Overreaction? Uncanny X-Men Pinball Machine Goes From Hero to Zero After Live Stream

[@jaystengel7511]

Stop paying for incomplete games. Accountability.

[@davo-ju6er]

100%

[@EnzoLPOz]

But that’s how pinball works… all companies release unfinished games though….. nothing wrong with it. At least stern and spooky do constant updates l

[@OddButCools]

What a piece of art! I’m picking up an LE model for the nostalgia and limited quantity. With that said, I did catch a recent interview with Gary Stern. He said that add ons will be available in January 2025. As for the gameplay, they weren’t even built yet when they did that lackluster stream. Avatar’s debut was incredible in comparison. Gary is taking a bet on adapting this machine to the current video game market - launch a mostly complete game with hype, then release patches and DLC content along the way. He’s also trying to hint at replay ability and exclusive content through Stern Insider. He seemed sincere and is taking risks to draw in new fans. At the end of the day, the game has to be fun! Lets go!

[@KevinBriggs-d9u]

Really sad to hear that you have had to deal with abusive comments, especially when you make these amazing videos about a topic that is supposed to be fun. Yours is the best channel in pinball, and I hope that you don’t let a very small minority of people get you feeling too down. Thanks for all you do for the hobby, and for people like me who hope to own a machine one day but for now get to enjoy living vicariously through you and your friends. Cheers from Canada

[@007bondson1]

I agree with that 100% not sure on what basis would bad comments arise? This is pinball talk. People have freedom to listen to what they want. They need to grow up a bit

[@andysodyssey8174]

One thing I can say is pinball is a game I’ve seen pros in tournaments have the worst games they have ever played . It’s not lack of skill or the game in particular . It’s in a nutshell pinball . Any game at any time could be a good players worst game in a while. No matter the skill level.

[@EnzoLPOz]

Again another great diplomatic comment thanks. Enzo

[@PatsArcade]

I think you guys are missing the point here, one of the main purpose of the gameplay stream is to learn the basics, have some of the modes explained and gameplay. However absolutely nothing was explained during that live stream. A lot of people live in region where it will take a long time to be able to play one on location. So not being able to learn more about it from that stream is a real bummer especially as the LE are getting sold out by most distributors. Jack being stressed about a stream, are you joking? He is THE pioneer of pinball live streaming. Enzo seems like quite the Stern fan boy right there imo making up excuses. The animations looked like 2000 flash website animation of clip art that slides in and out. It surely looked like a fun party stream but it was not informative in any ways and useless if you were looking to base your decision on that. If Stern wants to learn how to launch a title, take a look at Avatar IMO. Top class trailer, top class preview video explaining every bits of the game. That's how its done, funny how the largest pinball manufacturer can be such amateur.

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

Hello Pat, Gonzo here. I may well be missing the point. I honestly didn't think people paid that much attention to a stream. Obviously I know they do for learning rules in a game. But I honestly didn't think that many would spend thousands on a game based on a live stream. I honestly find them hard to watch with all the screen sectioned off in different compartments. I obviously need to address how I view other peoples take on it (if that makes sense?). I am somewhat surprised to see the reaction to the guys dressed up. Clearly people want this stream stuff to be taken highly seriously. I'll try and bear that in mind when I do my Avatar and X-Men videos.

[@EnzoLPOz]

@@PatsArcade I guess I am a fanboy and there’s nothing wrong with that. The point being missed is that there were some very vile negative comments. That’s the part people are missing. There’s no need for it. People can have a negative view no issue at all. But that type of hate and anger we saw is unnecessary. Enzo

[@PatsArcade]

