Stern Pinball Revealed their Jaws Topper...

Cary Hardy·video·9m 33s·analyzed·Jun 12, 2024

Analysis

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TL;DR

Carrie Hardy pans Stern's $1,000 Jaws lenticular topper as lazy design with unjustifiable pricing.

Summary

Carrie Hardy criticizes Stern's newly revealed Jaws topper as underwhelming and overpriced at $1,000, comparing it unfavorably to past toppers like Black Knight Sword of Rage ($500) that featured superior mechanical design. She argues the lenticular material with backlighting represents minimal effort for maximum cost, questions licensing justification, and expresses frustration that the pinball community has become numb to Stern's pricing practices.

Key Claims

Black Knight Sword of Rage topper cost $500 and featured moving mechanical elements superior to the Jaws topper
medium confidence · Hardy recalls the Black Knight topper as a benchmark comparison, though she's slightly uncertain on exact price ('I think it was actually a little cheaper than that')
Jaws topper uses lenticular material with backlighting for $1,000, requiring no moving head
high confidence · Stern's official product announcement being reviewed; Hardy describes the specific materials and cost directly
The Jaws topper likely doesn't have the Jaws logo on it, limiting licensor involvement in design
medium confidence · Hardy states 'I don't even think it has the Jaws logo on it' after examining the product, questioning the licensing justification for the price
The pinball community has become 'numb' to Stern's high pricing on basic materials like layered plastics
high confidence · Hardy's direct statement: 'They have made me numb to the fact of what they want to charge for their layered plastics'
Aftermarket topper makers are now positioned to profit by creating superior alternatives at lower prices than Stern's offerings
high confidence · Hardy explicitly notes: 'these are the days that mod makers and topper makers rejoice' because they can easily undercut Stern's minimal effort

Notable Quotes

“So tell me you mailed it in without actually telling me that you mailed it in.”
Carrie Hardy@ 0:00 — Opening criticism establishing the core complaint: Stern is putting minimal effort into the topper while charging premium prices
“For those that don't remember, let me just remind you, one of the best toppers ever built, Black Knight Sword of Rage, this topper was $500... Instead we have lenticular material with lights behind it for $1,000.”
Carrie Hardy@ 1:47 — Direct price/quality comparison establishing the value proposition problem—doubling the price for inferior design
“And I think the hardest part about this is that I almost feel like they're like making fun of themselves at this point or they're just like they just don't care anymore.”
Carrie Hardy@ 2:44 — Characterizes Stern's apparent indifference to community feedback, suggesting deliberate contempt for consumers
“The most common compliment or positive thing that you're going to hear about this topper from people, including myself, is that, well, at least it's not $2,000.”
Carrie Hardy@ 3:38 — Highlights the distorted expectations problem—community celebrating low standards by default ('not as bad as feared')
“We should be getting excited about a great product at a great price. But that is not the case anymore.”
Carrie Hardy@ 4:14 — Statement of principle about what the market should demand versus what it's accepting
“They have made me numb to the fact of what they want to charge for their layered plastics.”

Entities

Stern PinballcompanyCarrie HardypersonJawsgame Black Knight Sword of RagegameAmity Island Billboard Topperproduct

Signals

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business_signal: Aftermarket topper makers are well-positioned to capitalize on Stern's perceived underinvestment; Hardy notes mod makers 'rejoice' because the gap between manufacturer and third-party quality is widening
high · 'These are the days that mod makers and topper makers rejoice...they're going to develop and create something that no one else could do instead they give you...the bare friggin minimum'
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sentiment_shift: Significant negative sentiment shift in community response to Stern accessory pricing; baseline expectation now degraded to 'at least it's not $2,000'
high · Hardy articulates the distorted expectations problem: 'The most common compliment...is that, well, at least it's not $2,000'
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design_philosophy: Stern appears indifferent to or contemptuous of community feedback; Hardy suggests they are 'blatantly' charging high prices for minimal effort without concern for reception
medium · Hardy states Stern 'just don't care anymore' and references Eminem's 8 Mile scene to characterize Stern as deliberately acknowledging poor value while charging anyway
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market_signal: Hardy criticizes Stern's decision to not invite her to content creator event, suggesting potential disconnect between manufacturer messaging and critical media relationships
low · 'For the life of me, I don't know why Stern didn't invite me to their content creator little party. I don't get it.'
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market_signal: Jaws topper priced at $1,000 with lenticular material and backlighting perceived as minimal-effort design, representing value-for-money concern in accessory market

Topics

Jaws pinball accessories and pricingprimaryStern Pinball topper quality and value perceptionprimaryLicensing justification for pricingsecondaryAftermarket mod makers as alternative solutionsecondaryCommunity sentiment on Stern pricing strategyprimaryLenticular material and backlighting technologymentioned

Sentiment

negative(0.15)— Hardy is frustrated and disappointed by what she perceives as Stern mailing in the topper design while charging premium prices. Her tone shifts between sarcasm, resignation, and direct criticism. She expresses being 'numb' to Stern's pricing practices, suggesting a pattern of repeated offense. The only positive framing is the backhanded compliment that it 'could be worse' at $2,000.

