As we wave a sad farewell to September, it’s time to look back at all that month’s exciting news from the pinball world.

New game launches (Godzilla, Alien LV), an unexpected preview of an upcoming title (Queen), famed pinball people working together on new features, a way to add additional features to older games (Scorbit), the latest on the Deeproot Pinball saga, lots of new game code, progress reports from throughout the industry, the sale of a Museum of Pinball’s entire collection and much, much more. It really was a packed thirty days.

Plus, we talk to Rob Berk about what to expect from this month’s Pinball Expo as the world’s longest-running pinball show moves to a new, larger venue.

Categories: News

Stern Pinball reveals Godzilla Toho

Editor

Posted on September 14, 2021

Following a teaser video last week, Stern Pinball today officially revealed their new cornerstone title: Godzilla. The game is designed by Keith Elwin and his team, with art by Jeremy ‘Zombie Yeti’ Packer. Pictures of the game look very promising. Below is Stern’s official announcement of the game on Facebook.

Godzilla LE playfield

While the Facebook post above contains the generic press release info from Stern Pinball, Gary Stern also sent out a email to distributors, which can be read below.

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen

Today, right now, we are announcing our next cornerstone game, Godzilla. It is our first game manufactured already equipped for Insider Connected™ with QR reader and dongle. (It can be played and operated without connectivity; QR reader cover up art is provided.) In the future, all Stern commercial LCD games, new titles and older titles, will be manufactured equipped for Insider Connected. Machines previously manufactured can be retrofitted with a connectivity kit. A new title with all games fully equipped for connectivity is the best way to introduce this new system, achieving the greatest early adoption and fastest success.

By now you should have seen videos and read articles describing the current and some future features and advantages of Insider Connected. I am going to concentrate on description of Godzilla.

We are maintaining our desired cadence and schedule — new cornerstone titles with Pro, Premium and Limited Edition versions in the beginning of the year, in the spring, and in the fall. In spite of severe supply chain difficulties facing manufacturers in all industries, we have significantly increased our production and are continuing to increase the rate even more.

Designer Keith Elwin has captured the essence of Toho Japan’s Godzilla, pulling from 10 of the earliest, campiest and most iconic of the 32 movies. Appearing first in 1954 and continuing today (3 movies in the last 5 years), Godzilla has been recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is licensed not only for toys and games but also apparel, housewares, car gear and more, and now pinball.

The player is Godzilla, ridding the earth of Xiliens, trashing a few cities along the way. The game of course has a skyscraper, with virtual lock for one of the 6 multiballs, which range from 2 to 6 balls. It has an industry first “Magna Grab” magnetic Newton ball directing the ball from 5 different directions, often setting the ball up for the 3rd flipper; words can’t describe how this feature works and how cool it is, so you have to play it. Godzilla has a scoop to change cities, 3 spinning targets, great wire ramps, 13 RGB lights, and new return lane chase lights strobing as balls return to the flippers. It utilizes movie scenes and audio from 10 movies, the movie Godzilla music, Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla”, custom speech in English and Japanese, and subtitles. The Zombie Yeti art is fantastic.

Additions and changes for the Godzilla Premium/LE are substantial. The skyscraper is motorized to collapse down multiple levels, and 3 balls are locked on its roof by a vertical upkicking skyway ramp. A breakaway bridge ramp collapses to drop pinballs on the playfield. The Premium/LE models have another motorized device – a rotating 3 bank of targets that reveal a spinning target and jump ramp. There is a 2nd magnet in a sculpted Mechagodzilla to catch the ball. Godzilla itself is added as another sculpted toy. And more.

Godzilla is a great game by a great designer, and it introduces Insider Connected. In light thereof, and because of demand for the last few LE’s, we have decided to make 1,000 Limited Edition Godzilla, each with:

High gloss metallic silver Mechagodzilla armor and legs
Mirrored backglass
Reflective foil cabinet decals
Upgraded audio system
Shaker motor
Non-glare playfield glass
Certificate of authenticity signed by me
Designer autographed
Sequentially numbered (1 to 1,000) plate

We plan to reduce model changeovers in order to increase our production rate of Godzilla. Pro production starts in about a week. Of the USA Pros, we will first supply games through our distribution to commercial locations; we ask for information about these locations so that we can help market and attract players to see and try Godzilla. LE’s come during the last week of September and early October. The Premium production will start in October. We also will continue manufacturing many other games – all the commercial LCD games will contain the components needed for Insider Connected.

News reports confirm manufacturers in all industries are struggling with supply chain shortages resulting in higher parts costs (supply and demand elasticity). Our parts costs continue to increase, daily. Freight costs are way up, and often we must use high cost air freight. Because of worker shortages, to add needed factory staffing and increase our production rate, we have had to increase wage rates to the tune of nearly $100 a game.

We also have the added costs for the components of Insider Connected.

We have been saying for months that we could not hold prices indefinitely. We must raise Godzilla wholesale price $600 for Pro’s and $500 for Premium/LE. Because all the other LCD commercial games manufactured after we start Godzilla will contain the Insider Connected components, we must raise the wholesale price $200 for these games; that’s about the wholesale price of Insider Connected retrofit kits. (We will soon announce a 6 months discount price for the kits.) All commercial LCD games shipped after January 1, 2022 will increase to the Godzilla wholesale price. USA MDF and export discount will be $200 for all games; we are discontinuing the extra $75 export pro game discount. Similarly, after we start Godzilla, all The Pin games shipped will have a $300 wholesale price increase.

A new UMRP, MAP and MSRP list will be sent to USA customers shortly. On the list Godzilla will be increased more than the wholesale increase, as will the MSRP for other games.

We have had to raise wholesale prices on existing game orders in the past. We will accept you cancelling orders, should you so desire.

A full line of accessories will be available. We will provide you separately with dates for art blades, side armor, shooter rods and toppers.

…

Jack Danger will stream Godzilla Premium/LE with the game team live on Friday, September 17 at 6pm Chicago time at https://www.twitch.tv/deadflip.

Today is the beginning of a new era for pinball, as we introduce Insider Connected with a great Keith Elwin game and its very cool historic title, Godzilla.

Best regards,

Gary

Gary Stern
President
Stern Pinball, Inc.

