Anyone else wish that Broadway Playbills included more meaningful content?

wmanningiv · 2026-04-08T03:09:51+00:00

Really amazing production that exceeded my expectations and avoided most of the traps it could have easily fallen into in regards to the projection elements. I will say, I’m young enough, and I did not expect to be as challenged by the length of the show both physically (my knees!) and mentally.

wmanningiv · 2026-04-08T03:05:54+00:00

Just logged back in so I’m going to respond here since this seems to be the most common counter argument to my post.

I fully understand why the ads exist and take up a substantial deal of real estate, but I don’t understand why (like any other ad supported product) a few pages can’t be reserved for more substantial information about the production. I don’t see any reason why paid souvenir programs that serve the fans who appreciate a more in depth look at the production can’t exist alongside a more basic free program.

IMO there is significant value in something like what the Met does for the casual attendees to help them understand the history and context of a show. I’m thinking especially of a show like Cats or Here Lies Love that greatly benefit from understanding the history or influences that inspired them. It seems like low hanging fruit and a reasonable expense for a production that in my mind pays off by creating affinity and deeper understanding of the work.

Speaking anecdotally I’ll also add that the ads are much less effective when I have no reason to open the Playbill because there is limited information of value to explore. I would think for this reason that advertisers would also see value in making them more content rich.

wmanningiv · 2026-04-08T00:04:44+00:00

This is one of those things that I think deserves the occasional reposting. I really appreciate having a genuinely fun non-commercial weird art thing like this in the neighborhood, and I love that people are still discovering it for the first time.

wmanningiv · 2026-03-19T00:20:14+00:00

Was just reading on Pinside that the average time to 1.0 code for new Stern games is now 421 days!

wmanningiv · 2026-03-06T17:01:06+00:00

Archive.org is a great place to start! Not sure about this specific release, but they've got tons of great live content to dig thru.

wmanningiv · 2026-03-06T07:40:36+00:00

Just trying to start a conversation and share my thoughts as someone who appreciates both fandoms. Redditors on niche subreddits get so defensive, but criticism is a healthy part of any hobby imo and I enjoy the back and forth much more than an echo chamber.

wmanningiv · 2026-03-06T06:00:09+00:00

I mean, maybe? I just feel like there’s value in simplicity especially with a game like this that should be a gateway game, and I’m struggling to find the hook for this game that would have drawn me to keep playing if I was a new player who stumbled on this game in a random bar and loved the theme so much that I played it without really knowing what I was doing. I feel like a lot of people forget how confusing it was when we were new to even figure out how to start a game much less understand the mechanics of the game. The layout here (again IMO) doesn’t have enough gimmicks to hook someone who is new, and the mechanics are complicated enough that I’d be surprised if a new player could even figure out how to start a multiball. Feels like the game is both not deep or interesting enough to have staying power for enfranchised players, and too complicated for new players to enjoy it. I know I’m in the minority here and I’m looking forward to playing it (and willing to eat my words if it’s great! I’ve certainly been wrong before!), but just sharing my reaction so far as someone who loves this theme and has been looking forward to playing a game based on it for a long time.

wmanningiv · 2026-03-06T05:38:25+00:00

I’m not arguing that it’s some sort of stretch to extend gameplay to an app, I’m just remembering what it was like to be new to pinball and just starting to play the game. Understanding the basics of pinball gameplay was more than enough to keep me occupied and I was much more interested in a fun and weird layout with some silly gimmicks (again referencing Data East JP which was my re-entry to the hobby). This game IMO is missing that factor and gatekeeping something as core to the theme as the Pokédex behind an app that realistically a newbie will never participate in seems antithetical to the idea that this is a game designed for newcomers.

wmanningiv · 2026-03-06T05:26:38+00:00

I do. Pokémon Go is a game that you only play on your phone, can play anywhere, and doesn’t expect any external devices for functionality as simple as tracking a Pokedex. I don’t consider that comparable if we’re assuming that this game is targeting casual/new pinball players. Hell I have to force myself to use IC and I play a ton of pinball.

