July 2009
Congress Approves FDA Tobacco Regulation
The U.S. Senate approved a measure just as this issue was going to press that would grant the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco products. The U.S. House had already approved a similar measure, and President Obama has said he would sign the bill, making Congressional approval of the measure very likely. Industry watchers have said such a move would likely have a major impact on cigarette vending.
During the Clinton years, the FDA asserted its right to regulate tobacco, but the Supreme Court rejected their effort, saying the agency needed the okay of Congress. "Cigarettes remained less regulated than cosmetics or pet food," The New York Times reported on June 11. "But with broad bipartisan support in both the Senate and House, and a campaign pledge by Barack Obama to sign such legislation if he became president, the anti-tobacco forces came into alignment."
The Times went on to report that the measure, called the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, "would empower the FDA to set standards for cigarettes, regulating chemicals in cigarette smoke and outlawing most tobacco flavorings...The law would also further restrict marketing and advertising of tobacco products...But while the FDA could mandate a reduced level of nicotine, an addictive chemical, the law expressly says the agency cannot ban it. Public health advocates say outlawing nicotine would force addicts to turn to a black market or other sources."
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IALEI Approves Proxy Vote on Merger
The International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) says its members have overwhelming approved a bylaws change recommended by the board. This change will allow IALEI members to vote by mail with a proxy on important issues, including the potential merger of the association with IAAPA.
"We really wanted to get a system in place which would make it much easier and more practical for our members to fully participate in the important decisions facing the association," said chairwoman Dorothy Lewis. "We are extremely pleased with the vote, which showed that 93% of the responding members support the board's position to facilitate greater membership involvement in voting."
IALEI is currently developing a merger proposal with IAAPA, and if approved by both association boards this important proposal will be presented to the IALEI membership later this summer. Controversy continues to swirl around this proposed merger.
The association has also moved its headquarters. The group's new address is Hershey Square #208, 1152 Mae Street, Hummelstown, PA 17036. IALEI can be reached at the same phone and fax numbers: 888/464-6498 or 717/533-0534; fax 717-533-0535.
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NBVA To Focus Lobbying on Product Labeling
The National Bulk Vendors Assn. has agreed to sign a representation agreement with their lobbying firm Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. to engage the federal government on the issue of permanent product labeling. The deal is the largest undertaking the association has ever committed to in its 59-year history and obligates the association to pay $120,000 in fees over the next year.
"We've dedicated ourselves to this issue because it has far reaching repercussions threatening the future of our business," said Randy Chilton, NBVA president. The funds will be paid from donations provided by members and industry professionals who understand the severity of the situation. "The vending community is very generous, and we hope to be fully funded by the end of the summer," said Chilton.
The labeling provisions of the CPSIA require that manufacturers of products designed for children 12 years of age or younger have permanent labels indicating where and when the product was made. The idea is to be able to track a product in the case of a recall. However, vending machine toys and novelties are so small that there is not enough surface area to include this information, and the price points of the item make it all but impracticable.
Therefore, the vending industry is fighting these provisions, and Congress has recognized that permanent labeling cannot be possible on every type of item. The provision becomes effective on August 14 of this year. "We've been educating our membership and the industry at large over the past few months and have included a lot of information at our website at www.nbva.org. Furthermore, anyone wishing to contribute to our legislative fund should do so by contacting our association headquarters at 888/NBVA-USA (628-2872)," concluded Chilton.
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AMOA Offer Big Cash, Top Performer at Expo
One lucky AMOA operator is going to fly home from this fall's AMOA International Expo $10,000 richer in a first-time show prize giveaway, the association announced. AMOA Expo will be held in Las Vegas September 24-26. The cash prize will be based on some form of giveaway activity that raises the players' chances of winning the more they participate. AMOA non-members will also be eligible to win a $5,000 prize giveaway.
"The drawing will take place on the show's final day, and the winner need not be present to claim his or her prize," AMOA reported in its weekly Off The Top email newsletter. "But the only way to qualify will be through attendance at this year's expo. More info will be coming your way soon."
This year also marks the 120th anniversary of the jukebox, and AMOA plans to celebrate this milestone in style at the association's fall expo. At the annual opening gala reception on the pool deck of the Las Vegas Hilton on Thursday, September 24, AMOA will sponsor a performance by Sonny Turner (left), former lead singer of The Platters.
