8 replies to this topic

[xzotic]

I'd be interested to know if people on here that own real pinball machines get bored with them after a while and end up using them very infrequently. Very much like people who buy swimming pools or pool tables...after a while the novelty wears off and they are ok to use now and then...

...or is it different because the machine and ownership of it has much more rewarding factors than just playing it. Like the satisfaction of restoring or fixing problems, tweaking it, finding new aspects of the play or even the admiration of owning a piece of history? Is it the social aspect of sharing your passion with others like here on vpforums or with friends? Is it the ability to relive fond memories from your youth?

I don't own one myself but I love playing the many tables available through vp. I think also for me fiddling with improved tables and conversions etc in vp is almost like the restoration process on a real machine! Suddenly you find yourself spending more time on "the back end" than actually playing!

Anyway, I'd be interested in others thoughts...

[templarjh]

This is a really good question and topic. And I guess my answer is going to be a little mixed, sort of.
I have two electro-mechanical machines, a Lariat and a Satin Doll. I've had the Satin Doll for about 8 months and the Lariat for about 2. I can say that yes, over time I do play them less frequently. When you first get one you're on it constantly, but interest will fade after a while, especially after you've achieved certain goals on it, like turning over the reels or getting specials. I'd say when I first got either I was on it several times per day, whereas now I'm on them a few times per week.
I do have to say though that it is an absolute joy to have friends come over and try these out. I don't think I'll ever forget my 19-year-old friend over here, who had never played a pinball game before, on Satin Doll saying "this is really addicting," and now he's completely hooked on the Lariat. Other friends have played different games before but liked the chance to try something new. I love having these.
Now on different tack, I do dread having anything go wrong with them, since I don't know how to fix it :/ There's a guy in the city who does repairs but he charges a LOT and I guess I don't blame him since it's not like there are many people who know how to work on these.

Anyway, to answer the original question, it's a big maybe

*edit* Oh I forgot to say that it is a big thrill to have the Lariat; they only made 150 of these, I got it for a good price and I'm not used to having that sort of luck. It's an awesome game and yes, there is some pride of ownership inherent in these machines.

Edited by templarjh, 20 April 2009 - 08:47 AM.

[xzotic]

Your comment about having friends enjoy the machines is a good one...however a guy I know who has an Adams Family pin is an absolute gun on it and loves it to death. So much so, that when you go and see him, he ends up playing it in front of me rather than letting me get full enjoyment of it! It's like come and see my great pinball machine and watch me play! It's still a load of fun but I wonder how many other owners like to play for their friends and end up taking more time than their mates!

Another interesting aspect about your comment is the fact that you now have more than one machine. This intrigues me. This could be a real expensive hobby which is difficult to expand not just for financial reasons but also in terms of space...(and keeping the other half happy). What drove you to get another and will you go a third?

[templarjh]

There's another friend of mine (21 years old) who, on his second game on the Lariat, turned the reels over. This kid's a prodigy! Ironically his favorite machine from back in the day is also Taxi.
Yeah normally when I have friends over I let them play the games. It's like I live here; I can play them all the time so why not let them have a go at it when they can visit? I love playing against my friends but generally (um ok all the time so far) I have more experience with pinball games so I usually win. If they have more fun going against each other then let them have at it.
I'm looking for an SS

Oh wait I forgot to respond to a bit of that - yes it does seem that this hobby can become expensive. I *thought* at the time that just one machine would end my addiction when I got the Satin Doll. Then I'm at the convention and I just can't turn away from the Lariat. Now I'd love to have "just one" SS but I know it's going to wind up being more. And yeah btw I'm in a rent house with roommates right now so I do not have any more room for machines till I eventually get my own place. I'm single ( ?) so I guess that helps.

I guess long story short says having a machine or two is super awesome but I'd hate for them to break down and I'm out of room.

Edited by templarjh, 20 April 2009 - 09:54 AM.

