OP

Quoted from PinlordMarc:

I think that putting machines in places other than bars would be a great way to get people playing more. I hate having to always go to a place where it might get crowded with noisy drunk people while me and my friends are just trying to play. There's one bar we play at that gets really packed after work and people are constantly bumping into you/ the machines.

OP

Quoted from PinlordMarc:

So I've been thinking more about some of the ideas and discussions in this thread. Some have been very productive while some have been utter hogwash. I'm only going to address some of the constructive points made from here on out and ignore the insults.
Mainstream Exposure
I think some people were being far too knee-jerk when I mentioned the idea of celebrity involvement. I think the overall point that I'm trying to make is that pinball needs more exposure in the culture. This can be accomplished by having more celebrities involved in the sport, but also by expanding its exposure on TV and in the movies. I don't think anyone can argue that pinball's representation in the media is vastly underrepresented when compared to video games.
Pinball Prices Idea
A few people have raised that it is difficult for players to have an effect on machine pricing. I will cede that this is probably true given that the machines are selling out the production runs.
What if there were some sort of group established to represent the interests of fans & players to pinball companies? This group would be responsible for transparency and for keeping the prices down from the manufactures. It could act as a union of players so that the pinball community itself has more of a say in what direction the sport will take.