@@GonzosPinballFlipperama the reality is that many distros are sold out of LE's. If you are a big X-Men fan and really wanted an LE but would like to know more before dropping 13K USD + import fees, duties etc. other than the previous trailer and this funky live stream there are no other sources available to help you make that decision. So you can either order one without knowing much (not ideal) or waiting which will probably result in losing your spot for an LE. The way JJP presented their game IMO is textbook how it should be done, if I was interested in Avatar I would be confident in dropping thousands to order one even without playing the game first which sometimes can take quite some time when you don't live in the US. I think the hype was quite high for X-Men and the lack of explanation about the gameplay didn't help the ones that were on the edge of placing an order. That's quite unfortunate and I can understand the frustration. TCM was my dream theme when it was announced, however I still waited a week after the announcement to see some gameplay. Bug from Spooky did a great stream explaining the game and modes. That helped me to make up my mind and I ordered one right away, Those companies are selling us 10-15K USD products, sometimes we have to order before being able to play the game ourselves otherwise we miss out. Those official streams from the manufacturers should at least communicates the basics points across so people can make an informed decision. It doesn't need to be formal and they can still have fun doing it, however Jacks bulge in his pants was rather not appropriate for an official Stern gameplay unveiling video. He should keep that raunchy humor for his streaming channel. I personally didn't care but I owned a video game development studio in the past and it's not something I would have done on a corporate stream. 🤣

[@purdue98]

There is also Straight Down the middle KZbin channel. Zach M is a distro so he usually has a video on the game explaining rules. He usually posts within a week of the game launching

[@Major_Drain]

I was definitely underwhelmed with the reveal stream. They didn’t do a great job of explaining the rules or shots. The game looked like a drain monster even for the people with experience playing the game. I wasn’t a fan of the music at all or callouts although the voice actors were much better than say AIQ,….animations were ok, had a nice comic book feel. I really liked the flow of the danger room area and the randomness of the left pop bumper. I felt like it was missing that orbital flow in the layout, never thought I’d say there might be too many ramps. 1 or 2 quirky shots are fun but when the majority are quirky, makes me wonder?

[@leonardjusiak7415]

I never listen to what people say. It's their opinion. Everybody has their own opinion. From what I see I like. I like the fact that you're not gonna see your ball play volleyball on the side of the flippers! Then when the ball starts bouncing back-and-forth. You sit there and watch it and then it drain either right or left is very frustrating. That's one of the things I hate most games. Especially scared stiff!!!!

[@colemangreen4191]

The main thing I was interested in seeing was if the shots actually work haha. They seem to work better than I even hoped. The LCD and code and music (to lesser extent) do seem very half baked. IMO they have to figure this out so we don't get Bond, Wick, X-men situations. Give the poor rules/code guys 6 months to catch up or something. There is a side of my that loves code updates though and could get exciting about a NIB game that I go back to over 12-18 months just to see the changes. So far I just have year+ old games at home. As far as the 'drain monster' concerns I think its total bogus. I think the Stern guys were scared to get too far into the game for fear of pulling back the curtain on the 0.1 level code. They were also wearing silly costumes like you said. They lost mulitple balls that were saveable with a basic no warning slap save, I don't know what they were doing. Did anyone see a single tilt warning? There is a center post, really no left outlane, 8/9 major shots are RAMPS that return to flipper! How short can the ball times be? Seems easier to get out of the danger room than I was expecting.

[@mrfuriouser]

Agreed. Some drains and playing decisions were quite obvious and silly. I think they wanted to get it streamed before all others and damn the consequences.

[@jhoff80]

I won't be buying it anyway but that's because of money, not the stream. That being said I dont think they painted the machine in the best light. Whose bright idea was it to try to show off a game for the first time with a player with a mask over his eyes and claws on? If we had seen gameplay before now that'd be way different, but this was the first reveal. There should have been some grownup at Stern who knew better than to present the game this way.

[@tyarnold4088]

Jack Danger and other stern employees always dress up in outfits. Like every time. This must be the first time you have ever seen a stern game reveal.

[@jhoff80]

@@tyarnold4088 You're not wrong, it is the first Stern stream I've seen right after launch. That doesn't really change that this was a horrible way to show off the game, and I think the response to the stream reflects that. Do something like this as a second stream, fine. The first stream should actually show how the game works. JJP's Avatar reveal today did so much better of a job.

