In my opinion, Stern did a great job. Sure they get bashed for some of their games and incomplete code. But when you're the only one stepping up to the plate you are the only target, so of course there is going to be negative feedback.
Could they have used some better components at times, or worked a little longer on software before releasing games? Sure they could have. But it comes down to money, and a very limited market. With that taken into consideration, I say kudos to Stern for pumping out games for this many years when no one else was.
My hope is that once some of these competitors start shipping games out the door and increasing the number of production titles, us pinheads will start to see even better and more innovative products than ever before. Perhaps even some price competition! (HAHA! I know, wishful thinking. I won't hold my breath...)
This was an excellent read and the pictures were eye opening. I'm just a young pup, so I wasn't around to really know or understand who or what Williams/Bally was or what they represented when they were still alive. For me the only new games I ever remember seeing were Stern games at the cinemas. That being said, Stern did a good job introducing me to the hobby.
Ben