Godzilla LE playfield, top view

As always, the Premium playfield is identical to the Limited Edition playfield, minus the inner sideblade art. For that reason the Premium playfield isn’t pictured here. The Pro playfield is somewhat stripped down, as can be seen below.

Godzilla Pro playfield

Godzilla Pro playfield, top view

An overview of all features, and applicable to which model, can be found below.

Categories: News

Multimorphic launches Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Editor

Posted on August 23, 2021

Texas-based Multimorphic has revealed Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a new game for the P3 Cosmic Cart Racing playfield module. The game is combining physical pinball with elements that remind of video games like Age of Conan.

The player is the apprentice in the game, whose ultimate goal is to defeat the sorcerer in a battle of magic. The player travels to different environments by making shots, playing various modes to learn spells, collect keys, and find/open chests. The player encounters bandits that try to steal your belongings and magical wards that attack you. Each environment has four different modes, including a multiball mode. Black Magic Multiball is another overarching multiball mode, which can be stack with the other multiball modes.

New aspects to gameplay in Sorcerer’s Apprentice are managing an array of spells. After learning a spell, it gets added to the player’s inventory. One or more magical elements protect future objectives in the game. Using the white flipper buttons, the player can select the desired spell before making a shot. If the right spell is selected, the object will be completed. If not, the shot has no effect or could result in getting attacked. Players can defend themselves against attacks with a Shield spell, using the yellow flipper buttons. Similar to video games, the player needs to keep a healthy energy level. You’re your energy level, or health, reaches 0%, the flippers go dead, and the ball ends.

Sorcerer’s Apprentice was developed under the supervision of Multimorphic owner Gerry Stellenberg. Rory Cernuda is credited for Game Design and Graphics. Greg Goldey programmed the game. Eric Ridgeway has created art, and voicework is by Ryan Tanner. Gerry and Rory are scheduled to discuss the game on the upcoming August 2021 Pinball News & Pinball Magazine PINcast, which will become available early September. This week, they will also appear on the Flippin and Mashing Podcast.

Sorcerer’s Apprentice is available in the Multimorphic store for $499. Anybody with a P3 and the Cosmic Cart Racing playfield can purchase and install it today!

P3 is a modular pinball platform that allows owners to swap upper playfield modules in a pinball cabinet. The lower two-thirds of the playfield consists of the flippers, slingshots, standup targets, two ramp returns, and a giant LCD that interacts with the game. Users can also develop their own games by changing the rules, images, music, and voice calls for existing playfield modules, as with Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Categories: News

Chicago Gaming announces Cactus Canyon Remake

Editor

Posted on August 21, 2021

At the Southern Fried Gaming Expo, Chicago Gaming revealed their newest title will be Cactus Canyon Remake. The company was scheduled to host a seminar in which they would discuss the history of Churchill Cabinets and Chicago Gaming. Instead, they announced Cactus Canyon Remake (CCR). Originally the plan was to reveal the game at the show. Unfortunately, the game is not present at the event. The reason? Availability of the game is subject to licensor approval, which may take another four to six weeks. The good news: the game is already in production and over 850 playfields have been screened so far. Once the licensors have approved the game, it could be in customer’s hands within one to two weeks.

Ryan White of Chicago Gaming during the presentation at Southern Fried Gaming Expo (photo credit: Kaneda’s Pinball Podcast)

While the reveal of the game may have come as a surprise, the title has been rumored for years. Chicago Gaming is known for their remakes, of which the Limited Edtion model of a title unusally comes with an exclusive topper. Cactus Canyon Remake LE is no different with an interactive topper that’s actually a mini game. The game comes with new and improved finished game code. The original designers have been contacted to understand their original intent with the game, which software-wise was never finished. Chicago Gaming is launching a new operating system for all upcoming titles, of which CCR will be the first. CCR will have RGB general illumination, and an XLCD display.

The team that developed CCR consists of Sean Wilson – Project Manager, Jim Thornton – Project Manager, Sam Zehr – Programmer, Joe Schrober – Programmer. Thronton worked for American Pinball, but apparently left to start working for Chicago Gaming.

At the seminar it was also announced that Medieval Madness Remake will be back in production in 2023, that Chicago Gaming is aiming to get to two titles per year and they currently have five pinball projects in the works. The entire seminar van be watched here.

Ryan White, Chicago Gaming’s spokesperson will be a special guest on the upcoming Pinball Magazine & Pinball News PINcast, that will summarize the pinball industry news of August 2021.

Categories: News

Steve Ritchie joins Jersey Jack Pinball

Editor

Posted on August 2, 2021

Steve Ritchie holding Santiago Ciuffo’s PINBALL book

Famed veteran pinball designer Steve Ritchie has left Stern Pinball and started working for competitor Jersey Jack Pinball (JJP) today. JJP founder Jack Guarnieri made the announcement following a week of rumors of Steve’s possible jump.

Ritchie, currently aged 71, has a long history of designing pinball machines. He started in the late ’70s at Atari. In 1978 he joined Williams Pinball, where his first design for the company, Flash, was an instant hit, selling over 19,000 units. At Williams, Ritchie designed more successful games, such as Black Knight, High Speed, Tom-Cat F14, Terminator 2, and Star Trek The Next Generation. These games made Ritchie a very popular and respected pinball designer. He left Williams in 1995 and returned to pinball in 2002 when he started working at Stern Pinball.

At Stern, Steve Ritchie designed successful games like Spider-Man, AC/DC, Game of Thrones, and Star Trek. Steve has worked two stints at Stern Pinball. The first stint ended in 2009 when he was let go during the Lehman crisis. This didn’t sit well with Ritchie, who needed to sell off his private collection of pinball memorabilia to survive financially. During his first stint at Stern, Ritchie publicly indicated he was unhappy with some of the games he designed due to the themes he had to work on and the design restrictions he had to deal with.

Jersey Jack Pinball was founded in 2011, but talks between Ritchie and founder Guarnieri didn’t result in Ritchie working for JJP at the time. Much to the surprise of many, Ritchie was rehired by Stern later that year. He then designed AC/DC, which turned out to be an unexpected, but much-needed hit game for Stern Pinball. Ritchie designed games like Led Zeppelin, Black Knight Sword of Rage, Game of Thrones, and others. Ritchie’s designs are known to be fast-paced games, earning him the Master of Flow and King of Pinball nicknames.

