What does the future hold for pinball?

[Marty Machine]

I guess pinball will be around longer than any of us!  
Was at a country show a few months ago and happened across a heap of steam machinery on display.
Was blown away that this much stuff still existed, let alone the fact that it was all fully functional.
Just blokes with a hobby who would spend heaps of time keeping the stuff going.
Perhaps this is where pinball will end up, we might just have to learn to fabricate things a lot more as they become less common.
As for getting the kids to understand what we found so fascinating about the silver ball, I have no answers there I'm afraid!

Yes, but the steam machinery will fade away too...
The people that keep it going are a collection of the original engineers/farmers & families of those machines.....it'll all disappear, be afraid!
Find someone under 40 who has an active interest in steam-technology.....enuff said ;-)

MM.

[48]

Yes, but the steam machinery will fade away too...
The people that keep it going are a collection of the original engineers/farmers & families of those machines.....it'll all disappear, be afraid!
Find someone under 40 who has an active interest in steam-technology.....enuff said ;-)

MM.

I agree 100%, but my theory was if the steam stuff is still around now and has been redundant for umpteen years then pinballs will still be around for quite a while after they are out of production ( hope that makes sense!?)

[mildflame]

No doubt when 'our' generation is dead & gone, about 98% of pins will be trashed....there might be a slight resurgence when the next "retro is cool" fad comes around sometime in 2050.....

Pinball is becoming just another lost trade....we may as well become blacksmiths 

The financial future of the world will certainly help put it all to an end, unless pinball retailers (what's left of them) decide to sell machines for $500 at last....

MM.

well... When your generation is gone machines should be cheaper... It only makes sence, If the collectors are gone than there is no demand... Therefore I come in and buy them alllllllllll!!!!!!!!!! Dad... This is where your house comes in...  I'll need your house to store them all. haha Its a thought though... If we can somehow get young people playing them than they will like them later and if they like them they wont trash them... if they are cheap and people dont care about them than they will become a party to, to destroy a pinball machine. Stern will disapear (Bankrupt) Pinball companys will be the thing of the past...
Answer: Get young people playing or say bye to pinball!

[Marty Machine]

Good luck, you can have them ;-)

[Marty Machine]

Yes, but the steam machinery will fade away too...
The people that keep it going are a collection of the original engineers/farmers & families of those machines.....it'll all disappear, be afraid!
Find someone under 40 who has an active interest in steam-technology.....enuff said ;-)

MM.

I agree 100%, but my theory was if the steam stuff is still around now and has been redundant for umpteen years then pinballs will still be around for quite a while after they are out of production ( hope that makes sense!?)

Yeh, steam might be around, but in futile numbers and dwindling rapdily.
However, steam lasted longer coz nothing else surpassed it (until combustion engines took over), so steam technology had some longevity passing thru several generations.

Pinball is a lesser extent than steam-tech, and now when we look at 'Modern' tech, things like playstation 1/2/ xbox1, 86/286/386/486 pentiums theyre all GONE! most only lasted 1 year.
As we progress, we move faster through the stages, so nothing will really hang around like steam engines etc...

It's nothing bad about the technology, it's just shit marketing that makes everyone feel they need to move with it.
Probably why i dont have a mobile phone, i refuse to play the zombie game ;-)

MM.

[Homepin]

But if we can't make new pinballs how will I be able to emply my 'workers'? 

[Marty Machine]

there won't be any work in the future, we'll all be left for dead fighting over food & shelter just so 10 or 20 fatcats can have 'everything'.....
I still dont know why people feel they NEED billions of dollars.....but that's another thread ;-)

MM.

[Retropin]

Im keeping all my billions for carbon payments... you poor people wont even be able to afford to put the kettle on let alone play pinball 

[Marty Machine]

Carbon will go out of fashion too ;-)

[Caveoftreasures]

Mike, thanks for your input re the Chineese etc. Its interesting to see that the Chineese dont grasp the pinball concept.  

Also, I have a interesting one for you, I have a Tales from the Crypt Pinball machine that says it was delivered to China. Its on all the cabinet and under playfield production stickers. It definately says China on all the machines printed factory labels.?    (photo below of label on power supply under cabinet. I will take a photo of back of machine n boards etc with China label when i move machine out next).

Also, it was mentioned that pinball is mostly only of interest to people who grew up with pinnys and for those who had younger fun memories etc, but there are alot of people like me, who never really had anything at all to do with pinball until they reached their late thirties etc. I know alot of people who have never seen a pinball machine, but have now started to collecting half a dozen because its fun, and something different.

The fact that you can walk into a room, see a pinball machine all lit up, flashing lights etc, and see the different artwork on the different translites etc, that is a far more appealing site to see in someones house than a boring x-box machine. Pinballs have character, thats what gets brand new people involved. The things just look impressive.
Sure, they might be big boys toys, but they soon become family toys that the wife n kids, and any guest can enjoy. Thats what will keep new people involved. The fact that these things intrigue people.  

[ajlaird]

Still a limited market and while we can keep the hobby alive, all good, but unless there is someone to take over eventually the hobby will be limited to a few enthusiasts.

In 10 or 20 years time will we all still be involved in pinball and this forum? (The answer may be yes, but life can change our perspective.)

As a hobby slowly dies out what tends to happen is that the knowledge and hardware ends up in the hands of a few really passionate people - but as Stern are still making new machines I think pinball is yet to start down that track, so I suspect we have many good years ahead of us.

In entertainment terms, most of the world has moved on from pinball, so unless you can come up with a business model that means you can make money from hobbyists, then investing in a pinball business would not be a wise step to take.

[multiball3]

This is a niche hobby, but it's like any hobby. The paticipants of that hobby is what makes it strong. If we want to keep our machines going strong there will be a demand within the hobby to maintain that. There will always be a group that finds a way to do something and others prepared to share or develop parts. If the interest wanes so does our hobby. Seems to be stronger than ever these days as a lot of newbies have come on board in the last 3 or 4 years.

[Cow Corner]

Recent overflooding of the market over the last few years has not helped, seems like every man and his dog is bringing a container in these days...pin prices are pretty low right now( expect for the top end titles and even those are cheaper than normal and have been for a while.)
This might change over time but I believe that this hobby will pretty much die with the current generation. Shame..perhaps.
I talk to my kids about pinball,they like playing pin but nowhere near as much as they like playing a ps3 or ds...it's just a sign of the times.