claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.041
Stern Home Team launches; mysterious Elf licensing move; JJP mystery designer; Stern/JJP/Spooky news.
Stern Pinball created 18 simultaneous code updates across all Spike 2 games, which Zach Minney describes as a world record
high confidence · Craig Bobby explicitly states 'setting what I think is a world record for number of new code updates on a single release' and Zach Minney confirms the deployment across Spike 2 titles
Over 43,000 Insider Connected accounts have been created since platform launch, with over 11,000 machines connected and over 100,000 worldwide leaderboard plays
high confidence · Seth Davis (Stern CEO) shared this data during dealer seminar; also mentioned in Craig Bobby's news segment citing 'Stern's Insider Podcast with special guest Seth Davis'
Home Team feature allows users to save up to seven guest accounts on home machines (Zach Minney says 'eight accounts' in his segment but original feature description says 'up to seven guests')
high confidence · Craig Bobby describes feature allowing 'up to seven guests on their home machines'; Zach Minney states 'eight accounts set up at home' in his discussion
Stern Pinball representative called a tournament distributor and ordered them to remove the Elf homebrew machine from the tournament and delete all social media posts about it
medium confidence · Zach Minney cites NAP Arcade reporting: 'word is that a stern pinball representative called the distributor, the location of which they were having the tournament, and told them to remove the game from the tournament, but to also remove all social media posts about Elf Homebrew Pinball Machine'
Stern Pinball used audio from the Elf film ('Bye, buddy. Hope you find your dad') in production line promotional material
high confidence · Zach Minney reports: 'if you go back on Stern Pinball social media a week or two ago maybe a little bit longer they were showing the production line and showing a game being pushed into a box with an audio call over top of it That audio call-out was the following. Bye, buddy. Hope you find your dad.'
Jersey Jack Pinball has four games currently in development
high confidence · Zach Minney cites Pinball News magazine interview with JJP founder Jack Winery: 'jack said that there are four games in development right now'
“Holy code monster, Batman! The code updates were for all 18 of Stern's modern Spike 2 games running their new Insider Connected online network.”
Craig Bobby @ News segment — Emphasizes the scale of Stern's code update effort across their platform
“Ultimately, that would be great. It would be phenomenal to be able to play one of your friends or even somebody you hate across the country using this technology. That is the goal.”
Seth Davis (Stern CEO) @ Dealer seminar (relayed by Zach Minney) — Confirms Stern's long-term vision for Insider Connected including head-to-head remote play
“Son of a nutcracker! Even after all of this, if you go back and look at social media referencing this Elf game, some of those posts are gone as well.”
Zach Minney @ Market trends segment — Emphasizes the coordinated removal of Elf homebrew references from public platforms
“I think Stern Pinball has the Elf license. They can get it pulled out of a tournament. They can wipe social media posts about it. They can take pictures of it at the biggest pinball convention of the year. They can use direct audio from the Elf film to advertise their company and other game production media.”
Zach Minney @ Market trends segment — States explicit hypothesis that Stern has secured Elf IP rights based on circumstantial evidence
“you're very observant, but we're not ready to announce any new designers quite yet.”
Jack Winery (Jersey Jack Pinball founder) @ Pinball News interview (relayed) — Confirms unannounced fifth game designer exists at JJP but keeps identity secret
“I think Will Ferrell pins would sell. That's all I'll say about that.”
Zach Minney @ Market trends segment — Opinion on potential Elf pinball commercial viability based on Will Ferrell's popularity
“If that doesn't smack you in the face and tell you to wake up, maybe this game is great, then I don't know what will.”
Zach Minney @ Market trends segment — Emphasizes Rush's surprising climb on Pinside Top 100 rankings
community_signal: American Pinball's partnership with Titan Competition to include silicone rings in all new machines represents positive PR move and quality-of-life enhancement
high · Zach Minney: 'American Pinball partnering up with Titan Competition for silicone rings and all of their newly produced pinball machines...That's a good PR move right there'
competitive_signal: Rush Pinball rapidly ascending in community rankings despite being assumed as niche game; now outranking multiple classics on Pinside Top 100
high · Zach Minney: 'Rush has climbed the charts and now ranks higher than Tales of the Arabian Nights. Batman 66. Spider-Man, The Walking Dead, Whitewater, Tron Legacy, and Simpsons Pinball Party'
design_philosophy: Stern Heads Up Invitational format questioned for featuring same contestants repeatedly, including Stern employees competing for prizes, and insufficient entertainment value and personality
high · Zach Minney's detailed critique: 'Zach Sharf's head of marketing. He shouldn't be a contestant...you've got to get contestants that are still...more animation. We still need more personality. We still need more shenanigans'
licensing_signal: Strong evidence that Stern Pinball has secured Elf IP license based on: pulling homebrew from tournaments, removing social media posts, taking photos at TPF, and using direct Elf audio in production materials
high · Zach Minney's analysis: 'I think Stern Pinball has the Elf license. They can get it pulled out of a tournament. They can wipe social media posts about it. They can take pictures of it...They can use direct audio from the Elf film'
groq_whisper · $0.115
Pat Lawlor is not currently at Jersey Jack Pinball and is taking time off, with uncertain retirement status
high confidence · Zach Minney reports from JJP interview: 'Jack said basically he's not at JJP, he's taking time off, and he doesn't know whether he will retire or not. But it doesn't sound like he's coming back to JJP.'
