A TRON-inspired VR experiment created by CCP Games (developers of the popular EVE Online game) has been gaining popularity throughout the Internet. The game, dubbed Brawl, is a simple proof of concept for what could be further development by the company, and offers a futuristic evolution of the arcade classic, air hockey. Instead of small plastic paddles and pucks, the player wields a VR shield and a gauntlet that launches a glowing disc. The players must dodge or block the opposing disk, while simultaneously launching their own boomerang-style disk and attempting to score points by striking their opponent. The game…

Benchmark Games prexy Al Kress said he was honored to announce the retirement of longtime company salesman Richard Long today (05/25). Rich entered the industry in 1974 when he joined Time-Out Family Amusement Centers. During his 20 years with the company, it grew to have 130 arcades in regional shopping centers through the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Following that post and after operating laser tag in FECs around the country, Rich joined LaserTron and helped with that company’s expansion.   He then joined Benchmark and, as Kress recounted, was successful yet again, this time selling classic games such as Wheel Deal,…

Amid the raucous controversy of this year’s politics, California found its own slice of trouble (and praise) when earlier this year it introduced some of the biggest changes to smoking regulations seen in this country so far. On May 4, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the restrictive regulations, which are set to take effect on June 9 and include raising the smoking age in the state from 18 to 21. For many small business owners and owner-operated establishments, the regulations go further. The expanded regulations remove exemptions for specific workplaces that previously allowed for smoking in bars, hotel lobbies, banquet…

Coast to Coast is currently offering a deal on over-the-ear headphones, selling for $3.49 each in orders of 60 units. Measuring in around 7″ x 7″ x 4,” the company says they’re perfect for jumbo cranes, merchandisers and redemption centers,  “These over-the-ear headphones are great prizes with a high perceived value,” said Jimmy Chapman from Coast to Coast.  In stock and ready to ship, operators can place orders by calling Jimmy Chaps at 800-224.1717 Ext. 726 (email: [email protected] ) or Emile at extension 721. To view the entire line of cranes and prizes, visit: www.cranemachines.com.

S&B Candy and Toy is offering a deal on jumbo-sized plush bears, available in the jerseys of popular NBA teams. The Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat are all represented. For more information, visit www.sandbsales.com. 

Happy Birthday Pac-Man! The iconic coin-op video game character celebrated his 31st birthday this weekend, and it’s safe to say he’s still a staple of the coin-op world. In recent years, Bandai Namco has released a slew of different Pac-Man titles, including the hugely popular, multi-player Pac-Man Battle Royale. The original game mascot was first released in Japan on May 21, 1980. Later in October that year, he was munching pills and chasing ghosts in the U.S. Since then, the character has become a legend, spawning all sorts of spin-offs and folklore covering the original game. He was also a big star…

On May 17 at the headquarters of Apple Industries, reps from four branches of the Betson Enterprises distribution network received the first ever Face Place Distributor Certification diplomas. The certification included a daylong series of workshops and seminars provided by Apple Industries designed to make distributors experts on everything about the company’s photo booths. Reps from Betson Enterprises HQ, Betson Advance, Betson Baltimore and Betson Philadelphia attended the program. “Face Place Photo Booths continually improve as our engineering and marketing teams make frequent, ongoing advances and download them over our network to units on location,” said Apple COO Scott Avery. …

 With the release of the Angry Birds Movie today (05/20), many operators are hoping for a collection boost in ICE’s Angry Birds Arcade game, as well as the vast array of plush, stickers and toy tie-ins related to this global franchise. In 2014, Rovio – the original publisher of Angry Birds – announced that the game had over 200 million active monthly players. And that wasn’t even at peak popularity! The game has been downloaded over two billion times, and according to Rovio, players spend 200 million minutes per day combined playing the game. That’s equal to 16 years of…

A recent story from Helios Laser Tag shared what might be a first: a laser tag themed wedding! Andrew (ACE) Aitken and Ann-Maree (Arcane) Zank got hitched wearing a couple of Helos PRO packs provided by Zone Laser Tag New Zealand.  The couple first met playing laser tag, and started dating in March 2010 while participating in the Australian Laser Tag competition. Ever since, they’ve covered each other’s backs in game after game, and will continue to throughout a long and exciting marriage. For more on the story, click here.

The VNEA “Valley League” is hosting its windup tournament of the year next week in Las Vegas, from May 25 to June 4, at Bally’s Hotel and Casino. The event will feature six different divisions – Sports, Redemption, Regular, Resurrection, Intermediate, Masters – all of which will have impressive prize pools for the respective champs. Two giant ballrooms will be packed with nearly 300 Valley tables, and competitive pool will be interspersed with raffles, performances and more. The Awards Banquet finale will play host to cash drawings and thousands of dollars of payouts. The event will also have an Artistic…