Absolutely. We will be getting the games we’ve been getting plus some if you want to pay for the extras. That’s my expectation. I could always be wrong, but I see nothing so far that tells me otherwise.
I also don’t think we see anything out of this system other than the free stuff for quite some time.
I think a lot of people are scared of the example set by the video game world and frankly I understand it. Stern gets to define what is a “complete” game so it’s a moving target. If they say Godzilla is complete but the King of the Monsters Challenge mode is an additonal Insider Connected All Access Mode then we can’t really say they “removed” it. But based on past examples, that kind of thing has SOMETIMES been included in games.
I think it will be a grey area as to what constitutes extra and what is the core game but really we can only see what they actually do and then speculate on that.
If I’m an operator, I’d feel entitled to some type of compensation for money Stern is making on ME operating MY owned commercial equipment.
With all that, I am excited for this Insider Connected and I just hope Stern doesn’t blow it.
Maybe Stern will delivery everything they have always delivered and more but if past history indicates anything, it’s that things get removed from the games and the price goes up. It’s not hard to look at a game like Simpsons or Lord of the Rings and go “wow, look what we used to get for our money on a base level game, and look what we get now.” So I don’t think it’s a stretch to see this as a way for them to charge more for features they’ve already been providing. I don’t expect it to happen with the first or second release but I’d bet the farm it’ll be chipped away at until it’s the new normal.
I learned that Stern appears to have put the Insider Connected website up a bit early, oddly separate from the current Insider page(s). You can’t actually sign up for it at the moment – attempting to enter your email during the registration process throws up a “domain name not valid” error regardless of what provider you’re using – and a number of links that seem like they should lead to new pages simply direct back to the subdomain’s main page. Regardless, there’s some new information there, which I’ve edited the OP to include and will also mention below:
In the app, you’ll find detailed information on playfield features, tutorials and how to engage certain game modes.
I know this is getting to be a bit of a long post already, but there’s a few other observations of mine I want to include here:
Finally, just for clarity’s sake, here’s all the prices I’ve seen associated with Insider Connected thus far:
This isn’t getting into the post-2022 price increases, which are a) not solely because of the added technology (though it definitely is part of the reason why Stern did this) and b) weirdly hazy right now, at least as far as I can tell.
stern sponsored stuff for op’s??
So do they pay the ops for free games that stern gives an player?
Do ops need Insider Connected All-Access?? or need Insider Connected PRO? or maybe need Insider Connected All-Access + Insider Connected PRO?
Also need Insider Connected All-Access for some prizes?? that may lead to legal issues
all the “addons” are planed at the start. no different than DLC in video games that once you pay a whole new level is added even though the download was just 100kb. All they will do is release incomplete games like they do now, say its complete, then charge for the “extra” that was always supposed to be there anyway.
And this, if it is the plan, is exactly why customers should be told up front what type of content is going to require a subscription.
I’ll wait to see what is actually done before commenting further. I have no concerns about any of this at this time.
I think people worry about these things given stuff like the ST UV kit. It was not announced at launch. Clearly, you did not get the complete game, since you needed an add-on to see the paint already shipped with the game.
Looks like this is actually $300 based on the pricing shown on Stern’s website. Oof.
Added to the OP. At this point, I really think Stern ought to be a bit clearer about all of this - not just clarifying their plans for the platform, short and long-term, but also solidifying exactly how much everything related to it costs. This kind of contradiction between sources is frankly annoying.
Also:
The website lists Pro as a separate entity from regular Insider Connected and All-Access, so I imagine that operators will be able to access their specific features through the former but will need to pay to access any of the added gameplay benefits that will eventually require All-Access (same as regular players). I don’t know how exactly this will work when it comes to maintaining machines that lock certain things behind All-Access - perhaps this is a sign that Stern won’t outright paywall mechanisms and that their paid modes will be more along the lines of the topper-exclusive ones? Wishful thinking, perhaps, but only time will tell.
If you are an Insider member do you unlock features on other IC equipped games or only on specific ones you own? Do you need to pay a subscription per game?
They seem to say special events and quests Need All-Access?? But some of them seem to be location based so maybe just PRO for parts of them?
Or does the site need to pay + the player?
The over lap is confusing and I don’t think it will work to well when it’s just stern saying you WON an item at this location when the OP / location did not set it up them self’s.
Here’s my suggestion to Stern: create a matrix like you do when a pin releases.
Give the consumer a clear timeline for when DLC would kick in vs what is considered standard complete code.
Owners should be able to download rules/modes that stick with the game instead of being triggered by a QR scan. By making this transferable you create more value for the game when it is sold, taking the sting out of purchase.
I will have more…
The basic membership works across all equipped games. The website only mentions a flat yearly fee for All-Access, so I imagine that paying members will similarly be able to access their gameplay benefits on any IC game.
The image showing promotions on the site suggests that players with All-Access will obtain better prizes from completing whatever qualifications are necessary (i.e. filling out a virtual stamp card by playing 20 times on a specific machine). I don’t think operators will need to pay a subscription on top of that to receive them, though I’m admittedly not 100% clear on Stern’s plan for supplying their physical rewards. (Will they ship them directly to the player’s address? That was my first thought, though I don’t think there’s very much to substantiate it at the moment.)
Will the features be unlocked just for the player with all access or will it apply to anyone playing that game? If I leave credits on a game will the extra modes/rules carry over with the credits?
I’ll be happy to send you a picture of my QR code so you can play as “me” for free for the rest of your life 
And let you claim all the free Stern swag I’d earn? Pfft!
In all seriousness, as a customer these are things I want to know, and I’m certainly not the only consumer of a high dollar toy questioning what exactly is included in the game I am buying.
The more I think about it, the more I feel like you should be able to associate your serial number with your account and unlock everything available on the game you own at the very least.
The whole subscription-based additional content thing works a lot better for location play though, but only if operators get some sort of compensation through it, in my opinion.
serial number ??
so what happens if you need to swap the main CPU board? Pay stern an repair fee??
and what about 5-10 years down the road? sorry we don’t support spike 2 any more so we can’t activate your game any more (may lose local stuff)
or may it be you can buy an spike 3 cpu board and an backward-compatibility kit for $$$?