At Jersey Jack Pinball, Ritchie will be one of three pinball designers. The others being Pat Lawlor and Eric Meunier. It will be interesting to see who Steve will be working with as other members of his design team. Steve Ritchie will join Martin Ayub and Jonathan Joosten of the Pinball Magazine & Pinball News podcast soon for an in-depth interview regarding his career move. The official announcement of Steve ritchie joining JJP can be found here.

Categories: News

Spooky Pinball reveals new Halloween and Ultraman pinball machines

Editor

Posted on July 6, 2021

Spooky Pinball revealed not one, but two new pinball titles: Halloween (the 1978 movie, not the holiday) and Ultraman: Kaiju Rumble.

Special thanks to Chalie Emery of Spooky Pinball for providing these exclusive playfield photos

The entire production of Halloween is limited to 1,250 units, but public demand will decide how many units of each model will be made. In the meantime, the game has been revealed, and TWIP has all the info and links. Interestingly, the game has seven physical ball locks, that can lead up to a 7-ball wizard mode.

The entire production of the Ultraman game is limited to 500 units, although I didn’t see any announcement that number has a hard limit. Suppose the game ends up being a hit in Japan, who knows if the production will be scaled up. Like with Halloween, public demand will decide how many units of each Ultraman model will be made. TWIP has all the details on Ultraman: Kaiju Rumble, and the Super Awesome Pinball Show has an exclusive interview with Charlie Emery and his son Bug.

The pricing for the various upcoming models is as follows:

Standard Edition: $6995 with a $1000 initial payment, build last.
Bloodsucker Edition: $7995 with a $1500 initial payment, built before SEs, some extras
Collector Edition: $8995 with a $2000 initial payment, built first, all the bells and whistles.

For an additional $995, the Bloodsucker and Collector Editions come in a clear-coated butter cabinet.

For more info, visit the Spooky Pinball website.

Categories: News

Stern Pinball reveals Star Wars The Mandalorian pinball

Editor

Posted on May 11, 2021

The Pro, Premium and Limited Edition models of The Mandalorian

Following a teaser on Star Wars day, May 4th, Stern Pinball revealed their next cornerstone pinball title The Mandalorian, today in the usual models: Pro, Premium and Limited Edition. The Mandalorian is an American space Western television series created for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the Star Wars franchise, beginning five years after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983). The title character is a lone bounty hunter who goes on the run after being hired to retrieve “The Child,” a Grogu (which is not a baby Yoda).

Playfield of The Mandalorian Limited Edition. The Premium playfield is the same, minus the art blades on the sides of the cabinet.

The game is designed by Brian Eddy, who designed some of the most appreciated pinball machines in history, such as Medieval Madness and Attack from Mars. Eddy joined Stern Pinball after a hiatus from pinball a few years ago, which already resulted in the Stranger Things pinball game. On The Mandalorean, Eddy’s team consists of Dwight Sullivan on game code, and Randy Martinez on cabinet and playfield artwork. All three are quoted in this article that announced the game to the Star Wars audience.

Stern Pinball sent out two press releases, one general one and one by Gary Stern. Below are some fragments from the Gary Stern press release:

“The Mandalorian game will have Pro, Premium and Limited Edition models. We are maintaining our cadence and schedule — new cornerstone titles in beginning of the year, in the spring, and in the fall. We have increased our production 20% and will increase another 25% over the next few months.”

“The Mandalorian Pro has a very full playfield with great shots, spell outs and easy to follow rules, which build to increasingly higher levels for better players. In the center of the playfield, between the sling shots, a pattern of 3 easy to understand insert displays count progression through Encounters, Missions, and Razer Crest multiball awards toward 3 different Wizard Modes, culminating in the Final Wizard Mode. Play starts with 5 rollovers at the top, spelling C-H-I-L-D under a custom molded The Child, before the ball enters the pop bumper area. An up-post in the orbits can also redirect balls into C-H-I-L-D rollovers. Shooting multiple times through the sweet spot at playfield center, under the custom molded Razer Crest ship, starts multiball play with 3 or 4 balls, even more balls if players earn add-a-balls. There are 3 smooth plastic ramps, 2 of which direct the ball to the return lanes. The center third ramp has a control gate to stage a ball for Razer Crest multiball. The left ramp has a diverter to transport balls to the Encounter mini-playfield area with 6 targets for a rule completion plus its own flipper; thus The Mandalorian has 3 flippers in total. The game has a spinning target and scoop & vuk on the left and a mini loop on the right.

Shots and rules progressions are indicated with 18 RGB lights. GI lighting is enhanced with color changing LED’s. Custom speech is provided by actor Carl Weathers, who plays Greef Karga. The Ludwig Göransson The Mandalorian theme music envelops game play. Action is augmented with Season 1 and Season 2 videos.

Additions and changes for the Premium/LE are substantial. The diverter on Encounter ramp still feeds the mini-playfield, but the mini-playfield is no longer just an area of the playfield. This mini-playfield is a motorized, separate playfield, moving from a 45 degree angle to parallel and above the playfield. Added is a 2nd flipper on the Encounter mini-playfield, making 4 flippers on Premium/LE games. There is an up-post at mini-playfield exit. Under The Child is a “Force” magnet to catch the ball and create exiting action. All ramps have chrome wire returns. The mini-loop on the right features a rule controlled dynamic up-down scoop loading an added wire ramp feeding the left ramp return.

The Mandalorian Pro model playfield with slightly less features

Based on our dealer and distributor input, we have decided to make 750 Limited Edition The Mandalorian games, each with

High gloss Beskar inspired armor and legs
Mirrored backglass – the most exciting and stunning I have ever seen
Upgraded audio system
Shaker motor
Non-glare playfield glass
Certificate of authenticity signed by me
Designer autograph
Sequentially numbered (1 to 750) plate

Production of The Mandalorian Pro games will begin next week. In early June, we will begin the LE. The Premium production will start late June. We also will continue manufacturing many other games.

