Okay, an honest question wanting a logical response. I understand many pinheads say that they could care less about a topper. They might even say they don't care about cabinet art, or powdercoating, or chrome or whatever. They only care about the game. But WHY have arcade video game manufacturers realized that drawing in the $1 is crucial? That lights, signage, appearance is crucial? Take a look at the latest BM game for example .. I now know several folks who have put a $1 into this game just to try it (despite the game having essentially ZERO skill required and no real objective.) The appearance of the game just draws you in.

Why don't we see more creative toppers, signage, and cabinet designs in pinball??? STLE (with the side lighting phasers) is about the most innovative outward appearance change we've seen (possibly ever??).
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Pinball manufacturers (ALL of you .. Stern, JJP, Skit-B, DP, etc.) ... are essentially using the exact same cabinet design from 30 years ago. If video game manufacturers have realized how to draw in customers ... why haven't you/we?
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I sense there is a whole lot of sarcasm there but I'm not quite sure, lol. There's a lot more than an LCD. Just unique cabinet designs, signage, toppers, under cabinet lighting, whatever!! Hell, why can't you sit down to a pinball-style game like the above Bat Man does?? Think out of the box! Multimorphic almost went that direction by thinking to eliminate the upper cabinet.

As for an LCD .. well, an LCD is nothing to be proud of. I mean yes, finally, 1 manufacturer (JJP) did it! But an LCD (or CRT for that matter) could/should have been incorporated years ago (more than 10 for sure). To say, yay, we're ahead of every other pinball manufacturer, but we're 20 years behind all other arcade games is silly.

I honestly do not believe Jack started JJP to cater to the home market. I believe he did it to bring a new revival to pinball.

Do you want to just keep pinball alive or do you want to push it to the forefront of culture again??