By Steve Winter, special to wtop.com
LAS VEGAS — Pinball Is Back!
While those of us over 40 fondly remember banging away at those machines at the arcade on the Boardwalk or in our local watering hole, the industry nearly went the way of the dinosaur two decades ago.
Silver ball enthusiast , nostalgia buff and business owner Gary Stern kept the dream, and perhaps even the entire industry, alive.
In continuous operation since the 1930s, Stern Pinball weathered the dark years and essentially owned the industry, until the recent arrival of new competitor Jersey Jack. Now driven by a viable rival, Stern Pinball has raised its game substantially, and they demonstrated the next generation of this iconic device at the International CES in Vegas.
“The future of pinball is great because we make games that are still fun to play,” says Stern. “It’s an American product that appeals to a global audience which – thanks to three rejuvenated industry market segments – is once again growing.”
Stern breaks down the three markets: Game operators in “barcades” and bowling alleys, collectors and nostalgic enthusiasts, and rec room buyers who remember playing the game as a kid and now want to have their own pinball machine.
“Our newest product, the WWE Wrestlemania, is the most sophisticated machine of its kind,” he says.
While the game is still mechanical-action pinball, what goes on inside the table has changed dramatically, says Stern.
“Our Spike System is a major upgrade over the blunt switches and systems we used for years,” says Stern.
Where previous tables operated on a custom micro-controller, Wrestlemania — and all future versions of Stern tables — run on Linux with a small CPU soundboard CAT5 cabling and LED lights.
Stern says his system also includes several improvements on old features including a USB port which allows for faster system updates, and short circuit and static protection refined across full spectrum of the table’s components.
While the bells, whistles and internal components appear to appeal most to visitors to Stern’s booth at CES, Stern’s success is built on the power of licensing and branding.
“While the mechanics make today’s pinball machines great fun to play, it’s the branding that attracts the user in the first place,” Stern says.
By spanning several generations of each machine’s genre, Stern connects with fans of all ages. WWE, for example, includes not just The Rock and John Cena, but also Triple H, a legend from years gone by.
Stern’s Star Trek game pays homage to virtually every incarnation of the popular series, from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine to the recent reboot of The Original Series.
“The imagery is what attracts the user. But once they play the game, it’s the components that bring them back, again and again.”
While Stern is showcasing four products this year at CES – WWE, Star Trek, The Walking Dead and Mustang – the company’s legacy spans virtually every genre from comic books and sports to movies, TV shows, theme parks and rock bands.
“After all, nothing makes a statement quite like a pinball machine.”
Editors Note: Longtime CES attendees Steve Winter and Kenny Fried are contributing reports from the show. In their day jobs, they are public relations professionals with Sage Communications. During CES they are not reporting on any of their clients’ products or those of direct competitors.
