STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – SEPTEMBER 2021
Back to All News
09/07/21

STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – SEPTEMBER 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:

Stern Insider ConnectedTM:

This fall, Stern Pinball will launch the highly anticipated initiative to connect the existing universe of Stern pinball machines and all its future games.  The platform is known as Insider ConnectedTM, and is designed as a comprehensive system with elements that address both players and operators.  Read the official press release, watch this deep dive visionary video with Chief Creative Officer George Gomez and listen to this special episode of the Stern Insider Pinball Podcast with George as he describes the future of pinball with connectivity coming soon to Stern games everywhere!

The Mandalorian Press:

Mandalorian mania continues across the globe as games make their way to locations (check out your local Stern Army location to play) with a continual onslaught of press and media exposure!  The Mandalorian pinball was highlighted in this special unboxing feature on Giant Bomb and also featured in this in-depth article on CBR.

The Mandalorian Launch Parties:

Official The Mandalorian launch parties are coming to a Stern Army location near you.  Check out the full list of locations and contact your local Stern Army location for specific dates, times, and #PlayStrong!

Gameroom of the Month:

Congrats to Ilyana Lavoie 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!

Stern Army Updates:

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

  • Private Dan Dolney of South Dakota (The Pinball Room)
  • Private Stephen Gentry of Alabama (Rock N’ Roll Pinball)
  • Private Debbie Smith of Idaho (Idaho Pinball Museum)
  • Private Yannick Fichelle of France (Maxipinball)
  • Private Nancy Marsh of Ohio (Canal Street Arcade and Deli)
  • Private Rachel Bess of Arizona (Electric Bat Arcade)

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

  • Staff Sergeant Greg Poverelli of New York (Sunshine Laundromat and Pinball)
  • Staff Sergeant Kevin Shanus of North Carolina (Abari Game Bar)
  • Staff Sergeant John Geiger of Ohio (Melt Bar and Grilled and Arcade Super Awesome)

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

  • Corporal Daniel Halpain of Texas (Flippers Tavern)
  • Corporal Katie Schowengerdt of Missouri (Two Plumbers Brewery + Arcade)
  • Corporal Mike Lund of Utah (Kiito’s Brewery and Quarters Arcade Bar)
  • Corporal EJ Osis of Michigan (Offworld Arcade)

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

  • Specialist Mika Marttinen of Finland (Pinball 21 Gameroom)
  • Specialist Timothy Lawrence of New York (Jackbar)
  • Specialist Seth Steele of Tennessee (No Quarter)

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

  • Private First Class Peter Barclay of Arkansas (Williwaw Social)

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

Stern Army logo Stern Army event

Led Zeppelin Wizard Mode Challenge:

Spoiler alert, Karl DeAngelo of IE Pinball is very talented at playing pinball and he displays his world-class abilities en route to achieving the Led Zeppelin wizard mode!  Watch a replay of the achievement here!

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.  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.

University of Cincinnati:

Something strange is happening at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering & Applied Science this school year!

Pinball on ESPN Ocho:

Competitive pinball on ESPN?  It was a bold strategy and it definitely paid off!  Check out a replay of the competitive pinball event of year, The Avengers: Infinity Quest Stern Heads-Up Pinball Invitational!

Accessories:

Check out our Stern Shop for all accessories, collectibles, clothing and more including this month’s featured item, the New Era 39 retro Stern logo stretch mesh cap!  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 – Thalia Cruz:

Hello! My name is Thalia and my journey as part of the Stern Family began on December of 2016. I started my journey at Stern in the mini playfield department for our first run of Batman 66. I must say, that with no previous knowledge in the pinball industry this was no easy task for me, but I still poured my full level of concentration and dedication into it. After our first run for Batman was done and Star Wars was just around the corner, there were no more mini playfields to assemble or test, which allowed for me to move on to my next incredible challenges at Stern.

I guess my dedication paid off, for I was given the opportunity to be trained and (with time) eventually become a playfield tester. This was a whole new world of understanding the intricate world of pinball and playfields. The more I learned and trained in the playfield testing area, the more everything made sense; from troubleshooting node boards, adjusting flippers and pop bumpers, to any other mechanical component on the playfield. After testing for months, I was once again given the opportunity to continue to grow at Stern by becoming the lead quality control inspector in what we call “final QC”. For the next 3 years, I was head of this department. My first main task as lead QC was to develop a system in which my department could more thoroughly inspect each game and make sure that it was in top shape before being packed. Once again, this was no easy task, especially when you have a handmade machine with more than 2000 components in it! I must have proven myself for I was given yet another opportunity to keep growing, but this time as lead quality assurance inspector. In other words, I went from being at the end of the line of production to the beginning of the line. Just as I did with my previous department, I was able to develop a more efficient process of inspection, thus allowing our whole production team to pack greater quantities of games at the end of the day.

In other words, since the end of 2016, every playfield that has left our premises has physically gone through those who have been a part of my team throughout the years.  I take personal pride in all the achievements that I have come across at Stern but mostly in helping establish the work layouts that till this day are being used in our current final quality department and our current quality assurance department.

This goes to show that even if you don’t come from an engineering background or didn’t even know what a pinball was (just like in my case) you can go a long way if you are passionate enough and just a simple go-getter. Every opportunity given to me has helped me understand how intricate and fascinating the world of pinball can be. I feel so fortunate to work with some pretty awesome people! Just like them, pinball has become such an important part of my life. I cannot wait to see what new adventures await me at Stern Pinball.

Related Posts

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