Stern (gaming company)

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Stern is the name of two different but related arcade gaming companies: Stern Electronics, Inc. and Stern Pinball, Inc.

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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.

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.

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.

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. Stern Pinball, Inc. is based in Melrose Park, Illinois.

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.

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.

  • 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.


  • 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)

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