Sonny joined the group at age 19 and helped bring The Platters back on the pop charts during the 1960s with such hits as I Love You 1,000 Times, With This Ring and Washed Ashore. As well, he re-recorded the group's classics such as Only You, The Great Pretender and The Magic Touch. To learn more about the fall show, log on to www.amoashow.com.
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Benchmark Games is now shipping its newest licensed game, Big Tony's Pokerkard, a one- to four-player Texas Hold 'Em game. Pokerkard is an amusement game that allows players to kick back and enjoy pitting their poker skills against friends and others without losing their shirts. Players pay $2 for 30 minutes and receive 1,000 points, a structure that encourages them to buy-in for more points while still offering good play value.
Initial samples have been testing since early December in the U.S. with production starting in mid-May at Benchmark's factory in Hypoluxo, Fla. "Initial test results are very strong, guest satisfaction is off the charts, location owners understand the benefit immediately, and our operator customers are enjoying excellent collections," said Benchmark's Gene Lipkin.
Big Tony's Pokerkard features include both hi-top and sit-down configurations, a unique player card for storing points and player ratings and a 37" hi-res LCD touchscreen. For more details, visit Benchmark on the web at www.benchmarkgames.com.
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Video Gaming in Illinois Looks Like a "Done Deal"
Operators in Illinois have been fighting hard to achieve passage of state-regulated, legalized video gaming for almost two decades. By all reports, their long-fought campaign has finally succeeded. Both houses of the state legislature have approved video gaming in bars and fraternals, and the bill is now awaiting likely signature by the governor.
"It's a done deal," one veteran Illinois tradester told this publication. "This state is falling apart, and the politicians know this is good for the state."
Last month, the measure passed through both the house and senate as part of HB 255, a capital improvement bill aimed at rebuilding crumbling public infrastructure including many schools. Legalized gaming is expected to bring in as much as $700 million per year for Illinois' coffers, garnering a significant share of the current gray market in the state, which according to some estimates includes as many as 65,000 machines on location.
In addition to video poker, the bill included a number of fee and tax increases, many of the latter so-called sin taxes, as well as a provision that will allow state residents to play the lottery online, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.
"This is the bill that will put thousands of our people to work, repair the infrastructure of our state and do great things moving forward for the citizens and the economy of the state of Illinois," state representative Lou Lang of Skokie told the Tribune. Lang sponsored the measure. For more on this story, check out our coverage inside this issue of the recent ICMOA state meeting.
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Design Plus Updates Pro Striker
Game maker Design Plus has updated its classic Pro Striker game with a range of state-of-the-art features designed to increase the unit's appeal to players of all ages. New features include real bowling pins, interactive sounds, animation and LCD displays.
Pro Striker is fully operator adjustable with user-friendly audits and hardware tests and a ticket dispenser that is adaptable to either a bill validator or card system. The game comes in multiple configurations, including five lengths: 11', 15', 19', 23' and 31'.
"Pro Striker 23' and 31' are outstanding games if you want to simulate a bowling center atmosphere," said longtime sales pro Larry Berke. "One to six players get 10 full frames of strikes, spares and more. It's also great for league play."
To learn more, contact Design Plus at 800/995-9686 or email larryberke@comcast.net.
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Antique Apparatus/Rock-Ola To Focus on Consumer and Specialty Markets
In the wake of AMI Entertainment's acquisition of Rock-Ola's coin-op jukebox business, Glenn Streeter's Antique Apparatus/Rock-Ola will continue to focus on the development, production and distribution of consumer jukes featuring the Qsonix music management system -- the Rock-Ola Music Center series -- along with its other specialized jukebox products that will continue to bear the Rock-Ola brand name by mutual licensing agreement with AMI.
Since September 2008, the AMI Network has been Rock-Ola's commercial content partner, and the companies have shared distribution channels. A seamless transition of production and support is anticipated by both parties. As the production of the Slimline, Wall-Rock and Rock-Star commercial jukeboxes move to AMI's new facilities in Mexico, Rock-Ola/ AACO will continue to produce the commercial Classic Rock bubbler jukeboxes for AMI at the Torrance, Calif., factory.
"Stewardship of the iconic Rock-Ola Mfg. Corp. for the past 17 years has been an amazing journey during a remarkable time and a great honor," commented CEO Glenn Streeter. "Considering the historic parallels between Rock-Ola and AMI Entertainment and the common commitment to quality and innovation, I am assured that the Rock-Ola line of commercial jukeboxes will continue to grow and thrive through its acquisition by AMI Entertainment."