[Pinball Ken]

OK, strictly, my UltraPin isn't a real machine (or 15 machines with its choice of 15 tables), but it gives me the feel and pride of ownership of one!

Yes, I was playing it several hours initially but, now, it's more when my daughter is here that we play an hour or so. Otherwise, I seem to be at the backend, improving the play and indeed the tables. But I'd be doing that with a real pintable, polishing the playfield or balls, replacing bulbs etc.

I'm playing several times a week as it is and for twenty or so minutes on average!

PK

[PinballDork]

I have 18 machines. from 1948 to 1995 see link below. I personally love to fix them, I like to buy project machines that have issues and repair them. I hate paint related issues... I fail at touch ups and art repairs.... So I like to buy a machine with a nice playfield and Back glass, I don't care if the cabinet is not the best... As long as it is visually OK... I can get the rest working.

Getting board: Yup, there will be time when a machine will get very little play.... Then a guest will play it, or I'll play it after some time and then It'll be my top player for a while... Like woman it's nice to have variety, but I definitely have my regulars... Machines that don't get much play and don't keep me "coming back"... will soon be sold to get another machine that hopefully I like better. Thanks to Visual Pinball, I have made some decisions on machines to buy based on the VP recreations. Doozie, and Domino both of those games I enjoyed on VP, and when I found them for sale I grabbed em. I have one machine that is quite deceiving, "Dealers Choice" it looks like a wide open yawn fest... But for some reason this is a favorite EM of me and my Son. It's fast fast fast.

But for me 1/2 the fun of the pins are the repairs... I find them fun to hunt down and find the root cause, and fix... My machines don't get all that much play, but there always seems to be some thing to repair on one of them... I can see why pinballs aren't found in many arcades, they are a lot of work to keep them perfect.

Glenn

http://usergallery.m...ery/pinballdork

[TheManFromPOST]

Yes and no

there is more to pinball ownership than just playing them;

Tweeking a game so it plays right

Fixing a problem (this weekend, one blown fuse, and one colum of switches suddenly not working)

Tearing down a machine to get that one photo for VP authors to do their thing

Keeping it clean

Replacing rubbers

Cleaning/replacing switches


But the best thing about pinball ownership is getting on forums like this and sharing your passion with people from all around the world

[el_timbo]

Xzotic, really good post!

Although i would love to own a machine of my own, space is a real factor of mine at home. And this is why i love VP so much! It gives me the chance to not only play the table, but it provides some insight into the way a table is built, and scripted.

As a result of the whole 'no space' thing, my girlfriend and i have this list that i keep in my wallet, of all the pinball machines that we find out on location. We write them all down; so if we're up for a couple of games, we just have a look at the list, get a coffee- and play a few games. Actually, it was quite interesting the other night, we had to drop my best friend at Melbourne Airport, and they have a couple of Addams Family machines on site. Now obviously, if you have VP on your PC; odds are, you probably have an Addams Family table- but i always make a point of playing a real one because its a different experience. As i was playing the table, i was really nervous. Not because i hadnt played the table before, but because one credit was 2 dollars, and i wanted my game to last! Now, this may come off sounding like im tight with my money, but its not that at all. What im trying to get at here is that by going out and playing a real machine; i found the experience completely different (not necessarily BETTER, just different). One credit seemed like such a big deal to me, which i just found quite comical.

Getting back on track, i too find that i'm spending more and more time improving (in my own mind) the VP tables i enjoy playing. Whether its just a new plastic, or changing the flipper rubber colour- I feel a sense of ownership over the tables i have adjusted.

Sorry to go on a bit - but its a really interesting question...


el_timbo86

[Mrhide]

of course you get bored with them. That's why you end up with 14 of them ... so you can stop playing the one you are bored with. After a few months, it's always nice to come back to it though.

Stop with the "it's nice to clean or fix problems" ... those damn things are ALWAYS broken and ALWAYS dirty !!

it's nice to have them but with 14, just wiping the glass with a dirty rag is now a chore...