Quoted from Darscot:Stern doesn't see much as lucrative, they appear to be solely focused on lowering cost and one time sales. It works for them but it is archaic and has no path to the future. Yes Stern would have to modernize their software and probable hardware too. Yes they would have to invest in the future. There is no reason why in a modern software process you can not bang out modes, code DLC for a pin. Mobile games get cranked out by the thousands. Pins are not as complicated as many people seem to think they are. Pinheads have continually proven to have deep pockets and willing to spend like drunken sailors to update their pins.
BLUF: Although people generally do not want to hear realities.
This is called the "short term profit margin" methodology.
The same philosophy adapted from mobile application gaming.
Stern rides the market surfing wave as a seasoned veteran.
Stern remembers well the lean times in the 2000s, before almost resulting in the company quitting the industry in 2009.
People have very short memories, many were not even around.
George Gomez knows very well what is happening today.
This includes putting the thumbscrews to small suppliers parts manufacturers for contracts.
Remaining designers on the Stern team have learned to be a bit more quiet in their comments, and not be outspoken for a reason.
Stern has dismissed their origins, and who have forgotten who supported them in favor of obliging modern collector ignorance.
The new method is working well, but has long term consequences.
Collectors "in the know" are far from impressed.
New owners do not even know what is happening, or do not know the signs of a weakening industry.
The market spike is not representative of overall industry health in any way, only buyer interest.
These are two separate things and independent.
The nature of repeated examples poorly managed boutique manufacturers and supremacy of Stern does not promote competitive industry growth.
In fact most of the boutique manufacturers are starting to seriously damage the industry will false promises that people are getting tired of hearing.
The loss of operators as a primary backup for the industry when private ownerships falls out of fashion is dangerous.
Catering exclusively to high end buyers to eliminate production volumes (higher price to low production) promotes almost no growth, and pushes new potential owners out of the market entirely.
The overall market is far from healthy, currently it is like cancer, a disease eating itself from the inside out.
However, Stern does know how to survive even if they reduce production to one title a year and recycle old titles from their "vault".
Eventually, however, this also falters, as it happened in 2009 with Stern.
Even that trick does not last forever.
How far and long it will continue, I do not know, but enthusiasts should not expect more than half of the current pinball companies to be around in 2018.
This includes the potential official statement of the financial bailout (ala JJP Title Round 2) of Heighway Pinball, if the deal can be inked, even though fanboy shills remain in full denial and propagate misinformation cheerleading for Mr. Heighway. This is despite he already was so deep in the red and monetarily insolvent there was no way he was ever going to be able to fulfill orders of his second title, Alien, over the past 2+ years, let alone provide refunds to customers. However, this new "Let's Make a Deal" does not guarantee the company's long term survival, if the company cannot produce the game in necessary volume.
Multiple other companies remain on earthquake faults as well for the time being.
