Stern (game company)

Stern is the name of two different but related arcade gaming companies: Stern Electronics, Inc. and Stern Pinball, Inc.

Stern Electronics, Inc.

Stern Electronics' history dates back 1946, when Harry E. Williams founded Williams Electronics. Sam Stern was a Philadelphia area distributor and operator who purchased half of Williams Electronics in the early 1950s. He served as president of Williams Electronics for several years. 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. Coincidentally, Seeburg also owned Williams in the 60s, when Sam Stern was its president.

When arcade video games became popular in 1980, Stern produced 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. Chicago Coin's 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.

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, who had been running Data East/Sega pinball since 1986, founded Stern Pinball, Inc. that same year and since then, the company has been the only manufacturer of original pinball tables in the world. Stern Pinball, Inc. is based in Melrose Park, Illinois.

Several Williams alumni, like 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. As of 2009, John Borg is head of the design department. He is known for designing Apollo 13, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and many others.

Notable pinball machines

Stern Electronics

• Stingray (1977)
• Pinball (1977)
• Stars (1978)
• Memory Lane (1978)
• Lectronamo (1978)
• Nugent (1978)
• Dracula (1979)
• Trident (1979) - a nautical themed game based on the mythological take on the three pointed spear; a "seagod"-like character is depicted in the artwork fighting an octopus like monster of the deep. Stern produced 4019 of these machines.^{[citation needed]}
• Hot Hand (1979)
• Magic (1979)
• Cosmic Princess (1979) (Produced in Australia)^{[citation needed]}
• Meteor (1979) (Highest production of all Stern Electronics' Pinballs)^{[citation needed]}
• Galaxy (1980)
• Ali (1980)
• Big Game (1980) (First game to incorporate seven-digit scoring in the digital era)^{[citation needed]}
• Seawitch (1980)
• Cheetah (1980)
• Quicksilver (1980)
• Star Gazer (1980)
• Flight 2000 (1980)
• Nine Ball (1980)
• Free Fall (1981)
• Lightning (1981)
• Split Second (1981)
• Catacomb (1981)
• Iron Maiden (1981) (Unrelated to the British heavy metal band)
• Viper (1981)
• Dragonfist (1982)
• Orbitor 1 (1982) (Featured a 3d-vacuum formed playfield with spinning rubber bumpers causing frenetic ball action; it was the company's last released game)^{[citation needed]}
• Cue (1982) Six prototypes released
• Anteater (1982) (Developed by Stern but released by Tago Electronics)
• Lazer Lord (1984, never released)

Stern Pinball

• Harley Davidson (1999; 2nd revision 2002, slightly updated of the Sega game)
• Striker Xtreme (2000)
• Sharkey's Shootout (2000)
• High Roller Casino (2001)
• Austin Powers (2001, designed by John Borg and based on the Austin Powers film series)
• Monopoly (2001) produced by Pat Lawlor Design (PLD), based on the game Monopoly and rumoured^{[citation needed]} to originally be planned for the Pinball 2000 platform)
• NFL (2001) (basically a modification of Striker Xtreme)
• RollerCoaster Tycoon (2002) produced by PLD)
• Playboy (2002, originally planned for the Pinball 2000 platform,^{[citation needed]} 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 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 PLD)
• Dale Jr (600-unit limited edition,^{[citation needed]} based on the NASCAR game with new Dale Earnhardt,Jr, #8 art package)
• World Poker Tour (2006) produced by SRP
• Pirates of the Caribbean (2006) (based on the movie Pirates of the Caribbean)
• Family Guy (2007; produced by PLD)
• Spider-Man (2007; produced by 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 three movies; produced by PLD; modified version of Family Guy)^{[citation needed]}
• Indiana Jones (2008) (based on all four movies)
• Batman (2008) based on the films Batman Begins and The Dark Knight)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2008; produced by PLD, based on the TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
• 24 (2009; produced by SRP, based on the TV show 24)
• NBA (2009) Lonnie Ropp, Gary Stern (designers) Based on the older Sega pinball Space Jam
• The Lord of the Rings Limited Edition (Dec. 2009) gold mirrored backglass, shaker motor, gold package.
• Big Buck Hunter (2010) John Borg (designer)
• "Iron Man" (2010) John Borg (designer),
• "AVATAR" James Cameron's (2010) John Borg (designer)
• "AVATAR Limited Edition (250 units)" James Cameron's (2010) Shaker motor, Chrome trim, white powerball, additional code, moving AMP suit feet, motorized transporter pod lid, and additional figures added.
• "Rolling Stones" (2011)
• "Rolling Stones Limited Edition" (350 units) Includes a real screened backglass, white powerball, shaker motor, 2 under playfield magnets, up-post and 2 outer post ball savers activated by 2 additional flipper buttons.
• "TRON" (2011) John Borg (designer)
• "TRON Limited Edition" (400 units) Chrome trim, Color changing fiber optic light tubes that run on both ramps, additional code, moving recognizer toy, and 4-bank drop targets instead of stand ups.
• "Transformers" 2011 George Gomez (designer)
• "Transformers Limited Edition" (500 units combo edition) Includes a shaker motor and additional features, added Megatron drop target and firing cannon, upper Ironhide mini playfield, moving Starscream moving platform as well as powder coated crimson and violet trim and legs.
• "Transformers Limited Edition" (125 units Decepticon version) All the same features as the combo except an exclusive art translite and all violet trim.
• "Transformers Limited Edition" (125 units Autobots version) All the same features as the combo except an exclusive art translite and all crimson trim.
• "AC/DC" (2012) Steve Ritchie (designer)
• "AC/DC Premium" A full featured design geared toward the enthusiast with all the features that the designer intended
• "AC/DC Limited Edition Back In Black" (300 units) Same features as the Premium but with added shaker motor, a larger 12" subwoofer, as well as a distinctive cabinet art package with black/chrome trim and legs, and exclusive real screened backglass.
• "AC/DC Limited Edition Let There Be Rock" (200 units) Same features as the premium but with added shaker motor, an exclusive real screened backglass art, a larger 12" subwoofer and red/yellow trim and legs.

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)
• Minefield (1983)
• Super Bagman (1984) (programmed by Valadon Automation)
• Cliff Hanger (1983) (laserdisc game using video footage from TMS)

External links

• Stern Pinball, Inc. official website
• Internet Pinball Database
• Stern at the Arcade Museum website