STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – MARCH 2021
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03/02/21

STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – MARCH 2021

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:

Avengers: Infinity Quest Stern Heads-Up Pinball Invitational:

Mark your calendars for the competitive pinball event of the year! Who will win the Marvel Avengers: Infinity Quest Stern Heads-Up Pinball Invitational?  Full details here!

Whole Lotta Love from CES 2021:

The reception to Led Zeppelin has been off the charts and the hits keep coming from its appearance at this year’s CES show.  Check out the additional coverage of this pinball rock concert experience featured on Shacknews, Geekazine, Movie Reviews and More, and international exposure through our Australian Distributor AMD on the Triple M Night Shift radio show with Luke Bona!

Led Zeppelin LE Unboxing Video:

A Led Zeppelin LE recently arrived at Toronto Collective in Canada from Player One Amusement Group and we were sent this SICK unboxing video!

Dean Delray Podcast with Gary Stern:

Famous comedian, actor, and podcaster Dean Delray had Gary Stern on the latest episode of The Grail!  On this episode, Dean and Gary talk about the newest hit Led Zeppelin pinball machines, Gary’s history in the pinball business, and Stern’s track record of creating the best rock and roll pinball machines ever made like AC/DC, Kiss, Iron Maiden, and Metallica!  Listen here!

Wizard Mode Challenge – Stranger Things Final Showdown:

Spoiler alert: Karl DeAngelo of IE Pinball is really, really good at pinball.  It was only a matter of time before he successfully conquered the Final Showdown wizard mode in Stranger Things.  Watch the incredible depth, challenge, and immersive experience Stranger Things pinball machines offer to players here!

Stranger Things Revamping Your Game Room:

If you’re a fan of the hit TV show, Stranger Things, you don’t want to miss what Lifestyle Expert Jennifer Bonner had to share in regards to “Revamping Your Game Room”!  This video segment aired across national television in 152 different markets, across 224 different stations reaching a potential audience of approximately 100 million people (total estimated impressions of 6 million viewers)!

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 former NBA basketball player Andrew Bogut, actor Joe Pesci’s personal gameroom, world champion wrestler Kenny Omega, actor Nicolas Cage battling the silverball from his latest movie, and an entirely new generation of pinball fans!

International TMNT Pinball Love:

Troldspeilet from Danish TV (DR2) visited the Bakken amusement park to try the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball machines.  Check out the video here!

Gameroom of the Month:

Congrats to Zaki Husain of Ohio 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!

Incredible French Gameroom:

How to say gameroom goals in French?  Check out this incredible gameroom video that appeared on French YouTube sensation MrBboy45’s channel (1.5 million subscribers) here.  This video has already received almost 150,000 views!

InterGame Pinball Feature – Never Been Hotter:

Pinball has never been hotter!  Check out this in-depth article featured last month in InterGame here.

Pinball Rental Program:

Stay entertained by staying inside with the latest Stern Pinball machines!  Even if your local bar or arcade is temporarily unavailable, there are 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 Chris Badyk of Canada (Lamplighter Pub and Bimini Pub)
  • Corporal Joe Said of Maryland (Spinners Pinball)
  • Corporal Kyle Seller of Canada (Pub 340)
  • Corporal Hannah Holmberg Hatch of Seattle (The Ice Box)

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

  • Private First Class Jeff Palmer of Michigan (Crazy Quarters Arcade)
  • Private First Class Adam Holder of California (Coin Op Game Room)

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

Stern Insider All-Access:

Congrats to Davis from Colorado, February’s Stern Insider All-Access winner!  Davis received a Guardians of the Galaxy autographed playfield!  Do you have All-Access?  Register and become a Stern Insider today! https://sternpinball.com/stern-insider/

Stern Insider All-Access Exclusive – Autographed Iron Maiden Translite:

Available only for All-Access members, purchase this exclusive autographed Iron Maiden Pro translite from the design team while supplies last!  Don’t have All-Access?  Register and become an All-Access member today!

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

  • Led Zeppelin – For all Led Zeppelin owners, please make sure you are up to date with the most current code version (v0.95.0) released last month. Be on the lookout for a new code update this month.
  • Avengers: Infinity Quest – For all Avengers owners, please make sure you are up to date with the most current code version (v0.99.0) released last month. Be on the lookout for a new code update this month.

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 on Game of Thrones and Star Trek!

Accessories:

Check out our Stern Shop for all accessories, collectibles, clothing and more including this month’s featured items, Stern puzzles!  Did you put the pieces together?  Check out the latest Wizard Puzzle featuring exclusive artwork from Zombie Yeti and the Samurai Puzzle featuring exclusive artwork from Jesse Hernandez!  Free domestic shipping on orders of $50 or more on all Stern merchandise.

Stern Pinball accessories are also available to purchase from your local authorized dealer – https://sternpinball.com/find-a-dealer/

Stern Spotlight – Dean Grover:

“Ever since I was a young boy…”  Well, I certainly wasn’t a pinball wizard, but I grew up on pinball.

I started playing around the end of the single-player Electro-mechanical era on games like Sky Jump and Travel Time when a quarter could buy you two or three games apiece.  Early on, whenever I was at the bowling alley, my attention was divided by bowling and the pinball machines they had off to the side.  I loved the mechanical nature of a pinball machine and always wondered how they worked.

I studied computer science at Purdue, and although I knew pinball machines were made in Chicago a few hours away,  I never really pursued that as a career path. Upon graduation, I moved to Southern California, where I worked as a software engineer.  One day while browsing a pinball newsgroup, I  saw a post that said Williams was hiring, so I sent in my resume and was surprised when I got a phone call soon after for a phone interview.

I spent almost two years at Williams, where I worked on Congo and Safe Cracker.  I returned to the “real world” after the crash in ‘96 and spent about 20 years in Colorado in a more traditional software job.

While I attended Replay FX, I spoke with a Stern employee who encouraged me to reach out to Stern.  I’m glad I did! There are quite a few former Williams employees now working for Stern; it was a bit of a reunion.  Many outside the industry don’t know how much work goes into the design and production of a modern pinball machine.  I am amazed by the creativity and engineering that goes into games now. Since I work from home in Colorado, I look forward to trips to Chicago to see games in all phases of development. And to walk through the factory at the end of the day.  I have worked on several of the recent home games Stern has produced: Spider-man, Supreme and The Beatles — as well as various Pro and Premium models.  Each different product line has its challenges; it’s still a learning experience for me.  It’s been a year since I’ve been to the factory, and I look forward to visiting again (hopefully soon!)

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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.
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    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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