If you’ve done any traveling around the country lately, you’ve surely spotted stores in big cities and small towns that have been vacated and often shrouded in paper or plywood. I say “shrouded” because these stores have died in large part because of the retail market disruption caused by on-line merchants like Amazon, Costco and Walmart, which make buying stuff so easy folks can do it from home and avoid hopping in the car and charging off to a brick-and-mortar outlet that used to get their business. I don’t know about you, but I think the sight of a shuttered…
Author: RePlay Editor
Where Innovation Lives and Thrives ICE Continues Quest for Games that Bring Players & Revenue Innovative Concepts in Entertainment (ICE) has always prided itself on making unique family fun games built for reliability with operator-first design and a timeless play appeal. An example of that is their Super Chexx, first introduced into the coin-op market in 1982 and still being made at ICE’s factory in Clarence, New York. (That’s over 40 years!) In this tradition, the company has added four very different games to their catalog this year: Smash N Win, NBA Baller, Neon Bowling and Stop the Drop. A brand-new…
Excellence is Still in the Execution George McAuliffe and Nick DiMatteo Help With IAAPA Prep & Beyond by Nick DiMatteo, Pinnacle Entertainment Group At the world’s largest amusement trade show, it’s easy to be dazzled by lights and innovation. What has not changed in 20-plus years is this simple truth: Excellence is still in the execution. As I go into my 21st IAAPA Expo and George into his 37th, here are a few notes to help you prepare for the show and the upcoming holiday season. 1. Execution Nick – Execution is the great constant. New ideas, new games and…
Zero Gravity & Makutu’s Island High-Energy Adventures, From Sky-High Jumps to Jungle Fun by Barry Zelickson This month, Fun Across America takes readers from the adrenaline-charged action of Minnesota’s ultimate trampoline and adventure park to the immersive, tropical-themed world of one of Arizona’s most beloved family attractions. First, we step inside Zero Gravity, a Mounds View hotspot where energy, competition and laughter collide in a high-flying experience for all ages. Then, we trade in the trampolines for treehouses and tunnels at Makutu’s Island, a sprawling indoor playground where imagination and exploration reign supreme. • • • Zero Gravity – Mounds…
Don’t Fear the Fall How Signature Events Can Define Your Profit Center By Clint Novak, Business Development Manager, A&A Global Industries As the fall season takes hold, a familiar buzz begins to build. While big-box retailers are gearing up to sell televisions and toys, operators have a unique opportunity. With the holiday shopping frenzy just weeks away, October is the perfect month to finalize your strategy for what can be your most profitable week of the year. You don’t just sell things; you sell fun, memories, and experiences. But cutting through the noise of Black Friday requires an aggressive, well-planned…
GOLDEN! J&J Amusements Hits Special 50-Year Mark; IAAPA Celebration Planned From humble mini-golf beginnings back in 1957 to a global go-kart and bumper boat innovator founded in 1975, J&J Amusements has had a long and winding journey. Twin brothers Jim and John Huish started up that mini-golf business and expanded it successfully, with locations in Utah and Southern California. (Today, both of them are in the IAAPA Hall of Fame for their long careers in the industry.) As Dan Hansen, the current-day general manager of J&J Amusements, explained, “They needed a water attraction for their parks and pretty much made…
24/7 Fun at Arcade Time New Orlando Location Packed with 350 Games If you haven’t yet heard of Jonathan Demare’s Arcade Time USA, you have now! (And you haven’t heard the last of them!) Demare has more than 20 years in the industry and launched the Florida-based Arcade Time in 2021 in Coral Springs. They’re up to 12 confirmed locations already, including the recently-opened Orlando venue, positioned right on the famous I-Drive. “It was always our plan to scale,” Demare explained. “Our path to 100 locations is getting very close,” he smiled. They are also currently operating – or…
Beyond Pumpkin Spice Ten Fall Flavors You Should Think About for Your FEC By Candi Kelley, COO, TrainerTainment When fall rolls in, every menu starts looking the same: pumpkin spice latte, apple cider something, maple drizzled on whatever will hold still. And sure, those flavors are great but if you really want to stand out and get guests excited, it’s time to go beyond the obvious. Here are 10 fall flavors that can help your restaurant or bar bring in those “ooh, I need to try that!” moments this season, each with an easy example you could run as a…
RePlay Magazine’s 50th Anniversary Our Coin-Op Stories are Intertwined by Howard McAuliffe, Partner, Pinnacle Entertainment Group As I reflected on RePlay Magazine’s 50th anniversary, it occurred to me that stories are a big reason why I love the magazine. Furthermore, they are a big reason I love this industry. My family’s story is intertwined with this industry and has been written about in various ways over the years in RePlay. “Stories are fundamental to human experience, serving as the primary way we make sense of the world, share experiences, and connect with one another.” I pulled the above quote from…
If you look at the bottom/left of this page, you’ll see some tiny type which spells out the issue’s date and subscription prices. The Post Office requires this from all periodicals, even though few read it. But if you notice where it says “Volume LI, No. 1,” which means it’s the first issue of RePlay’s 51st year in business, you’ll see where I’m going with this. There is pride seeing my magazine reach its 50th birthday, of course. But it’s more a sense of satisfaction that something I created and nursed all these many years has been accepted by the…