[@Cl1m4x_]

Hi Gonzo Hi Enzo I am really sorry to hear that some people have let their anger out in your comments section. I am usually a pretty quiet viewer, but on this occasion I think it is worth writing. (Maybe it will motivate you to keep up the great videos!) Your videos matter! They matter to me! I came across your Cactus Canyon unboxing video very early on in my pinball career. I think even before I bought my first game. And since then, your podcasts and videos have never let me down. I have rewatched/listened almost all of your podcast episodes while repainting walls at work, having spare time in the Military,on Flights, on long Car Rides... Some I watched twice, I think the interview with the owner of Pinball Heaven, the video in which you visited Mat near London...some Reviews or Top50 Videos also... I even visited Mat/Pinball Republic during my summer holidays because of you... and Chiefs Coffee... Another highlight is seeing how you have bonded with Craig over so many videos and podcasts ..... Or of course Spencer with his AAAlpinee, his subtle flirty way of joking and of course his dog ;D Not to forget the newest addition a man from the Upside Down... Enzo... Also a really great and humble addition to your channel. All I want to say is Thanks to you and your friends we get to enjoy videos and talks about things we want to hear and see... about things that maybe our nearest Circle isn't interested in... and that's ok... :D because we have an outlet... Gonzos Flipperama I hope my English is readable... Greetings from Switzerland! All the best to you guys! Tim and Gonzo watch "Triangle of Sadness" you will like it.

[@EnzoLPOz]

Thanks for the kind words. Enzo

[@BootsORiley]

21:30 700+ million on Wick is crazy! I happen to love Wick. I think it’s a great modern stern

[@16BitBear]

I'm looking forward to the Pro version stream to see if they discuss the rules, modes, etc. more. Also to see if they can get deeper into the modes and demonstrate more flow/progress. It's early code, but it would be good to get a perspective of how engaging the 'story' is to play through the game. My main concerns on the music and inconsistent animations/art, which can be updated. The layout seems fun and innovative. As an only ok player I do have some concern that none of them could get a game going, but could be first stream jitters. I'll play on location before I worry about buying one. FYI - gap between flippers is same as FF. Danger confirmed it during stream.

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

Thanks for clarifying the flipper gap mate.

[@michaelfokas8884]

I wrote this elsewhere but it probably captures my thoughts the best: Ultimately the stream was not a sales stream, it was a buddy buddy stream. In the end, I think what you saw from the reveal trailer is more what you'll experience in the game. These guys were in costumes and goofing around. They relied way too heavily on the center post and just kept draining.. some even played balls like they genuinely weren't in the mood to play pinball. You can't change geometry but you can everything else (audio..etc.) .. that one guy Nick who was playing actually played well and really showed off the flow of the game. The danger room is not as difficult as I thought it would be but definitely adds a bit of excitement. Every Stern game has the same story about code and how it's shipped to early. Luckily Stern has a great track record of updating games on a pretty frequent basis. Bond was a game absolutely blasted and is a top 20 game on Pinside. It also went from one of the shallowest games to one of Stern's deepest. Don't take this as a defending Stern comment. When I saw the reveal and the longer trailer, I genuinely was in a struggle to decide if I should sell some games and buy it or just keep getting projects and turning them over to build a collection later. I had FOMO burning a hole in my chest. The stream was a little bit of a let down to me because I was more frustrated about not getting MORE from it. The FOMO resided, now I can relax and play it at Expo. I still would like to get this game eventually but I know it'll be on the line for years and I don't have to rush. I fully expect JJP to come out today and have a great presentation for Avatar. Even if it's an amazing display, I don't like Avatar and I'm not fully convinced by JJP games yet to even consider wanting to drop money on them. I've played every JJP game and just have not liked any of them except Elton John, can they remain consistent with Avatar. It was a step in the right direction but they do not have the same track record as Stern in terms of how they develop out their games (code wise) in a timely fashion. Didn't they just update GNR after 4 years, at least you'll get 1.0 Stern by next year. Pay $12k and you might die before you get the final wizard mode on a JJP (ala Godfather)

[@moobutt]

@@michaelfokas8884 agreed, Elton John is JJP’s best game by a long shot.

[@tyarnold4088]

This unfinished code thing has been mostly since covid. Before that most codes were good coming out. Except for stranger things.

[@doctoroctos]

I have faith in Jack. I am still interested!

[@moobutt]

100%

[@johndoe-yw7eb]

Used to be "don't discuss politics or religion"... now it's "don't discuss Marvel or Star Wars"

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

😂😂 I said exactly that to my girlfriend when we were discussing online comments last nigh John.

