SDTM Episode 62: This Or That? (Maiden LE vs POTC LE & more pinball choices)

Straight Down the Middle·video·35m 44s·analyzed·Jun 1, 2018

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.035

TL;DR

SDTM hosts play 'This or That' pinball machine comparison game with viewer submissions.

Summary

Straight Down the Middle hosts Zach Sharp and Greg Bone conduct a 'This or That' segment where they and viewers compare pinball machines across various matchups, including Iron Maiden LE vs Pirates of the Caribbean LE, Big Lebowski vs Alien, Guardians of the Galaxy vs Iron Maiden, and several classic/modern game comparisons. The hosts discuss theme preferences, code quality, toy design, and gameplay mechanics while making purchasing recommendations.

Key Claims

Iron Maiden LE and Pirates of the Caribbean LE have approximately $500 price difference
high confidence · Greg Bone states Iron Maiden LE is $9,000-$9,900 and mentions only a $500 difference from POTC LE
Pirates of the Caribbean will not have Johnny Depp or video in future versions
high confidence · Zach Sharp mentions 'no Johnny Depp or no video ever again' regarding licensing limitations
Guardians of the Galaxy recently received a new code update (Heavy Metal Meltdown)
medium confidence · Greg Bone mentions 'Guardians has a new code now. Guard people are really... Good. Heavy Metal Meltdown'
Iron Maiden code is considered superior to recent Guardians code updates
medium confidence · Greg Bone states 'I'll give Iron Maiden the... not there' and later 'It's no Iron Maiden code'
The Big Lebowski is a better game than Heighway Pinball's Alien
low confidence · Greg Bone personal opinion: 'It's a better shooter. It's it's a better theme'

Notable Quotes

“Do you go Iron Maiden Elite or do you go Pirates of the Caribbean with Jersey Jack Pinball?”
Zach Sharp@ 3:06 — Opens first major This or That comparison of the episode
“I like toys and I like gimmicks and I like movies. I love movies and I like good art... Pirates of the Caribbean stands out.”
Greg Bone@ 4:06 — Explains preference rationale emphasizing theme and mechanical elements
“It's a better game... The Big Lebowski is a way better theme than Alien.”
Greg Bone@ 9:46 — Clear statement of preference separating game quality from theme attachment
“I'm gonna go short-term Iron Maiden, long-term Guardians because Guardians will stay in my collection longer.”
Zach Sharp@ 13:33 — Articulates timeline-based purchasing strategy for collection management
“If I had the collection that I have right now, I'd go with The Lord of the Rings. If I was a few pins short, I will always take quantity over the quality.”
Greg Bone@ 18:26 — Demonstrates collection-dependent decision-making philosophy
“I just don't like the Shane Black. The Arrow trim package. It looks blotchy all the time.”
Zach Sharp@ 29:42 — Specific criticism of cosmetic design element affecting preference
“If you want a fast-shooting game that's fun, balls of the wall, you're just shooting balls, go Guardians. If you want a masterpiece of beauty, elegance, and in your game room that's really deep and hopefully an upcoming final code that puts it over the top, go The Hobbit.”

Entities

Zach SharppersonGreg Boneperson Jeremy Packerperson Christopher Franchiperson Zombie Yetiperson Oscar H. Rayperson John Papadukeperson

