STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – AUGUST 2020
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:
TMNT #PlayStrong:
Ready to see what all the hype is about? Your local arcades and pinball showrooms just got the brand new game from Stern Pinball, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. These have been a difficult couple of months for small businesses so every quarter counts. Contact your local arcade, distributor or dealer for availability, hours, and safety precautions so you can help them continue to #PlayStrong!
Those of you in the U.S. can also find your closest location with our Stern Pinball Locator (https://sternpinball.com/pinball-locator/) powered by PinballMap.com.
Find a TMNT in your region (Midwest)
| IA – The Operating Room (West Des Moines) |
| IL – Great American Pinball Showroom |
| IL – Hemispheres Amusements Showroom |
| IL – Logan Arcade |
| IN – Arcade Rescue 911 |
| IN – East of Chicago Pizza |
| IN – FlipNOut Pinball Showroom |
| IN – Floyds Arcade |
| IN – Fort Wayne Pinball Wizard’s World Arcade |
| IN – Franklin House |
| IN – Main Street Amusements |
| KS – 403 Club |
| KS – Amini’s Galleria Showroom |
| KS – Industry Old Town |
| MI – 1UP Arcade Bar |
| MI – Bavarian Inn Lodge |
| MI – Beek’s Bar & Grille |
| MI – Crazy Quarters |
| MI – Gameroom Guys Showroom |
| MI – Gina’s Pizza |
| MI – Pyramid Scheme Bar |
| MI – The Coin Slot |
| MN – Bogarts Entertainment Center |
| MN – Junction Bowl |
| MN – Opinion Brewing Company |
| MN – Peter’s Billiards |
| MN – St Pauls Tap |
| MN – Tilt Pinball Bar |
| MO – Amini’s Galleria Showroom |
| MO – Fric & Frac |
| MO – Levelup |
| MO – Outpost Bar & Grill |
| MO – Silverball |
| MO – Solid State Pinball Supply |
| MO – Topscore Gamerooms Showroom |
| MO – Up-Down KC |
| MO – Up-Down St Louis |
| ND – Fargo Pinball Showroom |
| NE – Big John’s Billiards |
| NE – DJ’s Dugout |
| NE – Dundee’s Place |
| NE – Pinball Pro Showroom |
| OH – Arcade Super Awesome |
| OH – Brewdog Columbus |
| OH – Kidforce Collectibles |
| OH – Level One Bar Arcade |
| OH – Pins Mechanical Cincinnati |
| OH – Pins Mechanical Columbus |
| OH – Pins Mechanical Dublin |
| OH – Stonehedge |
| OH – Superelectric |
| OH – The Basement |
| OH – The Pinball Shoppe Showroom |
| WI – Hudson Tap |
| WI – Pizza Del Re |
| WI – Player 2 |
| WI – Schwoegler’s Entertainment Center |
Find a TMNT in your region (East)
| CT – Automated Services Showroom |
| CT – WOW Family Entertainment Center |
| MA – Flat Top Johnny’s |
| NY – Jackbar |
| NY – Pinball Alley Showroom |
| NY – Pocketeer Billiards and Sports Bar |
| NY – Rock Fantasy |
| NY – Sunshine Laundromat |
| PA – Capitol Vending |
| PA – Flipper Fidelity |
| PA – Helicon Brewing |
| PA – Kickback Pinball Café |
| PA – PA Coin |
| PA – Pinball Gallery, Malvern |
| PA – Pinball PA Arcade |
| PA – Rt 61 Pinball Bar |
| PA – Sports Zone Comics and Collectibles |
| PA – Timeline Arcade |
| PA – University Family Fun Center |
| PA- PJ’s Tavern |
| RI – Pizza J Pinball |
Find a TMNT in your region (Southeast)
| AL – Bumpernets |
| FL – 3 Daughters Brewing |
| FL – Arcade Monsters |
| FL – Café One |
| FL – District Eat N Play |
| FL – Florida Ave Brewing |
| FL – Got Pinball Showroom |
| FL – iPinball |
| FL – Keg and Coin |
| FL – Leaderboard Arcade & Pizza |
| FL – Nice Guys Pizza |
| FL – Pinball Dudes Showroom |
| FL – Pinball Lounge |
| FL – Reboot Dunedin |
| FL – South-A-Philly |
| FL – Vector |
| FL – Video Game Rescue |
| GA – My Parents Basement |
| GA – Portal Pinball Arcade |
| GA – The Portal |
| MD – Electric Quarter Arcade |
| MD – Game Sales of Maryland Showroom |
| MD – MOMs Organic Market |
| NC – Cape Fear Wine & Beer |
| NC – Flippers Arcade & Laser Tag |
| NC – Pins Mechanical Charlotte |
| NC – Save Point Video Games |
| NC – The Basement Arcade Bar |
| OK – Cactus Jacks Family Fun Center |
| SC – The Break Sports Bar |
| TN – Classic Arcade Pinball Museum |
| TN – Cobra Bar |
| TN – Game Galaxy |
| TN – Music City Pinball Showroom |
| TN – No Quarter |
| TN – Pins Mechanical Nashville |
| TN – Play it Again Retro |
| TN – Silverball City |
| TN – Space Needle |
| TN – Up-Down Nashville |
| TX – Flippers Tavern |
| TX – Fun Billiards Showroom |
| TX – Game Changers Sports Bar |
| TX – Joystix Games Showroom |
| TX – Quasars Arcade |
| TX – The Gameroom |
| VA – Bingo Beer Company |
| VA – Center of the Universe Brewing Company |
| VA – Maltese Brewing |
| VA – Ocelot Brewing |
| VA – Pixels |
Find a TMNT in your region (West)
| AK – Koot’s |
| AZ – Hop Central Brewery and Taproom |
