For all the talk of getting kids into pinball, I never played pinball as a kid, even when it was available in arcades and other coin-op venues - I stuck to video games. It wasn't until college that I got into pinball. Part of that was living in a town with an awesome pin arcade (Pinball Pete's) but I do think that expecting pins to do well in family fun centers surrounded by redemption machines is unrealistic. How many here were into pins as a kid, how many got into it in college/beyond?

Re: shift towards narrative: look at the huge popularity of Candy Crush. Sure, it's a Bejeweled knockoff, but they took the well-worn game idea and gave it a (very loose) narrative and "levels" to provide a feeling of progress and accomplishment.

I think evolving the TOPS tournament model for the LCD/internet age would help. I think the current implementation in Stern games is a little too obscure for the casual bargoer to understand.

How about JJP implements a similar system, but with the benefit of a full LCD to promote, explain, and show the leaderboard and pot? And the ability to check your standing online? (User checks phone: whoa! I fell to 2nd! Better get to the bar tonight and fix that). Most bars have wifi now. Don't Golden Tee/BBH have a similar thing, and aren't they the biggest displacers of pins?

I have to say, the social and physical aspects of pinball are a big part of the appeal for me. That to play, I have to track them down in the wild. Always a good reason to check out a new bar, scout out places in a town you're visiting, go to shows, etc. The journey and hunt is half the fun. Sort of like music used to be before the digital revolution...you had to hunt down the rare stuff in shops. I like that I can't truly have the whole pinball experience via my laptop.

Satellite Room in DC used to have a "get the top score and we'll pay your bar tab" night, FWIW.