It seems to be a damned if you do and damned if you don't. Stern gets bashed for not revealing anything until right before they are ready to launch. JJP gets slammed on every detail they reveal.

"while at the same time helping them increase new customer sales?"

No. They don't want us to know their issues and deception. They don't want you to know their lack of progress. They don't want us to know when they are struggling. They've watched too many movies that this is the way business is done. Leverage their credit. Use pre-pay dollars. Find a way. Sadly, this is how a lot of shifty businesses start. A few are successful. The majority are not. People never seem to realize how much risk they are taking until it's too late.

I simply ignore most of the speculation, since it's usually just wishful thinking.

Since it's not very likely that I'll ever get a NIB pin (because $$$$), I'm not exactly sitting at the edge of my seat waiting for anything to be released.

Sure, we'll work on this atfter we convince car manufacturers to tell us what's coming in the next model year so we can decide whether we want to hold off or buy now. While we're at it will also get them to tell us when the largest rebates will be. .. it's a hobby for us, but a business for the manufacturers and distributers.

The secrecy was really high when the "Big-3/Big-4" Pinball companies were around; Bally, Williams, Gottlieb and Chicago Coin/Stern Electronics. This was when Bally and Williams shared absolutely nothing except a close location to each other.

Auto shows are intended to be advertising platforms within the auto industry.

Fashion shows are basically art shows for clothing. A lot of it never actually makes it directly into stores, but bits and pieces might end up influencing alterations and updates to existing clothing lines.

The thing about pinball companies showing their product line beyond the current release is that they risk people holding off and waiting for the next big thing, rather than buying something now in the current fiscal year. Potential future sales mean nothing. They want the cash in the bank, so by focusing all your attention on one product at a time, they make things an easy yes/no decision, rather than leaving people hemming and hawing between two (or more) different products.

That's to introduce the new products for sale - Until then, they are cloaked in secrecy. I've been around the biz all my life and even the dealers (distributors) don't get to know.

If it was my business, there is no way I'd be open and transparent about my design pipeline. a) I want you to buy what I have on the line right now, it's my favorite machine. b) chatter about my future product is a distraction to my team.

I understand you might run it differently if it were your's, though.