Well there is a bit of pinball news to kick around today it seems. First off, I wanted to pass along something that I have found out from a couple of different sources and that is what is next on the table from Stern now that 24 is out and about. In something that I found to be a surprise, Stern will be bringing Raw Thrills’ Big Buck Hunter to pinball, which is the first video game license to make it pinball in sometime and after that, they have licensed something to do with the NBA but I could find out very little about that. Having a video game turned into a pinball can be a good idea as it can pull fans from that game into pinball (personally I am surprised that a Halo-themed pinball hasn’t been done yet) – as long as the game is good. Where BBH is still one of the most popular coin-op games in the US I can see where this makes sense but we will have to wait and see what happens with the actual game. As for NBA pinball, that’s something else we’ll have to wait and see on.
In other news, one company is now in the process of creating their own original pinball machine conversion kit. Classic Playfield Reproductions is now working on creating a title called “Lost Vegas” that will be released sometime in 2010 as a conversion kit so you can have a new and original pinball machine. They plan on making 100 kits and possible some full 
machines as well from what I have read. The theme itself is NOT for kids however as the story revolves around a story of strippers set in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas. This also marks the first non-licensed pinball machine (something I have heard a number of people comment about lately – I think people are hungering for something that isn’t based on a TV or movie license) we’ve seen since High Roller Casino. It’s too bad for operators who target people of all ages that the theme on this one is limited to the adult market as I think it’s great that someone else is giving pinball a shot in today’s age. I am not meaning to play down what Stern has done in keeping pinball alive but at the same time I think that competition is a great thing. Granted with only 100 kits going out it’s not really posing much competition for Stern but they have to start somewhere if that is their goal.
Stern just gets worse and worse with their licenses. Nascar, Wheel of Fortune, CSI, Big Buck Hunter, and NBA basketball. WTF is wrong with them???
Thank god there’s a new player in town, making a pinball game I’d want to play. Bring on the post-apocalyptic strippers!
They shouldn’t have bothered…. learn on the failures of gottlieb, which produced the licensed super mario Bros and street fighter II.. although, street fighter II was not a big success, it plays quite well… no pinball based on a game has been a huge sucess… do not repeat that mistae…
the thing that is wrong is absolutelly the same, that got sega out of bussiness… Nowadays, stern is spending way too much money on a license.
I don’t understand why Stern are persisting with licences. I doubt there will be a big market for Big Buck Hunter. They need to become be more original, but because they not have any competitors they are not as innovative. I believe if Stern started to be innovative people will start playing pinball again. I liked Lord of the Rings of the recent games. Vic