Stern pinball machine2/24/2023 ![]() ![]() CautionĪgain, borrowing from my IoT experience, I have some words of caution. If music licensing gets worked out, a pinball machine could double as a jukebox while it’s not in play. If it was me, I would be allowing my subs on Twitch to control the light show or my flipper strength while I play for charity. APIs have the advantage of helping a community build integrations that are totally unexpected. In the beginning, there were many consumer IoT platforms, but it only really took off when a few started interoperating. ![]() This is a lesson learned from what I experienced with consumer IoT products. Stern could have a first-mover advantage and if they open up their player identity management system could win. They will have to support multiple platforms and will have to choose. Over time, everybody is going to try their hand at making a connected platform and it will leave players, operators, and locations in a lurch. I do recommend that Stern opens up access to the platform with an API and turns the player profiles into identities. How about a free appetizer or drink if you get 20 loops on Gidzilla? Pinball machines have screens with ample ad space potential while their not being played. Locations: Once everything is connected, locations will be able to offer their products as prizes and incentives to keep playing.Replacement parts could be on the ready for planned downtime. WIth the right sensors reporting data to the internet, you could do predictive maintaince and always have the machine running in tip-top shape during operating hours. Operators: Operators will be able to make sure that the machine is running the latest code and running in operating condition.Players will be able to tweak parts of the game, maybe set rules that make the game easier or more challenging based on their preference. They will be able to play against remote players and join tournaments at other locations. Players: Players will be able to metagame.In this case: players, operators, and locations. I always think of the Internet of Things like the Internet of Nouns. I am sure Stern Pinball is thinking about some of these but is trying things out slowly and make sure that they get the experience right. Inspired by over a decade of IoT development for hundreds of customers and millions of products, I have some ideas on where this can go. “Insider Connected will transform how players interact with pinball machines, and operators will benefit greatly from new tools.” Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc. It is brand new and will soon offer more features for players, operators, and the locations that host the machines. Some of my Godzilla stats on the Insider Connected websiteĮverything worked as advertised. This was enough time to try out the platform, check into the machine, take a selfie without feeling self-conscious, and learn some of the rules of the Godzilla pinball game. I got to play Godzilla for about an hour before a line started forming behind me. I found Godzilla at The Double Bull Taphouse and Grill in Peabody, MA (Peabody is one of the fun Massachusetts town names that separate the locals from the tourists). ![]() I used Pinball Map to find a location that has the Godzilla machine and headed out into the real world. The first pinball game that includes the hardware that allows a pinball machine to connect to the internet and to the platform is Godzilla! Using a retrofit kit, some older pinball machines by Stern Pinball will be able to be upgraded and leverage the platform. Since Stern’s announcement, I have been excited to try it out for myself. My Experience With the Stern Pinball Insider Connected Platform With the release of the Stern Pinball Insider Connected Platform, they appear to be thinking about what’s next for their pinball games by building a platform that leverages a lot of the value and impact that IoT brings to the table, so to speak. IoT has a role in embedded software updates, predictive maintenance, customer retention, and interconnecting services that benefit operators, owners, and customers. When I start working on the Internet of Things (IoT) back in 2007, I used to make the same talking points about appliances, industrial equipment, and heating/cooling systems. People are happy to play while enjoying beverages and food, the operator is making back their investment on the machines, and the establishment gets faithful customers. But, when the machine is working, everything is great. If the machine goes down, the revenue stops. The machine takes people’s money in exchange for gameplay. It lives inside the home or at an arcade or, more likely these days, a taproom. So, what’s the deal? A pinball machine is a machine. Stern Pinball Announces Insider Connected Platform ![]()
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