So how does setting aside X amount of tickets for people who have been there before help that situation at all?
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Since when is it a right of anybody to enter a pinball tournament? Itās a privilege! It seems like some people feel entitled to get a ticket because they REALLY want in.
Pinburgh is fun, so a lot of people want to get in, but the organizers canāt accommodate everyone with that wish. Theyāre already doing all they can imo. Sure, it stings not to get in (been there), but hey, thatās part of life.
I agree with Artimage that the defending champ should be the only one with a guaranteed ticket so that they get the chance to defend their title.
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By taking traffic off the ticket site and potentially giving more than 30 seconds to secure a ticket.
ā¦to secure a smaller number of tickets. You get that traffic wasnāt the issue, right? The issue was 1200 people wanting 840 tickets. There was absolutely no issue with server traffic.
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Itās not a bad thing for people to challenge a process. Thereās always room for improvement. Others voicing ideas might help spark something that might actually work. No need to get worked up over opinions or ideas.
Do you seriously think anyone on here thinks you guys will change anything based off opinions on the internet?
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I think many people think just this all the time. I also think people for some reason assume ALL of these options and ideas havenāt already been contemplated and dissected thoroughly.
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I hope so! We take feedback seriously and change things every single year based on input we receive. If you think all of this hasnāt touched off lengthy internal debates, youād be wrong.
But 1) Iām entitled to my opinion that setting aside tickets for top players, a suggestion many have made, is elitist; and 2) I was attempting to clear up your misconception that something other than supply vs demand had anything to do with the speed of the sell out.
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I assume that you have considered a lottery? The advantage would be that people with a poor internet connection arenāt disadvantaged, and that people overseas donāt have to get up at some un-godly hour (3 am, in my case), to stare at a browser screen 
A lottery would also mean that people who canāt be at their computer at the relevant time (say, because they drive an ambulance or some such) would get a chance.
A lottery certainly would be equitable.
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I have a thought that does involve setting aside a small number of tickets, which I agree is bad, but hear me out.
I agree with others that economics says the price should be raised. The issue is I donāt like that this makes more elitist financially. So I suggest taking the extra money taken ($8000) by raising the cost and creating an aid fund to bring people who really canāt afford pinburgh the opportunity. Have people submit short essay and they can earn one of the aid tickets.
Probably a stupid and hard to implement idea. But I thought I would throw it out there.
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One other unfortunate thing: it locks some people out of playing in any Major this year. IFPA is restricted entry; Pinburgh couldnāt handle everyone; EPC costs too much time, money or both for many Americans to go; and PAPA isnāt being held. Iām sure more people could handle missing out on Pinburgh if PAPA was still there as an alternative trip this year.
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Bob, has it been confirmed by Kevin & company that PAPA is not being held this year?
I will tell you that this a suggestion I havenāt heard before, so you get style points. Iāll add it in to the discussion!
Weāre considering everything, guys. Just because one of us expresses a personal opinion doesnāt mean itās off the table.
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In the Teolis interview on Pinball Profile, Doug confirmed that itās not happening this year.
With it being such a family event Iād hate to see a lottery. My kid got it in but. It me. Or my driving partner didnāt get picked now I donāt want to go alone. Think it would be a much more complicated system in the end with many people deciding to refuse their tickets.
The biggest issue really just is more people want to play than the event can hold. Only solution is to try and grow it as best it can properly. All sorts of other special selection, invites, lotteries, golden tickets are still end with same result. Many people upset that they didnāt get in.
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A long term solution is to have more events that are bigger and better. That way you donāt have to go to Pinburgh, you can go to insert other fantastic event. You could even have a west coast Pinburgh in Pittsburg, California!
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You mean City Champ? It even sells out in an equivalent amount of time!
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If City Champ is moved to Pittsburg, CA Iām pretty sure itās possible to find a space that holds more than 80 people. In San Franciscoā¦ not so much!
Yeah but then finding the games would be a much bigger problem. Itās always something!
Itās almost like organizing a large and successful pinball tournament takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears (and time and money and people).
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Pittsburgh California is full of tears.
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