"I just thought I would chime in on this discussion - I'm the designer and founder. I commenced this project due to the fact there was a lack of innovation and variation in pool table design and materials - they have basically been made in the same way for several hundred years. I wanted to take nothing for granted with the design and create a completely new direction for pool tables for two simple reasons: 1) There have been stratospheric advancements in manufacturing and materials in the last several hundred years - including materials that can be used in place of fabric covered slate to control the roll of the balls over a flat, hard surface.2) I love ultra modern design and materials and don't particularly care for antiques. Was I trying to IMPROVE on the way a pool table functions or in some way advance the product forwards? That sort of question is missing the point - some people like the way traditional tables look and play, but others like an ultra modern design with a new experience. It's a bit like asking if the latest chair design and materials are better than older designs.I came up with a new transparent playing surface that gives the balls similar behavioural characteristics to cloth. It is a beautiful effect to see a ball rolling silently and smoothly on a clear soft material, it looks like an optical illusion. How does it play? In researching existing cloths to replicate their characteristics, I found that they varied enormously in how they roll depending on the type. We created a material that rolled somewhere between a fast and slow grade of cloth. A pool table to many people is first and foremost an art piece for a living room or game room, followed by a piece of gaming equipment. Just like a nice piece of furniture - it has to be functional but most place some importance on the style and materials. Many of my clients feature an ultra modern aesthetic in their interior and this fits in perfectly. It's relevant to note that our pool tables range in price from just under $40,000 - $85,000 USD (depending on exchange rate) - these are custom built and high end items. My professor, Peter Schumacher, (thanks for commenting here) was integral in the early stages of the project and has contributed a lot to this project and others. He is right, as I explored design and materials with the mindset of taking nothing for granted the product took on a life of its own - an industrial style, minimalist creation of metal and glass and a new innovative playing surface. Is it to everyone's taste? Of course not - it's a style for people who love an ultra modern, minimalist and 'industrial' aesthetic. In regards to the lawsuit, it was a complicated situation between us and a 3rd party agent, we replaced the customers surface and provided new balls shortly after. I am currently working on some very exciting new projects with Elite, to continue making some  beautiful new ultra modern pieces and some changes to make our pool tables a fantastic experience to play on and own. As a side note - aside from the design and playing surface, I spent considerable effort integrating the ball return system into the frame design - take a look at the G-1 and G-4 pool tables. "