Just following along on RGP, it looks like our friend Wayne in Australia has struck again  

http://groups.google.com/group.....98d/c8d2e2aa37e15200

Now first and foremost, I 100% agree with the fact that Wayne has spent money on licensing Bally WMS parts and product, and he has every right to protect his purchase.  I've never disputed that.  That being said however, is there REALLY any harm in throwing us a bone and allowing us a temporary fix until he's reproduced something more substantial?  Honestly.. I just don't get it.

Quoted from machine.slave

...Now first and foremost, I 100% agree with the fact that Wayne has spent money on licensing Bally WMS parts and product, ....

Correction... Wayne has spent the Australian government's money (through tax grants) to buy the rights (and has probably used OTHER people's money (i.e. the MM deposits)) and some of his own, but not his own money for everything.

The only thing I have seen on Wayne's site are parts from existing stocks, other than easy things such as translites and some plastics.

Of course, I believe in 2 sides to every story. Probably in many cases where people posted art for free, Wayne stepped in, flexing his arms, and in response the other parties told him to screw off, hence resulting in the loss of available information.

The sad fact is that for it all to work, the owner of the rights must be open to cooperation, and yes... sad but true, must be American.  (flame suit on)

Quoted from Sparky

The sad fact is that for it all to work, the owner of the rights must be open to cooperation, and yes... sad but true, must be American.

The owner of the rights remains WMS, Wayne pays an annual licensing fee to them.  So as long as Wayne is paying that fee, he'll never lose.  The only thing we as hobbyists can do is submit formal complaints to WMS in regards to his business practices, hoping that they'll revoke his licenses.  Now.. that could mean good and bad things.  They could extend the licenses to someone who's more responsible with them, or they could simply bury them.  

Quoted from machine.slave

The owner of the rights remains WMS, Wayne pays an annual licensing fee to them.  So as long as Wayne is paying that fee, he'll never lose.  The only thing we as hobbyists can do is submit formal complaints to WMS in regards to his business practices, hoping that they'll revoke his licenses.  Now.. that could mean good and bad things.  They could extend the licenses to someone who's more responsible with them, or they could simply bury them.  

Since it is now lawyers that control the rights at WMS, same as Gottlieb, as long as the check comes in, I am sure they really don't care.

... but here is my suggestion. COLLECT AND SCAN AS MUCH ART AS YOU CAN. Because once the art is worn and not properly documented, it is lost forever. Even a rough scan is always helpful as it can later be reproduced if needed AND legal.

Quoted from Sparky

Since it is now lawyers that control the rights at WMS, same as Gottlieb, as long as the check comes in, I am sure they really don't care.

That is, unless they smell a class-action lawsuit headed their way... then they'd definitely care.  The people who've submitted down payments on MM and CC remakes are well within their rights to do so now that the deadline for those machines has come and gone.

Quoted from machine.slave

That is, unless they smell a class-action lawsuit headed their way... then they'd definitely care.  The people who've submitted down payments on MM and CC remakes are well within their rights to do so now that the deadline for those machines has come and gone.

wishful thinking... most high-end collectors would roll over to get a new MM, even if it means waiting 40 years for it. They are too afraid of pissing Wayne off and getting nothing.

And this isn't from me... this comes from an American collector I know.

Oh i know it's wishful thinking, that's the problem.  Anyone that has the power to do something won't step up to the plate.  It's their own wishful thinking that makes the matter worse.

I don't understand his concept.  If I owned the rights I would be reproducing everything and making loads of cash.  This would make everyone happy. The collectors would get what they want and I would be rich .

If Wayne put as much effort into creating stuff as he does with the Cease orders he would make some nice stuff.


As for Balls of Steel I have looked at some stuff on there and it will be missed.  This is just a shame it had to come to this.

Lance

Quoted from Cobra99

I don't understand his concept.  If I owned the rights I would be reproducing everything and making loads of cash.  This would make everyone happy. The collectors would get what they want and I would be rich .

If Wayne put as much effort into creating stuff as he does with the Cease orders he would make some nice stuff.

Here is a story... I once worked with a guy that shoved his finger in a belt drive on a machine and got it nearly torn off. when I asked him what happened, he merely stated that he wanted to see what it would do if his finger got caught in a belt.

Moral of the story: Not everyone has common sense.

I'm surprised I'm still up ... Thanks Chris!!  ( he's my host...)

I've scanned and uploaded (and downloaded) a bunch of plastics... it indeed will be missed  

Problem is that people don't trust each other enough in this hobby to create a non-web-based art database run by a single individual. I had one guy tell me a while back that he had a good scan of Wizard of Wor cocktail control panel CPOs and wouldn't give them to anybody, by fear that someone would market them.

That was 6 years ago.

I am sure that there aren't that many WoWs cocktails out there now, and his art is not as in demand.

A waste...