing.
.
Tough but fair. But we all have our issues....I appreciate the people that understand they have them at least.
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