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{{Short description|Arcade game companies}}
'''Stern''' is the name of two different but related [[arcade game|arcade gaming]] companies. 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 (gaming company)|Williams Manufacturing Company]] in [[1946]]. Stern Electronics was formed when the Stern family bought the financially-troubled [[Chicago Coin]] in [[1977]].
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Stern
| logo =
| type =
| industry = [[Arcade game]]s
| fate =
| predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = -->
| successor = <!-- or: | successors = -->
| founded =1977 (Stern Electronics),
1986 (Stern Pinball)
| founder = <!-- or: | founders = -->
| defunct =
| hq_location_city =
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->
| products = Arcade video games, pinball machines
| owner = <!-- or: | owners = --> Gary Stern
| key_people = Sam Stern <br>Gary Stern, Chairman <br>Seth Davis, CEO
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| parent =
| website = {{URL|sternpinball.com/}}
}}


'''Stern''' is the name of two different but related [[arcade game|arcade gaming]] companies. '''Stern Electronics, Inc.''' manufactured arcade video games and pinball machines from 1977 until 1985, and was best known for ''[[Berzerk (video game)|Berzerk]]''. '''Stern Pinball, Inc.''', founded in 1986 as Data East Pinball, is a manufacturer of pinball machines in North America.
==Stern Electronics==
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 [[pinball]]s 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 and sold its pinball division to [[Data East]].


==Stern Pinball, Inc.==
==Stern Electronics, Inc.==
{{More citations needed|date=October 2019}}
[[Image: Sternpinball.gif|right|frame|Stern Pinball's logo.]]
Stern Electronics was formed when the Stern family bought the financially troubled [[Chicago Coin]] in 1977. 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.
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 1996) 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.


The first two games made by Stern were ''Stampede'' and ''Rawhide'', both originally made by Chicago Coin, which only had changes made to their branding and logos. After a weak start, Stern Electronics' sales started picking up by the end of 1977. By 1978, they had switched over to fully [[solid-state electronics]] for their games. In 1979, Stern acquired the [[jukebox]] production assets of the bankrupt [[Seeburg Corporation]], and the company became known as '''Stern / Seeburg'''. Coincidentally, Seeburg also owned [[WMS Industries|Williams]] in the 1960s, when Sam Stern was its president.
==Notable Pinballs==


When arcade [[video game]]s became popular in 1980, Stern Electronics produced ''[[Berzerk (video game)|Berzerk]]''. In 1983, Stern became one of many victims of the [[Video game crash of 1983|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.
''(Stern Electronics)''


On March 16, 2023, [[Atari SA|Atari]] announced that it had acquired the intellectual property rights to 12 Stern Electronics titles, including ''Berzerk'' and ''[[Frenzy (1982 video game)|Frenzy]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=ATARI ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF BERZERK AND FRENZY IP |url=https://atari.com/blogs/newsroom/atari-announces-acquisition-of-berzerk-and-frenzy-ip |website=Atari |access-date=1 April 2023}}</ref>
*''Flight 2000'' (1980)
*''Galaxy'' (1980)
*''Meteor'' (1979)
*''Stars'' (1978)


==Stern Pinball, Inc.==<!-- This section is linked from [[Pinball]] -->
By 1999, the pinball industry was virtually dead and [[Sega]] left the pinball industry, and in October 1999 sold its pinball division, previously purchased from Data East in 1994,<ref name="tribune">{{cite news |title=Pinball Runs Out of Wizardry |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-12-14-9912140015-story.html |work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> to Gary Stern, the son of Sam Stern, who had been running Data East/Sega pinball since 1986, and Stern Pinball was born.<ref name="tribune" /><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/25/us/25pinball.html?ex=1366862400&en=cf20500b61a66ca3&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink |title=For a Pinball Survivor, the Game Isn't Over |author=Davey, Monica |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2008-04-25 |access-date=2008-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sternpinball.com/about/|title=About|first=Stern|last=Pinball|website=Stern Pinball}}</ref> Stern Pinball, Inc. is based in [[Elk Grove Village, Illinois]].