Transcript

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So tell me you mailed it in without actually telling me that you mailed it in. And get fully immersed into the Jaws universe with the Amity Island Billboard Topper. Featuring a backlit lenticular effect with choreographed light shows. I just... It's... I just... I just... I don't even know what to say at this point. What's up guys and welcome back to my channel where I talk and do everything pinball. And a special thank you to the over 9600 of you that have hit the subscribe button. So Stern has officially revealed the Jaws accessories, including the topper, the shooter knob that we've already seen, and the armor for the side of the games that are not the LE. And as per usual, the topper is, um, underwhelming. That is definitely the word I would use. Now, it's not like every topper that gets made needs to be better than the last. That's not my complaint here, and I think that's definitely not what people are expecting. Okay? I think what people are expecting is a fair trade of goods. Okay? So, when you have layered plastics or just cheap materials or what, we look at and foresee it to be cheap materials and everything. and then you want to charge the price that you're asking, that's where the problem is. Okay? For those that don't remember, let me just remind you, one of the best toppers ever built, Black Knight Sword of Rage, this topper was $500. I think it was actually a little cheaper than that. But I want to say $500 you've got that magnificent moving awesome looking topper for your game. Instead we have lenticular material with lights behind it for $1,000. No moving head on this one If you want a moving head you going to be moving your own head Because that what you have to do in order for this type of material to have any kind of motion to it So move your own damn head for twice the amount of money. For the life of me, I don't know why Stern didn't invite me to their content creator little party. I don't get it. And I think the hardest part about this is that I almost feel like they're like making fun of themselves at this point or they're just like they just don't care anymore. And it reminds me of that scene from 8 Mile where at the end Eminem basically, you know, just spits out everything that they know about him and use that as ammunition. so it's like stern's just up there just like yeah we're selling this topper for a thousand dollars and you're gonna buy it anyways because you collectors got to have it or whatever just spitting it out how it is and just letting everybody know that this is what we got we didn't put much into the materials but yet we're still going to charge you a whole bunch of money Ed Boon give your give your money to us now that's basically what it is so a lot of us that sit back and just kind of go they're blatantly saying it at this point i think the most common compliment or positive thing that you're going to hear about this topper from people, including myself, is that, well, at least it's not $2,000. And have we really reached that point to where we're happy or we're accepting what they're giving it to us because it's not as expensive as it could be? That's what we're considering a positive or a compliment at this point is the fact that, you know, it's not as expensive as we were expecting it to be. That's not what we should be getting excited about. We should be getting excited about a great product at a great price. But that is not the case anymore. It's a matter of just, like, man, it looks okay, and they're wanting how much for it? Uh, no. But you collectors, granted, you gotta have it, and a lot of you are already bought it and it's on its way to you to each their own but it like I cannot wait to hear it it gonna be on podcast coming up here pretty soon once it gets out in the public Oh you know the videos that Stern shows you that just doesn do it justice When John Youssi it in person when John Youssi that lenticular lights going across that sticker it absolutely amazing Oh, come on. And these are the days that mod makers and topper makers rejoice. because it's always the fear from these mod makers and topper makers that you know with the amount of money and materials and overhead and resources that these manufacturers have you would think that they would develop and create something that no one else could do instead they give you what seems to be be the bare friggin minimum and meanwhile you have the topper makers that are just like really okay well all we have to do is just make something better than that at the minimum make it better than what the manufacturer has made for you and it's not going to cost a thousand dollars so the way i look at it is that this topper is not so bad where i feel like i need to do a skit about it You know, the price is high, but like I stated earlier, at least it's not $2,000. If it was $2,000, I would be even more speechless on how much they are just blatantly giving us the finger at this point. But I think that it's there. If you want it, you like the way it looks, you feel like it completes your game, go for it. uh otherwise i mean for those that would like to put a topper on your jaws game because it is a solid shooter it's not you know great enough to where i feel like i need to add it to my collection but you may hold off for a little bit to see what other options are going to be available but you le buyers and collectors you're going to get the legit manufacturers topper i guess i get it to an extent on that and i was getting asked via messages and everything about you know my thoughts and opinions on the topper and stuff like that and no one has been expecting me to do a skit on it and i glad because i don think it you know needs one or anything but it it a matter of like can you believe this Can you believe they want this for that And my typical response is I not even surprised anymore guys That's what it's come to. They have made me numb to the fact of what they want to charge for their layered plastics. And of course, if we want to call them out and hammer down on this, more than likely, the culprit and catalyst for why the topper is this is because of the licensor. Like, spin that wheel of excuses, and it's always going to land on licensor. That's what it seems like. But I kind of wonder how much on this topper the licensor could actually have control of. I mean, I need to look at it again because I don't even think it has the Jaws logo on it. So yeah, I'm looking at it now. I don't even see the Jaws logo unless there's some sort of licensing with Amity Island. Maybe. I just kind of doubt it at this point. So it doesn't look like the licensor would have much say on the topper unless it's because it's going on to the pinball machine, so they may have some say on that. But what I'm saying is that there shouldn't be any additional cost for this topper going to the license holder on this. Like, they've already paid the money for the machine, but what they're doing is basically just getting acceptance or approval from the license holder, but they don't have to, like, pay any more money or anything like that because it doesn't look like they're paying for anything that would require anything to the license holder on this. So my question is, again, where's this $1,000 going to? If it's not going towards the license holder, that's what it looks like, at least at this point. It's like... Now, I laugh a little bit at the image of the Amity Island billboard because the look on the girl's face on there pretty much says it all for what we think about this topper