As noted, AACO will continue to manufacture its complete line of Digital Music Center and CD Nostalgic products for the home market, including wallettes for individuals and 1950s retro-style restaurants. At its uniquely-appointed Torrance factory, Rock-Ola/AACO will continue to design and build limited editions of specialized or "branded" equipment for a variety of commerce and consumer sectors. As the sole jukebox factory remaining in the U.S., Rock-Ola/AACO custom products provide extra value for other American industries.
Streeter also announced that the coin-op Classic Rock (DA8-PV3) bubbler juke is now available with a larger, more user-friendly 19" touchscreen. The unit has a slightly narrower depth measurement, and design has been streamlined. The Classic Rock has a full-range, built-in Peavey 900-Watt amp, $1-$20 bill acceptor, credit card reader and connectors for additional speakers. The DA-8 is available exclusively from AMI/Rowe International. Effective immediately, all commercial product orders may be directed to Matt Longcore at AMI Entertainment.
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Rudowicz Forms Consulting Firm, Takes on Freedom Smokeless
Mike Rudowicz, former president of the American Amusement Machine Assn., has formed Entertainment Connections. In this new venture, he will be working with a select few companies as a coin-op specialist to help facilitate a number of business operations such as relevant licensing opportunities, new product development and market analysis.
His first order of business will be to establish a worldwide distribution network to include North America, South America, Europe and the Asian marketplace for Freedom Smokeless, manufacturers of tobacco-free alternative smoking products.
"We are proud to welcome Mike Rudowicz into the Freedom family," said Freedom Smokeless' Glenn Kassel. The firm's CEO Mike Lewis added, "Having an experienced, well-respected guy like Mike on our team will help us immensely."
With over 35 years of experience in the coin-op industry, Rudowicz hopes his Entertainment Connections will become an invaluable and sought-after service.
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PrimeTime Amusements, based in Fort Lauderdale, has announced their appointment as an authorized distributor for JVL in the state of Florida. "We're extremely proud to team up with JVL to provide the highest quality countertop videogames available today," said Paul Jacobs, PrimeTime VP of sales and marketing.
Longtime industry veteran Larry Sinclair, head of amusement sales for PrimeTime, will be spearheading the sales effort to operators throughout the state. He can be reached at 321/439-3780 or by email at larry@primetime amusements.com. In addition to the newly acquired JVL line, PrimeTime continues to market an exclusive lineup of their own proprietary products, including boxing machines, basketballs, air hockeys, and pool tables.
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Haim Starts New Firm, Gold Coast International
Industry veteran Marc Haim, who headed up the now defunct export biz R.H. Belam, has launched a new international trading firm called Gold Coast International. GCI is dedicated to the international distribution of coin-op machines at wholesale export prices. New equipment will be supplied in original factory cartons, used machines will be checked and complete in good working order, then packed or palletized as needed, Haim reported.
"I will continue to manage this business with many of the experienced export staff, and we will offer unbeatable prices combined with efficient rapid service for all international customers," Haim said. "We assure you of your satisfaction, appreciate your support and look forward to working with you. Our new website is being constructed; at the moment we are still using www.belamny.com."
GCI is located at 1010 Northern Blvd., Great Neck, NY 11021; 516/472-0730; fax 516-472-0737.
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Brunswick and Sacoa have joined forces to offer a full-function interface between Brunswick's Vector Plus Center Network System and the Sacoa Playcard System. The interface has been successfully installed at Strikz Entertainment in Frisco, Texas, where all transactions at the front desk are now run from the Brunswick terminal. This Vector Plus Game Card Interface is available through Brunswick and includes the game card software, a magnetic stripe reader and an Ethernet card.
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Guitar Hero Arcade Hits 2,000 Mark
Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix have shipped over 2,000 units of the video Guitar Hero Arcade since production started three months ago, the companies announced. Betson, which is serving as the game's exclusive distributor, reports that many regional and national amusement facilities (movie theaters, FECs, LBEs, bowling centers, amusement parks, big box retailers) have covered all their locations with at least one game and have doubled up in many others. Coinstar, the national route that specializes in big box retail including Wal-Mart, reports Guitar Hero Arcade as its number one video, according to Betson.
