World Famous Game Designer Joins Stern Pinball

World’s Only Maker of Arcade Pinball Games Welcomes Steve Ritchie, Game Innovator and Designer

MELROSE PARK, IL – March 3, 2011– Stern Pinball, Inc., the world’s only maker of real pinball games, announced today game designer Steve Ritchie will be joining the Stern Pinball team. Ritchie is often referred to in the gaming world as the “The King of Pinball” and “The King of Flow” for his quick paced pinball games utilizing shot-based flow patterns mixed with target-based geometry.

Ritchie has been designing pinball games since the 1970s, producing such notable titles as Superman, Stellar Wars, Black Knight and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Ritchie was the first designer to incorporate multiball game play, ball lane change, transparent playing fields, as well as the first multi-level pinball machine. Ritchie had previously been contracted by Stern Pinball in 2001 to design eight machines including Elvis, Spider-Man and Terminator 3.

“I am elated to bring my 30 years of design and game experience to Stern Pinball and work as part of the new Stern team,” said game designer Steve Ritchie. “I am honored to work with Gary Stern and Dave Peterson, along with the talented Stern staff on an exciting new chapter in pinball history. Long Live Pinball!”

“We are all very excited about Steve’s arrival at Stern,” said Gary Stern, founder, CEO and chairman of Stern Pinball. “Steve’s expertise in the art of pinball design and imaginative work will take our machines and game design to a whole new level. Our goal at Stern is to continually push the envelope of what is possible and has never been done. Steve’s work is on par with that vision.”

Steve Ritchie joins the Stern Pinball and the Stern family tradition of producing quality pinball machines for young and old. The company traces its lineage to Philadelphia in the 1930s when Sam Stern entered the business of operating pinball games. Stern passed his lifelong enthusiasm for the game and the business of pinball to his son Gary Stern who founded Stern Pinball. Today pinball remains one of America’s favorite pastimes.

Kanske Steve kan dämpa Garys idiotiska slumpfaktor-byggande i spelen.
Man kan i alla fall hoppas.

Uansett hva grunnen er så er det viktigste for meg fortsatt at han er med - ikke hvorfor han er det.
Uansett så kan jeg ganske sikkert - men ikke hvorfor - si at den planen eksisterte allerede ganske tidlig i desember.

Steve Ritchie är 61 år gammal nu, inget fel i det. Men man skulle ju kunna tänka sig att STERN anställt honom på deltid, t.ex. på 20 timmar i veckan. Att dom gjort det för att hindra honom från andra uppdrag i branschen ser jag som långsökt, då det finns andra 'hot' också. Däremot kan STERN tycka att han med sin erfarenhet kan ha många goda input och agera som projektledare eller faktotum inom STERN.

dom har synkat detta med stpb's 8e födelsedag.

Nastan alla pinball designers ar till aren. Till och med Lyman, som ar en av dom yngsta ar 44.

Killen har ju ett hyfsat track record...F-14, BK2k, Rollergames, STTNG, T3, Spiderman och några hyfsade titlar till. Visst hade man kunnat hoppas på ngn ny och nytänkande designer...men nu är ju utsikterna som dom är.