Full Details on Stern James Bond Pinball Machine (Now Including High Res Pictures & Video)

Knapp Arcade·article·analyzed·Sep 22, 2022

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.021

TL;DR

Stern reveals James Bond pinball: Gomez & Elwin designs, Sean Connery focus, four variants, $6,999-$12,999+.

Summary

Stern Pinball announces James Bond 007 pinball machines with four variants: George Gomez-designed Pro/Premium/LE versions featuring Sean Connery films, and a separate Keith Elwin-designed 60th Anniversary LE incorporating all Bond actors. The Gomez games feature innovative playfield toys (rocket base, Aston Martin ejector seat, magnetic jetpack), multi-film integration, and Insider Connected ecosystem features. Pricing: Pro $6,999, Premium $9,699, LE $12,999, with 1,000 LE units and 500 60th Anniversary units planned.

Key Claims

James Bond machines will have four trim levels: Pro, Premium, LE (Gomez design) and Keith Elwin-designed 60th Anniversary Edition
high confidence · Official Stern press release and podcast notes from George Gomez/Mike Vinikour interview
Keith Elwin's 60th Anniversary Edition features mechanical scoring reels in backbox, incorporates all 25 Bond films, limited to 500 units globally
high confidence · Podcast details confirmed in official press release
Gomez Bond game is first three-flipper design from George Gomez since Corvette
high confidence · Direct statement in podcast notes
Pro art based on Dr. No, Premium on You Only Live Twice, LE on Thunderball
high confidence · Podcast notes from Stern Insider Connected Episode 19
George Gomez stated Elwin's game has 'a shot that I've never seen before'
high confidence · Direct quote from podcast episode
Mark Penacho, former Williams Pinball programmer, programmed the Elwin 60th Anniversary Edition after joining Stern in 2021
high confidence · Podcast details
Stern raised Pro prices by $100, Premium by $700, LE now at $12,999
high confidence · Pricing information from article
Limited LE models sold out in record time on Stern website to Insider Connected All Access members
high confidence · Article summary

Notable Quotes

“James Bond is as timeless as pinball. Partnering with EON Productions/Danjaq, MGM Studios and Aston Martin, we created a pinball adventure capturing the suspense, action, and humor from this beloved film series.”
Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO @ Official press release — Corporate positioning statement on the strategic importance of Bond IP and partnerships
“George Gomez said that Elwin's game has 'a shot that I've never seen before.'”
George Gomez (quoted via podcast) @ Insider Connected Podcast Episode 19 — Indicates innovative mechanical design in Elwin's separate playfield design
“Get connected today and become a legend.”
Gary Stern @ Official press release — Marketing tagline emphasizing Insider Connected ecosystem integration

Entities

George Gomezperson Keith Elwinperson Mike Vinikourperson Mark Penachoperson Nate Shiversperson Gary SternpersonStern PinballcompanyJames Bond 007

Signals

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community_signal: Insider Connected ecosystem integration with special missions, achievements, leaderboards, and cross-game progression systems planned
high · Press release emphasizes Insider Connected features enabling global play tracking, achievements, and operator tools
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design_philosophy: Dual design approach with George Gomez creating main line (Pro/Premium/LE) and Keith Elwin creating separate mechanical/retro-focused 60th Anniversary Edition, suggesting different design philosophies co-existing
high · Podcast notes indicate Elwin game features 'mechanical scoring reels in the back box' and retro elements versus Gomez's modern feature-rich design
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licensing_signal: Major multi-party IP partnership including EON Productions/Danjaq, MGM Studios, and Aston Martin for James Bond 007 pinball licensing
high · Press release credits: 'Partnering with EON Productions/Danjaq, MGM Studios and Aston Martin'
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market_signal: Record-time sellout of LE units on Stern website to Insider Connected All Access members suggests strong collector demand despite pricing increase
high · Article states: 'The limited number of LE models that Stern was offering for sale on its website to Insider Connected All Access members sold out in record time'
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personnel_signal: Mark Penacho, former Williams Pinball programmer, joined Stern in 2021 and programmed the Elwin 60th Anniversary Edition, representing talent acquisition from classic manufacturer
high · Podcast notes: 'programmed by Mark Penacho who used to work at Williams Pinball back in the day and came over to Stern in 2021'

