MELROSE PARK, IL – September 4, 2013 – Stern Pinball, Inc., the world’s leading maker of real pinball games and the American Amusement Machine Association (“AAMA”) Manufacturer of the Year, today confirmed its position on game deposits. Stern Pinball does not support the practice followed by some distributors and dealers of taking deposits on games Stern Pinball has not publicly announced. Customers may erroneously assume that Stern Pinball will produce a particular title; yet, these titles may never be built. In addition, customers may unwittingly be exposed to financial risks. Stern Pinball only accepts deposits from its direct authorized distributors and dealers for games Stern Pinball has publicly announced that are soon to be produced and that are associated with confirmed orders. "It has come to our attention that pinball enthusiasts in Australia may have lost significant sums of money when a distributor representing another company went out of business after taking their money," said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc. “In light of this unfortunate development, we think it’s important to confirm to our customers that Stern Pinball does not support the speculative practice followed by some distributors and dealers of taking deposits on games Stern Pinball has not publicly announced and may never produce." "We only accept deposits from our direct authorized distributors and dealers for confirmed orders on games we have publicly announced and that are soon to be produced," added Stern. "We have never and will not accept deposits for games we have not announced that are not nearing production."

METALLICA PRO

METALLICA LE-Master Of Puppets

METALLICA PREMIUM-Photo

METALLICA PREMIUM-Monster

“We are proud to release our newest music-themed game designed to capture the raw, rebellious nature of Metallica,” said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc.

The Metallica game continues both the Stern Pinball and the Stern family tradition of producing quality pinball machines for young and old. The company traces its lineage to Philadelphia in the 1930s when Sam Stern entered the business of operating pinball games. Sam Stern subsequently became part owner and president of Williams Manufacturing, a pioneer in the pinball industry, and passed his lifelong enthusiasm for the game and the business of pinball to his son Gary Stern who founded Stern Pinball. Today pinball remains one of America’s favorite pastimes.

Stern Pinball, Inc., headquartered just outside Chicago, Illinois, is the leading producer of pinball games in the world. Stern’s highly talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and manufacture popular arcade-quality pinball games. Recent popular Stern titles include Avengers, X-Men, AC/DC, Tron, Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman and many more. All of Stern’s pinball games are crafted by hand and assembled by Stern’s expert team. Both pinball enthusiasts and casual players around the globe enjoy Stern’s games. Stern Pinball will be showcasing the Metallica pinball machine at Comic-Con International: San Diego this year with Nuclear Blast Records. For more information visit STERN.

APRIL 9, 2013 - Stern Pinball Releases Video Teaser of -- METALLICA PINBALL! (YEAH!!!!) With the official announcement due on Thrusday, this preview has just been released by Stern. Look for a TON more on this John Borg designed game including photos and words you won't find ANYPLACE ELSE, here and in the pages of the PINGAME JOURNAL! (The video revealed some details and hints but check back here Thursday morning for the official press release and photos!) March 2013 - Stern Video Coverage – Stern has starred in a number of event videos we've captured from March Pinball Madness, and you can find them below! March 13, 2013 – Stern Pinball, Inc., the world’s leading maker of real pinball games, announced today that the company will be co-hosting the Sandy Hook Charity Challenge Tournament along with the International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA), Raw Thrills, Inc. and the Sandy Hook Arcade Center (SHAC). The tournament will be held at SHAC and is open to kids and teens. Players, split into three age brackets, will have the opportunity to race on the Washington D.C. track in Raw Thrills’ Winter X-Games Snocross and use their flippers to help the Avengers defeat the notorious villain Loki in Stern Pinball’s new Avengers inspired game. The top players with the most points will compete in the finals for a chance to win a trophy and other prizes courtesy of Stern Pinball and Raw Thrills. “We are excited to co-host the charity challenge at the Sandy Hook Arcade Center,” said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc. “Stern is honored to support this arcade and the families of the Newtown community. Our team looks forward to a spirited tournament that includes a new Stern family favorite, the Avengers machine.” The Sandy Hook Arcade Center is a free arcade, located in Connecticut, established for families and children of the Newtown community. Stern Pinball donated machines to support the not-for-profit business in its search to acquire games and attractions for their newly opened community arcade. Schedule of Events: Saturday, March 16th from 4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., qualifying round Saturday, March 16th from 6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., final rounds and awards January 24, 2013--EAG 2013 IMAGES! (left) (l to r) Gary Stern and Northern Lights show organizer, Mark Robinson:: (right) Nick "Stormy" Marshall checks out Stern's latest game, Avengers. (right) Stern's Dave Peterson, John Buscaglia and PGJ's Gary Flower show off their favorite pinball magazine! (left) John and Dave (along with X-MEN and Avengers) give a shout out to the pinball community from their first EAG industry show in London, England! January 16, 2013 -- STERN PINBALL THE FOCUS OF THE VERGE FEATURE! Check out the article and many photos from the factory by clicking STERN January 