We have all read about and felt cost increases and shortages of many things we buy for home and business. Manufacturing generally has suffered cost increases and shortages for electronic chips, LCD’s, metals, wood, and more. Nonetheless The Mandalorian will be priced the same as our last cornerstone. Because the LE production starts in a matter of weeks, we ask full payment of LE purchase price be made with order. As usual, for the LE there is no CIA discount. Fees remain unchanged to specify an LE number, if available.

UMRP, MAP and MSRP will be the same as our last cornerstone game; confirming lists will be sent separately to U.S. distributors and dealers.

A full line of accessories will be available. Art blades are scheduled for mid-June. Side armor and shooter rods are mid-July. Subject to licensor’s pending approval, topper is planned for August.”

Instruction card for The Mandalorian pinball

More photos of the various models of The Mandalorean can be found on Stern Pinball’s Facebook page.

Game trailer:

Pro features:

Premium / Limited edition features:

Official game accessories:

Categories: News

Jersey Jack Pinball reveals new Guns n Roses pinball machine

Editor

Posted on October 5, 2020

Screenshot from the announcement video. Slash (left) and Eric Meunier. Not the adjusted GnR logo.

After teasing their 6th game for several weeks, Jersey Jack Pinball finally confirmed with this video their 6th title will be Guns n Roses. The game is designed by Eric Meunier and Slash, lead guitarist of Guns n Roses. Keith Johnson has been the lead programmer, supervising a team of six programmers. The game will be available in three models with the following pricing:

Standard Edition: $6,750
Limited Edition: $9,500
Collectors Edition: $12,500

The Limited Edition and Collectors Edition feature an upper playfield, which is missing on the Standard model. The Collectors Edition (500 units) comes with a topper that includes extra speakers. The Collectors Edition is rumored to feature an additional mode and an extra ball lock mechanism, only available on that model. The CE model also comes with signatures of all members of Guns n Roses. Click here for more details on the game, its various models, and loads of photos. Pinball News also wrote a nice summary of the features of the game.

Check out the video below in which designer Eric Meunier discusses his collaboration with Slash and the features of the game.

Categories: News

Check the latest episode of the Pinball News & Pinball News pinball industry news podcast here

Editor

Posted on September 9, 2020

Below you can listen to the latest episode of the monthly Pinball Magazine & Pinball News pinball industry news recap podcast, hosted by Martin Ayub (Pinball News) and Jonathan Joosten (Pinball Magazine). At the beginning of each month, they discuss the pinball industry news of the previous month, and occasionally have special guests on the show discussing their news as well.

The podcast is hosted by Anchor.fm and can be played on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and other platforms as well. Check the Podcasts page for more episodes.

RSS feed: https://anchor.fm/s/32396ebc/podcast/rss

Categories: News

Stern Pinball announces Avengers Infinity Quest

Editor

Posted on September 2, 2020

Stern Pinball just announced their next cornerstone pinball game: Avengers Infinity Quest. As with cornerstone titles, the game will be available in three versions: Pro, Premium and Limited Edition (500 units). The game is designed by the same team behind Iron Maiden and Jurassic Park, with Keith Elwin being the lead designer.

It’s not the first time that Stern Pinball produced a pinball based on the Avengers. There’s also a 2012 model, designed by George Gomez, and a cheaper home model. Plus, various characters from the Avengers had a pinball machine themed around them, such as Iron Man and Spider-Man. Over the years, Stern Pinball produced more games based on Marvel Comics characters.

The new game will be going into production the second week of September, starting with pro models.

Below is the official press release from Stern about the new Avengers Infinity Quest:

Stern Pinball Announces New Avengers: Infinity Quest Pinball Machines

CHICAGO, IL – September 2, 2020 – Stern Pinball, Inc., a global lifestyle brand based on the iconic and outrageously fun modern American game of pinball, announced today the availability of a new line of pinball machines based on the Super Heroes and Super Villains featured in Marvel Comics’ hit comic book series Avengers. The Avengers: Infinity Quest pinball machines will be available in Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition (LE) models.

For over 50 years the Avengers have delighted fans through comic books, television series and movies. In this pinball adventure, players will transform into their favorite Super Heroes as they battle Thanos and his minions across the cosmos. On his unrelenting quest for intergalactic omnipotent power, it’s a race to hunt down and recover the six Infinity Gems before Thanos gets his hands on them. It’s up to the player to stop Thanos and the Black Order from succeeding in this action-packed pinball experience.

“Like the Avengers, our team of designers, programmers, artists, and engineers have assembled to bring this universe to life in pinball form through incredible artwork, design, visuals, and sounds. This comic book universe has remained a staple in pop culture since first appearing in 1963. Through Avengers: Infinity Quest pinball machines, that tradition will carry on for current and future generations of fans,” said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc.

The Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models all feature an interactive Dr. Strange spinning kinetic sling ring disc with dual direction velocity detection, aiding players on their journey to opening portals and starting Infinity Gem quests. All models feature a gravity defying Avengers Tower magnetic lock ramp with gravitational vari-target and magnet hold, capturing pinballs in midair as players unlock Iron Man Multiball. In addition to distinct hand-drawn artwork, all models feature an Avengers Computer Bingo grid 3-target drop bank, a Thor captive ball, Hulk spinning target, custom intricate wireform ramps, and 3 full size flippers.

The Premium and Limited Edition models feature an interactive Dr. Strange motorized pop-up disc scoop, transporting pinballs into an underground Portal, a visible subway capable of holding and staging up to 3 balls through custom playfield windows accentuated with dynamic RGB lighting effects. These models also include a custom sculpted Thanos Infinity Gauntlet integrated with atmospheric light-up gems, a Captain Marvel inverse gravity custom wireform ramp, and a Pym Laboratories vertical up-kicker.

The LE model is limited to 500 units globally. This limited version includes additional unique features such as an exclusive mirrored backglass, exclusive custom themed cabinet artwork, a custom autographed bottom arch, exclusive custom art blades, upgraded audio system, anti-reflection pinball glass, a shaker motor, and a sequentially numbered plaque.

Pricing and Availability:

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price:

MSRP for sales to USA end-users, before any VAT, GST, Sales Tax, Duties, or other taxes.

