Quoted from YeOldPinPlayer:"Retro" changes with the times. You're trying to restrict it to a specific era or technology and it won't work. Today's cutting edge will always be tomorrow's retro. You don't see many people pining for the days of alphanumeric displays or score reels. As new technology is used in interesting ways it becomes tomorrow's retro.
The display doesn’t define pinball. The physical game of pinball defines pinball, and aside from some deeper code, that hasn’t really changed since the 90’s.
Pinball is different than other things. It’s a coin operated gaming device. Technology already technically replaced it: video games in the arcade...then at home. For all intents and purposes, when it comes to evolving technology, pinball should be dead. Arcades barely exist, because we’ve evolved beyond coin operated entertainment. Yet Pinball persists as a niche...because the people who like it, like IT. Look, I love Revenge From Mars, but Pinball 2000 didn’t move the needle. Pinball fans still wanted “regular pinball”. P3 hasn’t moved the needle, people who like pinball are still buying barebones Sterns...displays aside, nothing in their games is more advanced than the 90’s B/W titles. Pinball persists when it embraces what it is: Pinball.
Sure it’s great that technology has advanced to make scores and goals clearer, servicing easier. I don’t think internet connectivity moves the needle at all. Some people have been pushing the “Pinball needs more tech” line forever. Dialed In has a lot of tech. You know what game earns the worst at my local joint? Dialed In. Know which earns best? Ghostbusters. A game that’s barely playable with a red DMD. Reason? THEME. Theme sells pinball, not tech. I had internet connectivity & high score uploads in my Bop 2.0 & never used it. Just didn’t care. Maybe a Ted or Keith will offer an opinion on the subject. As for the topic - Hobbit is awesome.