Operators have also reportedly been successful in promoting the game through special contests with players competing for prizes and top honors as the Best of the Band. Brown University radio station, WBRU, is running weekly Guitar Hero Arcade contests on campus to offer a much-needed break from the rigors of collegiate academia, and more arcade events are beginning to pop up all over North America.
"The current pipeline of orders for Guitar Hero Arcade is growing daily, and we have not experienced this type of excitement for a videogame in a long time," said Bob Boals, EVP of Betson Enterprises.
North America is not the only region where Guitar Hero Arcade is experiencing success. Spain, Italy, Germany, England, France, Singapore, Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, India, the Middle East, Africa, China and Canada are also enjoying brisk sales with the game, reported Betson. Guitar Hero Arcade is currently available through a special finance program being offered by Firestone Financial.
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NDA Team Dart Wins Big in Vegas
Soft-tip dart players across the world gathered at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas this spring for the AMOA-National Dart Assn.'s Team Dart XXIV. This year, Team Dart boasted more than 10,000 event entrants from seven countries competing for over $500,000 in prize money.
The association's charter holders work very hard all year to provide opportunities for their sanctioned players to compete in leagues and become eligible for the annual tournament. Approximately 158 NDA operators sent teams to Team Dart this year.
Players had the option of participating in up to nine events throughout the nine days of competition. Teams from Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and the U.S. competed in an international challenge for bragging rights until next year's competition. The U.S. men's team defeated Germany thus taking the men's title for the fourth year in a row. The German women's team took the title from the U.S. women after a four-year streak.
During the opening ceremony, the NDA inducted Peter Feuer, formerly president of Merit, and Clyde Knupp, formerly president of the AMOA and former owner of Amuse-O-Matic, into the Team Dart Hall of Fame. Also during the ceremony, the NDA thanked its sponsors for their continued support including Russell Mawdsley, current president of the AMOA; Sam Zammuto with Arachnid; Darko Plazek with Cyberdine d.o.o.; Chris Peppard with Medalist; Helmut Schneller with NSM- Lowen Entertainment; and Cathy Scarbrough with Shelti.
Team Dart XXV will be held at the same location April 16-24, 2010. The 25th anniversary event promises to be bigger and better than this year's tournament, reported the association. To learn more, go to www.ndadarts.com.
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VNEA Draws 6,000 Players to Vegas
The 2009 Valley National Eight-Ball Association 29th Annual International Championship drew as many as 6,000 league pool players, hailing from 33 states, five Canadian provinces and seven other countries. The tournament was held May 21-30 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Matches were held on nearly 300 Valley pool tables, and competition took place in 33 unique divisions. Players represented 180 VNEA charter holder members.
The team opening ceremonies played host to 3,000 players and featured brilliant fireworks and the sounds of the band The Crush. Two Valley home tables were given away throughout the event. Tournament sponsors included Fury, Lucasi, Valley and Viking. This year's awards banquet featured Buddy Holly and Rod Stewart look-a-likes, as well as comedian Elon Gold.
At the annual president's reception held at the scenic Top of the Riv, a special presentation took place for four special long-time VNEA family members. For their remarkable efforts, Tony Evans (Warner Coin), Dave Warner (Warner Coin), Jennifer Butcher (A. Van Brackel) and Marshall Kohtz (V.V.S.) were awarded beautiful hardwood encased, etched brass lifetime sanction cards, commemorating their new status as VNEA Lifetime Members. To get complete results, log on to www.vnea.com and look in next month's issue of RePlay.
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LAI Games USA has released Stacker Double Up, which brings the intuitive and popular game play of Stacker to ticket redemption locations. "Our first units arrived late last month and flew out the door," said U.S. GM Peter Gustafson. "The timing of the release of Stacker Double Up could not have been better as it coincides perfectly with the start of the summer holiday season."
Stacker Double Up is housed in a unique and contemporary cabinet design that stands 98" tall. Game play takes place on a huge playfield made up of three different colored LEDs (bright red, mystifying blue and sun-kissed yellow) that pop with brilliant lighting effects. There's also a pulse-pounding soundtrack. "It's a presentation your guests will notice as soon as they enter the gameroom," said Gustafson.
