Many apps are just frames around the website itself; it doesn’t mean an entirely separate code base. But otherwise, yeah I agree, I would like to see the website maintained more consistently.

This is patently false on both accounts. Stern doesn't need to add in app monitoring, tracking or otherwise, (BTW you're also tracked via browser so what's your point?) nor do they need to include in in app advertising. However, advertising targeted to Pinball and possibly linked to a particular distributor would have it's upside. You can also deliver apps (and web content) from a single code base. There are actually several frameworks/SDKs to do this. However, not everyone has the skills. There are times when you might need to create platform specific code, these situations are not rare but there are many libraries that abstract away this issue for basic uses. I don't see any situation here that would require multiple code bases for this solution, nor any platform specific code. There COULD be value in skinning the app differently on a mobile platform compared to Web/Desktop but that's not necessary and simply means different UX layer. If designed properly that UX layer is thin and easily substituted.

1 - the web is full of similar tracking stuff... the distinction is what the vendor wants to do. So this really isn't a difference between web and app
2 - app can bring things like persistence, notifications, etc

Honestly for most of the things people want the app for, they could offer other solutions WITHOUT the app... but the App is usually the best way to get a foothold on people's devices. The challenge with an app is sticking to a framework that allows them to develop for the multiple platforms with minimal effort.

The fact I have to browse my photo album to get my QR code is a joke. At least give us something like 'add to wallet' or something easy.

I just hope they do an update soon with the "home team" feature George mentioned, where it saves your logins, and a leaderboard for home gamerooms.

There are a lot of us with multiple stern insider connected games in our gameroom, along with a smart TV.

If you have an iPhone just take a screenshot, save to files and then create a shortcut (search “shortcuts” to find the app on your phone to make one). Pop that on your Home Screen and when you click the icon it pops up. Even easier than going to your wallet. Home use we just printed up some laminated cards, they work perfectly.

This would be the killer feature for the app IMHO. It would be great to set up a local leaderboard and be able to display it in the game room. A feature like this would make me look very hard at a new Stern as my next pin (just GZ now).

I'm not normally into downloading apps on my phone and prefer a web interface. I do love the idea of an app that sends notifications when your score gets beat or for events or new leaderboards for your local places you play at. That'd be fun.

One of the players from Taylor Texas was hired by Stern and is working on Insider Connected. She's really good at code and enthusiastic about the IC project and pinball in general. Based on that I think it's likely the project is in good hands.

I agree. Has anyone seen anything on this? I was listening the the Super Awesome Pinball Show this morning and they mentioned the Leaderboard announcement but also said it would be available at home. Not sure if that was just rumor, was right or just wrong.

Here is the press release for that hire. It is encouraging that they brought someone in house to help manage the direction of the software as I think we can all agree it needs some love.

https://sternpinball.com/2022/06/10/stern-pinball-enhances-insider-connected-team/

Thanks for that - this wasn't all that intuitive for people that don't already play with automator or other apple automation stuff. I also got screwed in the name search is case sensitive and most of the google searches in this topic were pretty vague.

Here's a Guide just for pinheads who want to just be told exactly what to do

Adding your Stern QR Code as a shortcut to your iPhone
1. Get your QR code as a photo on your phone with a known name
- Open the Inside Connected Website on your iPhone and view your QR Code
- Create a screenshot with the volume+power button shortcut. I recommend editing the photo, zooming in and cropping it so the QR code is nice and large on your screen before saving the screenshot to your Photos
- Open your Photos app and locate your new QR photo. Click it to open the photo and click the information icon (the 'i' icon) to see the photo's details. Note the image's name. Example: IMG_2886
photo-info (resized).PNG

2. Open the Apple Shortcut's app.
- Browse or search for the app named 'Shortcuts' on your phone. If you have not used it before, you will have to download it form the app store. It is an app from Apple. Download and open the app

3. Create a new shortcut for your QR code
- Click the + icon at the top of the screen to create a new Shortcut. An empty shortcut is started with tips on what to add
- In the 'Search for apps and actions' search field at the bottom of the screen, type the word 'Find' and click on 'Find Photos' in the search results. This will add a new 'Find Photos' action to your shortcut
- In the new 'Find Photo' action, click the 'Add Filter' link. A default filter value is added which needs to be edited. Click on each word to edit its value. Change first word to 'Name'. Change the second word to 'is'. Change third word to the name of your screenshot photo you made in step 1. THIS NAME IS CASE SENSITIVE!
5 - find-filter edited (resized).png

- In the 'Search for apps and actions' search field at the bottom of the screen, enter the text 'Quick' and click on 'Quick Look' in the search results. This will add a new 'Quick Look' action to your shortcut

4. Test your shortcut
- Click the play icon at the bottom of the screen to test your shortcut. It will take 3-4 seconds then your QR code should show in a preview. Click 'done' to return to your shortcut. If it doesn't open, double check your Filter definition in the Find Photo action. Your shortcut should look like this, with the name edited to whatever the name is for your photo. This name is case sensitive!

