Greg Freres Joins Stern Pinball Team as Game Designer

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Sep 4, 2012

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.013

TL;DR

Hall of Fame artist Greg Freres joins Stern Pinball after 34-year career.

Summary

Greg Freres, a veteran pinball artist and designer with 34 years in the industry and Hall of Fame status, joined Stern Pinball as a game designer and artist on September 4, 2012. Known for his prolific work at Bally (1978–2008) on classics like Medieval Madness and Revenge from Mars, and recent freelance projects including Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons and The Wizard of Oz, Freres brings significant experience to Stern's design team.

Key Claims

Greg Freres has 34 years of experience in the pinball industry
high confidence · Official Stern Pinball press release quoted in the article
Freres worked at Bally Manufacturing from 1978 until the last Bally machine (Revenge from Mars) rolled off the production line
high confidence · Article body and official press release
Freres is a member of the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame
high confidence · Official Stern Pinball press release
Freres has created artwork and helped design over 30 pinball, video and arcade games
high confidence · Official Stern Pinball press release
Freres worked as an independent freelance artist from 2008 onwards before joining Stern
high confidence · Official Stern Pinball press release

Notable Quotes

“I hardly ever get a chance to play pinball but I try to keep up with who's designing what game for Stern. I've been over there a couple times to play the first test games. I can't tell you what game I would want to do because maybe someday I'll have that chance.”
Greg Freres @ Five years prior to article (approximately 2007) — Prophetic statement where Freres hinted at eventual Stern employment, demonstrating long-standing interest in working with the company
“Greg is a great fit for our company and we're confident that his diverse talents and background will help us create the future of pinball.”
Gary Stern @ September 4, 2012 — Official endorsement from Stern's CEO regarding Freres' hiring and expected contributions

Entities

Greg FrerespersonStern PinballcompanyGary Sternperson Dennis NordmanpersonBally ManufacturingcompanyJersey Jack Pinballcompany Medieval Madnessgame Revenge from Marsgame

Signals

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personnel_signal: Greg Freres, Hall of Fame artist with 34 years of industry experience, joins Stern Pinball as game designer after working as freelance artist since 2008
high · Official Stern Pinball press release announcing Freres' hire on September 4, 2012

Topics

Personnel moves and hiringprimaryStern Pinball organizational changesprimaryPinball industry veteran talentprimaryLegacy and transition from Bally erasecondaryGame design and artwork in pinballsecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— Article is celebratory of Freres' hire; quotes are enthusiastic; framing emphasizes his credentials and fit with Stern; no critical perspectives present

Transcript

raw_text · $0.000

Date: 4th September, 2012 He's well known as a prolific pinball artist and collaborator with Dennis Nordman on games such as the 'Party' series for Bally, Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons and The Wizard of Oz for Jersey Jack Pinball, but now Greg Freres has joined the Stern Pinball team as artist and game designer. Greg Freres Greg began his career in pinball in the late '70s at Bally, where he stayed until the last Bally machine rolled off the production line with Revenge from Mars. After that he became a freelance artist but didn't work on any more pinball games until the Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons project and then The Wizard of Oz. Speaking in a Pinball News interview five years ago, Greg hinted he kept up with the developments at Stern and could, just possibly, end up working there. He said, "I hardly ever get a chance to play pinball but I try to keep up with who’s designing what game for Stern. I’ve been over there a couple times to play the first test games. I can’t tell you what game I would want to do because maybe someday I’ll have that chance." Stern have hired who? To announce Greg's new role, Stern Pinball put out a press release. Here's what they had to say: Stern Pinball Welcomes Veteran Designer Greg Freres Hall of Fame Artist and Designer Joins Stern Team MELROSE PARK, IL – September 4, 2012 – Stern Pinball, Inc., the world’s only maker of real pinball games, today announced that game designer Greg Freres has joined the Stern Pinball team. With 34 years in the industry, Mr. Freres brings a rich and diverse background in pinball. A member of the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame, Mr. Freres has created artwork and helped design over 30 pinball, video and arcade games. Among his most recent works is the co-creation of the custom “Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons” pinball game. Other notable games from his design portfolio include: Medieval Madness, Revenge From Mars, Fathom, Elvira and the Party Monsters, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. In 1978, after earning a degree in Studio Art, Mr. Freres began his pinball career at Bally Manufacturing Corporation where he worked as an artist, designer and art manager until 2008. Since 2008, Mr. Freres has worked as an independent freelance artist. “Greg is a great fit for our company and we’re confident that his diverse talents and background will help us create the future of pinball,” said Gary Stern, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Stern Pinball, Inc. Mr. Freres joins the Stern Pinball and Stern family tradition of producing quality pinball games. The company traces its lineage to Philadelphia in the 1930’s when Sam Stern entered the business of operating pinball games. Sam Stern subsequently partnered with Harry Williams to build the Williams Manufacturing Company and passed his lifelong enthusiasm for the game and the business of pinball to his son Gary. Today pinball remains one of the world’s favorite games. About Stern Pinball, Inc. Stern Pinball, Inc., located just outside Chicago, Illinois, designs and manufactures arcade-quality pinball games. Stern is the only maker of full-sized, arcade quality pinball games on the planet and has released many popular titles including X-Men, AC/DC, Transformers, Avatar, The Rolling Stones, Iron Man, Tron and many more. Stern’s games continue to be enjoyed by both pinball enthusiasts and casual players around the globe. For more information, please visit www.sternpinball.com. Back to the News page Like this page? Share it with your Facebook friends: Back to the front page