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All Williams/Bally pinball machines unavailable in Pinball Arcade after June 30th (all platforms)

Shaneus

Shaneus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,896
For people in the gaming area that care, due to the licensing agreement for undoubtedly the most popular/well-known modern pinball machine manufacturer(s), the following tables will be unavailable for purchase on ANY platform after June 30th:

Williams:
Tales of the Arabian Nights (1996)
Bride of Pin•Bot (1991)
Medieval Madness (1997)
Funhouse (1990)
Gorgar (1979)
Monster Bash (1998)
Black Knight (1980)
Taxi (1988)
No Good Gofers (1997)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993)
Firepower (1980)
White Water (1993)
Space Shuttle (1984)
Pin•Bot (1986)
Whirlwind (1990)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Fish Tales (1992)
Black Knight 2000 (1989)
High Speed (1986)
Junk Yard (1996)
Diner (1990)
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993)
Earthshaker (1989)
Cyclone (1988)
Jack*Bot (1995)
Red & Ted's Road Show (1994)
The Getaway: High Speed II (1992)
F-14 Tomcat (1987)
No Fear: Dangerous Sports (1995)
Hurricane (1991)
Swords of Fury (1988)
Firepower II (1983)
Spanish Eyes (1972)
Wild Card (1977)
Sorcerer (1985)
Banzai Run (1988)
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Bally/Midway:
Theatre of Magic (1995)
Cirqus Voltaire (1997)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1992)
Elvira and the Party Monsters (1989)
Scared Stiff (1996)
Twilight Zone (1993)
Attack From Mars (1995)
Dr. Dude (1990)
Cactus Canyon (1998)
Centaur (1981)
The Champion Pub (1998)
Black Rose (1992)
WHO dunnit (1995)
Party Zone (1991)
The Addams Family (1992)
Xenon (1980)
Safe Cracker (1996)
Judge Dredd (1993)
Fireball (1971)
Indy 500 (1995)
Eight Ball Deluxe (1981)
Doctor Who (1992)
Paragon (1978)
Fathom (1980)
World Cup Soccer (1994)
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This is likely the reason they were having issues publishing it on Switch as well, though that's purely speculative at this point.

More info here: Pinball Arcade FB
FAQ: Pinball Arcade Fans

While you're here, be sure to join the ResetEra pinball community in the official Pinball thread!
 
Mezentine

Mezentine

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,969
I don't see how this doesn't kill the app entirely, and Farsight as a studio basically. How are they going to manage with 75% of their catalog gone?
 
Bigkrev

Bigkrev

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,307
This fucking sucks, and I really want to know what company holds the rights to the Williams/Bally tables that isn't renewing the license so I can give them a piece of my mind
 
ramoisdead

ramoisdead

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,525
Well that sucks.

So much for having a digital pinball museum for my children and children's children, huh Farsight.
 
Zomba13

Zomba13

#1 Waluigi Fan! Current Status: Crying
Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,908
While I don't personally care that much about pinball this absolutely sucks for people that do and the studio. I really hate how licensing deals fuck up so many videogames. Like, the length of the licence is always too short or the holders refuse to renew and leads to games getting content removed or made unavailable for purchase.

At least someone, somewhere will have worked to backup and preserve this content.
 
SteveWinwood

SteveWinwood

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,676
USA USA USA
From the FAQ:

Williams/Bally Table Announcement FAQ

1. Why has the license not been renewed? Whose decision was it?
The company that controls the WMS IP chose not to renew our agreement.

2. When will the Williams/Bally tables stop being sold?
June 30th

3. Will there be discounts on the tables before the contract expires? If not, why?
No, our agreement with WMS prohibits there being any sales on their tables before we have to take them off the market.

4. Will there be any updates/bug fixes for the tables before/after the contract expires?
Yes, we will continue to support all of the tables in Pinball Arcade.

No sales... man fuck this shit

Mezentine said:
I mean, maybe because Farsight is varying degrees of incompetent and stretched thin and Williams/Bally had some legitimate concerns with how their properties were treated

But still its fucking brutal
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I mean are they going to do anything better with them?
 
Plinko

Plinko

Member
Oct 28, 2017
18,563
WOW. This is terrible. Kicking myself for only snagging season 1 on Switch before it was taken down.

WaveBird said:
Alrighty people. Pens and paper out. Which ones are worth playing?
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Oh my goodness. Like 40 of them are fantastic.

