# Mustang Pinball - Press Day at the Chicago Auto Show

**Source:** Stern Pinball  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2014-02-18  
**Duration:** 3m 19s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNtdhCVLubE

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## Analysis

Stern Pinball officially unveiled Mustang Pinball at a press day event during the Chicago Auto Show. George Gomez, legendary Stern designer, discussed the game's design philosophy centered on celebrating Mustang heritage and the freedom of driving. The event featured three game tiers (commercial, premium 'Boss', and limited edition '50 Years') and included a competitive challenge where attendees played against Zach Sharpe, ranked the #1 pinball player in the world.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Mustang has inspired a great sense of freedom and independence for nearly 50 years — _Ford/Mustang spokesperson at press day opening remarks_
- [HIGH] George Gomez's first car was a 1970 white-red Sports Route 302 Mustang — _George Gomez, legendary Stern designer, personal disclosure_
- [HIGH] Mustang Pinball has three tiers: commercial model, premium 'Boss' model, and limited edition '50 Years' model — _George Gomez, official game tier announcement_
- [HIGH] The premium model celebrates iconic boss cars from Mustang history — _George Gomez describing premium tier theme_
- [HIGH] The limited edition model celebrates Mustang's 50-year heritage — _George Gomez describing LE tier theme_
- [MEDIUM] Zach Sharpe is the number one rated pinball player in the world — _George Gomez introducing Zach Sharpe at press event; unverified ranking claim_
- [HIGH] The press day challenge featured 2 minutes, unlimited ball saves, and highest score wins — _Event challenge rules stated during gameplay_

### Notable Quotes

> "When we set out to design Mustang Pinball, I sort of appointed myself the conscience of the team. The game had to be Mustang through and through."
> — **George Gomez**, early in remarks
> _Reveals design philosophy: ensuring authenticity to Mustang brand and heritage_

> "We really wanted to celebrate the fun of driving a Mustang."
> — **George Gomez**, design philosophy section
> _Core design intent: translating Mustang driving experience into pinball gameplay_

> "I'm a Mustang fan myself. The very, very first car that I ever owned was a 1970 white-red Sports Route 302."
> — **George Gomez**, early remarks
> _Personal connection to theme; establishes designer authenticity and passion_

> "We are as proud of Mustang Pinball as these guys are of this car."
> — **George Gomez**, closing remarks
> _Equates Stern's pride in game design with Ford's pride in vehicle manufacturing_

> "I'm getting challenged by a bunch of people I've never met in my life. And hopefully I set a pretty good target score."
> — **Zach Sharpe**, before first challenge match
> _Shows competitive mindset and acknowledgment of challenge format_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| George Gomez | person | Legendary Stern Pinball designer; spoke at press day about Mustang design philosophy; Head of Product Development at Stern |
| Zach Sharpe | person | Top-ranked competitive pinball player (claimed #1 in world); participated in challenge event at press day, setting high scores for attendees to compete against |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of Mustang Pinball; co-hosted Chicago Auto Show press day event |
| Ford Motor Company | company | Owner of Mustang brand; participated in press day; licensing partner for Mustang Pinball IP |
| Chicago Auto Show | event | Venue for Mustang Pinball press day announcement |
| Mustang Pinball | game | Ford Mustang-themed pinball machine from Stern Pinball; features three tiers: commercial, premium 'Boss', and limited edition '50 Years'; announced at Chicago Auto Show press day |
| Mustang (Ford) | product | Ford's iconic muscle/pony car; theme and inspiration for Mustang Pinball; 50-year legacy celebrated in game design |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Game announcement and official reveal, Designer philosophy and intent (George Gomez), Product tiers and pricing strategy (commercial/premium/LE), Theme licensing and IP authenticity
- **Secondary:** Competitive play and player engagement, Brand partnership and cross-industry collaboration

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.92) — Highly positive event atmosphere; enthusiasm from designer, player, and Ford representatives; celebratory tone throughout. No critical comments or concerns raised. Press day framed as collaborative success between Stern and Ford.

