# EAG INTERNATIONAL 2019 **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2019-01-17 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2019/01/17/eag-international-2019 --- ## Analysis Pinball News coverage of EAG International 2019 trade show held January 15-17 in London. Two exhibitors displayed pinball machines: Electrocoin (5 Stern titles) and Pinball Heaven (games from Stern, Jersey Jack, Chicago Gaming, and Homepin). Attendance was low, and pinball representation was minimal compared to broader amusement industry trends like VR, digital gaming, and carnival game revivals. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Electrocoin had five Stern pinball machines on their EAG stand: The Munsters Premium, The Munsters Pro, 2x The Beatles Gold, and Deadpool Pro — _Direct observation and photo documentation at the show_ - [HIGH] The Munsters Premium with lower playfield is trickier to play than Pro model, with inconsistent shot registration on lower playfield — _Hands-on comparison play by Pinball News reporter_ - [HIGH] Pinball Heaven sells games from Stern, Jersey Jack, Chicago Gaming, and Homepin — _Direct statement in article about exhibitor inventory_ - [HIGH] Visitor numbers were low on day two of EAG, with reports suggesting day one was even quieter — _On-site observation and reporting_ - [HIGH] Only two companies exhibited pinball-related games at EAG 2019, both kiddie titles (Emoji Pinball and Soccer Ball) — _Floor survey by Pinball News_ ### Notable Quotes > "The Premium with the lower playfield is definitely the trickier to play, not least because the orbit shot landed cleanly on the right flipper on the Pro, but hit the top of the right slingshot on the Premium." > — **Pinball News reporter (anonymous)**, N/A > _Technical comparison of Pro vs Premium versions of The Munsters, highlighting playfield design differences affecting gameplay_ > "You can hear the interview as part of our regular monthly podcast at the end of January when you will hear plenty of exciting news about upcoming games and prospects for the company's future." > — **Pinball News (article text)**, N/A > _Teaser for Jersey Jack Pinball interview with Jack Guarnieri conducted at EAG 2019, promising future game announcements_ > "Pinball did make one appearance elsewhere in the form of an illuminated sign, while a current pinball title was also found mixed up with a dazzling array of LED signage elsewhere in the hall." > — **Pinball News (article text)**, N/A > _Commentary on minimal pinball presence beyond dedicated exhibitor stands_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | EAG International 2019 | event | Annual coin-op and amusements trade show held January 15-17, 2019 at ExCel London in Docklands | | Electrocoin | company | Pinball distributor/exhibitor at EAG 2019 showcasing Stern Pinball machines | | Pinball Heaven | company | Pinball retailer/distributor exhibiting games from Stern, Jersey Jack, Chicago Gaming, and Homepin at EAG 2019 | | Stern Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer with three representatives at show: Gary Stern, John Buscaglia, Doug Skor | | Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer; Jack Guarnieri attended EAG to promote titles; interviewed by Pinball News | | Chicago Gaming | company | Pinball manufacturer of remake games (Monster Bash, Attack from Mars, Medieval Madness); Ryan White represented company at show | | Homepin | company | Pinball manufacturer with one title to date; games displayed at Pinball Heaven stand | | Gary Stern | person | Stern Pinball representative at EAG 2019; interviewed by Pinball News | | John Buscaglia | person | Stern Pinball representative at EAG 2019; interviewed by Pinball News | | Doug Skor | person | Stern Pinball representative at EAG 2019 | | Jack Guarnieri | person | Jersey Jack Pinball representative at EAG 2019; interviewed by Pinball News and Jonathan Joosten | | Jonathan Joosten | person | Pinball Magazine journalist; co-conducted interview with Jack Guarnieri at EAG 2019 | | Ryan White | person | Chicago Gaming representative at EAG 2019 | | Phil Palmer | person | Pinball Heaven staff at EAG 2019 | | The Munsters | game | Stern Pinball title exhibited in Pro and Premium versions at EAG; Premium features lower playfield | | The Beatles Gold | game | Stern Pinball title; two units on Electrocoin stand at EAG | | Deadpool Pro | game | Stern Pinball title on Electrocoin stand at EAG | | Thunderbirds | game | Jersey Jack Pinball title exhibited