Just curious what you guys think.

Are pins missing current technologies, like Internet connectivity, or would they be better off without?

Connectivity would lead to things like leaderboards, backups of settings, being able to roll out patches via the web, and integration to social networking.

What got me started on this was thinking about LCD's in pins, and if that was really an advancement for pinball or actually something negative.

Lots of great answers.

I think it would be pretty easy to ferret out cheaters in an online leaderboard, especially if the rest of the pin is integrated.

It's not that hard to determine "impossible" switch sequences, or even switch sequences that just don't make logical sense, like all of the targets for a certain mode being hit, in order, without the flippers being hit (as a very elementary example).

As an even simpler deterrent and additional feature set, you could always add a webcam covering the playfield. Your "scoring" game is recorded and uploaded along side your score. Want to see how someone got that high score? Watch the replay of their game and see what tricks they use. Want to remember the light show that happened when you hit wizard mode? Just archive the replay so you can see it whenever you want.

What about making the platform open, so people could build toolsets and catalog knowledge around one strong platform, and even use it to their benefit in older games through emulation.

Just to toss my 2 cents in, I actually think the design would benefit from vid's "serviceable" line of thinking.

People who aren't electrical engineers should be able to build it, fix it, and modify it. Otherwise, "open" just means "open to people who could do this themselves anyway".

OT, but I find that hard to believe.

I've personally had chips manufactured for projects before. All I had to do was submit the verilog and 1000 chips arrived a couple months later from china.

Back to the platform though.. I am surprised by how small the industry is, yet the different manufacturers don't work together on a common platform. I wonder if the hobbyist community created an open platform if anyone would adopt it?

I am not saying I am going to do it, I am just curious about it.