As of 2023, longtime designers [[Brian Eddy]], John Borg, and [[George Gomez]] are designing pinball games at Stern Pinball, alongside top-ranking competitive player Keith Elwin and popular pinball streamer Jack Danger.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sternpinball.com/2021/12/20/stern-pinball-enhances-game-design-studio-3/|title=Stern Pinball Enhances Game Design Studio|first=Stern|last=Pinball|website=Stern Pinball}}</ref>
''(Stern Pinball, Inc.)''


Some Stern pinball tables were also digitally released through ''[[The Pinball Arcade]]'' and ''[[Stern Pinball Arcade]]''.
*''Sharkey's Shootout'' (2000)
*''Striker Xtreme'' (2000)
*''High Roller Casino'' (2001)
*''[[Austin Powers]]'' (2001)
*''[[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly]]'' (2001; produced by [[Pat Lawlor]] Design)
*''[[RollerCoaster Tycoon]]'' (2002; produced by Pat Lawlor Design)
*''[[Playboy]]'' (2002)
*''[[Terminator 3]]'' (2003; produced by [[Steve Ritchie]] Productions)
*''The [[Lord of the Rings]]'' (2003)
*''[[The Simpsons]] Pinball Party'' (2003)
*''[[Ripley's Believe It or Not]]'' (2004; produced by Pat Lawlor Design)
*''[[Elvis Presley|Elvis]]'' (2004; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions)
*''[[The Sopranos]]'' (2005)
*''[[NASCAR]]'' (2005; produced by Pat Lawlor Design)
*''[[World Poker Tour]]'' (2006; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions)


==Pinball machines==
==Notable Arcade Games Manufactured by Stern==


===Stern Electronics===
*''[[Astro Invader]]'' (1980)
{{div col}}
*''[[Berzerk]]'' (1980)
* ''Stampede'' (1977)
*''[[Amidar]]'' (1981) (programmed by [[Konami]])
* ''Rawhide'' (1977)
*''[[Scramble (arcade game)|Scramble]]'' (1981) (programmed by Konam])
*''[[Anteater]]'' (1982)
* ''Disco'' (1977)
* ''Pinball'' (1977)
*''[[Frenzy (video game)|Frenzy]]'' (1982)
*''Lost Tomb'' (1982)
* ''Stingray'' (1977)
* ''Stars'' (1978)
*''[[Pooyan]]'' (1982) (programmed by Konami)
*''Rescue'' (1982)
* ''Memory Lane'' (1978)
* ''Lectronamo'' (1978)
*''Tutankham'' (1982) (programmed by Konami)
* ''Wild Fyre'' (1978)
* ''Nugent'' (1978)
* ''Dracula'' (1979)
* ''Trident'' (1979)
* ''Hot Hand'' (1979)
* ''Magic'' (1979)
* ''Cosmic Princess'' (1979) (Produced in Australia by Leisure and Allied Industries under license from Stern Electronics Inc)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pinpedia.com/machine/1896|title=Cosmic Princess|website=Pinpedia}}</ref><ref name="ipdb.org">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ipdb.org/search.pl|title=The Internet Pinball Machine Database|website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref>
* ''Meteor'' (1979) (Highest production of all Stern Electronics' Pinballs)<ref name="ipdb.org"/>
* ''Galaxy'' (1980)
* ''Ali'' (1980)
* ''Big Game'' (1980) (First game to incorporate seven-digit scoring in the digital era)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=249&picno=6842&zoom=1|title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: Stern 'Big Game' Images|website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref>
* ''Seawitch'' (1980)
* ''Cheetah'' (1980)
* ''Quicksilver'' (1980)
* ''Star Gazer'' (1980)
* ''[[Flight 2000 (pinball)|Flight 2000]]'' (1980) (Stern's first game with multi-ball and speech)
* ''Nine Ball'' (1980)
* ''Freefall'' (1981)
* ''Lightning'' (1981)
* ''Split Second'' (1981)
* ''Catacomb'' (1981)
* ''Viper'' (1981)
* ''Dragonfist'' (1982)
* ''Iron Maiden'' (1982) (Unrelated to the [[Iron Maiden|British heavy metal band]])
* ''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)<ref name="ipdb.org"/>
* ''Cue'' (1982) (Six machines built)
* ''Lazer Lord'' (1984) (One prototype built)
{{div col end}}

