We’re getting a full-size Portal pinball table before Portal 3

Officially licensed spin-off features familiar voice talent; starts at $11,620.

See full article...

 

[Aurich]

I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Multimorphic‘s platform, the big LCD screen doesn’t do much for me, and because you can’t drill holes in it all the physical layouts for their games end up at the top of the playfield.

But perhaps with Valve being involved the quality of the LCD animations will be higher.

 

[Aurich]

I was thinking the playfield looked a bit sparse and just kinda all at the top...but then the end of the trailer explained it for me.

It's a pretty neat setup I guess, looks like the game kits basically just swap that whole top section out (along with whatever software change) for different games? Cool but again seems to lead to all the action being at the top by default. Or can the kits have other bits lower down in the playfield?

You have the gist of it, yeah. It's not impossible to put things over the LCD, just tricky, because you cannot actually have any holes. So you can't have a scoop or a traditional pop bumper, obviously, but even a ramp or something 'above' the playfield has to be free floating and anchored from the side.

If you look that's how they're doing the flippers.

For me pinball is about the physicality, stuff like an animated LCD playfield is kinda neat at best, mostly meh, and sometimes actually distracting and annoying. For me personally. But the downsides of limiting your layout creativity is the biggest issue.

There are so many cool and innovative games that are trying new layouts and new ball interactions, and not being able to do that near where the actual flippers and 'danger' and action is kinda sucks.

Just for example, it wouldn't be possible to do a game like Godzilla with that tech.

(Full disclaimer: One of my non-Ars hats is working in the pinball industry, I have worked on released commercial games, and a new one that's coming soon, so keep in mind that my criticism has whatever bias you want to assign to it since I technically 'compete' against companies like Multimorphic. But I've held this opinion about their games for well over a decade, and I think it's based on sound logic.)

 

[Aurich]

this one does extend down tho

Sort of. It has the same issue all MM games have, this huge empty middle.

 

[Aurich]

Dumb question... Does this manufacturer have an online scorekeeping/achievement system like Stern?

Not that I'm aware of, and checking it seems they're not supported by Scorbit either.

Nobody really competes at the kind of level Stern does, they're the big fish in the small pond.

 

[Aurich]

Soundalike if you think all Brits soundalike. Stephen Merchant has a very distinctive voice, this guy is just annoying (although I think that amount of talking from a pinball machine would be annoying either way).

There's a trend in pinball over the past few years to be chatty as all get out. I don't know why.

Watch a video of Spooky's Halloween pin as an example:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwNArd-IGwo


Sometimes it feels like it never shuts up. They're far from the only offender though. Stern's Jurassic park reads you a story on some shots. We went from punchy callouts to yappy ones.

 

[Aurich]

Did you work on Addams Family? That would explain a lot of why you and it are both so awesome and why it's one of my favorite tables. Your graphic design is some of the best I've seen and I'm not just saying that.

Haha no, I was in high school when that game came out. The modern game I did the most work on is Alien. But thanks for the compliment.

 

[Aurich]

Having played some older pins at the Seattle Pinball Museum just yesterday, this trend goes back to at least Funhouse (1990). That dang puppet's constant jabbering completely exceeded my fond recollections of it. Still a good table otherwise.

Some of Stern's newer tables do seem to hold the ball for an awkwardly long cutscene more often than I'd like, though, if that's what you mean.

Still, immensely quotable and witty voice clips are a fantastic ingredient for a quality table, along with clever, thematic twists for ball movements. Portal seems like one of the best candidates I've heard of in ages for a pinball adaptation.

I hope it has plenty of good doodads that move as you hit the targets. The Cactus Canyon remake is an example of a pin that does this beautifully, like other classics of its era such as Medieval Madness and my personal favorite, Attack from Mars.

I'll be on the lookout for this one at arcades in my area.

Funhouse has a protagonist, being taunted by Rudy is part of the charm of the game.

Attack From Mars is an all time classic. I have one in my garage (technically not mine, I'm babysitting it for a friend who's out of space).



It's a perfect example of really solid callouts. Great voice acting, funny lines, short and punchy. Nobody is reading you a novel.

 

[Aurich]

This table pack adds 'extensions' that protrude or cross the central LCD including a drop down ramp. That's why there is a $3.9k version and a $5.5k version of the game packs. The lesser pack does not have the extensions. For me the lack of ability to build in the central area also has been a negative but at least they are attempting to address that. I think that large LCD also drives off a lot of game pack developers since you have to familiarize yourself with Unity and also be adept at creating art for it. I suppose generative AI could help with that aspect.

There have been different attempts over the years to do pinball 'kits'. There was Pinball 2000. There's Multimorphic. Even the first commercial game I worked on, Alien, started with Highway pinball and their kit system.

I get the attraction, but I've never found them satisfying. I was really glad when Highway went bankrupt and the original investors bought out the assets to form Pinball Brothers that they re-engineered Alien to be a stand alone game. I was much happier being able to do traditional cabinet art for it instead of a dumb plastic insert in the side. Multimorphic solves that with big magnetic decals I believe. I haven't kept up with everything.

