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Stern Pinball Insider Connected brings online challenges & features to its machines

Features like Challenge Quests, loyalty points, and retrofit kits are about to bring a lot more community interactivity to Stern Pinball machines.

TJ Denzer

August 26, 2021 8:30 AM

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Pinball has always been kind of a community game when you think about it. Sure, you can really only run the silver ball by yourself, but when you look up at the backboard and see the scores of the best players around, it gives you something to strive for. You and others push and figure out the technique to try to put your score up in that hollowed spot. You might even share tips and strategies on any given game with fellow players. Stern and its fans have cultivated that community passion and interaction over the years, and the company is about to try to give its fans more ways to do so with a new Insider Connected program.

Stern announced the Insider Connected program via an press release on its website on August 26, 2021. This is a program that will be standard on new machines and can be applied to previously released ones via a retrofit kit. There will also be a mobile app. Essentially, any Stern Pinball machine with Insider Connected set up will feature a QR code where users can log the machine via the app and engage in community interaction, Challenge Quests, and other promotions.

With Challenge Quests, Stern Pinball machine owners and operators can set up events and challenges that will allow players to earn loyalty points. Players can also track their progress and chase after game-specific achievements, as well as engaging with other players from the community.

Any Stern game utilizing the Spike 2 LCD system produced after the September launch will ship with the Insider Connected system installed. That means machines like the recent Led Zeppelin and Mandalorian releases can be set up with this program.

With pinball always having had some level of community interaction behind it, Insider Connected seems like a wonderful way to expand pinball past the player standing at the machine at any given time. Stay tuned for more news and updates regarding Stern Pinball as it becomes available, right here at Shacknews.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.