# Stern Pinball Unveils Teaser for Next Game

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2022-09-06  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/stern-pinball-unveils-teaser-for-next-game

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## Analysis

Stern Pinball officially announced James Bond as its next game via a teaser video featuring the iconic Bond theme and '007 Shaking Soon' tagline. A limited number of James Bond LE machines will be available to All-Access members on the Stern Store exactly 007 days after the announcement. The game was rumored to have originally been assigned to Steve Ritchie before his departure to Jersey Jack, with George Gomez subsequently taking over as lead designer.

### Key Claims

- [MEDIUM] James Bond theme was originally given to Steve Ritchie before he left Stern for Jersey Jack — _Author cites this as rumor from industry gossip, not official confirmation_
- [MEDIUM] Stern scrapped Ritchie's James Bond design when he departed — _Rumor-level information; plausible given precedent but unconfirmed_
- [MEDIUM] George Gomez took over as lead designer after Ritchie's departure — _Author reports this as rumor; aligns with Gomez's role at Stern but not explicitly confirmed for this title_
- [HIGH] Limited James Bond LE machines will be sold exclusively to All-Access members — _Official Stern announcement quoted directly from shop.sternpinball.com_
- [HIGH] Sale will occur on 'Tuesday at 10:00 AM Central Time' exactly 007 days after announcement — _Official Stern statement, specific time and date provided_

### Notable Quotes

> "Stern Pinball dropped the teaser for its next cornerstone game…the long-rumored James Bond"
> — **Author (Knapp Arcade)**, Initial announcement section
> _First public acknowledgment of James Bond as official announcement, characterizing it as a 'cornerstone' title_

> "007 'Shaking Soon.'"
> — **Stern Pinball (teaser tagline)**, Teaser video
> _Official reveal tagline; cryptic phrasing suggesting imminent release or gameplay mechanic_

> "In exactly 007 days there will be a very limited number of James Bond LE pinball machines available to purchase on the Stern Store!"
> — **Stern Pinball (official announcement)**, UPDATE section
> _Official sale window; 007-day countdown serves as marketing hook aligning with Bond franchise numbering_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Stern Pinball | company | Announced James Bond 007 pinball game; orchestrating limited LE sale to All-Access members |
| James Bond 007 | game | Newly announced cornerstone pinball title from Stern; LE variant being sold to All-Access members |
| George Gomez | person | Rumored lead designer on James Bond after reportedly taking over from Steve Ritchie |
| Steve Ritchie | person | Legendary designer rumored to have been originally assigned James Bond theme before departing Stern for Jersey Jack Pinball |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Company Steve Ritchie departed to from Stern |
| Knapp Arcade | organization | News source reporting on the announcement |
| Stern All-Access | product | Membership program granting exclusive early purchase access to limited James Bond LE machines |

### Topics

- **Primary:** James Bond 007 pinball announcement, Limited Edition exclusive sale strategy
- **Secondary:** Designer assignment and game development history, Stern All-Access membership benefits, Steve Ritchie departure to Jersey Jack

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.75) — Author conveys excitement about the announcement ('Boom Stern Pinball dropped'); tone is enthusiastic and breaks news eagerly. Rumors about design reassignment are presented matter-of-factly without judgment. Friendly tone throughout.

### Signals

- **[leak_detection]** James Bond has been long-rumored in the pinball community before official announcement (confidence: medium) — Author references 'long-rumored James Bond' and industry rumors about Ritchie/Gomez design history
- **[personnel_signal]** James Bond pinball designer assignment appears to have shifted from Steve Ritchie to George Gomez following Ritchie's departure to Jersey Jack Pinball (confidence: medium) — Author reports rumor that theme was 'originally given to Steve Ritchie before he left Stern Pinball for Jersey Jack' and 'Stern scrapped his design and George Gomez took over as lead designer'
- **[announcement]** Stern Pinball officially announces James Bond 007 as next major pinball title via teaser video with iconic Bond theme (confidence: high) — Official teaser video released featuring James Bond theme and '007 Shaking Soon' tagline; shop.sternpinball.com product listing
- **[business_signal]** Stern using limited LE sales exclusively to All-Access members on specified date (007 days out) to drive membership and create FOMO/scarcity (confidence: high) — Official announcement restricting 'very limited number of James Bond LE pinball machines' to All-Access members only; 007-day countdown marketed as exclusive window

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## Transcript

Power outages and breaking news are not a great combination lol. I’m sitting here in my car charging my phone when all of a sudden, Ed Boon Stern Pinball dropped the teaser for its next cornerstone game…the long-rumored James Bond. 

The short video clip didn’t really contain any information about the game. It played the iconic James Bond song along with the words 007 “Shaking Soon.” Rumors have said that this theme was originally given to Steve Ritchie before he left Stern Pinball for Jersey Jack and that when he left, Stern scrapped his design and George Gomez took over as lead designer. 

I’ll share more information whenever I have it…if my power ever comes back on :) . 

UPDATE: Stern’s new James Bond pin will go on sale one week from today. Next Tuesday at 10:00 AM Central Time Stern is going to sell a limited number of 007 LE machines directly to Stern All-Access members on its website:

"In exactly 007 days there will be a very limited number of James Bond LE pinball machines available to purchase on the Stern Store!"

https://shop.sternpinball.com/products/all-access-james-bond-007-le?fbclid=IwAR35xvdIj5UGTKBa-a1PP5r5C869OUyBpqQLrHscwKh1mQNwjrTozeHAm38

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: fdbe9c0d-e0bc-49e7-b800-75f68f3d27f3*