5, 2013 -- MAKING OF AVENGERS video! George Gomez along with Lonnie Ropp, Waison Cheng, Mark Galvez, Mike Kyzivat and Mike Redoble share the ins and outs of making Avengers Pinball. They discuss their history with the Avengers and how excited they were to make a game using this theme. December 21, 2012 -- Avengers LE Video! This latest video from Stern features designer George Gomez as he runs through the features of the Limited Edition Avengers pinball. December 20, 2012 -- FIRST PROPER AVENGERS PRO TRANSLIGHT IMAGE! A quick search of other sites, along with Stern's, did not produce a good clear image of the striking translight created by Stern's Stephen Jensen, so we present it here! Enjoy! December 8, 2012--Yet Another PinGame Journal EXCLUSIVE ... (almost) George Gomez, John Popadiuk and the PinGame Journal announce: "The Avengers Pro™ Whitewood, Silent Elf Auction!" (ENDED on 12/16/12. Thanks to all who participated!) The way this started is kind of a long story but the Cliff's Notes version is that John bid on and won a Stern whitewood that was offered in a recent New York City Pinball League auction to benefit Sandy victims. John emailed me the link and asked that I post it to get the word out. The timing was too tight for me to help right then, but when I found out HE had the highest bid we started talking. I was sorry I missed the opportunity to be involved, and after John told me he wasn't sure what he was going to do with the whitewood, I suggested we run another auction during the holiday to benefit a children's charity. John agreed! I've been friends with John for over 20 years and while I know he's a good guy, it takes someone special to purchase something like this one of a kind item and then turn around and "re-donate" it again. George also got into the act and grabbed the final Avengers Pro whitewood out of an engineer's office, signed it and cleared it with Stern to make this all happen! Here are some photos taken by John of the whitewood detail! November 30, 2012---PinGame Journal EXCLUSIVE ... The near-final 3D CAD image of the Avengers Pro playfield assembly grabbed directly from the workstation of designer George Gomez. AVENGERS PRO DESIGN MODEL I spoke to George tonight about this image while he, Mark Weyna and a couple others were burning the late Friday night oil at Stern. "This is an Avengers Pro, pretty close to the end, almost fully populated. When it's on my CAD system I can spin it around and work on any part of it. "This is the master assembly model and is made up of many many three dimentional part models. This is how I design the game. Each 3D model is then sent to whoever is going to fabricate the actual part. For example, I might extract a ball guide model and that would be sent to the company who would actually produce that part." George also sent along this photo taken by Mark Weyna on a similar late night work session a few weeks ago. George is standing with a "Blue" (Avengers) LE in the Stern gameroom as they were working with the LED general illumination system. There are three strings of lights: RED, GREEN and BLUE that will be used to create a different specific color of playfield lighting depending on which of the Avengers are being played. November 29, 2012 - STERN'S AVENGERS IS OFFICIAL! George Gomez told the PinGame Journal: "I'm very excited with the release of The Avengers today. This is a unique time in my career as it is the first time that I have two products that I've designed running concurrently on the assembly line: The Avengers and The Pin are running simultaneously in our factory and its an incredible sight." Look for more on both of George's games here and in the pages of the PGJ, soon! FROM THE STERN PRESS LEASE: Stern Pinball Inc., the world’s leading maker of real pinball games, announced today the release of The Avengers pinball machine. The newest member of the Stern collection memorializes The Avengers, a franchise that has remained a staple in pop culture since it first appeared as a comic book series in 1963. The Avengers will join Stern’s revolutionary line-up of comic inspired machines including X-Men, Spiderman, Iron Man and Batman. For almost 50 years The Avengers have delighted fans through comic books, television series and movies. Stern is thrilled to bring the franchise to pinball and provide fans with a new medium through which to enjoy The Avengers. The machine features a dynamic setting that incorporates six iconic Avenger heroes: Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye. Players help The Avengers assemble to defeat the notorious villain Loki. The Avengers pinball features an animated twisting and pounding custom molded HULK, drop targets and a spinning cube bonus, in addition to plenty of multiball action. “Throughout the years The Avengers have cultivated a loyal and energetic fan base,” said Gary Stern, founder, CEO and Chairman of Stern Pinball. “Stern is pleased to have the opportunity to give these fans an Avengers pinball game to enjoy for years to come.” The Avengers game continues both the Stern Pinball and the Stern family tradition of producing quality pinball machines for young and old. The company traces its lineage to Philadelphia in the 1930s when Sam Stern entered the business of operating pinball games. Stern passed his lifelong enthusiasm for the game and the business of pinball to his son Gary Stern who founded Stern Pinball. Today pinball remains one of America’s favorite pastimes. Pricing and Availability: Avengers Pro: $5699 MSRP Avengers LE: $8099 MSRP HULK LE: $8099 MSRP Avengers Premium: Pricing available in 2013 Below are the Avengers Pro and the Avengers and Hulk Limited Edition models The AVENGERS PRO detail images: The AVENGERS LE detail images: To learn more about The Avengers pinball machine and Stern Pinball, please visit www.sternpinball.com November 20, 2012 New PIN model video released. Stern Pinball, today, released a video introducing their new pinball model The Pin. This model aimed at the home market was first announced on October first of this year (see below). This video features Gary Stern and George Gomez as they provide detail about this new Stern product. November 13, 2012 Stern Pinball has just announced their latest game: The Avengers! October 27, 2012 -- John Borg inducted into Pinball Hall of Fame! At the EXPO Banquet Saturday evening, long-time Stern designer, John Borg, was inducted into the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame. Over his more than 20-year career, John has designed many highly revered pinball games including Star Wars, Iron Man, Tron, and many additional successful titles. Gary Stern, CEO of Stern Pinball stated, “This long overdue honor is well deserved. John’s dedication to his craft, his creativity and versatility make him an invaluable asset to pinball and to our company. We’re very proud of him.” Pictured here is (l to r) Mike Pacak, Steve Ritchie, Gary Stern, John, inductor Joe Kaminkow and Rob Berk. Also pictured is the Stern Pinball booth and Gary Stern during his talk at Expo. October 1, 2012--Stern Announces A New Model: THE PIN! The first game produced in this home use format is Transformers and will be sold in the US through Amazon. According to the press release: The Pin model is a stylish, affordable and entertaining pinball game designed and engineered exclusively for the home and is the latest model to be developed by Stern and joins the company’s existing line-up of Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models. The licensed TRANSFORMERS Pin features art, music, speech, and sound effects from the blockbuster TRANSFORMERS franchise.  Since the birth of the franchise in 1984, the TRANSFORMERS brand has been celebrated with toys, comic books, animation, summer blockbuster movies and more. Under license from Hasbro, Stern is now proud to be adding an additional pinball game model to its lineup.  Players can expect the classic battle between the heroic OPTIMUS PRIME and the villainous MEGATRON as well as other beloved AUTOBOT and DECEPTICON characters. The easily assembled TRANSFORMERS Pin is built to last and engineered with genuine Stern commercial-quality parts including flippers, slingshots, pop bumpers, tempered playfield glass, and the traditional pinball plunger.  The playfield is housed in a stylish cabinet with modern, high definition artwork.  The all-LED playfield lighting provides optimal color and performance. “The Pin is specifically designed to provide quality family entertainment and bring pinball to more homes everywhere. TRANSFORMERS is a great title for the entire family and we’re very pleased to add The Pin model to our TRANSFORMERS offering,” said Gary Stern, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Stern Pinball, Inc. Through December 31, 2012, the TRANSFORMERS Pin will be available in the United States exclusively at Amazon.com and in Canada exclusively through The Playdium Store and Cineplex Starburst, Inc.   www.theplaydiumstore.com www.starburstcoin.com September 7, 2012--Check out this exciting news and EXCLUSIVE interview, brought to you FIRST by the PinGame Journal! PINGAME JOURNAL EXCLUSIVE!--MARK WEYNA IN MANAGEMENT POSITION AT STERN! I’ve known Mark for nearly 25 years and know he is one of the nicest people in pinball. But when I first met him, he wasn't really IN pinball. He was importing Indy Cars for Carl Haas of Newman Haas Racing. He loved auto racing and he also loved pinball (he still loves both!) He was active in the hobby and had an impressive collection of vintage pingames. While Mark has been pinball-involved for many years, his industry history is not well known so I thought this would be a good time to do a quick overview. In late 1994 he got the unusual chance to combine both auto racing and pinball when his offer to help Williams with the development of their Indianapolis 500 game was accepted! Working with Dennis Nordman on that game let to teaming up with Dennis and Greg Freres on Scared Stiff. The game became his responsibility near the end when Dennis, along with others, were laid off by Williams. He worked with John Popadiuk very early on Circus Voltaire and then was asked to design the pinball related slot machine topper called Cash Ball for Anchor Games/IGT. Mark also worked on the platform development for P2K and then moved over to Midway to run the test program for P2K and eventually for all coin-op titles. “After coin-op stopped in 2001,” Mark remembers, “I decided to take a break from the industry and do the stay-at-home-dad thing. I ran my antique machine side business, did some consulting, even returned to my old vintage guitar biz for a while, but was primarily focused on being home as much as I could with my son Nick. It was an amazing opportunity and I’m grateful things worked out in a way that I was able to do that.” For years, Mark has had a booth at Pinball Expo and one year when he saw Whoa Nellie Big Juicy Melons he thought, “Well, I’ve GOT to be part of this!” Creators Dennis Nordman and Greg Freres agreed and Mark jumped in with both feet. “It was as if we were back in 1996,” Mark recalls. “It was like we all just climbed in the WABAC machine and there we were.” At the Midwest Gaming Classic in Milwaukee, Mark met Jack for the first time and it wasn’t long until he was contracted by Jersey Jack Pinball to help with design development for the Wizard of Oz, including building up whitewoods and wiring the games. Then Mark received an offer he could not ignore. “The opportunity arose for permanent employment at Stern. Not only was I offered a position with benefits and stability, it will also allow me to contribute across several departments. It’s more involving, exciting and different from what I was doing before. I’m working in program management. A game, a device, an initiative, a department -- they are programs. I have experience in many aspects of the business and will use that knowledge to, in general, help make the development and production process more efficient. "Along with that goal I will be working on quality initiatives and testing, improving timing issues and