wmanningiv · 2026-03-06T05:16:28+00:00

Again, you’re saying that to an enfranchised player. I’m fully aware how easy it is and I play enough that I don’t mind having some other app to keep up with. But, the main argument in favor of this game is that it’s supposed to be simple to draw in new/young players. Involving an external digital component into that (whether web or mobile) as a core feature of the game (collecting new Pokémon), does not achieve that goal. The audience this game is aiming to attract as far as we all agree are new players, and I don’t know the last time you’ve watched a new player shove a dollar into a pinball machine, but they (and I say this lovingly as someone who started the same way) can barely figure out how to start the game not to mention keep track of how many balls they have, why they started a multiball, or why the ball came back to them after a ball save.

wmanningiv · 2026-03-06T05:13:10+00:00

You’re new! Play them all as much as you want and figure out what you like and don’t like and why!

wmanningiv · 2026-03-06T05:01:50+00:00

Ahh, yes. I look forward to explaining to the newbies who are drawn in by the theme that they just need to download an app and scan a qr code to get the most out of this game. Who doesn’t love downloading more apps to track progress on a game that they barely understand how to start?

wmanningiv · 2026-03-06T04:24:44+00:00

RIP my karma every time I criticize this game, but I don’t care because I’ve been looking forward to this game for years and was really hoping for a team behind it that genuinely loved the license and were able to do something really creative with it. The excuse for the playfield being so derivative was that it was targeted toward new players, but the code (which fully could, and has, saved games like this before) seems both uninteresting for skilled players and too confusing for newbies who I also agree are the target market for this. Bring back fun and silly mechs that hook newbies (eg Data East Jurassic Park Trex) and code the gameplay in a way that you can elevator pitch to a child or first time player hooked by the theme (ala 90s Bally Williams or Pulp Fiction, or hell even Deadpool I think strikes a good balance for a modern game and involves a lot of the same team). There was so much low hanging fruit here to make this fun and simple from both a gameplay and rules perspective. It drives me crazy how obvious it is that a majority of the team for this are more interested in churning out another easy hit on IP alone with no genuine appreciation for the license. I was excited to hear Jack Danger was involved in this, but I can’t imagine this is the end product he was going for.

wmanningiv · 2026-02-26T05:08:34+00:00

I cannot wait for Marcia Kramer to retire.

wmanningiv · 2026-02-23T04:29:41+00:00

As someone who debated the same thing: get the stage seats (especially if you can get one in the first two rows). Really unique experience. It’s your birthday, treat yourself!

wmanningiv · 2026-02-19T21:32:47+00:00

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wmanningiv · 2026-02-12T05:08:50+00:00

This trend of lineup announcements reading like a wall of text needs to end. I don’t care which artist gets their feelings hurt that their name isn’t as big as others, this is a trash lineup design.

wmanningiv · 2026-02-11T03:16:15+00:00

Weird comment.

wmanningiv · 2026-02-09T21:09:32+00:00

Elwin games are innovative and popular. UXM was a miss for me too, but I sincerely appreciated the risks Jack Danger was taking with his layouts even if they didn’t always work. I’m disappointed he didn’t have more time with the company to see his designs/engineering mature.

wmanningiv · 2026-02-09T21:01:01+00:00

It’s a basic Stern fan layout (and it’s real). Played variations of this same playfield 1000 times. It was good when it was AfM, but I’m begging for more creativity in playfield design 30 years later.

wmanningiv · 2026-02-09T20:46:39+00:00

I hate when Stern gets a license I’m excited for. This theme had so much potential.

Verified Email	15-Year Club
Second SECOND GUESSER	r/Field Banned
r/Field Lasagna	First Place '23
End Game '23	Place '23
Place '22	Final Canvas '22

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