I Don't Get WOZ

[Steve]

I don’t get WOZ.



I read all the gushing posts and acres of stuff written about it, every nut and bolt dissected as if the Second Messiah is coming and I don’t get it. I don’t get the choice of theme.



I sit and imagine the conversation that went on in the room when they came up with it:



JJ: “Ok guys, time to design and market our first machine, and it’s gotta be goodâ€.



Researcher: “Better than good, it’s gotta be great!â€



JJ: “Ok, what does market research tell us about the average pinball player?â€



Researcher: Well, he’s likely to be male, 20-55, likes action and Sci-Fi films, rock music, and enjoys the odd drink.â€



JJ: Right, what pinball themes have proved the most popular over the last 20 years?â€



Researcher: “Well mainly Sci-Fi, War, Horror, Action & Adventure, Rock & Roll etc.â€



JJ: How about movie-themed machines?â€



Researcher: “very cool. LOTR, Spiderman, Iron Man, Indiana Jones, Tron, monster movies, Sci-Fi, all have been quite popular. We also found that these type of themed machines attracted younger playersâ€



JJ: “That’s great as we need to attract younger players to keep the hobby alive. Ok, now how did the market research go with The Wizard of Oz?â€



Researcher: “Well, it’s a children’s book from 1900, made into a film in 1939 which was a box office failure, now mainly popular with old women and pensioners, and is widely considered to be the number one iconic gay film of all time.â€



JJ: “So, to summarise, it’s a 70-year old musical film about a kids book, all the actors are now dead, it has no appeal whatsoever for the typical pinball fan and most people under 30 haven’t even heard of it?â€



Researcher: “That™s about it, bossâ€



JJ: “Good enough for me, let’s start production!â€

 

[jonathan]

And yet its sold out 1000 LEs sight unseen at the most expensive NIB price in history? JJP obviously did something right



The problem Stern made was getting too bogged down in licences, a good pin is a good pin, regardless of the theme. Im not a particularly big fan of Monty Python, Twilight Zone, Addams Family, Elvira, LOTR or Star Trek.



I'd still have a MM, TZ, TAF, SS, LOTR and STTNG though



You would be surprised how many blokes on the WOZ group have said that their wives/kids weren't really keen on getting a new pin on the house but when they heard it was WOZ it peaked their interest

 

[Paul]

To be fair Jonathan, It could have been Attack of the killer Zombies or Lesbian Fantasies, it still would have sold out because of the line up of designers and the fact it's a "new" pinball company that has caused the sellout. Nothing to do with the fact it;s WOZ, which to be fair, would probably have been the last choice of any Sane developer....

 

[JT.]

Lesbian Fantasies sounds good.

 

[Replay]

Well, they do have a great team and they are taking their time over every little detail and with Bally/William parts it should feel really solid. With Keith programming it will have all sorts of hidden surprises.



I pre-ordered it because of above. Then I watched the movie........... and that was it. Never liked it as a kid either. Shame as I think it could be such a good game. I will be more excited about the Hobbit. Hats off to Jack for selling a 1000 LE models

 

[Judge Dreads]

JJ: “So, to summarise, it’s a 70-year old musical film about a kids book, all the actors are now dead, it has no appeal whatsoever for the typical pinball fan and most people under 30 haven’t even heard of it?â€



Researcher: “That’s about it, bossâ€



JJ: “Good enough for me, let’s start production!â€

LMAO..Some thought went into that

 

[johnwhitfield]

For me the problem is that we're now in a situation where if you want a LE machine (or anything more than a "basic" model") you have to pre-order it before you'll get a chance to play, so the theme effectively is going to be a major deciding factor. WOZ does nothing for me as a theme, but others may love it.



Themes can also be the kiss of death. I'm really happy with my TOM but if it was themed as "David Copperfield TOM" then it would never have made it through the door. Same with the Rolling Stones. Even if the game had been great the backglass and theme would be enough for me not to want it.



Possibly an arcade/pub situation is different but I'd still be more likely to stick a few pounds in an IJ/Predator/ AC/DC type themed pin than some other titles.



But hey, what do I know... maybe a future Hello Kitty machine is going to be the best machine ever!

 

[Steve]

Possibly an arcade/pub situation is different but I'd still be more likely to stick a few pounds in an IJ/Predator/ AC/DC type themed pin than some other titles.

Exactly. We are trying to attract new blood to the hobby who have been brought up on Metal Gear Solid and Call of Duty, and what do we give them? The Wizard of Oz!



