Craig’s Cruisers, a Grand Rapids, Mich., area FEC, has expanded to 120,000 square feet, making it the largest fun center in the state. The $2.4 million expansion included a 36,000-square-foot space with a trampoline park, ninja course, laser tag arena and compact spinning coaster, according to MLive.com. The 20,000-square-foot trampoline park is the focal point of the addition, which took eight months to complete. Craig’s Cruisers was open during the construction. It already has indoor and outdoor go-kart tracks, bumper cars, bumper boats, laser tag, mini golf and more. The cost of the new addition bumped ticket prices up by…
Author: Casey Minter
An amateur developer with the YouTube name Abhishek Signh recently posted a video on YouTube highlighting a new way to play the arcade classic Street Fighter. Singh created an augmented reality version of the game, allowing players to fight it out as classic Street Fighter characters nearly anywhere. The game utilizes players’ smart phones to superimpose the fighters into nearly any environment. The result brings the game straight into real life. Though the developer has no plans to release the game, it looks to be fully playable and an innovative new way to enjoy games anywhere. See the video here.
Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to revolutionize an unknowable number of things, and at SXSW (South by Southwest), Sony demonstrated an arcade classic totally reborn. Officially called A(i)R Hockey, it combines light projection tech with haptic sensor-equipped paddles and a single real puck to take the game up a notch. Up to four players start the game, with a single real puck clacking around the playfield. Soon, virtual pucks and targets begin to appear, ramping up the game. The paddle’s haptic sensors give feedback with little to no latency, making it feel like you’ve actually struck a puck. For…
Washington-based VRstudios has an exciting new game that is ready for the location-based entertainment (LBE) scene: VRcade PowerPlay. This next-generation, competitive eSport has been built with LBE arenas in mind, and offers intensely athletic team-based, multiplayer gameplay. “Everyone recognizes that eSports are increasingly popular and we believe that the release of VRcade PowerPlay is literally a ‘game-changer.’ It’s the next generation of eSports that adds true athletic activity over a large format playing field, and it can be deployed by any LBE operator,” said Kevin Vitale, VRstudios’ CEO. “While complementary to our other systems and attractions, VRcade PowerPlay creates a…
A 1980s-style bowling alley in Louisiana is turning into a state-of-the-art FEC. Acadiana Lanes just opened a two-story laser tag arena, according to the Lafayette Daily Advertiser. The facility now plans on adding bumper cars and more arcade games to the mix during the second phase of the expansion. The renovation started a few months ago when the bowling center closed for a few weeks to undergo a redesign of the existing bowling lanes and arcade. The laser tag arena just opened in February. The bumper car and arcade expansion will go into the newly acquired space next door. “We…
Owned by the same parent company, a newly renovated AMF College Park Lanes is now Bowlero College Park, a more upscale brand, according to the University of Maryland’s student newspaper, The Diamondback. There are now 40 lanes of black light bowling, lounge seating, an expanded menu and upgraded arcade, bar and kitchen. Each lane also has a video wall playing movies, music videos and sports. “We wanted to upgrade it and give people more of a reason to come out,” said Bowlero Corporation spokeswoman Jillian Laufer. “We want to make sure our fans of the previous center still love the…
Firestone Financial held a celebration March 1 for members of its “Platinum Partners Club” during this year’s Amusement Expo. The partner honorees are chosen based on leadership and innovation, as well as proactive support of Firestone’s initiatives, says the company. “Each year, we have an amazing group of customers who go above and beyond the call of duty to help the industry grow,” said Firestone President and CEO David Cohen. “Our Platinum Partners embody the best qualities of the industry, demonstrating innovative thinking, creativity, and an eagerness to face challenges head on. We’re excited to honor our colleagues, without whose…
During last week’s AAMA/AMOA Amusement Expo, AMOA officially kicked off a year-long observance of its 70th anniversary of representing the amusement industry. “What a great atmosphere for celebration,” said outgoing AMOA President Rick LaFleur. “The show was engaging, energizing and with clear opportunity. You could see it in the engagement of the attendees on the show floor as well as the educational segments.” LaFleur presided over last week’s festivities before handing off the top AMOA post to Jim Marsh at the closing of the event on Thursday, March 1. Official 70th anniversary festivities kicked off on the eve of Amusement…
Yup, you read that right! A Raleigh, N.C., brewery called Big Boss Brewing Company has invented an exciting new way to sample beer: The Last Barfighter! This fighting arcade game pits two players against each other, and to the winner go the spoils! Both players place their cups in a two-headed tap at the front of the game and proceed to fight it out; the winner gets his cup filled while the loser has to fight again for the chance. Five characters are available to players, all of which represent one of the brewery’s actual year-round brews. The game was…
A former plumbing shop in Los Angeles’s Eagle Rock neighborhood has made way for Walt’s Bar, a new arcade bar that opened there in mid-February, according to Eater LA. The new place is serving up cold beer and vintage pinball in a long room with a curving wooden bar and diner-style two-top tables near the front windows. The bar also has a wraparound patio. Signage, including a colorfully painted “PINBALL!” on the front of the building, was put up shortly before the grand opening ceremony. The establishment has at least 10 vintage arcade games.