HOUDINI or JPOP, who's the real escape artist?

[Luckydogg420]

What's the compensation plan for previous jpop supporters? Are they going to ship any of the previous games? I agree that this looks fun to play, but with so many screwed supporters out there, I wouldn't touch this with a 10 foot pole.

 

[Menace]

No compensation, unless AP decides to MFG the game.

I attended the AP seminar and basically they are taking it one game at a time. They are in no way affiliated with Zidware. American Pinball is strictly a contract manufacturer for Zidware, and for whatever reason they have decided to fulfil the Magic Girl purchases and these games will be delivered before the end of the year. Once they are done with MG, they will then make a decision on what they plan to do next... weather that is Houdini or Raza or one of their own titles? They are not promising ANYTHING outside of what they are already saying, so MG will get done and from there who knows?

Jpop is not an employee of AP nor is he a part of the company. He *is* however a consultant, but that's as far as it goes so take that as you may... I think it's merely optic's at this point to try and keep the mob at bay.

Joe Balcer claims that Houdini is easily 75% completed, but clearly looking at the PF they had on display it's still missing a bunch of important mech's under the PF not to mention there is pretty much no code done? General consesnus is this game is nowhere near the 75% completed mark, and Jpop has managed to hoodwink the guys at AP into thinking Houdini is further along than it actually is.

Once the US election is over, I think the stage is set for the dumpster fire of 2017.

D

 

[mwong168]

Update from earlier this week:

Hello,

At this time I would like to announce that your Magic GirlTM custom pinball machine has been built. It has been assembled by hand utilizing the highest quality material, design and parts and is in final testing and packing now. It can be picked up or shipping arrangements will need to be made.
The games have been made under my design, direction and oversight, with many custom features all standard. We have tried to make a really finely crafted original themed pinball with mostly USA made parts.
Starting a boutique pinball company, and trying to manufacture a truly innovative product has been the most challenging thing I have ever undertaken in my life. It was not as easy as my mind conceived, and certainly more than my WMS days. That is the simple truth and as a pinball designer I have learned a lot of life skills, like humility.

But I am pleased to be able to send this letter out to you and proud of the new games we have made here in Chicago. I am endeavoring to work hard and continue on finish the other games on my drawing board at this time. Please email me or Scott Goldberg

(scott.m.goldberg@me.com) with any questions and to make arrangements.

John Popadiuk
jpop@zidware.com

 

[Fifty]

The art always blows my mind. It's fuckin' fantastic! I don't know the entire story, but I hope even a tenth of this is real and that some of the people that were screwed are made whole again.

Somebody buy that guy a hair brush.

 

[bstock]

If some of these actually end up in the hands of collectors, something tells me they are gonna command a HUGE price in the used market. In the style of BBB, with a super greasy back story to go along with it. All the animosity towards JPOP and this whole project will just fuel the fire and drive prices up to record levels for those who want to get there hands on one IMO.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[luch]

remember they cost $20,000 us dollars , for magic girl

 

[bstock]

remember their $20,000 us dollars

Remember when "10k by Christmas" used to be a joke? 20k only sounds twice as funny...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mwong168]

I think Nick Angel mentioned on pinside his Magic Girl was serial #06 and I think I read that 19 have been built.

 

[shinynick]

It seems to be legit... Jpop says he is working on shipping options for me... fingers crossed...
nick

 

[quarter grabber]

I don't know if someone mentioned this already but rumor is that dutch pinball filed for bankruptcy and no one is getting a big lebowski either

 

[DRANO]

This game was deemed unplayable back when Bill Brandes was taking the prototype around to try and see if he could get these made.
Not sure what the real angle is here for American Pinball... but based on the huge disclaimers I've read stating that this is a Zidware machine and it was built 100% to Zidware specs leads me to wonder if this was just slapped together to get some litigation off JPOPs back. AP obviously wants to keep this project at arm's length. I hope for the owners it's a decent game at the price it cost.
Worst case it can't be any worse than TOM

I'll be watching with curiosity on what becomes of my RAZA money... if anything.

 

[Chris Bardon]

At this point, I'm sure it'll be good to just get something out of this, but if the game is unplayable from a playfield perspective (let alone code) then who knows what it'll actually turn out to be. BBB was a working, mostly complete, game.

But, who knows. Maybe they took the feedback from the showings of the prototype and reworked enough so that it plays the way it's supposed to? It would be awesome if at the end of this the people who lost cash to the project had something to show for it. But, this isn't the first time a delivery date has been promised though-I suppose I'll believe it when I see it in Nick's basement

 

[REVOLUTION]

We'll see where it goes. I know Cointaker has received their #1. They're already selling it though, but then they have the most money invested in Zidware than any of us $300,000 I believe)

I have $3600 in a RAZA I'll never receive. I requested my money back several times and have had zero response.

 

[Chris Bardon]

They posted this video the other day as a "gameplay sample":

You'd think if they'd bothered to shoot a new video, or even do anything with it, they'd show some updated gameplay with a rule or two, or even being able to make that ramp shot...

 

[Menace]

Wouldn't that be funny... the games all get built but there is zero gameplay? HAHAHAHAHAA

D

 

[REVOLUTION]

Wouldn't that be funny... the games all get built but there is zero gameplay? HAHAHAHAHAA

D

That's definitely the concern.. that these weren't just slapped together to get lawywers off his back! I sure hope he tested those ramps a lot before getting them fabricated.. and hell, a lot even after that

 

[mwong168]

 

[DRANO]

My favorite part of these stupid videos is about the 6:00 mark of the "underneath playfield" video where he says,"I'm glad this was inspected by L. Christmas" and then shows the decal.

I've seen L. Christmas inspection decals on old Williams games from the 80s and 90s so, either JPOP dug up his old buddy Lloyd from the Williams assembly line from 30+ years ago or those nice yellow inspection stickers are fake

What a boob!

 

[Menace]

I love how in the vid he's poking around under the PF like that while the power is on...

You'd think after FINALLY getting a MG, and the fact there are so few and support for these things is more like likely going to be ZERO you would take a little more precaution.

D

 

[DRANO]

I love how in the vid he's poking around under the PF like that while the power is on...

You'd think after FINALLY getting a MG, and the fact there are so few and support for these things is more like likely going to be ZERO you would take a little more precaution.

D

This dude looks like he staged that entire room and even got himself all primped in order to flaunt his MG and record this whole series of useless videos. Do you really think he knows anything about how a pinball machine works?