Its hard to speculate about other countries brand new in box pinball sales of any title because no real figures are given out (incl the USA) and only STERN has the real figures. The rest is just guessing. The only indirect way to track game numbers is to look at machine serials/game numbers under a playfield.

I am not so sure about people paying more money for late model Bally/Williams titles which can be ? over rated for the money charged. Prices have died in Australia. Every year for the past 3 years, prices keep dropping with many copies/new machines coming in from o/seas container sellers.
Re the USA prices, dont forget they have 400 million people, 20 times the people to share only a few thousand numbers of a B/W title, so prices will be higher over there pro rata because of supply n demand. I dont know how anyone can say collectors in the USA are choosing older games over new machines, thats a guess not backed up by fact IMHO. But yes, B/W dmd machines will always be popular.

I dont believe in the hype tag at all about AC/DC. If the machine was expected to be great, and it was crap, I might call it hype, but when the machine is expected to be excellent, and then it arrives and is considered to be a excellent title by all the owners, there is no hype.

I am just hoping more and more people who have older dmd machines, give the new Pro titles like AC/DC a decent go/try, because value for money, I would take a new Pro over any B?W title any day of the week. The AC/DC machines are that good, even if you dont like Acca Dacca.

I am pumped about the new models coming out of Stern, it shld be a batch of fun looking and playing the new offerings.