### Signals

- **[announcement]** Stern Pinball officially announced Mustang Pinball at Chicago Auto Show press day with three confirmed tiers (confidence: high) — George Gomez presented game tiers; press event was formal Stern/Ford collaboration at major automotive venue
- **[product_strategy]** Mustang Pinball released in three tiers: commercial base model, premium 'Boss' themed model, and limited edition '50 Years' model (confidence: high) — George Gomez explicitly described three tiers during press remarks
- **[licensing_signal]** Ford Motor Company partnered with Stern for Mustang-themed pinball machine; significant IP licensing deal enabling authentic brand integration (confidence: high) — Ford spokesperson present at press day; game designed with Mustang heritage authenticity as core principle
- **[design_philosophy]** George Gomez appointed himself 'conscience of the team' to ensure game authenticity to Mustang brand; celebrated driving freedom and Mustang heritage as core design pillars (confidence: high) — Direct quote: 'When we set out to design Mustang Pinball, I sort of appointed myself the conscience of the team. The game had to be Mustang through and through.'
- **[content_signal]** Press day event at Chicago Auto Show featured gameplay demonstrations, competitive challenges with ranked player, and media engagement (confidence: high) — Video content shows structured press event with George Gomez remarks, Zach Sharpe demonstration, and multiple attendee challenge rounds
- **[competitive_signal]** Zach Sharpe featured as top-ranked pinball player setting competitive benchmark for press attendees (confidence: medium) — George Gomez introduced Zach as 'number one rated pinball player in the world' to set challenge difficulty
- **[event_signal]** Mustang Pinball announcement occurred at Chicago Auto Show, connecting pinball to broader automotive enthusiast and media audience (confidence: high) — Official press day at Chicago Auto Show with Ford and Stern partnership presentation

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## Transcript

 For nearly 50 years, Mustang has inspired this great sense of freedom and independence. We often hear that, hey, Mustang's this cultural icon. We get to build upon that today with our good friends from Stern Pinball. And to tell you more about it, I'd like to introduce George Gomez. I'm a Mustang fan myself. The very, very first car that I ever owned was a 1970 white-red Sports Route 302. The Mustangs have a long and storied history with me. When we set out to design Mustang Pinball, I sort of appointed myself the conscience of the team. The game had to be Mustang through and through. We really wanted to celebrate the fun of driving a Mustang. What John Youssi behind me is our basic commercial model. Our premium model is going to be themed boss, and it's going to celebrate all of the iconic boss cars. Our top-of-the-line limited edition is going to be themed 50 years, and it's intended to really celebrate the heritage of Mustang. Today, we invite you to play the game. To make things interesting, any of you can compete against the number one rated pinball player in the world, Zach Sharp. Zach is going to set the high score now, so you might want to go watch him so you know what you have to compete against. All right, no pressure, Zach. I'm getting challenged by a bunch of people I've never met in my life. And hopefully I set a pretty good target score. Alright. Not bad. I'll beat it. A good one. Let me get that down. You're getting the highest right now. I have a green idea There it is Oh What are you talking about Fuck yeah Dan Pumpty balls It get good good It gonna get good here The challenge here is 2 minutes unlimited ball saves as high of a score as you can get. Oh my god! Not that I wasn't surprised. You are in third place right now. Yes! Is this good? Yeah, it's not bad. That's my second best. Here's one of our cards. You're gonna be a world ranked player later tonight. Yeah! I'm so proud! It's my first game. I'm gonna do better next time. Balls game! I had a shot! I'm quality control, you know. Now you're perfect. Oh, wait a minute. I did this wrong. You've got to be worried. I didn't think you were going to do it. Now you're a pro. Wonderful job. Like that! You guys know, John Youssi, now I can get the hashtag right. You're going to be a world-renowned player after this. Oh, yeah. For me, it's going to be all-important. We are as proud of Mustang Pinball as these guys are of this car. Thank you very much. ¡Iperegui!

_(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 215c2e00-d98a-4733-bf30-571398d4c156*