Stern Dominates Headlines with Star Wars Spike 3 Launch, Pokémon Tease, and Vault Program Rollout Amid Community Growth Focus
February 12, 2026 sees Stern Pinball asserting market dominance through multiple strategic moves: the reveal of Star Wars: Fall of the Empire on new Spike 3 hardware with innovative AT-AT/Death Star toys, a Pokémon Pinball teaser signaling another blockbuster IP partnership, and formalization of the Vault Program discontinuing nine titles (most sold out). CEO Gary Stern emphasizes three-segment market strategy (operators/collectors/newcomers) and positions Insider Connected as existential to the company's future, claiming unconnected products will fail within 5-10 years. The company reports 20% growth in factory tour attendance (1,200+) and commits to expanded All Access membership benefits. Meanwhile, Jersey Jack Pinball's Pokémon game generates enthusiastic early impressions as a "love letter" to designer Jack Guarnieri's influences, with community members praising its accessible design and classic game homages. Stern's aggressive connectivity push, combined with exclusive software modes tied to physical accessories (Jaws 50th Anniversary topper, Star Wars FOTE Challenge Mode), signals a strategic bet on recurring revenue and data-driven product development. Community sentiment remains positive toward new releases, though location operator neglect continues to frustrate players encountering poorly maintained commercial machines.
🎮 Major Releases & Product Strategy
**Stern's Star Wars: Fall of the Empire** debuts on **Spike 3 hardware** with larger/higher-res display and improved audio, featuring **motorized AT-AT walker** with articulated legs, **Death Star ball-locking device** holding 3 balls, **Sarlac pit vacuum-form ramp**, and **magnet-based Force Save** drain system. Designer John Borg (original 1992 Star Wars designer) returns for "next level" remake emphasizing scenes not in prior game. Game includes **8 character-based shot modes**, 25+ original music tracks blended with John Williams compositions, and official LucasFilm voice talent (Chris Bartlett as C-3PO). Marketing emphasizes accessibility for novices while maintaining tournament depth. **Pokémon Pinball teased** by Stern with minimal trailer ("it's the battle you've been waiting for"), signaling imminent announcement of another blockbuster IP partnership following Stern's pattern of Marvel/Star Wars/Lord of the Rings licensing. **Jersey Jack Pinball's Pokémon** receiving positive early impressions: community members identify homages to The Game Show, Dredd, Creature (possibly Junkyard), praising accessible design philosophy and absence of center ramp. Described as "love letter to Jack's favorite pins." **Stern Vault Program formalized**: Nine titles discontinued with minimum 2-year shelf period (most sold out completely). Only Deadpool and Foo Fighters have limited Premium inventory remaining. Program emphasizes "no promise these titles are coming back" to create urgency and transparency around product lifecycle.
💡 Connectivity & Digital Strategy
**Gary Stern's strategic vision**: CEO positions Insider Connected as existential, claiming "Any product that is not connected in five or 10 years will fail." Stern and partner invested "millions of dollars" in platform enabling surveys, leaderboards, play data collection, and bi-directional communication. Company reports **30-40% year-over-year play increase** on connected machines. **Market segmentation emphasis**: Stern explicitly targeting three distinct customer segments—commercial operators, enthusiasts/collectors, and newcomers—with differentiated product strategies. Gary Stern: "If it doesn't grow, it's going to shrink" regarding market expansion necessity. **Leaderboard feature reprioritized** after operator and homeowner demand observed at shows; advanced analytics (flipper usage patterns, shot preferences) planned for future release. **All Access membership relaunching** with expanded benefits including home leaderboards and features previously reserved for Pros. **Exclusive software tied to physical accessories**: Jaws 50th Anniversary topper includes "Shark is Broken Challenge Mode," Star Wars FOTE accessories unlock "Escape Bespin Challenge Mode," creating purchase incentives beyond aesthetics. **Factory tour formalization**: Stern implementing public booking tool for scheduled tours starting 2025, formalizing fan engagement infrastructure after 1,200+ attendees this year (20% growth, 80%+ first-time visitors).
