Part one of Big Buck Hunter’s five-part qualifying series has began, running from May 1 to Oct. 2. For those preparing to compete in the Big Buck World Championship, it’s time to get your (fake) guns out. This year’s championship promises a $100 thousand prize pool, with $20K offered to the winner. Players must compete in all five tournaments in order to win an invitation to the World Championships. There is also a Ladies’ Tournament hosted simultaneously for women only. Check for updates from RePlay as the qualifiers go on, and visit www.bigbuckhd.com/world for more information.
Author: Casey Minter
The iconic bubble tubes of Rock-Ola jukes will now be made in-house following the recent deal between the company and its longtime glass supplier. Rock-Ola purchased the assets and equipment from Glass Instruments Company, which has been their partner for over 30 years. The previous owner of the company, Thurston Lavey, decided at 94 years and after 65 years blowing glass, that it was time to pass the torch. Rock-Ola stated that with the newly acquired assets, they’ll be able to offer bubble tubes for all of their old machines and the Wurlitzer One More Time jukebox at a considerable…
The individuals planning the 2017 AAMA-AMOA Amusement Expo in Dallas have been chosen by the co-sponsoring organizations. This eight-person Board of Directors will oversee policy and financial aspects for next year’s get-together: Chris Felix, Crane Payment Innovations (AAMA); Holly Hampton, BayTek Games (AAMA); Allen Weisberg, Apple Industries (AAMA); Phil Cohn, TouchTunes (AAMA); Gaines Butler, Metro Distributors (AMOA); Rick LaFleur, I.F. LaFleur & Son (AMOA); John Pascaretti, Pascaretti Enterprises (AMOA); and Jerry Johnston, Amusement Unlimited (AMOA) Members of the Show Committee, which will focus on the overall conduct of the Expo, have also been named. They are: Jonathan Durst, Pyramid Technologies…
American Vending Sales will have a vending and micro market equipment and food event this Friday (May 6) at the Embassy Suites in Bloomington, Minn. Attendees are invited to see that latest products from over 30 manufacturers and brokers. “We are proud to be able to provide this opportunity for our customers to see the newest technology and innovation for their business in one place,” said Tom Vogt, Vice President of AVS’ Vending Division. “It is also a great time to be able to meet with operators one on one to better understand their needs and how we can help…
The Stinger Report recently released the third part of a four-part series reporting on the major developments from the leading trade conventions, from the Indian Association of Amusement Parks and Industries show to the recent Amusement Expo. The coverage includes developments on the virtual reality industry in Asia, including information about a newly revealed project from Bandai-Namco. The company opened an experimental pop-up arcade facility in Tokyo under the name “VR Zone: Project I Can.” on April 15. The site, which stays open through mid-October, houses a number of prototype VR systems and is meant to help Bandai-Namco further develop…
IAAPA held their annual U.S. Advocacy Days from April 11 to 13 allowed for discussions industry leaders representing 25 organizations to participate in 56 congressional meetings in D.C. According to the organization, this historic high – both in number of meetings and participating attendees – led to important discussions on regulatory issues in the industry. The members met with offices representing 14 states to discuss proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act, overtime rules, industry safety, unmanned aircraft systems (drones) legislation and possible changes to Federal and state minimum wage requirements. Dr. Chad Moutray, the National Association of Manufacturer’s…
Embed has recently announced the completion of 50 installations with one of the nation’s largest operating companies, Tricorp Amusements, Inc. The company says its debit card systems have proven effective with unattended game rooms and small locations with Tricorp tech. “Embed and Tricorp have forged new avenues for growth in our industry as an outside service provider. We have focused our efforts on movie theaters, FECs, bowling centers, indoor mini golf, indoor trampoline parks and large family restaurants,” said Joe Ingui, President of Tricorp. “Working with Embed has afforded us the opportunity to position Tricorp as the ‘Premiere Amusement Provider’…
Organizers of IAAPA’s Asian Attractions Expo – hosted June 13-16 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center – say there’s quite a lineup of respected industry leaders already signed up to present information and lead thought-provoking seminars about the latest trends in the attractions industry. With a total of 11 seminars being offered, IAAPA says it is the most comprehensive AAE education program to date. The AAE 2016 education conference provides real-world examples to improve operations and drive business in intellectual property use, cultural sensitivity and regional awareness, safety, revenue generation, facility excellence, human resources, and more. Speakers include: ·…
A group of students at Brigham Young University have built a computer-controlled foosball table that utilizes artificial intelligence to consistently beat human opponents. The students, under the tutelage of professor D.J. Lee, mimicked how humans play the game and programmed that knowledge into their code, allowing the computer to predict movements and adapt in real time. With these “human” qualities and the computer’s inhuman reaction speed, the students soon couldn’t hold their own, oftentimes losing to their creation. Check out this PC World article for more information and to see some pictures of the table.
HMS Monaco, the wholesale distributor specializing in plush, licensed products, electronics and novelties, recently redesigned and renovated their website, giving it a clean, fresh and user-friendly look. The company is also announcing a promotion to drive business to it, offering five percent off any and all orders purchased on the website in May. “It has a fresh look and advanced features,” said Steve Schulman of HMS. “In general today, compared to five or ten years ago, people are much more web savvy. That’s the way of the world today, more people order online where most used to call us.” Schulman…