# Episode 1012: "My Metallica First Impressions"

**Source:** Kaneda's Pinball Podcast (Patreon feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2024-10-17  
**Duration:** 39m 31s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-1012-my-114147784

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## Analysis

Kaneda delivers a detailed first-impressions review of Stern's Metallica Remastered (2024), praising cabinet artwork and modern features while criticizing Stern's decision to release a limited-edition remaster of an already-released LE game, which he views as a broken promise. He compares playfield art unfavorably to Dirty Donnie's original work and reads extensive listener feedback that mirrors collector frustration over exclusivity loss and secondary market impacts.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Stern promised never to make more LEs of a game that already had an LE, and Metallica Remastered violates that commitment — _Kaneda, episode opening: 'How is this not remaking an LE of a game that already had an LE?' and 'there's no loopholes, there's no context by which this now makes sense.'_
- [HIGH] Original Metallica LE prices (~$13K) will drop to ~$10-11K due to the remaster release — _Kaneda: 'I think now the original LEs are going to settle somewhere around 10 to 11. And I think these things are going to hold pretty damn strong around 13.'_
- [HIGH] Metallica Remastered LE sold out very quickly (within minutes from Stern and Metallica website) — _Kaneda: 'Those sold out within just a few minutes. Stern sold out right away.'_
- [HIGH] The new Metallica has approximately 98% of its code reused from the original 2012-2013 release — _Kaneda: 'All of the code, right? 98% of this code was done 12 years ago.'_
- [HIGH] Original Metallica LE had 500 units; Remastered LE also has 500 units, doubling the LE population — _Kaneda: 'And now there is a thousand Metallica LEs in the world.'_
- [HIGH] Jon Borg is working on a Tron remake game — _Kaneda: 'I do know for a fact that Jon Borg is working on a Tron remake game.'_
- [MEDIUM] Metallica Remastered playfield art is inferior to Dirty Donnie's original playfield design — _Kaneda: 'I don't think the new game's playfield looks nearly as good as Dirty Donnie's... I actually prefer the Dirty Donnie playfield over the new one.'_
- [HIGH] Metallica Remastered includes 22 songs and two new modes/mini-wizard modes — _Kaneda: 'You've got 22 songs in the new game. You've got two new modes or mini wizard modes in the game.'_
- [MEDIUM] The LE version is significantly more visually appealing than the Premium version — _Kaneda: 'The LE Red with that Kraken and all the cool stuff happening. The Premium has the same art on like both sides... The LE looks so damn good.'_
- [MEDIUM] Metallica Remastered will be available starting November (uncertain timing for accessories) — _Kaneda: 'when the LEs start being made, I believe in November... they will be available sometime November, December.'_

### Notable Quotes

> "Shame on you Stern. They still have yet to figure out how you want to treat the collector, new in box buyer base."
> — **Kaneda**, ~03:30
> _Core criticism of Stern's broken LE exclusivity promise and collector ethics_

> "It's still an LE of a game that had another LE. And if you own one of those 500 original Metallica LEs, how do you feel today? Not only did you lose exclusivity, you also lost a lot of money."
> — **Kaneda**, ~05:00
> _Direct articulation of original LE owner impact and financial loss_

> "I think the Premium is better. Are you out of your freaking minds? Look at the Premium Translite. It looks like Mount Rushmore with Metallica."
> — **Kaneda**, ~15:30
> _Sharp criticism of Premium translite artwork quality vs LE_

> "Zero R&D costs for the majority of this game... the lion's share of the work was done on this game 12 years ago."
> — **Kaneda**, ~48:00
> _Economic critique of pricing vs development work invested_

> "I do know for a fact that Jon Borg is working on a Tron remake game. Now whether or not Stern goes down that road to allow Borg to do remakes while other designers are making new games, we shall see, but Tron is in the works."
> — **Kaneda**, ~35:00
> _Machine intel: Tron remaster in development at Stern_

> "I think an LE OG before this game came out, you're looking at $13,000 all day long... I think now the original LEs are going to settle somewhere around 10 to 11."
> — **Kaneda**, ~60:00
> _Secondary market pricing impact on original LE machines_

> "There zero R&D costs for the majority of this game... And 12 years ago, Metallica LE was like $6,500. So fast forward, the game's twice as much money and required a third of the work to get there."
> — **Kaneda (paraphrasing Adam S feedback)**, ~48:00
> _Commentary on pricing inflation vs development effort_

