Stern Pinball Expands Art Team
Greg Freres retires; Sebastian Napoli appointed Art Director
CHICAGO, IL – July 10, 2024 – Stern Pinball, Inc. (SPI) announced the official retirement of its long tenured and iconic pinball artist, Art Director, Greg Freres. Renowned for his pioneering contributions to the pinball industry, Greg’s storied career spanned nearly four decades with his artistic vision leaving an indelible mark on pinball enthusiasts worldwide. Greg’s legacy was cemented well before his induction into the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame back in 2004. Perhaps best known for his iconic artwork on the Elvira pinball trilogy, Greg’s work continues to be celebrated for its innovation, humor, and meticulous attention to detail.
Reflecting on his decision to retire, Greg expressed gratitude for the support of his colleagues, family, and the passionate pinball community throughout his career. “It has been an incredible journey filled with creativity and camaraderie,” Freres remarked. “I am immensely thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to bring joy to so many through my artwork.”
Under the direct tutelage of Greg, Stern Pinball announced the appointment of Sebastian Napoli as Art Director. Sebastian brings over 15 years of experience working in creative design, most recently serving as the Creative Director for Popskull and Havas. Through his education from The Art Institutes, Sebastian will contribute and lead a fresh perspective and energy to help continue creating the most beautiful pinball machines in the world.
About Insider Connected
Insider Connected is a comprehensive technology initiative to connect the universe of Stern pinball machines. The platform is designed to enhance and extend player engagement with the games across both home and commercial environments. It also presents professional operators of the pinball machines a robust set of tools to drive location play, build player loyalty, analyze performance, make adjustments remotely, and maintain the machines.
Registration for Insider Connected is available at insider.sternpinball.com. Players can also register at a connected game by scanning a registration QR code on the machine. Once a player registers, they are issued a unique QR Code that can be used to identify that player at any connected Stern pinball machine anywhere in the world. When a player scans into the machine, they can track progress, earn new game specific achievements, engage with the player community, and participate in promotions and Challenge Quests.
“Insider Connected is transforming how players interact with pinball machines. Operators are benefiting from new tools that drive repeat play and help maintain games remotely while players can earn special entertainment location badges,” said Seth Davis, President and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc.
About Stern Pinball, Inc.
Stern Pinball, Inc. creates compelling entertainment that inspires a lifetime love of games, sparks passion, forges friendships, and connects people everywhere through fun, innovative, technologically advanced pinball games, and experiences. Headquartered minutes from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in the heart of North America, the company creates, designs, engineers, manufactures, markets, and distributes a full line of technologically advanced terrestrial and digital pinball games, parts, accessories, and merchandise. Stern Pinball serves digital, consumer, commercial, and corporate markets around the globe.
Recent Stern Pinball titles include John Wick, JAWS, Venom, Foo Fighters, James Bond 007, Rush, Godzilla, The Mandalorian, Led Zeppelin, Avengers: Infinity Quest, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Stranger Things, Elvira’s House of Horrors, Jurassic Park, Black Knight: Sword of Rage, The Munsters, The Beatles, Deadpool, Iron Maiden, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars, Aerosmith, Ghostbusters, KISS, Metallica, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Star Trek, AC/DC, Batman, and Spider-Man. A broad range of players enjoy Stern Pinball’s games from professional pinball players who compete in high-stakes competitions around the globe to novice players who are discovering the allure of the silver ball for the first time. To join the fun and learn more, please visit www.sternpinball.com.