You know I have a theory on all of this. This is going to be long winded. You've been warned.
We see pinball as a fairly social game. Truth be told, IT IS NOT. It IS social in a group that all wants to play, but then you're all breaking off on your own lonesome to play separate tables. It IS social to a group of guys or girls who like the games, know the tables and want to see old and new and beat high scores. But unless everyone is into the same game (and I mean beforehand knowledge) then you're not going to see people wanting to crowd around and watch. How many women you know just offhand that have beforehand knowledge of your games? And now we're talking about these guy's wives. And we're talking about neighbors and not friends who have to put up an "our life is great" front. And unless these wives have all unanimously never seen a pin before, they're probably not interested. And we know group mentality, DON'T BREAK THE NORM!
Luckily, my woman doesn't have this problem, which is why I can break off for a bit here and there at a bar when we're there with 10 people we don't know well, and play for a bit. She's cool with that, and also understands why nobody will ever join me. Like you guy's said: It's intimidating for new people, and even more so that this is viewed as a childhood thing, or a dying age of videogames.
So anyway, that leaves a group at a house (bar don't count) with two choices. AND this is considering the men want to see, play, whatever. Either split up with the wives/girlfriends, or not play. Odds are, unless all the guys and the women know each other well, like your best friends, they are not going to split up. (See neighborhood party) Now maybe one guy in your group wanted to see a game, but that uncomfortable silence hit and he froze. Then Johnny Dead-Inside has to make his comment to break the silence.
Now I'll hit you with a quick analogy. Aside from pins, I do frequent videogames. I know, hard to believe! But seriously, when we're together with, say, the couple we just met and don't know well, it's got to be a group thing. Obviously, women call the shots. Now when me and this guy are alone, we'll play football, mortal kombat, whatever on Xbox. Now once in a while, while we're with the girls I'll say, "You wanna play some Xbox?" I know he'd be down. That might happen once or twice when we're with the women, but they'd get tired of it quick. I think you can understand that.
Now if we were in a party atmosphere or barbecue, whatever, and I ask that same guy that same question, I GUARANTEE his answer would be a weird "no." And that probably goes for one of my best friends back home, too. A time and place you know what I mean?
Now if you take that game that he's played before and probably all of the people my age have played before, and transfer that into a pinball table which only a select few of us play...can you see what I'm saying.
My mind works funked up, so let me know if I need to elaborate this wall of text.
