A BIG hit from this year, Halo: Fireteam Raven, had a lot of people buzzing, and now Raw Thrills is ready to get them buzzing again with a smaller, more economical version of the game they say is meant for any and every location. “The Halo: Fireteam Raven 2-player environmental has all the Halo action you love – up front, close-up, personal and intense! Perfect for those locations where the legendary Halo 4-player extravaganza just doesn’t fit,” said the company’s Eugene Jarvis. In its smaller-sized cabinet, the 2-player still packs the visual punch of its big brother with blue LEDs…
Author: Casey Minter
Foundations Entertainment University, the three-day educational program designed to help operators of fun centers (plus bowling, laser tag, etc.) improve their knowledge, operations and success, just completed its 16th year and 46th session. This latest iteration was held in Houston, Texas, from Oct. 16-18, and organizers were pleased to announce it was packed with a total of 52 attendees. News from that session included the announcement that FEU will host a 1.5 day session at prior to the Amusement Expo in Las Vegas next year, and a single day session during EAG in London on Jan. 14. The team of…
AVS Companies’ Houston branch began operating out of its new location at 8801 Jameel Road, Houston, TX 77040 on Oct. 15. AVS bought H.A. Franz in 2016 and had previously been operating out of those facilities. About the move, AVS President Vince Gumma said, “We wanted our new location to be convenient for Houston area customers to access. With the proximity to the major expressways on the Northwest side of the city, and the features of the building, we feel this is a great fit for our new Houston home.” “While it is bittersweet to say goodbye to the location…
GameWorks Inc. is looking to brighten a lot of kids’ Halloween nights with a donation of 20,000 glow sticks meant to keep kids safer during trick or treating. The glow sticks are being distributed to local law enforcement agencies, schools and event centers throughout seven markets that GameWorks serves. The company also rewards its spooked out players who come in on Halloween night with double tickets on all its games. Kids also get the chance to eat for free Halloween night from 4 to 8 p.m. “Community service is an important corporate wide initiative at GameWorks, and this glow stick…
Shaffer Distributing announced a recent change-up in its leadership team with three promotions for recognizable industry names: Bill Kraft, Scott Shaffer and George Speakman. Bill Kraft, Shaffer’s long-time President, was elevated to the role of Vice Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors, and will assist in the oversight of both Shaffer Distributing and Shaffer Entertainment. Said the company in its news announcement, “Bill has made immeasurable contributions to the Shaffer organization over his many years of service and will continue to have an impact from his new seat on the Board.” Scott Shaffer (below) is taking on Kraft’s role…
According to initial reports, the 6th annual National ATM Council tradeshow was an unqualified success. Called NAC 2018 – ATMs Across America, the show ran from Oct. 16 through Oct. 18. Although show organizers have not yet received the “final-final” numbers for the event, early estimates place the number of attendees at more than 600 with nearly 80 exhibit booth spaces. Once again hosted by Bally’s Las Vegas, the show featured a beefed-up seminar roster featuring more than 50 industry experts and a host of new products on the exhibit floor. Also highlighting the show was recent news that credit card…
Construction is underway on a new Big Al’s Sports Bar & Entertainment Center in Milpitas, Calif. The 46,000-square-foot facility at the McCarthy Ranch Marketplace in Silicon Valley is slated to open in February 2019. It will be the company’s fifth entertainment center and its second in California. Big Al’s will have 18 Brunswick bowling lanes, an adult and kid-friendly arcade and three full-service bars, anchored by a 55-foot wide HD laser projection big screen in its sports bar. Big Al’s also will also have indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces for parties and special events. The company plans on hiring 180…
There are VR roller coasters, VR escape rooms, VR sports competitions. Why not a water slide? James Milkes, son of RePlay’s Ingrid Milkes, recently found this ride while looking for a current event project. The Galaxy Erding water park in Germany opened the first virtual reality water slide. Called the VRSlide, the rider (who is still physically on an actual slide) wears a waterproof, wireless headset powered by an integrated Samsung Galaxy S8. The rider sees themselves in a space environment, as well as traversing a snowy landscape. Ballast, the company that makes the VRSlide, views this as first step…
A new Surge Adventure Park, an entertainment center chain spearheaded by veteran NFL quarterback Drew Brees and his business partner, will soon open in Jacksonville, Fla., according to the Jacksonville Daily Record. “It’s a great market,” Brees said. “We felt like there was a need for one there.” Surge offers zipline courses, climbing walls, obstacle courses, foam pits and trampolines, as well as birthday party areas with a lounge for parents. The Jacksonville location is going into a 46,596-square-foot space that was the former home of a Sports Authority. Other locations are in New Orleans, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Birmingham,…
American Hall, a gigantic three-story, three-bar venue in Midtown Manhattan, recently opened its doors, according to Eater New York. It’s an arcade bar, beer hall and restaurant spread between the three floors, fitting up to 600 diners at a time. The arcade bar is equipped with classic video games, billiards and foosball tables. Opened by brothers Willy and Keith Reichenbach, who already opened a 200-seat German beer house in 2013, American Hall is Americana themed. It has three bars on the three separate floors, offering about a dozen draft and bottled beers with a cocktail menu that features drinks like…