Jersey Jack Pinball today announced some rather big news today as the company has hired legendary audio engineer or "pinball sound master" David Thiel to work on The Hobbit Pinball, the next Pat Lawlor game as well as future JJP games. Considering David's past work including the incredible sound on Tron Legacy pinball along with the groundbreaking sound system utilized by JJP, we can rest assured that the future of pinball will sound amazing.

In addition, JJP revealed new images of The Hobbit Pinball playfield art.

Read the press release and see the images after the break.

While certain games produced by Stern pinball have fallen flat on the sales and collectibility front, others have done the complete opposite and soared in collectibility as well as value. This action has led to the reality that some games such as Iron Man, Tron, AC/DC and others have become out of reach for players due to limited (though not intended) availability. 

Stern Pinball today announced a new 'Vault' edition Iron Man Pro in order to satisfy the consumer demand. The new run of machines will include updated technical specs inline with current production games features.

It is yet unclear as to how many of these 'Vault Editions' will make their way into production as licenses, parts availability and other factors have to be considered but either way it's a great way to keep the market in check while providing players with the games that they desire to play.

Stern Pinball Opens its Vault to Reintroduce Iron Man Pinball

World’s Leading Maker of Arcade-Quality Pinball Games Announces First Stern Vault Release With Iron Man Pro

MELROSE PARK, IL – June 12, 2014 – Stern Pinball, Inc., the world's oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games, announced today it is opening the Stern Vault for re-release of Iron Man™ Pro. The Iron Man pinball machine features visuals, speech, music and sound effects from the Marvel blockbuster films Iron Man and Iron Man 2. After numerous requests from the pinball community, Stern is re-introducing this exceptional game.

Originally released in 2010, the Iron Man Pro model continues to bring the battle between billionaire industrialist, Tony Stark/Iron Man, and his enemies to the fingertips and flippers of pinball players. With non-stop action, Iron Man Pro Vault Edition heightens the excitement, bringing back a classic game for the players of any age and skill level.

 

Iron Man Pro Vault Edition features technological and manufacturing upgrades utilized by Stern in its current Pro models.  Among the improvements is all LED playfield lighting.  Iron Man is manufactured with Stern’s updated modern metal and wood back box with red t-molding and with a decaled cabinet and speaker housing.  The Iron Monger, War Machine and Whiplash figures have been molded in one piece construction for improved strength.

“Operators tell us Iron Man is a great earning pinball game, and enthusiasts tell us it’s a great playing game.  We didn’t make enough,” said Gary Stern, founder, CEO and chairman of Stern Pinball.

Look for future Stern Vault Editions.

Pricing and Availability:

Pro Version:  $5,495 (MSRP)

About Stern Pinball, Inc.

Stern Pinball, Inc., headquartered just outside Chicago, Illinois, is the oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games in the world. Stern’s highly talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and manufacture a full line of popular pinball games, merchandise and accessories.  Recent Stern titles include Mustang, Star Trek, Metallica, The Avengers, X-Men, AC/DC, Tron, Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman and many more!  All of Stern’s pinball games are crafted by hand and assembled by Stern’s expert team. Both pinball enthusiasts and casual players around the globe enjoy Stern’s games. For more information, please visit www.sternpinball.com. 

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All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies.

With today's celebration of Ford Mustang Day, Stern releases never before seen images of the Mustang Limited Edition pinball machine. Check out the pictures and news release after the break.

On the heels of the recent Jersey Jack Pinball update, comes another in rapid-fire succession. First off is an update on Jack's visit to the Michigan Pinball Expo as well as new statistics on WOZ earnings on location. Jack and the team have been hard at work in developing The Hobbit pinball and have some videos to show us.

New Wizard of Oz machines are being delivered and check out the uber-cool new jukebox functionality from Pinnovators as well.

Read the update below and let us know what you think about it in the comments section.

Jack and team have been busy working on the new Hobbit pinball machine as well as completing orders for WOZ in order to get ready for the next release. Read the update after the break.

With the release of impending production of the high end models Stern pinball has released details and images of the upcoming Mustang pinball variants. If you notice some details have been blocked out with a "Top Secret" banner on the translight and cabinet of the LE model. Astute Mustang fans who look closely will be able to identify the cars represented so it's not too much of a secret.

It appears that Stern has kept with it's new metal speaker panel design first introduced with Star Trek as well as lighted speakers on the LE model. The premium model also sports a center racing stripe on the speaker panel which is a nice touch. It also appears that the Premium and LE models get a revised side-rail design.

