I am not sure this is even a fair comparison.

TAF is a tried and true classic game that has entertained people for 20+ years and is the best seller of all time. AC/DC has barely been out 20 weeks and is selling like hot cakes, but it is not in TAF's league as far as sales.

That is not to say AC/DC will not be a great game 20 years from now, but it is WAY too early to make any long-term predictions.

In the art department (what counts IMO while the game is not being played), I think TAF is a much better looking pin all around (not a fan of the mustard gold edition, though).

The gameplay of TAF and AC/DC can hardly be compared. AC/DC is fast and furious with energized music/lighting adding to the intensity, whereas TAF is more relaxed with satisfying shot patterns encouraging people enjoy the ride, and watch the SHOW TIME.

TAF offers a long-range goal that is quite obtainable for all skill levels. Most players/owners will eventually see the prize (Tour the Mansion). AC/DC offers ENCORE that may be out of reach for most players, but will keep the interest of many owners/players for a while in the quest to reach it.

Both types of games can be undesirable long-term. Eventually a TAF owner may start to think how many times could I Tour the Mansion in one game, and an AC/DC owner starts to wonder if ENCORE is even beatable on factory settings without adding in extra balls, so why bother.

TAF may not hold one's interest for years and years based on its relative simplicity (which to me therein lies the genius-simple and fun with satisfying shots). However the genius of AC/DC is addiction: drain, drain, drain, good game but way short of ENCORE, drain, drain, I'll get it this time-NOPE, drain, drain, good game maybe a little closer to ENCORE, drain, drain, decent score but damn this is hard to beat, drain drain, I GOTTA PLAY ONE MORE.

I am not sure people are going to enjoy getting clobbered like that for 20 years but in the short term, it will keep a player coming back. I like that challenge in a pin, but will I like it the same way 20 years from now? Check back with me in 2032.

The newness of any pin wears off. In a game like TAF with a decade of ownership and 20 years of playing it, yes, I've seen everything over and over and over, yet I am still drawn to it. I can truly say TAF is a keeper. I also own many of the latest releases and love the challenge of the new games, the extreme complexity of the rules that some games offer, the hard-to-reach wizard modes etc.

But in short, despite my addiction to the new pins, if TAF and AC/DC are my choices, I am sticking with TAF.