at EAG | | Monster Bash | game | Chicago Gaming remake title exhibited at EAG | | Attack from Mars | game | Chicago Gaming remake title exhibited at EAG | | Medieval Madness | game | Chicago Gaming remake title exhibited at EAG | | ExCel London | organization | Venue for EAG International 2019 in London's Docklands | | Pinball News | organization | Pinball media outlet providing coverage and video tour of EAG 2019 | | Pinball Magazine | organization | Pinball media outlet; Jonathan Joosten interviewed Jersey Jack at EAG | ### Topics - **Primary:** Trade show coverage and exhibitor presence, Stern Pinball games on display (The Munsters, Beatles Gold, Deadpool), Jersey Jack Pinball products and future announcements - **Secondary:** Chicago Gaming remake titles, Pinball's limited presence in broader amusement industry, Amusement industry trends (VR, digital gaming, carnival game revivals), The Munsters Premium vs Pro playfield comparison - **Mentioned:** Show attendance and visitor traffic ### Sentiment **Neutral** (0.5) — Article is factual event coverage with matter-of-fact tone. Some mild concern implied about pinball's minimal presence at a major amusement trade show compared to VR and digital gaming trends. No strong emotional valence—reporting is observational rather than editorial. ### Signals - **[event_signal]** Jersey Jack Pinball interview conducted at EAG 2019 with Jack Guarnieri; upcoming podcast featuring 'exciting news about upcoming games and prospects' (confidence: high) — Pinball News article states interview will air 'at the end of January' in monthly podcast with 'plenty of exciting news about upcoming games' - **[event_signal]** EAG International 2019 held January 15-17 at ExCel London with minimal pinball presence; only two dedicated pinball exhibitors (confidence: high) — Direct reporting with photos documenting Electrocoin and Pinball Heaven stands as only two companies with pinball games - **[industry_signal]** Amusement industry moving toward VR, short-throw projection, digital gaming terminals, and carnival game revivals rather than traditional pinball (confidence: high) — Extensive coverage of VR systems, short-throw projectors, Pac-Man re-branding, digital/physical hybrid games, touchscreen gaming terminals occupying large show floor space - **[market_signal]** Pinball presence declining at European trade shows; only kiddie pinball titles from other manufacturers visible besides dedicated exhibitors (confidence: medium) — Only Emoji Pinball and Soccer Ball found as pinball-adjacent games; broader amusement industry focusing on VR, digital gaming, and carnival game revivals - **[product_strategy]** The Munsters Premium and Pro tiers show distinct gameplay and mechanical differences; Premium lower playfield creates different challenge and registration issues (confidence: high) — Hands-on comparison showing orbit shots hit differently, Munster Madness wizard mode differs between versions, lower playfield has inconsistent shot registration --- ## Transcript Date: 15th - 17th January, 2019 Location: ExCel London Exhibition Centre, Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL, UK We’re back in London’s Docklands area for the annual coin-op and amusements trade show, EAG International. As usual it is being held at the ExCel London conference centre. !ExCel London ExCel London The exhibition centre is next to an offshoot of the River Thames as it heads off into the North Sea. Its location is a former docks which has been redeveloped into housing, shops, hotels, restaurants, some light industrial units, and the ExCel. All around are reminders of the area’s past. !A statue marking the former docks here A statue marking the former docks here !Dockyard cranes, now merely decorative Dockyard cranes, now merely decorative The EAG International show is held in ExCel’s halls N1 to N3 on the north side of the building – the opposite side to the river. !The entrance to Hall N2 at ExCel London The entrance to Hall N2 at ExCel London Set up had begun on Monday ahead of the public opening on Tuesday at 10am, with the two exhibitors with pinball machines getting their stands ready. ![Electrocoin had five Stern pinballs on their stand](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/036-eag-international-2019.jpg) Electrocoin had five Stern pinballs on their stand (picture: Gary Flower) ![The Pinball Heaven team complete assembly of their stand (picture: Gary Flower)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/035-eag-international-2019.jpg) The