I’m trying to organize a TNA launch party for sometime in January, and I couldn’t find any new information on this.
The only thing I saw on the IFPA site was “For tournaments to be eligible for the World Pinball Player Rankings, they must be on the calendar at least 30 days prior to the start of the tournament.”
I remember a time when launch parties were exempt from this, but I don’t know if this is still that time. Anyone know?
Launch parties are no longer exempt (I don’t think anything is actually.) For the most part I think people have stopped bothering to submit launch parties since they have now been so devalued.
Thanks. It’s at a location with 8 other pins, so the only real launch party part of it is that it is new to the location.
Wait. WPPRs are calculated differently for launch parties? I didn’t realize that. I just assumed it was from the very simple formats that are usually used for them.
“Official” launch parties from IFPA sponsors still get a waiver on the 30-day rule. Often times because the manufacturer themselves don’t have that notice before announcing the parties.
Individual random “unofficial” launch parties do not get that waiver.
Tournaments follow the same TGP grading as normal events in either case.
What I meant was many launch parties are run using a format in which only that game is played, which results in very very low tgp.
I have run my last few launch tournaments as 3-strikes knockouts. Our location does not put the machine out on the floor until the launch tournament. Tournament players cannot play the new machine until they are either knocked out or make the top 4 at which time all remaining rounds are on the launch game. It gives eliminated players a silver lining since they can now play the new game and it’s fun to watch the final 4 battle it out, learning as they go. Rates out to 96% for us.