
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!)