Flower) Entry to EAG International is free, and once inside the hall all the games are on free play, although some of the more popular titles might normally involve a little queuing before you can play them. The show is a mix of amusements, gaming, redemption and rides. EAG International is paired with the snappily-titled Visitor Attraction Expo show, so there’s a wide spectrum of amusements to see and try. Visitor numbers appeared reasonably low on the second of the three days which was when we visited, and reports suggest the first day was even quieter. The aisles were not busy and there were plenty of vacant games to try out, with only the very newest titles sometimes requiring a wait. ![EAG International is paired with Visitor Attraction Expo](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/026-eag-international-2019.jpg) EAG International is paired with Visitor Attraction Expo Let’s get straight to the pinball though, and as we saw earlier Electrocoin had five Stern Pinball machines on their stand – The Munsters Premium, The Munsters Pro, 2 x The Beatles Gold and a Deadpool Pro. ![The Electrocoin stand](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/009-eag-international-2019.jpg) The Electrocoin stand ![Stern Pinball titles on the Electrocoin stand](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/005-eag-international-2019.jpg) Stern Pinball titles on the Electrocoin stand ![The Munsters Premium](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/007-eag-international-2019.jpg) The Munsters Premium ![The Munsters Pro](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/006-eag-international-2019.jpg) The Munsters Pro We had the opportunity to try the Pro and Premium models of The Munsters side-by-side. The Premium with the lower playfield is definitely the trickier to play, not least because the orbit shot landed cleanly on the right flipper on the Pro, but hit the top of the right slingshot on the Premium. Also, in the Munster Madness wizard mode you have to play both playfields simultaneously which adds an extra level of complexity, whereas in the Pro you only have the one playfield to worry about. The Pro does have a different Grandpa’s Laboratory mode in lieu of the lower playfield, which involves shooting the standup targets either side of the ramps. This is more dangerous since you can drain from those shots whereas once you are on the lower playfield you cannot lose the (full-size) ball. It was also easier to complete Grandpa’s Laboratory on the Pro than making all the lower-playfield shots, not all of which seemed to register totally reliably. ![Players enjoying the Stern Pinball machines on the Electrocoin stand](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/008-eag-international-2019.jpg) Players stand There were three Stern Pinball representatives at the show – Gary Stern, John Buscaglia and Doug Skor. They were in meetings a lot of the time, but we grabbed a quick chat with John and Gary at the end of the second day. !John Buscaglia and Gary Stern John Buscaglia and Gary Stern The other stand with pinballs was Pinball Heaven’s, who sell games from Stern Pinball, Jersey Jack Pinball, Chicago Gaming and Homepin. They had titles from all these companies. ![The Pinball Heaven stand](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/011-eag-international-2019.jpg) The Pinball Heaven stand !Pinball Heaven's Phil Palmer with his stand Pinball Heaven’s Phil Palmer with his stand ![The Munsters Pro and The Beatles Gold](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/012-eag-international-2019.jpg) The Munsters Pro and The Beatles Gold ![Jack Guarnieri of Jersey Jack Pinball was here to promote his company's titles](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/015-eag-international-2019.jpg) Jack company’s titles Pinball News teamed up with Jonathan Joosten from Pinball Magazine to interview Jack about the current and future Jersey Jack Pinball games. You can hear the interview as part of our regular monthly podcast at the end of January when you will hear plenty of exciting news about upcoming games and prospects for the company’s future. ![Jonathan Joosten, Jack Guarnieri and Martin Ayub of Pinball News](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/004-eag-international-2019.jpg) Jonathan News Pinball Heaven also had the three remake games from Chicago Gaming as well as Homepin’s sole title to date. Ryan White from Chicago Gaming was there