> "I think there's a lot of sour grapes by the people that are just trying to pump up the Premium. Why pump up the Premium? They're going to make it forever."
> — **Kaneda**, ~40:00
> _Analysis of buyer psychology and Premium edition devaluation risk_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Metallica Remastered; subject of criticism for breaking LE exclusivity promise |
| Kaneda | person | Podcast host and industry commentator; delivering detailed first-impressions review of Metallica Remastered |
| Jon Borg | person | Designer of Metallica Remastered; also working on Tron remaster project at Stern |
| Raymond Davidson | person | Code/animation work on Metallica Remastered (referred to as 'Ray Day' in podcast) |
| Lyman Sheets | person | Original designer of 2012-2013 Metallica; code reused in Remastered version |
| Dirty Donnie | person | Original playfield artist for 2012-2013 Metallica; artwork compared unfavorably to Rice Cooper's remaster art |
| Rice Cooper | person | Playfield artist for Metallica Remastered; criticized for inconsistent, busy playfield design |
| Metallica Remastered | game | 2024 Stern Pinball remake of 2012-2013 Metallica with 500 LE units, new artwork, LCD screen, 22 songs, new modes |
| Metallica (original) | game | 2012-2013 Stern Pinball original; had 500 LE units; code and layout reused in Remastered version |
| Tron (rumored remaster) | game | Upcoming Jon Borg remaster project at Stern; intel source: Kaneda insider knowledge |
| Jack Danger | person | Stern personality; praised by Kaneda for charisma in marketing/promotional content |
| Zach Sharp | person | Referenced as part of Stern marketing department; questioned why not used for promotional video |
| Jared | person | Referenced as part of Stern marketing/video production team |
| Seth Davis | person | Signs Metallica Remastered; criticized as not ideal for hype video presentation |
| Gomez | person | Stern personality; noted as doing good marketing work |
| John Wick LE | game | Stern game with ~1000 LE units; used as comparison point for Metallica LE scarcity and demand |
| Lord of the Rings | game | Discussed as potential remaster candidate; described as licensing nightmare |
| Avatar CE | game | Jersey Jack game; compared to Metallica in terms of pricing and gameplay depth |
| Automated Amusements | company | Operator with 1-2 unsold Metallica Remastered LE units available for purchase |
| Insider Connected | product/feature | Stern's digital connectivity platform; newly added to Metallica Remastered, unavailable for original |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Metallica Remastered release and first impressions, Stern Pinball's LE exclusivity promise and alleged breach, Cabinet and playfield artwork comparison (original vs Remastered), Secondary market pricing impact on original Metallica LE, Collector sentiment and FOMO dynamics
- **Secondary:** Jon Borg and Tron remaster project, Stern marketing and promotional video quality, Comparison of Metallica to other band-themed pinball games (Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses)

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.35) — Kaneda praises game quality, modern features, and LE artwork but expresses strong negative sentiment about Stern's broken promise on LE exclusivity and the playfield art direction. Listener feedback is similarly divided between LE buyers (positive) and collectors feeling betrayed (negative). The episode opens with pointed criticism before pivoting to appreciation of the game itself.

### Signals

- **[product_strategy]** Stern released a 500-unit LE of Metallica Remastered despite prior stated commitment never to make additional LEs of previously-released LE games, creating two thousand total Metallica LEs in market (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'Stern promised never to make more LEs of a game that already had an LE' and 'And now there is a thousand Metallica LEs in the world.'
- **[collector_signal]** Original Metallica LEs expected to drop from ~$13K to $10-11K; original Premiums dropping from ~$10K to ~$7.5K due to Remastered release (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'I think now the original LEs are going to settle somewhere around 10 to 11... Your game is now worth like 7,500.'
- **[product_launch]** Metallica Remastered LE 500-unit run sold out within minutes from both Stern direct and Metallica official website (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'Those sold out within just a few minutes. Stern sold out right away.'
- **[machine_intel]** Jon Borg confirmed to be working on Tron remaster; potential future strategy of remasters alongside new designs (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'I do know for a fact that Jon Borg is working on a Tron remake game. Now whether or not Stern goes down that road to allow Borg to do remakes while other designers are making new games, we shall see, but Tron is in the works.'
- **[design_philosophy]** New playfield artist Rice Cooper's design criticized as busy, inconsistent, and lacking cohesion compared to original Dirty Donnie artwork; Mount Rushmore character faces noted as unappealing (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'I don't think the new game's playfield looks nearly as good as Dirty Donnie's... I just don't think he nailed the playfield' and 'Mount Rushmore look' criticism
- **[sentiment_shift]** Strong negative sentiment from original LE owners regarding exclusivity loss and financial impact; community divided between LE buyers (positive) and betrayed collectors (negative) (confidence: high) — Multiple listener submissions: Kirby's Beer Store 'don't give them a free pass on going against their word', Ken Shalada 'I hate that there are more Metallica LEs in the world', Anthony Fresolone 'I wonder how much of a hit the old LEs are going to take'
- **[content_signal]** Kaneda's prior prediction (6 months ago) of Metallica Remastered announcement reportedly influenced listener behavior (selling old LEs); podcast has significant authority in collector community (confidence: high) — Kaneda opening: 'I told you like six months ago this game was coming out and for those of you that listened and sold your old LEs for like 14 grand' and Lone Ranger comment: 'you told us this was going to happen over a year ago'
- **[product_concern]** New Sparky toy received mixed feedback; original Sparky widely preferred for personality and expression; new design compared to Jeff Dunham puppet or Coco Day of the Dead character (confidence: medium) — Mike Peterson: 'Sparky, big miss... skull looks a little goofy, almost like it's smiling. Looks like something you would buy from the dollar store' and Kaneda: 'I like the new Sparky, not as much as the old Sparky. I think the mod community is gonna have their way with him.'
- **[market_signal]** Remastered sells for ~$13K (comparable to original LE at launch ~$6.5K) despite 98% code reuse and minimal design R&D; represents 2x price increase for significantly less development work (confidence: high) — Adam S feedback interpreted by Kaneda: '12 years ago, Metallica LE was like $6,500. So fast forward, the game's twice as much money and required a third of the work to get there.'
- **[gameplay_signal]** Metallica Remastered adds 22 songs and 2 new modes; maintains 98% original Lyman Sheets code; Insider Connected digital integration adds replay value unavailable to original (confidence: high) — Kaneda: 'You've got 22 songs in the new game. You've got two new modes or mini wizard modes' and 'now that Metallica's got Insider Connected, it's definitely gonna add to the replay value of the game. And that's just something the OG game will never really have.'
- **[community_signal]** Listener Brian Millard comment indicates collector space saturation; expected wave of collection liquidations (Wizard of Oz, Star Trek LEs) anticipated in secondary market (confidence: medium) — Brian Millard feedback: 'I think most people are out of space. So to get this game into game rooms, think about it. That means like there's probably going to be a few hundred collector games hitting the market over the next few weeks.'

