It does sound interesting, but when you say that it is not for a small collection I understand what you mean!
I am guessing the large high-res DMD would put a few people off as it sounds real expensive to replace.
How long do the games last? I suppose it wasn't a success because real players want the game to last as long as possible with their skill in keeping the ball alive; a timed game negates that. And it sounds like a lot of R&D dollars went into this pin that were never recovered.
By the way, which setting does your mother have the game on??