creating development schedules. I’ve only been here a few weeks so my responsibilities are evolving but I’ll be working in a lot of different areas and that’s a very good fit for me." The New Guys: Greg Freres and Mark Weyna on the assembly line floor, today. --Photo by Jody Dankberg But wait. What about games? Will you be standing around early whitewoods asking, “Wouldn’t it be cool if you did … this!?!” “Absolutely! I’ll be standing around EVERY early whitewood asking, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if you did … this!?!’” “Right now we’re experiencing a pinball renaissance and it’s been exciting to be part of that for a while ... with the WhizBang thing, then with Jack and now with Stern. These guys at Stern are pretty serious about pinball and my responsibilities are to help improve our product and how we make it. I’m very happy to be here.” George Gomez:, "Mark has joined us a Program Manager to help manage all of the development teams. He brings a pinball collector's passion and perspective and his experience bridges many eras of game production. He hit the ground running and his impact was immediately obvious!" Greg Freres: "It's great to see Mark in a role at Stern where his pinball savvy can benefit the company and add organizational support." JOIN THE CONVERSATION--You can discuss this and other new developments at Stern Pinball at our new STERN BLOG. Let us know what you think! September 4, 2012--GREG FRERES JOINS STERN PINBALL! Stern Pinball announced today that artist Greg Freres has joined the company as a full time employee. Since the Williams Pinball Division shut down in 1999, Greg has been involved in a number of projects including WhizBang Pinball (along with designer Dennis Nordman) and their custom, limited edition Whoa Nellie Big Juicy Melons pinball and has been working as an art contractor for Jersey Jack Pinball. Greg, with over 30 years of pinball art experience, is thrilled to be back working on pinball full time. He is eager to start this new phase of his career and told the PGJ, “I’m excited to be joining a new team with colleagues from my past at Williams and Bally and to be part of Stern Pinball, Inc. for the first time. Being brought in as a hybrid artist/designer is a natural step for me and I’m grateful for the opportunity. I have a lot of pinball left in me and can’t wait to get started!” George Gomez, Stern VP of game Development, added, “We are very happy to welcome Greg to Stern. I have known Greg for most of his career and we have brought him here for his game design skills in addition to his artistic talents. He is a perfect addition to our design staff and you can expect to see his influence very soon.” Find out more about Stern at their web site by clicking STERN! You can also discuss this and other new developments at Stern in the comments at our STERN BLOG. September 3, 2012--Stern's Ticket Despenser Add On, ON TEST! Marvelous Marvin's Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills Michigan is one of only a few locations chosen to be a test site for the Stern pinball ticket despenser. Keefer Kennedy, age 12, playes the unit installed on Marvin's Tron game. Marvin has been asked by Stern to forward detailed reports so that the value of this equipment can be evaluated. Marvin's has a significant redemption component and the new addition will get a good work out. August 10, 2012--Making of X-MEN Video! This evening Stern released a video with interviews from the design team and images of the creation of their latest game X-MEN. August 7, 2012--Stern Upgrade Kit Promotion Stern Pinball announced they are offering two upgrade kits at reduced prices through the end of the year. "The first upgrade is the Shaker Motor Kit. Stern's shaker motor is popular with operators and enthusiasts alike due to proven enhancements with game play. The specially priced kit includes the shaker motor, weights, wiring, hardware and cover. All Stern games produced since June 2011 (from Tron forward) include programming in addition to wiring and pre-drilled holes for easy installation of the kit. Stern is also offering cabinet art protection kits (“Half-Moon” Kits) to enhance Stern Pro games. The half-moons help protect the cabinet art, which can increase resale value. The half-moon is a metal semicircle with a hole for the flipper button. It mounts flush to and below the side armor. Its black powder coat paint matches the side armor. Each kit includes two half-moons, one for each side of the machine, as well as mounting screws. “We’re happy to announce the discount in price to our loyal customers and we are confident that these kits will contribute to the legacy of Stern games” said Gary Stern, founder, CEO and chairman of Stern Pinball. Pricing and Availability: Shaker Motor Kits are available from authorized Stern distributors and dealers and from Stern at $189.99 plus freight and any applicable sales tax. Half-Moon Kits are available from authorized Stern distributors and dealers and from Stern at $13.99 plus freight and any applicable sales tax. Customers can order these kits by contacting their authorized Stern distributor or dealer, or by contacting Dorothy Brown at 708-786-7040 in Stern’s Parts Department. Stern accepts Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Find out more about all of Stern's products by clicking HERE! July 14, 2012--X-MEN at COMIC CON 2012--LIVE (almost)! Stern Pinball brought their latest game X-MEN to a place where it is sure to attract attention .. the 2012 edition of Comic Con in San Diego. The video was shot quickly and sent to the PGJ for posting but it gives a good dea of the event and illustrates the attraction of pinball and especially this title and this event! July 5, 2012--X-MEN LE Wolverine Edition Video With John Borg! Designer John Borg shows off the many features of his X-MEN LE. For X-MEN, Stern is producing the LE versions before the Pro model so our first look at the game detals is from the perspective of this enhanced version of the game. July 2, 2012--Playfield Screening History