I'm one of the "new" people. I love pinball, my parents have an old Twin Win sitting in their basement, and my ultimate "want" for Christmas lists forever has been an Addams Family pinball. I used to go to arcades with my mom in my teens in the 1990s, then went to college, got married, got first house, etc. There hasn't been a pinball to be seen anywhere around me since the mall arcade closed over 10 years ago, so I didn't really have the bug, too many other things to think about like growing up and paying bills. Recently moved into our big house (as in bigger than the 1000 sq ft house we somehow squished into for 9 years) that will be our "forever house" since it has everything we want, including a finished walk-out basement. We are true DINKS... dual income, no kids, a little money to spare. Husband is into electronics, was operations manager for a home theater company until the chain went out of business. Basement in the new house has a huge bedroom that is now our decked-out modern theater with 7.1 surround and 3D 82" TV. He has all the PS3/Vita/Xbox consoles, and we've played the Williams and Gottleib collection for the Wii, but he has never (ever!) played a real pinball in his life. THEN he downloaded the new Pinball Arcade and started playing TOM and TOTAN. Thought they were very cool. I took him to the local pinball store where TOM was sitting in person, and he fell in love with the real thing. ("Wow, it really exists!") A few months of searching later, and I've got a JP on the way and he's already trying to figure out how many pins we will eventually be able to fit into the other bedroom beside the theater, now called the "arcade." He's also starting to realize how many themes there are to pinball, as he's in love with the LOTR one he say in person, and is now introducing his electronic-loving friend to pinball too.

I think it is people who knew pinball growing up, have it in their blood, and now have the money/room/ability to start getting into it, possibly resurged by the virtual offerings that are now out giving them the pinball fever again.