Quoted from twoplays25c:

I worked for 21 years in marketing in construction equipment manufacturing for two of the larger names in the business. I saw this every new model year, watched accounting push the downscaling of the quality of components to drive more profits to the bottom line. Gave the end user a less quality, less solid product every time they did that ... to a product that needed to hold up to the demands of tough jobsites.
And every year that they reduced the quality of vendor supplied parts, I had to issue new price lists with the standard 1/1 increase of the usual Extra 3%. On product often costing > $1 million.
Same reason there are no Sterns in my house. Same rationales too.
I love to play them but I wont participate in this hobby as a Stern owner, based on what I've read at Pinside with owner issues. Have also taken non pinhead friends to York and Allentown and their comments on "look and feel" compared to playing other non Stern titles, mirrors most comments here.
Just my 2 cents.

Quoted from jawjaw:

Quantity makes a huge difference when competition can only deliver short tease videos on quality. The whole reason every dumps on Stern is because they continue to deliver multiple times a year. Competition gives you little to nothing to talk about for months and years. Just saying. Stern may have their issues but they are doing far better than any competition. Solid themes, great talent, fun games, and pro is still cheapest full featured pin in the business.

Quoted from Hazoff:

R any of u actual business men or property owners? taxes go up and costs increase every year. Its a nice thought to think stern would eat up those increased costs and yeah it sucks that prices go up buts that's life.