I don't own a game with the switch in the head but I could see where it would be annoying for operators or home owners. Don't know what to do about it though. It makes sense from a cost standpoint for Stern so I don't think they will change it. Can anybody name anything that Stern has done to the structure of a pin that improved the quality or function? Maybe the Spike system?

I'm not a person that likes to sing the praises of 90s pins but those did feel like they were improving on the tech. Maybe Stern hasn't had the chance to improve the functionality of a pin till this recent upswing in interest.

Wasn't that a product of them going to decals versus direct printing cabs? Isn't that an improvement related to a downgrade?

I didn't know B/W games had decals. Thanks for the info.

After hearing about the resolution of Sterns direct print, I went and looked at my Data East Hook cab. No dithering there. It's a great looking cabinet. So again it seems the decals are an improvement on a downgrade from cabinet resolution. I know it was tough for Stern at the time of their name change and up until recently but I wonder when or if they will start trying to be an innovator in their tech and build. They may just be content with letting others provide the new ideas but I'm curious if that will hurt them in the long run.

None that I know of, why?

My point was at one time Data East/Sega/Stern had some good looking direct printed cabinet art but they went to a dithering, low resolution print sometime in the early 2000s. I know my 2003 CGC Vacation America has pretty terrible resolution cab direct print which is similar to TSPP as well. So to say decals were an improvement over low resolution direct print is true but at some point they were making higher resolution direct print and decided to cut cost.

I'm curious if there was ever something Stern changed in the structure of the game after 2000 that was to make it work better and not to cut costs. I mentioned Spike might be the only thing but then I forgot that Vacation America had a one board system first.

Maybe LEDs? Someone can correct me if Jersey Jack had LEDs before Stern. Maybe official mods? Again there's a chance Jersey Jack had them first.

Thanks. Those are good ones.

I noted their situation earlier in this thread so I understand their lack of innovation for much of the 2000s. They can't keep using that excuse though because pinball has become more popular and they have more competition. It will take some years before other companies will be able to compete on equal footing but if Stern rests on the fact that they are the biggest manufacturer today, they may become like the Gottlieb of yesterday and see others pass them by.

Can someone elaborate? Haven't they already had to do an update so they can run a color display?

Very interesting. Thanks.

How does Spike compare to JJP's system? JJP is pretty much running a PC right?

How does Spike compare to CGC's system?

I have a Vacation America. It's a pretty simple game but how does the board for it compare to MMr's? Is MMr's an iteration of Vacation America's system? Here's a pic.
IMG_0219[1] (resized).JPG

Definitely looks like improved tech from my VA.

I guess CGC's is also a little higher tech than Spike because it can run a color display. Does it use a transformer? I noticed Spike doesn't.

Thanks for the info.