The problem with pinball isn't pinball...it's the fact that it's a coin-operated game and coin-operated games are generally irrelevant to our culture.

Pinball right now is embraced by those with nostalgia and a 20/30-something "hipster" generation that likes the old school nature of it. Based on that - changing it too radically risks turning people away. Some innovation is cool, but I don't think it will ever be a massive gamechanger as pinball is just a small part of one scene - the arcade. If the arcade is dead, then the coolest pinball ever won't make a blip on the mass culture.

IMO collectors, barcades, and tournaments are what will keep pinball alive for whatever time it has left.

AC/DC's Sterns best selling and most beloved game in years. They'll be glad to know they made a huge mistake with AC/DC's rules lol

At this point we're just discussion personal opinion....which has nothing to do with the longevity of pinball into the next generation. Again, it really all comes down to how long companies are willing to make coin-op games in a world that doesn't care about coin-op games.

Collectors, barcades, tournaments. That is pinball's future for the most part.

...but as for AC/DC - AC/DC's brilliance is it can be played any way you want. You can just play for points or you can play it like any other "deep" progression based game - get through all the song modes and make it to Encore. Or you can just play your favorite song...you can play for multiball or stacked multiballs. It literally can be played a ton of different ways to offer satisfaction for anyone playing. Not sure where you're getting that it's not doing well on route - but it's doing well enough that Stern's making a shitload of 'em

I think there will always be people who dig it, hobbyists for sure...but it's going to be a relatively niche thing....I don't see it becoming a huge mainstream phenomenon like it once was, just due to its very nature - being a coin-operated gaming machine in a world where that's no longer a big deal.

Honestly I'm not sure many gamers ever did. When I was a kid and was playing Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Q*Bert, etc....score was never on my mind. My goal was to get as far as a could, to a level I'd never been to before. The score just sorta "went along" with the gameplay....if I got farther, my score would probably be higher.

As a video gamer, I know the "licensed = shit" rule....but that's the beauty of pinball - licensed properties make awesome pinballs - so if you're a fan of a license, it's super fun to have one of your favorite things as a fun playable game.

I didn't say "always" ...but generally, licensed pinball machines are very good - and even the "shitty" ones are way more fun than licensed video games usually are.

I imagine licensed video games are better these days than they used to be (I usually enjoy the Spider-Man games!) ...but back in the NES days, if you saw a movie/cartoon based game, it generally meant "STAY AWAY!!!". Unless it was a Capcom Disney game like Duck Tales Acclaim/LJN/THQ games were usually the worst offenders.

Unfortunately their first 2 titles still fall into the "terrible art" category.

Is the Lexi translite/sideart/game art/animation still considered early?

I almost feel guilty criticizing because I'm a HUGE fan of P3...that's why I am so critical about the art & animation ...it's such an amazing concept and platform that it deserves better art direction to really take it above and beyond what else is out there in pinball land. It's the best pinball tech advancement out there...I'd love to see a game on it with incredible art direction and kinetic visuals brimming with color and personality.

Just an observer and potential customer....not looking for another job (paid or unpaid)