Or are we saying the hobby is dead and there's no point trying to get young people playing pinball?

 

[Paul]

Or are we saying the hobby is dead and there's no point trying to get young people playing pinball?

I think that could be it. Which IMO is incredibly short sited and will be the death knell.....

 

[Replay]

WOZ is popular though. Isn't there a new show opening soon in London? Because it is so different, maybe it will get new people into pinball if of course it gets put out on location. Wonder if that arcade in London is thinking of getting one?

 

[ronsplooter]

Lesbian Fantasies sounds good.

They should definitely make this as pin number 2. This statement is also true when it has nothing to do with pinball

maybe a future Hello Kitty machine is going to be the best machine ever!

They should definitely not make this. In fact this idea should be banished forever and you should be ashamed for even knowing what Hello Kitty is

WOZ is popular though.

Isn't this more of an American thing? From some of the stuff I've read it seemed to suggest that WOZ is still massively popular in the US. I'm guessing most of the ECLE's are staying in the states.

 

[cooldan]

I wanna hear more about the Lesbian Fantasy pin. Does it have a Multiclit feature?

 

[Judge Dreads]

Exactly. We are trying to attract new blood to the hobby who have been brought up on Metal Gear Solid and Call of Duty, and what do we give them? The Wizard of Oz!



Or are we saying the hobby is dead and there's no point trying to get young people playing pinball?

This was my point on the latest AC/DC pin but that looks like it's going to be a big hit all round, I think Stern targeted HUO middle aged men as a safe bet on this title, Justin Bieber pin for the new blood is out of the question

, WOZ may have a broader appeal (age spectrum) but that may not make it a sales hit, the theme is definitely camp but it may turn out to be an awesome game, only time will tell, maybe it has some magic in it, the film has something special.......was it not the first use of colour in a movie?? Started off in B/W and then changed to colour 1/4 of the way through?



I ain't going to watch it again to find out

 

[Sgt GrizZ]

Hmmm ...as much as I think WOZ looks like a quality game, in terms of playfield layout I personally am not quite seeing the innovation or great leap forward that some seem to be seeing/hoping for - it looks like a decent playfield but really nothing that has not been seen or done before. But then maybe pinball has reached that point where its just tweaking rather than advancing. I think the addition of the DMD was the last great jump and we'll be pushed to see anything to match that. LCD screens etc will just be dmd's with bells and whistles.

 

[teachp8]

I said in another post that I think it's going to be a really good game but I agree with Ive that it doesn't look as though it's going to break through the fourth wall and bring something totally innovative to the table. However, as a game with great build quality, pinball play, ruleset etc I genuinely think it will be a cracker! (or have I just bought into the hype too?)

 

[Paul]

Will be interesting, with all those toys, to see how robust they are and how long they take to break....

 

[jonathan]

JJP purposefully made the witches castle and Dorothys house out of metal to withstand airballs and the like

 

[yellowreggae]

I think there are enough guns, monsters, robots 'n' superhero pins out there already and it'll be great to have a little peace, colour and femininity in a theme. I think Jack may have been inspired by the success of the Nintendo Wii which successfully grabbed the attention of women and the elderly who normally ignored the video game format and I think he's doing something similar with the WOZ theme. He's catering to the existing pinballers with the talent involved creating the pin and the quality of the construction of the whole thing along with promising more traditional boyz themes later on.



I think a lot of people can't let go of the connections between the film and gay culture either and even if they like the film they are more comfortable saying they don't. I mean, why wouldn't you like the film if you're secure in your sexuality? It's great fun! I like guns and explosions and zombies and unrealistically large boobs but I also like a bit of childish fantasy and rainbow lit innocence in my life to balance it out.



I can actually easily imagine the theme being done terribly but I'm very sure from what I've seen and heard so far that it won't be. Of course we won't know until it's out there for all too see so I have my fingers crossed and my wallet ready.

 

[BigIan]

The fact that its the 75 anniversary of the movie in 2014 will give it plenty of 'free' publicity too.



Id imagine a rerun in cinemas, pin in the foyer etc

They will probably do a 3D version also (as seems the norm these days)



I must get around to watching the movie sometime, guess its probably worth holding out now until 2014

 

[jonathan]

Confirmed today that the apron is made out of wood for reasons tbc and that it is the first time a pinball machine has had an apron of this type

 

[yellowreggae]

The more wood the better for purely acoustic reasons. This is going to have a lovely feel I bet.