7 - quicklook-added (resized).PNG

5. Name and save your shortcut
- Click on the field at the top of the screen to name your shortcut. Example: "Show Stern Insider" - This name can also be used with Siri to call the shortcut.
- Click on the settings icon to the right of the name
- Click 'Add to Home Screen' to add the shortcut to your home screen
- You can customize the icon and name for the shortcut as shown on the screen. Click on the icon to change it to a photo of your choice, and click on the name and customize to something short like "Stern IC"
- Click Add to save the changes
- Your shortcut is shown on your home screen

I don't think it should be required, but I hope an app would be released to do a few things that can't really be done with a website alone:

• Create a real-time connection to the Insider service so as to get real-time feedback on achievements and leaderboard results through push notifications
• Make it easier to display and recycle the QR code to log in with (possibly make it pop up automatically whenever you are in close proximity to a known venue with Stern Insider Connected machines, or provide a widget that shows it)

If the website had a "Sign in with Google" and some other auth services that would be a huge upgrade in and of itself. Having to re-login with email/pass after leaving the site inactive for a while is a PITA. That would be a nice addition in advance of an app proper

I would recommend playing around with this. I initially did this, and it was actually more difficult to get it to scan. My current picture isn't zoomed or cropped and it's much more responsive now. YMMV

If you’re on an iPhone, here is the shortcut I use. It brings up the barcode as a notification which stays on your lock-screen until you dismiss it, so you only have to invoke the shortcut once for the entire session.

Before installing the shortcut, go to your Stern Insider profile, press and hold the QR code and choose “Save to Photos”, then open the photo, click the Share button and select “Save to Files” and remember where you saved it. The shortcut will ask you for the location of the file when you install it.

Good point. There is a point about 'too much' here. I zoom it to about 50% of the width of my phone w/o issue.. but if people stretch a really bad photo too, that's also a problem.

are you scanning the barcode right from the notification? Because the notification only has the small preview icon and no action after you click it.

Tap and hold the notification to expand it.

A Webapp wrapper is all that’s really needed, if only to have a login more persistent than browsing.
That’s great they hired someone. Hopefully we start getting iterations. The great thing about web apps is you can do incremental development. Even if they do it for game code the end user really just gets the waterfall whenever they release. With web no one is downloading and installing code, it’s lots easier to try things and hopefully expand or move to other ideas based on feedback.

Not true - an app installed on your phone can be running all the time in the background, and it has access to more information than a web page (e.g. accelerometer data).

lol - what does insider need with an accelerometer? human tilt?

I think IC has the potential to be pretty cool. You can see the framework is there...just need to see some more features like:

1. Dedicated app - It can really just be a Webapp wrapper. Having an app will streamline players use and will allow features like push notifications and location sharing.
2. Leaderboards - Operators now have them. Can't wait to see dedicated home game room leaderboards. Friends only leaderboards would be great as well.
3. Notifications - I want to know when someone on my friends list beats my high score. I want to send challenges out to friends. Operators/locations could send out a message to players in the area of an upcoming tourney or Stern event. Have the ability to "check in" to locations. That sends a message to your friends that you are playing there.
4. Guest login - I would like the ability to add guests to my home leaderboard. There are times I have non-pinball friends and family over. Not everyone is going to want to create a stern account. Let registered users be able to generate guest codes that they can use to compete in a home tourney.
5. Handicaps and team play- This one would be interesting. Give owners some ways to even the competition between themselves and more casual or new players. Handicaps could be simply one player plays on easy factory setting while another plays on medium, etc. Co-op gameplay could just allow you to combine scores for 2v1,2v2 or 3v1 matches. Give the option for team names. Have a dedicated team comp leaderboard.
6. More social features - I think you should have two options...friend or following. Friend has more options for notifications, communication, etc. It is something that both people have to agree to. Following is more to just lurk like you would for George Gomez or a high ranked player. Make locations a landing page where players can share photos. Add virtual trophies/standings for Stern specific tourneys that show up in your profile.
7. More community events and achievements - Add some incentive to get out there and play more pinball at locations and at home. Right now we just have individual game achievements but it would be great for locations to have their own unique achievements. Have achievements that span across the entire Stern lineup. Have silly ones like 10,000 lifetime flips. Just add more and make them different than the individual game achievements.
8. Remote operators menu- Basically just getting the data and adjustments from the operators menu onto my phone so I don't have to go through an op menu from the coindoor. Linear operator menus are so dated.
9. Report problems - let users leave a digital note on a location game when there is an issue that needs to be fixed.

It's not required that all apps have these invasive features and I'd hope they wouldn't.

+1 vote for acreenshot of your qr code as a shortcut on your phone - that's what I do.

The point remains... exposure to tracking stuff isn't inherent to the platform... it is tied to the motivations of the vendor. A vendor who wants a clean app can have it. A vendor who wants to scrape and sell data can do so on both web and app.

I don't think ops will like there to be an Chimp Flip champ hi score

Operators don't want people playing their games? That is a new one.