🎨 Accessories & Monetization
**Star Wars FOTE accessories ecosystem**: Cabinet expression lighting (96 RGB LEDs synchronized to gameplay), speaker lighting, Stormtrooper shooter knob, TIE Fighter side armor, Battle of Hoth art blades, animatronic C-3PO topper (backward compatible with 2017 Star Wars). Premium/Pro editions receive differentiated accessory packages. **Jaws 50th Anniversary topper** announced with red billboard frame matching blood red armor kit, bundled with exclusive Challenge Mode software. **Accessory catch-up plan**: Stern acknowledges being "behind on getting all of our accessories out" with commitment to 3-6 month catch-up and better future alignment with game launches. King Kong accessories and new mode launching imminently. **Comet Pinball elevated to Head2Head Pinball sponsor** after hosts "purchased so many products from this sponsor that it only made sense," signaling strong aftermarket LED customization segment with multiple companies (Comet, Penn Stadium Light, Pin Graphics) advertising heavily.
👥 Community & Events
**Factory tour growth**: Stern reports 1,200+ attendees (20% increase), 80%+ first-time visitors. Gary Stern: "I'm more excited about the future of pinball than I've ever been. And I've been in this since I was two. So that's 78 years." **Community demographics shifting**: Seth Davis estimates ~75% of Chicago Pinball Expo attendees are new to hobby (4 years or less involvement), indicating active market expansion beyond existing collector base. **Pinball Outreach Project fundraiser**: Raised $11,000+ in ~3 hours during Head2Head Pinball charity stream at Seabar Portland, benefiting Path of Play and Project Pinball. **Brisbane Pinball Masters 2019 finals**: 10-day tournament at agricultural fair (ekka) featured 50 machines across 42 banks with multi-division play. American players (Colin Urban, Escher Lefkoff, Bowen Kerins) dominated top seedings. Community members express preference for lower-pressure divisions ("party division") over intense top-tier competition. **PinBrew Fest 2026 relocating** from eastern Ohio to Church Arcade near Pittsburgh (April 10-12) due to necessity "to keep PinBrew afloat," suggesting operational/venue challenges but commitment to continuing event. **Bells and Chimes women's pinball club** expanding nationwide with 50+ players in Chicago chapter alone, representing growing female player demographic.
⚠️ Operator & Maintenance Concerns
**Location neglect continues**: Reddit user reports poorly maintained Stern machines at bowling alley with "burnt out & missing bulbs, caked on dirt & dust, rubbers with chunks missing," noting "at least this time there actually were rubbers on the flipper bats" (implying recurring issue). **Deadpool Premium mature speech controversy**: Designer Mike acknowledges operators complained even mild terms like "badass" and "suck" were offensive for certain locations, prompting menu toggle implementation. Games ship with mature setting ON; no speech content changed, only suppressed via software. **Twilight Zone tournament limitations**: Josh Sharp (via Slam Till podcast) criticizes game's ruleset as reducing complex machine to limited shot sequences in tournament play, proposing escalating jackpot fix to encourage longer powerball engagement. **Pirates of the Caribbean production tweaks**: JJP replaced triple spinning disc with single proven mechanism for reliability; chest mechanism lid now stays open permanently after prototype testing revealed issues. Eric Minear: "I really want these games to hold up for generations to come."
🎯 Game-Specific Buzz
**Godzilla Pro long-term satisfaction**: Home collector celebrates 7-month ownership with daily play, broke 1 billion after 5 months, praises rules depth and "BY FAR the most fun pin I've ever played." Notes Pro model sufficient without Premium toys: "I love this pro and have no desire for the toys in the premium." **CSI (Stern/Pat Lawler)**: Head2Head gameplay review rates it better than Indiana Jones but below Batman. Features skull lock (requested by show creator who is "big fan of pinball"), three multiball modes (centrifuge/skull/microscope), evidence collection mechanics. Centrifuge creates significant physical vibration. **Seawaves (1980 Stern)**: Retrospective analysis in Head2Head's "Understanding Pinball" series highlights Stern's innovation displaying high scores in machine memory between balls—"no one else was doing at the time." **The Shadow (Brian Eddy)**: Head2Head review rates it equal to/better than Medieval Madness and Attack from Mars. Four-flipper layout, upper playfield battlefield, Furby diverter creating four distinct ramp shots, wizard mode requiring four objectives. Host: "find a better machine that has better shots and layout."
Cross-Source Themes
Stern's Connectivity-First Future
Gary Stern's existential claim that unconnected products will fail within 5-10 years, combined with exclusive software modes tied to physical accessories (Jaws/Star Wars toppers), represents strategic bet on recurring revenue and data-driven product development. 30-40% play increase on connected machines validates approach. This positions Stern's scale (100,000+ machines) as sustainable competitive moat competitors cannot replicate.