Features include a playfield ticket display, double-up zone challenging players to go for the super bonus jackpot, a big stack ticket holder and many flexible operator adjustments, including ticket value payouts and difficulty levels. The jackpot can bet set to award up to 9,999 tickets. The game measures 39" long x 34" wide x 98" high and weighs 282 pounds. To learn more, go to www.laigames.com.
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Fantasy Entertainment is offering upgrade kits designed to extend the life of four of its most popular photobooth systems -- Sketch Express, Portrait Studio (color), Portrait Studio (black and white) and Digital Portrait Easel.
"Fantasy Entertainment has taken these proactive steps to enhance our customers' investments and keep these products operational for years to come," says Dale Valvo, Fantasy president and CEO.
"Recent advances in computer and printer technology are the driving forces behind these upgrades," added Steve White, Fantasy GM and VP of sales. "Our Sketch and Portrait booths have been remarkably successful since their introduction, and their tremendous customer appeal makes them very popular with operators all around the world. But the changing technical landscape threatens the ongoing viability of these machines.
"Replacement components for these booths are becoming scarce, and new printers need to connect via the USB port," continued White. "Therefore, our upgrade kits will migrate each booth to modern computer and printer technology that will significantly lower operational costs and extend their ability to generate profits."
Each upgrade kit includes the following components: a new computer CPU, USB-enabled printer, control panel buttons and the latest version of photobooth software. Individual components will vary by kit depending on the specific booth style and output. All kits will be shipped to the customer pre-configured based on their unique situation and profile, and each will include detailed upgrade instructions.
To learn more, log on to Fantasy's corporate website (www.fantasyent.com) that allows customers to register for each upgrade.
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MEI Bill Validator Is Now Standard for Megatouch
MEI and AMI Entertainment Network (formerly Merit) have reached an agreement by which MEI will be specified as the standard bill validator for all new domestic Megatouch touchscreen games. AMI selected the MEI bill validator based on what it described as "excellent reliability and superior acceptance rates."
"MEI makes a great bill validator," said Steve Jarema, VP of hardware engineering for AMI. "We will continue to offer customers choices in bill validators on Megatouch games, but specifying MEI as the default allows us to provide a consistent value and reliability for our operators and the best gaming experience for patrons."
"We are very pleased AMI recognized the superior value of our products and awarded MEI default status. Our goal is to provide operators with the opportunity to make more money through Megatouch games due to the superior reliability and performance of our products," said Chuck Reed, marketing director for MEI's vending division.
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Bowlapalooza Gets Off to Fast Start
Bowlapalooza, Incredible Technologies' summer-long series of Silver Strike Bowling tournaments, got off to a roaring start as Ron Hammersley (at left) of Beech Grove, Ind., shot twelve 300 games and smoked the field by nearly 10 pins with an amazing average of 295 in the May opener tournament. Hammersley pocketed $1,000 for his efforts.
To qualify, a player needed to play 25 games in 25 days. Players were encouraged to play as many games as they could since a bad game would not hurt their best 25-game average. Remarkably, Hammersley played a total of 739 games.
"This is a perfect example of why this format is so popular with players and operators," said Scott Morrison, Bowlapalooza tournament director. "Overall, the 4,482 qualifiers played a total of 269,359 games or an average of 60 games apiece. The top 200 players who cashed in the tournament played an astounding total of 41,506 games. As a bonus for operators, we deposited their winnings directly into their player accounts where history shows us that 90% of those funds will be used to play more Silver Strike Bowling."
The tournament was free for both players and operators as Incredible Technologies positioned the event as a way to generate interest in the game during the traditionally slow summer months. I.T. put up all the prize money, and no extras fees were charged.
"We know players love to compete, and this tournament underscores that sentiment," Morrison said. "Our operators and their locations are the beneficiaries, and we couldn't be happier."
Second place went to Rob Wright of Omaha. Wright won $500. "Deadeye" Del Flecker of Indianapolis finished third and won $300. Bowlapalooza will continue throughout the summer culminating with the Encore tournament in August. To participate, operators simply need to make sure their 2009 SSB's are registered properly. For more info on Bowlapalooza, visit the official website at www.silverstrikebowling.com.
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Rusbridge Exits Clarion as Part of Restructuring
Clarion Events, which manages the ATEI and IGE shows, has announced a strategic restructuring of its gaming division that involves the closure of its U.S. office and relocation of activities to London, as well as the appointment of former ATEI marketing and commercial director Julian Graves to the newly created post of managing director responsible for exhibitions. (That's the Clarion team pictured above.)