from John Borg! Designer John Borg made a trip to Churchill Cabinet to sign the LE playfields before the clearcoating was applied (inset far right). He was struck by the history that was hanging on the walls as the company displays an example of many of the playfields they screen. X-Men took its place as the newist and John commented, "It's a pretty cool room, if you haven't seen it. The Victory and Diamond Lady were the first games I worked on at Gottlieb/Premier Technology." June 1, 2012--IT'S X-MEN!!! Stern just released a teaser video announcing their next game will be X-MEN. Designer John Borg and Art Director Stephen Jensen along with artist Kevin O'Connor and the rest of the team did a great job bringing this classic theme to pinball. More will be coming soon, of course, as the official release is expected next week. So take a look at the pix and video below, bub! March 29, 2012--Photos of Stern at the Texas Pinball Fest released! From left to right: Marco Specialties produced a jaw dropping AC/DC pinball display which entertained the crowd all weekend.-- The "King" Steve Ritchie has a long line of anxious fans waiting to meet him.-- There was an amazing lineup of AC/DC LE and Premium games for the tournament. March 23, 2012--Visit To Stern Pinball! On my way up to Milwaukee for the Midwest Gaming Classic I stopped by Stern Pinball to see what was going on right now, TODAY. Steve Ritchie (along with George Gomez) were about to leave for the Texas show and Steve was collecting photos for his slide presentation at the show. One of the videos below follows him for a bit putting AC/DC horns on line workers for his camera. The other is a simple walk down the final inspection line as the various versions of the game are being readied for shipment. (Please excuse the video angle, I'm learning! And check out The World of Pinball for video from before and during the MGC. I'm planning on more videos to keep you all current with the World of Pinball so feel free to subscribe to the Pinjournal YouTube channel. < March 20, 2012--Making of AC/DC: The Official Documentary Short! Jody Dankberg, Stern's Media Director, released this slick documentary to help introduce the game to prospective owners. This video brings to mind the promo videos produced in the 1990s by Williams/Bally/Midway to showcase games to distributors. It is fantastic to see a return to this promotion format and I look forward to additional videos for future games. March 16, 2012--PinGame Journal FIRST! --AC/DC PREMIUM VIDEO! One premium version of this game was brought to the 2012 Amusement Expo in Las Vegas and for the first time features like the AC/DC bell, moving band members and the "devil" lower playfield was exposed to the public. This particular game was the first off line and had a few minor details to correct and there is still software to complete, but it was great to finally see the nearly finished product in action. This same game will make it's true public debut at the Texas Pinball Festival next weekend but the PinGame Journal, experimenting with iPhone video (and removing the glass to get things working) posted a couple videos on YouTube of the game in action. You can view them there or by clicking below. March 6, 2012--PinGame Journal EXCLUSIVE --AC/DC LE Whitewood VIDEO! I've had this video for five months, waiting for the right time and the time is TODAY! Get your FIRST look at the AC/DC LE in action in this video of Steve Ritchie playing the whitewood back in October, 2011. This is a very preliminary version of the game but you'll see some aspects in action here for the first time. This type of behind the scenes, "show the process" information is my favorite part of publishing the PinGame Journal but we can't show a video on paper. There WILL be much more in the magazine, but for now, enjoy this FIRST glimps of the gameplay. March 4, 2012--PinGame Journal EXCLUSIVE --AC/DC LE UPDATE FROM STEVE RITCHIE! Here's another "almost live" update on AC/DC LE and Premium edition progress direct from Stern. “It’s Sunday, the fourth of March at 4:52 pm and I’m here at Stern STILL WORKING! I want to leave no stone unturned to make these games their best. We have about 30 games built but they’re not finished yet. It’s now all about the little things: I’m designing red “horn” plastics to fit between the lower and upper playfields that will cover the LED so you don’t see the bare light in the horns. Also, I have been asking Lyman to make a mini golf shot using the Bell. Make the bell swing with the magnet and then entice the player to shoot the hole behind it. You won't believe how cool the LE and Premiums look when they’re all lit up! Some people here have been saying that the game has the best lighting ever on a factory machine. There are more than 140 LEDs. We have established four general illumination zones and I have spread red, blue and white DOUBLE LEDs around the board, so the entire playfield can be red, white, blue or any combination, as well as lighting up the lower playfield (dare I say ... HELL?) all red or off. All zones have 100 dimness levels! I can’t wait until people get to see these games!" March 2, 2012 AC/DC LE & Premium Edition Photos Released! There's FIRE in the hole ... and brimstone too, as the lower playfield art is reviled. The face is none other than the Devil and he's voiced by Steve Ritchie, himself. There's 3D band members, a swinging, interactive bell, drop targets and a Dave Link created locomotive ... among other things that make these editions a lot more like what Steve planed when he first envisioned this game. February 23, 2012--PinGame Journal EXCLUSIVE --AC/DC LE UPDATE FROM STEVE RITCHIE! Just got off the phone with AC/DC designer Steve Ritchie and he updated me (and now you!) on the AC/DC Premium and LE edition progress. We start with the FIRST public photo of the AC/DC LE and Premium cabinets! “Here’s the deal. Today, Thursday, LE playfields are rolling down the line and they’re looking pretty good. There are some interesting things going on like in the back of the