I agree with CrazyLevi here. Pin prices go up every year, but I’m sure the cost of licenses have gone up (Stern is getting big licenses, maybe not full sound packages, but big licenses nonetheless) and there is a good bit of inflationary pressure on manufacturers. This comes not just from annual labor increases but also from other business disruptions (including various regulations) and cost of materials. I’m sure the LCD displays take a lot more labor than the dmd did to code for.

Not an easy environment for any business these days. Still, no other manufacturer can meet the prices of a Stern pro. Everyone is free not to buy one or even play one, but you’ll be missing out on some great games.