You seem to think that your idea of pinball is better, more profitable and attainable in this day in age with the "if only there was another company" daydreaming.
The OP was referring to people being asked the top 5 pins of all time. AF, TZ, AFM, WH20, MB, MM, those are 6 classic williams games and on most lists someone preferred to have a LOTR, TSPP, FGY etc and bump one of the "classics". I think the OP's point is that if Stern really did suck, and nobody thought their games were any good, almost nobody would have done that and far fewer Stern games would have made the list.
You can't imagine older games being judged better then newer games because they aren't. You may like older games more, but the prices people pay for new games vs old games is a compelling argument that newer games are better, says most people.
"I am well aware of RGP - they're hardcore, sure. But they are affected by the fact that Stern is the only game in town.
The fact of the matter is unchanged: Stern is the only manufacturer of pins. By definition, you are no better asking people what cars they like best of the past 10 years if there was only one maker of cars for the past 15. It's that simple really. Again, not bashing Stern. But to suggest that they are the best is a biased and rather pointless question given that they are the ONLY maker of pinball left. Think of it in reverse, it would be more surprising if older games were judged to be better than Stern's newer games. I can't even imagine that happening. Just like music, every generation thinks their Jonas Bros are the best. Before them, it was New Kids on the Block. Before that? Who cares. We enjoy them because they are available now.
That's all.
So much has changed since pinball first came on the scene...pinball now requires deep rule sets, multiball, multilevel, video, and shaking sound/cabinets stuff. Oh yeah, and "toppers." And, it's primarily played in the home.
Go back to the 80s and pinball was a game played on location in an arcade.
Prior to that, pinball was, what, played at bowling alleys and pool halls. Truckstops. Diners.
There were great games back in the day that worked well on location and were well suited to the player's available time and attention.
The game is simply different today, that's all. It's still, by definition, pinball, but make no mistake it's not the same game as back in the day. In the same way the Prius is still a car but can't really be compared to a 69 Hemi Charger. The metrics don't even line up.
But it sure would be nice if another pinball maker tried to bring something different into the field. That would be interesting for sure. Until then, Stern is best. Yes. They are the best maker of pinball machines on the planet. (and also the only maker of pinball machines on the planet). "