Fair points.
Pinball machines are now used to attract people to a business with a bar or cafe or food etc.
by themselves they wouldn't be hugely profitable unless you had a very lucky site and organised a big weekly comp with a $20 buy in with fifty people a week with some of the $1,000 income going to trophies etc etc.
that's where social media will make siting pins profitable.

Don't be so hard on Stern. They are working their asses off and have kept pinball alive not to mention are investing big with new factories and so on.
The day I see some members finally declare they bought a BNIB Stern and they are stoked, it will make my day.
Even Nino has been converted to the good side of the Force. Lol