Julian, whose association with IGE, ATEI and The Betting Show dates back to 2000, takes over from Peter Rusbridge, who has chosen the restructuring process as an opportunity to pursue new avenues after 17 years of service.
Heralding the changes, Graves said: "There has been a major resizing of the industries that we serve and the restructuring process is essential for all businesses in order to remain competitive and healthy. I worked alongside Peter for a number of years both at BACTA and Clarion. He has made a major contribution to the exhibitions and has decided that now is an opportune time to try something new.
"The Clarion Gaming exhibition team, expertly led by Emma Green, will focus exclusively on IGE/ICEi, ATEI and The Betting Show," Graves continued. "These events represent global market leaders and, in spite of the difficult times, are performing extremely strongly. They are our flagship events, and we will continue to work with our customers and stakeholders, including our unique 198,000-strong database of global gaming professionals to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the worldwide industry."
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Virginia Ops Hoping To Re-Establish Association
Operators in Virginia held an organizational meeting last month, hoping to re-establish a healthy state association. Items on the agenda included the organization and funding of the association, proposed changes to Virginia's gaming laws that could affect cranes, the issue of gaming on a larger scale and state lobbying insights from Jeff Smith of the Smith Group in Richmond.
"This is a very interesting time in our industry, and it is important for us to ban together and have a unified voice in Richmond," the meeting announcement declared. "If we don't watch out for ourselves, who will?"
The meeting took place June 11 at the Holiday Inn University in Charlottesville, Va. To learn more, contact John Newberry of Venco at 800/762-9962 or email jnewberry@vencomusic.com.
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Ecast Names Brady in Alabama and Georgia
Broadband music and jukebox supplier Ecast has selected Brady Distributing to carry its family of digital jukeboxes in Georgia and Alabama. Brady will distribute Ecast-powered models from NSM, Digital Fusion conversion kits from Amusement Technologies and the Ecast EQ high-def flat-panel jukebox introduced at AMOA last year. Ecast and partners NSM and Amusement Technologies were set to demonstrate their product lines at the Brady Atlanta show last month.
"Brady Distributing is a first-class organization, and we very much look forward to our work together with them," said Scott Walker, VP network operations, Ecast. "We are confident the Brady team will quickly establish themselves in these new markets as they have done in their existing markets."
"Ecast has a solid national footprint, and we intend to expand it further in Georgia and Alabama," said Jon W. Brady, VP and secretary of Brady. "We have always been about providing a quality, full-service customer experience and are eager to move forward with Ecast-powered digital music."
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Global VR Partners with Streak
Videogame maker Global VR has entered into a strategic partnership with one of the kiosk industry's preeminent suppliers, Streak Technology. GVR will create a kiosk system for Streak, which has also been involved in building amusement games on contract for other developers.
Founded in 1994 by Robert (Bob) Stewart, former Atari exec, Streak rapidly achieved status in the emerging kiosk industry. Under Bob's direction, Streak became a multi-million dollar company employing over 40 people. "We are proud to join forces with Global VR," said Stewart. "It makes great sense to combine our talented teams. This partnership allows us to enjoy both economies of scale and talent that will enable us to better serve our customers' needs."
Over the past 15 years, Streak has developed strong relationships with many companies by providing turnkey manufacturing services. The company has built over 50,000 amusement machines and kiosks. Streak was responsible for the design and manufacturing of products such as Tickets.com, a product which allows users to pick an event, choose a seat and receive the printed ticket; Build A Bear Vending; the Internet kiosk Streak Model 700; and over 8,000 Polaroid photobooths.
"We are extremely excited to have Bob and his team join us," said GVR president Ken Bayer. "As a combined entity, Global VR/Streak Technology is one of the strongest, most experienced providers of integrated kiosk and videogame products for the coin-op industry. We provide a full range of services including concept and design of hardware and software, prototyping, manufacturing as well as service and support."
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New Cherry Master Debuts Titan Touch and GenX Cabinet
New Cherry Master last month introduced its new Titan Touch skill game at the Illinois Coin Machine Operators Assn. meeting and tradeshow. Housed inside the firm's GenX cabinet, the game is a 12-in-1 VGA touchscreen attraction. The game features new advances in its operating system, hardware and software, as well as a custom interface to communicate with existing industry electronic components, the company reported.
