A new company will "bother with the hassle" of a license because it guarantees sales.

Same reason you pay a franchise fee for a Subway instead of "Ray's Diner".

Monster Bash has the kind of crazy, lateral "so dumb it might just work" thinking we just don't see in pins anymore.

Had they done that theme "straight" it would have been really disjointed with monsters "stuck" in their own worlds with no connection to each other.

Pinball. Bring the crazy back!

Theme is all that matters. It's like debating if the sky is blue.

Key factor is you can sell a game nearly sight unseen based off theme alone. How many on Pinside would write a check today if they knew Jaws, Iron Maiden, another Elvira, Muppets, Munsters were guaranteed next games from Stern?

Original themes people have to play first before committing, and even then it's a struggle. And with Jpop fiasco and Lawlor's game not out, we don't even know if "designer as license" will work yet.