| AZ – Level 1 Arcade Bar |
| CA – AYCE GOGI Korean BBQ (Van Nuys) |
| CA – AYCE GOGI Korean BBQ (West Hills) |
| CA – Bleachers Sports Bar & Grill |
| CA – Brewski’s Bar & Arcade |
| CA – The Flipper Room |
| CA – Game Lab |
| CA – Harbor Town Pub |
| CA – LVL-UP Campbell |
| CA – Open Market OC |
| CA – Orange County Pinballs Showroom |
| CA – State of Mind Public House and Pizzeria |
| CA – The Retro |
| CO – 1 Up Greenwood |
| CO – co. bar |
| CO – Mutiny Information Cafe |
| CO – The Control Room |
| CO – Wonderland Brewing Co |
| NM – 505 Pinball |
| NM – Rad Retrocade |
| NV – Pinball Hall of Fame |
| NV – A Gamer’s Paradise |
| OR – Next Level Pinball Museum |
| UT – Kito’s Brewing |
| WA – Dorky’s Arcade |
| WA – Half Pint Pizza Pub |
| WA – The Ice Box |
Inside the Stern Studio with Zombie Yeti:
Check out this behind the scenes interview with artist Jeremy Packer, creator of the art packages for iconic Stern Pinball machines such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Deadpool, Iron Maiden, and Ghostbusters!
On the line with John Borg:
Check out this video on the line with veteran pinball designer John Borg and his latest hit game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! COWABUNGA! #TMNT #PlayStrong #Borg #SternPinball #TurtlePower
TMNT Minute Podcast and Triple M Night Shift:
Check out the latest TMNT Minute Podcast featuring Stern Pinball’s Director of Marketing, Zach Sharpe, talking about Turtles amongst other fun pinball news and our Australian Distributor AMD chatting about Turtles on the Triple M Night Shift national radio show with Luke Bona!
TMNT at Comic-Con:
For the first time in 50 years, San Diego Comic-Con was held completely digitally this year and it wouldn’t be Comic-Con without a Stern Pinball presence! Partnering with Nuclear Blast and Rebellion Republic, we collaborated with Jack Danger to bring TMNT to the masses in this special exclusive virtual stream event. In case you missed it live, check out the replay of the broadcast here!
TMNT at SFGE:
In place of a physical show, the Southern Fried Gaming Expo held a virtual expo this year featuring a highlight seminar interview with the lead game developer of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles machine, Dwight Sullivan! In case you missed it live, check out a replay of this fun interview here as Dwight cooks up some pizza and practices his ninja skills remotely. Cowabunga!
PlayStrongTM:
Do you have a PlayStrongTM pinball story to share with the world? Send your inspirational message and pictures to Insider@sternpinball.com for a chance to be featured across Stern’s social media channels in addition to winning exclusive Stern swag and merchandise! Check out these incredible #PlayStrong stories featuring Jersey Shore star Jenni ‘JWOWW’ Farley and her son enjoying their new Stranger Things Premium pinball machine, and this story featured on ESPN!
All Things Stranger:
Have you been transported to the Upside Down? Share your Stranger Things experience with Insider@sternpinball.com for a chance to be featured across Stern’s social media channels in addition to winning exclusive Stern swag and merchandise! Pinball fun the entire family will enjoy! And congrats to the show itself on its 8 Emmy nominations including Outstanding Drama Series! Minds Flayed!
Stern Showdown:
The 2020 Stern Showdown is complete with the grand champion being crowned. Not only is Iron Maiden a TWIPY award-winning game of the year, but it is also the inaugural Stern Showdown Champ! While no one was able to predict a perfect bracket, Ken Guenther gets bragging rights and a special Stern Swag Pack for predicting the best bracket amongst the sea of competitors. Over the course of the Stern Showdown more than 100,000 votes were cast across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Stories, making this the most voted pinball competition in history! With other annual tournaments currently cancelled or postponed, we wanted to bring the FUN of competition to your channels and appreciate all the excellent feedback and passionate opinions shared throughout. Iron Maiden has now officially sealed its spot as one of the all-time greatest pinball machines, as decided by you, the players! Can it win again in 2021? We shall see!
Dead Flip Pinball Streaming:
Make sure you are subscribed to Jack Danger’s Dead Flip channel to watch some special streams including last month’s streams of Batman, Deadpool, Elvira, Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic Park, Star Wars Pin, Stranger Things, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and TMNT again!
