some of the Sterns from the 1999 to 2010 are basic, but still fun.   the ac/dc and x men games are just excellent.

Stern lasted thru the global financial crisis when companies like Cheverolet with billions of dollars didnt...how, I am not sure, because cost cutting and producing very very basic games should have finally killed them off because instead of cust cutting to survive, they shld have been going the extra mile to get more sales and expanding their market with a little more design innovation, not basic basic basic layouts n 1 x ramp etc. In a crap market you attract more buyers with more frills, not less frills. How they survived I dont know but they did..

Doing more numbers to make the same profit, thats smart business, not cost cuting and offering less then adding a price increase...luckily, somehow, they survived, and now the innovation and more for less ideas are coming thru...its never too late to turn things around which they have..play ac/dc or xmen with a open mind and u will see the quality and extra effort coming thru...It shld last if Stern keeps its new ideas..

pinball aint dead, its actually on the increase worldwide, whats old is new again, and pinballis back in, people have money to spend, and enjoying things at home with family is what the 2010 to 2020 era will be about....if u want pinball to last, send constructive emails to Stern or JJP with positive ideas, thats what will help pinball, look forward, not back i say !

I say the future of pinball has never looked so promising...

i agree with many points you say, some things i think are just excuses for their laziness, majority of my frustration is i want to buy a NIB but stern now have every reason to build something that just blows the market away.

and as for pinball dead i had this convo with Beaky as im sure you have too cavy, it is growing and he recons the amount of work he is getting from first time owners has grown to the point he is snowed under. the you talk to those importers who cant import them fast enough with new first time buyers all the time, infact there are heaps of new owners appearing here and other forums all the time.
and as you said "Whats old is new again"  is 100% true,
there are cable tv shows that are top viewer ratings that are purely about these classic coin opps and all that, there are dozans of them now, from pickers to restoration shows all about old school making a comeback.
if he isnt capitalizing on it now then he will miss the boat.
as said these sort of themes limit designs, you have to conform to the company like marvel rather than to your designers ability imo.

safe isnt exiciting if thats the case Apple wouldnt be number 1 if they didnt care about inovation