The GenX solid steel cabinet first debuted last fall. It has an optional stand or swivel base. The cabinet can also be mounted on a wall either at chair or barstool height.
"This design allows operators to seamlessly switch appliances from location to location without storing anything except the accessory mounts," New Cherry Master topper Jesse Jollie reported. "We worked hand-in-hand with our parts distributors to create a complete custom plug and play harness for all of the electronic components the cabinet can house, including its own cooling system."
To learn more, log on to the company's website at www.newcherrymaster.com.
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ASCAP Wins Big Royalties from YouTube
A federal judge has ordered the website YouTube to pay ASCAP $1.6 million in back royalties, as well as $70,000 a year in the future to cover songwriter royalties for music played in videos hosted on the site. ASCAP was seeking as much as $12 million back royalties. YouTube is also involved in litigation with a number of record labels, some of which want their artists' material removed from the website completely.
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AMI Promotes New Green Day Album
Green Day released their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown, on May 15 to digital and physical outlets everywhere. It was their first since 2004's acclaimed American Idiot. To celebrate the return of one of the biggest bands going, AMI and Warner/Reprise picked three jukebox locations to listen to the album in its entirety while giving customers the opportunity to win Green Day CDs and vinyl.
Fans who attended the listening events in Michigan, New York and California had the opportunity to win one of 10 copies per location of Green Day's greatest hits on CD. Network-wide, Green Day fans could also sign up for a chance to win one of 10 copies of 21st Century Breakdown on vinyl. At the time of promotion, the album would not be available in stores for another month. AMI customers could enter their info onscreen, and the lucky winners would be among the first to receive Green Day's newest album on vinyl when it hit stores June 16. Sign-up screens hit AMI jukeboxes starting May 15 and ran for three consecutive weeks.
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TouchTunes Promotes Saving Abel Sweepstakes
TouchTunes recently promoted a sweepstakes to give away a legendary Paul Reed Smith guitar signed by the members of rock band Saving Abel (Virgin). Saving Abel fans entered the sweepstakes at TouchTunes digital jukebox screens nationwide and online at www.touchtunes.com/savingabel through June 8.
Originating from Corinth, Miss., Saving Abel is Jared Weeks, Jason Null, Scott Bartlett, Eric Taylor and Blake Dixon. The band boasts a cool, alt-rock, Southern-tinged sound that is instantly familiar and irresistible. Songs range from the intense rocker New Tattoo to the sexy groove of Addicted to the haunting new anthem Drowning (Face Down).
"We're just trying to connect with people," said Jared Weeks. "And we're going to keep doing what we do until they don't want to hear it anymore!"
The sweepstakes was timed to support the marketing push for Drowning (Face Down), the band's third consecutive top-five hit from their certified-Gold debut album Saving Abel. The song is anticipated to mirror the success of the album's Platinum-selling first single, Addicted, which has consistently been a TouchTunes jukebox favorite since the album release.
"TouchTunes digital jukeboxes play hundreds of millions of songs annually, and that's growing," said Vicki Saunders, VP of music marketing. "It's great to work with Virgin to promote Saving Abel to their rapidly expanding audience and to contribute towards the band's move up the charts."
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Ecast celebrated the advent of the sunny season with its Summer Jam playlist. Easing in the summer with the sound of favorite outdoor music festival bands, the playlist automatically made its appearance on all 10,000-plus Ecast-powered jukeboxes and will entertain bar-goers for a month. Bringing together bands from the '70s, '80s, '90s and today, the playlist offers visibility to a crowd-appealing mix of eclectic fusion rockers in the Ecast catalog. The list spans seminal jam band the Grateful Dead and their peers The Allman Brothers to songs from Phish, Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews, Blues Traveler and more. Let the summer of love begin, again!
"Rock bars make up a significant part of the Ecast network, and this is a great playlist for their patrons, regardless of age," said Ecast Scott Walker, VP network operations, himself a huge jam band fan. "Playlists let us mix up existing content in new and relevant ways, keeping consumers coming back for more and offering tremendous value to the labels and artists we carry."
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Benchmark Games has named 20-year industry veteran Bill Freeman as the newest member of the company's sales team. Al Kress, CEO for Benchmark Games, said: "We are excited to have this 30-year veteran of the amusement and entertainment industry as part of Benchmark's sales team, and we look forward to major contributions from Bill."
