If my instinct on how TPA releases will work going forward is correct, then this month's table pack will be another ESS/alphanumeric pack and we won't see a new DMD until May. There are alphanumerics that can carry a pack (Black Knight 2000, Pin*Bot, Whirlwind and maybe 10-15 others), but that supply is limited and IMO, even fewer early solid states can do so (Centaur, Flash, Haunted House and perhaps 5-10 more). With that in mind, the idea of more tightly themed table packs deserves some serious consideration, in my opinion. FS have been fairly gun-shy on this so far—only Table Packs #2 (with a carnival theme) and #5 (with a motor vehicles theme) really qualify. Here are a few ideas I've had for table packs that I believe would be compelling (and this, good sellers):
- Backglass Bad Boys (Big Guns & Catacomb): The backglass tends to be an afterthought in much of pinball, serving mainly as a place to put art to draw players in. These pins, however, are two major exceptions to that rule, instead using their backglasses as space for a minigame that serves as an integral part of each table's gameplay. Catacomb's bagatelle minigame (where you have to complete color sets to start multiball) is probably more integral to gameplay than Big Guns' pachinko mingame (where it simply lets the player get an extra ball), but it's still an awesome idea that doesn't get nearly enough use. I think this two-pack would be a fitting tribute to some innovative thinkers in the pinball world.
- Free The Sterns! (Grand Prix & High Roller Casino): Modern Sterns have proven tricky for FS, as only a few licensed tables are legitimately good enough to merit a Kickstarter or cheap enough to license that they don't need one. Why not quell some of the dissension this has caused with a couple of modern Sterns that have no licenses? Grand Prix doesn't have the best reputation, but it is a Pat Lawlor design (a European rebranding of NASCAR, to be precise), so that could be played up in the advertising for the month this pack comes out. Meanwhile, High Roller Casino fills the mysteriously vacant space set aside for a gambling-based pin. Furthermore, it could also be hyped as the long-awaited two-DMD pack, which I'm sure would drive up sales substantially.
- Sequelitis (Black Knight 2000 & Jack*Bot): These are two great tables that we've been left hanging on for far too long. Making matters worse is the fact that predecessors to these two (BOP and BK) have already been out for a long time. Releasing these two languishing follow-ups together, therefore, makes perfect sense, linking them both in tribute to their forebears and in showing that rules are just as integral as table design to an enjoyable pinball experience (Casino Run, in particular, has been praised by no less than Bowen Kerins as one of the all-time best wizard modes). In addition, it would give two decks that were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time (right before and right after the DMD boom) a second chance at the success that they so richly deserve.
How do you guys like my theme pack suggestions? Do you have any theme packs you'd like to see?
- Backglass Bad Boys (Big Guns & Catacomb): The backglass tends to be an afterthought in much of pinball, serving mainly as a place to put art to draw players in. These pins, however, are two major exceptions to that rule, instead using their backglasses as space for a minigame that serves as an integral part of each table's gameplay. Catacomb's bagatelle minigame (where you have to complete color sets to start multiball) is probably more integral to gameplay than Big Guns' pachinko mingame (where it simply lets the player get an extra ball), but it's still an awesome idea that doesn't get nearly enough use. I think this two-pack would be a fitting tribute to some innovative thinkers in the pinball world.
- Free The Sterns! (Grand Prix & High Roller Casino): Modern Sterns have proven tricky for FS, as only a few licensed tables are legitimately good enough to merit a Kickstarter or cheap enough to license that they don't need one. Why not quell some of the dissension this has caused with a couple of modern Sterns that have no licenses? Grand Prix doesn't have the best reputation, but it is a Pat Lawlor design (a European rebranding of NASCAR, to be precise), so that could be played up in the advertising for the month this pack comes out. Meanwhile, High Roller Casino fills the mysteriously vacant space set aside for a gambling-based pin. Furthermore, it could also be hyped as the long-awaited two-DMD pack, which I'm sure would drive up sales substantially.
- Sequelitis (Black Knight 2000 & Jack*Bot): These are two great tables that we've been left hanging on for far too long. Making matters worse is the fact that predecessors to these two (BOP and BK) have already been out for a long time. Releasing these two languishing follow-ups together, therefore, makes perfect sense, linking them both in tribute to their forebears and in showing that rules are just as integral as table design to an enjoyable pinball experience (Casino Run, in particular, has been praised by no less than Bowen Kerins as one of the all-time best wizard modes). In addition, it would give two decks that were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time (right before and right after the DMD boom) a second chance at the success that they so richly deserve.
How do you guys like my theme pack suggestions? Do you have any theme packs you'd like to see?
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