This Summer 2023, PGM is having a summer real pinball score chasing tour. Find
machines in/around your area or when you’re traveling. A great way to do this is
use one of several different resources like Pinball Map and Stern Insider
Connected. Today, I was out playing and came across several newer Stern machines
with Insider Connected functionality, but they weren’t registered by the
business owner This is a missed opportunity for businesse to advertise their
business to Stern pinball fans.
The above picture shows machines that were activated for Insider Connected. I’m
getting my QR code printed so I can use it more conveniently than pulling up the
QR code on my phone. Here are the 21 Stern machines that are capable of using
Stern Insider Connected as of this publishing:
Stern launched their Insider Connected program in August 2021 and as of this writing there are 21 Stern Spike 2 machines that support it. The owner still has to register their machine and enable functionality. In the case where business owners are leasing the machine, they need to get the vending company to make sure this is activated so it will promote their business to other pinball players. It kinda bums me out when I see a Stern machine with the functionlity, the light is on, try to swipe my QR code and it tells me “machine is not registerd on the network.”
The Insider Connected platform is more than just tracking scores. It also tracks achievements in game. Here is my achievement card from TMNT:
When my wife and I visited the Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame, there was a special badge earned for playing an Insider Connected game there, too! Another perk for business owners. No idea how owners can create/offer these badges, but this is pretty slick. You can also make/share local leaderboards for Insider Connected games and publish on your TV.
Stern lists compatible games here: https://insider.sternpinball.com/insider/compatible-games
As of this writing these are *21* Inside Connected Stern pinball machines:
- Aerosmith
- Avenges: Infinity Quest
- Batman ’66
- Black Knight: Swords of Rage
- The Beatles
- Deadpool
- Elvira’s House of Horrors
- Foo Fighters
- Godzilla
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Iron Maiden: Legacy of Beast
- James Bond 007
- James Bond 007 60th Anniversary Edition
- Jurassic Park
- Led Zeppelin
- The Munsters
- Rush
- Star Wars
- Star Wars The Mandalorian
- Stranger Things
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles
But, and this is important, just because the machine *can* support Insider Connected functionality, it’s not automatic, and in the case of the older Spike 2 machines, the owner has to buy the $200 Insider Connected kit. The newer machines come with it, so it’s a matter of connecting it to the Wifi, registering the machine and letting players use it.