IF it was noticed at whitewood stage, why would you meaningly let it go....more like it wasnt noticed til the new Pro playfields started rolling in....either way, i dont understand why 25 year pinball design veterans missed something major and a bunch of pinheads half way around the world noticed it in ten minutes....only the game designer can take/should take responsibility for 

Did you read the email Cavey??/ Or have you glossed the memory over it in a desire to see no faults with the holy Stern?

Email has been removed by the look of it.. probably for legal reasons.
Gut it was from Mr Gomez himself and it did clearly state that the problem was noticed at WW stage by Gomez himself but it was by then TOO LATE to halt production on that model.

This brings up various quality control issues:
WW stage is a joke as its clearly done as a matter of course rather than a matter with objective.. IE FAULT FIND... this is the whole and complete and no other reason for whitewood.. its to FAULT FIND.
OK.. procedure so far has worked.. fault is identified.
A decision then is made NOT to act upon it.

G.Stern is a wise man.. we have heard it plenty enough... a very clever business man etc etc etc.
No doubt he is head of Stern...It is HE who makes all decisions.. its is HE who has the buck stop at his feet.
Gomez designed... went to whitewood.. identified fault... Gome's job here is as it should be.. cant blame him.

But it is too late to stop production... this clearly shows the game was to be made to a strict time frame no matter what. If the game rolls out before faults can be acted on then its not the designers fault... it who calls the shots above him.

..And who would that be?