I know it would never happen, but Stern's absolute best counter to JJP's reveal would be to announce a price DROP. It would further establish that they're in the large scale operator and family NIB market, while allowing JJP to tackle the high end "exotic car" market.

Their LE's can't hold a candle to JJP's standard market, and instead of trying to show value in an $8500 pin, they should drop their 3 price points and dominate the lower tier markets. Put the existing Pro models out at $4750 with a two-for-$9K deal so they can market that you can get 2 Stern Pro's for 1 JJP Pro shipped. That's how you position yourselves strategically.

However, this would make total sense, so obviously Stern wouldn't do such a thing. I have that feeling suggesting a discount to GS is like suggesting a buy-one-get-one-free to Mort.

Not really what I said at all, but thanks for trying.

Value propositions for home owners, quicker ROI's and perhaps less maintenance for operators...etc. Show a bang for your buck at lower price points because someone else is owning the $8500-$12K market right now.

Do you think Ford or Chevy (damn, forgot you don't like carguments)... Old Navy, Insignia TV's, (less frills) grocery stores, and anything else in the large scale market runs with a marketing strategy of "we sell cheap shit"? No, they position themselves and cater to a certain market by showing VALUE for what you get... and they succeed.

No, it's how someone who incorrectly interpreted it thinks it reads. Ford and Chevy know to stay out of pools in which they can't swim. They know their bread and butter is in trucks and commuter cars. When they try to tap into those exotic markets, more often than not they're unsuccessful. Hyundai Equus, VW Phaeton, Chevy SS, Pontiac G8 - all failures. Smart companies know what works, and they stick to that for the vast bulk of their business.

If you think my idea which basically entails a revert to 2015 pricing, a value proposition, and a promotion that takes shot at someone who is taking away market share, makes zero sense (zero, like not even a shred, just absolute zero... because you're the know-all!) then please, be my guest to explain your $0.02 better than just misinterpreting my words and acting in your typical dismissive self.

I don't think anyone is asking for another Street Line, and no one is asking to mimic anything Gottlieb ever did or created (yet to be fair, didn't Title Fight have 5 flippers?).

So you're opinion is that Stern should do nothing, pretend like JJP didn't just blow up the $8-12K market with the ace historically only up Stern's sleeve (a Disney License), and not consider any way at all this Expo to steal JJP's thunder and orders that most certainly are rolling in? Also, look at how many people are saying SW/GOTG/personal sales dollars are now going to JJPOTC. Stern should just watch that potential revenue go out the window?

A modest price revert to 2015, hell, keep pricing as is and throw in that HD glass and/or shaker for the remainder of 2017. Maybe that stupid candy apron that looks to have had zero sales to Pinsiders so far. Usually when your competition hits a grand slam, you have the bullpen warming up. You just don't stay the course and let the bases get loaded again. You act. Any promotion can be conceived, approved, and announced by end of day and involves no R&D. You don't always have to combat with "the next release".

Not the last 24 hours, the last 24 months! They've probably shipped more replacement PF's, probably have dealt with more minor tech. support calls than ever, and the code feedback email inbox is probably full. An operator lost a sale on a used location game to me 2 weeks ago because the cabinet looked like... well below is one of two cracked sides (and it had ghosting to boot).

Kiss, GoT, AS, GB, and SW are fine games, but IMO they don't stack up collectively to the SM, TWD, ST, MET, ACDC era of games, both from a gameplay and QC standpoint. Pre-Spike were the games that really made them kill it for years. But with all the current crap (even if Pinside is a vocal minority), they have to be looking at all sorts of trends since Spike. Did AS and SW really hit sales expectations for 2017? I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if they fell a touch short. People really warmed up to DI, meanwhile last I read there was still a local NIB SWLE in stock. With LE's usually being a juggernaut, who would've anticipated SW LE's to be in stock months after release? That's a trend worth noting, and it didn't happen overnight. Another one to follow in the coming years - does any Spike title get its license renewed like MET and ST, or does demand dry up?

One thing any business can do is fight hype with hype. It's quick and can keep money from flowing to the competition. There are so many "pinball dollars" floating around out there. Starving your competition means more of those dollars can float your way. Right now if I were at Stern, I'd be seeing lost revenue floating to a competitor for what's now the 4th time. I'd also see TNA taking in about $1mil in revenue for Spooky. You can either waive goodbye at that money or try to do something about it, and with them probably knowing at least how SOME of the market is perceiving them right now, some positive PR or some freggin' good will to a customer base (that now has at least some options) isn't the worst idea.

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