Thats a great idea

I'd like to see more focus on the quality of the gameplay (including improving the integration of the audio/video!). Pins like AFM, STTNG and LOTR use older school tech but really nail the theme integration (i.e. better dots and choreography of the audio/video with gameplay). I think it's marvelous to include better tech, but it shouldn't be used as a crutch (e.g. a CGI intensive movie isn't as impactful without a story and well done audio!).

Unfortunately, with time-to-market constraints, the creative side of pinball development can get short-changed.

I just took delivery of a Dialed-In LE and SWLE...both have beautiful LCD imagery (my first pins with vendor supplied LCD's). Will be interesting to see how they improve gameplay...

I have a feeling this will turn into, yet another, Stern bash thread.

Now that web cameras are being installed, it would be cool to have a topside camera as well that could be pulled out and pointed down at the playfield. At this point, you could either have your own twitch stream or you could play head to head games with other people. During your opponent's turn, their feed would be displayed on your screen.

More pinball content on the internet would be a win for manufacturers and provide enough business justification to make this happen imo.

I feel like this topic has been brought up several times before, but it's always a good discussion. How robust is the "architecture" of a modern pinball machine's software framework? I'm talking like the intelligence of the programming that goes into things like ball searches, bad switch compensation, solenoid failure detection, and so forth?

An example, and something that always grind my gears, is if I'm playing a game with a bad switch trough (or maybe an operator installed one too many balls), and the game spits out 2 balls into the shooter lane. It seems that 99.9% of modern games have a shooter lane switch at it's base, so why can't the software recognize that a ball has been properly served to the shooter lane when a ball is ejected, and then use the shooter lane switch to compensate, and ignore a faulty trough switch?

I'd like to see the playfield made out of another material that would not get worn down.
I'd like to see all parts be plug and play. No solder.
I'd like to see all LED lights have the same base and easy to install.
I'd like to see legs cut into the machine and art or decals cut out so there is no more wrinkling.
I'd like to see prices come down.
I'd like to win the lottery.

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They should put a small hole above the coin door so you can have sex with your pinball machine WHILE playing it.

Here's a thread with some ideas that I started. Like your idea!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/what-innovated-ideas-would-you-incorporate-into-a-pinball-machine#post-2978743

Speak for yourself....

This is not a feasible idea. Connector issues are probably the #1 source of problems on a pinball machine. Introduce more connectors, more problems X 500 or so on a pinball machine if you want to get rid of solder.

I would like to see switch compensation re-introduced into software. Seems like ALL of the manufacturers have done away with this, and it needs to return. An innovation would be operator-tailored switch compensation. If you know something is broken, it would be nice to be able to tell the game to compensate for it until you can fix it. Obviously not every switch can be compensated have the game still work, but many can. It would be nice if you could still start modes on Dialed In even if the moving dude switch isn't working, for example.

Piggybacking on this idea - Online Multiplayer would be a blast!

Camera shows your opponent's PF, you choose whose settings become the norm for the game (that way ball saves and whatnot are the same) and play head to head. Countless other modes can be made...

1) Head to Head - Turn based, traditional play, most points wins.
2) Campaign - Play together, try to try to beat the game. If you're playing something like SM, divide and conquer the villains, but if one person enables a villain, both can try to defeat it. Maybe 2x the hits required to defeat vs. single player, but one person can do more than 50% of the legwork. If one drains, have a hurry up to save bring them back to life. For scoop mode starts, have both required to hit the scoop. If one drains, the other player gets booted from the scoop.
3) Jackpot Fest - All multiball, all jackpots, 1 vs. 1.
4) Sprint - Time based to see who can progress the furthest in X-minutes.
5) My new favorite idea Splatoon - Light all the shots your color, going over an opponents color makes it yours. Time based or when one gets the PF all their color. Targets can act as weapons to collect or shot erasers.

We need more of this.

I get why people like the idea of head to head pinball over the internet, but seems there could be to many differing physical variables from machine to machine to make it even remotely fair and balanced.

We need a USB/HDMI output for the DMD/LCD Screen to make streaming not require a camera for score boards.

I'd also add, this USB jack should provide some sort of API, where we can write code to figure out the current state of the game. Basically, a public API that could tell us "current # of Players", "current scores", "current ball", "number of tilts", etc. This could also make for more fun integration with live streaming pinball.

id like straighter back legs so it can stand closer to wall

I haven't seen enough of a few new games but I would like to see more of the good stuff.

