Okay, but it's STILL the Worst...

Cary Hardy·video·15m 31s·analyzed·Jan 18, 2024

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.026

TL;DR

Jaws is solid but not Elwin's best; theme and price deter collectors despite good mechanics.

Summary

Cary Hardy provides second impressions of Jaws pinball after watching a DeadFlip stream with code version 0.82. While acknowledging the game isn't Keith Elwin's worst title, Hardy criticizes the theme as unexciting for him personally and has mixed feelings about mechanical feedback from the shark bash toy. He praises the audio design, flip lock feature, film assets, and shot layout, ranking Jaws above AIQ but below Godzilla, Jurassic Park, and Iron Maiden among L1 games. His pre- and post-stream polls show 60-63% of respondents saying they won't buy the game, which Hardy attributes to both theme preference and economic concerns about the $7,000+ price point.

Key Claims

Jaws code version 0.82 was used in the DeadFlip stream, indicating more development work ahead
high confidence · Direct observation of stream content
The audio design, particularly during the roving fin target moment, is a key element that will enhance gameplay feel and is crucial for theme immersion
high confidence · Hardy's detailed analysis of the audio/music buildup and emphasis on needing quality audio for full experience
Hardy ranks Jaws above AIQ but below Godzilla, Jurassic Park, and Iron Maiden among Keith Elwin's L1 games
high confidence · Explicit ranking statement at 13:20 timeframe
Pre-stream poll showed 63% of 650 voters saying they won't buy Jaws; post-stream poll showed 60% of 562 voters saying no
high confidence · Hardy cites his own poll data with specific numbers
The 3D video mode will only be fully appreciated in-person with 3D glasses; it doesn't translate well on screen
high confidence · Hardy's direct commentary on the 3D mode limitations
Elizabeth is a coder on Jaws and this appears to be her first game to work on
medium confidence · Hardy's observation during the stream; phrased as 'evidently' and 'I believe this is even her first game'
The shark bash toy doesn't feel sufficiently responsive or satisfying; Hardy would prefer mechanical movement or enhanced light/audio feedback
high confidence · Hardy's detailed critique of the shark mechanic's lack of satisfying feedback

Notable Quotes

“the thing that still ranks last for me in comparison to all of its other cornerstone titles is the theme okay that's pretty much what i can see at this current point in time that i just don't care about and that is the theme”
Cary Hardy@ 0:30 — Core thesis of his criticism; establishes that Jaws' weakness is thematic rather than mechanical
“I was like, dude, the audio for this game is epic. And I think that's what's really going to enhance the gameplay feel of it.”
Cary Hardy@ 2:05 — Highlights audio design as a standout element that Hardy believes will define the game's appeal
“whenever the roving fin target starts to come up and it gets locked above your left flipper and you can hear him say, shoot him, shoot him. And the way the music just builds up for that moment, it builds up tension to where you're like, man, I really hope I nail this shot”
Cary Hardy@ 2:32 — Specific example of audio-mechanical synergy that Hardy considers a strong moment in the game
“I thought that was really nice. And one thing that I was even thinking about... Elwin even used his knee to hold down the action button to activate the flip lock feature”
Cary Hardy@ 4:46 — Demonstrates creative mechanical design with the flip lock feature; shows Elwin's hands-on playtesting
“I'm excited that I don't have that [FOMO]... I'm excited that I know that you know what i'm gonna be okay i don't have to have it right now”
Cary Hardy@ 13:16 — Clarifies his position: not bashing the game, but genuinely relieved he doesn't feel pressure to buy due to lack of thematic interest

Entities

Cary Hardyperson Keith ElwinpersonElizabethpersonJerryperson JawsgameStern PinballcompanyGodzillagame