===Stern Pinball===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Machine Name !! Year !! Lead Designer || License Source
|-
| ''[[Harley-Davidson (Sega/Stern pinball)|Harley Davidson]]'' || 1999 || John Borg & Lonnie D. Ropp || [[Harley-Davidson]]
|-
| ''Striker Xtreme'' || 2000|| Joe Balcer || Original Theme
|-
| ''Sharkey's Shootout'' || 2000 || John Borg || Original Theme
|-
| ''High Roller Casino'' || 2001 || Jon Norris || Original Theme
|-
| ''Austin Powers'' || 2001 || John Borg & Lonnie D. Ropp || [[Austin Powers]]
|-
| ''Monopoly'' || 2001 || [[Pat Lawlor]] || [[Monopoly (game)]]
|-
| ''NFL'' || 2001 || Joe Balcer || [[National Football League]]
|-
| ''Playboy'' || 2002 || [[George Gomez]] & Dwight Sullivan || [[Playboy]]
|-
| ''RollerCoaster Tycoon'' || 2002 || Pat Lawlor || [[RollerCoaster Tycoon]]
|-
| ''[[The Simpsons Pinball Party]]'' || 2003 || Joe Balcer & Keith P. Johnson || [[The Simpsons]]
|-
| ''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'' || 2003 || Steve Ritchie || [[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]
|-
| ''The Lord of the Rings'' || 2003 || George Gomez || [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)]]
|-
| ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' || 2004 || Pat Lawlor || [[Ripley's Believe It or Not!]]
|-
| ''Elvis'' || 2004 || [[Steve Ritchie (pinball designer)|Steve Ritchie]] || [[Elvis Presley]]
|-
| ''The Sopranos'' || 2005 || George Gomez || [[The Sopranos]]
|-
| ''Grand Prix'' || 2005 || Pat Lawlor || Original
|-
| ''NASCAR'' || 2005|| Pat Lawlor || [[NASCAR]]
|-
| ''World Poker Tour'' || 2006|| Steve Ritchie || [[World Poker Tour]]
|-
| ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' || 2006 || Dennis Nordman || [[Pirates of the Caribbean]]
|-
| ''Dale Jr.'' || 2007|| Pat Lawlor|| [[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]]
|-
| ''Family Guy'' || 2007 || Pat Lawlor || [[Family Guy]]
|-
| ''[[Spider-Man (pinball)|Spider-Man]]'' || 2007 || Stevie Ritchie || [[Spider-Man in film#Sam Raimi's trilogy|Spider-Man (Sam Raimi's film trilogy)]]
|-
| ''Wheel of Fortune'' || 2007|| Dennis Nordman || [[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)]]
|-
| ''Indiana Jones'' || 2008 || John Borg || First four [[Indiana Jones]] films
|-
| ''Batman (The Dark Knight)'' || 2008 || George Gomez || First two films in [[The Dark Knight Trilogy]]
|-
| ''Shrek'' || 2008 || Pat Lawlor || First 3 [[Shrek (franchise)|Shrek]] films
|-
| ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (pinball)|CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]'' || 2008|| Pat Lawlor || [[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]
|-
| ''24'' || 2008 || Steve Ritchie || [[24 (TV series)]]
|-
| ''NBA'' || 2008 || John Borg & Ray Tanzer || [[National Basketball Association]]
|-
| ''Big Buck Hunter Pro'' || 2009 || John Borg || [[Big Buck Hunter]]
|-
| ''Iron Man'' || 2010 || John Borg || First two [[List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films#Films|Iron Man]] films
|-
| ''Avatar'' || 2010 || John Borg || [[Avatar (2009 film)]]
|-
| ''The Rolling Stones'' || 2011 || Tom Kopera || [[The Rolling Stones]]
|-
| ''TRON: Legacy'' || 2011 || John Borg || [[TRON: Legacy]]
|-
| ''Transformers'' || 2011 || George Gomez || [[Transformers (film series)]]
|-
| ''[[AC/DC (pinball)|AC/DC]]'' || 2012 || Steve Ritchie || [[AC/DC]]
|-
