Stern is the name of two different but related arcade gaming companies: Stern Electronics, Inc. and Stern Pinball, Inc. Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ...

Stern Electronics, Inc.

The first of these companies is Stern Electronics, Inc., founded by amusement industry-legend Sam Stern. Sam Stern, along with Harry E. Williams, founded Williams Manufacturing Company in 1946. Stern Electronics was formed when the Stern family bought the financially-troubled Chicago Coin in 1977. Williams is a long-standing electronic gaming and amusement company based in Chicago, Illinois. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chicago Coin was one of the early major manufacturers of pinball tables. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...

After a weak start, Stern Electronics' sales started picking up by the end of 1977. Although not as successful as rivals Williams and Bally (Gottlieb had been purchased in 1977 by Columbia Pictures but was still a formidable competitor as well), Stern managed to produce its share of moderately successful pinballs as well. Also, in 1979, Stern acquired jukebox maker Seeburg Corporation, and the company became known as Stern / Seeburg. Bally Technologies logo Bally (with its distinctive Rolling Ball logo) Bally Technologies, Inc. ... Gottlieb (formerly D. Gottlieb & Co. ... The Columbia Pictures logo from 1993 to the present Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. ... An electronic pinball machine (Theatre of Magic), released 1995. ... A Zodiac jukebox A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that can play specially selected songs from self-contained media. ... Seeburg manufactured jukeboxes under the JP Seeburg and company name for most of its early years. ...

When the arcade video game craze hit in 1980, Stern produced the hit game Berzerk. No other video game it made was ever as popular as Berzerk, however, and in 1983 Stern became one of many victims of the amusement industry economic shakeout that occurred. In 1985, Stern Electronics left the amusement industry. Personnel from Stern Electronics formed a short-lived venture known as Pinstar, producing conversion kits for old Bally and Stern machines. Gary Stern was the president of Stern Electronics, Inc, Pinstar Inc, and Data East pinball, leading to the false information that Stern became Data East pinball; this is untrue. It is also untrue that Chicago Coin became Stern Electronics, Inc.; all four were discrete companies. Assets were purchased at bankruptcy sales forming the core inventory of Stern Electronics, Inc., however as a separate company, they did not assume any of the debt Chicago Coin had amassed. Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a universal phenomenon. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Berzerk is a multi-directional shooter video game, released in 1980 by Stern Electronics of Chicago. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ...

Stern Pinball, Inc.

By 1999, the pinball industry was virtually dead and Williams, once the dominant leader in a healthy industry, decided to stop manufacturing pinball tables and focus on gambling devices as WMS Gaming. During the same year, Sega decided to leave the pinball industry as well and sold its pinball division (previously purchased from Data East in 1994) to Gary Stern, the son of Sam Stern. Gary Stern founded Stern Pinball, Inc. that same year and since then, the company has been the largest manufacturer of pinball tables in the world. Caravaggio, The Cardsharps, c. ... WMS Industries Inc. ... Sega Corporation ) is a multinational Japanese video game software and hardware development company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ...

Several WMS alumni, like legendary pinball designers Steve Ritchie and Pat Lawlor, as well as George Gomez (who also works at Midway Games) and more recently, Dennis Nordman, are currently designing games for Stern Pinball. Steven S. Ritchie is an acclaimed pinball and video game designer. ... Pat Lawlor (during the 2004 Pinball Expo) Patrick M. Lawlor is a pinball machine designer who is widely considered by silverball enthusiasts to be among the elite of his craft. ... Midway Games (NYSE: MWY) is an American video game publisher. ...

Stern Pinball Inc. is unique in the history of Pinball in that they will re-run popular titles instead of one production run lasting a certain amount of time. This enables arcade operators and home enthusists to obtain machines in new shape periodically.

Notable Pinballs

Stern Electronics

• Nugent (1978)
• Stars (1978)
• Meteor (1979) (Highest production of all Stern Electronics' Pinballs)
• Dracula (1979)
• Galaxy (1980)
• Ali (1980)
• Big Game (1980) (First game to incorporate 7 digit scoring in the digital era)
• Flight 2000 (1980)
• Iron Maiden (1980) (Note: not based on the British heavy metal band)
• Star Gazer (1980)
• Orbitor 1 (1982), featured a 3d-vacuum formed playfield with spinning rubber bumpers causing frenetic ball action; very unusual. The company's last released game.