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## Transcript

 Oh, Metallica is back! Welcome to Kaneda's Pinball Podcast Remastered. I told you like six months ago this game was coming out and for those of you that listened and And sold your old le's for like 14 grand. You're very, very welcome. For those that didn't and held out, I feel your pain today. I feel your pain because Stern Pinball released a very nice remastered edition of Metallica. I want to go over the stuff I love, the stuff I'm like indifferent about and the stuff I don't like. Now I also asked each and every one of you for your feedback on this machine. And I'm going to read your feedback. I will have to summarize some of your feedback simply because some of you write a lot and I'm not just going to read out a paragraph of commentary. But before I talk about this new machine coming back after 12 years, I want to start out by saying one simple thing. How is this not remaking an LE of a game that already had an LE? I've been thinking about this all day. As much as I am excited about this game, it is hard to erase the fact that this does feel like Stern is going against its own word again. And how many times are we going to hear them say something and do something else? This feels like a flat out lie if we were to take them at their word that they were never going to make more LEs of a game that already had an LE. There's no loopholes, there's no context by which this now makes sense. It is a remake of Metallica. All right, new artwork, sure. New sculpts, sure. Better engineered mechs, fine. A couple more modes, more illustrations, LCD screen, all that's fine and all. But it's still an LE of a game that had another LE. And if you own one of those 500 original Metallica LEs, how do you feel today? Not only did you lose exclusivity, you also lost a lot of money. And now there is a thousand Metallica LEs in the world. And I'm not a fan of that. Stern might as well have just made Godzilla 70th in LE because I don't know what they consider to be not the same game. Because this is the same game. It is the same game. So adding some features, adding some new modes does not change the fact that there was zero, I mean this, zero R&D that had to really go into the design and layout of this game. It's already been designed. They're using the same code Lyman Sheets worked on 12 years ago. I just want to start this show by saying shame on you Stern. They still have yet to figure out how you want to treat the collector, new in box buyer base. And you can't just make new buyers happy by sacrificing the happiness of your old buyers. And the old buyers are the loyal customers that are the reason why you're still in business 12 years later. I don't like this. We need to have some principles. We need to hold people accountable for the things they're gonna say, especially when there's this much money. So on that level, on that front, this entire game sort of disgusts me because they went against their word. If they wanted to remaster Metallica and just make premiums and there's no limit like Godzilla 70th, then it's a different story. Then they're not lying about never making an Ellie again, but they didn't. I just wanted to start this show by saying I'm not happy about that. Now, moving on to the game. What do I think about this remake? Well, look, when I first saw the video, I watched the four minute video of John Borg and Ray Day explaining this game to us. And I wanna say that John Borg and Ray Day should be nowhere near a video that is designed to get you excited about the game. It's like they were battling it out in who can be more monochromatic, who can be more boring and uninterested in the very product they're trying to hype and trying to sell. I mean, I could look at this game and in 30 seconds, I could deliver more enthusiasm, more excitement and more passion about this game than they were. And I don't even understand it. I mean, Ray Day looks like he just came out of the movie The Burbs, like he's one of the Klopek nephews or something. I mean it's just not what you put in front of people to get excited and even Borgie, even John Borg, he was just like so monochromatic. Oh man, they just need to figure out a way Stern, to just use Jack Danger to sell everything. He's like the only dude that when you put him on camera, he's charismatic, he's got swagger. I think Gomez does a good job and maybe it's weird having Jack sell other people's games, But that is why Stern needs someone like Kaneda. That's why Stern needs someone like Kaneda over there. I mean it. It's like, where's your marketing department? Where's Zach Sharp? Where's Jared? Didn't they hire like an agency? Where's Seth Davis? I mean, Seth is signing the game. You know, I know people would rather have the artists sign it or other people, the band members, but man, they just need to figure out a better way. All right. So marketing aside, what did I think of this game? I'm going to tell you right now, I think the game looks really good. I think the cabinet artwork, when you see it right away, it jumps out at you. And I'm just going to say this, the LE looks so much better than the premium. It is crazy to me the amount of people that are trying to justify the fact that because the LE is sold out and you can't get one, that you're going to be like, the premium is better. The premium is the way to go. Are you out of your freaking minds? Look at the premium Translite. It looks like Mount Rushmore with Metallica. It looks so bad compared to the kick-ass