Quoted from lowepg:I keep seeing people talking about this "rebirth of pinball." Or the "new age" of pinball...
Sorry.... I don't buy it.
I think we are simply at the crossroads of the prime pinhead generation hitting middle-age and having the disposable income to relive their youth a bit.
In other words, it's temporary. I don't think it bursts in a few months or even a year or two, but it will die back out.... as this group stops buying. I don't see the bottom falling out of the used market completely, but I do see even fewer new machines being made... then eventually none.
There is NOT a new growing generation of pinball players out there.... I don't care if you put ruby slippers on your flippers, it aint gonna "create" a whole new generation of players....
A rebirth of pinball would mean arcades were growing, expanding, opening up, etc.
This next generation approaching middle age is the xbox/ps2 gang.... they are NOT going to be dropping $7-10K on one of these behemoths... even if they come out with a "One Direction Pinball machine."
I know this is an incredibly emotion time for pinball people (mostly WoZ buyers ), but lets not kid ourselves.... its a bubble.
Keep Flippin'
Smartest comment I heard on the reality of pinball. In 5 years from now most of the guys will drop their machines and go for sports cars, gulf clubs and a condo in a warmer state. True but sad. On the upside Stern will go back to one version of each machine and reajust their pricing since they are slowly killing the operators market (at least here) by selling theirs machines too high... Remind me of williams and their 6000$ P2K.