Led Zeppelin Pro/Premium and Guardians of the Galaxy Pro will be the final builds with no plans to produce these models again
high confidence · Zach Minney in production updates: 'Led Zeppelin Pro in premium and Guardians Pro will be the final builds, and they have no intention or plans on producing these models again. That's it.'
Stern will likely reveal the next cornerstone game on August 23rd or 30th, 2022
medium confidence · Zach Minney's educated guess based on historical pattern: 'if I'm using my educated guess, I would say, looking at the past three reveals as data, I would say that we're going to see the next Stern Pinball cornerstone revealed on August 23rd or August 30th'
Rush Pinball has climbed Pinside Top 100 and now ranks higher than Tales of the Arabian Nights, Batman 66, Spider-Man, The Walking Dead, Whitewater, Tron Legacy, and Simpsons Pinball Party
medium confidence · Zach Minney reports: 'Rush has climbed the charts and now ranks higher than the following. Tales of the Arabian Nights. Batman 66. Spider-Man, The Walking Dead, Whitewater, Tron Legacy, and Simpsons Pinball Party.'
“Keep it in-house. Produce the hell out of it. Script it. You don't have to try to fool people in what your goals are.”
Zach Minney @ Market trends segment (Heads Up Invitational criticism) — Critique of Stern's invitational format suggesting it should be positioned as entertainment rather than competition
market_signal: Used Rick and Morty Bloodsuckers Edition maintaining $11K-$12K secondary market value despite market softening, indicating continued collector demand
high · Zach Minney: 'Rick and Morty said I don give a shit about no market softening...looking at comps on the secondary market this damn game is still receiving $11,000 to $12,000 used for Rick and Morty Bloodsuckers Edition'
market_signal: Stern using Elf film audio ('Bye, buddy. Hope you find your dad') in production line promotional content without public acknowledgment of licensing
high · Zach Minney reports: 'they were showing the production line...with an audio call over top of it That audio call-out was the following. Bye, buddy. Hope you find your dad. Thanks, Mr. Narwhal'
personnel_signal: Pat Lawlor status unclear at Jersey Jack Pinball; taking time off with uncertain future, suggesting possible retirement or departure from company
high · Zach Minney reports from JJP interview: 'he's not at JJP, he's taking time off, and he doesn't know whether he will retire or not. But it doesn't sound like he's coming back to JJP'
announcement: Beatles code update added 'Classic Mode' emulating 1979 Sea Witch rules with no multiballs/magnets, representing novel approach to code updates
high · Craig Bobby reports: 'on the new Beatles code update, there's a new mode? It's called Classic Mode... it has similar scoring to Sea Witch. 1979 Sea Witch'
product_strategy: Multimorphic experiencing compounding production delays (already 2 months behind, projecting additional 2-week delay) with 12-month wait times for new orders
high · Craig Bobby cites Jerry Stellenberg email: 'approximately two months behind on its previously announced shipment estimates...delay to increase by another couple of weeks...wait time for orders placed with the company today has grown to roughly 12 months'
product_strategy: Stern next cornerstone game reveal expected August 23rd or 30th, 2022, based on historical pattern of reveals; Pro models expected early-mid September
medium · Zach Minney's educated guess: 'looking at the past three reveals as data, I would say that we're going to see the next Stern Pinball cornerstone revealed on August 23rd or August 30th...If I push come to shove, I'm going to go with August 30th'
rumor_hype: Jersey Jack Pinball has unannounced fifth game designer; current known designers are Eric Veneer, Mark Seiden, Steve Ritchie plus Pat Lawlor (inactive); mystery designer identity unknown
medium · Zach Minney reports: 'if there's four games in development and pat lawler is left then you've got eric veneer Mark Seiden, Steve Ritchie. That's three games. Is there another designer coming?' Jack responded: 'you're very observant, but we're not ready to announce any new designers quite yet'
technology_signal: Stern Pinball's Insider Connected platform reaching critical mass (43K accounts, 11K machines) with Wi-Fi code updates and Home Team feature representing major shift in player experience and data collection
high · Seth Davis data presented at dealer seminar; Home Team feature universally praised by Zach Minney ('I've heard nothing but great things this week')