Translite that's on the Ellie. The Ellie Red with that Kraken and all the cool stuff happening. The premium has the same art on like both sides. It's not really that interesting. It's not nearly as dynamic. I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen, but the LE looks so damn good. And I think the premium doesn't look bad, but it's nowhere near as nice as the LE. But here's the thing, I think both cabinets look really, really good. I do. I think they both look better than any of the original Metallica cabinets that were out there. All of them pale in comparison to the artwork on these cabinets. Now here's where I think the game takes a step backwards. I don't think the new game's playfield looks nearly as good as Dirty Donnie's. I don't. I don't think it pops. I don't think the artwork is as cohesive. If you look at Donnie's and you go and you look at his artwork, it like jumps out at you with these bold, bright, vibrant colors. You've got the flames. You've got the metallic characters. The way he illustrated Metallica, I like that more than what's on the new one. I like the way he had each character with their instrument above them and they're making all these like zany faces. It brought a lot of personality to the game. Now you look at the middle there where Metallica appears and again it's that Mount Rushmore look. And I know what they're going for with this like UV ink is like the new toy in pinball Where like when UV ink hits it, it turns their faces into skeletons. That's really neat, but there's just something about their faces there that just doesn't look great. And then as I go north of there, it's just really busy what's going on with Rhys Cooper's art package. He's the artist for this game. And I just don't think he nailed the playfield. I really don't. I actually prefer the Dirty Donnie playfield over the new one. And then just in general, right, as I see both of them side by side, I kind of feel like Rice didn't really know what he wanted to do. And you can see it. You've got like Metallica over the inserts in the middle, then you've got the faces, and then he's got these like weird red hands that just appear on the playfield. I don't know what they're attached to. Is there a demon somewhere? And then you've got like just a lot of random stuff just floating around, but it's not nearly as consistent and cohesive as Dirty Donnie's art package was. And I like the way Donnie when you look at it all the shots sort of float into the artwork like leading you up to those shots And I think Rice tried to do something similar but I don really think he has an understanding yet of how artwork lays out differently on a pinball machine But man, it's still really nice. I mean, I don't want to take everything away from it. It's still really nice. And there's a lot of nice details in the new game that add a nice touch to it. Like the skeleton skulls over the slingshots. I like that. I like the new Sparky, not as much as the old Sparky. I think the mod community is gonna have their way with him. But the old one was a lot more zany with the big tongue sticking out. I love the fact that they added sculpts over the ramps. You can see those on the game. And they maintained all the toys of the original game. The one thing too that I just was like, The original one was better. It's the hammer. Like for some reason the hammer in this game, the way it's colored so gray and dull, it just doesn't pop. It doesn't stick out. And I always loved that hammer in the original Metallica. It really felt like it extended from the world Dirty Donnie created and sort of like the humor and the personality of his game extended into the mechanisms. And I think in this one, it's a little bit more sterile to me. So that was something I just noticed when I looked at the game for the first time. We definitely see improved stuff in the game though. Improved magnets. If you look at the magnets on the old one, then the new one, Stern's using its updated hardware to make this game better. We've got the expression lighting. We've got the inner art blades. You got 22 songs in the new game. You've got two new modes or mini wizard modes in the game. So there's a lot to like about this remastered Metallica and it's Metallica. You know, at the end of the day, it is kind of crazy. 12 years has gone by and they made a lot of Metallica games back in the day. You know, some people love it. Some people are indifferent to it. I don't really hear people hate it. The most negative thing you'll hear about Metallica is that it feels like it's chopping wood, but it's a Lyman Sheets masterpiece. It's a great game by John Borg and with so many new people in the pinball hobby now, it is a no-brainer that this thing was going to sell and the LEs are, I think, sold out. You could try to go find one. They put some on the Metallica website. Those sold out within just a few minutes. Stern sold out right away. So if you got one, I think you might have something that for the first time in a long time is going to hold value. I do believe that this is not going to be a game that sells for 13 and then goes all the way down to 10. And the simple reason is it really is one of the few modern Stern games where there's only 500 L.E.s like of that version of the game. You know, there's twice as many John Wick L.E.s as Metallica L.E.s, and there's probably 20 times more demand for Metallica L.E. than John Wick L.E. I like the art package. Not crazy about the playfield. I haven't seen enough of the new code, enough of the new animations