Some guy in an alleyway peering into a powerball was able to glean the following information:

In the beginning, there was a box with a ball in it and it was good. $10

And then, the flipper was invented and the pinballers rejoiced. $40

In the year 202X a cyborg traveled back in time and brought DMD technology to 1991, it propelled the medium to new high scores! $2,000

Looking deep into the ball, a hobo saw a receipt for toys and flibbertigibbets purchased by one Gary Stern total: $32.50

SUDDENLY a crack and a flash - the ball vanished - and, oddly, a deep disembodied voice laughed to itself and said

"Fools, everyone knows Stern employs tiny robots to build their machines. Licensing costs? The same as a movie ticket $10.50"

...the voice trailed off and I pulled out my calculator and found the cost to build a Stern Pro to be... $2,093 plus s+h and applicable taxes.