Williams™ Pinball Update Release Date, Price, Free Content and Remastered Versions

[setgang6]

I’d like an eta on the friends list filter leaderboard bug affecting PS4 users

[teamski]

First impression are very positive. I actually like all the #s popping up showing points etc. Great thing is that you can change into or out of those options in a flash.

How?

-Ski

[Giddy]

The new tables are excellent - was wondering how they were going to be being a TPA player aswell. They have certainly beat my expectations. I have noticed a bug on the 5 minute challenge for the High Speed table - if you activate multiball & lose all the 3 balls the game ends even though you have time left to play - happened to me twice yesterday.

[ALH2012]

I think that it was a brilliant stroke to get arcade tables into FX3. With PBA slowly dying out, ZEN will now grab us arcade guys and we will willingly open our wallets to be able to continue playing real tables on our cabinets and PC's. Now ZEN has the attention of both groups and can grow knowing that they can kick out either type table knowing it sell well AND hope for crossovers which will happen as players find something new on the other side of the wall. Thank you ZEN!

-Ski

I own all of the TPA and Zen tables and love both pinball styles and i agree, the more the merrier.I just hope that the Zen Original tables don't take a backseat to or even run the risk of getting completely replaced by the Zen Willams tables.That would be very questionable.I want a healthy balance.

There will be some players who are exclusively used to the Zen Originals and will not dig the Williams tables but if those customers should jump ship they will be replaced, at least partially, by the pinball fans who previously avoided Zen and are here for the Willams tables.Sorta a win some, lose some situation but overall adding the Williams tables to the Zen library is a most welcome move for pinball aficionados.

[stefb]

For me, VP was a good start, Pinball Arcade did a great job for a retail product, Arcooda improved upon that with their cabinet mode, and now FX has mastered it.

That's what i was trying to write I totally agree.

I play with my pincab , i used vp9, then pba, recently i came back to vpx , and tried this fx3 only waiting for the williams table ... i tried 5 min fish tales and then bought immédiatly the pack with a good surprise .... it's named pack "1" ! I already wait for the next ones (and gottlied, bally etc of course )

i loved the previous games, with both their good and bad things, but now i admit the best one is fx3, physics, graphics (even if it's more "flashy" than the originals ).
As i use the cabinet mode i just have a visual problem (but it was the same with others games) as my playfielkd is a 16/10 screen, and all games are optimized for 16/9, it's time to change this screen ...

The only point where this game is under vpx is the animated backglass, even for those that don't use a pincab, many people have two screen, an option ot have and animated backglass on screen 2 would be simply perfect.

[teamski]

While i'm excited about the new Williams Zen tables i am also worried that the Original Zen tables might take a backseat in the future.That would be a raw deal indeed.With Williams Zen is taking a chance of alienating the Zen audience that are only used to the arcadelike Zen originals.

I think that it was a brilliant stroke to get arcade tables into FX3. With PBA slowly dying out, ZEN will now grab us arcade guys and we will willingly open our wallets to be able to continue playing real tables on our cabinets and PC's. Now ZEN has the attention of both groups and can grow knowing that they can kick out either type table knowing it sell well AND hope for crossovers which will happen as players find something new on the other side of the wall. Thank you ZEN!

-Ski

[steven120566]

Great job Zen - I've only done 5 minute challenges for each of the 4 new tables but the attention to detail is fantastic. I love how you can just press the B button and switch from "enhanced" graphics back to realistic. I can't wait to play some more - thanks!

Amazing job, Zen studios. Those classic modes are insanely tough, but the 3 mode play options for these tables works quite well for me. Thanks!

[PainkillerJTL]

Great job Zen - I've only done 5 minute challenges for each of the 4 new tables but the attention to detail is fantastic. I love how you can just press the B button and switch from "enhanced" graphics back to realistic. I can't wait to play some more - thanks!

[cocothetrain]

There is going to be a lot of love and a lot of hate for these new tables.

1 - If you only ever played Pinball FX2 and FX3 then this will feel very much like a departure. Playing in the `Classic` mode you will not get any of the Arcade look and feel you have come to expect with FX. Their `ReMastered` mode will give you elements of that feeling, but the ball physics will still feel off to you in either mode.

2 - If you got used to balancing Pinball FX and Pinball Arcade, like many here have, you will still notice some differences, but I think the general consensus is that FX knocked this out of the park.

None of this will replace a real machine, and it should not be expected to. I had played many games of Medieval Madness, both the classic and remake. I have no interest in dropping almost $15,000 CAD on a unit, not to mention the upkeep. I consider these simulations to be an absolutely amazing alternative.