Topics

Game design and playfield featuresprimaryPricing strategy and market positioningprimaryIP licensing and brand partnershipsprimaryLimited Edition scarcity and collector valueprimaryInsider Connected digital ecosystem integrationprimaryKeith Elwin vs George Gomez design philosophysecondaryPersonnel transitions (Mark Penacho from Williams)secondary

Sentiment

positive(0.82)— Enthusiastic coverage of announcement with detailed feature breakdown. Source (Knapp Arcade) presents extensive technical details as exciting innovations. Pricing increases noted factually without apparent criticism. Record-time sellout of LE units presented as market validation. No negative commentary detected.

Transcript

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Stern Pinball just rolled out Episode 19 of its Insider Connected Podcast. This episode features the pinball podcasting legend Nate Shivers interviewing guests George Gomez and Mike Mike Vinikour. Here's my notes from listening to it, hot off the press. I'm updating this post in real-time as I listen to the show. BTW, as I'm working on this Stern just dropped the official trailer for the main Bond games (see below). We have yet to see any imagery on the Elwin 60th Anniversary Edition. "Gomez. George Gomez. Join lead game designer George Gomez and associate game developer Mike Mike Vinikour as they discuss the collaborative approach in bringing the legendary character to life in pinball form as players experience James Bond's most famous assignments!" - As had been hinted at by George Gomez on the Marco Pinball Twitch stream, Stern Pinball's new James Bond pin has four trim levels, Pro, Premium and Limited Edition based on George Gomez design and a Keith Elwin-designed 60th Anniversary Edition that incorporates all 25 Bond films. - The from scratch Elwin single level playfield game has mechanical scoring reels in the backbox and a small video display from the Home Editions on the playfield. The backbox contains the "ghosted images" like old-school games such as "Game Over" etc... It was programmed by Mark Penacho who used to work at Williams Pinball back in the day and came over to Stern in 2021. The game has 3D molded Odd Job hat spinning device on the playfield, along the lines of the Tesseract from the original Stern Avengers pin. Every 60th Anniversary game comes with a topper. George Gomez said that Elwin's game has "a shot that I've never seen before." 60th Game has lots of drop targets and four spinners. The game contains every actor who has ever played James Bond. - Insider Connected will link the two Bond Games. Achievements in one game will unlock certain things in the other. - Pro art is based on "Dr. No", Premium are is based on "You Only Live Twice" and Limited Edition art is based on "Thunderball" - Film footage, music and callout from all six Sean Connery films is in all versions of the Gomez-designed games. - Gomez Bond contains Bird One Rocket Base from "You Only Live Twice." Players hit the floating rocket and it moves, does explosion effects, starts multiball, etc. Three drop targets in front of rocket light locks. The Balls shoot up through a rocket gantry into a physical ball lock on the Premium and LE. The rocket is surrounded by seven standup targets that spell "S-P-E-C-T-R-E." The corresponding letters light up on the back panel when hit. - Aston Martin DB 5 custom molded for the game that has an ejector seat for the ball. - Custom molded Sean Connery and diver locked in battle under the playfield, much like the Creature from the Black Lagoon shot in Monster Bash. - Dragon tank with lights inside. James Bond with jetpack that has a magnet. Can pick up ball and drop it in strategic areas. At first the game controls the jetpack Bond, but eventually the player can control it. - Game contains all major villains, henchmen and Bond women from the films. - First three flipper game design from George Gomez since Corvette. - Game has a post that pops up in front of the right flipper to present modes, etc...like they did on Jurassic Park, but on the opposite side. - Game incorporates bond gadgets (one of my favorite aspects of the films). Shows film clips with funny interactions between Q and Bond. Go to Q Branch to collect gadgets. - Villains have weapons, i.e. Dr. No - tarantula. Odd Job's hat. Sharks. - All of the films have their own color code for lights. Dr. No - Yellow, etc. - Insider Connected has a number of special missions in the game for people with accounts. - If the James Bond game sells well, down the road there may be some "Goldfinger representation." It wasn't clear exactly what this meant but I interpreted it as there potentially being a Goldfinger art package introduced down the line at some point, like when Stern redid the art for Star Wars with Comic Art. That's all I got from the podcast, but it's a lot. It's definitely worth listening to if you are a member of Stern Insider Connected. As