to have an opinion there yet. But from what we have seen and the band's involvement in this game and the animations, they look to be pretty damn good. I think this is a really, really solid effort from Stern. I think they're going to have a lot of success with this game. So my overall thoughts on Metallica. I'm glad they went back to 500 LEs. I still think Stern lied to everybody when they said they were never making more LEs of a game that already has an LE. I'm curious what loophole they found in their own heads. I think the cabinet is much nicer on this version of the game. I think the LE is far superior than the premium. But I do think the playfield art is a letdown. I do. I do. I think Dirty Donnie's is better. I think Dirty Donnie's is kind of more fun and inviting. And I know they went for a little bit of a darker, edgier Metallica. They definitely achieved that. It's just not jumping out at me and inviting me in nearly as much as the Donnie Playfield did. That being said, I think when we hear this game and see this game with modern sound, It's gonna sound so much better than the original I think when we see all the lights going with the expression kit I think what we loved about the original is just gonna be turned up a notch And I think this is gonna be one of those games that really is a keeper in people's collections because remember the original Metallica Le Never really came up for sale that often and it was one of those games that was like bolted to people's floors I fully expect this new one to be bolted to people's floors when the LEs start being made, I believe in November. I don't know where the accessories are. I heard they were going to be available day one. I think they said they were going to be available after the first run of the game. So I think they will be available sometime November, December. All right, so let's read what you guys think of Metallica and see if we're on the same page here. Page here. So I heard from Speed Racer. He said, fantastic package and Metallica remastered. Now let's talk about this Lord of the Rings remastered. Come on, Kaneda, give George a call and make it happen. Why does John Wick get a thousand and a hit like Metallica only 500? Well look, look, here's the deal. I think Lord of the Rings is a licensing nightmare. I do know for a fact that John Borg is working on a Tron remake game. Now whether or not Stern goes down that road to allow Borg to do remakes while other designers are making new games, we shall see, but Tron is in the works. So if you have a Tron and you want $22,000 for your LE, you've been warned. Ryan Williams said, I think the LE looks great. Art, side armor, color palette, cool UV accents in the sculpts and playfield we haven't seen All of which I can agree with. Own the machine currently and are sour about how much better this is. No intention to buy or enjoy playing. Hate the band. And pissed off they missed out and they can't afford one. Ryan thank you for your feedback. I think there's a lot of sour grapes by the people that are just trying to pump up the freemium. Why pump up the premium? They're going to make it forever. Stern's going to make this game for years and that will chip away at the value of these LEs. Are we going to get sick of Metallica again? Ed Morris says, just talk to Mike and his crew from Automated. He has one or two Metallica LEs that are not spoken for. So if you're in the market, hit up Automated. All right, there you go. Automated might be your last chance to get an LE. Scotties says nothing special, just a rebrand on an old machine, plus it is on spike 2 when spike 3 is around the corner. Also an LE of a remastered game, skip the LE, buy the premium if you must. An LE of a remastered machine is not an LE. Also why spend your money on this when there are many great machines coming up? Alright first of all Scotties, let's just stop there. I don't agree with you. It is an LE. They're only making 500. How can you say an LE of an old game is no longer an LE? An LE just means limited edition. They're making 500. And also Scotties, to say like, why buy this when there's so many great games coming? I'll tell you why Scotties, because we know this is a great game. We don't know anything down the road is going to be great. There might be some great themes, but we know that Metallica is a masterpiece. There's a reason why in the top 100 Metallica is number 15. All right, Kirby's Beer Store says don't give them a free pass on going against their word. This is the same game. Well, Kirby, I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this show because I did not give them a free pass. Paul said, spell Metallica to light injustice for all. That's a really cool added feature without taking away from anything. Yeah, I really like that Metallica sign behind the guy in the electric chair and the letters light up one at a time. Really, really cool. I think this thing's gonna look neat, gang, when you guys stand over it in person. Robert Cecchini, I think I said that right. The features video would have been better if it stepped through the whole game, not just the changes. Most people today were not into pinball when the original Metallica came out, so may not be familiar with it. Well, that's a good point, Robert. There is this assumption that you know what's being remastered. But I would also argue that most people are not new. While there's been an influx of new people over the last few years, the majority of people have been in this for a while. Adam S said it 13 K It a 12 year old game and it Did I mention it I concerned the precedence this sets for redoing more old games not because of the sinking prices of pissed off customers but because I want new innovative games It like going to the movies these days and being stuck with remakes Adam makes a really good point here There zero R costs for the majority of this game I know they had to do animations and other things, but the lion's share of the work was done on this game 12 years ago. All of the code, right? 