For me, VP was a good start, Pinball Arcade did a great job for a retail product, Arcooda improved upon that with their cabinet mode, and now FX has mastered it.

If you are going to post on here why you hate a table, please give us more details about why!

I played though the Beta and was blown away with everything. Medieval Madness feels incredible, and Fish Tales feels just as annoying and ball draining as the real thing

[tfhfony]

Congratulations Zen! These tables look & play great. It's a major step forward compared to the TPA versions. I'll be buying all these tables again

[Ben Logan]

I have to agree with Beastbox. I too am somewhat underwhelmed, having been spoiled with all those (unrealistic) bells and whistles of the other tables. I guess realism is not everyone's cup of tea.

I can understand your point. But, a lot of us guys who own real pinball machines in our garages, etc. were concerned that the zen fantasy elements in the remastered versions were going to be "over the top" in terms of effects. Instead, I found myself pleasantly surprised that the fantasy elements are tastefully implemented, and in keeping with the feel of the original tables. I really like the remastered versions.

[cantankerous--]

If anyone can be a hater on here, it's me, and I love the new tables. To be perfectly honest, I have only played, Fish Tales and, The Getaway and havnt put the Getaway down for past 40 minutes. Love the physics and the overall table in general. Found a glitch in survival mode, but Im certain it will be sorted soon. Great job Zen, and thanks for the free table.

[ALH2012]

Also the tables are way too tiny on my laptop screen compared to the Zen Studios designs. Still a nice addition to the ever growing collection. I just hope not all of the effort from now on is going be directed towards the Williams tables.

While i'm excited about the new Williams Zen tables i am also worried that the Original Zen tables might take a backseat in the future.That would be a raw deal indeed.With Williams Zen is taking a chance of alienating the Zen audience that are only used to the arcadelike Zen originals.

I asked about this and other things in the Williams Pinball FAQ thread but never got an answer.Where is Barbie?

Some additional FAQ's:

Will the Williams tables have a negative impact on the release of future regular Zen tables?Will the output of new regular tables decrease, are the Williams tables supposed to take their place in the future?

Is it a technical possibility to provide the new Williams physics for the regular Zen tables as an alternate option to the old physics?Is Zen considering this possibility?

Will there be censorship for the Williams Pinball FX tables?For example will Medieval Madness be released with Family Mode Off?Will Family Mode in general be an option that is determined by the user?

Thx.

Played Fish Tales earlier(PS4) and on first impression i really enjoyed it.Also played the remastered version shortly but that didn't seem too much of an alternate experience.At least with Fish Tales.Tonight i'll check out the rest of the Vol.1 tables, especially looking forward to Medieval Madness.Hope it won't be censored/family mode on.I need an option to turn off family mode or else that might be a dealbreaker.Especially since Zen sells their tables in packs not singles.I want to be able to boycott the censored tables.

Another question i have is what is the exact difference of table difficulty between Arcade Setup vs Tournament Setup?

Everyone have fun with the new Williams tables!

[teamski]

I have to agree with Beastbox. I too am somewhat underwhelmed, having been spoiled with all those (unrealistic) bells and whistles of the other tables. I guess realism is not everyone's cup of tea.

Ahh, there goes that term "realism" again. As a sim gamer, I am always arguing with a console gamer over the term "realism". For me, realism is a reflection of how the game WORKS, not how the game LOOKS. The Williams tables are far, far more realistic with the ball physics. Sure, you don't have the "realistic" graphics that the traditional ZEN tables have, but I don't play pinball to watch a shark swim around the back of me (in VR of course!). I want to know that when I nail a shot on a table, it was me and not the game.....

-Ski

[teamski]

The Williams tables are there, what I was happy about... at least until I played Fish Tales.
Fish Tales is playing absolutely horrible. He is unimaginative in design and therefore very boring to play. The typical pinball noises "ding, ding, ding" got on my nerves after seconds and just excited me... ahhhhhh. Besides, they are also more than unimaginative.
The ball feeling is also extremely strange as I think. It somehow doesn't feel like the previous Pinball FX tables.
Apart from that I can only say keep on doing as before the other tables are really awesome.

If you watched the videos leading up to the release of the Williams tables, it was explained that the ball physics model is different for the Williams tables. In order for the tables work correctly, ZEN had to get rid of the arcade style ball physics that their traditional tables use. People who want to play the real machines like myself consider this an absolute necessity. If you don't introduce real ball physics to a real table, it breaks the table. What is funny is that I consider the original ZEN tables boring (sorry ZEN!) and the real tables far more interesting mechanics wise. I am stoked with real tables being added to the FX3 library. With its robust cabinet support and crisp graphics, I am on board!

-Ski