CBS News - Pinball is back and running full tilt!

Stern Pinball·video·5m 26s·analyzed·Feb 12, 2017

Analysis

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TL;DR

CBS News covers Stern Pinball's resurgence, competitive scene growth, and industry recovery post-recession.

Summary

CBS News profiles Stern Pinball and the resurgence of pinball in America, featuring CEO Gary Stern and competitive player Zach Sharp. The segment highlights how pinball has experienced a comeback driven by barcades and social play, with Stern Pinball operating at 2.5-month order backlog and doubled production capacity. The piece traces pinball history from the NYC ban era through Roger Sharp's 1976 testimony that legalized the game in New York, positioning pinball as a skill-based game rather than gambling.

Key Claims

Stern Pinball has a 2.5-month backlog of orders
high confidence · Gary Stern, CEO, stated directly in CBS interview
Stern Pinball has recently doubled the size of its operation
high confidence · Reported in CBS segment discussing company growth
IFPA membership grew from 500 players 10 years ago to 45,000 players
high confidence · CBS News segment citing IFPA statistics
IFPA events grew from 50 per year to almost 3,000 events per year
high confidence · CBS News segment citing IFPA statistics
Zach Sharp is the number three ranked pinball player in the world
high confidence · CBS News introduction of Zach Sharp
Roger Sharp testified before NYC Council in 1976 to legalize pinball by demonstrating it as a game of skill
high confidence · Documented in CBS segment; historical reference
Stern Pinball exports nearly half of the machines it makes worldwide
high confidence · CBS News reporting on Stern's export business
Each pinball machine uses a quarter mile of wire
medium confidence · Gary Stern statement about manufacturing complexity

Notable Quotes

“we are assigned 15 minutes a day we must play pinball so if you don't want to play pinball you don't belong in a pinball company”
Gary Stern @ early segment — Establishes company culture and commitment to the product
“the goal is to make money to keep people employed but it also seems like a big part of this has to just be fun”
CBS reporter @ mid-segment — Frames Stern Pinball's dual mission of profit and passion
“it's far more social than playing video games at home or on your smartphone”
CBS reporter @ barcade discussion — Explains the social appeal driving pinball resurgence
“cuz it's so real the physical nature of you don't know where the ball is going and every time you flip it away you're not sure if you'll ever see it again”
Zach Sharp @ mid-segment — Core appeal of pinball: unpredictability and physical engagement
“people say you are the guy who saved pinball yeah is that true um yes”
Roger Sharp @ history segment — Roger Sharp acknowledges his role in legalizing pinball in NYC
“I was basically showing off and calling my shots all along did I say pinball I think I altered its course”
Roger Sharp @ 1976 testimony reference — Roger Sharp's recollection of his demonstration to NYC Council
“the last 2% of the design is magic it's just magic”
Gary Stern @ closing segment — Encapsulates the intangible element that makes hit pinball machines

Entities

Stern PinballcompanyGary SternpersonZach SharppersonJosh SharppersonRoger SharppersonGhostbustersgame IFPAorganizationbarcadesproductNew York Citylocation

Signals

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business_signal: Stern Pinball overcame near-brink financial collapse during Great Recession; recovery appears sustained with strong current demand
high · Gary Stern: 'during the Great Recession this was kind of on the brink. We were on the brink and we came a long way'
?
business_signal: Stern Pinball reports 2.5-month order backlog and has recently doubled production capacity, indicating strong market demand and company expansion
high · Gary Stern stated directly: 'Stern has a 2 and 1/2 month backlog of orders and has recently doubled the size of its operation'
?
community_signal: IFPA competitive pinball community has experienced explosive growth: 10x player base (500→45,000) and 60x event frequency (50→3,000/year) over one decade
high · CBS cites IFPA statistics: 'the 500 players have grown to 45,000 players and the 50 events per year has grown to almost 3,000 events per year'
$
market_signal: Barcades (pinball + vintage arcade + craft beer venues) are a primary driver of pinball resurgence across US cities
high · CBS segment reports: 'so-called barcades are popping up in cities all across the country' and notes social appeal advantage over home video games

Topics

Pinball resurgence and market recoveryprimaryStern Pinball production capacity and backlogprimaryCompetitive pinball and IFPA growthprimaryHistorical legalization of pinball in NYC (1976)primarySocial appeal of barcades vs. video gamessecondaryManufacturing and craftsmanship in pinballsecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— CBS segment is upbeat and promotional, celebrating pinball's comeback and Stern Pinball's growth. Tone is enthusiastic about the industry resurgence, community passion, and manufacturing success. No negative commentary or criticism present.

Transcript

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there are still factories in this country where people make things with their hands and at this manufacturing plant near Chicago the product they're making is definitely handson all right so full disclosure I love pinball so I am biased in this story we have something in common I love pinball too Gary Stern is president and CEO of Stern Pinball one of the few remaining manufacturers of pinball machines in the world it's a job that comes with one strictly imposed Silver Lining we are assigned 15 minutes a day we must play Pinball so if you don't want to play Pinball you don't belong in a pinball company obviously the goal is to make money to keep people employed but it also seems like a big part of this has to just be fun these aren't heart lung machines their pinball machine it is fun their hot new game is Ghostbusters it's fitting because when it comes to pinball there's something strange in the neighborhood so-called barcades are popping up in cities all across the country pinball machines and vintage arcade games are paired with craft beer and a hipster crowd it's far more social than playing video games at home or on your smartphone this modern-day Nostalgia has helped turn pinball into a bumper crop Stern has a 2 and 1/2 month backlog of orders and has recently doubled the size of its operation you've come a long way because during the Great Recession this was kind of on the brink we were on the brink and we came a long way tenacious people work very hard others play hard Zach Sharpe is current the number three ranked pinball player in the world so when you tell people you are a competitive pinball player what kind of reaction do you typically get he says but I'm also married yeah his brother Josh and his father Roger play too why do you think there is this Resurgence cuz it's so real the physical nature of you don't know where the ball is going and every time you flip it away you're not sure if you'll ever see it again the sharp Brothers compete in the international flipper pinball association yes that's a thing 10 years ago it started ranking its players and in 10 years the 500 players have grown to 45,000 players and the 50 events per year has grown to almost 3,000 events per year but none of this may have happened if it wasn't for Zach and Josh's dad people say you are the guy who saved pinball yeah is is that true um yes but now a little history pinball as we know it descended from an English game called bagatell then in 1931 an American company released something called Whiffle board the first coin operated pinball machine but pinball was considered a game of chance which is to say gambling so for decades pinball was banned in major cities including Los Angeles Chicago and New York where then mayor fiorella LaGuardia made a big show of cracking down on the sinful silver ball the Assumption was that since this was a cash business people are putting in coins that somehow the mob is involved which brings us back to Roger sharp he was working for GQ magazine and was a well-known flipper fanatic so in 197 76 when New York City Council was debating lifting its pinball ban they called sharp to testify he played a machine to show them that pinball was indeed a game of skill I mean I was basically showing off and calling my shots all along did I say pinball I think I altered its course New York legalized the game and that got the ball rolling again in most of the country pinball even took center stage in the h rock opera Tommy but in the 1980s and 90s the video game made pinball seem P who didn't want to play Space Invaders or Pac-Man so pinball was kind of shunted to the side now it's back and running Full Tilt worldwide Stern Pinball exports nearly half of the machines it makes the company's biggest challenge figuring out how to use that quarter mile of wire in each pinball machine to Electrify the next generation of players what makes a machine a hit magic magic the last 2% of the design is Magic it's just magic