98% of this code was done 12 years ago. And 12 years ago, Metallica LE was like $6,500. So fast forward, the game's twice as much money and required a third of the work to get there. Now, Adam, what I would say to that though is this, a classic game, an amazing game, will remain an amazing game 12 years later. You know, Lord of the Rings keeps getting brought up. If they made Lord of the Rings now with new artwork, new lighting, new sound, new animations, if they brought that exact game back but made everything better, people would fight to get one of those LEs. Those LEs would sell for $15,000 to $20,000 if they only made 500 more Lord of the Rings LEs. So you're not wrong with everything being so expensive now. Think about it like an Avatar CE, which I believe is a beautiful game, but kind of a boring game. Avatar is never going to be a better pinball machine than Metallica and they want $15,000 for it. I get it's got new stuff. I get it's got more innovation. It's got better lighting. It's a better platform. All this stuff. It's got better stuff on the screen. It's got a billion dollar movie in muted clips. It's got all that stuff, but Metallica might just be more fun. The game might just be better, even though Jersey Jack throws more money at the product. All right, Wolfgang Hager says, game looks amazing, especially the LE. The UV stuff is a dream for me. I'm slightly worried that the callouts don't sound as good as the original. Only heard a couple so far. Not a deal breaker. Original callouts were perfect. Hoping a few more songs get added via code update. I'm getting an LE, a huge Metallica fan. P.S. Shame there's no wires on top of Sparky. Wolfgang I'm happy you're getting an LE and I think what I noticed with all the feedback is if you get an LE you are going to be excited and you're going to be happy and you're going to say stuff that's positive. If you're not and you're mad at Stern for lying about making more LEs you're going to Joe Kaminkow, rad cabs or side art panels on cabinet, Automated Amusements, Bowen Kerins, Latest John Ponca Sameh can't be with me again. How's everything coming along so far? I'm ending the time of Happy New Year 2018. Has patience or킨 Tecz, mood? Not yet. John Kurten told me something about a guy who looks like he wants to make money in a thing on the internet when he comes to do his party. He ran into girlfriend Sarah, your doctor left your party. Heather Banks called the mother Loser Kid. I'm afraid I've seen enough of those kids in my family. I'm drawing more Ivan and how do you mean please let her go? Or why do you agree with him about this couple offering a gay place. Yes, الگمیه �这REW accelerator to work together the hadj hurting underhat k note She did it at the gym tonight. I'm going to be a very polarizing response to it. Errol said, still several OG premiums for sale on Pinside for more than the remastered. Yeah, gang, if you're trying to sell an old Metallica premium for like 10 grand, that ship has sailed. Your game is now worth like 7,500. Just realize that and accept it. There's no going back to those old prices for the OG machine. 904 Pinball Zine said smart move by Stern and Metallica. There are new collectors of pinball machines yearly. In 10 plus years, there are many new prospective buyers that haven't had the previous iteration. I agree with him. I think there's a lot of people that just didn't have it and now they have a chance to get one. The irony is they're going to end up paying what they would have had to pay to get the original LE because they were selling right now for around $13,000. Rakeem Sanders says, I sold my Metallica Pro five years ago and have been regretting it since. I am no longer regretting that decision. Take my money Stern. Curtis Robbins says, I only wish Stern would put this much time and effort into their new titles. And what's the deal with releasing it so close to X-Men? Geez, the pros are not even on location yet. Well, Curtis, here's the thing. I do think Stern is putting this much attention into their new titles. Their new titles have been pretty damn good. X-Men, Jaws, yeah there's some misses theme wise, but man look at X-Men. That game really is much better than people realize and now that Stern is sort of pushing Weissen to the side and bringing in more people to help on the code, I think you're going to see a really good game in the end. Keith Collins says, I ordered the LE as my first LE I have bought, mostly to get the only acceptable art package. Well, Keith, I agree, it is the best artwork. Lone Ranger says, you told us this was going to happen over a year ago. Glad I sold my premium when I did. Well, I'm glad you sold it and I'm glad you listened to Kaneda. 