At one time, Tower Records was the largest chain of music stores in the nation, maybe in the world (they had branches in Europe, Asia and South America besides the U.S.A.). A documentary available on the Showtime cable channel entitled “All Things Must Pass” traces the origin and growth of this now-defunct retail giant. . . and coinbiz people will get a kick learning that this once-billion dollar business actually started by selling used 45rpm records bought from some Sacramento, Calif., jukebox operators. The program doesn’t mention which route or routes sold them to Tower founders Clayton and Russ Solomon;…
Author: Casey Minter
LAI Games has a brand new website that they say has been built with operators in mind, delivering clear, high-quality images and videos, easy navigation, valuable product information and support. “When designing the website, we took our customer’s feedback into consideration,” said Allison Timberlake, Marketing Manager for LAI’s parent company Helix Leisure. “Games are easily sorted by type so you can find exactly what you’re looking for quickly, for example, ‘skill-based games’. All important information is clearly laid out for both mobile and desktop users including new product videos, comparable feature icons, similar game recommendations and new easy ways to…
A&A Global has released a new line of collectable toys: the Globsters. The company says it is especially excited about the toys because this is the first time they’ve released a series across multiple lines of business: bulk vending, redemption and plush. “Globster actually means a blob or unidentified organic mass,” said Kim Mattison, Product Development Manager. “We decided to expand that into the design, as well as the product name. The simple, yet whimsical, shape gave us a blank canvas to create these inherently cute characters.” The series includes ten Globsters, each having a unique name and personality. Their…
Creative Works has announced a unique project that has recently been building a lot of buzz around their office: The company, working with Ryan Feeney from Indy Art Forge, will help the Indianapolis Colts build a bronze statue of QB Peyton Manning. Creative Works, based in Mooresville, Ind., custom-designs such FEC attractions as laser tag arenas and mini-golf courses. “We are thrilled to work with Peyton, the Indianapolis Colts, and Indy Art Forge on this project,” said Armando Lanuti, an owner of Creative Works. “Every Colts fan loves Peyton, and our staff is honored to be a part of this…
Typhoon Texas, a waterpark in Katy, Texas, recently installed state-of-the-art electronic lockers from VLocker. They are made of rugged materials like galvanized or stainless steel and are accessible from any terminal within sight. According to the company, this makes waiting in line at a counter to get a key for your locker a thing of the past, and frees up attendees to quickly drop their stuff off and get into the park. What the company describes as a simple-to-navigate application using touchscreens to make transactions is easy, and VLockers can be configured accept credit cards, bar codes, RFID and NFC…
Stern Pinball has started working with PinballMap.com to help connect the world of pinball machines online. The Pinball Map currently tracks thousands of machines in locations around the world and grows in accuracy and database by the day. Click here to check out the pinballs around you, and if there are machines you know of in your area that aren’t listed, or machines that are no longer where they say they are, contribute to the database and help pinheads around the world find the games they’re searching for!
Gold Coast International chief Marc Haim recently came across an eBay listing for an old Chicago Coin Slap Shot Hockey game for sale at $35. Part of the listing was the letter (shown here) from Marc’s old R.H. Belam Co. signed by his late father Vic and dated January 1972. Apparently, the eBay seller kept it and wanted to show potential buyers how much the novelty game originally cost. “We at Belam were export distributors for the long-defunct Chicago Coin, then led by Avron Gensburg, at that time,” wrote Marc. BTW: Notice the solicitation to place orders by cable (telegram),…
Brady Starburst will be sponsoring Beth Standlee, Founder and CEO of Trainertainment, at the “Connecting to the Future” trade show put on by the Georgia Amusement and Music Operators Assn. (GAMOA) Sept. 9-10 at the Atlanta Airport Marriott. Brady is a platinum sponsor of the event, and hopes Beth’s “always enthusiastic and engaging” attitude will help attendees learn how to better build business in the industry. Ms Standlee will educate and inspire attendees in an interactive business building session designed specifically for the event. To register to attend the GAMOA meeting, click here.
The ninth TILT Studio opened up in Tempe, Az., recently, in a former GameWorks location. At 40,000 sq. ft., the arcade houses a mixture of classic arcade games, a wall full of retro and current pins (the first TILT location to have this new feature, ironically enough) and all sorts of redemption pieces enhanced by a well-stocked prize counter. There’s also a handful of unique, foreign games on site, including IGS’ Monster Eye 5D and Chinese-made dance game Dance Super Stage. This is TILT’s first location in Arizona, and is currently the largest location for the Texas-based company. A full-service…
Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan, was expected to accept the Olympic torch as the events in Rio De Janeiro ended, representing Tokyo which will host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. However, poeple didn’t expect how he’d enter the stadium, nor how entertaining of an entrance that would be. As the celebration wound down, a promotional video began hyping the events that will be held in Tokyo, ending with an animated Mario diving into the franchise’s signature green tube. Finally, Abe appeared, rising from an oversized green pipe with a red Mario cap and a smile on his face.…