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Visiting with JPOP

mwong168

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Nov 14, 2012
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Jpop said:
nice rope lights on the ceiling!! Jpop

Got over 50' of led lights on clearance at Zellers a few years ago for $14 bucks. It was just after Christmas hence the red and green theme :lol:
 

Monkeybug

Active Member
Nov 14, 2012
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Stouffville, ON
Welcome Jpop.

For those who don't know who he is, go find some of his games and give them some play. He is the most creative designer in this history of pinball (IMHO). I have owned everyone one of his games (including one of the zizzles) at one point or another. He was also a great guy when I met him at Expo a few years back. Menace and I enticed him back to our hotel room where he signed my TOTAN translite and pointed out lots of little secrets in the artwork on the game.
 

mwong168

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Monkeybug said:
He was also a great guy when I met him at Expo a few years back. Menace and I enticed him back to our hotel room where he signed my TOTAN translite and pointed out lots of little secrets in the artwork on the game.

Wanna know another secret? Your arch 'nemesis' also played your TOTAN while you were not in the hotel room :lol:

I didn't know your TOTAN translite was signed too, I wonder if John remembers this story from '08 Expo.

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Menace

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Nov 14, 2012
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Yeah, getting to meet John at Expo 2010 (not 2008 Wong) was by far the highlight of that trip. Not only is he a hometown boy, he is by far my favorite designer (for the same reasons Monkeybug pointed out) as most of his games I consider pieces of art that you just happen to be able to play. :) John was nice enough to sign my TOTAN translite (the one you have now Wong). John also offered me his un-cut oversized proto CV back glass, and it pained me to turn the offer down... just didn't have the scratch at the time.

Doug
 

Chris Bardon

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Nov 15, 2012
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Mississauga, ON
So, after Expo this weekend, any more news on the Zidware games that can be shared? How's progress coming? I saw the sketches for Magic Girl on Pinside, and the art looks really cool-looking forward to seeing a finished game, and what new ideas are in there.
 

WARLOCK

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Drano and I attended JPOP's seminar. Magic Girl and his other games are progressing as planned.

We spent some time chatting with JPOP and Mike from Church of the Silver Ball and Doug from SB
parts after John spoke. Everything sounded great to me, but I am not signed up for his next 2 pin
releases, so I only know what the general public does. I still really enjoyed the seminar.

Drano may be able to say a few more things than I am aware of, but to my knowledge, not too much
as the progress on the pins is reserved for buyers only.

Any photos and info. posted from John's seminar are earlier drawings and ideas I would think.
It all looks very kewl to me.
 

goomba

Member
Aug 30, 2013
67
3
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GTA
New to the hobby with one machine only so far, but its a WCS94 and I admire the design. All my friends and family, young and old alike are drawn in instantly - just one more game. Thanks Jpop.
 

DRANO

Super Member
Nov 15, 2012
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Mississauga
Mike Hanley knows JPOP as much as anyone and "the word" during our chat is that john wants to have his Magic Girl prototypes done by the end of the year. I think he's got 3 protos? I could be wrong. Development on RAZA should be greatly reduced now that his new platform is largely complete.

I've seen cabinets, art and mechanisms to be used in both games... and plenty of progress on Zombie Adventureland. John is going about his work at a very deliberate pace and I am more impressed by his process than I am any other current boutique manufacturer.
 

frolic

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Nov 19, 2012
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Being a RAZA buyer and getting to read jpop's blog, the attention to detail, the testing, re-testing, review and changes.... it has been a real eye opener compared to the other boutique pins. I have complete confidence in jpop's projects, to the detriment of everyone else's.
 

mwong168

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For those who haven't seen on pinside but some Magic Girl progress pics were posted from JPOP's seminar at last week's Expo.

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The dimensions and shape of the cabinet have been changed to accomodate the big LCD screen he has at the back of the playfield. I can't wait to see more pics and game play video.
 

frolic

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first time we've seen the LCD in the cabinet. Having played woz, you definitely don't watch the big lcd when staring at the playfield, so it will be cool to see how much this affects the experience.

Nick is getting one, so we'll at least be able to see it.
 

Chris Bardon

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2012
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Mississauga, ON
I'm really looking forward to seeing what can be done with that extra vertical space in the cabinet. Having the LCD at that level makes a lot of sense, especially in the ways that it's supposed to interact with the ball, but if also means that the game can have more levels. Artwork also looks great-I think these games are really going to stand out. Glad to hear the attention to detail too-it's too bad that these are going to be so rare/limited.
 

WARLOCK

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JPOP pins are fun. I am pretty sure that doesn't suit your intended purpose Adam. :)

I have very little fun on Lawlor pins myself, so I would learn to exploit them quickly
for points once I enter the world of competitive pinball play as well. (Except TAF)
 

Vengeance

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Nov 14, 2012
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Keswick, ON
WARLOCK said:
JPOP pins are fun. I am pretty sure that doesn't suit your intended purpose Adam. :)

I don't find them fun at all, I find them all linear and boring.

MM is fun
AFM is fun
Metallica is Fun
ACDC is Fun
Tron is Fun

I don't mind playing pinball just for fun, but there isn't a single jpop game that is fun IMO.