STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – NOVEMBER 2019
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11/04/19

STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – NOVEMBER 2019

The Stern of the Union Address will be presented on the first Tuesday of every month (holiday and vacation excepted).  Without further ado my fellow pinheads:

Star Wars Comic Art:

In celebration of Triple Force Friday, Stern Pinball announced the availability of a new line of pinball machines celebrating the iconic comic artwork from the Star Wars galaxy. Star Wars Comic Art pinball machines feature the artwork of one of today’s most popular artists, Randy Martinez. Randy has been illustrating for over 30 years receiving countless accolades for his work. With a broad spectrum of skills, Randy has been creating cartoons, caricatures, illustrations, paintings, and 3D art for Lucasfilm since 1999.  Star Wars Comic Art pinball machines are available in Pro and Premium Edition models.  Read the official IGN news release and see official pictures on our website – https://sternpinball.com/game/star-wars-comic/

Check out this behind the scenes interview with artist Randy Martinez who created the new art package for our Star Wars Comic Art pinball machines here!

 

Chicago Pinball Expo:

Stern Pinball launched the new Elvira’s House of Horrors pinball machine in style in the exclusive Pin Lounge sponsored by Stern Pinball and Marco Specialties at this year’s 35th Annual Pinball Expo!  Special guest Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark) was on hand to help officially launch the new game.  In addition, the Stern Pro Circuit Flip-Out Tournament and the Chicago Belles & Chimes Women’s and Kids’ tournaments were held in the Pinball Lounge.  Here are some highlights from this year’s event.


Join us in congratulating Pat Powers on his induction into the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame! Pat has worked for Stern Pinball since 2003 and has patiently assisted countless pinball machine owners via 1-800-KICKERS and our online tech support system.

 

Elvira Launch Parties:

The official Elvira’s House of Horrors Pinball Launch Party list has been set.  Parties will be taking place all over the world!  Check out the final list and location nearest you.  Come out for your chance to win an official Elvira Pinball Launch Party trophy and other prizes.  Launch parties are hosted in conjunction with the IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association) and the Stern Army.  Official launch parties can only be held at official Stern Army locations!  For more information on joining the Stern Army please e-mail SternArmy@sternpinball.com

 

Stern Army Updates:

The Stern Army continues to grow with members spreading the gospel of pinball across the globe.  Here are our newest members and the pinball locations they support:

  • Private David Bushea of Ohio (The Basement)
  • Private Doug Lee of Michigan (Fricks Bar)
  • Private Eric Clay of Oregon (Quackers Last Stop)

Congratulations to the following Stern Army members on their promotion from Specialist to Corporal:

  • Corporal Mitch Curtis of Massachusetts (Flat Top Johnny’s)
  • Corporal John Jundt of Minnesota (The Mermaid and St. Paul Tap)
  • Corporal Jesse Backer of Ohio (Arcade Legacy)
  • Corporal Gene X Hwang of California (Gestalt)
  • Corporal Steve Keeler of New York (Rock Fantasy)
  • Corporal Matt Walton of Oregon (Level Up Arcade)

Congratulations to the following Stern Army members on their promotion from Private First Class to Specialist:

  • Specialist Bryan of Broyles of Georgia (Portal Pinball Arcade)
  • Specialist Alex Harmon of Michigan (Blind Squirrel Tavern)
  • Specialist Brian Bannon of Missouri (Padavan’s NY Restaurant)
  • Specialist Marcus Trevino of Texas (Versus Gameplay, Nickelrama Arcade and BOS Pinball Lounge)

Congratulations to the following Stern Army members on their promotion from Private to Private First Class:

  • Private First Class Christopher Doyle of Texas (What’s Brewing?)
  • Private First Class Lyndon Carter of Australia (Australian Pinball Museum)
  • Private First Class Ryan Cazz of Australia (Pinball Paradise and Moon Dog World)
  • Private First Class John Cosson of Australia (The Ivory Tavern)

For more information and to join the Stern Army, please reach out to SternArmy@sternpinball.com

 

Stern Army Circuit:

Stern Pinball and the International Flipper Pinball Association launched the official Stern Army Circuit!  The IFPA will be tracking the WPPR points earned at all IFPA sanctioned events held at Stern Army locations throughout the calendar year.  At the end of the year, the top 10 finalists will receive prizes from Stern Pinball for their achievement.  For more information and live standings of this circuit, visit – https://www.ifpapinball.com/sternarmycircuit/