Signals

~
sentiment_shift: 60-63% of poll respondents across pre- and post-stream indicate they will not purchase Jaws despite exposure to gameplay content.
high · Hardy's poll data: pre-stream 63% no (650 votes), post-stream 60% no (562 votes); minimal sentiment shift after stream
?
competitive_signal: Jaws positioned mid-tier in Keith Elwin's L1 catalog by Hardy: above AIQ but below Godzilla, Jurassic Park, Iron Maiden. Not his worst but not best.
high · Hardy's explicit ranking at 13:20: 'Godzilla, Jurassic Park, Iron Maiden, Jaws, and finally AIQ'
?
design_philosophy: Community sentiment includes complaints about excessive movie assets on Jaws screen; Hardy pushes back but notes 'no matter what decision that they choose' manufacturers face criticism.
medium · Hardy: 'there's now people out there that are complaining about there being too much on the screen there's too many movie assets'
?
design_philosophy: Keith Elwin's use of audio-mechanical synergy (roving fin target moment with escalating music) as a designed 'moment' for tension/satisfaction build.
medium · Hardy's specific analysis of the 'shoot him, shoot him' audio sequence building tension as an intentional design moment
?
personnel_signal: Elizabeth identified as coder on Jaws; appears to be her first game assignment; noted as skilled player.
medium · Hardy observation: 'evidently a very skilled player herself i mean this is the first time that i have seen her play or even seen her in general i believe this is even her first game to work on'

Topics

Theme preference and FOMO dynamicsprimaryAudio design quality and its impact on immersionprimaryMechanical feedback and responsiveness (shark bash toy)primaryKeith Elwin's game design across L1 lineup comparisonprimaryPricing and economic barriers to game ownershipsecondaryMovie asset utilization and balancesecondaryCode development status and future updatessecondaryCommunity sentiment and poll-based market researchsecondary

Sentiment

mixed(0.55)— Hardy praises specific mechanical and audio elements of Jaws but maintains overall lukewarm enthusiasm due to thematic disinterest and lack of personal FOMO. Recognizes the game as solid without being exceptional, positioning it as mid-tier in Elwin's catalog. Respectful but clear in his criticisms.