I think there are a lot of issues with the idea of swappable playfields, but one big one is you get locked in to whatever decisions you make at the start. I think it was 2013 when I first played the P3 format. The design has essentially stayed the same since. Every single game has to wrestle with the big LCD playfield.

I just don't think the tradeoff is worth it. But that's me, I know there are people who are big fans.

Ultimately I like my pinball physical. Before I did Alien I was flirting with designing my own game. I have the tools and skills, it's just so much work. I think after working on games and really learning the ins and outs of the process I'm probably not going to attempt it myself. Ignorance is bliss!

But my sketches for games were all callbacks to early 80s solid states. I want less LCD screens, not more. The ball and the playfield and the interactions and kinetic action is the draw. I already have plenty of ways to play with screens in my life.

 

[Aurich]

Yes it does extend down, it's a seperate optional addon. It's adding lifting ramps, targets, spinners to the middle third.

View attachment 105447

That is not a wide open middle (not that there's anything wrong with that, some of the most popular games of all time have wide open middles like AFM)

It helps for sure.

And I love AFM, see my photo earlier. The thing is I don't want more AFMs. You could argue it's the ideal fan layout (some might say Medieval Madness, same designer, I think AFM is the better game). But once it's been done, and frankly copied enough times, you want something else.

My friend Scott, who did the Final Resistance module for the P3, also did Total Nuclear Annihilation and Rick and Morty, both games with layouts that wouldn't be possible on the P3. And to me at least both more interesting.

I'm interested in seeing new ideas, new takes. I think what Keith Elwin and Jack Danger are doing at Stern is great. And again, those layouts just aren't possible with P3. It's too limiting.

TNA and R&M and Godzilla all playing with new pop positions down closer to the flippers for instance. It's a callback to the more wild layouts of the early solid state and even EM days, and I'm here for it.

 

[Aurich]

Checking the pinball thread of another forum I'm on, and this amusing Mastodon thread came up, of a repair tech checking out a P3 machine (Weird Al in this case):

https://mstdn.social/@ifixcoinops/109955814730889853

Meanwhile Aurich's mention of Godzilla got me to check that out...and now I'm debating dropping way too much money on my first pinball machine. Course I considered it when Foo Fighters came out too so this feeling will probably pass. On the other hand, it's Godzilla, it's what he'd want for me!

I have a good friend who's a full time pinball tech. I sent him that Mastodon thread a while back, and he basically laughed and said 'yup'.

I'm not trying to enable anyone to buy a pinball machine. They're big, and expensive, and heavy, and can be a pain in the ass.

But ... Godzilla is fantastic, and one of the few modern games that I still think about selling one my remaining pins in exchange for even though I'm basically done buying pinball. It's just a super good game, from top to bottom. And I'm pretty picky about pinball.

If someone were to "own one game" it's a top contender imo.

 

[Aurich]

The serial downvoter who hates pinball has been told to go have no-fun somewhere else.

 

[Aurich]

Hmm... I'm going to look for it, there's a good chance I'll be near one in a couple weeks. I hope I don't forget to grab a bag of quarters on the way! Although they probably use tokens now.. or... shudder a card

Most places will still take cash, though with the way prices are up you might hope for a bill validator ...

Ooh, I didn't know there was a Metallica table drool

Not only is there one, they just re-released it, as a 'remastered version' with some modern bells and whistles but essentially the same gameplay. So if you go out looking for pinball it's pretty likely you'll find one since it's new and hot again.

Here's a handy resource if you're on the hunt: https://pinballmap.com/

The way I ended up working on commercial pinball releases as an artist is I first got known for my aftermarket upgrades and mods and alternate art for pins. One of them is a replacement hammer I make for Metallica to replace the chunky and kinda meh plastic one it comes with.

I've done a couple versions, but the current one is made from laser cut wood and a 3D printed core, with leather and metal spikes. They're not cheap, you're buying a high effort hand made product from me, but for collectors who like to bling out their games they're popular.

 

[Aurich]

As a professional in the "industry" with many failed projects... and a "Staff member" here on ARs... maybe you should keep your opinion and comments to yourself.

I think is VERY BAD FORM for you to be a member of ARs publicly badmouthing a potential "competitor" to a current or future product you may be involved with.

You are bias and not independent in this.

I know you're a Multimorophic fan, and that's fine. Enjoy whatever you like. Don't be weird about it though.

My suggestion is instead of worrying about my opinion, or making up things about me (many failed projects?? lol, okay) because you don't like my particular take on things spend your time talking about why you like the P3 to present some other viewpoints. Someone might find your take interesting.

I promise you inventing attacks on me isn't going to make anyone here go "wow, I bet that game is great after all!"

 

[Aurich]

Ooh and thanks for the link, I didn't even know there was a pinball map! I hope you didn't ruin my life!

Buying pinball is dangerous, enjoying going out and dropping a few bucks into machines sounds healthy to me!

If you can find a place operating one of these P3 games you should report back. Just because I don't really care for them doesn't mean anything, everyone likes different things. Wouldn't be a very interesting world if we all like the same things.