Stern (gaming company)
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Stern is the name of two different but related arcade gaming companies: Stern Electronics, Inc. and Stern Pinball, Inc.
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[edit] Stern Electronics, Inc.
The first of these companies is Stern Electronics, Inc., founded by amusement industry-legend Sam Stern. Sam Stern, along with Harry E. Williams, founded Williams Manufacturing Company in 1946. Stern Electronics was formed when the Stern family bought the financially-troubled Chicago Coin in 1977.
After a weak start, Stern Electronics' sales started picking up by the end of 1977. Although not as successful as rivals Williams and Bally (Gottlieb had been purchased in 1977 by Columbia Pictures but was still a formidable competitor as well), Stern managed to produce its share of moderately successful pinballs as well. Also, in 1979, Stern acquired jukebox maker Seeburg Corporation, and the company became known as Stern / Seeburg.
When the arcade video game craze hit in 1980, Stern produced the hit game Berzerk. No other video game it made was ever as popular as Berzerk, however, and in 1983 Stern became one of many victims of the amusement industry economic shakeout that occurred. In 1985, Stern Electronics left the amusement industry. Personnel from Stern Electronics formed a short-lived venture known as Pinstar, producing conversion kits for old Bally and Stern machines. Gary Stern was the president of Stern Electronics, Inc, Pinstar Inc, and Data East pinball, leading to the false information that Stern became Data East pinball; this is untrue. It is also untrue that Chicago Coin became Stern Electronics, Inc.; all four were discrete companies. Assets were purchased at bankruptcy sales forming the core inventory of Stern Electronics, Inc., however as a separate company, they did not assume any of the debt Chicago Coin had amassed.
[edit] Stern Pinball, Inc.
By 1999, the pinball industry was virtually dead and Williams, once the dominant leader in a healthy industry, decided to stop manufacturing pinball tables and focus on gambling devices as WMS Gaming. During the same year, Sega decided to leave the pinball industry as well and sold its pinball division (previously purchased from Data East in 1994) to Gary Stern, the son of Sam Stern. Gary Stern founded Stern Pinball, Inc. that same year and since then, the company has been the only manufacturer of pinball tables in the world.[1] Stern Pinball, Inc. is based in Melrose Park, Illinois.
Several WMS alumni, like legendary pinball designers Steve Ritchie and Pat Lawlor, as well as George Gomez (who also works at Midway Games) and more recently, Dennis Nordman, are currently designing games for Stern Pinball.
Stern Pinball Inc. is unique in the history of Pinball in that they will re-run popular titles instead of one production run lasting a certain amount of time. This enables arcade operators and home enthusists to obtain machines in new shape periodically.
[edit] Notable Pinballs
[edit] Stern Electronics
- Stingray (1977)
- Stars (1978)
- Nugent (1978)
- Dracula (1979)
- Magic (1979)
- Trident (1979)
- Hot Hand (1979)
- Meteor (1979) (Highest production of all Stern Electronics' Pinballs)
- Galaxy (1980)
- Ali (1980)
- Big Game (1980) (First game to incorporate 7 digit scoring in the digital era)
- Seawitch (1980)
- Star Gazer (1980)
- Flight 2000 (1980)
- Nine Ball (1980)
- Lightning (1981)
- Catacomb (1981)
- Iron Maiden (1981) (Note: not based on the British heavy metal band)
- Orbitor 1 (1982), featured a 3d-vacuum formed playfield with spinning rubber bumpers causing frenetic ball action; very unusual. The company's last released game.
[edit] Stern Pinball
- Harley Davidson (1999, 2nd revision: 2002) (slightly updated revisions of the Sega game)
- Striker Xtreme (2000)
- Sharkey's Shootout (2000)
- High Roller Casino (2001)
- Austin Powers (2001) Designed by John Borg (based on the movie Austin Powers)
- Monopoly (2001; produced by Pat Lawlor Design [PLD], based on the game Monopoly and rumoured to originally be planned for the Pinball 2000 platform)
- NFL (2001) (basically an advanced mod of Striker Xtreme)
- RollerCoaster Tycoon (2002; produced by Pat Lawlor Design [PLD])
- Playboy (2002) (originally planned for the Pinball 2000 platform, prototype exists)
- The Simpsons Pinball Party (2003)
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions [SRP])
- The Lord of the Rings (2003)
- Ripley's Believe It or Not (2004; produced by Pat Lawlor Design [PLD], based on the series Ripley's Believe It or Not)
- Elvis (2004; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions [SRP])
- The Sopranos (2005) (based on the series The Sopranos)
- NASCAR (Grand Prix in Europe) (2005; produced by Pat Lawlor Design [PLD])
- Dale Jr (600 unit limited edition based on the NASCAR game with new Dale Earnhardt,Jr, #8 art package)
- World Poker Tour (2006; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions [SRP])
- Pirates of the Caribbean (2006) (based on the movie Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Family Guy (2007; produced by Pat Lawlor Design [PLD])
- Spider-Man (2007; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions [SRP], based on the Spider-Man films)
- Black Suited Spider-Man (Limited edition version of Spider-Man game with new art package, mirrored backglass, webbed chrome side armor and shaker motor)
- Wheel of Fortune (2007) (based on the TV show Wheel of Fortune)
- Shrek (2008) (based on all 3 movies; produced by Pat Lawlor Design [PLD]; modified version of Family Guy)
- Indiana Jones (2008) (based on all 4 movies)
[edit] Notable arcade games manufactured by Stern
- Astro Invader (1980)
- Berzerk (1980)
- Amidar (1981) (programmed by Konami)
- Scramble (1981) (programmed by Konami)
- Super Cobra (1981) (programmed by Konami)
- Turtles (1981)
- Anteater (1982)
- Bagman (Le Bagnard) (1982) (programmed by Valadon Automation)
- Frenzy (1982)
- Lost Tomb (1982)
- Pooyan (1982) (programmed by Konami)
- Rescue (1982)
- Tutankham (1982) (programmed by Konami)
- Super Bagman (1984) (programmed by Valadon Automation)
- Cliff Hanger (1983) (laserdisc game using video footage from TMS)
[edit] References
- ^ Davey, Monica (2008-04-25). For a Pinball Survivor, the Game Isn’t Over. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