Whatever works. More of it. Done right in design of course.

I need to spend some time on dialed in, and a few of the newest games.

By time I mean hours. Currently I get minutes or single plays.

I felt a little stupid as I thought, ask again in one year.

This could be an issue with tournament play, but with friends it's not a big deal to me. Pinball seems more fun when you have someone else playing who enjoys it as well.

I like the timed play idea where you have x minutes to see who got a better score.

Any online competition would have to be that same machine.

And yes space saving back legs would be nice.

I wish Stern would allow more time and an increased budget for their designers. I would like to see more unique and innovated toys like Rudy, the Castle in MM, The Pirate ship in both POTC models, That integrate with the theme of the machines. Maybe Sterns timeline or budget won't allow the designers enough time to be able to design breakthrough interactive stuff like this.

This isn't a bash on Stern. I really like there games and think they have a lot of great new titles.

Just learn how to solder, Ted.

Agreed for casual play not a big deal. Just feel pinball is more of a play the same machine with friends kind of thing. At the end of the day you’re just comparing high scores.

These ideas seem super fun and would love for something like that to come along. Sure some physical setups with the machines will be different but as long as you're not a douche and altering your machine for an advantage I think it would be fun.

More creative thinking, like using older tech for new ideas. I thought TNA's "Desani Ball Lock" using old drop target tech was pretty innovative.

Just think outside the box when designing. It's not always about big LCD screens, cameras, etc, etc.

Online versus capability

I like the new display technologies. And I’m a big fan of the new LED lighting... but I wish they would include an LED OCD in the game, because the ON OFF of and LED just doesn’t have the flair of an incandescent light.

In the future I’d like to see power switches relocated... maybe to under the front right corner of the game to make them easier to reach in a line of games.

And on a more serious note, give me a real competition mode. Not one that evens out awards, but one that alters the entire game. A huge problem with modern games is that they SUCK to compete on. Give me something that changes the rules and unbalances the score towards much riskier shots, or even mechanically opens the outlines and weakens the flippers a bit. I just want to be able to compete and not take so long. War on a classic game is so much better. Give me a way to duplicate that without spending an hour opening the game to change everything.

I agree. No for tournaments. But, for online play against fellow pinheads and friends, it would be cool. I wouldn’t care about slight differences from machine to machine

Kinda wish there would be more interesting physical ball locks. I used to love the rotating planet on Judge Dredd when it had pinballs spinning around as you played, always thought that was cool.

The CGC games at least, DO include this. And I believe JJP games do as well. I am not sure about Stern games, not having owned any.

Implement color-changing holograms on playfield, that can appear and dis-appear on a few different spots on playfield, with gameplay logic associated with it.

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My newest game is 1995. Have they seriously done away with this? That's crazy!

I'd really like them to start using RFID technology into games. You could then remove switches altogether. It is technically feasible to embed RFID chips in pinballs. Each ball could have a different digital signature. The receptors could then detect which ball has passed over it a score or adjust features accordingly.

Think of a multiball. If ball A goes through the loop nothing happens. If ball B goes through the loop it gets diverted to the lock. Or even you could have a ball that is the bank robber and a ball that's a cop (colour coded even maybe). The robber can access the bank and rob it. The cop ball as access to his police car that can speed up the chase if X amount of targets are hit.

I want to see Magnaflippers. Flipper bats that have a magnet in the tip and a magnasave button on each side of the cab to activate 'em. The features, effects, modes, saves, and grabs.... well, let's just say the possibilities would be almost endless. (It also doesn't seem like it would be hard to construct or implement into a new title either)

One thing I'm adding on my homebrew game is a learning mode. It's an optional mode that the "operator" can temporarily activate that just lights a target and keeps spitting out balls until you make the shot. Then it moves on to the next shot. Could be part of a time based game, but I am working on it with the idea that this is for new players to practice making shots without the pressure of a game.

I wish the dates would be displayed along with the high scores - I think this has become feasible with lcd

Good idea...I would think have the shot be selectable each time. That way if you make the shot but want to continue to practice it, it's available to you or if you just wish to move onto another shot you could.