Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

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Chris K
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Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by Chris K »

Farsight (makers of "The Pinball Arcade", AKA "TPA") lost their B/W rights recently, and had to pull their B/W tables from TPA. Now Zen Studios makers of "Pinball FX") have acquired those rights. They'll be shipping Fish Tales, Medieval Madness, The Getaway, and Junkyard this year.

https://toucharcade.com/2018/09/04/zen- ... s-pinball/

I've been impatiently waiting for Farsight to launch their VR mode for TPA... I played it at Expo two or three years ago and it looked nearly ready to launch. But Farsight has a famously slow development cycle, and VR still isn't here.

Zen has a VR version of Pinball FX2, so there's a decent chance we'll finally get VR B/W tables. I'll buy 'em all when that happens.... I played the Zaccaria game in VR mode and it is WAY nicer than any other form of "computer pinball", IMHO. Good enough that it crosses the "fun" line for me.
Our pinball table breeding stock:
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Scared Stiff, Black Hole, Roy Clark, Monster Bash Remake, Future Spa, Big Deal, Top Score, Baywatch, Rick and Morty, TMNT, Sinbad, Guns N Roses
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ralphwiggum
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by ralphwiggum »

Farsight has pissed me off for years... It started way back in the xbox360 days where they completed neglected the 360 with some weird publisher issues. They never released any of the titles they promised forever.

Zen on the other hand, makes really fun games to play. While the physics aren't amazing, the games are just really enjoyable.

I wonder what triggered the license switch from Farsight to Zen? Farsights inability to actually produce new stuff?
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by DeaconBlooze »

Someone speculated it may be a push to sell more of their cabinets. That might be true. I'm happy with the switch, I like real pinball machines available in a digital format, but farsight physics always seemed really floaty. I think zen feels a little heavy, but I think a big complaint about most of their tables is the flipper spacing (or at least my memory of that perceived minimal space). That shouldn't be an issue with the licensed b/w tables.
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Wh20 :: PinBot :: Flash :: Firepower :: BSD :: SW Pro :: Pokerino :: TnA :: Bank Shot :: Stars :: Sky Jump :: Laser Cue
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Chris K
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by Chris K »

Perhaps the fact that Farsight shifted development to Stern tables was part of it. I doubt they’re selling many of the B/W tables these days, with Farsight putting all their development into Stern tables.

But yeah, I’m pissed at Farsight, too. I would have bought every table they had if they had put out the VR version. And from what I played at Expo, it was ready enough to release. A bit rough, but it played fine.
Our pinball table breeding stock:
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Scared Stiff, Black Hole, Roy Clark, Monster Bash Remake, Future Spa, Big Deal, Top Score, Baywatch, Rick and Morty, TMNT, Sinbad, Guns N Roses
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by CftBL »

The part about this that is really cool is that Zen Studios developed a new physics engine for more realistic gameplay. I've never liked their engine, so I am hoping that the new one does the games more justice
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Chris K
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by Chris K »

So maybe I shouldn't be building a pinball room in our new place, but instead a padded room for VR. ;)
Our pinball table breeding stock:
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Scared Stiff, Black Hole, Roy Clark, Monster Bash Remake, Future Spa, Big Deal, Top Score, Baywatch, Rick and Morty, TMNT, Sinbad, Guns N Roses
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by Hilton »

Chris K wrote: Wed Sep 05, 2018 12:18 pm So maybe I shouldn't be building a pinball room in our new place, but instead a padded room for VR. ;)
I think you should go for something like this...
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Chris K
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by Chris K »

Let's do it on the moooooon!

Darth Vader was never so cool. :)
Our pinball table breeding stock:
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Scared Stiff, Black Hole, Roy Clark, Monster Bash Remake, Future Spa, Big Deal, Top Score, Baywatch, Rick and Morty, TMNT, Sinbad, Guns N Roses
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by Chris K »

And now Farsight finally gets off the pot and is ready to release their VR version:

http://www.sternpinball.com/community/s ... -tables-fo

Looks like I'll be buying some Farsight tables after all, at least after I get my VR setup up and running.
Our pinball table breeding stock:
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Scared Stiff, Black Hole, Roy Clark, Monster Bash Remake, Future Spa, Big Deal, Top Score, Baywatch, Rick and Morty, TMNT, Sinbad, Guns N Roses
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by DeaconBlooze »

Better late than never, I suppose. Any word on when FX3 might add VR support? I think they have FX2 on VR, but I haven't played around with that too much. If I remember, it was only a few of their games.
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Wh20 :: PinBot :: Flash :: Firepower :: BSD :: SW Pro :: Pokerino :: TnA :: Bank Shot :: Stars :: Sky Jump :: Laser Cue
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Chris K
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by Chris K »

Zen made a few VR-specific tables, with goofy stuff happening outside the table (like a knight walking around in the medieval game, or sharks swimming around). Unfortunately the larger library wasn't VR-enabled.

I don't know when FX3 is supposed to get VR, but I hope it's soon!
Our pinball table breeding stock:
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Scared Stiff, Black Hole, Roy Clark, Monster Bash Remake, Future Spa, Big Deal, Top Score, Baywatch, Rick and Morty, TMNT, Sinbad, Guns N Roses
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by DeaconBlooze »

Probably gonna buy 1 of those stern tables day 1. Not much interest in their early dmd titles. Maybe ST? I would go with Ghostbusters, but I've heard the digital version is bad. I haven't heard why, though.
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Wh20 :: PinBot :: Flash :: Firepower :: BSD :: SW Pro :: Pokerino :: TnA :: Bank Shot :: Stars :: Sky Jump :: Laser Cue
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by ralphwiggum »

I have the Stern (nintendo Switch) tables. I feel like ST is the best player of the bunch, followed by Mustang.
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by DeaconBlooze »

I gave it a quick trial tonight. Had to register. Take off the headset. create an account... or login to an account... do I already have one? Well I'll just click forgot password. Nope, I guess I'll create one. User already exists. I guess I'll just use a different email. No acknowledgment of a button press is unusual... ill try it again. Still nothing. I'll take a leap of faith and put my headset back on and just air stab at this virtual keyboard with the numbers and letters on different pages. Finally..


The good news is Mustang is a free trial, and it seems to work pretty darn well. Floating my hands to play just doesnt feel right. If fx3 gets released I may make one of those vr pinball controllers. It seems way better than keeping a full size cab.
Current machines:

Wh20 :: PinBot :: Flash :: Firepower :: BSD :: SW Pro :: Pokerino :: TnA :: Bank Shot :: Stars :: Sky Jump :: Laser Cue
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Chris K
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Re: Zen acquires B/W video game pinball rights

Post by Chris K »

I’m slowly digging out at home... I’ve got my desk back together, and I think I’ve found all the parts of the Oculus. I gotta get this up and going soon!
Our pinball table breeding stock:
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Scared Stiff, Black Hole, Roy Clark, Monster Bash Remake, Future Spa, Big Deal, Top Score, Baywatch, Rick and Morty, TMNT, Sinbad, Guns N Roses
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