factory, next to the full size ‘pants press’ machine, we have a smaller machine to make impressions in the lower playfield.” (These presses put dimples in the top and bottom of the boards much like a classic pressing machine applies heat from the top and bottom to press clothing. These impressions are used by line workers to assure accurate placement of various playfield parts.) “There are about four or five people way back there in the factory and their workstation is right next to the beginning of the main line. I’ve never really seen this little tiny hydraulic press before, so it’s cool. They’re making the marks and building the mini playfields up back there with fixtures to make everything perfect. "I don’t like to put screws or any kind of fasteners in the top of the playfield for the ball to roll over. I don’t do that. I don’t cut slots that the ball has to roll over, (CLICK! CLICK!) I just don’t want that ever on my games. I just want the whole top of the playfield and all shots to be smooth. "Anyway, I'm using maple plywood blocks and created a counter bore in them deep enough to sink a big ol' 8/32 T-nut inside each of the four 1.5" by 1.5" wood blocks. We’re using glue and 3 #8 wood screws to fasten the wood blocks to the main playfield and attaching the lower playfield onto the block/T-nuts with four #8 machine screws right through the T-nuts buried in the wood blocks. So we have this massively strong unit that is glued and screwed to the bottom of the playfield. I don't think anyone has ever fastened anything to the playfield like this. The line folks have been very flexible about it and it's all working out. "What I sometimes forget to mention and was just reminded of today, is just how good the assembly and fabrication people are out on the line are at Stern. Some of them can’t speak much English but I’m learning a little Spanish and I’ve been able to communicate with every one of them. They all have a lot of experience and they know how to build pinball machines. I moved back here to Chicago and I work at Stern daily. I see them every day now rather than once in a while when I was commuting back and forth from California. They do great work and they mean business. It’s really nice to know and I really appreciate what a good job they do. I am especially glad to have them on our team today. "Today is the first day we built Back In Black cabinets with the final cabinet decal art on them. They look gorgeous. I still like the Let There Be Rock version best because the red and yellow colors and design is more like what I originally envisioned the game would be. "The LTBR Pro, Premium and LE cabinet art is identical except that the LE Let There Be Rock games have the laser cut side armor in red with the yellow backing plates. As I said, I like the Back In Black art also, it looks very elegant where the Let There Be Rock look is wild. We mocked up the Laser cut side armor and chrome backing plates on the BIB cabinets today and the whole look is very cool. "So, the LE production is all starting today. I’ve only seen one playfield that had the lower playfield attached. The beginning of a run of fresh machines is always a slow process at the beginning. As the games progress down the line, the folks on the line have a million questions. "The truth is that I should be out there right now! Friday will be the big day for LE production and We’re supposed to have a major snow fall so it could be interesting. To top all that off, we have the local AC/DC Launch Party at Game Works in Schaumburg on Friday also. "I am totally excited about all our versions of AC/DC pinball. AC/DC rock music is a PERFECT match for pinball and everyone can feel and hear the results soon! There is something about the music playing uninterrupted while you are playing pinball that makes you feel like a rockstar. "Lyman and I are proud to say that AC/DC Pinball ROCKS!!!!!!" (There will be MUCH more from Steve, Lyman and other team members in future editions of the PGJ!) February 8, 2012--AC/DC PRO TRANSLIGHT here FIRST (again)! Completing the AC/DC backglass art set, the PREMIUM version was just released by Stern. This four version set which seemingly has become the norm for Stern, features quite different ACDC art compared to the other three--most notably a "naked" Angus. The PRO “glass,” as well as this PREMIUM edition are translights while the two limited LE versions are screened on glass which allows the addition of mirrored highlights. Of course, look for EXCLUSIVE detailed interviews and behind the scenes images in future issues of the PGJ. To learn more about AC/DC pinball visit STERN PINBALL February 3, 2012--See ACDC LE BACKGLASSES here FIRST! Stern Pinball, Inc has just released released images of the “Back In Black” and “Let There Be Rock” limited edition backglasses. Both are mirrored and are only available with the specific games. To learn more about AC/DC pinball visit STERN PINBALL January 24, 2012--Exclusive video from London Show. PinGame Journal's Foriegn Bureau Chief Gary Flower and Uncle Bob (David Ainslie) take a few minutes to talk to Gary Stern about the new ACDC game and also check in with design VP George Gomez asking about the future. January 11, 2012 HOT NEWS! AC/DC is scheduled to debut at industry shows in Dusseldorf and London! Gary Stern will be taking two Pro model AC/DC games for a trip across the sea, first to the IMA show in Dusseldorf, Germany on January 17-20 and then to England for the EAG International on January 24-26. As a special extra treat for London attendees Stern design head George Gomez will be joining Gary at the London show. January 9, 2012 Stern releases official photos of AC/DC Pro and list of features for Pro and three LE editions! AC/DC Pro 12 full length classic AC/DC tunes Song Selector Jukebox in back panel with flashing horns Sound quality enhanced with improved crossover network Rotating “For Those About To Rock” Ball Cannon Lit Fire Cannon Button w/ Laser Cut Trim Plate Magnetic ball diverter to load Cannon Skill shot ball lock with ejector Electronic ball