I think you are missing the point. Of course operators want people to play their games but I don't think they want to encourage an achievement based on flipper actuations. Imagine trapping the ball and just going to town on the flipper to earn your achievement vs just playing the game. Needless wear on the flipper mechs.

Conversely, make an achievement to reach a certain mode or complete a shot X # of times and you have the same hook of repeatability that requires actual gameplay. The "lifetime" achievements for some games are a good example of this. Godzilla has some such as complete X loops, destroy X flying saucers.

I was joking. It was one idea that was focused on just to shit on. My point was make some achievements that are not game specific. That is all.

Got ya. There could be some achievements or badges for stuff like that for sure. Have they done much with the Badge system? I think there was one for Expo but have there been others?

Case in point for the need for an app or at the very least some SEO attention. Google "stern insider connected" (results may vary based on locale) and tell me how I am supposed to login or signup. The entire first page of results does not surface a login page. The top result is a press release that does not link to the login page and the rest are either reporting on the press release or selling the hardware.

Now look, I am savvy enough to find this if I went to Stern's website, but put yourself in the shoes of someone curious that may not be standing in front of one of Stern's QR codes at the time to bring them to account signup/login. It seems Stern has been completely lacking a strategy around their web presence for this software in regards to engaging street level players, in particular casuals.

Iron Maiden Rush Edition?

IronRushMaiden (resized).png

Come on Stern...

"Update - They Fixed It"

Hahahaha. Typical.

Me too....

Screenshot_20220719-200944_Chrome (resized).jpg

I would still like to see negative achievements such as allow dinosaurs to kill 25 employees. Allow Thanos to steal 25 gems from you. Ebirah controlled Tokyo 10 times. Etc...

I like the idea of achievements across all games as you mentioned, total extra balls across all games, total many wizard and wizard mode started or completed across all games. Played 10 unique games that have insider connected, played every single game that offers insider connected.

I Also like what Xbox does, if you get an achievement that less than a certain percentage of people have completed they give you a rare achievement for it. You could do something like that for verified achievements, where you get a different icon if you're one of the first to complete and achievement on location.

There’s so much they could do with this. Hopefully the new programmer picks it up and just runs with it all.

There was an opening for Director of Product for Insider last month (they did not call me back)

I'd assume they are investing even more. That's a long term play.

Whats the range of time when you can log into connect after filling out the game registration form on Sterns site? I connected my Godzilla last night and filled out what I had to but still cannot connect due to " game is not registered".

For sure. Xbox's achievement system is a great example.

This confused me as well. I found I could connect the game by going into the Insider Connect menu on the game, and it showed up more or less instantly

With the way it's been rolled out so far, I'd say they are finally realizing that they are way understaffed for the effort required.

Hmmm, Ill try that when I get home. I didn't have an issue with this with Maiden or Deadpool. I was connected right away.

More like… we paid for a package… it kinda sucked… and now realizing they need to keep spending to get anything more out of it.

Clearly they have outsourced this and their slow rollout has been from lack of additional phases of work. They hired a new person to manage the project, but its just putting someone dedicated to manage the partner, delivery and hopefully better requirements.

This program was the poster child for what happens with outsourced development with insufficient oversight. The good news… At least it mainly functions… even if the functionality is rough in all kinds of ways.

With a dedicated pm you should get better quality going forward

Yes, I can see your point about outsourcing it, actually that's probably the main issue. They had/have absolutely no idea what's involved for the full outcome. Thus they ended up at the lowest (or lower) bidder.

Paying more for the whip isn't going to change the outcome from the donkey... Not in my experience anyway.

It's not just a whip. A great PM can pull together a bunch of technical people and get them all working and pulling in the same direction. It's amazing to watch, but is unfortunately a very rare skill.

when the donkey is trying to integrate with multiple game software teams all constrained by staggered hardware launches, someone dedicated to chasing down questions and getting answers 100% makes for a better product.

Just to clarify re outsourcing, I thought Tanio was working on IC as an in house developer for the last while. I don't doubt a ton has been outsourced but it sounds like there has been internal oversight from Tanio and George.

It also sounds like Tanio is moving off of IC and back to game code so that likely lines up with the recent hires.

I let Stern know, they fixed mine, check yours now.

Google Drive let's you make a shortcut to any file on your cloud drive. So I took a screen grab of the QR code, put it on my Goggle Drive and just made a shortcut to it on my phone. Works on Android, I presume you can do the same on iOS. Super simple, then tap the shortcut and presto, your phone screen is the QR code.

pasted_image (resized).png

This works - Just found this step by step, which is what you outlined.

Pretty easy to do. Works great - so much better than trying to open and fumble with the website.

Plus I just did this for my WiFi QR codes too.
Screenshot_20220720-193314_Google (resized).jpg

Is there a how to on overriding the connection to the prior owner on a used game? Thought I saw a post a while back but I’m unable to locate that now. Thanks! And if PINHEAD81’s Gameroom is reading this........please release your trade in.