Hasn't that already happened ?

He seems more of a figurehead these days than running the show.

So other than somebody new becoming the figurehead ( Jody ? ) it will be business as usual.

LTG : )

Lets hope he does retire. I am sure the company would improve.

I don't think Gary holds back or helps Stern all that much right now. He's just the old guy who stands around and smiles for cameras and reporters. He just wants to be involved, even if things are pretty much running along without his day to day input.

Gary really got quietly edged out of decision making a couple of years ago.

I know for years this would have been true, today I'm not so sure if it would or would not die. It would be in sad shape for a while with out Stern I think.

As for passing the torch I'm not sure.. I think Gary has really started to take things off his shoulders a bit and have other start doing parts. Such as Gomez In-charge of engineering and design, the new Director Of Revenue and so on.

I personally will miss Gary when hes gone, hes a nice guy who has done TONS for pinball in his life.

And yes, Gary should be thanked by the community. He's done a lot for pinball. It's entirely possible that no new machines would be coming out right now without him. In fact, SW:EP1 could have been the last pinball game without Gary Stern.

I think Gomez will lead the company when Gary finally steps away.

That's the most likely scenario.

Just my opinion but I don't think Gary has been calling the shots for quite some time. I see him as nothing more than the face of Stern now. So what will happen when he "officially" retires has already happen.

Haha, last night i asked myself exact this question. What if gary goes to level 2......... (Dont believe in god but lets all hope its not a gameover for us all, lol).

But does he not have sons, or daughters who work there who want to take it over?

Gary likely still has 51% say.

He talked about this at PPE...he talked to his daughters about taking over, but they weren't interested in learning the business. At one point one of them seemed interested, but since she didn't grow up in the factory like he did, learning everything about it - it was too late for her to just jump in. I'm paraphrasing...but it something along these lines.

Ok, well, anybody has the right to pick a job they like.

But if it was my dad, i would have known.... Great job!

But i read some other comments and its fair to say there are no worries for the company stern if gary quits.

That is good to read.

Say what you want about Gary, but it will be a very sad day for pinball.

The only choice you will have is a WOZ.

Many of his design edicts are still in place:
-traditional shooter plunger...check
-italian bottom playfield design...check
-at least 3 jets...check
-no subway ramps...check

These can somewhat inhibiting if you are designing pins at stern.

Rob

Maybe not. If I heard correctly, there's an equity player in there now. If so, there is most certainly a contingency plan for Gary leaving.

I didn't know about the no subway ramps. That explains a lot...

Most corporations plan for succation . Not necessarily involving family managing day to day, but relinquishing partial ownership. Many talented employees should help keep their product for years to come. There is always JJP, maybe a take over, or merger.

I am sure the company and more importantly the product can stand on it's own just fine. If he was designing all the pins by himself then I'd be worried about the torch going out. It's a little scary to think that there is only one source of new pinballs still.

Somebody fill me in.

What's Italian bottom playfield design?

thanks!

Kaminkow could always run it again, he's a lot younger than Gary. He was doing something with a Broadway play, and it sounded like he had semi-retired into a figurehead position at IGT recently, but I'm not sure if he still has any unfinished business with pinball or not. He had talked about doing a 25th Anniversary game, but the 25th came and went...

Go look at the Paragon IPDB and you'll see exactly what it is.

Imagine if Paragon only had two flippers at the bottom. It's kind of wild to see!

I would love to have a Paragon with the Italian bottom though.

Yeah when Steve Ritchie said he had the green light to do anything he wanted on AC/DC, that kinda confirmed it. I don't think Gary's been regulated to figurehead status yet though. I'm sure he does plenty in the background we don't see. I doubt whoever eventually replaces him comes from the creative side of the company. Business and creative sides are very different.

Auto-plunger along with traditional plunger covers all the bases. Perfectly cromulent design edict. WOF certainly doesn't have an Italian bottom. 3 jets and no subways is still holding, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a subway or two in the near future.

2 flippers, 2 slings, 2 inlanes, 2 outlanes. Or something resembling that.

If everyone believes Gary is no longer calling the shots or not very involved in the company why do I see people starting threads specifically calling Gary out by name complaining about Stern? Maybe it's time to give him a break.

Kamikow works with Demar and Hess and a few others at Spooky Cool Labs. They just wrapped up on the WOZ FB game.

You have any proof to back that up, or just rambling? Gary owns the company. It's privately held. No one has edged him out of anything.

Because people in these forums are jackasses, plain and through. And I thought that Mac forums were filled with idiot trolls.....

Yeah....he's done such a shitty job of keeping Pinball alive for 13 years....

I can see we have a lot of Gary fans on this site. I'm just thankful that he managed to keep pins hitting the streets this last decade. While there are definitely things to complain about I think the most important thing is pinball machines continued to be made even during rough times within the community.

As fattrain said, Gomez would be perfect to run Stern.

I'm sure that's the way it will shake out, and I'm fine with that.

I do not think Gary owns the company. I think he is staying on and has sold the majority share of what was once his company.

When he leaves I would expect changes good or bad to happen. I know one thing Stern could benefit by applying some lean techniques to the production process. They would save a ton of money.

Proof?

They way i think it is not sure but. I think Gary still owns it yes. But since he has investors now he has to live up to some of there expectations or they pull there funding.

If he has investors, he's had them since day 1 when he bought the company from Sega.

Well that capital company came in a few years back with 3 million in funding to bail them out. Someone actually found the company before i think it was on pinball news.

Unless otherwise proven, Gary is still the owner of the company and calls the shots.

Show me proof that he still owns controlling interest!!!

2 sides to this.

The only way to settle it is have a distributor that knows Gary comment and confirm one way or another. I've talked to some people who know Gary and have indicated what I posted earlier.

http://www.pinballnews.com/news/sternpartner.html

I don't have to prove my point, since I have the status quo on my side.

I think it takes someone at the top who really loves the industry and the hobby and the company who really knows the business to keep it up and flying.Without that you have a bunch of people at the top too full of themselves who don't really care about the company or the product and are just in it for the paycheck and don't really care about what happens to the company 2 or 5 years from now.I've seen it happen to too many businesses when that one person at the top who has been driving the company for years retires.It comes apart fast.Like all the other pinball companies that have folded.

Dave Peterson of merchant bank and private equity investment firm Hagerty Peterson

And this means what?

Maybe Gary should have a raffle, 5 golden tickets to be stapled inside the next pinball title. Whoever is the most honest as they tour the factory, they will be chosen to run the factory

Willy-Wonka.jpg

So shines a good deed in a weary world...

Nothing you are right and we are all wrong damn how did i not see it.

You posted two people's names, without reference to its significance.

You know, AkumaZeto, it makes things so much better for the READER when you actually make a point.

what you cant click the link and read???? i will post it again

http://www.pinballnews.com/news/sternpartner.html