[@Fenshiro]

Great video! I totally agree, X-Men still looks great. Very premature backlash on this pin for sure.

[@EnzoLPOz]

Thanks mate I am glad you enjoyed it. A lot of people didnt like my opinion on this video lol Enzo

[@Mr901TommyJax]

Thank you Enzo. I was unsure about you mate but good on you for telling folks to calm the f*** down. I we tear everyone and everything down the second we see it, before we even touch it, we will never have anything worth a damn. A lot of folks pissed me off yesterday with their reactions to something they have never even seen in person. So we want pinball to stay around or do we just like bitching about stuff. Yuk.... just yuk...... thank you for the video guys. Breath of fresh air. Cheers mates

[@moobutt]

YESSS! Absolutely disgusted with the way people were reacting. It’s pinball! It’s supposed to be fun! People were mad that they dressed up because they’re supposed to take pinball seriously 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@EnzoLPOz]

Thanks for your kind words. I just wear heart on sleeve and don’t like seeing the hate. These guys work very hard to release a game.

[@EnzoLPOz]

Thanks again Enzo

[@ToddHowardsChessClub]

Haha, great thumbnail. They just needed to explain more what was going on. The fact it looks tough is not a bad thing. Just think after the awesome reveal and initial hype they really needed to try harder during the stream.

[@redrum3r]

foo fighters was consistantly the lowest monthly earner on a wall of modern sterns. Gonna be interesting to see if it was theme or design, given a second data point.

[@Ren_G.]

We love our Venom L.E. Perfectly long enough games. Intense and fast!

[@RETROCENGO]

What a great show, agree on so many points/aspects, pinball is all about having fun. Too many negative angry people out there, that just wanna complain cuz they wanna complain. X-Men is such a fresh approach to pinball, I’m loving it!! By the way, you two make a great team, keep up the good work, greetings from Denmark/Retrocengo 😊

[@CollectorsLounge]

I'm getting the LE. I like the layout. I like the gameplay. The music needs improvement. But overall I'm happy with it. At the end of the day, you buy the machine for you. Not based on someone else's opinion

[@Mo_Ketchups]

21:31 The rule sheet for JP (Premium) is 787 iPhone pages long! 👀 If I get a fossil, it’s nothing short of dumb luck. I enjoy deep rulesets, but in a way, I’m w Gonzo-it feels like I’ve played the same 20% of the game a thousand times. 🤷‍♂️

[@0xAndy]

I love your videos and appreciate the time you put into this channel.

[@thesmoness]

You could see people showed up to knock down Jack a notch since people were saying he is the new goat. For real most comments knocking the Xmen game would also mention how they would get Jaws or some Elwin game instead. Seemed targeted to protect their god. I saw this and I am not interested in Xmen and never was.

[@BootsORiley]

18:40 so glad the UK is about to get a pulp Fiction. Absolutely brilliant game

[@markm9282]

As a paid LE buyer i just hope they update some of that Muzak lmao 😂

[@crashonehard]

Jack stated the flipper gap is stock, same as Foo Fighters.

[@dontquoteus5379]

Stern never finished the programming on the first X-Men pinball they put out in 2013. I'm gonna make a video showing how it hits a brick wall after finishing all heroes and villains. Would be great if they would put in the final wizard mode that they removed in version 1.51 because 1.5 only had a placedholder mode. Finish what you sell!

[@Mo_Ketchups]

Stern just needs to stop revealing & streaming before the cake’s baked. They’d save themselves a lotta grief. 🤷‍♂️

[@YouSeeSorrows]

I'm getting a premium. Actually canceled a Godzilla order in favor of X-Men. The stream wasnt good but I'm confident itll be a great game. If i had to nitpick though, I wish animations were more in line with Foo Fighters (more frames, less static images) and the music is pretty bad. Both can be fixed in updates so hopefully Stern listens to constructive feedback.

