You know some of the same guys that designed and coded B/W games work for Stern and some with JJP. I used to think Stern games were inferior a few years ago when I first saw them. Once I started to play them I realized there are some great fun new games. Granted, some are not all that great but B/W put out some duds, too. The biggest problem is what circus said. New games have a lot of rules and do a very bad job communicating them to the player. Even when you own the game you often learn something new months later. That's what makes them perfect for home use. Many B/W start to feel old fast because of their simpler rules that you can learn and master in a short time. Best to have a mix of new and old in collection.

One other aspect that goes a long way for me is reliability. Charm and nostalgia don't amount to much when there are endless problems. I know some guys like fixing pins but I much rather be playing.