Site for Sore Eyes

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Jun 2, 2010

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.013

TL;DR

Stern Pinball launches redesigned website and new logo (June 2010)

Summary

Stern Pinball unveiled a redesigned website and new company logo on June 2, 2010, featuring improved navigation, community features (forum, blog, event calendar), a 'Where to Play' section for locating machines, and social media integration. The rebrand included a new corporate slogan shifting from 'only coin-op pinball manufacturer' to 'The only maker of REAL pinball games on the planet!!' reflecting competitive positioning in the market.

Key Claims

Stern Pinball unveiled a brand new company website at www.sternpinball.com on June 2, 2010
high confidence · Official press release included in article; date confirmed multiple times
Company slogan changed from 'the only coin-op pinball manufacturer on the planet!' to 'The only maker of REAL pinball games on the planet!!'
high confidence · Article explicitly states the change and notes it reflects positioning after MarsaPlay manufacturing in Spain
New logo was created by Core 12, a firm that has previously created logos for Mercedes-Benz and Nike
high confidence · Official press release states: 'The logo was created by Core 12, who also developed the website. They have created logos for companies like Mercedes-Benz and Nike in the past.'
The new website features a 'Where to Play' section enabling users to find pinball machines by title and location, and add machines to the list
high confidence · Press release explicitly describes this feature
Stern's new website includes a forum for community discussion of pinball topics
high confidence · Multiple mentions in article and press release

Notable Quotes

“The only maker of REAL pinball games on the planet!!”
Stern Pinball (new corporate slogan) @ June 2, 2010 — Reflects competitive positioning strategy, implying competitors may not be making 'real' pinball (likely referencing MarsaPlay and other non-traditional manufacturers)
“Stern Pinball is very excited to present a new website and logo. Stern hopes that our website will become the center of the pinball universe on the Internet for anyone and everyone interested in pinball.”
Stern Pinball (press release) @ June 2, 2010 — Demonstrates Stern's ambitions to position itself as the central hub for the broader pinball community, not just their own machines
“The logo has a flipper and a pinball, so as to best explain our product to all customers.”
Stern Pinball (press release) @ June 2, 2010 — Explains design philosophy behind new branding—emphasis on clarity and product identity

Entities

Stern Pinball Inc.company www.sternpinball.comproductCore 12companyMarsaPlaycompanyIron Mangame

Signals

?
business_signal: Stern Pinball rebranding efforts with new logo and slogan reflect competitive market positioning and response to manufacturing competition
high · Slogan changed from 'only coin-op manufacturer' to 'only maker of REAL pinball games' in direct response to MarsaPlay manufacturing in Spain
?
community_signal: Stern investing in community features (forum, blog, event calendar, Where to Play section) positioning website as 'center of the pinball universe'
high · Press release explicitly states: 'Stern hopes that our website will become the center of the pinball universe on the Internet for anyone and everyone interested in pinball'
$
market_signal: Digital transformation initiative with social media integration (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) indicates Stern's adaptation to social media era (2010)
high · Website features Facebook 'like' button, direct links to Facebook/Twitter/YouTube presence; article notes website is one of 100,000 sites with Facebook integration

Topics

Website redesign and digital presenceprimaryCorporate branding and logo redesignprimaryCommunity engagement features (forum, blog, event calendar)primarySocial media integrationsecondaryCompetitive positioning vs. alternative manufacturerssecondaryMachine location and operator supportsecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— Article presents Stern's website redesign as a significant modernization effort. Tone is approving of the improvements. Minor criticism noted about press release not appearing in Press Releases section, but overall sentiment is positive about the rebrand and feature additions.

Transcript

raw_text · $0.000

Date: 2nd June 2010 Stern Pinball Inc have revamped their website and with new content and an improved design. Stern's new website The new site adds sections for media links, a forum, a (limited) diary of pinball events and a number of short blogs alongside a new pinball discussion forum. Visitors can now register for the company's mailing list, join in a competition to win an Iron Man pinball party and register pinball sightings in a new Where To Play section. The site also links directly to Stern's presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Along with the site comes a new company logo which will feature on Stern's future games and publications. The new Stern Pinball Logo Interestingly, the company slogan has changed since our report about the MarsaPlay machines being manufactured in Spain. Out goes "...the only coin-op pinball manufacturer on the planet!" and in comes "The only maker of REAL pinball games on the planet!!" Thankfully, the technical sections with game software and technical bulletins remains along with sections from the manuals of newer games to help with the troubleshooting. Stern even issued a press release about their new website although, ironically, at the time of writing it doesn't appear in the Press Releases section of the new site. So here it is: June 2, 2010 - Stern Pinball, Inc. is unveiling a brand new company website today, www.sternpinball.com. The website has many new and old features, ones that will excite all users and sellers of Stern’s pinball machines. The re-designed website offers the following: The easy-to-navigate Home Page shows users information on Stern’s newest games, game videos, a Stern Blog, a mailing list, a link to purchase pinball machines, and a connection to Stern on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The Stern website is one of 100,000 sites presently on the web to feature a Facebook ‘like’ option, where you can click the ‘like’ button to demonstrate one’s appreciation of a particular item. A Where to Buy option on every page connects operators and consumers with domestic distributors and dealers, as well as international distributors. The Where to Play page enables users to find a pinball machine by title and location, as well as add a pinball to the list. The Service and Support page helps users to get game code, service bulletins, game manuals, care and maintenance information, as well as a list of parts for older Stern Pinball games. The Games page shows Stern’s current production titles with game descriptions, photos, videos of the games, size specs, and more. The Games page also features pinballs that are no longer in production. The Media page contains a photo gallery, Stern art (including backglasses), and videos of game play to view. The Community page features a Forum, which discusses several pinball topics. The Community page also has a Blog discussing the latest news from Stern, as well as a Calendar of upcoming Tournaments and Events. The About Us page offers a history of Stern Pinball, a history of pinball in general, as well as recent news and company press releases. The Contact Us page lists contacts for sales, media, service, and more. Stern Pinball has also created a new logo to better brand the company. The logo has a flipper and a pinball, so as to best explain our product to all customers. The logo was created by Core 12, who also developed the website. They have created logos for companies like Mercedes-Benz and Nike in the past. Stern Pinball is very excited to present a new website and logo. Stern hopes that our website will become the center of the pinball universe on the Internet for anyone and everyone interested in pinball. Back to the News page Back to the front page