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.046

Okay, so it's not his worst game, like I was afraid it was going to be, but there is something that it does rank last on in comparison to the rest of his games. what's up guys and welcome back to my channel where i talk and do everything pinball and a special thank you to the over 9100 of you down there that have hit the subscribe button and the thing that still ranks last for me in comparison to all of its other cornerstone titles is the theme okay that's pretty much what i can see at this current point in time that i just don't care about and that is the theme and to each their own that you can't be mad at me for not liking or not caring about jaws it wasn't a movie that came out in the time of me being alive for that matter so granted it's just not a theme that speaks to me now when it comes to shots layout and everything i'm liking what i'm seeing so far on this latest stream with dead flip than what we saw solely with just Keith Elwin in the controlled video stream that was put out. So there's a couple of points here that I'm going to go over of things that I definitely liked. Other things that I don't know if I like yet. Let's get to it. So first thing to mention is that the code that they were using on this stream was version 0.82. So they've obviously got a little bit to go when it comes to finessing and creating, I'm going to use the word again, moments. I know some of you don't like hearing it over and over again, but I do have to point out that I believe there is a moment in this game. And I didn't get a real good feel of it with the L1 video because the audio was so low. But I want to point out that I think what is going to make this game special. And I've already messaged Jerry on this and I told him. I was like, dude, the audio for this game is epic. And I think that's what's really going to enhance the gameplay feel of it. If you don't have any audio with this, I don't feel like you're going to get the full experience. So even in a crowded, loud arcade, I do not feel like you're really going to be put into the theme of it. But with this stream, hearing the audio and the particular moment I'm speaking about is whenever the roving fin target starts to come up and it gets locked above your left flipper and you can hear him say, shoot him, shoot him. And the way the music just builds up for that moment, it builds up tension to where you're like, man, I really hope I nail this shot kind of thing. All right, here we go. You only need one barrel for Jaws now. And that's something that never got old on even Cactus Canyon for me, is when the drop targets come up and you have to hit it. That's really, I like that. So seeing that in this game and how the roving target moves around, it's, I like it. I do not think it's going to be as hard of a shot as like the missile shot on Jurassic Park, which by the way, I just got finished playing a game and I freaking nailed it. That was, I love it. So, but I'm liking that particular thing and what made it special was the audio that went along with it. Something else I want to talk about that I don't believe went over very well in the first video stream. And that is what they calling the flip lock feature and that is the upper right flipper how you able to manually if you so wish to during a multiball hold a ball up there until you release it on your own or it released whenever you drain the other balls kind of thing But basically, during a multiball, if a ball goes up there, you can hold up that flipper and then hit the action button or hold it down, and it will activate the flip lock feature and hold your ball there for you while you shoot around the other balls on the playfield. I thought that was really nice. And one thing that I was even thinking about, and I'm sure plenty of us have done this on other games, whether it be the Ed Boon button on Deadpool or something like that, Boot Fighters is the same way. I've done it with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles where you have to use both of your flippers but you need to hit the action button you bust out your legs you start using your knee or whatever means necessary to hit that action button so at one point in time Elwin even used his knee to hold down the action button to activate the flip lock feature because he had to do other things with his fingers on the flipper buttons so I like that aspect of the game also Now, something that is not going to be appreciated until you experience it right in front of the game is the 3D mode, the video mode. That's all I can really say about that. It doesn't really mean or show very much for us watching it on a computer screen. But maybe being right there, if you have 3D glasses, then that could be something awesome. But at this point in time, it's a video mode where you shoot stuff. But the 3D aspect of it will probably only really be appreciated if you happen to have 3D glasses on you when you go to the arcade. So there's that. I liked, and I think I saw some people complaining about this, but I actually liked the tilt screen and sound effects that are used on that. Some people don't like the sound of nails on a chalkboard. That's why people say that. It's like nails on a chalkboard. but they have like when Quint scratches across the chalkboard with his fingernails as a tilt warning. And people are like, oh, I don't like that sound. But all of us have probably close to that same look on our faces whenever we get a tilt warning in the first place, more of a kind of thing. So you don't want to tilt out. And the actual tilt feature that comes on the screen is whenever like Quint just like smashes the radio. So I thought that was a really nice film asset that they chose to use. I just realized that my arcade is wanting to update the DirectX. I'm going to say no at this time, but it looks like it really wants to update it. i'll deal with that later what game do i want to have on in the background let's just let's go to uh let's have some game boy back there how about that now segueing into the movie assets there are a lot on here probably more than we've ever seen from stern when it comes to doing movie assets in their games and i i i'd laugh because there's now people out there that are complaining about there being too much on the screen there's too many movie assets are you freaking kidding me like i understand that not all of us can think and feel the same