| ''X-Men'' || 2012 || John Borg || [[X-Men]]
|-
| ''The Avengers'' || 2012 || George Gomez || [[The Avengers (2012 film)]]
|-
| ''Metallica'' || 2013 || John Borg || [[Metallica]]
|-
| ''Star Trek'' || 2013 || Steve Ritchie || J.J. Abrams [[List of Star Trek films#Reboot (Kelvin timeline) films|Star Trek]] films
|-
| ''Mustang'' || 2014 || John Trudeau || [[Ford Mustang]]
|-
| ''The Walking Dead'' || 2014 || John Borg || [[The Walking Dead (TV series)]]
|-
| ''WWE: Wrestlemania'' || 2015 || John Trudeau || [[WWE]]
|-
| ''Whoa Nellie: Big Juicy Melons'' || 2015 || Dennis Nordman || Original Theme
|-
| ''KISS'' || 2015 || John Borg || [[Kiss (band)]]
|-
| ''Game of Thrones'' || 2015 || Steve Ritchie || [[Game of Thrones]]
|-
| ''[[Ghostbusters (pinball)|Ghostbusters]]'' || 2016 || John Trudeau || First two [[Ghostbusters (franchise)#Films|Ghostbusters]] films
|-
| ''Batman 66'' || 2016 || George Gomez || [[Batman (TV series)]]
|-
| ''Aerosmith'' || 2017 || John Borg || [[Aerosmith]]
|-
| ''Star Wars'' || 2017 || Steve Ritchie || [[Star Wars original trilogy]]
|-
| ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' || 2017 || John Borg || [[Guardians of the Galaxy (film)]]
|-
| ''Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast'' || 2018 || Keith Elwin || [[Iron Maiden]]
|-
| ''Supreme'' || 2018 || George Gomez || [[Supreme (brand)]]
|-
| ''[[Deadpool (pinball)|Deadpool]]'' || 2018 || George Gomez || [[Deadpool]]
|-
| ''The Beatles'' || 2018 || Joe Kaminkow || [[The Beatles]]
|-
|- ''Primus'' || 2018 || Dennis Nordman || [[Primus (band)]]
|-
| ''Munsters'' || 2019 || John Borg || [[The Munsters]]
|-
| ''Black Knight: Sword of Rage'' || 2019 || Steve Ritchie || Sequel to [[Black Knight (pinball)]] and [[Black Knight 2000]]
|-
| ''[[Jurassic Park (pinball)|Jurassic Park]]'' || 2019 || Keith Elwin || [[Jurassic Park (film)]]
|-
| ''Elvira's House of Horrors''' || 2019|| Dennis Nordman || [[Elvira's Movie Macabre]] and a sequel to [[Elvira and the Party Monsters]] and [[Scared Stiff (pinball)]]
|-
| ''Stranger Things'' || 2019 || Brian Eddy || [[Stranger Things]]
|-
| ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' || 2020 || John Borg || [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]
|-
| ''Heavy Metal'' || 2020 || George Gomez || ''[[Heavy Metal (magazine)|Heavy Metal]]''
|-
| ''Avengers: Infinity Quest'' || 2020 || Keith Elwin || [[Avengers (comics)]]
|-
| ''Led Zeppelin'' || 2020 || Steve Ritchie || [[Led Zeppelin]]
|-
| ''The Mandalorian'' || 2021 || Brian Eddy || [[The Mandalorian]]
|-
| ''Godzilla'' || 2021 || Keith Elwin || [[Godzilla]]
|-
| ''Rush'' || 2022 || John Borg || [[Rush (band)]]
|-
| ''James Bond 007'' || 2022 || George Gomez || Sean Connery [[Portrayal of James Bond in film#Films|James Bond]] films
|-
| ''James Bond 007 60th Anniversary'' || 2022 || Keith Elwin|| All [[James Bond#Films|James Bond]] Films
|-
| ''Foo Fighters'' || 2023 || Jack Danger || [[Foo Fighters]]
|-
| ''Venom'' || 2023 || Brian Eddy || [[Venom (character)]]
|-
|''Jaws'' || 2024|| Keith Elwin || [[Jaws (franchise)]]
|-
| ''John Wick'' || 2024|| TBA ||[[John Wick]]
|}<ref>{{cite web |title=Pinside Game Archive >> Stern (Manufacturer) |url=https://pinside.com/pinball/machine/stern |website=Pinside}}</ref>
<!---Do NOT add any information or rumors about future games until it is announced on Stern Pinball's webpage or Stern's official--->

