Drinks with Jack* (Featuring Rebecca Hinsdale and Jody Dankberg) - Ep 10 Gary Stern and Seth Davis

Stern Pinball·video·6m 55s·analyzed·Nov 19, 2022

Analysis

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TL;DR

Stern celebrates Insider Connected's first year and hints at video game IP licensing plans.

Summary

Gary Stern and Seth Davis discuss Insider Connected's first year of growth, reaching tens of thousands of users with leaderboards, achievements, and home play features. Seth outlines future plans including additional feature drops, operator-focused tools, and James Bond launch party integration. Gary reflects on his evolving role at 77, delegating cloud/streaming innovation to Seth while maintaining focus on playfield design, and hints at future video game IP licensing opportunities for Stern.

Key Claims

Insider Connected has tens of tens of thousands of people signed up and is on track for hundreds of thousands
high confidence · Seth Davis, Stern Pinball executive, official statement during company event
Additional Insider Connected features will drop in the next couple of weeks with focus on operator tools
high confidence · Seth Davis direct statement about immediate product roadmap
James Bond game coming with Insider Connected launch parties and integrated features
high confidence · Seth Davis official announcement of upcoming James Bond release
Stern is considering future licensing or collaboration with video game companies and IPs
medium confidence · Seth Davis states 'we very much could see video game opportunities in the future' when asked about gaming partnerships
Seth Davis came to Stern from Disney after decade-plus tenure in games and streaming
high confidence · Gary Stern biographical statement about Seth's background

Notable Quotes

“we're on our way to hundreds of thousands of people signed up for it everybody's getting achievements they're tracking their scores we now have leaderboards”
Seth Davis @ early segment — Major adoption claim for Insider Connected platform; quantifies growth trajectory
“I'm hoping and I'm betting that by next year we come here it's almost everybody is signed up because I think it just makes your experience a whole lot better with the pinball machine”
Seth Davis @ mid-segment — Reveals Seth's ambitious user penetration goal; indicates strategic importance to Stern
“the backbone of the whole thing is still the playfield the game on the playfield it's a ball and bat game but the world is changing”
Gary Stern @ mid-segment — Shows Gary's philosophy: maintaining core pinball gameplay while embracing digital/connected features
“I am a bit of a geek at heart and I have some of my geek stripes and all those things I mean I've spent a long time in video games”
Seth Davis @ later segment — Positions Seth's gaming background as relevant to Stern's future direction
“we are all about working with the biggest and best IP and you know anybody who's read the news in the last five or ten years has seen that video games are as big or bigger than some of the movie Blockbusters”
Seth Davis @ near end — Direct statement about Stern's IP strategy and openness to video game licensing

Entities

Gary Sternperson Seth Davisperson Insider ConnectedproductJames Bond PinballgameStern PinballcompanyPinball Expoevent Rebecca Hinsdaleperson

Signals

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business_signal: Stern leadership transition: Gary Stern (77) delegating operational/strategic roles (digital, streaming, gaming partnerships) to Seth Davis while maintaining focus on core playfield design
high · Gary: 'I'm more excited than I've ever been...that's why I'm stepping back to focus on BBB [snowboarding, boarding, boating, biking]'; Seth takes lead on Insider Connected and IP strategy
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community_signal: Stern implementing Insider Connected to facilitate community competition, leaderboards, and achievements; observing strong user engagement and emotional responses
high · Seth Davis: 'we've seen people all all weekend uh playing the games and running up to the screens to see where they're at and I saw some girl jump up for Joy'
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event_signal: James Bond pinball game confirmed with launch parties and Insider Connected integration; represents coordinated product/platform launch strategy
high · Seth Davis: 'we've got a new game with uh James Bond and we're gonna do some launch parties for that'
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market_signal: Insider Connected adoption significant and growing toward 'hundreds of thousands'; positioned as strategic platform for community engagement and operator tools
high · Seth: 'tens and tens of thousands of people signed up...we're on our way to hundreds of thousands'; Gary hopes 'by next year...it's almost everybody is signed up'
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product_strategy: Insider Connected roadmap includes additional feature drops in next couple of weeks with focus on operator tools; future development of connected features and integration with new game launches

Topics

Insider Connected platform growth and featuresprimaryStern Pinball leadership transition and role evolutionprimaryVideo game IP licensing opportunitiesprimaryJames Bond game announcement and launch strategysecondaryDigital/streaming innovation in pinballsecondaryCommunity engagement and competitive leaderboardssecondaryPinball as core gameplay experience vs. connected featuresmentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— Upbeat, celebratory tone throughout; Gary expresses being 'more excited than I've ever been'; Seth is enthusiastic about opportunities; casual, friendly dynamic. No criticism or controversy evident. Tone is informal, joking (Manhattan drinks, 'bad influence' banter), and forward-looking.