Signals

?
code_update: Guardians of the Galaxy recent code update (Heavy Metal Meltdown) mentioned as improvement but still considered inferior to Iron Maiden's established code
medium · Greg Bone: 'Guardians has a new code now... It's Papa Duke cool. I like it, but it's no Iron Maiden code'
?
community_signal: Viewer participation in This or That segment indicates active community engagement with show format; multiple viewer submissions received and discussed
high · Multiple viewer questions incorporated throughout episode ('Fish and Pinball' submission, 'The Jack' submission, 'John Krause' submissions)
?
competitive_signal: Hobbit positioned for potential final code improvement that 'puts it over the top,' suggesting ongoing development and community expectations for ruleset enhancement
medium · Greg Bone: 'hopefully an upcoming final code that puts it over the top, go The Hobbit, dude'
?
design_philosophy: Clear tension between players who value toy/theme/movie integration (Greg Bone favoring JJP) vs those valuing pure code depth and shot layout (potentially Stern-leaning)
high · Greg Bone: 'I like toys and I like gimmicks and I like movies... Pirates stands out' vs discussion of Iron Maiden's superior code
$
market_signal: Price parity between premium machines (Iron Maiden LE ~$9500 vs POTC LE ~$10k) enabling direct feature/quality comparison shopping
high · Greg Bone discusses only $500 difference between Iron Maiden LE ($9,000-$9,900) and POTC LE

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:06

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1:23

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1:40

hey guys welcome back to straight down the middle of pinball show my name is Zach the less preferred of the two here and this is the most preferred host and pinball Greg bone how's it going great doing really well that's right confirmation on my celebrity status in this from this last video that you released a while two videos ago oh god you got my head was big before it was really big now we get to do everybody's favorite segment called this or that people have been talking about us doing this or that but they don't say it because they're too scared they say stuff like well there's other blood go so third do things like oh they picked this scene or the other machine and they come on like this we coined this phrase and it's fantastic it doesn't become a preferred roadtrip game you know what I can see people really playing they really are I've heard it from a few people even their spouses Nopalea that's right so this is a segment where you guys play along this or that you tell us what you want if you want this machine or that machine or those machines or this machine let's go with that first one the first one was created by me great because I hear a lot about Iron Maiden everybody's raving this machine where mine we've reviewed that last yes right so you guys know how we feel about iron main but I want to know do you go Iron Maiden Ellie I mean they say this is the second coming of Stern le machines yeah or do you go Pirates of the Caribbean alley by Jersey Jack pinball well we got like a $3,000 price difference okay so we're doing price oh no $500 difference only 500 only 500 that's the that's the squirrely thing about the stern Ellie's there $9,000 900 obviously see II know of pirates see we're keeping it pirate okay yeah my crazy price come okay so only a $500 every 500 all our difference do you go for Iron Maiden balls-to-the-wall rock and out with all of the all of the assets that you can have or do you go for the out be single spinning parts of the Caribbean with no John face or no video again ever I've thought about this a hundred times I don't really care about Johnny Depp it's not a big deal okay spinning wheel again disappointment big deal yeah it's a big deal to a lot of people not as big to me I would like something fancier and cooler with the lights and all that obviously okay but again I like toys and I like gimmicks and I like I know I like movies I love movies and I like is good we're gonna lose it as good is the art world and as beautiful as what Iron Maiden is pirates Oh it stands out he's gonna do it I'd go with part Wow Wow you're gonna go with Pirates of the Caribbean everybody's chatting on those shots are fantastic it's fantastic on Iron Maiden okay but I like the the shots on Pirates now the modes are not as differentiating is what I would like look like there are the modes you I see my shots I know my shots I think when people complain about dinner cares that's ludicrous yeah I don't mind actually like you know you hear some people ranting about the you gotta select from what 30-something 22 22 character sorry different characters and you need to learn all the different though I think it expels it has enough on the thing if you want to go deep it's a yeah I kind of like it but you don't have to like you said you don't have to go deep no you don't have to at all you can the game explains itself it is it is a game you can step up and figure out for the most part yeah it's fairly I'm 3/4 and again the ID I'm a casual player who just enjoys but iron mode we just talked about how awesome this code it is and layout