Long time Stern lover. Owned games originated from 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012 with few issues and nothing to complain about.
Then came my NIB was Avengers LE. It was riddled with so many design and QC problems it was all I could do to make the game playable, which I did, and in spite of everything, I loved it. That said, it opened my eyes and made me reflect on what I expected out of a 5- $7,000 Pinball machine.
What's been going on with Stern the last 12-18 months with peeling decals, ghosting inserts, faulty mechs, questionable design issues, separating cabinets, general cheapening of components, not to mention the ever present code issues (and I'm sure I've missed other things, although I don't count "dimpling", which is a bullshit complaint IMO) has had an even greater impact. Your damn right it influences my decision to buy NIB, regardless of how inspired I am by some of their titles. Star Wars though? Yawn.
I'd love to pull the trigger on Aerosmith, or GB, but I'm not going to, until Stern demonstrates more attention to detail and a commitment to turning out a higher quality product. I know they can, and when they do they'll earn my trust and my money. Until then, I'll examine my other vendor options and enjoy all the older games that are available.
Message to Stern: DO BETTER!