Wayne/Capability for Program Updates

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I know there are several posts going around about these guys. One thing
I wasn't clear of. Did the Williams deal include the software portion?
i.e. Does Wayne or Gene now have the ability to improve/change the
software to make game improvements to the likes of ToM wizard mode or
Cactus Canyon wizard mode?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Mark Salas wrote:
> I know there are several posts going around about these guys. One thing
> I wasn't clear of. Did the Williams deal include the software portion?
> i.e. Does Wayne or Gene now have the ability to improve/change the
> software to make game improvements to the likes of ToM wizard mode or
> Cactus Canyon wizard mode?

I guess Wayne could improve the wizard mode on World Cup Cup Soccer by
having the final match between Australia and New Zealand. In my best
Aussie voice: GOOOAAAAL!!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Mark Salas schreef:

> I know there are several posts going around about these guys. One thing
> I wasn't clear of. Did the Williams deal include the software portion?
> i.e. Does Wayne or Gene now have the ability to improve/change the
> software to make game improvements to the likes of ToM wizard mode or
> Cactus Canyon wizard mode?

Yes source code and compilers should be in Waynes hands.
If they have the ability, that's another question..

Aeneas.
--http://www.flippers.be

 

[jdix]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Well if it would motivate them to get it done, a presale could be made
taking deposits. If they reach a minimum presale number that makes
business sense, they complete the project, collect the remaining
balances, and ship all the new chips on the same day. I think just
about every owner of a TOM, CC, or NGG for that matter would happily
pay for a software improvement, if the price were reasonable. This may
not be an ideal solution, but it might be a compromise needed to get
something great that otherwise might never be done.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Also true.

So I don't see software updates happening, unfortunately.

Unless i.e. some of the original programmers are still motivated to
make a home rom and either make a deal with Wayne, or he supports them
so they can make it semi-official and released through TPF (and not
like i.e. the CV home rom).
But as some of them now work for i.e. Stern I don't think many original
programmers are interested to go this way.

Aeneas.
--http://www.flippers.be

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

With Oliver K's release of the early bally "rebuild software toolkit"
looks like the older stuff can be a reality - I think sound production
might be the hardest thing to duplicate unless they are all "canned" in
the sound board.

Plus if the Niwumpf guys get their universal CPU replacement out with
programming kit, there'll be lots of "homebrew" type rules changes.
Pretty cool stuff.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

YIKES! <:/

Fred
TX
CARGPB#8
========================
seymour-shabow@excite.com wrote:

> Plus if the Niwumpf guys get their universal CPU replacement out with
> programming kit, there'll be lots of "homebrew" type rules changes.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

only YIKES if people end up selling machines with these modified rules.
I think it would be cool though to be able to play old games with
new/different rules - just think Fred someone might come up with some
EBD rules that enable you to like the game.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Ya think?

Only they would need to move all that stuff
around on the playfield, and get rid of that
ugly dude in the backglass, too....

Fred
TX
CARGPB#8
============================================
seymour-shabow@excite.com wrote:
> only YIKES if people end up selling machines with these modified rules.
> I think it would be cool though to be able to play old games with
> new/different rules - just think Fred someone might come up with some
> EBD rules that enable you to like the game.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

"Aeneas Verhe" <averhe@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1123739507.266697.66000@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> If they have the ability, that's another question..

As is whether they can make business out of that or not. Whether we like it
or not, the fact is that making these changes requires work and thus costs
money, which have to be taken back by selling the software. I believe that
this was discussed in the forums of http://www.pinball.com/ and they were
worried about one buying the roms and the others just taking copies of that.
For us hobbyists, releasing the code for public domain or open-source would
be the ideal solution, but I don't know if that's even legally possible.

--Jarkko
(please remove .nospamplease and .invalid if you reply by email)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

> Only they would need to move all that stuff
> around on the playfield, and get rid of that
> ugly dude in the backglass, too....

Then we'll need to get rid of the ugly dudes on the back of Robocop,
Skateball and Cue Ball Wizard to make them better! BTW, the "ugly dudes" on
the back of EBD and CBW look like brothers, with the uglier one represented
on CBW.