Sources: Drinks With Jack Featuring Gary Stern & Seth Davis (Part 3), Star Wars: Fall of the Empire Pinball Accessories Trailer, JAWS 50th Anniversary Pinball Topper Trailer
Pro Model Resonance
Multiple collectors expressing satisfaction with Pro models without desire for Premium toys (Godzilla: "I love this pro and have no desire for the toys in the premium"). Suggests Pro tier capturing higher share of home market than manufacturer expected, with sufficient feature set for sustained engagement. Challenges traditional assumption that Premium features are necessary for collector appeal.
Sources: HOLY MACKEREL, THAT WAS FUN!!!, Godzilla: Based on your experience...
Operator vs. Home Collector Tension
Stark contrast between neglected commercial machines (burnt bulbs, missing rubbers, dirt) and home collectors' meticulous care/enthusiasm. Deadpool mature speech controversy illustrates operator location sensitivity constraints on creative design. Community members using pinball as "therapy" after work while commercial locations fail basic maintenance creates dual-market perception problem.
Sources: Wild pins, sad shape, Episode 57 – Tanio Klyce (Deadpool Software Ninja), Crap day at work
Educational Pinball Content Growth
Mark Gibson's traveling educational exhibit, funwithpinball.com resource sharing, and new player discovery of fundamental mechanics (nudging) reveal significant knowledge gap for newcomers. Gibson's 5-year development of interactive EM/mechanical component displays and community enthusiast resource curation indicate grassroots effort to preserve/teach pinball engineering fundamentals as older generation ages out.
Sources: Episode 118 – Celtic Roots, Nice site to learn pinball internals, Just learned nudging is commonly accepted and I feel like my life is a lie
Signal Alerts
[business_signal]Stern Vault Program formalizes discontinuation of 9 high-profile licensed titles (most sold out), creating artificial scarcity and urgency while improving lifecycle transparency
[sentiment_shift]Leaderboard feature reprioritized after operator and homeowner demand observed at shows; Gary Stern: 'we listen and so we change direction' despite not being original priority
[competitive_meta]American players (Colin Urban, Escher Lefkoff, Bowen Kerins) dominated Brisbane Pinball Masters top seedings; community members prefer lower-pressure divisions ('party division') over intense top-tier competition
[community_controversy]Deadpool mature speech content generated operator complaints about even mild terms ('badass', 'suck'), prompting menu toggle implementation; reveals tension between creative licensing intent and commercial venue requirements
[event_signal]PinBrew Fest 2026 relocating from eastern Ohio to Pennsylvania due to necessity 'to keep PinBrew afloat,' suggesting venue/operational challenges
Trend Alerts
Narrative Updates
Stern's Three-Segment Market Strategy
Gary Stern explicitly articulates targeting commercial operators, enthusiasts/collectors, and newcomers with differentiated strategies. Costco partnership designed to attract first-time buyers (40% convert to second purchase). Community evangelism emphasized: 'You guys got to tell them. Got to be their sherpa.'
Connectivity as Pinball Industry Imperative
Gary Stern's existential claim ('Any product that is not connected in five or 10 years will fail') escalates connectivity from feature to requirement. Insider Connected investment described as 'millions of dollars' with 30-40% play increase validating approach. Positions scale (100,000+ machines) as competitive moat.
JJP Product Philosophy: Reliability Over Innovation
Pirates of the Caribbean production changes (single disc replacing triple, fixed chest lid) prioritize proven mechanisms over novel designs. Eric Minear: 'I really want these games to hold up for generations to come.' Signals shift from design innovation to long-term durability focus.
Educational Content & Newcomer Onboarding
Mark Gibson's traveling exhibit (5 years development), funwithpinball.com resource sharing, and new player discovery of fundamental mechanics (nudging) reveal knowledge preservation/transmission gap. Community-driven educational efforts addressing entry barriers for 75% of expo attendees who are new to hobby (≤4 years).
Commercial Location Quality Crisis
Persistent reports of neglected machines (burnt bulbs, missing rubbers, dirt) continue with no improvement signals. Operator content sensitivity (Deadpool mature speech) constraining creative design. Dual-market perception problem: home collectors celebrate daily play 'therapy' while commercial experiences disappoint.