DPP #219 "Are connected apps the way forward? Accessories and other stuff!"

Stern accessories delayed, app competition emerging, cabinet construction quality concerns.

Synopsis

Don discusses the delayed release of X-Men pinball accessories (toppers, art blades, shooter rods) arriving nearly a year after game launch, criticizing pricing and comparing to competitor strategies. He analyzes emerging connected app platforms (Plunger, Pin Access, Scorebit) as potential alternatives to Stern's Insider Connected, and raises concerns about cabinet construction quality changes in The Walking Dead (first full Spike 3 game), questioning whether simplified joinery represents a cost-cutting measure.

Entities

• Barrels of Fun· company
• Dutch Pinball· company
• Hexa Pinball· company
• Jersey Jack Pinball· company
• Spooky Pinball· company
• Stern Pinball· company
• Turner Pinball· company
• King Kong· game
• The Walking Dead· game
• Transformers· game
• X-Men· game
• IO Arcade Madison· organization
• Antoine· person
• Don· person
• Ernie· person
• Gary Stern· person
• George Gomez· person
• Jack Danger· person
• Insider Connected· product
• Pin Access· product
• Plunger· product
• Scorebit· product
• Spike 3· product