# Confirmation that Stern Pinball's Next Cornerstone Game Will Indeed Be Playable at Comic-Con **Source:** Knapp Arcade **Type:** article **Published:** 2023-06-21 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/confirmation-that-stern-pinball-s-next-cornerstone-game-will-indeed-be-playable-at-comic-con --- ## Analysis Knapp Arcade reports confirmation that Stern Pinball's next cornerstone game (Marvel's Venom) will be playable at San Diego Comic-Con July 20-23, 2023, based on an email from Orange County Pinball distributor. This marks a second attempt at a Comic-Con launch after a failed 2022 attempt when Stern prioritized James Bond instead. Pre-production units will appear at Comic-Con and likely California Extreme, with mass production scheduled for September 2023. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Stern's next cornerstone game (Marvel Venom) will be playable at San Diego Comic-Con July 20-23, 2023 — _Official email from Orange County Pinball distributor sent to customers_ - [HIGH] Demo Venom units will not be available for purchase at Comic-Con; only pre-production units for play — _Editorial clarification by Knapp based on original OC Pinball email misrepresentation_ - [HIGH] Stern moved Venom launch back in 2022 to prioritize James Bond release for franchise anniversary — _Author's recollection of previous year's events and Stern's scheduling decisions_ - [MEDIUM] Pre-production Venom units will likely appear at California Extreme in August 2023 — _Author speculation based on typical Stern showcase strategy_ - [MEDIUM] Stern's mass production of Venom is scheduled for September 2023 — _Author statement citing production timeline information_ ### Notable Quotes > "Come visit us at Comic-Con this year to play Stern's next cornerstone game release plus the checkout the rest of the lineup!! Demo games will be sold at a discount for pickup at the conclusion of the show on Sunday evening 7/23/2023." > — **Orange County Pinball (via distributor email)**, Early July 2023 > _Official confirmation of Venom's Comic-Con appearance, though later clarified by author regarding demo availability_ > "Despite the above wording, demo Venoms will not be available for sale at Comic-Con. The show games will be pre-production units with demo units of other games being available for sale from OC Pinball." > — **Knapp Arcade (editorial clarification)**, Publication date > _Important correction clarifying the distinction between demo units and pre-production units_ > "Some of you may remember that a year ago last July there was tons of smoke that Stern Pinball was going to launch a Marvel Venom-themed pinball machine at San Diego's Comic Con. They had a big booth and autograph sessions set up with Todd MacFarlane and Ozzy Osbourne scheduled. Then...poof nothing happened." > — **Knapp Arcade**, Publication date > _Historical context of failed 2022 Comic-Con launch attempt with celebrity appearances planned_ > "It looks like we'll get that launch this year instead. I'm psyched that we are going to see a cool new game from Stern soon." > — **Knapp Arcade**, Publication date > _Author's positive sentiment about confirmed Venom launch after previous disappointment_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Stern Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer releasing Marvel Venom as next cornerstone game | | Venom | game | Marvel-themed Stern Pinball cornerstone release scheduled for Comic-Con showcase and September mass production | | San Diego Comic-Con | event | Major pop culture event hosting Stern's Venom showcase July 20-23, 2023 | | Orange County Pinball | company | Stern distributor who sent official confirmation email about Comic-Con appearance | | California Extreme | event | Arcade/pinball expo in August 2023 where pre-production Venom units likely to appear | | Todd McFarlane | person | Comic creator associated with Venom IP; had autograph session scheduled for failed 2022 Comic-Con launch | | Ozzy Osbourne | person | Celebrity with Venom connections; had appearance scheduled for failed 2022 Comic-Con launch | | James Bond | game | Stern game that took priority over Venom in 2022 due to franchise anniversary timing | | Knapp Arcade | company | Pinball news/analysis site publishing confirmation and historical analysis of Venom launch | | Frisco Pinball | organization | Twitch streaming channel that provided tip about OC Pinball email; hosted by Hadi | ### Topics - **Primary:** Stern Pinball product announcements and launches, Marvel Venom game confirmation and timeline, Comic-Con as pinball industry showcase venue - **Secondary:** Pre-production unit demonstrations vs. retail availability, Stern's 2022 vs. 2023 Comic-Con strategy, Pinball distributor communication and marketing - **Mentioned:** Community information sourcing in pinball news ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.78) — Author expresses enthusiasm and relief about confirmed Venom launch after previous disappointment. Tone is optimistic about game quality and industry momentum. Mild frustration with original distributor email's imprecise wording regarding demo availability, but resolved through clarification. ### Signals - **[business_signal]** Distributor coordination and communication about major releases to prepare retail partners (confidence: high) — Orange County Pinball's formal email notification about product availability and showcase timing - **[community_signal]** Stern leveraging Comic-Con and arcade expos for major game launches and celebrity partnerships (confidence: medium) — Todd McFarlane and Ozzy Osbourne appearances planned; pre-production showcase strategy across events - **[event_signal]** Stern Pinball planning major showcase of Marvel Venom at San Diego Comic-Con with pre-production playable units (confidence: high) — Official confirmation via Orange County Pinball distributor email - **[market_signal]** Stern adjusting launch strategy and venues for major IP releases (prioritized James Bond 2022, Venom 2023) (confidence: high) — Author's historical context of 2022 postponement and 2023 Comic-Con confirmation - **[announcement]** Marvel Venom confirmed as next Stern cornerstone release with September 2023 mass production start (confidence: high) — Distributor communication and author's corroboration of timeline --- ## Transcript After speaking with someone who had knowledge of the situation back in early May, I wrote that Stern Pinball's next Cornerstone game, which is likely Marvel's Venom, may be playable at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con. Today we seem to have received confirmation that is indeed the case. Earlier today, the pinball distributor Orange County Pinball sent around an e-mail saying that Stern's next game will be "playable" at San Diego Comic-Con, which is scheduled to take place July 20 - 23 ( https://www.comic-con.org/ ). COMIC-CON San Diego July 20th-23rd Come visit us at Comic-Con this year to play Stern's next cornerstone game release plus the checkout the rest of the lineup!! Demo games will be sold at a discount for pickup at the conclusion of the show on Sunday evening 7/23/2023. EDIT: Just a thought that popped into my head after seeing the above text that I italicized here to indicate that it was a quote cut and pasted everywhere without attribution (LOL). Despite the above wording, demo Venoms will not be available for sale at Comic-Con. The show games will be pre-production units with demo units of other games being available for sale from OC Pinball. These pre-production Venoms will most likely also make an appearance at California Extreme in August. Stern isn't slated to mass produce the game until September of this year. Some of you may remember that a year ago last July there was tons of smoke that Stern Pinball was going to launch a Marvel Venom-themed pinball machine at San Diego's Comic Con. They had a big booth and autograph sessions set up with Todd MacFarlane and Ozzy Osbourbe scheduled. Then...poof nothing happened. Stern moved the launch of Venom back to get James Bond out in time for the franchise's anniversary. It looks like we'll get that launch this year instead. I'm psyched that we are going to see a cool new game from Stern soon. More fun stuff to talk about! A special thanks to Hadi from the Twitch Channel Frisco Pinball for the heads up about the OC e-mail. Contrary to the recent funny rumor, I don't normally get fed special information from TPN. I wish that I did, but I get info from their public shows just like you all :) Here's a link to the Frisco Pinball Twitch channel. Make sure to check his awesome streams out. https://twitch.tv/friscopinball Stern Pinball Comic Con Venom Launch Take 2? https://www.knapparcade.org/post/stern-pinball-comic-con-venom-launch-take-2 _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: a2b5f757-14db-4a69-a1c3-7afa913ec956*