==Arcade games manufactured by Stern==
* ''[[Astro Invader]]'' (1980) (programmed by [[Konami]])<ref name="arcade-museum.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arcade-museum.com/manuf_detail.php?manuf_id=1056|title=Stern Electronics – coin-operated machines|website=www.arcade-museum.com}}</ref>
* ''[[Berzerk (video game)|Berzerk]]'' (1980)<ref name="arcade-museum.com"/>
* ''The End'' (1980) (programmed by [[Konami]])
* ''[[Scramble (video game)|Scramble]]'' (1981) (programmed by Konami)
* ''[[Super Cobra]]'' (1981) (programmed by Konami)
* ''Moon War'' (1981)
* ''[[Turtles (video game)|Turtles]]'' (1981) (programmed by [[Konami]])<ref name="arcade-museum.com"/>
* ''Strategy X'' (1981) (programmed by [[Konami]])
* ''Jungler'' (1981) (programmed by [[Konami]])
* ''[[Armored Car (video game)|Armored Car]]'' (1981)
* ''[[Amidar]]'' (1981) (programmed by [[Konami]])
* ''[[Frenzy (1982 video game)|Frenzy]]'' (1982)<ref name="arcade-museum.com"/>
* ''Tazz-Mania'' (1982)
* ''[[Tutankham]]'' (1982) (programmed by Konami)
* ''[[Pooyan]]'' (1982)<ref name="arcade-museum.com"/> (programmed by Konami)
* ''Dark Planet'' (1982) (designed by Erick Erickson and Dan Langlois)
* ''[[Rescue (1982 video game)|Rescue]]'' (1982)<ref name="arcade-museum.com"/><ref name="sharpe198306">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/electronic-games-magazine-1983-06/Electronic_Games_Issue_16_Vol_02_04_1983_Jun#page/n89/mode/2up | title=Insert Coin Here | work=Electronic Games | date=June 1983 | access-date=6 January 2015 | author=Sharpe, Roger C. | pages=92}}</ref>
* ''Calipso'' (1982) (developed by Stern, released by Tago Electronics)
* ''[[Anteater (video game)|Anteater]]'' (1982) (developed by Stern, released by Tago Electronics)
* ''Mazer Blazer'' (1982)
* ''[[Lost Tomb]]'' (1982)
* ''[[Bagman (video game)|Bagman]]'' (Le Bagnard) (1982) (programmed by Valadon Automation)
* ''Pop Flamer'' (1982) (programmed by [[Jaleco]])
* ''Star Jacker'' (1983) (programmed by [[Sega]])
* ''Minefield'' (1983)<ref name="arcade-museum.com"/>
* ''[[Cliff Hanger (video game)|Cliff Hanger]]'' (1983)<ref name="arcade-museum.com"/> (laserdisc game using video footage from [[TMS Entertainment|TMS]])
* ''Great Guns'' (1984)
* ''Goal to Go'' (1984) (laserdisc game)
* ''Super Bagman'' (1984)<ref name="arcade-museum.com" /> (programmed by Valadon Automation)