 

Stern Insider All-Access:

Congrats to Lauren from Colorado, October’s Stern Insider All-Access winner!  Lauren received an Elvira’s House of Horrors playfield autographed by lead game artist Greg Freres and lead programmer Lyman Sheats!  Do you have All-Access?  To register and become a Stern Insider, please visit https://sternpinball.com/stern-insider/

 

Stern Insider Pinball Podcast:

In celebration of Force Friday, Stern Pinball announced the availability of a new line of pinball machines celebrating the iconic comic artwork from the Star Wars galaxy. Meet the artist behind this creation by listening to episode 4 of the Stern Insider Pinball Podcast featuring the famous Star Wars artist, Randy Martinez! This podcast series is only available to Stern Insiders so don’t miss out! https://sternpinball.com/stern-insider/

Episodes can be found here after logging in to your Insider account – https://sternpinball.com/account/

 

Sharpeshooting with the Pros:

Sharpeshooting with the Pros, a new Stern Insider All-Access series coming soon!

 

Stern Army Black Knight Ransom Championship Tournament:

Stern Pinball and the International Flipper Pinball Association are teaming up to sponsor a global Stern Army High-Score Tournament on Black Knight: Sword of Rage Pro, Premium and LE pinball machines.  Players can enter by participating in any IFPA-sanctioned Stern Army events that include Black Knight in their tournament.  For full details on this exciting tournament visit – https://www.ifpapinball.com/blackknight/

 

George Gomez at Chicago Ideas Week:

Check out a replay of George Gomez discussing pinball design at Chicago Ideas Week!

 

Gary Stern at Brasil Game Show:

Matic, Stern Pinball’s official distributor for Brazil, was super busy last month at this year’s Brasil Game Show, promoting pinball to nearly 800,000 attendees at this year’s show! Well 800,001 if you count Gary Stern who was on hand to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award!

 

Stern Pro Circuit:

Congrats to all competitors at the Chicago Pinball Expo Flip Out tournament and the 24 Hour Final Battle at the Sanctum Stern Pro Circuit tournament.  In the end, Escher Lefkoff emerged victorious at the Chicago Pinball Expo Flip Out tournament (all 4 finalists were under the age of 18 at this event!) and Jerry Bernard won the 24 Hour Final Battle at the Sanctum tournament.  For full details on the Stern Pro Circuit presented by eBay, and to keep up with the current standings and schedule, please visit – https://sternpinball.com/stern-pro-circuit/

 

2019 Stern Pro Circuit Rankings – Top 10
1st  Steven Bowden San Antonio, TX
2nd  Escher Lefkoff CO
3rd  Raymond Davidson Everett, WA
4th  Keith Elwin Carlsbad, CA
5th  Karl DeAngelo Fontana, CA
6th  Colin Urban Portland, OR
7th  Aleksander Kaczmarczyk PA
8th  Jim Belsito Murrieta, CA
9th  Andy Rosa Flint, MI
10th  Colin MacAlpine Austin, TX

Only two remaining Stern Pro Circuit Events left on the season!

Stern Pro Circuit Event Date Website
Free Play Florida 11/22-24 http://wp.freeplayflorida.com/?page_id=5398
OBX Flippers Fall Tournament 11/22-24 https://flippersarcade.com/tournaments/

 

Portland Retro Gaming Expo and #FindMike:

#FindMike – Mike Vinikour, Associate Game Developer at Stern Pinball, will be at the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo and Houston Arcade Expo shows, hanging around in the Marco Specialties booth answering questions, teaching the rules to games and giving away Stern swag to fans who challenge him to games!  Additional thanks to our local dealers Music City Pinball (Nashville) and Joystix (Houston) for their collaboration!

 

The Making of Jurassic Park Pinball:

Take a look behind the scenes with the team at Stern Pinball as they discuss how they made the all-new Jurassic Park pinball machine!

 

Status of Code:

We are continuously working to update and improve software for our machines.  There are always code updates and bug fixes in various stages of development; we will release them upon update completion.  Here are some of the latest updates and the status of things in the works.  If you would like to join our mailing list for code updates, please send an e-mail to Code.Updates@sternpinball.com.  If you do encounter any bugs please feel free to provide information to bug.report@sternpinball.com

  • Elvira – For all Elvira owners, please make sure you have updated your game to the most current code version (v0.86.). This code contains major bug fixes and enhancements that will significantly improve the gameplay and reliability of your game.  Be on the lookout for a new code update later this month.
  • Jurassic Park – For all Jurassic Park owners, be on the lookout for a new code update later this month.
  • Batman ’66 – There is a new Batman update in the works.

