Seriously folks - keep the thread on topic and leave the personal stuff out of it.

Stern have a large problem on their hands. Those that claim the price hike is due to the R&D of the Spike system miss the point that Stern developed Spike well before Wrestlemania. In fact, in simple terms, the success of AC/DC funded Spike. Spike didn't miraculously occur overnight. It would have been budgeted and funded with games produced 18 months ago. In simple terms, sales from Metallica funded spike. Sales from TWD will fund a new system that their R&D are working on now.

Again, like after the massive success of AC/DC, Stern have another hit on their hands - TWD. BUT - all the LE buyers that had committed to the LE (that I know) are NOT buying "anything" Stern release due to the price rise. This is Global - not confined to AUS. Nothing to do with the AUS$. So now we arrive at another fiasco and again, Stern back peddle. There is no way anyone would pay for BJM. Absolute lunacy.

Ironic that when any boutique manufacturer gets involved with a larger company, the price automatically hikes. Is it a case of Stern monopolizing the industry by making the boutique manufacturers pay a huge fee (designed to put them out of business) ?