How we choose new Hardtop titles
We get asked a lot about new titles. Will we make a certain title? Why did we pick a certain title? When will the next one be released? This is never an easy answer, but it all starts with a small group of passionate and unsung pinball restorers.
Here’s what needs to happen for a new Hardtop title:
- We have to find someone with an old playfield...
- ....with art that is in very good condition...
- ...for a title that has no rights for bands, tv shows, movies, etc...
- ...but is also a title that had a lot of pins made...
- ...and the person will strip it and let us have it for a couple months...
- ...and will also quickly test install the first sample before we offer it for sale.
Notice that a new Hardtop title starts with “someone who can get us a stripped playfield, in very good condition, for which we can get reproduction rights, and who will also quickly test install it”. It doesn’t start with the title. It doesn’t start with which titles are most requested, or which title we would most like to do next, and it doesn't follow a set schedule because we can't predict what will be available when. Often it's down to good luck! It’s about finding passionate customer partners who have a suitable playfield, and the time, technical skill, attention to detail, commitment, and follow through to help us bring a new Hardtop title into the world.
A word about licensing - we don’t own any of the original art. Every Hardtop title has our reproduction of art that is officially licensed from the people who own that art. Any title with content that’s also owned by someone else - a band, movie studio, car manufacturer - makes it even harder to follow the proper channels to get approval to use it. We own the Hardtop(TM) product, but not the art we put on it. The bottom line is that we can’t develop 3rd party titles without additional licensing deals and payments. It adds a lot of complication, and that’s why we rarely do them.
Each new Hardtop title sells in the 1s and 10s, not 100s. We do this out of love for these old machines as much as anything. We do this because few things make us sadder than seeing something headed for a trash bin when, with a little ingenuity and elbow grease, it could be fixed and making the world a happier place again. We do this because we never get tired of seeing someone’s eyes light up when they see an old title looking good as new.
We greatly appreciate everyone who has bought a Hardtop and helped bring an old pin back to life! We really can’t say enough about your support, encouragement, partnership, and patience as we have developed and improved Hardtops over the last five years. As always, we’ll keep bringing you new titles as fast as we can!
Click here to see our current titles.
Keep on flippin!
Bruce and Scott
From a secret location somewhere in Central Ohio...
A word about licensing - we don’t own any of the original art. Every Hardtop title has our reproduction of art that is officially licensed from the people who own that art. Any title with content that’s also owned by someone else - a band, movie studio, car manufacturer - makes it even harder to follow the proper channels to get approval to use it. We own the Hardtop(TM) product, but not the art we put on it. The bottom line is that we can’t develop 3rd party titles without additional licensing deals and payments. It adds a lot of complication, and that’s why we rarely do them.
Each new Hardtop title sells in the 1s and 10s, not 100s. We do this out of love for these old machines as much as anything. We do this because few things make us sadder than seeing something headed for a trash bin when, with a little ingenuity and elbow grease, it could be fixed and making the world a happier place again. We do this because we never get tired of seeing someone’s eyes light up when they see an old title looking good as new.
We greatly appreciate everyone who has bought a Hardtop and helped bring an old pin back to life! We really can’t say enough about your support, encouragement, partnership, and patience as we have developed and improved Hardtops over the last five years. As always, we’ll keep bringing you new titles as fast as we can!
Click here to see our current titles.
Keep on flippin!
Bruce and Scott
From a secret location somewhere in Central Ohio...
