If it wasnt for Stern, blokes like Johnh Borg, Steve Ritchie, George Gomez and twenty others wouldnt be designing pinballs. Its a funny thing, that in the end, Stern was the saviour, the only continuer of the pinball industry worldwide. I am looking forward to the new titles in 2013.
OK, you obviously have a very colored vision favoring Sten. That's fine. However, there are 2 sides to a coin. Your savior is also the one who limited all these talented designers in their work and in the eyes of many practically forced them to put out half finished cut down games with crappy licensed themes or crappy execution. So yes all the big names were designing games thanks to Gary, but probably not the games would want to design because your savior held them back. The only theory we can't test: what would have happened if Stern had never been there? Would other people have stepped up and started a factory? Who knows what great games that could have resulted in. If Gary is such a hero for pinball, how come most industry insiders tend to see that waaaaaay differently?
Ok, I hear what you are saying, and I totally agree to a few points. Some Stern games were on the basic side with little or no interactive toys. This was during the GFC period where Stern was doing it tough and had to cost cut to survive, but they have come out the other side and things are looking up, AC/DC and X Men games show that with a very good, if not great machine being produced to show that games are now got all the bells n whistles.
Re the designers having been held back, definately true cause every designer wants to put ""everything"" into a game, but ultimately, in a difficult economic climate "someone" who is Gary Stern has to pay for it, and if the budget isnt there, its not there ! So Gary, as CEO did his job and kept the company open without overspending. Its a compromise none the less, but it probably had to be done.
The pinball insiders might have different opinions, but at the end of the day, no one likes getting told what to do, and Gary is the Boss, no one likes the boss when he tells u what to do, when he makes u do it his way, but he is the boss, and probably the only one who knows everything about his business, the financial big picture as such so ultimately, he has the final say. I look forward to meeting Gary and as many of the guys as I can on my trip to Stern next year.
Re the pinball magazine being produced in the wireless/techno internet age, i like the hardcopy/magazine idea, because you want something to collect, to hold in your hands n keep, so I like the fact the magazine is being made. BUT, dont give STERN too much of a hard time,lol or they wont let u do a magazine story on them.lol
Gav, re Williams, they went broke in the end and had to walk away, the shareholders demanded it probably. They werent profitable, it seems no one was in those years. But thank the stars they produced all the great games they did so we can enjoy them today. Gary is a astute business man. He saw a opening and took it. Again, good on him, cause it gives us pinball fans new pinnys to play with.
