# Stern Pinball: About to go "Into the Pinverse" With Venom at Comic-Con; Production News

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2023-07-08  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/stern-pinball-about-to-go-into-the-pinverse-with-venom-at-comic-con-production-news

---

## Analysis

Stern Pinball is holding a panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 (July 20) titled 'Into the Pinverse' to discuss their newest pinball machine announcement. The seminar title and context strongly suggest Venom pinball is the upcoming release, designed by Brian Eddy, though Spider-Verse theming remains a remote possibility. Factory Friday footage confirms Avengers Pro is currently in production.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Stern Pinball will announce a new pinball machine at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20 at 2:30 PM Pacific — _Official Comic-Con programming schedule published; seminar confirmed with Seth Davis (CEO), Zach Sharpe (marketing), and Brian Eddy (designer) participating_
- [HIGH] Brian Eddy designed the upcoming game to be announced at Comic-Con — _Author states 'I know for a fact that Brian Eddy designed it' regarding the seminar's featured game_
- [MEDIUM] Venom pinball 'has been ready forever' — _Author's insider knowledge claim; suggests game has been completed and awaiting announcement for extended period_
- [HIGH] Avengers Pro was on Stern's production line as of last week — _Factory Friday behind-the-scenes footage released by Stern Pinball_

### Notable Quotes

> "This seminar title still works with a potential Venom pinball machine release. The game has been ready forever and I know for a fact that Brian Eddy designed it."
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**, main body
> _Direct confirmation of insider knowledge regarding Venom as the likely Comic-Con announcement and Brian Eddy's design role_

> "honestly I suspect that this is just overthinking things and Venom is coming just like we've expected since last year's San Diego Comic-Con."
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**, main body
> _Author's assessment that Venom has been anticipated since 2023 Comic-Con and is the most likely announcement, dismissing Spider-Verse theory_

> "The conversation, led by GameSpot host Tamoor Hussain, will center around the art and design process for their newest pinball machine to be announced at SDCC, as well as Stern's larger focus on changing the landscape of the gaming industry as a whole."
> — **Comic-Con website description**, quoted material
> _Official confirmation that a new pinball machine will be announced at the seminar and indicates broader Stern strategic messaging_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Stern Pinball | company | Major pinball manufacturer hosting Comic-Con panel and announcing new game |
| Venom | game | Marvel-themed pinball machine expected to be announced at Comic-Con; designed by Brian Eddy; reportedly completed but held for announcement |
| Brian Eddy | person | Legendary Stern pinball designer; confirmed designer of upcoming Comic-Con announcement game |
| Seth Davis | person | CEO of Stern Pinball; panelist at Comic-Con seminar |
| Zach Sharpe | person | Head of marketing at Stern Pinball; panelist at Comic-Con seminar |
| Tamoor Hussain | person | GameSpot host moderating Comic-Con panel for Stern Pinball |
| San Diego Comic-Con 2024 | event | July 20, 2024; venue for Stern Pinball announcement and 'Into the Pinverse' seminar |
| Spider-Verse | product | Marvel movie franchise (Into the Spider-Verse 2018, Across the Spider-Verse current); speculated alternative theme for announcement |
| Avengers Pro | game | Stern pinball machine currently in production as of Factory Friday footage |
| Spider-Man (2007) | game | Classic Stern pinball machine; author notes it was vaulted and revamped in 2016, speculation about potential re-theme |
| Knapp Arcade | organization | Content creator/blogger covering pinball and arcade news; source of this analysis |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Upcoming game announcements, Marvel IP licensing in pinball, Comic-Con 2024 event
- **Secondary:** Stern Pinball production pipeline, Designer/development team roles, Pinball game theme speculation

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.75) — Author expresses enthusiasm about the upcoming announcement ('Whooo that one is going to leave a mark') and treats speculation as exciting speculation rather than concerning news. Tone is optimistic about Stern's product pipeline and Comic-Con presence.

### Signals

- **[event_signal]** Major industry announcement scheduled at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 with senior Stern leadership and gaming media moderator (confidence: high) — Official Comic-Con programming confirmation with CEO, head of marketing, and lead designer participating; moderated by GameSpot host
- **[leak_detection]** Venom pinball details (designer, production status, announcement timing) have circulated in community for extended period prior to official reveal (confidence: medium) — Author references expectations 'since last year's San Diego Comic-Con' indicating information has been anticipated/known informally
- **[market_signal]** Stern prioritizing major IP licenses and high-profile event announcements; Comic-Con presence signals continued focus on pop culture/entertainment partnerships (confidence: medium) — Panel description emphasizes 'licensing some of the world's hottest brands' and 'appeal to fans and collectors'; event choice indicates strategic marketing to broader entertainment audience
- **[personnel_signal]** Brian Eddy confirmed as lead game designer for major upcoming title at highest level (Comic-Con panel appearance) (confidence: high) — Official Comic-Con programming lists Eddy as panelist discussing 'lead game designer' role for announced machine
- **[announcement]** Venom pinball machine expected to be officially announced at Comic-Con seminar (confidence: high) — Author claims insider knowledge that Venom 'has been ready forever' and was designed by Brian Eddy; seminar title 'Into the Pinverse' aligns with Venom theming and Marvel branding focus

---

## Transcript

Whooo that one is going to leave a mark. I apologize for not getting this news out yesterday, I've been up to my eyeballs in work. Thankfully, it is not the weekend and I have time to talk about our beloved hobbies again, pinball and arcade stuff.

Catching up, thank you to all of you who reached out to me yesterday with the tip that the title of Stern Pinball's upcoming seminar at San Diego Comic-Con has been released. On July 20th at 2:30 PM Pacific time Stern will give a talk at the show titled "Into the Pinverse: From Comic Book to Pinball." Here's the description of the talk from Comin-Con's website:

This panel will feature a moderated Q&A with Stern Pinball’s Seth Davis (CEO), Zach Sharpe (head of marketing), and Brian Eddy (lead game designer). The conversation, led by GameSpot host Tamoor Hussain,will center around the art and design process for their newest pinball machine to be announced at SDCC, as well as Stern’s larger focus on changing the landscape of the gaming industry as a whole. Key takeaways for those in attendance will be knowledge of the components of a great license from a company that’s licensed some of the world’s hottest brands, how an IP is turned into iconic pinball machines that appeal to fans and collectors alike, and a deep-dive into the creation of Stern’s newest major release.

https://www.comic-con.org/cci/programming-schedule

Well, there's one more clue for us on what Stern's next game will be. This seminar title still works with a potential Venom pinball machine release. The game has been ready forever and I know for a fact that Brian Eddy designed it.

The other remote possibility that this opens up is a pinball machine based on the popular "Spider-Verse" series, which has become even more well-known since the 2018 movie "Into the Spider-Verse" and its sequel which is currently out in theatres, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." The series actually began with a comic series that ran from 2014 to 2015.

If Stern is releasing a Spider-Man Spider-Verse themed pin, kudos to them because have not heard a thing about it. There was some talk at one point that Stern might vault its popular 2007 pinball machine Spider-Man again. The last time this game was vaulted, in 2016, it was revamped with new comic art. Another re-theme of the pin to Spider-Verse could be cool, but honestly I suspect that this is just overthinking things and Venom is coming just like we've expected since last year's San Diego Comic-Con.

In other Stern Pinball news, the Company released its "Factory Friday" peek behind the scenes yesterday afternoon. It showed that Avengers Pro was on the production line last week.

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

---

*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 767fd599-faf4-4f21-bfe7-65f29745af4f*