==References==
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.sternpinball.com Stern Pinball, Inc. official website]
* {{official website|1=http://www.sternpinball.com/|2=Stern Pinball, Inc. official website}}
* [https://www.kineticist.co/pinball-manufacturers/stern-pinball-inc List of Stern Pinball Machines] at Kineticist
*[http://www.ipdb.org Internet Pinball Database]
*[http://www.klov.com Killer List of Videogames website]


[[Category:Companies based in Illinois]]
[[Category:Stern Electronics pinball machines|*]]
[[Category:Pinball games]]
[[Category:Stern pinball machines|*]]
[[Category:Stern games| ]]
[[Category:Companies based in Chicago]]
[[Category:Companies based in Cook County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Pinball manufacturers]]
[[Category:Video game companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Melrose Park, Illinois]]
[[Category:Entertainment companies established in 1977]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1977]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1977]]

Revision as of 17:51, 3 May 2024

Stern
IndustryArcade games
Founded1977 (Stern Electronics), 1986 (Stern Pinball)
Headquarters
United States
Key people
Sam Stern
Gary Stern, Chairman
Seth Davis, CEO
ProductsArcade video games, pinball machines
OwnerGary Stern
Websitesternpinball.com

Stern is the name of two different but related arcade gaming companies. Stern Electronics, Inc. manufactured arcade video games and pinball machines from 1977 until 1985, and was best known for Berzerk. Stern Pinball, Inc., founded in 1986 as Data East Pinball, is a manufacturer of pinball machines in North America.

Stern Electronics, Inc.

Stern Electronics was formed when the Stern family bought the financially troubled Chicago Coin in 1977. 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.

The first two games made by Stern were Stampede and Rawhide, both originally made by Chicago Coin, which only had changes made to their branding and logos. After a weak start, Stern Electronics' sales started picking up by the end of 1977. By 1978, they had switched over to fully solid-state electronics for their games. In 1979, Stern acquired the jukebox production assets of the bankrupt Seeburg Corporation, and the company became known as Stern / Seeburg. Coincidentally, Seeburg also owned Williams in the 1960s, when Sam Stern was its president.

When arcade video games became popular in 1980, Stern Electronics produced Berzerk. 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.

On March 16, 2023, Atari announced that it had acquired the intellectual property rights to 12 Stern Electronics titles, including Berzerk and Frenzy.[1]

Stern Pinball, Inc.

By 1999, the pinball industry was virtually dead and Sega left the pinball industry, and in October 1999 sold its pinball division, previously purchased from Data East in 1994,[2] to Gary Stern, the son of Sam Stern, who had been running Data East/Sega pinball since 1986, and Stern Pinball was born.[2][3][4] Stern Pinball, Inc. is based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

As of 2023, longtime designers Brian Eddy, John Borg, and George Gomez are designing pinball games at Stern Pinball, alongside top-ranking competitive player Keith Elwin and popular pinball streamer Jack Danger.[5]

Some Stern pinball tables were also digitally released through The Pinball Arcade and Stern Pinball Arcade.

Pinball machines

Stern Electronics

  • Stampede (1977)
  • Rawhide (1977)
  • Disco (1977)
  • Pinball (1977)
  • Stingray (1977)
  • Stars (1978)
  • Memory Lane (1978)
  • Lectronamo (1978)
  • Wild Fyre (1978)
  • Nugent (1978)
  • Dracula (1979)
  • Trident (1979)
  • Hot Hand (1979)
  • Magic (1979)
  • Cosmic Princess (1979) (Produced in Australia by Leisure and Allied Industries under license from Stern Electronics Inc)[6][7]
  • Meteor (1979) (Highest production of all Stern Electronics' Pinballs)[7]
  • Galaxy (1980)
  • Ali (1980)
  • Big Game (1980) (First game to incorporate seven-digit scoring in the digital era)[8]
  • Seawitch (1980)
  • Cheetah (1980)
  • Quicksilver (1980)
  • Star Gazer (1980)
  • Flight 2000 (1980) (Stern's first game with multi-ball and speech)
  • Nine Ball (1980)
  • Freefall (1981)
  • Lightning (1981)
  • Split Second (1981)
  • Catacomb (1981)
  • Viper (1981)
  • Dragonfist (1982)
  • Iron Maiden (1982) (Unrelated to the British heavy metal band)
  • 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)[7]
  • Cue (1982) (Six machines built)
  • Lazer Lord (1984) (One prototype built)

