# Stern Pro Circuit Championship **Source:** Stern Pinball **Type:** video **Published:** 2020-02-24 **Duration:** 2m 55s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09Otlj8YRH8 --- ## Analysis Stern Pinball promotional video featuring testimonials from players and family members about pinball's cultural significance, skill-based gameplay, and competitive appeal. The content celebrates pinball as a Chicago-made game with deep personal and family connections, mentions notable players like Keith Elwin, and references popular licensed themes including Star Wars, Deadpool, Beatles, and Aerosmith. ### Key Claims - [MEDIUM] Pinball was legalized in the 1970s through expert witness testimony proving it was a game of skill, not luck — _Speaker describes father's role in pinball legalization as expert witness; historically accurate but unverified in this specific context_ - [HIGH] Star Wars is the biggest IP in pinball currently — _Direct quote: 'nothing bigger than Star Wars' in context of major licensed themes_ - [HIGH] Stern produces pinball machines with major licensed IPs including Deadpool, Beatles, Aerosmith, and Supreme — _Explicit mention of available themes in promotional context_ ### Notable Quotes > "it's a physical thing it's like it's it's kind of badass" > — **Unnamed speaker (discussing pinball gameplay)**, ~0:30 > _Captures emotional appeal of pinball's physicality and skill requirement_ > "he's the Michael Jordan of pinball" > — **Unnamed speaker (discussing Keith Elwin)**, ~1:15 > _Places Keith Elwin as preeminent competitive player; establishes hierarchy of skill_ > "when I'm really focused everything else falls away and I'm just caught up in the journey of where the ball goes" > — **Unnamed female player**, ~0:50 > _Describes immersive, meditative quality of pinball gameplay_ > "nothing bigger than Star Wars" > — **Unnamed speaker**, ~1:50 > _Affirms Star Wars as flagship/premium IP in Stern's current lineup_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer producing pinball machines with major licensed themes; source of promotional content | | Keith Elwin | person | Described as 'Michael Jordan of pinball' and 'everyone's biggest rival'; competitive pinball legend | | Star Wars | game | Described as the biggest IP in pinball; major licensed theme by Stern | | Deadpool | game | Licensed pinball theme produced by Stern | | Beatles | game | Licensed pinball theme produced by Stern | | Aerosmith | game | Licensed pinball theme produced by Stern | | Chicago | location | Referenced as manufacturing center for pinball ('made by people in Chicago') | | Daniel | person | Described as autistic savant pinball player; family testimonial | | Robert | person | Pinball player noted for ability to see all moving parts simultaneously | | Eric Stone | person | Referred to as 'the weatherman'; pinball player mentioned in testimonials | ### Topics - **Primary:** Pinball as skill-based game and competitive sport, Family legacy and intergenerational pinball culture, Licensed IP themes in modern pinball - **Secondary:** Keith Elwin as competitive benchmark/legend, Pinball legalization history and skill vs. luck debate, Psychological immersion and flow state in pinball - **Mentioned:** Autistic savant players in pinball community ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Uniformly celebratory tone with emotional testimonials highlighting pinball's positive impact on families, skill development, and community. No negative commentary or criticism present. Promotional framing emphasizes pride, achievement, and cultural significance. ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Stern producing content celebrating player testimonials, competitive heritage, and skill-based gameplay as part of Pro Circuit Championship marketing (confidence: high) — Video format combining player testimonials, family stories, and competitive player commentary in official Stern promotional content - **[competitive_signal]** Keith Elwin characterized as dominant competitive player ('Michael Jordan of pinball', 'everyone's biggest rival'); establishes clear skill hierarchy in competitive scene (confidence: high) — Direct quote: 'he's the Michael Jordan of pinball I still enjoy playing now and then' and 'he's everyone's biggest rival' - **[competitive_signal]** Star Wars positioned as premium/flagship IP title ('nothing bigger than Star Wars'), reinforcing its strategic importance in Stern's current product portfolio (confidence: high) — Direct statement about Star Wars magnitude in context of available licensed themes --- ## Transcript the huge part of the appeal of pinball is the fact that is a made by people in Chicago I would always watch my dad play and I just like stand on the stool and watch him I'll just drill over playfield he's competed standing on boxes because he couldn't reach the flippers in beating adults making adults cry our father helped legalize pinball in the 70s to prove it was a game of skill not luck he was called as a expert witness it's him calling a shot hitting his shot and then unanimously ruling to legalize pinball it's a physical thing it's like it's it's kind of badass that's how God created me Eric stone the weatherman when I was a little girl I'd play it for hours and hours with my brothers when I'm really focused everything else falls away and I'm just caught up in the journey of where the ball goes my dad showed me how to play and I was just probably like 4 years old and he's kind of like the Wonder kid it's barely tall enough to reach the flippers Daniel is an autistic savant when Robert plays pinball he sees all the moving parts at the same time I slowed down a bit as I get older Keith Owen is the best he's everyone's biggest rival go I go he's the Michael Vecennia Jordan of pinball I still enjoy playing now and then I like to watch twitch just watch me blow this game up and then you know do that yourself hopefully it's like I have family all over the country okay this here is hey do you do have a certain amount of movement they be doing a comprehensive overview now let's talk about the bottom of the game the IP is huge so you get your Deadpool you get your Beatles Aerosmith kits it's like supreme has a freakin pinball machine nothing bigger than Star Wars when you're in the game you can blow up the desks are _(Acquisition: youtube_auto_sub, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 39adf493-efb4-452b-ac4f-31a97b814216*