it is it's often hoops I'm not taking anything like powder coat the magic glass the back glass the the glossy saw I am take me though away it is you've got all of it is fantastic I'm not taking anything away from Iron Maiden just as a personal preference because I like toys and I like the ship and I like movies okay I'd go with pirates oh I will too yeah come on Iron Maiden the theme theme still the theme is look I can't get past it well the theme does not bother me that bad it's just that I just I like yeah everything I explained I just like the new stuff but I'll go Pirates of the Caribbean because it's built better it's deeper yeah it is deeper and there's more toys yes and I'm like you I like I like a theme like a movie theme I'd rather have the Pirates theme that I would Iron Maiden yeah not that those songs aren't freaking growing on me yeah those little bastard songs it doesn't erode me but no I'm gonna pirates that's one that's that's one you know what though I think that when people have more time like people have had a little bit of time on Iron Maiden now yeah I think that when Pirates finally gets released oh then I'd hate to see how long that beards gonna be by the time part you shouldn't shave until fiery just released no please don't I can't have it I really should know I really should let it grow now the Pirates kids now jag does his cartwheel you've got a Santa Claus beard by that time it's not hoping hair long help these guys out let's get these machines on the line I think people's minds are going to there they're going to accept pirates and enjoy it more I just don't think that people have got enough of a chance and experience in this kind of apples to oranges - oh very got a wide body you got a journey versus a standard body shooting exact it's not telling story really yeah very fast they are so let's go with the next this or that I threw together as well we'll get to the viewer request here in a minute but I wanted to know because we've got to [ __ ] shows and I apologize to failing companies that doesn't sound any better just to falling-out machines if you will and the Big Lebowski doesn't sound like they're doing very well they're kind of going downhill quick if they're not already done and highway pinball's alien alien Hank I think about it why I just I still love alien you know I was at Larry's today indie pins playing his the sound on that machine great that's what's it the other day I was a liar but still you can't get around it that sound is amazing it is literally like this is what me at me and me had talked about the other day when I over there was I said it is like it's like it's if you were playing a video game if you're playing an alien video game on your ps4 or your xbox and you had your surround sound ream it would sound like that and you were playing that it feels like a video game oh I still I still just cannot get over I know everything is Chris yes the sound effects are awesome because of every issue in the music is daunting and scary yes it is it is again it is that world under glass that everyone strives for and I don't want to I'm not going to knock on the pin just because of all the debacle with Andrew and everything and all the screwing people over and dicken everybody letting the investors coming in and I just to take everything LTS the liquid data and everything else I'm not I'm not going to dog the pin and the way that it plays and what it does for you just because of all that or because of even you I'm hearing a lot that it's not that it wasn't engineered very well and everything else yes and and I'm not factoring any of that in I'm not talking about any of that I'm separating the two from the experience and when I walk up the alien and I play it and I still find it to be oh you're careful there I see what a fantastic instead of oken huh I was gonna go you're gonna go again but if you know I can antastic yeah oh guys still love it yeah it's not close for me I'm going Lebowski because Lebowski's a better game it's a better game really yes it's a better shooter it's it's it's a better theme yeah you heard me guys The Big Lebowski is a way better theme than alien I enjoy them both with aliens still where's the money Lebowski

Greg Bone@ 29:17 — Clear articulation of design philosophies and use cases for different player types

Spooky Pinballcompany

product_strategy: Clear preference differentiation emerging between Jersey Jack Pinball (Pirates, Hobbit, Indiana Jones) and Stern machines (Iron Maiden, Guardians, LOTR) based on toy design, build quality, and theme execution

high · Multiple direct comparisons showing JJP machines preferred for 'toys and gimmicks' and superior build quality vs Stern machines praised for code quality

sentiment_shift: No Fear growing in community appreciation over time despite initial criticism; Zach Sharp notes it has 'grown on me'

medium · Zach Sharp states 'No Fear's grown on me a lot by the way' during Whirlwind/No Fear/LOTR comparison

licensing_signal: Pirates of the Caribbean licensing constraints confirmed: Johnny Depp video will not appear in future versions

high · Zach Sharp directly states 'no Johnny Depp or no video ever again' regarding licensing limitations on POTC