STAR WARS PIN

[Rock-ola]

07-19-2019 06:29 AM
Stern Pinball have been pretty successful selling to the home collector market, but despite several attempts they haven’t matched that success selling games through regular retail channels to non-collectors.

Previous titles such as Transformers, Batman and Spider-Man were pitched at family buyers with no experience of purchasing through distributors who wanted a simple and easy process to get a full-size authentic pinball in their home.

Now Stern are having another attempt to crack the home market with a Star Wars game which was unveiled on the Star Wars stand at the San Diego Comic-Con exhibition.

Stern Pinball’s new Star Wars Pin home game Called the Star Wars Pin, the game uses a modified playfield layout from Stern’s earlier Spider-Man Pin title, with a new playfield art package and some Star Wars toys added in the form of a Death Star and an animated TIE-Fighter.  The cabinet art package and backbox art uses elements from the Pro and the Premium arcade models.

The right side cabinet artwork To reduce cost and make the game more accessible, there have been several changes compared to the arcade versions.

The cabinet is a lighter build, held together with bolts which are visible on the exterior. There is also no coin slot, although there is still a coin door for accessing the game’s interior.

The cabinet is bolted together The lock bar is now a plastic affair, with the game’s start button moved up to make it more obvious how to start a game and add players. There is still a shooter rod, but the metal housing has been down-sized.

The game’s lock bar and start button The backbox display has also been significantly reduced in size, although it is now an LCD which is the first time this type of display has been used in a Stern home game.

Although there are two speaker grilles on the display panel, it looks as though there is only a single speaker fitted which looks a little odd.

The Star Wars Pin display panel Moving on to the playfield, the game features two all-metal ramps, three drop targets, three pop bumpers, and a spinner along with the Death Star and TIE Fighter toys.

The playfield from Stern’s Star Wars Pin Shots to the Death Star are initially blocked by the three-bank of drop targets, but once those are down the left ramp can be made to shoot past the one-way gate to the standup target inside the Death Star and a then back to the flippers on the left wireform.

Playfield detail from Star Wars Pin Star Wars Pin utilises the same two-post lock mechanism used in the Spider-Man Home game, allowing multiball to be started at any point in the game.

The central playfield area The game features at least four multiball modes – Death Star, Tie-Fighter and R2-D2 being regular modes, with Jedi Multiball being the wizard mode.

The rules read:

• Spell F-O-R-C-E to light Rebel shots.
• Make Rebel shots when lit to assemble the Rebels.
• Collecting any two Rebels lights Extra Ball.
• Assembling all of the Rebels prior to attacking the Death Star increases Death Star score value.
• Right ramp destroys TIE fighters and starts TIE Fighter Multiball.
• Complete Rebel Alliance symbols to increase bonus multiplier.
• Lite Empire top lanes for time Double Scoring mode.
• Pop bumpers build TIE Fighter Multiball jack pot values.
• Knock down the TIE Fighter drop targets to start Death Star Multiball and attack the Death Star.
• Freeing a captive ball starts R2-D2 Multiball. Hitting the R2 target adds a ball.
• Complete all features to start Jedi Multiball.

One of the key problems Stern have had so far with the ‘Pin’ series is finding the right price point -one which might typically be considered ‘discretionary spending’ for a family’s home game room.  Earlier models have often been thought expensive for a cut-down arcade experience, but that hasn’t deterred Stern from setting a retail price of $4,499 – something not too far, far away from the street price of the Pro arcade model.

Interestingly, although this is marketed as a home game, it is still being sold through Stern’s traditional distributor network. Previous titles had been aimed at big-box stores such as Costco, but there is no mention of any conventional retail outlets stocking the Star Wars Pin.

Here’s how Stern announced their new Pin title. There’s also a short video of some gameplay here: https://www.facebook.com/sternpinball/videos/405399176745750/

Stern Pinball Announces New Star Wars

Pin

Affordable Pinball Machine for the Home

CHICAGO, IL – July 18, 2019 – Stern Pinball, Inc., a global lifestyle brand based on the iconic and outrageously fun modern American game of pinball, announced today the Star Wars

Pin

, a new stylish, affordable and fun pinball machine designed and engineered for the home.

Stern’s new Star Wars

Pin

immerses players in the dynamic Star Wars

galaxy. The Pin

is packed with features that provide players with an irresistible game experience including select speech and footage from the original Star Wars

trilogy, color-changing playfield inserts, a custom sculpted Death Star, and a custom sculpted and interactive TIE fighter.

The easy to setup Star Wars

Pin

is built to last and engineered with genuine Stern commercial-quality parts. The playfield is housed in a stylish cabinet with dynamic, high definition artwork. The all-LED playfield lighting provides optimal color and brilliant light shows.

“The Star Wars

Pin

is designed to provide quality family entertainment and bring pinball fun to homes everywhere,†said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc. “We are pleased to bring these pinball machines celebrating the Star Wars

galaxy and adventures to our fans.â€

Complementing the immersive theme and exciting gameplay experience, Stern Pinball’s powerful SPIKE

electronics hardware system enables high-definition graphics and innovative animations. SPIKE

reduces system complexity and energy usage, resulting in enhanced reliability and simplified servicing.

Pricing and Availability:
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (“MSRPâ€)*: $US 4,499
*MSRP for sales to USA end-users, before any VAT, GST, Sales Tax, Duties, or other taxes.

The Star Wars

Pin

is available to pre-order now through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world.

About Stern Pinball, Inc.
Stern Pinball, Inc. is a global lifestyle brand based on the iconic and outrageously fun modern American game of pinball. Headquartered minutes from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in the heart of North America, the company creates, designs, engineers, manufactures, markets, and distributes a full line of technologically advanced terrestrial and digital pinball games, parts, accessories, and merchandise.

Stern Pinball serves digital, consumer, commercial, and corporate markets around the globe. Recent Stern Pinball titles include Black Knight: Sword of Rage, The Munsters, The Beatles, Deadpool, Iron Maiden, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars

, Aerosmith, Ghostbusters, KISS, Metallica, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Star Trek, AC/DC, Batman, and Spider-Man.

A broad range of players enjoy Stern Pinball’s games from professional pinball players who compete in high-stakes international competitions around the globe to novice players who are discovering the allure of the silver ball for the first time.

To join the fun and learn more, please visit www.sternpinball.com.​

More...

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Maybe I've been conditioned by too much experience, but why would you want to pay almost full price for a mediocre, watered-down version of the real thing?

If they could put out something for about a half or a third of full price, that would make more sense to me. A smaller table with less high-tech stuff, but still an interesting game, ideally.

Or, maybe it would have helped if they had better talent designing these things. This one looks like it was put together by a graphic arts intern, or someone like that.