Pro Model: $US 6,199

Premium Model: $US 7,799

Limited Edition Model: $US 9,199

Avengers: Infinity Quest pinball machines are available through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world.

Pro playfield

There was also a separate mailing for distributors, which you’ll find below:

“Dear Ladies and GentlemenWe are experiencing fantastic pinball sales in this Covid-19 era. Although our factory has increased production to rates greater than those before we were forced to shut down, this year’s production of current model games is nearly sold out. Nonetheless, it is important to maintain the cadence and schedule which we worked so hard to attain — 3 new cornerstone titles each year, in beginning of the year, in the spring, and in the fall. The introduction of a new Stern game at this time will flame the pinball excitement we are all enjoying.

As expected, today we are introducing Avengers: Infinity Quest, a new cornerstone game with Pro, Premium and Limited Edition versions. Avengers is brought to you by the same design team that gave you Iron Maiden and Jurassic Park pinballs.

For over 50 years the Avengers superheroes have battled villains in comic books, television series and movies. The recent movie Avengers: Endgame is the highest grossing movie in history, confirming Avengers’ popularity. Marvel characters have proven to be super Stern pinball themes. Avengers: Infinity Quest will prove to be another great Marvel character game.

Study the features matrix and photos of this game to see all it has to offer. You will see it has drop targets, 3 flippers, 3 different multiballs, captive ball, kinetic ball driven spinning disc, 3 easy to understand spell outs, spinning target, and many smooth metal and wire ramps. One of the ramps is so uniquely shaped it can be shot from any of the 3 flippers, never before done in pinball. Another ramp directs the ball straight up a tower to be held by a magnet. Still another ramp has 3 entrances — from the shooter lane, from an orbit shot and from upper loop shots. The LCD animation is original and Zombie Yeti has created hand drawn comic style art.

Avengers: Infinity Quest Premium and LE have even more and different ramps. One is an inverse gravity ramp, entered from the ramp opening or from a VUK. These models’ spinning disc has a motorized lift, exposing an underground portal into which 3 balls can be shot; balls are staged and walked under clear inserts to visually show advances. These versions have a molded Thanos infinity gauntlet with light up gems to indicate game progress.

The 500 LE’s also contain what every LE should have:

High gloss powder coat armor and legs
Mirrored backglass
LE only inside art blades
Upgraded audio system
Shaker motor
Non-glare playfield glass
Certificate of authenticity signed by me
Designer autograph
Sequentially numbered (1 to 500) plate

Production of Avengers: Infinity Quest Pro games will begin the second week of September. In mid September we will produce the Limited Edition games, finishing all by month end. In October we will start to build Premiums and will build more Pro games.

When we all have gone shopping during this Covid era, we have noticed prices increasing, whether shopping for food, home appliances or anything else. Stern Pinball has suffered the same price increases for parts to make our games. The Avengers: Infinity Quest price of all models is $100 over previous cornerstone games.

We are not changing the price of previous models this year. Starting January 1, 2021, the price of the earlier games will also be adjusted $100. This includes the few that some of you have already ordered for 2021 delivery.

A new UMRP, MAP and MSRP list for Avengers: Infinity Quest will be sent to U.S. distributors and dealers. The existing games will remain unchanged.

Because all LE’s will be built in the second ½ of September, we require full payment instead of a deposit to confirm LE orders. Shipments will be scheduled in order of payment received. For the LE there is no CIA discount. Fees remain unchanged to specify an LE number, if available.

Attached are photos, a feature matrix and a press release. High and low res images can be found here.

Jack Danger will stream Avengers: Infinity Quest Premium/LE model with the game team, September 9, at 5 p.m. Chicago time. View Jack’s stream at https://www.twitch.tv/deadflip

Jack Danger will stream Avengers: Infinity Quest Pro model on the official Marvel Twitch channel on the front page of Twitch, September 11, at 3 p.m. Chicago time. View Marvel’s stream at https://www.twitch.tv/marvel

I have had a Avengers: Infinity Quest Pro in my apartment for weeks. It’s a great game. I am having fun. You will have fun too, playing this game and selling it.

Best regards,

Gary

Gary Stern
President
Stern Pinball, Inc.”

Categories: News

NEWS: Pinball Magazine No. 2 back in stock, new shipping option, U.S. postal rates

Editor

Posted on January 13, 2020

Good news and more good news! First, the good news: Pinball Magazine No. 2 is back in stock! The other good news: the Pinball Magazine webshop now has a new shipping option available. Please read all about it below.

Pinball Magazine No. 2 back in stock
Pinball Magazine No. 2 sold out over two years ago. Since then, there has been a growing demand for a reprint. Thanks to several new advertisers, this reprint is now available in the Pinball Magazine webshop.

The cover story in Pinball Magazine No. 2 focuses on the career of pinball designer Dennis Nordman (White Water, Demolition Man, Blackwater 100, Pirates of the Caribbean, Wheel of Fortune, and more). Pinball artist Greg Freres joins Dennis on the games they worked on together (Elvira and the Party Monsters, Dr. Dude, The Party Zone, Scared Stiff, Whoa Nellie).

Did you know that Dennis Nordman designed several videogames in the ‘80s? That’s just one of the many topics discussed in this cover story. But there is a lot more. The cover story also has contributions from Steve Ritchie, Chris Granner, John Youssi, Doug Watson, Roger Sharpe, and others, all discussing working with Dennis at some point during his career in pinball.

Aside from the cover story, Pinball magazine No. 2 also has side articles on Pinball News, The Pinball Arcade, ColorDMD, Pinball Expo, Silverball Museum, and more.

In terms of content, most articles in Pinball Magazine No. 2 remained the same, although some typos were corrected. New advertisements were added to fund the printing of this reprint partly. As you may have noticed, the cover of the reissue has a different background color as well. Check out the feedback that came in on Pinball Magazine No. 2.

Bonus set of postcards
New with the reprint of issue two is a set of eight postcards with photos of games designed by Dennis Nordman. When Pinball Magazine No. 2 originally came out, no postcards came with the magazine as I started doing that later on with the publication of Santiago Ciuffo’s PINBALL book. Since then, a limited edition set of postcards also came out when Pinball Magazine No. 4 and 5 came out. In line with previous postcard sets, the photos on the new postcard set have also been taken by Argentinean photographer Santiago Ciuffo.