[@GearheadDaily]

I watched the entire stream live and took some time to digest what I just saw and honestly, I'm underwhelmed. Not with the code or music. The music gets repetitive on almost any game. But more so completely underwhelmed by the shots and overall layout. It felt almost gimmicky. A broken bridge with the sentinel hand, the 'danger room', the loops that feel superfluous. It feels like this game has the start of many, many great ideas but they were all crammed together into one machine that doesn't have a coherent theme to it. The sentinel theme would have been fantastic as a motif, but its almost a secondary character broken up into a finger, a hand and a head. Combine that with all the other what I consider "gimmicks", it just feels a bit jumbled. I truly applaud Jack for his work, its bold, its different and it looks like nothing else. However, I was left with the impression that this was a overly complicated novel that needed a strict editor. While other games feel uninspired, this one feels to me overly inspired. I'm not trying to hate here, but provide constructive criticism.

[@JustinMBailey]

Overly inspired….if you have to get a criticism I think that’s a pretty good one, you don’t hear that one much.

[@GearheadDaily]

@@JustinMBailey lol, its a nice way of saying "too many ideas at once" :)

[@mrfuriouser]

I do think, regardless of layout, an engaging story within the code will help very much. Time will tell.

[@GearheadDaily]

@@mrfuriouser absolutely agree. Even with good code, this playfield layout feels overly jumbled

[@wesleychapman4097]

Agreed. Not buying until I play now. Was gonna pay after teaser but not after stream

[@donjaun540]

I don't know who gives the negative views, but they should take a step back and breathe. Look I'll probably never be able to afford even one new table, but I appreciate the hell out of all the hard work, creativity, artistry etc. that goes into any pinball machine. When I do get a rare chance to play a pinball machine I take in the magic that comes from a piece of ART. Thank you for all the hard work and for this channel that showcases amazing game play and the most beautiful pinball machines I've ever seen. 👍😎👏👏

[@EnzoLPOz]

This was a great message to read today! Thanks mate Enzo

[@Tiger2000Lion2005]

Absolutely straight on...watch the last 30 minutes and its an awesome play with great layout and shots. The artwork is fantastic. The music is underwhelming and Stern has acknowledged this and is in the process of augmenting the code. I think people put it on the pedestal and anything that came out was going to disappoint but with a few changes its going to be one of the best stern has put out

[@EnzoLPOz]

Well said thank you for watching. Enzo

[@Johnny-Five]

Did you see the super low high scores on that live stream? If the creator couldn’t keep from draining continuously and not flow it’s a no go for me.

[@afattori316]

No code will save that for an average player and most people are.

[@TurboTanuki]

I think the game looks awesome and I'm sure it will play spectacularly. The only minor concern I have is with the Danger Room to the left it does make it a bit narrow for the main play field, but I doubt that will be a major problem. I think it's awesome that he experimented with the different design so it will be a unique contribution to the Stern catalogue.

[@afattori316]

Be prepared to lose a few grand on this experiment if you buy.

[@petermckay4432]

Game still looks great to me but I love Venom and John Wick (and most other pinballs tbh)! 😂

[@EnzoLPOz]

Agreed 😊I love venom and John wick Just find them hard cos I am a crap player 😂 Enzo

[@Freakyguy666]

This code was so premature it didn’t even have the progressive captive ball “Beast Lab” integrated into the code and that’s one of the main mechs in the game!

[@Gambenoful]

Say what you want about Venom, its a fun ass game to shoot. This X-men game does look fun to shoot, but the code doesn't look fun at all compared to Venom. Avatar is looking way more tempting atm then x-men. I can understand why people are feeling let down. Again, this could be all settled if stern would show more of the rules and code when they first show the reveal trailer. Then you wouldn't have crazy expectations.

[@ukxvc]

I could tell Jack was really nervous and everyone were hoping to have a good game to show it off but it just weren't to be. I think they should pre record some gameplay footage of them having a few good games to take the pressure off themselves, that way they'd all be more relaxed. I only have a few games but some nights, none of them want to play ball yet other times I can rip em up. That's pinball isn't it? Code and stuff on the game is early though so I expect it to mature given some time, therefore if I were on the market for one I'd be waiting til I'm happy with where it is or even play one first. This game wouldn't be for me though as I have OCD about my stance and being dead centre of the flippers, it's just how I play.

