Probably because the targets break a lot and the reset mechanism is too expensive to make and too big under the playfield, not leaving room for all the other things.

All three of my newer pins (Hobbit, WOZ, Ghostbusters) have drop targets...

Pity about lack of drops,
looks like WPT makes up for it.

SAM_0951 - Copy (resized).JPG

Drop targets add expense from a hardware, switch and programming perspective. They can also have a machine drop capability as well as a playing hit drop. They also have to have a switch and reset capability. Also a target behind the drop, lane entry or sequential drop adds to playing fun but added production costs seems to eliminate this feature.

Drop targets cost added production expense hardware - testing etc. Save money, save complexity, eliminate drop targets.

Part of the problem was that some manufacturers used incredibly cheap parts or over-engineered the assemblies to make the more complicated than they needed to be.

I'm still convinced Gottlieb was the only one who got drop targets right.

Their assemblies were robust and rarely failed. Their drop targets didn't seem to break too often, but they were still plastic, so they did break eventually after a lot of use. Heavily routed games often has mismatched drop targets substituted for the originals.

The only improvement I can think of is to make the drop targets themselves out of another material, such as aluminum. Or just a more durable plastic. The field of plastics has come a long way in the past 20+ years.

zac drops are nice. easy to change out, and the drops themselves rarely ever break. Capcom was super easy to swap out as well. Think it took me 4 min to swap a drop target out on Pinball magic.

There's still heaps of new games that come out with drops, Metallica, AC/DC premium/Le, kiss premium/Le , mustang , wwe an the walking dead , I know there not filled with them but there still around 3 to bank drops.

And don't forget GoT.

JJPs Hobbit has 3 banks. 11 in total. All individually control able up or down with individual resets instead of the entire bank like all other mechs.
Also has built in targets behind each drop.
Because they don't reset in one go they machine gun... It's a new pinball sound that freaks a lot of people out into thinking there is something faulty with the machine.

24 has them too !

The Hobbit did drops in such a cool way. Not just the machine gun but also the "roaming drop target". Pretty seeet.

You played The Hobbit and don't remember there being drop targets? Might want to play it again.

Maybe he confused LOTR for TH?

Most of my recent purchases have them.....Met, GB, GoT, TWD, TH........almost seems like newer games make more use of them than older games......

I reject the premise of this thread.

Glad to know I wasn't the only person who thought this way!

WOF has a nice set of in-lines.

At the end of your last sentence, you forgot to add "then convince the buyer that they're getting a better game, and raise the price".

TWD have them as well.

Hobbit, WOZ, TWD, GB, Aerosmith, MET, GOT, Avengers, ACDC say hello

I believe Aerosmith has them as well, and you can't get newer then that currently.

Seems like "Why Are Drop Targets Most Common Feature On New Pins?" probably should have been the title of this thread.

My mustang has drops and they are very integrated and important to gameplay.

Avengers and Tron LE have them also.

I'm going to get your back on this and say that while I understand what you're saying, the fact is that everyone else is correct. They are still in games. Just not as much. 40 years ago drop targets were the big feature. Now you have ramps, light shows, incredible sound and displays, etc. So drops have been moved from the fore as a main selling feature. But they are still there.

There's the expense and maintenance but also really, banks of drop targets really don't lend themselves to fast, modern designs.

And scoleri bros are the absolute worst thing about ghostbusters, a game with plenty to bitch about

The Scoleri Bros aren't drop targets, they're obstinately-get-in-the-way-and-brick-your-shots targets.

Simple - Money.

Otherwise why would they be taken off the Pro version. Pay more, get more.

So, they don't appear "as much" on the newer games but you have to buy the higher end version.

I do loathe the Scoleri Brothers. That reminds me. I'm going to go turn them off right now.

The Scoleri brothers don't talk or anything, right? Someone just yells "Oh no, The Scoleri Brothers!", and then they're in your way. If you're like me and your familiarity with the second movie is passing at best, the effect is mostly confusing. You could put cheese stickers on the targets and change the call-out to "Oh no, I'm lactose intolerant!" and it would be about as effective.

They are very annoying. They are too close to the flippers and sometimes don't register direct shots and they can cause an airball drain.

Never much liked the feel of them, though. Not a very satisfying "clunk" when they drop.

Best? Either Gottlieb EMs or WPC-era Williams.

Monopoly, RCT and BTDK also has them.

Don't sweat it, this is Pinside and on Pinside when you're right, you're right and when you're wrong, you're right!

Right?

Dorp targets are not gone just hiding in a pinball collection. As a onwer of 6 machines with a total of 35 drop targets and one machine in the past with 16. I can say for sure drop targets there is only one Gottlieb all others are just attemping it. Having rebuilt a few banks and had a close look at other makers.

1 Gottlieb
2 yes Data East even the plastic targets themselves look like gtb stock with out the gtb name.
3 Williams and the horse shoe contact yes later designs were better
4 early Stern and Bally

new Stern and the others i haven't had the pleasure of working on yet. So i can't yea or na them.