For those who ordered Pinball Magazine No. 2 the first time around and that are interested in the new set of postcards: extra sets of postcards can be ordered separately as well in the Pinball Magazine webshop. However, I would advise ordering such a set of cards together with another magazine or book. When ordering another magazine, the added postal costs for the postcards are almost non-existent. When ordering only a set of postcards, that’s not the case. For most territories, the postal charges are the sum of a fixed price per package plus a rate for the weight of the package. While the weight of a set of postcards will be less than 100 grams, for some territories, the fixed price per package is rather steep. Hence the suggestion to combine ordering the set with another book or magazine, or maybe even wait for Pinball Magazine No. 6. Issue 6 is supposed to come out later this year, although I can’t say when exactly.
Note: when ordering the reprint of Pinball Magazine No. 2, there is no need to add the postcards, as these will be included with the reprint anyway.

New shipping option in the Pinball Magazine webshop
When you’re placing your order in the Pinball Magazine webshop, and get to the part of estimating your postal costs, you’ll notice an extra shipping option has been added. For years I’ve been working with Deutsche Post, which is still an option to choose from. New is the option to choose for shipping with PostNL. PostNL offers different postal rates, which may be cheaper you’re your order is close to 2 or 5 kilograms (4 or 10 lbs).

PostNL may, in some cases, be more expensive than Deutsche Post, but it does have some advantages. Packages of over 2 kilograms are most likely to include track and trace. Packages shipped with PostNL are expected to ship out sooner as well, as these can be dropped off at the post office on any business day. With Deutsche Post, there is a minimum number of packages to ship. For that reason, shipments to Deutsche Post occur monthly. It’s now up to you to decide which postal service you prefer.

Note regarding future North American postal rates
While postal rates are adjusted at the beginning of each year, my account manager at Deutsche Post informed me last week that postal rates to the U.S. are expected to go up significantly around July 2020. It was explained to me as a political response to cheap postal rates from China being addressed. Postal rates from other countries are likely to be affected, as well. The exact details are yet unknown, but chances are it will be cheaper to order your Pinball Magazine products before the postal rates will be increased.

Categories: Pinball Magazine No. 2

Pinball Magazine wins TWIP award for Favorite Pinball Publication 2018

Editor

Posted on March 24, 2019

Pinball Magazine No. 5 was voted Favorite Pinball Publication of 2018 by visitors of This Week In Pinball. Editor Jonathan Joosten received a TWIPy Award for the publication at the Texas Pinball Festival 2019. Below, check out the videostream of the TWIPy Awards.

Bekijk The 2nd Annual TWIPY Pinball Awards van SDTMpinball op www.twitch.tv

Categories: News

Free downloadable supplement to Pinball Magazine No. 5

Editor

Posted on December 11, 2018

Here’s a FREE downloadable PDF supplement for Pinball Magazine No. 5. As you may know, the magazine focuses largely on Wayne Neyens’ career in pinball, during which he designed 180 pinball machines. John Osborne was hired by Wayne in the early ’70s which resulted in John designing several electromechanical and solid-state pinball machines for Gottlieb. In this interview John talks about how he got into pinball, getting hired, the games he designed, the prototype assemblies he designed and of course working with Wayne. Pinball Magazine No. 5 is packed with more interviews like this. Order your copy in the Pinball Magazine webshop. Download

Categories: News

Pinball Magazine No. 5 is here!

Editor

Posted on August 30, 2018

Today, the printed copies of Pinball Magazine No. 5 came in I’m really happy how this issue turned out in print. The magazine can now be ordered in the Pinball Magazine webshop.

Content listing:

With 360 glossy full-color pages our biggest issue ever (it’s definitely more like a book…)

Two specials: the most in-depth interview ever with living pinball legend Wayne Neyens and an article by Gordon Hasse on Wayne Neyens career in pinball. Wayne recently celebrated his 100^th birthday. He started in the pinball industry in 1937 at Western and started working at Gottlieb in 1939. In 1947 he started designing his first game and since then designed 180 games in total of which 159 made it into production. Each and every one of these, as well as several prototypes, are featured in the magazine. Former colleagues and pinball collectors also comment on working with Wayne, Gottlieb’s transition from EM to solid-state games, what makes Wayne’s games so special and more.
Scott Danesi discusses how he designed Spooky Pinball’s best-selling hit game Total Nuclear Annihilation. Besides designing the game, Scott also programmed all the rules, light shows and other code, and he produced all of the great music featured in the game.
Essential Website: Jack Danger discusses streaming pinball on his Dead_Flip channel.
Private Collection: Randy Peck’s incredible Nu-Pike Arcade.
Shop: Steve Young (The Pinball Resource) discusses his business and storing the Gottlieb archive.
(P)in Business: Doug Skor talks about Churchill Cabinets and Chicago Gaming.
(P)in Business: Gary Stern discusses Stern Pinball’s current business model, taking more time off, and more.
Pinball Personalities: Antoinette Johnson.
Upgrade: Michael Pupo (Flipper Fidelity) discusses upgrading the speakers in your pinball machine.
Museum: Terra Technica in Czech Republic.
and much more

Order your copy in the Pinball Magazine webshop. In case you’ll be attending the Vancouver Flipout show, please note a limited supply of Pinball magazine No. 5 will be available at the show in the Nitro Pinball stand.

Upcoming USA resellers:

Pinball Classics – Rob Anthony
The Pinball Resource – Steve Young

Reviews:

Pinball News
For Amusement Only podcast
Head 2 Head pinball podcast, starting at the 2:00:00 mark

Categories: News

New: 3 posters by Kevin O’Connor

Editor

Posted on February 1, 2018

New in the Pinball Magazine webshop: 3 posters with concept art by Kevin O’Connor. The three available posters are:

Backglass art for King Kong (Data East, only nine prototype games ever built),
Concept backglass art for Playboy (Data East) This magic marker sketch was made when the Playboy 35th Anniversary game was set to be themed around a Playboy photoshoot. Eventually the theme was changed to a pool party.
Concept backglass and cabinet sketches for Star Trek (Data East) The poster includes early magic marker scetches and the magic marker sketches that got approved.

