An ugly AFM wannabe vs one of the few packed games Stern ever produced, is really not a fair competition. While I would take all these weights with a grain of salt, AP lists Hot Wheels as 275lb unboxed and a AFM are around 250lb, those would be more of a fair comparison.

I think that anyone who honestly believes that Stern currently produces a quality product ether has never owned anything but 2012 and newer Sterns or is completely delusional. My 2004 Stern RBION (while I would not hold it up as the pinnacle of quality) feels like a Bally/Williams game comparatively to modern Stern machines.

I don't know why so many assume that waterbase clearcoats are worse and cheaper. There are some incredibly durable 2 part waterborne clearcoats out there but they are still very expensive and most importantly have a very short pot life after mixed (20 min or so). This last part would made it a big hassle in a high volume production environment.

I made no claim to knowledge about what products any manufactures are using nor their process; I also highly doubt that anyone here is privy to any of that information as well.

All I was saying is that having to use waterborne products is no excuse for the poor quality.

For now...

What is even sadder is people are still lining up to buy more games from Stern when they full well know that this is the quality you get.

I apologize that you have seemingly confused me with someone who actually cares about how you or anyone else spends their money. I personally have no horse in this race, I am completely priced out of the new game market as well as most of the used market. Consider me as an outside observer who sees this thread in the same kind of light as a car crash with a kind of morbid curiosity. So if anyone is of a income tax bracket that they can go blow $8k-$10k on a whim in Vegas or on the Stern lottery more power to them; just don't get all uppity when some of us point out the seemingly masochistic relationship many on here have with Stern.

If you would've looked at my profile you would see that I do have two machines at this time. Ignoring last year, I have been going to MGC and the Chicago Expo for quite some time so I have had plenty of opportunity to play all of "the new hotness." With the exception of a few titles, there is nothing produced in the last decade that is worth it to me from a fun to dollar ratio.