60% of the time, I'm right all of the time. Electric Wizzy says, the one time I'd love an LE. He says the art package looks amazing and Stern limits the run to 500. Hans Milberger says, love it. This layout is one of the best. There was no need to start from scratch. Happy to be getting an LCD, more songs, and Insider Connected on Metallica ordering a premium. We didn't even talk about the fact that now that Metallica's got Insider Connected, it's definitely gonna add to the replay value of the game. And that's just something the OG game will never really have. You just can't put the OG game onto Insider Connected. And that is a huge, huge, huge reason why I think this new game's gonna be popular. Kyle said, at 13K, doesn't hold up to modern games. Compared to two other band pins, Foo and Iron Maiden, both have better theme, both have more interesting layout, both have modern code. You can get a Foo Ellie for 9,000. I don't think anyone can say Metallica is better game, a more iconic band, but not a better pin. Now Kyle has a point here. I would add Guns N' Roses into the mix, the forever declining in value Guns N' Roses, but does Metallica feel dated? It's a fan layout. It's Lyman Sheets code. Now I don't think code wise Metallica is dated. It does have maybe some chopping wood elements to it, but what Metallica has that maybe Foo Fighters doesn't have is Metallica really gets you going. It has pinball moments that are amazing. When you start the multiballs in Metallica, it really energizes you. And I think that's what pinball is all about. Just because you've got a new layout doesn't mean your game is exciting. And I think that's why people love Metallica. It's how it makes them feel when they play it. You know, and I've played Foo Fighters a bunch, but I'm not sure Foo Fighters like has those same moments that get you going as much as Metallica does. Here's the thing. I almost hate selling one against the other. I think they're both great games. And I think Stern Pinball with Iron Maiden, Metallica and Foo Fighters, I think if you're fans of all three of those bands, you are super happy. You're not upset about anything. And maybe we all need to get a little bit more positive and not say that Metallica sucks because Foo's better. Right? I mean, it's weird. It's like I think fans of Guns N' Roses, Metallica, ACDC, Iron Maiden, Foo Fighters, I think all of them, Elton John even, if you're fans of all of them, you're going to be happy. Anthony Fresolone said, Art looks amazing on the LE. Kinda wish it was a redesigned machine though. I wonder how much of a hit the old LEs are going to take on the used market now. They're going to take a lot. I think an LE OG before this game came out, you're looking at $13,000 all day long, maybe 15, depending on how good of condition it's in or if there's any mods. I think now the original LEs are going to settle somewhere around 10 to 11. And I think these things are going to hold pretty damn strong around 13 I think if you want to get one now if it is really sold out I do think people might be able to get a grand or two over sticker if the demand is really there I don't know. The market will do what the market does, people. Kirby's Beer Store said, not enough there for me to convince... You know what's... Gang, I just got to say this. I'm trying to read your comments word for word. The problem is there's so many grammatical mistakes when you guys write and I'm just trying to speak out loud what I'm reading and I have to go back and do it again and again and again and make up for your grammatical mistakes which is why editing this show is going to be a nightmare for me and it's all because of you. Learn to write better. Read what you wrote before you hit send. So Kirby said not enough there to convince him to spend 10 or 13,000. No one looks at the LCD while playing and different scopes are cool, but newness will wear off. I'm most excited about getting a deal on the old version. Well Kirby, you're gonna get a deal and people do look at the LCD screen. I don't know what you're talking about. You know, it's like did you never look at the Metallica DMD screen while you were playing? Of course you did because Lyman Sheets, people don't forget this.degree A2QBounce2 a concern s three here where how do you register RFID Indiana That's what happens, right? When balls are stuck on magnets and you get to watch something. A guy in an electric chair building up to a multiball. You're watching that on the screen. So do not say that nobody looks at the screen. So Dan Keller said, I want one. Wow. Will Ware said the Ellie is already harder to get than Alice on day one. I like it, but I don't $13,000 like it. Looking forward to picking up an OG premium. Well here's the thing. Nobody likes $13,000, right? Ken Shalada said, I hate that there are more Metallica LEs in the world, even if it's remastered. It's a bad move when customers paid you for exclusivity. Buying direct is for suckers these days. Yeah, I mean, Ken, I kind of agree. I think they screwed over all the original LE owners. They just did. RJ said, looks pretty good, not sure on the Sparky replacement, reminds me of Jeff Dunham's puppet a little. You know what it reminds me of? Coco, the Disney movie, like the Day of the Dead characters. It reminds me of someone from that movie. I absolutely agree with you, RJ. I think the old Sparky looks better. Here's what's crazy. Shane told the next comment, New Sparky is way better and actually looks like this skeleton on the back of the original Ride the Lightning shirt. New modes and callouts are going to put this over the top. Original artwork was a big miss. We just got used to it. New art, especially foil, is killer and stoked for only 500 LEDs. Bring back FOMO. Yeah, we didn't mention that this artwork is going to be on foiled decals, which is going to really pop. I get the sense