Keeping Abreast

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Feb 13, 2002

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.015

TL;DR

Stern officially announces Playboy pinball; production expected to last 4 months

Summary

Stern Pinball officially announces the Playboy pinball machine on February 13, 2002, designed by George Gomez and programmed by Dwight Sullivan. The game features a mechanical centerfold mechanism, interchangeable photo inserts, and deep rule set. Pinball News had already published the world's first review three weeks prior, noting a prototype lockdown bar with what appears to be a patched Austin Powers part.

Key Claims

Playboy pinball machine is now in production and should last for about 4 months if things go according to plan
high confidence · Pinball News editorial statement based on Stern press release dated February 13, 2002
Playboy has the deepest rules Stern has ever put in a game
high confidence · Direct quote from Gary Stern in official press release
The game features a mechanical Centerfold that opens and closes with interchangeable photo inserts
high confidence · Official Stern Pinball press release describing game mechanics
Pinball News published the world's first full review of Playboy three weeks before the official announcement
high confidence · Pinball News editorial note in article header

Notable Quotes

“The game recreates the excitement and glamour of the magazine within the fiction of the game.”
George Gomez @ February 13, 2002 press release — Gomez's designer quote describing Playboy's thematic approach; Pinball News editor labels it 'cheesiest quote of the year so far'
“Playboy has the deepest rules we have ever put in a game-but most of us will just shoot the gadgets and see the pictures. And the ball flow is fantastic-Playboy shoots beautifully!”
Gary Stern @ February 13, 2002 press release — Company leadership acknowledges both deep rules complexity and casual player appeal; validates ball flow quality
“This is the first Playboy pinball that truly highlights the beautiful women of Playboy.”
George Gomez @ February 13, 2002 press release — Designer emphasizes thematic focus on women imagery as core game feature

Entities

Stern Pinball Inc.company George Gomezperson Dwight Sullivanperson Kevin O'Connorperson Gary SternpersonPlayboy Enterprises International, Inc.companyPinball Newsorganization

Signals

?
design_philosophy: George Gomez positions Playboy as first game to 'truly highlight the beautiful women of Playboy,' emphasizing visual/themed content appeal alongside gameplay
high · Direct Gomez quote: 'This is the first Playboy pinball that truly highlights the beautiful women of Playboy'
?
licensing_signal: Playboy licensing involves coordination between Stern Pinball and Playboy Enterprises International on imagery and content appropriateness
medium · Interchangeable photo insert system and modesty considerations suggest content negotiation with licensor
$
market_signal: Playboy positioned as having deepest rule set in Stern's history, appealing to both casual and competitive players
high · Gary Stern quote: 'Playboy has the deepest rules we have ever put in a game-but most of us will just shoot the gadgets and see the pictures'
?
announcement: Stern Pinball officially announces Playboy pinball machine in press release dated February 13, 2002
high · Press release text confirming Playboy is 'now in production' with expected 4-month production run
?
product_strategy: Playboy features mechanical centerfold with interchangeable photo inserts, allowing appropriate content rating for different environments/regions
high · Press release states 'photo inserts for the playfield mechanisms are interchangeable, allowing for appropriately rated images to be applied to various environments'

Transcript

raw_text · $0.000

Story dated 13th February 2002. In the latest press release, Stern Pinball Inc. unveil their latest game - Playboy. Not much of a surprise for Pinball News readers of course, since we brought you the world's first full review 3 weeks ago. But this is Stern's public admission of their next game. Playboy in now in production and should last for about 4 months if things go according to plan. There isn't any information on the Stern web site yet beyond a simple splash screen with the backglass image but Stern did send us two images of the game. Interestingly, these pictures show the same lockdown bar as we saw at the ATEI show. This one had a plastic insert part way along it leading us to assume it was a prototype model using a patched Austin Powers part. These models also show it, though hopefully it won't be there in the production version. We shall see. There don't appear to be any visible differences between the game shown in Stern's pictures and the games we reviewed. However, we've shown them below anyway. If you can see any changes please let us know. Award for the cheesiest quote of the year so far must go to George Gomez for this classic:"The game recreates the excitement and glamour of the magazine within the fiction of the game." Err, right George. Here's the press release: Playboy, the most popular men's magazine in history, is now the pinball machine that everyone's talking about. Brought to you by Stern Pinball, Inc. and Playboy Enterprises International, Inc., the Playboy pinball machine is the work of George Gomez (designer of Monster Bash™), Dwight Sullivan (programmer of T2® and Star Trek: TNG®), and the incredible team of pinball experts at Stern Pinball. Steeped in Playboy's rich 50-year tradition, this pinball machine brings you the world's most beautiful women in a glamorous lifestyle that only can be called Playboy. This is one pinball machine you have to see to believe, and play to experience. The Playboy pinball machine challenges you to collect Playboy Rabbit Heads, to complete a calendar year of Playmates, and experience "Mansion Mania" in a way you never have before. The Playboy pinball machine also features a mechanical Centerfold that opens and closes, along with several other unique playfield mechanisms that reveal the many beautiful women of Playboy. (Important note: photo inserts for the playfield mechanisms are interchangeable, allowing for appropriately rated images to be applied to various environments.) The Playboy pinball machine also features an incredible art package by Kevin O'Connor (artist of Star Wars: Episode One® and PLAYBOY: 35th Anniversary), great sounds and music, and a sexy lady's voice talking to you the whole way. George Gomez says, "This is the first Playboy pinball that truly highlights the beautiful women of Playboy. The game recreates the excitement and glamour of the magazine within the fiction of the game." Gary Stern adds, "Playboy has the deepest rules we have ever put in a game-but most of us will just shoot the gadgets and see the pictures. And the ball flow is fantastic-Playboy shoots beautifully!" To get your Playboy pinball machine, log on to playboystore.com or call your nearest Stern Pinball distributor. You can also contact Jolly Backer at 1-708-786-7039 or by e-mail at jolly.backer@sternpinball.com, or Shelley Sax at 1-708-786-7030 or by e-mail at shelley.sax@sternpinball.com. Visit Stern Pinball's website at www.sternpinball.com. ©2002 Playboy. PLAYBOY, RABBIT HEAD DESIGN, PLAYMATE and CENTERFOLD are marks of Playboy and used with permission. Monster Bash™ is a trademark of Williams Electronics Games, Inc. Terminator 2® is a trademark of Artisan Productions, Inc. Star Trek: The Next Generation® is a trademark of Paramount Pictures, Inc. Star Wars: Episode One® is a trademark of Lucasfilm, Inc. Back to the news index Back to the front page © Pinball News 2002