Pinball Band Diversity

I feel like Beyonce would be down to at least have a conversation about it…
image

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Is she really tall or is the game really short? Haha

That’s the 1976 home version of Bally’s Fireball. Noticeably smaller than the commercial version, also has non-zipper flippers and a different playfield. Beyonce is 5’7" for reference.

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Wow. Tiny game.

How about a theme similar to America’s Top Forty/Hits or something of that sort where we have a pinball machine / jukebox where you can load licensed 20 complete songs that you can change up. Maybe offer loading video segments in as well as a separate price add on.

Plus side: You can add whatever music genre you like.
Machine is not astronomically priced out the door.

Down side: Licensing may not be cheap for some songs.
Gameplay has to be cool since it will be around for awhile as a pin/jukebox.

This is for those of us who want rock, jazz, hiphop, ska, country, trance, holiday music, elevator music and comedy all in one machine :smile:

Thoughts?

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Per Keith Johnson prior comment, dealing with multiple license holders is a nightmare.

I doubt something like this would ever be tried.

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I can certainly speak to that nightmare.

https://rawthrills.com/games/games-archive/gha/

One of the few games we’ve made that was still in super high demand after the initial contracts all expired. We attempted to try and extend everything and it reached such nightmare proportions that we walked away from potentially thousands of more games that could have been sold.

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Thanks, Josh. I am sorry to hear you had to go through that.

Would be nice to get some rap or alternative music but I can see that one would have to find owners of the IP who are reasonable in their licensing. I get protecting one’s brand and maybe there just isn’t enough interest outside of “us” because some of it has to be driven by the owners of the original IP.

Pinball has been associated with rock. When Slash, etc want to see a pin they will work to help make it happen with the IP if they can, if history has been a reference. For rap or alternative music there may not be as much cachet as having their group on a pinball machine or at at least isn’t on their radar. For newer bands appearing in a video game is the status symbol.

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I’d love a hip hop pin. So much I’ve been toying with Run the Jewels for my retheme project as I learn to homebrew.

Their music is high energy chaos with melodic mayhem, they’re a relevant band that regularly gets albums on modern top ten lists, and I know no one is ever going to build that pin for a dozen reasons.

I will say I think it’ll be tough for whatever manufacture does eventually do a hip hop pin. It’ll probably just be the Beastie Boys because they’re popular enough and rock adjacent.

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Also I second Beyoncé. She has an incredible library of songs that would go well with pinball and could be a huge hit with players not being served with current themes (who doesn’t have a wife in the Beyhive?). Although I bet she costs and arm and a leg and would be incredibly controlling of the art and assets. But that’s more the vibe I get than any hard facts.

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WuTang for sure
Snoop or Dre as well

Doesn’t solve the diversity issue but there are thousands of country bars that a large fraction of which would gladly have a country pin in, Garth, Alan Jackson, Dwight yoakam, B and D.

Similarly, shocking that a EDM machine hasn’t been made yet (does TNA count?). The BPM of most electronic music matches the flow of pins really well. Not to mention the possible light show. How to get smoke machines in there… I’m sure JJP can figure that out.

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Heck, make a haus music machine with just thumping beats similar to TNA - which sounded like the old Gottlieb arcade game reactor. Add the light show and you have your next hit.

Waiter, check please :slight_smile:

There seems to be this perception in this thread that white people don’t listen to rap or other genres. Or that all pinball buyers are in their 70s.

Yes, pinball is very white. But the white people buying games in the disposable income bracket manufacturers covet grew up with rap. It’s one of the most dominant music genres on the planet. White people listen to it plenty. When selling a few thousand games is a success you only need to reach so many people anyways.

I really don’t think the problem is selling the theme to customers. You want to know who’s old and white? The people making the games. When there’s enthusiasm on the manufacturer side for a rap game someone will make one. But we probably need the next generation of designers to flourish more first, and the old guard to start retiring.

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Mustang has a couple different songs through Sony music. The pro 4 and the premium/LE 8?
Ace of Spades, Motorhead
Drag City, Jan & Dean
Free Ride, Edgar Winter
Frankenstein, Edgar Winter
Go Boy Go, Jimmy D’Anda
I Just Want to Celebrate, Rare Earth
My Own Worst Enemy, Lit
What I Like About You, The Romantics.

Guardians has a couple different songs; Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Hooked on a Feeling, Cherry Bomb.

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I take it Drake would be too expensive?

Unless he were already a pinball fan he might be. :slight_smile:

Drake might actually be a pinball fan! Looks like he’s got a LOTR and Sopranos at home: https://64.media.tumblr.com/127504f4e64334dc906ab25d66cf1c48/tumblr_mov3txtEw71qzorm7o1_1280.png

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Wake me up when there’s a Solange homebrew

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