Freeman has wide-ranging experience and in-depth knowledge of the entertainment industry. He is a qualified teacher and trainer in many areas with excellent people skills. Among his many career accomplishments, he has owned A Game Service for the past 11 years and provided business consulting to the games industry. Freeman is well versed and skilled in the service and technical support for videogames and pinball. He has been a consultant on gameroom setup, management and coin-op refurbishment.
Prior to establishing his own company, he was GM of the GameWorks in Orlando. From 1986 to 1996, he was a computer systems technician at Walt Disney World, where he was responsible for audio and video quality for the entire Epcot Theme Park. Prior to that, he held positions in several other industries and served four years in the U.S. Navy, where he was a flight simulator systems specialist. Benchmark is happy to welcome Bill Freeman to its sales team.
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Shelti recently welcomed Mick White to lead their sales team. He has more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience in the industry, including work with Tornado, Great American, Valley-Dynamo and Merit. He can be reached at 877/893-1739 or 817/235-9930. Shelti manufactures the Bayside coin-op and programmable pool tables, Eye2 darts, Pro Foos foosball and an entire line of home table games. The company is located in Bay City, Michigan; see www.shelti.com.
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Currency validation provider Pyramid Technologies has hired Vincent Parrillo as VP of sales and marketing. Parrillo will be responsible for the company's sales and marketing activities worldwide.
"Pyramid Technologies is very pleased to have Vincent join our organization to help us continue our sales growth both domestically and internationally," said David Mays, CEO and founder of Pyramid. "We are excited to have Vincent on our team because he brings more than a decade of sales experience managing distribution channels and a track record for implementing profitable growth strategies."
Parrillo comes to Pyramid Technologies from SIMCO Electronics where he managed sales in Southern California. Previously, Parrillo was a sales director at Data I/O Corp. where he spent more than 11 years. While at Data I/O, Parrillo managed the U.S., European and Asian sales organizations over the course of his career. Parrillo holds both a Bachelor's and Master's Degree from the University of California, Irvine and has managed sales organizations both in the U.S. and in Europe. He is fluent in both English and German and has recently relocated from Los Angeles to Phoenix. To learn more about Pyramid, log on to www.pyramidacceptors.com.
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Bellis Technology, a subsidiary of Innovative Technology, is expanding its presence in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a new sales team and latest line of products. Cathy Doucette is the new V.P. of sales. She is proud to announce the new members of the team. Brian Rosselli heads up the Eastern United States, Mike Hubert presides over the Central States, and John Dorney will oversee the West. All three team members bring years of experience in the entertainment and amusement industries.
Bellis Technology has its main hub in the Chicago area to take care of all service and technical needs. Mike Warhurst manages this hub along with Mike Comiskey. Also joining the team to further assist customer success, Andrea Thompson will provide marketing and promotional assistance to distributors. To contact a representative for your area, call Cathy Doucette at 818/704-1426 or email cdoucette@bellis-technology.com.
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Former Valley-Dynamo president Dave Tomizuka remains in Dallas and has landed at Southwest Securities as a managing director in their Investment Banking group. "I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in the recreation products and services industry, including coin-operated games," he said. "In completing the sale of Valley-Dynamo under extremely difficult circumstances, I reconnected with my roots in investment banking and private equity. I am now fortunate to be able to join a healthy and growing $4 billion firm that is committed to providing personalized and high quality investment banking services to entrepreneurial and corporate clients."
Tomizuka pointed out that Southwest's investment banking client relationships include Main Event, which it represented in its sale to Macquarie U.S. Holdings. Southwest has also provided advisory services or participated in financing totaling over $500 million in transaction value for gaming and recreation companies.
"The amusement/coin-op industry has experienced an unprecedented period of upheaval, while also showing resilience during recessions," he said. "With this come opportunities to assess the strategic landscape and come out significantly ahead of the competition by strengthening your balance sheet, acquiring weaker competitors, redefining the playing field by adding new products or service capabilities or by preparing and implementing a plan that maximizes value in the event you choose to sell your company. I believe that a combination of relevant industry exposure and the capabilities of Southwest Securities can create an extremely valuable partnership for management teams, investors, boards of directors and entrepreneurial owners." Tomizuka can be reached at www.dtomizuka@swst.com or 214/859-9367.
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