Why? Lots of LE businesses are doing it. You can pay more for "presale" tickets for almost every big concert these days.

CODE UPDATES. GAME SUPPORT. It's coming...

First TWIP rolls out a ridiculous paid rumor program last week. So this week, Stern felt the need to roll out a "hold my beer" initiative that is just as trashy.

Yeah but it's $30 vs $240 for a year.

Mouse pads?? Does anyone still use a mousepad in 2019? A T-shirt or coffee mug would be cool

It was a joke third item because it seems like a dated thing that Stern would pursue. Although I bet there is some overlap in the pinball buying demographic and people who are into novelty mouse pads...

It'd be nice to see some actual examples of what you get for subscribing, but I guess all bets are off when they're used to people paying $9k for an LE without seeing it in person.

I'm not judging this program one way or another because, quite frankly, I don't understand it but...

If it's an early access to buy LEs program, how will that work with the Stern distributor network? If Stern is ditching that method of sales, I see this as quite the negative.

Yes. It seemed pretty carefully worded, and no mention of early access to game sales.

Edit: Goatdan is right.

Why not try it. Many websites have free sections and paid sections where you get more. The Internet Movie Data Base comes to mind.

Might be worth it to some. There is a pinball world out there beyond Pinside. People might get the info they seek there quicker than wading through posts here.

Time will tell if it's a great idea or not. I hope it is. We do know from Pinside, you can never get enough pinball.

LTG : )

Would be interesting if they're willing to mess with their well-oiled LE sales system for $30/person. Even if it's just letting people cut the line for Pros, they're going to lose some early impulse-buys and it's hard to see how the math adds up. My uneducated guess is that "early access" just means you get to visit a website and see pics and streaming video a day or two before the rest of the pinball community.

Who will be the first to join? Iceman take the plunge and the rest of us will follow!

You are probably right.

Even that meager service would probably generate a ton of $30 memberships.

I've never met a group of people more crazed to be the first to know/see than pinsiders.

I don’t know for $30 it doesn’t seem that bad of a fan club. I might sign up.

They need some plus size models...

So $30 a year basically for a loot box...wow.

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Huh. Hey, I know--Stern should do a book about themselves and hire some reputable company like, well...I don't know, maybe Paperflock to do it. It would be cool! Once Joe gets back to the States from vacation, they should consider it.

I wonder where Joe got all that money to always be on vacation...

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$30 is nothing when people pay 100's of bucks to make bright games even brighter

And you get a t-shirt!

Lol, how many of these could they possible sell....I mean, i guess free money is free money, but at $30 a year, even if you sold a 1000, its only 30K. Just seems odd.

It could work.

If you are part of an insider club, it's likely you will spend more money if you are offered exclusives.

Bet tons of people join who have never even heard of pinside!

Can you be a Stern hater if you don’t own a Stern? Or is it the other way around, you can’t hate Stern if you don’t own one? I get confused easily by all this marketing mumbo jumbo. And now we get a Stern-sider exclusive opportunity to give them $30 more of my hard earned cash for something I really don’t need, and I get a lame T-shirt designed by the laid off Marketing Dept. of Cocacola, because if that pinball silhouette was a Coke bottle... just saying.

At Expo last year, during the Stern factory tour, they had Stern merch for sale. All of the Stern Employees had these cool “BOOM!” Deadpool shirts on, and the #1 asked for and not available to the general public item from their store? Yep, DP Boom! T-shirts. So I don’t know who runs the marketing department at Stern, but they are not so keen on coming up with campaigns that generate buzz and sales leads if they keep missing the boat on what the public wants. We all would have been wearing Stern DP Boom! T-shirts that weekend if they had sold them on the factory tour. Instead, they kept them as a perk for Stern employees only. Great way to ID Stern employees all weekend, but a huge missed marketing opportunity imo. I would have given them $30 bucks for just the Boom! Shirt alone, no need for any other hyped up semi exclusive access required. People like cool stuff. Put out cool stuff with your company logo on it and see what happens. Don’t offer me nothing for something, I am smarter than that.

How much did you pay for those SW toys on your shelf?

I have yet to impress anyone with a pinball t-shirt. I’ve done the opposite though.

I don't mind Stern charging $30 a year for something like this, a lot of companies do this, but some more value would be nice. A pinball podcast just for Insiders where designers talk about all things Stern pinball and a section devoted to answering questions from Insiders would be a start. Special walk through videos of game rules by the lead programmer just for Insiders would be another perk. Offering high quality video from Stern seminars at pinball shows would be nice as well. Create a video series on how Stern programmers create rules for games.

The items above would mean Stern is at least working for the money they are asking rather than doing something they already offer and simply monetizing it. Take it to the next level and avoid pissing anyone off by releasing all content created a month or so after Insiders get access.