Like all posters in the Pinball Magazine webshop they are priced at Euro 6.50, or any three posters for Euro 15.00. The posters are sized 50 x 70 cm. Note that all three posters have a white border all around the center image.

Categories: News

News from Pinball Magazine

Editor

Posted on September 26, 2017

As there are some developments going on, please find the latest news regarding Pinball Magazine below:

Starting with the October Newsletter, which will be the September 2017 pinball industry recap, the monthly Pinball Magazine Newsletter will mainly contain the headlines of each manufacturer. The monthly recap will be posted on the Pinball Magazine website, and the newsletter will contain links to that summary.
While the newsletters will be send out at the beginning of each month, the pinball industry update of that month will be published and updated already during that month. This way the latest headlines and summaries will be availble much sooner.
None other than pinball historian Gordon Hasse wrote a 62-page article on the career of Gottlieb pinball designer Wayne Neyens for Pinball Magazine No. 5. Pinball Magazine also has 180(!) pages of transcripts of conversations with Wayne Neyens. The current plan is to use the article by Gordon Hasse as the lead article, but anecdotes from Wayne will be added to be as complete as possible in covering this career.
Pinball Magazine will start taking advertisements for Pinball Magazine No. 5 soon. Potential advertisers will receive an email soon with all the details. If you haven’t received this email, but would like to advertise as well, please contact: editor @ pinball-magazine .com (no spaces).
Pinball Magazine editor Jonathan Joosten is scheduled to host a seminar at Pinball Expo, Friday, October 13, at 1:00 PM. In this seminar, the upcoming Pinball Magazine No. 5 and a second upcoming publication will be discussed.
The Pinball Magazine website has been updated in some sections. Some posts on the front page appear now as shorted version and have a “Read more” button added to them.
The September batch of Pinball Magazine orders shipped out September 26th.

Categories: News

The next batch of Pinball Magazine orders ships: first week of June 2018

Editor

Posted on September 25, 2017

Due to a minimum required quantity of packages Pinball Magazine ships its incoming orders (books, posters and magazines) in monthly batches. This also qualifies us for a more economical postal rate, which helps since it’s such a heavy magazine and it’s being shipped from The Netherlands (Europe). The next shipment is scheduled for the first week of June 2018. In case the minimum required number of orders is met prior to that, they will ship earlier. To order Pinball Magazine No. 1, Pinball Magazine No. 3, Pinball Magazine No. 4, Santiago Ciuffo’s PINBALL book a package deal of the magazines and book and/or PINBALL Posters (discounted when ordered 3, 6, 9 etc.) please visit the Pinball Magazine webshop.

Categories: News

Feedback to Pinball Magazine No. 4

Editor

Posted on January 5, 2017

Below is a selection of feedback that came in once Pinball Magazine No. 4 started arriving at the homes of those that ordered a copy:

“It’s great!” – Mark Ritchie
“@PinballMagazine Your magazine is a work of art married to a plethora of useful and interesting information- great job! #TakingItHomeToRead” – Jack Guarnieri (JJP)
“Thank you for sending a copy of No. 4. It will be a fun read. Actually, I did read my interview first! I thought it was very smart and professional, the choice of images and their placement throughout the article, to complement the different things that I said, to provide a visual aid to those who may not be familiar with the games that I referenced. Very nice.” – Jay Stafford, IPDB
The magazine arrived just today. Now, the likely reason this issue took as long as it did to arrive is because it apparently was dropped during unloading upon reaching New York’s air cargo terminal and was simply kicked around and run over several times, before someone realized it was a bit too heavy to sweep into their dustpan and then was forced to actually reach down and pick it up off the tarmac.As luck would have it (and as a testiment to your fantabulous packaging skill) the much anticipated, highly regarded and obviously incredibly valued contents inside remained nearly perfectly unharmed. Bravo! And bravo on another wonderful issue chock full of great content – sure to provide many hours of brain stuffing, eye glazing reading. Many thanks as always!” Cliffy (Passion for Pinball)
“The magazine came in today’s mail Jonathan… looks great and can’t wait to read all about Taro! Thanks for being a force for good in pinball. Hope to see you in Texas sir! Take some time off over the holidays and play some pinball.” – Charlie Emery (Spooky Pinball)
“Bonjour Jonathan, I received your magazine yesterday. I spent at least 15 minutes just to browse it, looking at the titles and pictures. It’s just AWESOME and the postcards are a nice add-on, especially during this upcoming Xmas period. Hence the reason why I did not ask if you were doing fine, because I had no doubt about it ;)” – Pascal Janin, FLIPPP

Categories: News

New Euro / Dollar and Paypal policy

Editor

Posted on January 1, 2017

Effective January 1st, 2017 Pinball Magazine will invoice orders for advertisements and bulk orders for magazines and book only in Euro. This means the invoices should be paid in Euro as well. When paid via PayPal the costs for such transaction (currency exchange and costs Paypal applies for transferring money) should be at the expense of the paying party. The easiest way to handle this is to indicate the transfer is a gift. Alternative payment options are a bank transfer, or transferring money via Transferwise.com.

Categories: News

Pinball Magazine No.4 is here!

Editor

Posted on November 16, 2016

Pinball Magazine No. 4 is here! With 244 pages Pinball Magazine No.4 is another book and has a great variety of articles to enjoy. Here’s what you can expect:

Special: pinball designer Mark Ritchie discusses his entire career at Williams Pinball, Capcom and beyond, in a 100+ page cover story including game designs such as Thunderball, Firepower II, Sorcerer, Big Guns, Taxi, Fish Tales, Indiana Jones, Kingpin and more. Contribution by others about Mark Ritchie include Eugene Jarvis, George Petro, Steve Ritchie, Chris Granner and others, all revealing great insights in working with Mark Ritchie.
Dutch Pinball owners Barry Driessen and Jaap Nauta discuss the making of The Big Lebowski in a 17-page interview.
Pinball animation artist Jean-Paul de Win discusses his work for Jersey Jack Pinball (The Hobbit, Dialed In!), Dutch Pinball (The Big Lebowski), Silver Castle Pinball (Timeshock) and more.
Showtime: Ed vanderVeen discusses the very successful Texas Pinball Festival.
Dan Ferguson discusses the Lone Star Pinball Museum in Hockley, Texas.
Jeff Frick discusses collecting prewar pinball machines.
A triple interview on Dallas makerspace’s VECTOR Committee where some great pinball restorations take place.
Essential Website: the Internet Pinball Database, interview with manager Jay Stafford
Store: Pinball Universe‘s new approach to bringing pinball to the people
Artist Lippy discusses the first issue of Binge Trigger
and much more

To order your copy of Pinball Magazine No.4 visit the Pinball Magazine webshop.