--
Mike S.
Kalamazoo, MI

Gameroom: http://tinyurl.com/4hfev
W C S Owner's List: http://tinyurl.com/39cjo
M B Scoop Repair: http://tinyurl.com/9lfu
--------------------------------------------

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Too busy watching the ball(s) on CBW.

Never noticed the guy on the bg......!

--
Fred
TX
CARGPB#8
******************

"Mike Schudel" <schudel5@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1123775567.152cc571c3121a51fe687e17f79c3842@teranews...
> > Only they would need to move all that stuff
> > around on the playfield, and get rid of that
> > ugly dude in the backglass, too....
>
> Then we'll need to get rid of the ugly dudes on the back of Robocop,
> Skateball and Cue Ball Wizard to make them better! BTW, the "ugly dudes" on
> the back of EBD and CBW look like brothers, with the uglier one represented
> on CBW.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

In article <1123748498.512360.221230@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
Aeneas Verhe <averhe@gmail.com> wrote:

>So I don't see software updates happening, unfortunately.

>Unless i.e. some of the original programmers are still motivated to
>make a home rom and either make a deal with Wayne, or he supports them
>so they can make it semi-official and released through TPF (and not
>like i.e. the CV home rom).

For licensed titles, there might also be licensor approval issues if
software changes were made.

In my experience, without naming names or mentioning specifics, some
licensors were very concerned with every last detail of how certain images
and recordings were used, seemingly making things up as they went along.
It wasn't unusual to see specific requirements for usage spelled out in
the licensing agreement/contract. Other licensors were more willing to
let us make a game and then sign off at the end. It wasn't always
possible to work with this last type of licensor, though it sure was
easier.

Orin


--
Orin Day | Women's Basketball Photos at http://www.dwhoops.com
lobster @ |
lobsterdevil | no quote today
.com |

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I agree with Aeneas. As a full time software engineer, I can guarantee you it's
*never* just a case of picking up someone elses source code today and making
those fixes your game so desperately needs tomorrow.

Not only would you have to have a thorough understanding of how the various WMS
operating systems worked, you'd have to understand the game ROMs to get a feel
for how a particular game has been implemented. You'd also have to have a
thorough understanding of the hardware, be aware of other issues like bank
switching and know what registers do what, when and where. Not to mention
intimate familiarity with 680x assembler.

I really hope something like this comes to fruition because we all have bugs in
our machines that we want fixed. For me, it's the Johnny Mnemonic spinner rape.
Maybe the System 6 or 7 stuff might go open source at some point in the future,
along with the various toolsets needed to write a new game ROM. With PinMAME
being what it is, you could build your Time Warp or whatever with lane change
and try it out without smoking any hardware.

Fingers still crossed.
"Aeneas Verhe" <averhe@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1123739507.266697.66000@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Mark Salas schreef:
>
>> I know there are several posts going around about these guys. One thing
>> I wasn't clear of. Did the Williams deal include the software portion?
>> i.e. Does Wayne or Gene now have the ability to improve/change the
>> software to make game improvements to the likes of ToM wizard mode or
>> Cactus Canyon wizard mode?
>
> Yes source code and compilers should be in Waynes hands.
> If they have the ability, that's another question..
>
> Aeneas.
> --http://www.flippers.be
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

"SpamInACan" <spaminacan at internode dot on dot net> wrote in message
news:42fb359e@duster.adelaide.on.net...
> our machines that we want fixed. For me, it's the Johnny Mnemonic spinner
> rape. Maybe the System 6 or 7 stuff might go open source at some point in
> the future,
For me - Bram Stoker's Dracula

Faulty logic to control the drop target. If video mode is qualified the
game never figure outs when it should pop the drop target up automatically
(like during a ball plunge, or when mist is starting). Nothing annoys me
more than missing the mist multiball shot, and hitting the right orbit, only
to see the game start video mode while the mist ball gets dragged the
remaining 2/3rds of the way across the playfield.

Long beam opto handling. Anyone who has had their game ended when mist ends
and you still have a ball in play knows what I am talking about. I don't
think this is a switch failure either (but maybe it is).

Andy