WHIZBANG PINBALL TO MAKE SECOND TITLE WITH STERN

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Apr 20, 2016

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.019

TL;DR

WhizBang Pinball announces second Stern collaboration for 2017 release

Summary

WhizBang Pinball, the joint venture of Dennis Nordman and Greg Freres, has announced a second title in collaboration with Stern Pinball for release in 2017. Following the success of Whoa Nellie! Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons! Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons (originally a 2009 prototype, mass-produced by Stern starting in 2015), the new game will continue WhizBang's signature fun and campy style, though specific theme and licensing details remain unannounced.

Key Claims

Whoa Nellie! Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons! Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons was originally intended as a short run of hand-built custom conversions of Continental Cafe
high confidence · Article states the game 'was originally intended to be a short run of hand-built custom conversions of the game Continental Cafe'
Stern Pinball began producing Whoa Nellie! Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons! Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons for mass market in 2015
high confidence · Article explicitly states 'In 2015 Stern Pinball began producing the game for the mass market'
The Stern-produced version used the SPIKE control system
high confidence · Article confirms the game 'used Stern's new SPIKE control system'
Dennis Nordman and Greg Freres had recently said they had no plans for a follow-up before announcing the new game
high confidence · Article states 'Dennis and Greg had recently said they had no plans yet for a follow-up to the game, but Stern Pinball have now announced...'
Greg Freres heads up the art department at Stern; Dennis Nordman is working on projects at home and assisting Silver State Pinball with Timeshock!
high confidence · Article directly states 'Greg currently heads up the art department at Stern, while Dennis is working on a number of projects at home while also assisting the Silver State Pinball team with their Timeshock! game'

Notable Quotes

“We are thrilled to be doing a brand new game with Dennis and Greg. WhizBang Pinball team brings a unique energy and feel to their games that resonates with pinball players around the world.”
Gary Stern, CEO of Stern Pinball @ April 19, 2016 — Official announcement of the collaboration, expressing confidence in the partnership and the market appeal of WhizBang's design philosophy

Entities

Dennis Nordmanperson Greg FrerespersonWhizBang PinballcompanyStern PinballcompanyWhoa Nellie! Big Juicy MelonsgameGary Sternperson Continental CafegameSilver State Pinballcompany

Signals

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business_signal: Stern Pinball expanding partnership with WhizBang Pinball for second collaborative title, indicating successful first collaboration and confidence in the design duo's market appeal
high · Stern announces second game collaboration with Dennis Nordman and Greg Freres; Gary Stern states partnership 'resonates with pinball players around the world'
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community_signal: Greg Freres transitioned from independent designer to head of art department at Stern Pinball, while maintaining external design collaborations
high · Article states 'Greg currently heads up the art department at Stern' while also being co-founder of WhizBang Pinball and working on new collaborative project
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product_strategy: WhizBang Pinball and Stern planning second collaborative release for 2017 with unannounced theme and licensing details
high · Stern Pinball announcement: 'announced today that it is working with Whizbang Pinball founders Greg Freres and Dennis Nordman to bring a new pinball game to the market in 2017'
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technology_signal: Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons adoption of SPIKE control system represents broader industry transition to Stern's modern platform
high · Article notes mass-market version 'was fully lit by LEDs and used Stern's new SPIKE control system'

Transcript

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Dennis Nordman’s and Greg Freres’s joint-venture company, WhizBang Pinball, shot to prominence in October 2009 when the first title created by the duo was first announced at Pinball Expo. ![The backglass sketch for the game](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/whizbang-second-title/119.jpg) The backglass sketch for the game Whoa Nellie! Sweet Juicy Melons was originally intended to be a short run of hand-built custom conversions of the game Continental Cafe, but as ‘Sweet Juicy Melons‘ became ‘Big Juicy Melons‘, the potential for the game also grew. ![Dennis and Greg at Pinball Expo 2009](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/whizbang-second-title/118.jpg) Dennis and Greg at Pinball Expo 2009 In 2015 Stern Pinball began producing the game for the mass market. The now fully electronic game was cosmetically very similar to the original look of the prototype, but was fully lit by LEDs and used Stern’s new SPIKE control system. ![The Stern-produced Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/whizbang-second-title/8.jpg) The Stern-produced Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons Dennis and Greg had recently said they had no plans yet for a follow-up to the game, but Stern Pinball have now announced that the pair is to create a game in conjunction with Stern in 2017. ![Dennis and Greg](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/whizbang-second-title/dennisgreg.jpg) Dennis and Greg No details of the theme, whether it will be licensed or not, or the style of game have been announced, but Stern Pinball say it will be designed “in the fun, campy style for which the Whizbang team is known”. Greg currently heads up the art department at Stern, while Dennis is working on a number of projects at home while also assisting the Silver Castle Pinball team with their Timeshock! game. Here’s what Stern Pinball had to say when announcing the collaboration: | | | --- | | Greg Freres and Dennis Nordman Set To Create Another Pinball Classic ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL – April 19, 2016 – Stern Pinball, Inc., the world’s oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball machines, announced today that it is working with Whizbang Pinball founders Greg Freres and Dennis Nordman to bring a new pinball game to the market in 2017. Following up on the successful collaboration that brought Whoa Nellie Big Juicy Melons to the market, the new project will present a modern pinball game created in the fun, campy style for which the Whizbang team is known. “We are thrilled to be doing a brand new game with Dennis and Greg. The Whizbang team brings a unique energy and feel to their games that resonates with pinball players around the world,” said Gary Stern, CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc. More details will be announced in the future as the project progresses. About Stern Pinball, Inc. Stern Pinball, Inc., headquartered just outside Chicago, Illinois, is the oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games in the world. Stern’s highly talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and manufacture a full line of popular pinball games, merchandise and accessories. Recent Stern titles include Ghostbusters, Spider-Man Vault, Game of Thrones, KISS, WWE WrestleMania, The Walking Dead, Mustang, Star Trek, Metallica, The Avengers, X-Men, AC/DC, Tron, Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, and many more! All of Stern’s pinball games are crafted by hand and assembled by Stern’s expert team. A broad range of players enjoy Stern’s games from professional pinball players that compete in high-stakes international competitions around the globe to novice players who are discovering the allure of the silver ball for the first time. To join the fun and learn more, please visit http://www.sternpinball.com. |