way and you have your right to your opinion but it like i feel like it all there every company walking on a double sword no matter what decision that they choose It like whether or not they choose to put movie assets in there it like alright, you put too much, or you put too little, you're not going to make that person happy, kind of thing. Like, oh, you want to do... Also, my hat's off to Elizabeth, that is one of the coders on this game, an evidently a very skilled player herself i mean this is the first time that i have seen her play or even seen her in general i believe this is even her first game to work on so so far so good i mean you're a very skilled player you seem to have a good attitude um maybe someday we'll meet maybe someday we won't i don't know but like um uh i like what i'm seeing so far from you elizabeth if you're watching this now there's a lot of talk from people in the hobby in regards to the shark not eating the ball honestly i i couldn't care less if the shark ate the ball would it be cooler oh yeah that'd be a definite cool factor in comparison to a bash toy what what i would ask is that when you hit the shark i would i want it to be some sort of i don't know more responsive The game needs to feel like I just did something. If you can't do it mechanically, then code the game with a little bit more of a light effect to it, and the audio needs to go along with it, and I'm sure the shaker motor shakes to kind of give you that feedback. But as of right now, from just watching a video, it doesn't feel very, I don't know, satisfying, if I can just say that, with just what I'm seeing. So hopefully, it's a better experience while you're playing the game. But as of right now, it kind of feels like a ka-dunk, and it just comes back down. I don't know. It still just doesn't – I'm not feeling something right there. So that's my only downside to what I'm seeing when it comes to the shark and the bash toy. Now, if they could have implemented some sort of method on the shark, maybe even just wiggling a little bit or thrashing, I don't know. You could still hit him, but if he did some kind of reaction to you hitting it, they can probably code something into the word a shark. you know moves a little bit make it feel like instead of you just hitting it and the ball coming back down the game has a little more reaction to it that's all i ask where does this game currently rank if it's not the worst l1 game and i gotta say this like i say worst l1 game and that doesn't really mean much because essentially all of his games shoot great but i think it's majority of the Elwynn fans would say that AIQ was probably their least favorite. Not that it's a bad game, it was probably people's least favorite. And I'm not going to bring Bond 60th in here because it wasn't a cornerstone title game. And I still have yet to play the damn thing. But if I had to place Jaws going strictly on what I can see and how it shoots and what I can hear now going from this latest stream, it is not his worst game. Where would I put it? I would put it above AIQ at this point. I don't know if I would go far above that. And if people are curious, my ranking on L1 games is like Godzilla, Jurassic Park, Iron Maiden, Jaws, and finally AIQ. So, that's where I put it at, at this current point in time. And that may change after I play it. Moving on to that point When we get one on location near or around me it may be somewhere in Dallas like the Side Arcade maybe Arcade 92 in McKinney or something like that but whenever I get word of a Jaws being on location where I can play it, I will be sure to let it be known when and where I plan on going to play this. So any of you guys around the Metroplex or whatever would like to come in, join have a few drinks and we can all chitter chat and play jaws and get some feedback right then and there on how everybody feels about it so when that happens i will announce it obviously to my patrons first because there are a few of them that are within a driving distance now and i i want to like just touch on something a little bit here and i feel like people were thinking i was bashing the game by saying that I wasn't excited to like own this game and like no it's not it at all nothing to do with bashing on the game it was like I was excited and excited that I don't want the game mainly due to the theme it doesn't excite me I know that eventually I'm gonna be able to play it whether it be on location or Texas pinball festival I just don't have any FOMO or like you know I like oh I've got to have it got to get it back here kind of thing I'm excited that I don't have that who was excited to blow at least seven grand plus on a new machine to put in their house especially when i could spend a few bucks merely and just go down to a location and get my experience and figure out whether or not it's something i want to blow seven grand plus on that's what i'm excited about i'm excited that i know that you know what i'm gonna be okay i don't have to have it right now now for upcoming title titles in the future for this year that might be a different story and something i want to bring up because i did a poll before and after the stream i did it like after before dead flip stream i put out a poll asking people if they planned on buying Jaws. And then I did a poll after the dead flip stream asking if they were going to buy Jaws, just to get a before and after. And they all at least had 24 hours to vote. So at this point in time, the before stream, I've got a total of 650 votes. 63% say no, they will not be buying Jaws. After the stream, with 562 votes, 60% say no. So the majority definitely lean towards not buying the game. And that is not all about the theme or just the lack of interest in the game. I think a lot of this, at least at the current point in time when it comes to the economy and everything, I think it has to do with just people willing to spend that amount of money on a game people I think when a game comes out it needs to check all the boxes these days for people to go you know what this is something I want to own and maybe Jaws is just not checking all the boxes for people one of the boxes not checking for me is obviously the theme so there you have my second impressions on Jaws. I would like to know how you feel about the game. Did your mind get changed? Did it get better or worse after watching the Deadflip stream? Let me know in the comment section down below, guys.