It's a little more than just pure nostalgia considering that new games are being made, notably by Stern (https://sternpinball.com/) and several other smaller companies.
The history they highlight is a bit oddly framed. Based on some manufacturing numbers (https://pinballmag.fr/en/the-best-selling-pinball-machines-o...) it is true that the 1970s were probably pinball's peak decade, but there was also a smaller "bump" in pinball in the early-mid 1990s when the dot matrix display and increasing computer power transformed the complexity of the game (the best selling pinball of all time, Addams Family, was made in this period). My guess is if there is a nostalgia factor, it is probably driven more by those that discovered pinball then, instead of the 1970s.
My understanding is that the current resurgence in pinball is due to a combination of the "arcade bar" phenomenon and especially the home collector's market. Apparently there was a huge surge of growth in the pinball market during the pandemic (https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/coronavirus-leads-to-s...), this of course due to everyone being cooped up at home.
The history they highlight is a bit oddly framed. Based on some manufacturing numbers (https://pinballmag.fr/en/the-best-selling-pinball-machines-o...) it is true that the 1970s were probably pinball's peak decade, but there was also a smaller "bump" in pinball in the early-mid 1990s when the dot matrix display and increasing computer power transformed the complexity of the game (the best selling pinball of all time, Addams Family, was made in this period). My guess is if there is a nostalgia factor, it is probably driven more by those that discovered pinball then, instead of the 1970s.
My understanding is that the current resurgence in pinball is due to a combination of the "arcade bar" phenomenon and especially the home collector's market. Apparently there was a huge surge of growth in the pinball market during the pandemic (https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/coronavirus-leads-to-s...), this of course due to everyone being cooped up at home.