# Episode 13 - I AM IRON MAN **Source:** Macho Pinball Podcast **Type:** podcast_episode **Published:** 2020-01-30 **Duration:** 3m 7s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://soundcloud.com/macho-pinball/episode-13-i-am-iron-man --- ## Analysis Macho Pinball announces and critiques Stern's new Iron Man Pro Vault limited edition at $5,999 MSRP, positioning it as a re-release of a 10-year-old game. The host expresses frustration with recent Stern releases (Stranger Things, Brewers, Demo Man, Eddie), citing mechanical and design issues, and calls for Lord of the Rings instead. He also announces his new website. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Stern Iron Man Pro Vault is being released at $5,999 MSRP — _Macho Pinball directly states MSRP and emphasizes it multiple times_ - [HIGH] Iron Man is a 10-year-old game being re-released — _Macho Pinball explicitly refers to it as '$5,999 for a 10-year-old game'_ - [MEDIUM] Iron Man Pro Vault units are selling quickly ('going fast') — _Macho Pinball states 'they're going fast' but provides no sales data_ - [MEDIUM] Recent Stern releases (Stranger Things, Brewers, Demo Man, Eddie) have sluggish sales and mechanical/design problems — _Macho Pinball's subjective criticism of game performance and player reception_ - [MEDIUM] Demo Man has ball control and playfield issues (balls getting stuck) — _Macho Pinball reports 'Balls stuck like a sticky floor today' and mentions balls stuck in various positions_ - [HIGH] Macho Pinball would not place Stranger Things in his personal collection, only as a location game — _Direct statement: 'Would I bring it into the Macho Mansion? No way, baby. Location game only.'_ ### Notable Quotes > "See this Macho Nation limited run of Stern Iron Man Pro Vault. Won a $6,000 DMD. Well, there you go. No joke. MSRP $5,999. Let me repeat that. $5,999 for a 10-year-old game." > — **Macho Pinball**, ~0:45 > _Key announcement of Iron Man Pro Vault pricing and positioning_ > "I call smoke screen on all this Stranger Things mess. That's what I tell you. Sales a bit sluggish." > — **Macho Pinball**, ~1:10 > _Direct criticism of Stranger Things performance and suggestion of weak sales_ > "Balls stuck like a sticky floor today. Walking your cat in your spandex briefs, man. This is crazy times." > — **Macho Pinball**, ~1:45 > _Colorful description of Demo Man's ball control problems_ > "Not if you gonna bring back anything Stern, bring me some Lord of the Rings for this Lord of the Ring. We wants it." > — **Macho Pinball**, ~1:15 > _Wishlist for future Stern release; indicates Lord of the Rings is desired by community_ > "Get with it, Stern, and let's take off the nostalgic goggles for Mr. Eddie. We had a good run in 1998. But now Captain Gary steers the shipment, and we all know what that means." > — **Macho Pinball**, ~2:15 > _Critique of Eddie Machine design and implicit criticism of Gary Stern's leadership direction_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Stern Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer releasing Iron Man Pro Vault and other recent games (Stranger Things, Demo Man, Eddie, Brewers) | | Macho Pinball | person | Host of Macho Pinball Podcast, content creator offering game critiques and industry commentary | | Gary Stern | person | CEO/leadership of Stern Pinball; referenced as 'Captain Gary' by Macho regarding company direction | | Iron Man Pro Vault | game | Limited edition Stern re-release of 10-year-old Iron Man game at $5,999 MSRP with $6,000 DMD display | | Stranger Things | game | Stern release criticized by Macho for sluggish sales and design issues | | Demo Man | game | Stern release with reported ball control problems (balls getting stuck) | | Eddie Machine (Eddie) | game | Stern release criticized as nostalgic re-hash of 1998 game with uninspired performance | | Brewers (Brewing Company) | game | Stern release mentioned alongside other underperforming recent games | | Lord of the Rings | game | Pinball game title desired by Macho and community; not currently available from Stern | | The Pinball Network | organization | Website recently launched by Macho Pinball (www.thepinballnetwork.com) | ### Topics - **Primary:** Limited edition re-releases and pricing strategy, Recent Stern game quality and reception, Ball control and mechanical issues in new games, Sales performance of recent Stern releases - **Secondary:** Licensing and IP availability (Lord of the Rings), Community content creation and media ### Sentiment **Negative** (-0.72) — Macho Pinball is highly critical of recent Stern releases, questioning game quality, sales performance, and leadership direction. While he announces Iron Man Pro Vault, the framing is satirical and critical (high MSRP for 10-year-old game). Frustration with Stern is the dominant tone throughout. ### Signals - **[product_launch]** Stern releasing Iron Man Pro Vault as limited edition re-release of 10-year-old game at $5,999 MSRP (confidence: high) — Macho Pinball announcement: 'limited run of Stern Iron Man Pro Vault... MSRP $5,999... 