gate Right “Highway To Hell” ramp Left “Rock N Roll” train ramp Spinning “Greased Lightning” target THREE “Thunderstruck” standup targets and super bright flash lamps FOUR “ROCK” standup targets (right) FIVE AC/DC standup targets (left) Three T.N.T. standup targets (center) TWO high powered slingshots THREe super bright LED jet bumpers Country-specific coin door Silk screened cabinet decals Specific Pro model QR codes Molded “Hells Bell” with standup target T.N.T. Detonator Band member display Unique translite AC/DC Premium edition All Pro edition features plus upgrades listed below. “Underworld” Lower Mini-Playfield W/TWO flippers, Angus face and targets "Hells Bell" swinging Newton ball pendulum with score sensor Hidden magnet to swing bell remotely Molded 3D “Rock N Roll” train With LED headlight and horns FIVE bank AC/DC drop targets (left) THREE bank T.N.T. drop targets (center) Slam action target behind center T.N.T. drop target Crossover ball track and diverter T.N.T. detonator animated with solenoid actuated handle Animated band member display Animated “Highway To Hell” LED flames tunnel Super bright “Back In Black” LED strobe lights Wedge-based LED GIs 16 tri-color LEDs Classic lock asssembly and playfield slide supports Unique translite Powder coated red gloss legs, hinges, front molding and side armour with flipper button protection AC/DC Limited Editions. The Back in Black version will feature a unique silk screened cabinet decal and artwork with black over chrome side armor and backing plates. "Let There Be Rock" will have the same cabinet artwork but red over yellow side armor and backing plates. Mirrored backglass for each LE model “Shake And Quake” motor 12” subwoofer for enhanced sound Steve Ritchie autograph protected by hard coat Numbered plaque ("Back In Black"1-300 and "Let There Be Rock" 1-200) Authenticating Stern Pinball Inc., hologram Signed certificate Of authenticity Laser cut backbox hinges Laser cut legs and front molding Transparent red lower arch Unique "Back In Black" silk screened cabinet decal artwork January 8, 2012 LET THERE BE AC/CD! Stern Pinball released their teaser video for their latest game, Steve Ritchie's AC/DC! September 21, 2011--EXCLUSIVE! Transformers Translight! While a full game and playfield view of the latest offering from Stern Pinball has been official released there has yet to be a clear, straight on image of the striking translight art ... until NOW! There is a TON of art associated with this game including FOUR translights for the various versions. This is the standard or "Pro" version. According to designer George Gomez there will be a combo or "LE" translight, a special edition Decepticon "Designer" translight and a special edition Autobot "Designer" edition. The Designer games are already sold out but look for images of them here and in the PinGame Journal as soon as they are available. September 19, 2011--Transformers playfield detail photos released September 9, 2011--First Photos of Transformers As posted on the Top Score Gamerooms site, here are the first photos of the new game from George Gomez and Stern Pinball. More here and in the PGJ soon! August 19, 2011--"The Transformers Are Coming" August 16, 2011--Stern Announces Availability of Games at BestBuy.com “Pinball is back and booming,” said Gary Stern, founder, CEO and chairman of Stern Pinball. “…and being available though an incredible retail channel such as Best Buy brings pinball to the main stream mass market..” Stern Pinball games now available at BestBuy.com include: --Avatar --Avatar pinball features a 3-D backglass with incredible depth, clarity and color, speech and sound effects from the movie. $4,799 --TRON: Legacy --TRON: Legacy pinball features exciting sound bites from the film’s main characters, as well as music from the film’s original score. $4,799 --The Rolling Stones --The Rolling Stones pinball features 13 Rolling Stones original songs, fast ramps and artwork featuring band members and classic album covers. $4,799 --Iron Man Classic --Iron Man Classic pinball made exclusively for the home features visuals, speech, music and sound effects from the Marvel blockbuster films Iron Man 1 and Iron Man 2. (This machine does not feature a coin mechanism and can not be operated) $3,799 --The Rolling Stones Limited Edition --The Limited Edition version of the Rolling Stones Pinball features a slew of special features, including a second set of flippers, a white ceramic ball and an indivdually numbered plaque with a certificate of authenticity. $5,999 For additional information on Stern Pinball visit: http://www.sternpinball.com August 11, 2011– Stern featured in three recent major news stories. The CBS story focuses on the growth of location pinball and looks at the thriving Portland pinball community. The CNN Money stories tell the history of Stern Pinball, Inc. and how to make a new pinball machine from start to finish. “News stories like these are great for generating more awareness of pinball and our company. Pinball is definitely enjoying a world wide resurgence and it’s great to see,” said Gary Stern, founder and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc. Check them out for yourself by clicking CBS, CNN-1, or CNN-2. August 5, 2011--Stern is "Keeping Up With Demand!" Released just minutes ago were the names of four new hires at Stern Pinball. This is in response to increased activity both in the game creation and distribution at Stern. Along with the recently announced addition of George Gomez as VP of Game Design, Stern hired mechanical engineer Robert Falkowski, Waison Cheng, game programmer (formally from IT and Golden Tee Golf) and Mike Parker in the purchasing department. See the bulk of the release below: Keeping Up with Demand: Stern Pinball Continues to Grow with Four New Team Members MELROSE PARK, IL – August 5, 2011– Stern Pinball, Inc., the world's only maker of real pinball games, has added four new team members this summer to keep up with the surge in the demand for Stern pinball machines. The new hires include: -George