It wasn't me, but it could've been. The original poster declares that pinball is back big time. Is it really? Stern shipped around 5000 games last year. During the 90's, more than half a million NIB games were sold. Over 100,000 in 1992 alone. 5000 games a year is hardly big time.

Secondly, the poster suggests location pinball dying off is no big deal. Home buyers will fill the void. That's simply not true. Having a pin at home is luxury item most people in this country can't afford, let alone the rest of the world. Pinball will never fully recover without the location player. For more than 80 years, people have known pinball as something that is done socially away from the home. Now you usually do it alone in your basement. That's big time? I find it depressing.

If you want pinball to come back big time, play on location regularly. If there are no good locations in your area, either put your games out or move.

Glad to hear it. Thanks for the reply. Best of luck.

Is that a good thing? Given the choice, would you rather play minty games on location or at someone's house?

I didn't quote you. You said:

Not exactly a ringing endorsement for location play.

I didn't mean to single you out. Which is why I didn't reply directly to you. I didn't want to reply at all until someone wondered why you got a thumbs down. It's extremely frustrating to me to see folks flooding into the collector side of the hobby when the location side of the hobby is dying fast. Playing on location is more fun than playing at home. It also improves a person's social skills. Something that needs practice when you spend too much time at home. d

Most all of the pin operators that are left are collectors. Very few strictly operator guys left any more.

Those folks aren't completing the connection though. They'll buy games, go to shows and even compete in tournaments or join a league. But they don't play on location regularly. That's where we need to set an example. Complete the circle, so to speak.

The Who's Tommy album had a much bigger impact on pinball in the 70's than any app ever will. Johnny Depp doing the Rick Stetta story would help. Still waiting for that one.