Update: In addition to the differences in games it also appears that different versions will come with varying playfield artwork, an additional "crossover" ramp and more. In addition the return of 6-ball gameplay makes a return. Check the feature matrix sheet below for details.

Read more after the break

American Pop Culture Icons Converge As Stern Pinball Announces Three
New Ford Mustang-Themed Games

· A new pinball game from Stern Pinball, featuring the all-new Ford
Mustang and celebrating 50 years of the original pony car, debuts at
the Chicago Auto Show

· Stern Pinball will also offer a premium game featuring Mustang Boss
302, Boss 351 and Boss 429, plus a limited-edition game honoring the
1965 original and all-new 2015 Mustang

· Champion pinball player Zach Sharpe will challenge journalists to
beat his high score on the new machines during media preview days at
the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 6 and Feb. 7

CHICAGO, Feb. 4, 2014 - The all-new Ford Mustang headlines a trio of
new pony car-themed pinball games to be revealed at the Chicago Auto
Show. Crafted by Chicago's own Stern Pinball, the Mustang-inspired
games combine two prime examples of 20th century American pop culture
- the coin-operated pinball machine and the original pony car.

"For five decades, Mustang has represented some of the best of
American culture, inspiring a feeling of freedom and independence for
people around the world," said Steve Ling, Ford car marketing manager.
"We're excited to have Stern Pinball join us here in its hometown of
Chicago with its brand-new games featuring Mustang."

Stern is introducing three new Mustang-themed games this spring
featuring cabinet and backboard artwork that pay tribute to 50 years
of Mustang. The pro-level machines, designed for arcades and other
public spaces, feature Mustangs from the past five decades. The more
feature-rich premium edition focuses on Mustang Boss 302, Boss 351 and
Boss 429 of 1969 to 1971 and 2012 to 2013.

Stern Pinball is one of many companies producing officially licensed
products to celebrate 50 years of Mustang. Other licensees include
Mattel with a 50 Years of Mustang Hot Wheels collection, Caddyshack
with a limited-edition Shelby GT500 Mustang golf car and the Mustang
GT pedal go kart from Berg. A range of apparel and other products are
available from http://shopfordmerchandise.com.

The all-new 2015 Mustang makes its first Chicago appearance at the
auto show alongside six of Stern's pro-level Mustang games. Top-ranked
competitive pinball player Zach Sharpe will also be on hand to
demonstrate the new game and set benchmark scores for show visitors
and media to challenge.

A special limited-edition model signed by the game designer features
the 1965 original and the all-new 2015 Mustang. Both premium and
limited-edition games feature genuine chrome Mustang badges on the
speaker grilles.

"The first car I ever bought was a 1970 Mustang Sportroof with a 302,
and I'm currently restoring a 1969 Mach 1," said George Gomez,
executive vice president for game design, Stern Pinball. "In designing
these new games, we wanted to celebrate the freedom and fun of driving
Mustang."

The games incorporate a mix of classic pinball play features and
modern technology to let players "go racing" with some of the greatest
Mustangs of all time, and even build up a dream collection as they
progress.

Different interactive sections of the playfield and sequences of shots
let players go drag racing, rallying, drifting and road racing in
pursuit of a high score. For example, hitting specific targets with
the ball enables gear shifting, and subsequent hits activate going up
or down through the gears. The games feature video displays in the
backboard and real Mustang sounds, giving players the visceral
experience of driving Mustang.

Chicago is the spiritual home of the classic coin-operated pinball
machine. The modern games were developed in the city in the 1920s and
1930s by companies such as Bally, Gottlieb and Williams as an
evolution of 18th century French parlor games. Over time, designers
added a wide array of features to enhance gameplay, and incorporated
pop culture themes from movies, television, music and comic books -
the same mediums that often incorporate Mustang.

Pinball pioneer Harry Williams said, "The ball is wild!"

"The beauty of pinball is that there is no set outcome, and it can't
be programmed like a video game," said Gary Stern, founder of Stern
Pinball. "That makes pinball a perfect match for Mustang, taking
drivers anywhere they want to go."

The very first Mustang-themed pinball game was introduced in 1964, the
same year as the car, by the now-defunct Chicago Coin Company.
Unfortunately, all of the other great Chicago pinball companies
succumbed to the challenge of the video game business. Stern has
committed to creating great games that remain true to what made
pinball fun in the first place, while incorporating modern design and
mechanical systems to challenge players.

