Stern (game company)
Stern is the name of two different but related arcade gaming companies. 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.
Stern Electronics
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 and sold its pinball division to Data East.
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 1996) 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 only manufacturer of pinball tables in the world.
Notable Pinballs
(Stern Electronics)
- Flight 2000 (1980)
- Galaxy (1980)
- Meteor (1979)
- Stars (1978)
(Stern Pinball, Inc.)
- Sharkey's Shootout (2000)
- Striker Xtreme (2000)
- High Roller Casino (2001)
- Austin Powers (2001)
- Monopoly (2001; produced by Pat Lawlor Design)
- RollerCoaster Tycoon (2002; produced by Pat Lawlor Design)
- Playboy (2002)
- Terminator 3 (2003; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions)
- The Lord of the Rings (2003)
- The Simpsons Pinball Party (2003)
- Ripley's Believe It or Not (2004; produced by Pat Lawlor Design)
- Elvis (2004; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions)
- The Sopranos (2005)
- NASCAR (2005; produced by Pat Lawlor Design)
- World Poker Tour (2006; produced by Steve Ritchie Productions)
Notable Arcade Games Manufactured by Stern
- Astro Invader (1980)
- Berzerk (1980)
- Amidar (1981) (programmed by Konami)
- Anteater (1982)
- Scramble (1981) (programmed by Konami)
- Frenzy (1982)
- Lost Tomb (1982)
- Pooyan (1982) (programmed by Konami)
- Rescue (1982)
- Tutankham (1982) (programmed by Konami)