If they threw in a handful of purple LED's they would sell a pile of these.

I joined. I see it as buying an overpriced T-shirt at this point, if nothing else comes of it, so be it. $30 for a year is nothing, its not even beer money. Programs like this can lead to companies creating more content for their communities, will be interesting to see if it does in this case if they can get enough people interested.

Stern is just trying to cast a wider net and create a bigger ecosystem and a "stickier" customer. They need to follow through with some meaningful benefits.

The cost will go to cover JD streams and other "insider goodies"

I passed on my man Mike the "My Pillow" guys latest sales pitch of the "Giza Dream Sheets" so funds are good to go now for Stern membership!

Just joined. Good stuff. Excellent looking special TPF t-shirt. Can't say what it is due to NDA

I’m in!

Gene approved...

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JJP is likely launching one too.
Twice the cost, but you get a high quality purple velvet Willy Wonka jacket.
(ships next year)
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I've been saying this for the last few years. They have such a huge opportunity to better capitalize on focused marketing.

That being said, let's give Stern some credit. Last few years they've been trying some marketing - it's just looks a bit shotgun instead of surgical:

1. Sporadic small launch parties
2. IFPA(?) points program (I still don't get this)
3. The GB launch party organized by Jared was ok for a first attempt. They abandoned too early, should have been a yearly staple and first year should have been complimentary.
4. The meet and greet signing with Adam West for LE/SLE buyers nice touch to make people feel special (should be continued)
5. Streaming Stern first looks generally with Jack Danger. Should be benefiting Stern instead of Jack but all good effort that is evolving including discussions with Stern designers
6. Now the club idea

Listen, at least they're trying new things. Have to be honest, give props for that.

This new insider club "could" be a good idea if they execute it well and stick to it. My fear is that this is way to pay Jack D. to keep streaming first looks at the games and discussing stuff with Stern employees. I guess cool for those that get into that? But pay? They should be starting with a free club to get membership and contact details. Build a database and give them time to evolve the Stern content, merchandise, viewership. Then at 1 year mark create a new level of "premier" (just basic and premier membership no LE) paid membership with enhanced access. People may be more willing to pay $30 since they've sampled it and it's close to complete offering (novel idea, like complete code). I worry about these insider clubs first year, many companies fail to follow through after month 6, stale content, and you've just created ill will instead of good will. Brand management 101.

I still think Stern should create a marketing advisory board - for what its worth I'd volunteer my time. They do have a brand that could evolve more. But you need to be surgical and committed to build an iconic brand. Not shot gun. Nonetheless, tip the hat - they're trying. Just hope not a money grab cause all it will do is create ill will.

Why should they do that when all they have to do is say:

"Jaws"

And some people here throw $9K sight unseen at a game they know nothing about other than it's:

"Jaws"

...?

$29.99 for “basic” and then...

$1000/year for “premium”.
- ability to purchase an LE one week before the general public.

Well played Gary Stern, well played.

sterns strategy is more and more resembling the pricing you see in a strip club.

I've got to be honest, I can't get past this without a pause and a confused thought bubble over my head:

"Stern Pinball, Inc. is a global lifestyle brand"

Really?

https://www.ifpapinball.com/menu/sternrewardsprogram/

TL;DR version ... opportunity for players to purchase a new game at a discounted price once per year.

They let me in for free because im Sterns biggest fan boy.

Does this include a copy of the Stern Coffee Table Book?

For VIP members like me it does! Regular members though no. Sorry

I just joined and they emailed me new code for ghostbusters! This thing is already paying for itself!

Another turn of the pinball wheel backwards cheap cash grab to the former roots of "preordering" something that people don't know what they are getting in the first place.

Stern wants money so you can have privilege to buy more unknown future items from them. No thank you.

Not a new concept in other industries, but it would easier for Stern to just set up a Patreon subscriber account. I am sure Stern Army members would join this club eagerly. Stern should provide this service for free to those members anyway.

My latest Tshirt. Cost less than $30. Looks great, good quality. No club required, I get insider information for no cost.
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Any idea what the discounted prices are?

When you license a property, that does not mean you get to do anything you want with it.

I can't imagine Stern getting the license from Marvel to print their own Deadpool shirts. Chances are they can give the design team some as a promotion for the product, but I wouldn't expect to see Munsters mugs or anything in the near future from this either.

The problem is, Stern showed us something neat and cool that money couldn’t buy. That right there is a missed marketing opportunity imo. Get my email, put me on an “interested list”, but dont let me walk away disappointed. Send me a DP sales flyer or a bumper sticker and a TS card (if anyone even remembers wtf that is...) and put me on your email list. Marketing 101

Bubblehead just buy a Munsters and stop all the blabbering. You know that you want one!

Well, color me undecided Who-Dey until I flip that lower pf.