Gomez (VP of Game Design) brings diverse creative and leadership experience, having designed arcade video games, consumer toys, console video games, slot machines and pinball games throughout his career. Mr. Gomez's pinball design portfolio features numerous critically acclaimed titles including "Monster Bash," "Pinball 2000-Revenge From Mars," "NBA Fastbreak," "Johnny Mnemonic," "Corvette," "The Lord of The Rings," "Playboy," "The Sopranos" and "Batman-The Dark Knight.” -Robert Falkowski (Mechanical Engineer) brings 15 years of engineering experience. His last assignment was with Juno Lighting. His expertise in Solid Works and problem solving make him a valuable asset to the engineering department at Stern Pinball. -Waison Cheng (Game Programmer) comes to Stern Pinball from the video game industry. He worked on the world famous Golden Tee golf game at Incredible Technologies. Waison also brings programming experience from his days working on Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance games at Inxile and NeoPong. -Mike Parker (Purchasing) has been managing and purchasing for factories for over a decade. Mike will be handling all purchasing and oversee Stern Pinball’s shipping and receiving departments. Mr. Parker will be working with Eddie Spears who heads that division. “We are thrilled to be adding new talented staff to our pinball family. These new hires along with the great Stern employees we already have on board will help drive our rapidly growing company,” said Gary Stern founder and CEO of Stern Pinball Inc. July 12, 2011--Stern announces the addition of George Gomez as VP of Game Developement! Stern has made a major addition to their engineering department with this appointment. Building on the recent re-hiring of Lyman Sheats and Steve Ritchie to complement the efforts of Lonnie Ropp and John Borg, Stern has brought in another experienced game designer to help pull it all together. Read the press release below: Stern Pinball, Inc. appoints World Renowned Game Designer George Gomez Vice President of Game Development Stern Pinball, Inc., the world’s only maker of real pinball games, announced today that game designer George Gomez joins the Stern Pinball team as Vice President of Game Development. Mr. Gomez brings diverse creative and leadership experience, having designed arcade video games, consumer toys, console video games, slot machines and pinball games throughout his career. Mr. Gomez’s pinball design portfolio features numerous critically acclaimed titles, including “Monster Bash”, “Pinball 2000-Revenge From Mars”, “NBA Fastbreak”, “Johnny Mnemonic”, “Corvette”, “The Lord of The Rings”, “Playboy”, “The Sopranos” and “Batman-The Dark Knight”. “The Stern team is looking forward to George’s executive leadership and creative vision to guide and evolve game development,” said Gary Stern, founder, CEO and chairman of Stern Pinball. Mr. Gomez joins the Stern Pinball and the Stern family tradition of producing quality pinball machines. The company traces its lineage to Philadelphia in the 1930’s when Sam Stern entered the business of operating pinball games. Sam Stern passed his lifelong enthusiasm for the game and the business of pinball to his son Gary who founded Stern Pinball. Today pinball remains one of the world’s favorite games. About Stern Pinball Stern Pinball, Inc., located just outside Chicago, Illinois, designs and manufactures arcade-quality pinball games. Stern is the only maker of full-sized, arcade quality pinball games on the planet and has released many popular games, including Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman, The Rolling Stones, Tron and many more. Stern’s games continue to be enjoyed by both pinball enthusiasts and casual players around the globe. For more information visit www.sternpinball.com. June 22, 2011--The official Tron video has been released. Tron Pro continues on the line. Stern's Jody Dankberg and IFPA's Josh Sharpe will conduct a Tron tournament at ComicCon in July. June 13, 2011--TRON Selling Well. Reports from Stern say that they are selling TRON Legacy as fast as they can build them. They had over 1000 people attend the recent release parties. On another front, plans are moving ahead for the Stern exhibit at the 2011 edition of ComicCon in San Diego in July. The entire event is already sold out! March 29, 2011--Stern announces TRON For detail see "Current Pinball" February 18, 2011--STERN HAS THE STONES! With the official announcement on Tuesday of this week, production of Stern's Rolling Stones began full force. For now, it's the only game being produced on Janice Ave. in order to keep up with encouragingly brisk sales of the game. Here are some EXCLUSIVE photos taken today of the progress. You can see the playfield assembly, testing area, cabinets waiting for playfields and final check before sliding the game in the box. February 2, 2011-Stern at 25 Stern Pinball is turning 25 and will be producing a number of items to celebrate that milestone. One will be a series of short video clips, the first of which is available for viewing here. Designer John Borg does pretty good for having Marketing Director, Jodi Dankberg make a surprize visit to John's office with a video camera. Check it out!... January 5, 2011 Things area humming along in Melrose Park at the Stern factory. They are making a number of different games to fill current orders. Just finished was a run of Shrek and Batman and currently the line is producing Avatar Pro and Premium, Iron Man classic and pro AND prototypes of their next game Rolling Stones! Stern's Jody Dankberg always has some interesting promotions planned and we look to hear about his latest and greatest, soon. Stay close. Check out the latest news about the Rolling Stones game by clicking HERE. Find out more about Stern Pinball by clicking HERE! SUBSCRIBE TO THE PINGAME JOURNAL! Click HERE for Information. DONATE $5 TO THE PGJ to help with constantly rising costs. Thank You! PinGame Journal, 31937 Olde Franklin Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48334-1731