[@joelpomerleau4015]

You’re probably one of the most wholesome pinball podcasters. Keep doing what you’re doing I thoroughly enjoy your content!

[@EnzoLPOz]

Thank you Enzo

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

That is a really nice comment Joel, thank you so much . . . I'll keep going. Have a great weekend

[@timborski1210]

Still looks awesome, i just would wait till code is almost complete. They wanted to get out early in front of JJP and Avatar imo

[@williammauney1129]

Just getting into the hobby but I think it looks pretty cool. Only have a few pins at the moment (JP and DP) and I don't really watch streams but could see adding this eventually after Godzilla and Rush.

[@RealSquares]

Everyone is a Critic

[@Yetterben]

Waison fucks up everything he touches. Even managed to fuck up Lyman’s lay game. My first new in box was South Park so been around for a bit

[@McShiggley]

I'm sorry, but aside from the Wolvie/Sabertooth fight, the animations look terrible. Makes sense now knowing they rushed it out. I know it's unlikely, but I hope they come back and update them.

[@TwirlingFern]

Things have changed. We didn’t know the music, character sounds, and callouts and now we do know they are absolutely terrible. Art and gameplay look pretty good still. The broken bridge goes SDTM though. They should have been more professional on stream, played without goggles and gloves, and EXPLAINED the gameplay.

[@sungleong]

It's not that bad, but it's spectacular either. I think they showed us the pro version, right? I didn't see the sentinels' hands stopping the ball.

[@bobby_pilgrim4528]

danger needs to talk to Jon H Benjamin and make a Archer pin!... No idear DeadFlip was killing it so

[@antray8481]

Seems they made a game that has loads of new things. People wanted new things, then when they saw the new things they were annoyed as it it was confusing and hard and different. I don't think you can have it both ways.

[@007bondson1]

Honestly I think the video shot them in the foot and didn’t do the game justice BUT stern needs to listen to the feedback and make the improvements or else people will no longer buy on FOMO (LE’s etc) I’m saying they have a chance to do a course correction here , let’s see if they do it.

[@pinrex47]

Let’s be clear, they rushed this release to get ahead of JJP. Plain and simple.

[@johnmcclane2139]

What does it mean that the John Borg title got shelved? Does that mean pushed back or canned completely? Also, is there a rumor on the theme for this shelved pin? Thanks!

[@RBPhantomTilt]

George Gomez said it on my podcast yesterday. X-Men got put in front of another game that got in trouble. Phantom Tilt Pinball

[@FloydMaxwell]

I had the exact same thought after the livestream

[@WhispersfromtheWarp]

Dont listen to the internet rage… I bought my first two pins this year, Godzilla and Venom both prm. I read all the terrible Venom reviews… if I listened i wouldnt have bought it. I adore the game, and the stacking of multiballs is good fun

[@GonzosPinballFlipperama]

I'm pleased for you mate, great to spend big on games and love them.

[@WhispersfromtheWarp]

@@GonzosPinballFlipperama yea man, I almost let all the haters influence me on Venom...I love the IP and he was my fave as kid...the game is fun, granted playfield is open, I kinda like the fan style shots

[@davidtucker4044]

Don't understand why you would buy a game where you have to wait up to a year (years) to be able to play it properly. They should be released with the code pretty much complete but people are willing to pay in advance so good for Stern only.

[@EnzoLPOz]

JJP spooky they all the same they all release games with unfinished code. At least stern do updates often unlike some

[@007bondson1]

Ya but JJ has 22 modes in most games. They usually have way more in the code on release than stern but I do like the updates and continued improvements Stern does. They don’t just dump it and walk away typically.

[@michaelfokas8884]

Flipper gap is standard. Jack stated on stream that he copied the exact dimensions from Foo Fighters

[@EnzoLPOz]

Yes correct. I must of missed that in the stream. That’s what happens when you try entertain two kids at same time 😂 Enzo

[@michaelfokas8884]

@@EnzoLPOz all good Hahahah it was said quick tbh

[@joeb3008]

I unfortunately already gave a deposit on a premium. I might have to lose it if I can’t transfer it. I’ll lose way more than that if I want to sell it

[@cltkicksfunkltd.]