10-year-old game' - **[product_concern]** Demo Man reported to have ball control and sticking issues affecting gameplay (confidence: medium) — Macho states: 'Balls stuck like a sticky floor today... Balls stuck on top, stuck in front, flying to the ramps' - **[market_signal]** Stranger Things sales described as sluggish; recent Stern releases underperforming (confidence: medium) — Macho: 'I call smoke screen on all this Stranger Things mess... Sales a bit sluggish' - **[sentiment_shift]** Community frustration with recent Stern game quality and design choices, particularly regarding nostalgia-driven re-releases (confidence: medium) — Macho criticizes recent games as uninspired, mechanical problems, and calls for fresh IP (Lord of the Rings) - **[content_signal]** Macho Pinball launching new website (www.thepinballnetwork.com) for content distribution (confidence: high) — Direct announcement: 'Apparently I got a new website today. Check it out. www.thepinballnetwork.com' - **[rumor_hype]** Lord of the Rings requested as desired future Stern release (confidence: medium) — Macho: 'Not if you gonna bring back anything Stern, bring me some Lord of the Rings for this Lord of the Ring. We wants it.' - **[design_philosophy]** Criticism of Stern's reliance on nostalgia and 1990s IP (Eddie as 1998 game re-hash) rather than fresh creative direction (confidence: medium) — Macho: 'let's take off the nostalgic goggles for Mr. Eddie. We had a good run in 1998.' - **[licensing_signal]** Discussion of which IP Stern should license; Lord of the Rings mentioned as desired but unavailable (confidence: low) — Wishlist commentary on Lord of the Rings and criticism of current IP choices --- ## Transcript This episode of the Macho Pinball Podcast is brought to you by Big Miss Mona's Macho Pads. Miss Mona's Macho Pads, ultra-absorbent pinball diapers are the ultimate solution for tournament players. Or the average hobbyist who gets tummy rumbles over Facebook fights. Miss Mona's Macho Pads, let loose and let her rip, baby, oh yeah! Ladies and gentlemen, Macho Pinball! Double, double toil and trouble. Oh, yeah, what's Macho cooking up now? What's my next move? Because you know that I've been in the kitchen, baby. Got a delicious recipe for you, Macho Nation. And the timer's about to ring-a-ding-ding. And there's smoke. A smoke screen in the pinball kitchen, Stern. Great time for distraction play, interference, a vault out of nowhere. See this Macho Nation limited run of Stern Iron Man Pro Vault. Won a $6,000 DMD turret. Well, there you go. No joke. MSRP $5,999. Let me repeat that. $5,999 for a 10-year-old game. But hurry up. Call your distributors, baby, because they're going fast, yeah! Oh how awesome is Stern for listening to their customers? Not if you gonna bring back anything Stern, bring me some Lord of the Rings for this Lord of the Rings. We wants it. But I call smoke screen on all this Netflix Stranger Things mess. That's what I tell you. Sales a bit sluggish. Macho ain't down for no escargot, Gary. Look, Macho's played the pro, played it a lot. Everybody wants to love these new games when they release, but they're just walking away defeated, just like my competition. Look at yourself in the mirror, people. More air balls and bricks than Shaq at the free throw line. Whoa, the Demogorgon toy. Macho had balls stuck on top, stuck in front, flying to the ramps. Balls stuck like a sticky floor today. Walking your cat in your spandex briefs, man. This is crazy times. Big miss in Macho's book. High hopes. Let Lester Art Week call out. I mean, come on, Hopper Big Hop. One of Macho's favorites. Uninspired performance. This is a Tony-nominated actor, brothers and sisters. Don't blame the actor. Blame the direction. Get with it, Stern, and let's take off the nostalgic goggles for Mr. Eddie. We had a good run in 1998. But now Captain Gary steers the ship, and we all know what that means. Would I bring it into the Macho Mansion? No way, baby. Location game only. All right, Macho Nation. Apparently I got a new website today. Check it out. www.thepinballnetwork.com for all the latest and greatest macho news. Yeah. _(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 5841c4ae-de0c-4111-b39e-c947a3ce90e8*