RePlay Magazine Podcast - Interview with Gary Stern
RePlay Magazine Podcast - Interview with Gary Stern
You can’t talk about pinball today without starting with Gary Stern, the founder and executive chairman of Stern Pinball whose passion for the game has been demonstrated time and time again. In episode #4 of the RePlay Podcast, Gary takes veteran operator and host Randy Chilton on a fascinating journey through his business and personal life, recounting how he got started with his father Sam and the dramatic ups and downs he’s experienced throughout his career. Pinball certainly has evolved over those years, and Stern games today feature internet connectivity through the company’s Insider Connected. Among the many features, the platform lets players track their scores and achievements, and operators manage and promote the games. (Gary’s famous for saying: “If it it’s not connected, it’s not going to have a future.”) Today, Gary travels a great deal as he’s taken a step back from company leadership, but his engagement and passion for pinball hasn’t waned a bit. He also finds celebrity far outside the confines of our “coin-op” games industry. We hope you enjoy this month’s episode with Gary Stern.
Kineticist’s take
Gary Stern reflects on 78 years in pinball, company history, and Insider Connected strategy.
Synopsis
Gary Stern, 80-year-old chairman of Stern Pinball, discusses his 78-year involvement in pinball (since age 2), the company's evolution from Data East (1986) through Sega ownership to independent operation today, and Stern's strategic focus on Insider Connected as essential to pinball's future. He emphasizes the shift from traditional pinball to connected, gamified experiences with code updates, achievements, and community engagement through Stern Army events, positioning pinball in breweries, arcades, and homes as a sustainable entertainment product.
Highlights
- Gary Stern has been involved in pinball for 78 years, since age 2 when his father entered the business
- Stern Pinball operates in 230,000 square feet across two modern facilities (main building and woodworking building) in Elk Grove Village near O'Hare
- Stern has over 300,000 Insider Connected players and over 1,000 Stern Army members organizing monthly location events
- 70% of Stern's games are placed in homes, but 30% in street locations generate 70% of revenue
- Stern releases three new cornerstone games per year in Pro/Premium/Limited Edition tiers
- Stern's CEO Seth Davis is 47 years old, Wharton MBA, 10+ years at Disney in games/streaming, and 10 years at GE
- Stern invested millions in Insider Connected technology six years ago based on investor/lender feedback that connected products have future viability
- Sam Stern (Gary's father) sold Williams to Seabird in 1964; Stern Electronics closed in 1984/1985
Entities
- Data East Pinball· company
- Gottlieb· company
- Marvin Glass Toy Development Company· company
- Sega· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Valley· company
- Williams Manufacturing· company
- Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye· game
- Jaws· game
- John Wick· game
- King Kong· game
- Metallica· game
- Star Wars· game
- Uncanny X-Men· game
- Venom· game
- Stern Army· organization
- Gary Stern· person
- George Gomez· person
- Harry Williams· person
- Joe Kamenko· person
- Randy Shilton· person
- Sam Stern· person
- Seth Davis· person
- Shelly Sachs· person
- Insider Connected· product