 

Accessories:

Check out our Stern Shop for all accessories, collectibles, clothing and more including this month’s featured items: Jurassic Park accessories, Black Knight accessories, Stern hoodie and winter hat.

The Star Wars topper is currently in production and we’ll make a formal announcement once it’s available for purchase after production is completed.  All Stern Pinball accessories are also available to purchase from your local authorized dealer – https://sternpinball.com/find-a-dealer/

 

Stern Spotlight – Mark Guidarelli:

“My name is Mark Guidarelli, but most people in the gaming industry call me Guido.  I am the Senior Systems Engineer here at Stern Pinball, joining the product development team in 2017.  I have been working in the gaming industry for the past 25 years with published titles on the PC, Mac, home consoles, and arcade coin-op platforms.

In addition to game development, I have worked in the Defense industry and developed software for 2D CAD, 3D animation/rendering, movie production tools, and income tax preparation.  Prior to joining Stern Pinball, I led a development organization that created a best-in-class product for the pay television industry.

Joining Stern Pinball was a breath of fresh air after working a dozen years in a Fortune 100 (and after a merger Fortune 10) company.  Previously at Bally/Midway/Williams, I worked with many members of the Stern product development team and consider myself fortunate to have that opportunity once again after 20 years.

At Stern, I am responsible for the Spike platform software: the underlying operating system, frameworks, and firmware.  I partner with hardware engineering and technical support to define the technology roadmap and derive system requirements.  I have the opportunity to work with most of the groups within Stern including: software, hardware, support, manufacturing, marketing, and management.  Every day I get to contribute to making a fun product with an amazing team of people.

The first pinball machine I ever played was Gottlieb’s Pop-A-Card, and the first arcade game was Chicago Coin’s Carnival Rifle.  (Does anyone know where I can find one of these?)  Beyond pinball, I enjoy brewing beer, researching the Antikythera Mechanism, and spending time with my wife Sally and our 5 cats (don’t judge me).”

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END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT (EULA)