Stern Pinball

Machine Name Year Lead Designer License Source
Harley Davidson 1999 John Borg & Lonnie D. Ropp Harley-Davidson
Striker Xtreme 2000 Joe Balcer Original Theme
Sharkey's Shootout 2000 John Borg Original Theme
High Roller Casino 2001 Jon Norris Original Theme
Austin Powers 2001 John Borg & Lonnie D. Ropp Austin Powers
Monopoly 2001 Pat Lawlor Monopoly (game)
NFL 2001 Joe Balcer National Football League
Playboy 2002 George Gomez & Dwight Sullivan Playboy
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2002 Pat Lawlor RollerCoaster Tycoon
The Simpsons Pinball Party 2003 Joe Balcer & Keith P. Johnson The Simpsons
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines 2003 Steve Ritchie Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
The Lord of the Rings 2003 George Gomez The Lord of the Rings (film series)
Ripley's Believe It or Not! 2004 Pat Lawlor Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Elvis 2004 Steve Ritchie Elvis Presley
The Sopranos 2005 George Gomez The Sopranos
Grand Prix 2005 Pat Lawlor Original
NASCAR 2005 Pat Lawlor NASCAR
World Poker Tour 2006 Steve Ritchie World Poker Tour
Pirates of the Caribbean 2006 Dennis Nordman Pirates of the Caribbean
Dale Jr. 2007 Pat Lawlor Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Family Guy 2007 Pat Lawlor Family Guy
Spider-Man 2007 Stevie Ritchie Spider-Man (Sam Raimi's film trilogy)
Wheel of Fortune 2007 Dennis Nordman Wheel of Fortune (American game show)
Indiana Jones 2008 John Borg First four Indiana Jones films
Batman (The Dark Knight) 2008 George Gomez First two films in The Dark Knight Trilogy
Shrek 2008 Pat Lawlor First 3 Shrek films
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 2008 Pat Lawlor CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
24 2008 Steve Ritchie 24 (TV series)
NBA 2008 John Borg & Ray Tanzer National Basketball Association
Big Buck Hunter Pro 2009 John Borg Big Buck Hunter
Iron Man 2010 John Borg First two Iron Man films
Avatar 2010 John Borg Avatar (2009 film)
The Rolling Stones 2011 Tom Kopera The Rolling Stones
TRON: Legacy 2011 John Borg TRON: Legacy
Transformers 2011 George Gomez Transformers (film series)
AC/DC 2012 Steve Ritchie AC/DC
X-Men 2012 John Borg X-Men
The Avengers 2012 George Gomez The Avengers (2012 film)
Metallica 2013 John Borg Metallica
Star Trek 2013 Steve Ritchie J.J. Abrams Star Trek films
Mustang 2014 John Trudeau Ford Mustang
The Walking Dead 2014 John Borg The Walking Dead (TV series)
WWE: Wrestlemania 2015 John Trudeau WWE
Whoa Nellie: Big Juicy Melons 2015 Dennis Nordman Original Theme
KISS 2015 John Borg Kiss (band)
Game of Thrones 2015 Steve Ritchie Game of Thrones
Ghostbusters 2016 John Trudeau First two Ghostbusters films
Batman 66 2016 George Gomez Batman (TV series)
Aerosmith 2017 John Borg Aerosmith
Star Wars 2017 Steve Ritchie Star Wars original trilogy
Guardians of the Galaxy 2017 John Borg Guardians of the Galaxy (film)
Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast 2018 Keith Elwin Iron Maiden
Supreme 2018 George Gomez Supreme (brand)
Deadpool 2018 George Gomez Deadpool
The Beatles 2018 Joe Kaminkow The Beatles
Munsters 2019 John Borg The Munsters
Black Knight: Sword of Rage 2019 Steve Ritchie Sequel to Black Knight (pinball) and Black Knight 2000
Jurassic Park 2019 Keith Elwin Jurassic Park (film)
Elvira's House of Horrors' 2019 Dennis Nordman Elvira's Movie Macabre and a sequel to Elvira and the Party Monsters and Scared Stiff (pinball)
Stranger Things 2019 Brian Eddy Stranger Things
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2020 John Borg Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Heavy Metal 2020 George Gomez Heavy Metal
Avengers: Infinity Quest 2020 Keith Elwin Avengers (comics)
Led Zeppelin 2020 Steve Ritchie Led Zeppelin
The Mandalorian 2021 Brian Eddy The Mandalorian
Godzilla 2021 Keith Elwin Godzilla
Rush 2022 John Borg Rush (band)
James Bond 007 2022 George Gomez Sean Connery James Bond films
James Bond 007 60th Anniversary 2022 Keith Elwin All James Bond Films
Foo Fighters 2023 Jack Danger Foo Fighters
Venom 2023 Brian Eddy Venom (character)
Jaws 2024 Keith Elwin Jaws (franchise)
John Wick 2024 TBA John Wick

