What's wrong with wood? It's the perfect material. Renewable, durable, easy to work with, relatively light, and lasts forever. Tons of old pins out there still working great. I like the hardtop idea. Not sure if it's cheaper to produce but seems like a step forward. It seems like it would be easier to print art and design inserts on plastic than wood. If the top gets damaged or just warn, it is easier to replace than entire playfield. That said, modern clear coated wood playfields seem to hold up very well.