Tales of the Arabian Nights (1996)
Bride of Pin•Bot (1991)
Medieval Madness (1997)
Funhouse (1990)
Monster Bash (1998)
Black Knight (1980)
Taxi (1988)
No Good Gofers (1997)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993)
Firepower (1980)
White Water (1993)
Pin•Bot (1986)
Whirlwind (1990)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Black Knight 2000 (1989)
High Speed (1986)
Diner (1990)
Earthshaker (1989)
Jack*Bot (1995)
Red & Ted's Road Show (1994)
The Getaway: High Speed II (1992)
F-14 Tomcat (1987)
No Fear: Dangerous Sports (1995)

Banzai Run (1988)
Bally/Midway:
Theatre of Magic (1995)
Cirqus Voltaire (1997)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1992)
Elvira and the Party Monsters (1989)
Scared Stiff (1996)
Twilight Zone (1993)
Attack From Mars (1995)
Cactus Canyon (1998)
The Champion Pub (1998)
WHO dunnit (1995)
The Addams Family (1992)
Safe Cracker (1996)
Judge Dredd (1993)
Indy 500 (1995)
Eight Ball Deluxe (1981)
Doctor Who (1992)
World Cup Soccer (1994)

All of these are good.
 
Deft Beck

Deft Beck

Member
Oct 26, 2017
844
Space
I have a feeling that the license holders will seek a different developer now that their relationship with Farsight is ending.
 
HotHamBoy

HotHamBoy

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
16,423
As much as this sucks for all of us this really sucks for Farsight.

I don't think they ever exoected this after some 15-odd years of a relationship.

As you can see, this is the lion's share of the TPA catalogue and by far all the most popular tables. Most people don't even like the Gottlieb games made after 1984.

This will definitely murder them unless they have more software planned. I expect them to move away from pinball.

WaveBird said:
Alrighty people. Pens and paper out. Which ones are worth playing?
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The large majority
 
Plinko

Plinko

Member
Oct 28, 2017
18,563
Direct from their Facebook:

"No WMS tables will be sold any longer for the Switch version."

Fanfreakingtastic. Ugh. I'm furious. I dragged my feet on getting anything other than season 1 when it released, and now it's gone forever :(

Only Gottlieb and Stern from here on out, which is terrible news. Gottlieb tables are complete trash.
 
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Atilac

Atilac

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
688
What is the total cost of going out and buying all these tables now for the game?
 
Brannon

Brannon

One Winged Slayer
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,580
Too many of them are too good to miss if you like pinball. Gonna be some tough choices to make in the next few weeks.
 
HotHamBoy

HotHamBoy

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
16,423
Atilac said:
What is the total cost of going out and buying all these tables now for the game?
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Depends on if you want to buy the seasons or just the individual tables. In some cases you're better off with the seasons.

Probably at least $200
Plinko said:
Direct from their Facebook:

"No WMS tables will be sold any longer for the Switch version."

Fanfreakingtastic. Ugh. I'm furious. I dragged my feet on getting anything other than season 1 when it released, and now it's gone forever :(

Only Gottlieb and Stern from here on out, which is terrible news.
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Yeah I figured this was the case.

I am also really upset.

I honestly can't think of many tables I'd want now.
 
1-D_FE

1-D_FE

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,253
I'm gonna have to go through that list tomorrow.

I own Season 1 & 2. It's been a long time since I looked at their store page on Steam. Didn't even realize they had so many seasons. I'm assuming the majority of those are in Seasons 1 & 2.

Really sucks! And pretty much destroys my dream of ever getting to play these in VR.

They should do a fuck you and release a VR DLC that allows you to play whatever you own in VR. Like what Zaccaria does (except with tables I actually wanna play in VR). I'd pay major money for this VR DLC.
 

Deleted member 3017

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,653
This is absolutely awful and essentially kills the entire package for me (and likely many others).
 
Atilac

Atilac

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
688
Buying all 7 seasons of the pro versions (not sure what the difference is between pro and non-pro) cost $280 before tax...
 
OP
OP
Shaneus

Shaneus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,896
Pretty fucking gutted about the Switch version being gimped, jealous of anyone who managed to snag any releases on there before they were pulled. Us EU/AU people never had the chance :(

I'll likely buy a few more seasons on Steam, already own about half (I think) so shouldn't be too painful to get the rest.

Edit: For people wondering, the Pro upgrades are not worth it in the slightest, not for the tips nor any of the customisation options.



So much for the preservation of pinball being their primary goal, their license deal must've been pretty tenuous if it stops them from selling previously licensed games ever again.

