In the long list of new machine release rumors, “Jaws” pinball has kept the fun going. On January 2, 2024, Stern Pinball announced the release of its new Jaws pinball machine. As is its custom (adopted by most manufacturers), the commercial launch kicks off with a teaser.
Stern clearly announced its communication schedule…
Stern Pinball, the kings of rumor muddling
For as long as Pinball Mag. has existed (2020), we’ve been hearing about this license, always rumored for the next 6 to 12 months. But manufacturer Stern takes great pleasure in muddying the waters!
In fact, it gives its projects code names that refer directly to other licenses. In this case, Jaws was the code name given to the Jurassic Park pinball machine during its conception. When the first JP pinball machines were received, there was a sticker in the box indicating Jaws. All the more reason to doubt the existence of a future shark-themed pinball machine…
Does this mean that these code names herald future titles from the market leader? It’s not certain, as Stranger Things pinball machine used to be named Goonies. Stranger Things was released at the end of 2019. That’s four years ago.
Since pinball machines take a maximum of two years to design, if a Goonies pinball machine was being considered at the time, we should have seen it by now. I’d bet more on a correlation between the themes that doesn’t give away the license should the code name be leaked:
- Big animals with lots of teeth for Jaws and Jurassic Park
- A bunch of pre-teens on adventures for Stranger Things and Goonies
In short, there’s little chance of a seasoned industrialist having fun leaving such obvious clues about its commercial planning.