Categories: News

Feedback on Pinball Magazine No. 3

Editor

Posted on October 20, 2015

Below is a selection of reviews and feedback received on Pinball Magazine No. 3.

Reviews:

Pavlov Pinball
Coast2Coast Pinball Podcast Episode 201 (Pinball Magazine comments start at 48:30)
Pinballsupernova
Three sides of the coin (KISS podcast) Episode 156, 04:40 – 11:30 (see brief transcript below)

Michael: “If you’re a KISS colloctor, a KISS magazine collector, if you own a KISS pinball machine – the original or the new one – you want this.”
Tommy: “It’s amazing!”
Michael: “About one third of this magazine is devoted to KISS pinball stuff. There’s a ton of photos of behind the scenes stuff. This is just so freaking cool and well done.”
Tommy: “When I started going through this I was like, here’s another article, here’s another photo, it’s just boom-boom-boom-boom thoughout the whole thing.”
Michael: “By all means: get it! …. This is qlearly in-depth. … I would guess the people behind this are KISS fans.”
Tommy: “It’s too cool not to be.”
Michael: “The quality and the depth they put into this is not done by someone who is assigned a project to write a story about KISS. … I feel like this was written by somebody who understands KISS.”

Categories: News

Pinball Magazine No. 3 is here!

Editor

Posted on October 5, 2015

Pinball Magazine No. 3 is here! With 260 pages even bigger than Pinball Magazine No. 2!

Pinball Magazine No. 3 contents:

260 glossy full color pages (it’s more like a book…)
Almost everything there is to know about KISS-themed pinball machines (total KISS-related content is about 88 pages out of 260 pages)
Former pinball designer Jim Patla discusses his entire career at Bally Pinball, including lots of new details on his 1979 KISS pinball design as well as other games
Former Bally Marketing and Licensing Director Tom Nieman talks about his years at Bally, inventing the licensing model, lots of details on Bally’s KISS marketing campaigns and much more
Pinball artist Kevin O’Connor discusses his years and games at Bally, including the artwork he did for KISS and lots more. This article features unique sketches and artwork!
Stern’s Director of Marketing and Licencing Jody Dankberg discusses their current KISS game
Stern Pinball designer John Borg discusses his new KISS design
9-page pinball review of Stern’s KISS by Pinball News
2 Bally KISS restoration features
Very rare painting of Gene Simmons from 1982 by a well-known pinball artist
Barenaked Ladies leadsinger Ed Robertson talks about his pinball passion
The French Connection: four articles on French manufacturers of replacement printed circuit boards that will enhance your game
Showtime: Festi’Flip, Europe’s biggest pinball show
Museum: Freddy’s Pinball Paradise, location to play and game distributor
Plus articles on Jersey Jack Pinball (USA), Project Pinball Charity (USA), Pinball Creative (U.K.), Pinball Dreams (Germany), Pavlov Pinball (U.K.), Who’s Working On What?, Show Diary,and lots more

Pinball Magazine No. 3 can be ordered in the Pinball Magazine web shop

Categories: News

Reviews + Feedback gallery for Santiago Ciuffo’s PINBALL book

Editor

Posted on May 7, 2014

REVIEWS:

Review by Pinball News
Review by Pavlov Pinball (interesting new website, just launched, do check it out!)
Review by Don Fregede on PinballArcadeFans
Review by Credit Dot Pinball (interesting new website, check it out!)
Review by Pinball Aficionado (interesting blog, recommended!)
Review by Gene X on PinballSoul

FEEDBACK:

“We received a book today. Younger son Nate (4) could not hide his excitement. He recognized couple of pinball machines from our small collection and happily took a picture with a new book. Thanks Pinball Magazine and Santiago for bringing pins back to life and promoting them to the young generations.” – Teo

Click READ MORE below for more feedback >>>

Categories: News

Book: ‘PINBALL’ – Santiago Ciuffo now available

Editor

Posted on May 1, 2014

As mentioned earlier Pinball Magazine got the rights to publish the international edition of PINBALL, a beautiful photo book by Argentinean photographer Santiago Ciuffo. The book (hard cover, 208 pages, 11.3 inch x 8.7 inch) is now available and can be ordered in the Pinball Magazine webshop.

To get an idea of the photos in the book, see the pictures below:

Categories: News

Pinball Magazine & Pinball News PINcast August 2021 recap with three interviews

Editor

Posted on September 2, 2021

August might mean the end of summer but things are just starting to heat up in the pinball world, with fraud accusations, a whole new way to play the game and lots of new titles to enjoy. So, Jonathan Joosten of Pinball Magazine and Martin Ayub of Pinball News are back with their monthly PINcast to bring you up-to-date with all the month’s key industry news from all the big players.

They are joined by four special guests to talk about the latest game releases and upcoming titles. Gerry Stellenberg and Rory Cernuda led the team behind Multimorphic’s new Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and they explain the concept, planning and development process of the game. Mike Kalinowski is the owner of Homepin and he reveals exclusive details about his company’s second pinball title, including how the licence was acquired, which assets they landed, and some of the features we will see when the game is officially unveiled. David Fix from American Pinball gives an update on the launch of the company’s fourth title and what’s currently underway at the factory. Plus, with his other hat on, looks forward to all the excitement at this year’s Pinball Expo show in its brand new home. There’s much more news from those involved in all aspects of pinball and another caller who might – or might not – make it into this bumper August PINcast.

Categories: News

Free Pinball Magazine downloads

NEW: Pinball posters by Santiago Ciuffo (now available)

Book: ‘PINBALL’ – Santiago Ciuffo now available

The latest pinball news and rumors: Who’s working on what?

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