Gameroom of the Month:
Congrats to James Rivelli of Milwaukie, Oregon on being named the recipient of Gameroom of the Month! Do you have a special home gameroom you want to share with the world? Leave a photo comment on this Facebook post and you may be our next winner! Not on social media? Not a problem! You can submit your incredible gameroom directly to Insider@sternpinball.com for your chance to win an exclusive Stern Swag Pack!
Virtual Expos:
Taking their events virtually this year, the NW Game Show had a fun livestream trivia battle (watch a replay of the event here), as well as a huge digital event from California Extreme on their Twitch channel. California Extreme’s event replay can be watched here, which featured an exclusive Stranger Things panel discussion with lead game designer Brian Eddy and associate game developer Mike Vinikour!
Pinball Rental Program:
Stay entertained by staying inside with the latest Stern Pinball machines! Just because your local bar or arcade might be temporarily unavailable, doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of opportunities to play the newest Stern games. Contact your local authorized Stern dealer for more information on renting your very own Stern pinball machine where available! https://sternpinball.com/find-a-dealer/
Stern Army Updates:
The Stern Army continues to grow with members spreading the gospel of pinball across the globe.
Congratulations to the following Stern Army members on their promotion from Specialist to Corporal:
- Corporal Rodney Minch of Michigan (Pyramid Scheme Bar and RLM Amusements)
- Corporal Adam Herrington of Kansas (Industry Old Town)
Congratulations to the following Stern Army members on their promotion from Private First Class to Specialist:
- Specialist Scott Pierson of Michigan (The Coin Slot)
- Specialist Chuck Gardner of Maryland (Mom’s Organic Market)
- Specialist Carolyn Dawson of Oklahoma (Cactus Jacks Family Fun Center)
- Specialist Chris Wamsley of Ohio (J&D’s Place)
- Specialist David and Leeann DeSloover of Michigan (Beek’s Bar & Grille)
- Specialist David Morris of Canada (Half Pins Brewing and Phantom Amusement)
Congratulations to the following Stern Army members on their promotion from Private to Private First Class:
- Private Matt Wycoff of Virginia (Ocelot Brewing Company)
- Private David Wright of Georgia (Replay Arcade)
For more information and to join the Stern Army, please reach out to SternArmy@sternpinball.com
Stern Insider All-Access:
Congrats to Eric from Georgia, July’s Stern Insider All-Access winner! Eric received a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles playfield autographed by lead game designer John Borg and lead game developer Dwight Sullivan! Do you have All-Access? To register and become a Stern Insider, please visit https://sternpinball.com/stern-insider/
IFPA Challenge Rankings (ICR):
In order to provide a competitive alternative in the current climate, the International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA) announced the implementation of the IFPA Challenge Rankings (ICR) for all players leading to the inaugural IFPA Challenge Rankings Championship! For full details, standings and prize information, please click here to learn more and connect with other players around the world!
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
- TMNT – For all TMNT owners, please make sure you are up to date with the most current code version (v1.10.0).
- Elvira – For all Elvira owners, please make sure you have updated your game to the most current code version (v0.98.0) released last month. Be on the lookout for a new code update later this month.
- Stranger Things – For all Stranger Things owners, please make sure you have updated your game to the most current code version (v0.97.0) released last month. Be on the lookout for a new code update later this month.
- Jurassic Park – For all Jurassic Park owners, please make sure you are up to date with the most current code version (v1.02.0).
Fortnite House:
You know you’ve made it once you get your own pinball machine as seen on this tour of the One Percent Fortnite team’s house. This video tour has over 4 million views and counting!
Accessories:
Check out our Stern Shop for all accessories, collectibles, clothing and more including this month’s featured items, Stern #PlayStrong Face Masks and TMNT Art Blades! Free domestic shipping on orders of $50 or more on all Stern merchandise and accessories.
All Stern Pinball accessories are also available to purchase from your local authorized dealer – https://sternpinball.com/find-a-dealer/
Belles & Chimes:
Check out Chicago Belles & Chimes members Rebecca and Anna taking over Dead Flip’s channel to stream the newest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball machine! Click here to learn more about the Belles & Chimes organization.
Rock Fantasy Files with Tim Sexton:
Check out episode 20 of the Rock Fantasy Files featuring lead programmer, Tim Sexton. Tim discusses his involvement with helping create games like Iron Maiden, Deadpool and Black Knight: Sword of Rage as well as engaging in some tournament talk. Watch a replay of the video interview here!
Stern Spotlight – Dorothy Brown:
“My name is Dorothy Brown. I’m the Parts Department Manager here at Stern. I have been working for Stern since 2004. My job consists of overseeing the parts department which consists of customer service, data entry of all parts and accessories, expediting orders correctly, receiving parts into the systems, and keeping track of inventory.
When I’m not working, I’m spending time with my husband and granddaughter in the swimming pool, playing games, and taking long walks. I love to cook and dance.”
