STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – APRIL 2021
Back to All News
04/06/21

STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – APRIL 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:

The competitive pinball event of the year! This action-packed competition took place on the new Avengers pinball machines.  Players raced against the clock and each other to win a new pinball machine! Featured on Marvel’s official Twitch channel and available for replay on Marvel’s official Instagram IGTV channel, this was the most viewed competitive pinball event in history, garnering over 430,000 combined views and counting! Who emerged victorious? Watch now to find out!

Avengers: Infinity Quest Pinball Tutorials:

Need some tips and tricks on how to play Avengers: Infinity Quest?  Look no further than these in-depth tutorials from Stern’s very own Raymond Davidson (current #1 ranked player in the world), Karl DeAngelo of IE Pinball, and the PAPA TV YouTube channel!

PinClash – AIQ Edition:

Use those tips and tricks from above in the next PinClash tournament!  Featured on Avengers: Infinity Quest, qualifying began Sunday, March 28, and will run through Friday, April 30.  Open to all streamers, the top 24 qualify for finals with a $1,000 1st place prize and more! Full details can be found here – www.pinclashtourney.com!

Led Zeppelin Press:

The media hits keep rolling for Led Zeppelin!  Check out this CES Spotlight interview on the Tech Podcasts Network as well as Led Zeppelin pinball featured in the latest Rolling Stone Magazine Finds & Faves spotlight section!

Stranger Things and Star Wars Comic Art Pin Press:

Trending up…Stranger Things pinball, featured in the latest New York Magazine!

Use the force?  How about Crave the Gear with our Star Wars Comic Art Pin being featured in the latest Mac Life Magazine!

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!  One describes a pinball appearance in the latest AEW Dynamite Explosive Moment of the Week.  Another features actor Bob Odenkirk battling the silverball in his latest movie.  Read how golf champion Bryson DeChambeau celebrated with pinball post victory. Survivor Hall of Famer Johnny Fairplay tackles Stranger Things.  Kudos for some extremely creative pinball-inspired work from Lemonade Inc., music videos from The Who and Perturbator, and a unique physical display at Tiffany & Co.!

Aardschok Magazine:

There is nothing more energizing and fun than bringing pinball and music together 😎🤘

 

Check out this incredible feature in the latest Aardschok Magazine www.aardschok.com redactie@aardschok.com

 

#LedZeppelin #IronMaiden #Aerosmith #Metallica #ACDC #KISS #HeavyMetal #BlackKnight #Primus #SternPinball #Pinball #RockandRoll #PlayStrong

Gameroom of the Month:

Congrats to Dave Biegacki for winning 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!

AAMA 40th Anniversary with Gary Stern:

Gary Stern joins AAMA’s EVP, Pete Gustafson to discuss the creation of the AAMA and how the industry and association have evolved over the past 40 years.  Watch this exclusive interview here!

International Pinball Press:

Pinball has never been hotter and our international distributor Electrocoin is making sure everyone knows about it!

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.  Here are our newest members and the pinball locations they support:

  • Private Nate Fetterer of Wisconsin (Plymouth Tap)
  • Private Troy Dickson of Australia (Pinball Fun for Every1 @ Royal Hotel)

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

  • Sergeant Kim Martinez of Ohio (Level 1)
  • Sergeant Bill Disney of Pennsylvania (Pinball Gallery)
  • Sergeant Chris Hebert of Idaho (Woodland Empire)

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

  • Corporal Rich Wickersham of Virginia (Carpool Bar and Mustang Sally Brewing Co.)
  • Corporal Tommy Skinner of Indiana (Main Street Amusements and North End Pub)
  • Corporal Ryan Recker of Indiana (Summit City Brewerks and Hop River Brewing Company)
  • Corporal Michele Zebrowitz of Colorado (J Bo’s Pizza and Ribs, Ska Brewing, and Lauter Haus Brewing Co.)
  • Corporal Ben Granger of Minnesota (Caffetto Coffee Shop)
  • Corporal Jim Belsito of California (Lake Alice Trading Co. and Mission Control)
  • Corporal Nikola Spasic of Ohio (Superelectric Pinball Parlor)
  • Corporal Arlen Smith of Canada (PinBar Inc.)
  • Corporal Jason Carroll of Canada (Pokey’s Pinball Café)
  • Corporal Eric Morales of Washington (Another Castle Arcade)
  • Corporal Ryan Wanger of Colorado (Press Play)
  • Corporal Chris Henry of Florida (The Pinball Alley)
  • Corporal Aaron Goldberg of California (Brewski’s Bar & Arcade)
  • Corporal Donny White of Florida (Little Shop of Games and District Eat and Play)
  • Corporal Chris Brunetti of Pennsylvania (Helicon Brewing)
  • Corporal Adam Kiesler of Canada (North Star)