2015 Ford Mustang

The all-new Mustang is the most advanced version yet of the iconic
pony car. The sleek new design of Mustang fastback and convertible is
backed up by world-class performance from a range of available
engines, including a new turbocharged EcoBoost(R) 2.3-liter and an
upgraded 5.0-liter V8 with more than 420 horsepower. In addition to
state-of-the-art connectivity systems, Mustang features available
advanced driver-assist systems, track apps, launch control and more.

# # #

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in
Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six
continents. With about 181,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the
company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company
provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For
more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please
visit http://corporate.ford.com.

About Stern Pinball, Inc.
Stern Pinball, Inc., located just outside of Chicago, Illinois, is the
oldest and largest producer of pinball games in the world. Stern's
highly talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and
manufacture popular arcade-quality pinball games. Recent popular Stern
titles include Star Trek, Metallica, Avengers, X-Men, AC/DC, Tron,
Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman and many more. All
of Stern's pinball games are crafted by hand and assembled by Stern's
expert team in the United States. Both pinball enthusiasts and casual
players around the globe enjoy Stern's games. For more information,
please visit www.sternpinball.com.

In the pinball world there are but a few designers that have truly revolutionized the game. Pat Lawlor is among the top of that very elite list of people. Let's put it this way, if Pat were a president hey might be George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson. Love his style or not, Pat has changed pinball forever with the groundbreaking introductions of the shaker motor, talking heads, a vertical playfield, you name it. If it was a crazy idea, it came from Pat. An innovators innovator always looking to push the limits of pinball. 

Having been outside of pinball since his stint at Stern pinball Pat has never stopped working on his pinball designs. As such it is with great privileg that JJP welcomes Pat to their team. Pat will rejoin working with long time friend and programmer Ted Estes to create his new game which will be, for the first time in many years, an original themed game from a major manufacturer and not a license which is great news for pinball fans who recall the era of Funhouse, Whirlwind and other games from Pat and team.

We look forward to seeing what this new team brings to pinball as it's rebirth is upon us here in 2014.  

Read the Press Release and video after the break.

Thonline has posted a story about Charlie Emery and Spooky Pinball that is a must read for pinball fans.

BY CRAIG D. REBER TH STAFF WRITER [email protected]

BENTON, Wis. -- Few adults play games at work. Not only does Charlie Emery, 45, of Benton, play them, he builds them.

The owner of Spooky Pinball, Emery crafts the games in a busy, bright and colorful workshop -- sort of like a young Santa Claus.

"There's no logical reason these should exist," he said. "People spend thousands of dollars to smack a steel ball around. I come here, build games, go home and play them (more than 20). My wife always knows where I'm at."

In February, Emery left a good position at Signcraft Screenprint, in Galena, Ill., after 21 years and "after much thought and debate," to pursue his dream full time.

Through contacts and friends at Signcraft, Emery built a new, custom game from parts of an old game.

"We basically gutted a game like a fish, stripped it down to nothing, into a custom game, just for fun," he said.

Emery and his son, then 9 years old, took the game to the 2010 Midwest Gaming Classic in Chicago.

Industry people started coming by, looking at it and asking Emery about it.

"'Why did our game look so good?' 'How did we do this?' 'How does your home-brewed look as good, if not better, as our production game?'" he said.

That's what spurred Emery on his new journey. It's a collaborative effort. Emery credits Andrew Edgerton, of Benton, who serves as a game programmer; Ben Heck, of Madison, a game designer; and Dennis Nordman, of Lake Villa, Ill., who serves as a consultant.

"Andrew is an invaluable resource and incredibly talented," he said. "We don't exist without him."

Heck designed America's Most Haunted, the company's first production game. Pinball Zombies From Beyond the Grave is due for release in April.

Emery calls pinball machines "giant Rubik's cubes of wire with infinite possibilities and only one correct way to get it."

He said it takes a special skill set to physically manufacture the game.

Emery has energy-drink confidence in Spooky Pinball, in existence for less than a year.

"The sky is absolutely the limit," he sad. "We can survive on low numbers of games, where big companies can't, because we're so self-contained. We do everything here. We do all of our own printing, our own play fields, cabinets, circuit boards."



Read more via thonline

Many pinheads, for many years have been asking for a Big Lebowski themed pinball machine and the team at Dutch Pinball have revealed their plans to do just that. After a long 69 day tease DP just revealed a few details and ordering information for the new game coming in 2015.

In cooperation with Universal and officially licensed TBL pinball will feature assets from the cult classic film.

Read the official Press Release and watch the video after the break