Y’all are making it too complicated. It just looked like a basic, dull game. Not many shots, not much inventiveness. Meanwhile Avatar looks absolutely incredible with interesting layouts and TONS of shots. They are suffering more from that competition and both being unveiled days apart from each other

[@brunogaspar3977]

Foo Fighters had good fist impressions, ppl bought it got tired fast. X-Men had good fist impressions but before the purchase ppl already have reservations…I think it’s the designer indeed, ppl are afraid that it will be another Foo Fighters. The games have interesting things but contrary to Keith Elwin this wine doesn’t age very well…just sayin

[@EnzoLPOz]

Finally a diplomatic negative opinion and answer. Not one fuelled with anger and hate.

[@brunogaspar3977]

@@EnzoLPOz Thank you…I guess. It seems ppl are afraid to acknowledge this fact, I was one of them, played the game, was impressed at first by the features and overall gameplay but with time I stopped playing…that doesn’t happen with Iron Maiden, JP and Jaws, I keep coming back to this games. Nothing personal against X-men, the art is good and the game does have interesting things, more stuff than previous games.

[@hipponotic4823]

Damn…I watched and sent my deposit for an LE.

[@mundy2120]

This is the reason why you don't go all in before seeing gameplay footage..

[@JackpotMike77]

Avatar wins and as usual stern drops the ball again and let's the pinball world down. As is the xmen theme is a huge miss and very specific. Hard to find a connection. Where's avatar has much more or a pull, then the new feel of both of these games is pretty neat...avatar smashed xmen

[@ginobozzi3954]

Yup Avatar looks like a real new experience. X-Men just looks like another cash grab not feeling it at all.

[@JackpotMike77]

@ginobozzi3954 stern has completely lost their way. Rushing unfinished games and mass producing junk. I wanted to like xmen, the shots and playfield were bold. But the music is such a buzz kill and drain monster is rough. They should have left benante where they found him, 2nd string drummer, from a washed up band. I hope they scrub and redo the soundtrack. That would help sooo much. Avatar just feels like more of an adventure and immersion experience. And not rushed.

[@ginobozzi3954]

@@JackpotMike77 totally agree. Just to be clear I’m not a fan boy for either company. I just love pinball. Actually I don’t think I have ever played a Jersey Jack pin. After seeing the Avatar trailer I was just blown away. I totally want to play it now. I mean I saw the first movie back in the day and that was about it. X-Men I have a huge collection of comics, but the art on X-men pin is so bland what were they thinking? At least get a comic book artist for it. Jim Lee…anybody. I mean why rush a product out the door, why because expo is coming? I don’t see it selling well, but I could be wrong. Will see.

[@JackpotMike77]

@ginobozzi3954 xmen is already selling better than venom and Wick. Their worst games of all time, yet that's not much of a step up. Venom was so basic it's incredible that trash was made by a team of people. It's more of a 4000 home model. Jersey jack has taken more creative risks. I an not a fan boy and I don't own one. But I have the utmost respect for them over stern because each of their machines is WAY way way different from the previous. Each feels totally unique and has pretry cool creative elements. Wizard of oz, their first was so groundbreaking and is often overlooked... dialed in is such an incredible Lawler experience. Wonka super fun. And I hate Elton John, but the pinbal looks fantastic and plays awesome. I like jersey jack because they don't rush machines. One a year, maybee and they have the passion and haven't lost creativity and new ideas. My favorite pick of the year and only purchase in 20 years was labyrinth. Getting it after 11 months of waiting it was worth it. The theme is sentimental to me, but the total package is incredible. The playfield is a true maze and labyrinth. The movie and assets and modes are integrated very well and you feel like your playing though the movie yourself and having the experience. Some funny. Some frustrating. The music by David bowie is pounding, on point and incredible. It's not the best playfield ever but it works darn great. What's incredible is the total experience all factors and chef kiss attention to details the machine has.

[@JackpotMike77]

@ginobozzi3954 barrels, jersey jack and others are pushing forward with great experiences. And the sterns have just keep falling flat on cheap engineering, cheap quality, rushed, bad music, whiffed themes, I'm just burned out by them. And the xmen gave me hope from the trailer and the hope and hype was shattered by the live. It's so deflating. It gets to a point where I'm numb to them now and just can't care anymore and will never buy one again...