that Shane is in on an LE. Does anyone else get that sense? He absolutely over the top loves everything about the game and he wants FOMO to be back. That sounds like someone in on an LE. E Rock U Ikea, who are these people? I mean, I'm reading the names of my club members. I'm convinced half of them are bots. It looks great and with Ray Day on code, it could be as deep as Rush. Well look, Ray Day's not really doing that much. He's adding just these new things. I'm not into the music, but that will be okay. If it shoots good, it's not something I would buy without playing it first. So this guy sounds pretty new to pinball, right? It's like, it's a fan layout. Metallica shoots great. It's a really inviting, easy game to play. And you know exactly where the shots are And you know exactly what you need to do and what to hit. Adam says, looks like an awesome game. I just don't love Metallica enough to drop the money. Dan says, I thought Stern wasn't making any more new limited edition games. Kind of feel bad for the OGLE owners. Mike Peterson says, art is awesome. LCD is awesome. Overall, awesome. However, Sparky, big miss. There was something special about the original Sparky. Just an amazing character. The skull looks a little goofy, almost like it's smiling. It looks like something you would buy from the dollar store. Well, Mike, the good news is the mod community, that thing is going to be fixed and they're going to make him even cooler. Mark Thornton says, everything about this game looks better than the original. UV lighting is a nice touch. New sparky looks way better. Ordered an LE yesterday after you gave me FOMO. Happy Mark. Glad I get zero commission on driving all these sales for Stern Pinball. Miles Cameron said, Glad I sold my old premium. This one is really going to hurt resale price of the old game. Miles, I couldn't agree more. Foo Beer said, I always wanted to own a Metallica but never wanted to pay such a high price for an older game. This version has all the updates to make the price worth it because it's a new game with all the modern bells and whistles. Well, you know, Fubir, are you telling me that you'd rather spend $13,000 on this Metallica LE instead of $6,500 on the old LE? I don't think there's any way to really justify these high prices. There just isn't. We just have to accept it because there's no other option. Bob N said, you ruined it for me with the Mount Rushmore comment. That's all I can see now. Well, Bob, it's true. They look like they're on Mount Rushmore and it's horrible and I just don't love the Translight in that premium. Frank Max said Stern did a fantastic job remastering a true pinball gem all in on an LE. Brian Millard said I love the new Metallica LE so much so I should probably get one. With that said, anyone want to buy my Wizard of Oz or Star Trek LE? You know Brian, you bring up an interesting point. I think most people are out of space. So to get this game into game rooms, think about it. That means like there's probably going to be a few hundred collector games hitting the market over the next few weeks. And it's just going to keep getting worse and worse with the oversaturation as more old collectible games are put up for sale. And then you've got all these new games that need buyers. I don't know how it sustains itself. All right, two more. Dave Sanders says, Does the job. A man of few words. Not my cup of tea, but it looks like a definitive addition. Nate Scarupa says, I like the original's cartoon art and sparky better. This looks flat with the black and white and zombies. Nate, I don't disagree. I actually agree 100%. I don't think this new play field and the scopes are colorful, are inviting, and jump I think the mod community is going to have a field day enhancing that part of the game. Everybody I know this show went a little long. I just wanted to read some of your feedback. I don't always do that. I want to thank each and every one of you for the support. It means the world to me. It is the week of Expo, right? It's going to be a very exciting week in pinball. I want to say what I love the most about this hobby is how it brings people together. And we're going to see that this week in spades. A lot of people are going to be hanging out that haven't seen each other in a long time. We take all the stupidity from the message boards, from the Facebook pages, from pin side and you get to hang out with people in real life. In real life everybody is super cool, super chill. It's a lot of fun to get together. The number one problem in the world today, do you know what it is with young kids? It's loneliness. It's an epidemic in America. And the one thing that cures all loneliness are hobbies. They bring people together. As long as this thing exists, as long as these companies make these games, we are going to have a reason to connect on a daily basis. I don't know about you, but I don't feel lonely. I've got friends all over the world because of this show. And I consider each and every one of you to be a friend of the show. And I love it. I love the conversations I have. I love that we get to critique these games. And I just want these companies to deliver games that are worthy of this much money and also stop lying to us. I still think they never should have made more Metallica LEs and yet here we are. Everybody have a great week at Expo. More shows are coming this week. You know it. Kaneda out. Suspecting your own vida. HiGun Swisto Unmanned Subtitles by Robotics &

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