Interesting that their main audio guy (Norman) left a few months ago, too. Maybe the writing was on the wall even back then?
 
matimeo

matimeo

UI/UX Game Industry Veteran
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
979
Luckily I got most of the pro seasons 50% off in the past on Steam. oh well I am only missing 2 seasons so I will eat the costs of the most recent season next month I guess.
 
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lobdale

lobdale

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,990
Absolutely horrible for any fan of pinball. Glad I've bought all of these on PS4 but really bummed that this is the end, and was the only place to play these classic tables.
 
HotHamBoy

HotHamBoy

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
16,423
Here's a list of the remaining tables.

Black Hole
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Harley Davidson 3rd Edition
Genie
Big Shot
Flight 2000
Haunted House
Lights Camera Action
Tee'd Off
Victory
Class of 1812
Eldorado SS
Eldorado EM
Cue Ball Wizard
Phantom of the Opera
Starship Troopers
Frankenstein
TX Sector
Rescue 911
Last Action Hero
Bone Busters
Frank Thomas Big Hurt
Cactus Jack's
Gladiators
Al's Garage Band Goes on World Tour
Pistol Poker
Wipe Out
Centigrade 37
Jack's Open
Ghostbusters Premium

I'd say less than half of those games are worth a damn and 7 are in Stern Pinball Arcade.
 
Supa Necta

Supa Necta

Member
Oct 25, 2017
881
I guess I'll have to pick some of these up. I have a PS4 and an Xbox One. What is the preferred platform between the two?
 
adj_noun

adj_noun

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
17,173
HotHamBoy said:
Here's a list of the remaining tables.

Black Hole
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Harley Davidson 3rd Edition
Genie
Big Shot
Flight 2000
Haunted House
Lights Camera Action
Tee'd Off
Victory
Class of 1812
Eldorado SS
Eldorado EM
Cue Ball Wizard
Phantom of the Opera
Starship Troopers
Frankenstein
TX Sector
Rescue 911
Last Action Hero
Bone Busters
Frank Thomas Big Hurt
Cactus Jack's
Gladiators
Al's Garage Band Goes on World Tour
Pistol Poker
Wipe Out
Centigrade 37
Jack's Open
Ghostbusters Premium

I'd say less than half of those games are worth a damn and 7 are in Stern Pinball Arcade.
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Holy shit

They've been gutted
 
OP
OP
Shaneus

Shaneus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,896
HotHamBoy said:
Black Hole
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Harley Davidson 3rd Edition
Genie
Big Shot
Flight 2000
Haunted House
Centigrade 37
Ghostbusters Premium
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Pruned for ones that are at least even remotely worth playing (let alone buying).

Atilac said:
Would steam be the best platform to play them on?
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Not just play, but also keep for future-proofing. They'll almost always work on a PC in the future, but they'll definitely be bound to whatever console/device you buy them on otherwise. Save for maybe iOS/Android (but if you switch platforms, then you're screwed because there's no cross-buy).
 
HotHamBoy

HotHamBoy

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
16,423
Shaneus said:
Pruned for ones that are at least even remotely worth playing (let alone buying).


Not just play, but also keep for future-proofing. They'll almost always work on a PC in the future, but they'll definitely be bound to whatever console/device you buy them on otherwise. Save for maybe iOS/Android (but if you switch platforms, then you're screwed because there's no cross-buy).
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I'd actually disagree with some of that list.

Harley Davidson sucks and I'm not a fan of the digital versions of Black Hole or Genie, or even Haunted House.

Add these to the rest of the above:

Definitely solid:
Last Action Hero
Eldorado EM
Jack's Open
Wipe Out

Love it or hate it:
Lights, Camera Action
Frankenstein
Gladiators
Cactus Jack's
Frank Thomas Big Hurt
Phantom of the Opera
TX Sector
Rescue 911

But that's a divisive list, for sure
 
Dead Man Typing

Dead Man Typing

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,835
Man this is a wake up call.
After the Pinball FX3 Switch patch got announced I've been meaning to look into getting a Pinball game for on the go.

Better open up the old wallet before June 30th. Downloading the free app now.
 
SoH

SoH

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,733
Wait. Aren't some of the season 7 tables Bally and Williams and haven't even been released yet? Are they going to go up for a week or two and then be taken right back down?
 
LuigiV

LuigiV

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,684
Perth, Australia
Damn that sucks. Was waiting for Switch before finally dipping my toes into the series but now maybe I should invest in the Steam version before they all disappear. Seams like it'll get quite expensive, though.
 
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