[9]

Arcade games manufactured by Stern

  • Astro Invader (1980) (programmed by Konami)[10]
  • Berzerk (1980)[10]
  • The End (1980) (programmed by Konami)
  • Scramble (1981) (programmed by Konami)
  • Super Cobra (1981) (programmed by Konami)
  • Moon War (1981)
  • Turtles (1981) (programmed by Konami)[10]
  • Strategy X (1981) (programmed by Konami)
  • Jungler (1981) (programmed by Konami)
  • Armored Car (1981)
  • Amidar (1981) (programmed by Konami)
  • Frenzy (1982)[10]
  • Tazz-Mania (1982)
  • Tutankham (1982) (programmed by Konami)
  • Pooyan (1982)[10] (programmed by Konami)
  • Dark Planet (1982) (designed by Erick Erickson and Dan Langlois)
  • Rescue (1982)[10][11]
  • Calipso (1982) (developed by Stern, released by Tago Electronics)
  • Anteater (1982) (developed by Stern, released by Tago Electronics)
  • Mazer Blazer (1982)
  • Lost Tomb (1982)
  • Bagman (Le Bagnard) (1982) (programmed by Valadon Automation)
  • Pop Flamer (1982) (programmed by Jaleco)
  • Star Jacker (1983) (programmed by Sega)
  • Minefield (1983)[10]
  • Cliff Hanger (1983)[10] (laserdisc game using video footage from TMS)
  • Great Guns (1984)
  • Goal to Go (1984) (laserdisc game)
  • Super Bagman (1984)[10] (programmed by Valadon Automation)

References

  1. ^ "ATARI ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF BERZERK AND FRENZY IP". Atari. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Pinball Runs Out of Wizardry". Chicago Tribune.
  3. ^ Davey, Monica (25 April 2008). "For a Pinball Survivor, the Game Isn't Over". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  4. ^ Pinball, Stern. "About". Stern Pinball.
  5. ^ Pinball, Stern. "Stern Pinball Enhances Game Design Studio". Stern Pinball.
  6. ^ "Cosmic Princess". Pinpedia.
  7. ^ a b c "The Internet Pinball Machine Database". www.ipdb.org.
  8. ^ "Internet Pinball Machine Database: Stern 'Big Game' Images". www.ipdb.org.
  9. ^ "Pinside Game Archive >> Stern (Manufacturer)". Pinside.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Stern Electronics – coin-operated machines". www.arcade-museum.com.
  11. ^ Sharpe, Roger C. (June 1983). "Insert Coin Here". Electronic Games. p. 92. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
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