Theodore Ted Nugent (born December 13, 1948) (a. ... “Cassius Clay” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Stern Pinball

• Harley Davidson (1999, 2nd revision: 2002) (slightly updated revisions of the Sega game)
• Striker Xtreme (2000)
• Sharkey's Shootout (2000)
• High Roller Casino (2001)
• Austin Powers (2001) (based on the movie Austin Powers)
• Monopoly (2001; produced by Pat Lawlor Design [PLD], based on the game Monopoly and rumoured to originally be planned for the Pinball 2000 platform)
• NFL (2001) (basically an advanced mod of Striker Xtreme)
• RollerCoaster Tycoon (2002; produced by Pat Lawlor Design [PLD])
• Playboy (2002) (originally planned for the Pinball 2000 platform, prototype exists)
• The Simpsons Pinball Party (2003)
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions [SRP])
• The Lord of the Rings (2003)
• Ripley's Believe It or Not (2004; produced by Pat Lawlor Design [PLD], based on the series Ripley's Believe It or Not)
• Elvis (2004; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions [SRP])
• The Sopranos (2005) (based on the series The Sopranos)
• NASCAR (Grand Prix in Europe) (2005; produced by Pat Lawlor Design [PLD])
• World Poker Tour (2006; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions [SRP])
• Pirates of the Caribbean (2006) (based on the movie Pirates of the Caribbean)
• Family Guy (2007; produced by Pat Lawlor Design [PLD])
• Spider-Man (2007; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions [SRP], based on the Spider-Man films)
• Wheel of Fortune (to appear 2007, confirmed by Stern, based on the gameshow Wheel of Fortune)

The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Monopoly is a Stern pinball machine released in September 2001. ... Monopoly is the best-selling commercial board game in the world. ... Revenge From Mars Pinball 2000 is the latest pinball hardware and software platform developed by Williams and has been used in the machines Revenge From Mars by Bally and Star Wars Episode I by Williams before both were going out of the pinball business on October 25th, 1999. ... RollerCoaster Tycoon is a Stern pinball machine released in August 2002. ... Revenge From Mars Pinball 2000 is the latest pinball hardware and software platform developed by Williams and has been used in the machines Revenge From Mars by Bally and Star Wars Episode I by Williams before both were going out of the pinball business on October 25th, 1999. ... The Simpsons Pinball Party is a 2003 pinball game released by Stern Pinball. ... The Lord of the Rings is a 2003 pinball game designed by George Gomez and distributed by Stern Pinball. ... Ripleys Believe It or Not! deals in the bizarre—events and items so strange and unusual that it is often hard to believe that they actually exist--but they do: believe it. ... Elvis is a 2004 pinball machine released by Stern. ... The Sopranos is a Stern pinball machine released in February 2005. ... The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase and originally broadcast on the HBO network. ... World Poker Tour is a Stern pinball machine released in January 2006. ... Pirates of the Caribbean is a pinball machine produced by Stern Pinball. ... Pirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a theme park ride, a series of films and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Wheel of Fortune may refer to: Wheel of Fortune (US game show), the US nighttime version. ...

Notable arcade games manufactured by Stern

• Astro Invader (1980)
• Berzerk (1980)
• Amidar (1981) (programmed by Konami)
• Scramble (1981) (programmed by Konami)
• Super Cobra (1981) (programmed by Konami)
• Turtles (1981)
• Anteater (1982)
• Bagman (Le Bagnard) (1982) (programmed by Valadon Automation)
• Frenzy (1982)
• Lost Tomb (1982)
• Pooyan (1982) (programmed by Konami)
• Rescue (1982)
• Tutankham (1982) (programmed by Konami)
• Super Bagman (1984) (programmed by Valadon Automation)
• Cliff Hanger (1983) (laserdisc game using video footage from TMS)

Astro Invader was the first arcade game ever released by Stern Electronics. ... Berzerk is a multi-directional shooter video game, released in 1980 by Stern Electronics of Chicago. ... Amidar is an idiosyncratic arcade game programmed by Konami, and published in 1981 by Stern. ... Konami Corporation ) (TYO: 9766 NYSE: KNM SGX: K20) is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines and video games. ... Scramble ) is a 1981 horizontally scrolling shoot em up, arcade game. ... Super Cobra is a 1981 horizontally scrolling shoot em up, arcade game. ... Anteater is a maze arcade game released in 1982 by Stern, where you play an anteater that elongates his sticky tongue through maze-like anthills eating ants and worms, while avoiding nasties like spiders biting his tongue. ... Frenzy was an arcade game published by Stern Electronics in 1982. ... Pooyan is an arcade game manufactured by Stern Electronics under license from Konami in 1982. ... Cliff Hanger was a laser disc game released by Stern Electronics in 1983. ...

External links

• Stern Pinball, Inc. official website

Arcade games

• Internet Pinball Database
• Stern at the Arcade Museum website
• Family Guy Pinball Specifications