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

  • Specialist Frank Williamson of Alabama (BumperNets)
  • Specialist Jim Martin of Nevada (Press Start)
  • Specialist Jeremy Floyd of Indiana (Floyd’s Arcade and Pinball)
  • Specialist Christian Gainsley of California (Outer Orbit)
  • Specialist Stefan Riedler of Austria (Vöcklabrucker FlipperSportVerein)
  • Specialist Deanna Gerard of Minnesota (Opinion Brewery)
  • Specialist Gerald Kirchner of California (Pinball Wizards)
  • Specialist Shaun Amos of Canada (Theo Bill’s Restaurant and Lounge)
  • Specialist Dan Farrell of Virginia (Center of the Universe Brewing Co.)
  • Specialist Nick Schademann of New Mexico (505 Pinball)
  • Specialist Justin Charlswick of Michigan (Pinball Pete’s)

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

Stern Insider All-Access:

Congrats to Catalina from California, March’s Stern Insider All-Access winner!  Catalina received a Led Zeppelin autographed playfield!  Do you have All-Access?  Register and become a Stern Insider today! https://sternpinball.com/stern-insider/

March Madness All-Access Exclusive:

Available only for All-Access members, check out this exclusive March Madness All-Access article featuring some never before seen behind the scenes at the Stern factory and more!  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 (v0.98.0) 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 (v1.00.0) released last month.
  • Elvira’s House of Horrors – For all Elvira owners, please make sure you are up to date with the most current code version (v1.02.0) released last 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 Deadpool, Led Zeppelin and a special “How to Design a Pinball Machine in Visual Pinball”!

George Gomez Exclusive Interviews:

Thought you knew everything about George Gomez, think again!  Check out these exclusive interviews with George on the 4 Guys with Quarters show and this in-depth article from The Pinball Chick!

Stern Pinball Enhances Product Development Studio:

Stern Pinball announced the appointment of Mark Penacho as Senior Systems Engineer last month.  Mark brings diverse and expert level software engineering experience in systems, video, and pinball games to Stern Pinball.  Full details can be found in the official press release.  Welcome to the Stern team, Mark!

Accessories:

Check out our Stern Shop for all accessories, collectibles, clothing and more including this month’s featured items, the official Stranger Things topper accessory and the Led Zeppelin Cabinet Expression Lights!  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 – Marc Raneses:

Hello! My name is Marc Raneses and I am an Artist/Animator in the Art Department at Stern Pinball. I received my BA in Visual Communications majoring in Illustration and minoring in Graphic Design from Ray College of Design (Illinois Institute of Art).

Out of college I interned in the R & D department of a small toy company.  I aspired to become a commercial illustrator and one day, a freelance illustrator had come in to submit some artwork for some toy packaging. As a young, curious, and hungry artist/illustrator wannabe, I inquired and chatted with him for advice and/or leads to help advance my art career. That illustrator was John Youssi.  He suggested I contact a gentleman by the name of Joe Kaminkow at Data East Pinball. I interviewed with Joe and he hired me on as artist. That was the start of my art career in the pinball industry.

In my artist role with Data East, I split my time working on the classic dot matrix display animations and also production print art for play field/cabinet art. I eventually moved on to work for WMS Gaming and worked in the video slot industry for several years where I gained more experience with game development, 3D art/animation, and motion graphics.  I eventually moved on to The Marketing Store where I worked as a concept artist/designer for toy/product premiums for McDonald’s Happy Meals and General Mill’s Cereal. I recently joined Stern Pinball in March 2020, literally the week prior to the pandemic shutdowns. Just like the rest of the Product Development team, I have been working remotely from home as we crank out games. Despite working remotely and not being able to interact with coworkers directly, I am very thankful to everyone on the team who have welcomed me and helped me get up to speed with my new position as a Stern Pinball Artist.   I am having a blast creating graphics and animations for LCD! I am looking forward to working on many more games.  Creating a back glass, play field, and cabinet art package for a future Stern title has been a lifelong aspiration of mine and is currently on my creative bucket list!

In my spare time, I dabble in whatever piques my interest creatively or whatever I have a desire to learn/teach myself…. video games, playing guitar, 3d printing, model making, drawing, and gouache painting.

Over the years, my art career has taken me down various design paths. I have always felt that a job should be enjoyable, challenging, fun and nurture personal growth.  My career path has come full circle and has brought me right back to where I got my start… in Pinball!  It’s exciting to see the positive direction that the pinball industry is taking and I’m super excited to be collaborating with a passionate and creative development team while contributing my talents to help it grow. It’s good to finally be ‘Home’.

Related Posts
10/01/24

STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – OCTOBER…

Read More
09/04/24

Rally Heroes in the Past to Save…

Read More
09/03/24

STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – SEPTEMBER…

Read More

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.
DOWNLOAD EULA (.PDF)
DOWNLOAD GAME CODE