[@afattori316]

Reveal trailer had the FOMO bug get me, gameplay stream was the vaccine.

[@EnzoLPOz]

Watch the last 20 minutes of stream. Xmen is going to be fantastic

[@904PinballZine]

Is this less code than Batman 66?

[@reffob-qr8kj]

There's no "controversy" people are just voicing their opinions based on what Stern Pinball themselves put out to the world. The stream did not even remotely live up to the teaser. That doesn't mean the game won't be amazing when we get to play it, but that stream was very weak on many levels. If I were a potential buyer I would certainly hit the brakes for now.

[@EnzoLPOz]

People are entitled to voice their opinion agreed. But some of the opinions were very negative and very much full of hatred and vile. Thats the part I disagree with. Enzo

[@catsaretasty]

Don't buy it?😂

[@AJFurypinball]

What source says Borgs game was pulled?

[@RBPhantomTilt]

George Gomez said on my pod yesterday that Xmen was put in front of the game that was supposed to be next because it got in trouble.

[@joshgrube84]

Did you really say the animations don't look like AIQ and that they look very much Gomez DP? I must have misheard that. Bruh.

[@EnzoLPOz]

He’s taken inspiration from DP I meant. Enzo

[@townrumor]

The table was beautiful the animation 🎞️🎥📺 =💩 Wolverine claws to long picture on the left

[@ginobozzi3954]

Avatar launch is exciting this is a bummer. They messed up. It’s obvious. It was a bad business move. You guys want to defend it it is what it is. The masses have spoken. The art alone is so bland. It’s based on a comic and they would of been better off taking the art from one of the thousand comics that have been made over the years. It doesn’t look good and you can’t improve it with a software update 😂

[@joeybeaulieu8123]

freedom of speech only applies when you can say things people don't like, otherwise its just speech. Its up to you to desifer wether to use it as constructive criticism or just ignore completly. To even suggest that you should ban people who say mean things. Is the most communist thing ever said on a pinball podcast. Not everyone will like the same things. I personally think this table is masterpiece and looks like alote of fun. only unsubscribing cause of that whole you should be a tyrante on language comment. I don't agree so I wont support you. See how that works? I still let you say what you had to say that I didn't like, and from there I made a judgement call on my actions? anyways I'm sure you will figure this out.

[@EnzoLPOz]

Sorry you feel this way Joey. All I meant was that the vile hatred comments should be banned. There’s no need for it. Some were abusive. People are entitled to freedom of speech. I have a friend that didn’t like what he saw but his negative comment was fine. Enzo

[@thatoneguyisherenow]

The AI thumbnail is….something. Have you considered hiring an artist, if you can aford pinball surely you can afford to hire an artist yea?

[@afattori316]

Avatar reveal was spectacular. It felt like a behind the scenes movie reveal. If JJP could put half the amount they put into the light shows into gameplay, it would amazing. EJ was definitely a step I the right direction, but again theme choice and price. CE Avatar is the one to get, but not at $15k. Just don’t want to take a $3k hit. Everyone can’t wait to buy a used one. Someone has to buy NIB so we can buy used. Prices need to come down but they won’t. Try selling a GF CE or TS4 without taking a bath and a shower and not wanting to kill yourself. Looking forward to Avatar. They should have put in an upper playfield, that would have put this over the top.

[@johnmcnaughton9604]

I got into pinball about ten years ago. It’s always made me cringe when collectors give unsolicited marketing and design advice to manufacturers.

[@EnzoLPOz]

Dons pinball podcast has played the game and as suspected not a drain monster lol he said it’s not brutal or overly complicated. Go check out his podcast

[@firstnationsindian8062]

These pinball companies lost me at 15K.

[@heppo6]

All in all, the Uncanny X-Men stream was crap. On the bright side, it can only get better from here!

[@EnzoLPOz]

Yes unfortunately don’t go their way but it’s upwards from here

[@AdamGtr86]

Pinball is the only hobby where customers feel undervalued, every day, even if they buy a game.