STERN PINBALL

END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

This limited software license Agreement (“Agreement”) applies to your use of Stern Pinball Software pre-installed on a Stern Pinball Machine and any Authorized Updates made available to you. BY USING YOUR STERN PINBALL MACHINE, YOU AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. If you do not agree to the terms of this Agreement, do not use your Stern Pinball Machine or any Authorized Updates. Please read this entire Agreement, which governs your use of the Stern Pinball Machine, Stern Pinball Software and all Authorized Updates. ADULT CONSENT TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT, YOU MUST BE AN ADULT OF THE LEGAL AGE OF MAJORITY IN YOUR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE. YOU ARE LEGALLY AND FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL ACTIONS USING YOUR STERN PINBALL MACHINE AND SOFTWARE AND ACCESSING OR USING ANY ONLINE GAMING PLATFORM, INCLUDING THE ACTIONS OF ANYONE YOU ALLOW TO USE AND ACCESS TO YOUR MACHINE AND ANY ASSOCIATED ACCOUNT. YOU AFFIRM THAT YOU HAVE REACHED THE LEGAL AGE OF MAJORITY, UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE LEGAL AGE OF MAJORITY, YOUR PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN MUST CONSENT TO THIS AGREEMENT. DEFINITIONS.
  1. “Stern Pinball Machine” means a Stern Pinball arcade game machine.
  2. “Stern Pinball Software” means software (including but not limited to firmware) pre-installed in the Stern Pinball Machine, including all Authorized Content and any Authorized Updates that Stern Pinball may make available to You from time to time.
  3. “Authorized Content” means all Stern Pinball and third-party owned software and content incorporated into or used with the Stern Pinball Software or otherwise embedded in or utilized by a Stern Pinball Machine, including but not limited to graphics, images, music, vocals and voices.
  4. “Authorized Update” means an update to the Stern Pinball Software distributed by Stern Pinball or otherwise made available by Stern Pinball, including for download on its web site.
  5. “Unauthorized Content” means all content, including but not limited to limited to graphics, images, music, vocals and voices, that does not comprise Authorized Content or an Authorized Update.
  6. “Unauthorized Software” means any software (including but not limited to firmware) not pre-installed by Stern Pinball on a Stern Pinball Machine or that does not comprise Authorized Content or Authorized Update.
  7. “You” means the purchaser or current owner of a Stern Pinball Machine.
LICENSE. Stern Pinball hereby grants You a nonexclusive, non-transferable, limited, and revocable right and license to use one copy of the Stern Pinball Software and Authorized Content and any Authorized Update solely for your personal use, or that of your patrons and customers if you are a commercial entity, for playing a single Stern Pinball Machine. The Stern Pinball Software, Authorized Content and Authorized Updates are licensed, not sold, to You, and no ownership rights are transferred by this Agreement. The Stern Pinball Software Authorized Content and Authorized Updates are protected by U.S. and international copyright. All rights not explicitly granted to you in this Agreement are reserved by Stern Pinball.
  1. As a condition to this Stern Pinball Software license, You agree that:
    1. You will not copy, reproduce, alter, replace, distribute, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, display, perform, create derivative works based on, or otherwise modify the Stern Pinball hardware or Stern Pinball Software or any Authorized Update, in whole or in part; and will not commercially exploit any of the foregoing.
    2. You will not use or install any Unauthorized Content or Unauthorized Software. Use of Unauthorized Content or Unauthorized Software may result in your Stern Pinball Machine ceasing to work permanently and/or losing access to Stern Pinball’s online game network, either immediately or after a later installed Authorized Update.
    3. You will not create, develop, distribute or assist anyone else in creating, developing or distributing any Unauthorized Content or Unauthorized Software intended for use with a Stern Pinball Machine, whether to add to or modify the gameplay, any audio content (whether music, sound or voice), or any video content of any Stern Pinball Machine, or to gain advantage in any online or other game modes, or otherwise.
    4. You will not share any Stern Pinball Software, Authorized Content or Authorized Update with any other person or company and will not permit anyone else to access or copy any Stern Pinball Software or Authorized Content or Authorized Update installed on your Machine for any purpose.
    5. In view of the rights held by third-party owners of Authorized Content (e.g., music and video clips), Stern does not have the legal authority to give permission to stream the gameplay of Stern Pinball Machines.
    6. You will not attempt to defeat or circumvent any anti-piracy, security, and/or technical measures to control access to the Stern Pinball Software, features, functions or content, prevent unauthorized use, or otherwise prevent anyone from exceeding the limited license rights granted under this Agreement, “Security Measures”. Attempting to defeat or circumvent any Security Measure may result in your Stern Pinball Machine ceasing to work permanently either immediately or after a later installed Authorized Update.
    7. Stern Pinball may update the Stern Pinball Software from time to time without further notice to You, for example, to update any anti-piracy, security, and technical measure.
PRIVACY POLICY Your use of the Stern Pinball Machine, Stern Pinball Software and any Authorized Updates are subject to Stern Pinball’s Privacy Policy which can be found at https://sternpinball.com/privacy-policy/   WARRANTY EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, THE STERN PINBALL SOFTWARE, AUTHORIZED CONTENT AND AUTHORIZED UPDATES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWABLE UNDER LAW, STERN PINBALL DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, STERN PINBALL DOES NOT WARRANT THAT OPERATION OF THE STERN PINBALL MACHINE OR ANY ONLINE OR CONNECTED GAME NETWORK WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES STERN PINBALL IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; ANY LOSS OF DATA, PRIVACY, CONFIDENTIALITY, OR PROFITS; OR ANY INABILITY TO USE THE STERN PINBALL MACHINE, STERN PINBALL SOFTWARE OR ANY AUTHORIZED UPDATE. THESE EXCLUSIONS APPLY EVEN IF STERN PINBALL HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THESE DAMAGES, AND EVEN IF ANY REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE. Some countries do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so this limitation or exclusion may not apply to You. These terms apply to the maximum extent permitted by law and unless prohibited by law. These terms do not change your rights under the laws of your country if those laws do not permit that change. TERRITORY AND CHOICE OF LAW This License is valid only in the country in which you purchased your Stern Pinball Machine. This License will be subject to and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois, U.S.A., regardless of conflict of laws principles. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in Cook County, Illinois, U.S.A. for the resolution of any dispute regarding this Agreement or the subject matter of this Agreement and to waive any jurisdictional, venue, or inconvenient forum objections to such courts. This Agreement may be updated by Stern Pinball from time to time with the current version posted at www.sternpinball.com/EULA. Your continued use of the Stern Pinball Software an Authorized Update after an updated Agreement has been posted constitutes your acceptance of all of its terms.
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