There is a brand new shiny Aerosmith at a local bar. No one plays it. It just sits there in the corner blinking away, while 50 - 60 people sit in the bar ignoring it, they don't even know what it is. When i play it i feel uncomfortable, like people are staring at me thinking what is that weirdo playing with that toy doing. However, there is something magical and retro cool about a barcade, with 20 -30 pins and a bunch of 80's video games. It attracts people of all ages, from kids to millennials to older folks. A barcade has a cool retro feel and it is "acceptable" for people who normally don't play pinball to play pinball. It is clear that there are a lot of newbies really enjoying pinball in barcades. Just a single pin in a corner of a bar doesn't work. I've been to lots of bowling alleys with pins in terrible shape and have seen kids start a game and walk away when it doesn't launch the ball or gets stuck somewhere. That is a huge turn off and probably a permanent loss of a player. I think barcades are the only place where pinball can really thrive, and the owner has a passion to take care of all the pins and keep them working.

It seems like a single pin in a bar or Walmart just isn't going to work any more.