Transcript

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the only word that makes any sense when you talk about pinball in all caps is capital F capital u capital and so uh Gary has a story you notice that Seth and I are not drinking beer we're drinking Rye Manhattans I usually drink Vodka once in a while a rye Manhattan whenever I go to order vodka and I'm with this young man I look at him he's a horrible influence on me these things are fattening and you get drunk so by the end of this conversation you may get some good Secrets out of us it's been a lifelong aspiration to be a bad influence on Gary Stern yeah so Seth we about a year ago about one year ago we introduced Insider connected actually at this uh Expo tell us about what we've done this year and where it's going Insider connected has uh tens and tens of thousands of people signed up for it we're on our way to hundreds of thousands of people signed up for it everybody's getting achievements they're tracking their scores we now have leaderboards we've made it easier to play at home with home team there are a bunch more things coming you'll see a few more actually in the next couple of weeks we'll have another drop of some additional features a little more focus on our operator friends also uh we've got a new game with uh James Bond and we're gonna do some launch parties for that you know once a launch party without having some stuff associated with it as well from Insider connected so we are looking at what the community does you know people compete with each other they have leaderboards on their own so how can we help that with Insider connected make it easier to track your scores play against other people check on your game games I'm hoping and I'm betting that by next year we come here it's almost everybody uh is signed up because I think it just makes your experience a whole lot better with the pinball machine uh it doesn't take anything away from the experience it just adds to it we've seen people all all weekend uh playing the games and running up to the screens to see where they're at and I saw some girl jump up for Joy because she was on the screen and that's just a fun feeling to uh it's weird it turns out people like to compete crazy people like getting things so yeah so so cool stuff there and we can't wait to see what comes out next so Gary you used to have Seth's role and your role how is that over the past year how has that uh changed a little bit and how are you guys able to split up your your diverse expertises and Tackle more stuff you guys are in great hands with Seth this young man this young man because I'm 77 I can say that he's a baby he's 43. after getting his MBA at Wharton he went to Disney for a decade Plus in games and in streaming and streaming has something to do with the cloud which I think has something to do with Insider connected but I don't understand all this stuff he does this is all Beyond me you know with the backbone of the game the backbone of the whole thing is still the Playfield the game on the Playfield it's a ball and bat game but the world is changing we do so much more with what he and George are leading us into that I mean that's why I'm more excited than I've ever been Bob pinball so what are we doing I'm supposed to be B B and B I'm supposed to snowboard board boat and bike which is motorcycles so at 77 like BBB d ude you forgot about the D thank you thank you Seth I heard a rumor that you were at one point a complete competitive Magic the Gathering player so you're you're not a stranger to uh you know very tight-knit groups of people that are very passionate about the things that they said he's a geek and executive I think he's a geek I I think he's officially a geek very good what is it like to come into pinball I will say it's as fun as you all think it is right coming in and hanging out with Gary every day I mean this is pretty much like what the work day is like I you know right guys this is this is it with less drinking in the workday usually for me I don't know about you guys well Rebecca you gotta go stroll down the hall but look this is a great industry great company great leader it's a lot of fun I am a bit of a geek at heart and I have some of my geek stripes and all those things I mean I've spent a long time in video games it's done you know equally geeky in its own way it is fun these are games we're in the game business There's real game theory there's game rules this is a serious business but it's not serious speaking of fun um South your gamer a lot of people at our place that are Gamers do John Youssi in the future Stern going into that type of Licensing or type of gaming thing it would be a way to connect video games with pinball yeah I mean I totally do we are uh we are all about working with the biggest and best IP and you know anybody who's read the news in the last five or ten years has seen that video games are as big or bigger than some of the movie Blockbusters that are out there um how could we not look at partnering with companies like that and partnering with those kind of ips so uh we very much could see video game opportunities in the future and collaboration opportunities with that we really make some of the most premium products in gaming for an audience that now is almost all Gamers you know most of the population is now Gamers and you couldn't have said that 30 years ago well I wanted to mention something so it's one year since Seth has been here so a one two three let's do a a happy anniversary happy birthday style ready one two three happy anniversary to you I can't hear you out there happy anniversary to you happy anniversary happy anniversary to you wow thank you all very much Gary I think we should get a second job at the lounge what do you think