far as pricing for the new games goes, Stern raised its price on Pro models by $100, Premium models by $700 and the LE model is now up to $12,999. The limited number of LE models that Stern was offering for sale on its website to Insider Connected All Access members sold out in record time. Below is the full text of Stern's official press release announcing the game: CHICAGO, IL – September 22, 2022 – Stern Pinball, Inc. launches a new line of pinball machines celebrating the iconic, genre-defining James Bond films. The James Bond 007 cornerstone series features the original 007 actor, Sean Connery, available in Pro Edition, Premium Edition, and Limited Edition (LE). Stern Pinball will also release a special James Bond 007 60th Anniversary Limited Edition pinball machine featuring all six James Bond actors. In Dr. No (1962) Sean Connery propelled 007 into the cultural zeitgeist, bringing the legendary literary figure to life through adrenalized action sequences, ground-breaking gadgets and effects, memorable characters, and timeless villains. Stern’s James Bond 007 cornerstone pinball machine will highlight film footage and iconic music from the films that built the 007 legend: Dr. No, From Russia With Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Players are immersed into the world of espionage in this action-packed pinball experience, tackling assignments, teaming up with key allies, and stopping SPECTRE’s villainous schemes. Gather gadgets from Q Branch as pinballs get ejected through the roof of a custom sculpted Aston Martin DB5. Break through the Osato Chemicals drop targets to battle SPECTRE at the Bird 1 rocket base. And hold your breath on the gravity defying, magnetic jetpack as it transports pinballs across the playfield. James Bond 007 pinball machines include Stern’s award-winning Insider Connected™ system, which enables players to interact with the game and a global network of players in a variety of ways. Through Insider Connected, players can track progress, earn new game-specific achievements, engage with the player community, and participate in promotions and Challenge Quests. Insider Connected also provides an operator-focused toolset to drive location play through Location Leaderboards, build player loyalty, analyze performance, make adjustments remotely, and maintain the machines. Registration for Insider Connected is available at insider.sternpinball.com/. Limited to 1,000 machines globally, the highly collectible cornerstone Limited Edition includes an exclusive full-color mirrored backglass inspired by Thunderball, masterfully adapted cabinet artwork, custom high gloss and powder-coated pinball armor, a custom designer-autographed bottom arch, exclusive inside art blades, upgraded audio system, anti-reflection pinball playfield glass, shaker motor, a sequentially numbered plaque, and a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Stern Chairman Gary Stern and President Seth Davis. Stern’s James Bond 007 60th Anniversary Limited Edition pinball machines will immerse players in the history of 007. Limited to 500 machines globally, the highly collectible 60th Anniversary Limited Edition offers players a retro-inspired playfield packed with exciting mechanical action. Control the chaos from Oddjob’s kinetic spinning disc hat, survive tactical precision shots against 10 drop targets, escape SPECTRE’s evil henchmen navigating pinballs through 4 fast-flowing optical spinners, learn assignments through an in-playfield LCD screen, and rack up high scores on classic-style score reels. “James Bond is as timeless as pinball. Partnering with EON Productions/Danjaq, MGM Studios and Aston Martin, we created a pinball adventure capturing the suspense, action, and humor from this beloved film series.” said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO. “Get connected today and become a legend.” Fittingly, the new James Bond 007 pinball machines will be on show for the first time to media and public in London. On September 26th the games will be on display and available to play as part of the Bond-themed Christie’s Late, a public event celebrating the forthcoming Christie’s Sixty Years of James Bond Charity Auction. Shortly after, they will be a part of the James Bond at 60 weekend at the British Film Institute on the South Bank, September 30th-October 2nd. Pricing and Availability: Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (“MSRP”)*: *MSRP for sales to USA end-users, before any VAT, GST, Sales Tax, Duties, or other taxes. Pro Edition: $US 6,999 Premium Edition: $US 9,699 Limited Edition: $US 12,999 60th Anniversary Limited Edition: CALL FOR PRICE James Bond 007 pinball machines and accessories are available now through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world. Pro and Premium Editions will also be available at 007Store.com Here's all of the official Stern Pinball videos and that are now out and a few pictures: