Stern Pinball will host esports for retro fans with pinball tournament

Gary Stern has been making pinball machines at Stern Pinball for decades, as he had been taught the trade of making these machines by his father. Stern has been building its machines since 1986, and now it is parlaying that fame into esports tournaments and a “lifestyle brand.” I’ve been meeting him regularly at CES tech shows in Las Vegas every year, and he always has something new to show.

Stern says that demand for pinball has never been better, as the aging baby boomers are buying the $5,000 to $8,200 machines out of a sense of nostalgia. They long for the good old days, with simpler games and simpler machines with a distinct mechanical feel. Modern arcades are popping up all over, and those are bringing new people into the silver ball experience.