to represent the company and help promote their games. ![The three 'remake' titles from Chicago Gaming - Monster Bash, Attack from Mars and Medieval Madness](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/013-eag-international-2019.jpg) The three ‘remake’ titles from Chicago Gaming – Monster Bash, Attack from Mars and Medieval Madness !Thunderbirds alongside the four Jersey Jack Pinball titles Thunderbirds alongside the four Jersey Jack Pinball titles Looking around the rest of the show, pinball was not noticeably extending its reach into other areas of the coin-op business. Only two companies had pinball-related games, and those were both kiddie titles. ![Emoji Pinball from Fiam Automazione](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/020-eag-international-2019.jpg) Emoji Pinball from Fiam Automazione ![Soccer Ball from Cool Things](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/eag-international-2019/016-eag-international-2019.jpg) Soccer Ball from Cool Things Pinball did make one appearance elsewhere in the form of an illuminated sign, while a current pinball title was also found mixed up with a dazzling array of LED signage elsewhere in the hall. !Functional rather than inspirational Functional rather than inspirational !See if you can spot the pinball references See if you can spot the pinball references That’s all the pinball we could find, so let’s turn to the trends we picked up from the many new attractions on offer. !VR Goggles on one of the smaller virtual reality amusements VR amusements Although it’s been around for a while, until now virtual reality gaming has always been a niche attraction, requiring attendants to fit and operate the equipment, and a large space in which to operate. Those restrictions might remain, but there were still plenty of VR games systems vying for arcade and FEC buyers’ orders. !One of the many VR games systems on show One !Another VR games arena Another VR games arena Until recently, any game requiring a large screen tended to use LCD monitors in preference to projection systems, due to the distance needed for a projector to produce a sizeable image. Now though, ‘short-throw’ projectors have dramatically cut that distance and give large projection screens a new lease of life. !Tomb Raider uses a short-throw projector to produce its large display Tomb display The other trend we picked up on was the revival of classic carnival or fun fair games in a more-modern form. Ring Toss and the Coconut Shy were just two of these being shown to visitors. !Two Ring Toss games - the floor rises to release the rings from the bottles at the end of the game Two Ring Toss games – game !These illuminated 'coconuts' fall backwards when hit by a ball and reset when the game ends These illuminated ‘coconuts’ ends The amount of space taken up has long been a problem for ball bowlers, but now digital bowlers combine a restricted amount of physical action with a digital extension of the lane. !Physical/digital combo ball and puck bowlers Physical/digital combo ball and puck bowlers Another way to inject new life into an existing format is to re-brand it with another timeless theme – even if it has no direct relevance to the game in question. Take the tried-and-tested coin pusher, combine it with, say, something everyone enjoys such as Pac-Man, and behold – the Pac-Man pusher. !Pac-Man seems to have escaped his maze and is everywhere these days Pac-Man days It’s not all physical games though, with the final feature of EAG this year being the increased amount of space given over to gaming machines, and in particular touchscreen digital terminals. Most of the back right corner of the show was occupied by digital and physical slots of various kinds, and they were to be found in numerous groups right across the floor. !A back-to-back row of Prismatic touch screen gaming terminals from Astra Games A Games All of which brings us to the end of this report from EAG International 2019. !An overview of EAG International 2019 An overview of EAG International 2019 !Next year's show dates are already in the Pinball News Diary Next year’s Diary We will leave you with our customary video look around the show floor, otherwise known as the Pinball News Twenty-Three Minute Tour. We hope you enjoy it all, but if you are only interested in the pinball, jump to 5:13 and 12:42 for Pinball Heaven and Electrocoin respectively. VIDEO _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 74a3587b-38e4-46ff-a5db-242948204ad4*