It can still change, right?
Hi,
As someone who is new here, FuturePinball's creator's comments alone make me a little wary of getting involved in the community. As a somewhat intelligent person (I hope), how am I an idiot for wanting to play some fun games? Wasn't the whole point of FP to allow people to have fun and preserve the past for all those who do not have the means to own pinball machines?
Slashdot.org had an article about Pinball Construction recently which referenced Visual Pinball in the article. It got me really excited! I thought, "You mean to tell me I've been able to make my own pinball tables for years and no one let me in on it?" There were others on Slashdot who reminisced about PCS, so I am surely not alone.
After going to Visual Pinball's site and trying to figure out why the forum and Randy Davis' email was down (does anybody know?) I eventually stumbled here.
I expected to come here and see a community bursting at the seams with incredible ideas and implementations for wild new machines and an air of sharing surrounding the classics. What it sounds like, though, is that the community is fighting against and doubting itself at a time when it has never been easier to gather an online following whether traditionally through "word of email" or through Meetup, Myspace, Facebook, or heaven knows what else. Am I wrong?
One great way is OSS. Open Source Software is a bigger movement than it has even been. If there is a time to put code into the public domain it is now. I installed Ubuntu on my girlfriend's aging laptop the other day. She loves it! What's great is an Applications list is prominently featured that allows anyone to install many different programs easily and free. It isn't a tough stretch to imagine FP, VP, and PinMAME in a game library just like that, with its own Open Source community to tinker with and support it, with the original creators at the helm of change control.
With MAME anyone can replay the old arcade classics. Why not pinball? People get all prissy about others wanting ROMs. Well not all of us have the ability to buy arcade or pinball machines on a regular basis. If the community is to survive then why not allow many more people into it by allowing ROMs? Most won't become more than armchair fans. Many people won't go out and buy pinball machines after "pirating" ROMs, but most can't afford them. Those that can might buy a table, go out and become collectors who cherish and repair these aging machines. It's all about exposure.
Yes, there are divisions between the coders. Why not allow FP or VP out into the community in order to mitigate those rivalries? There's talk about turning back time to see what might have been. Why? What is wrong with resolving to change viewpoints just a little bit and see what good comes of it? As someone who has helped rescue a faltering family business by working with a stubborn 65 year old father who won't change a bit, I know it's hard! However, it can still happen, and it can still work.
People are looking for games that break the cookie cutter mould and offer social aspects like high score challenges. Look at World of Goo, Braid, or other independent games out there that present a new slant on things. Pinball is fresh and new to a lot of people. They don't want the same old EA Sports game every year. Why do you think the Wii is so popular? People can challenge each other in a fun, social setting. I'm sure pinball could be part of that social gaming if it were opened to a wider community.
I'm sorry if I miss the mark on any of my comments or if I overstep my bounds. Having already missed Visual Pinball when it was just referenced in an extensively viewed article makes me wonder what is going on here. There is some selfishness to this post(I REALLY want to play the Indiana Jones pinball table again!) but please forgive a scrappy young geek his shortcomings.
Let the flamings begin!