Great Service May Need to be a Core Value By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment Can great service be taught? This question has lingered in the minds of many business leaders, trainers and guest service professionals. The answer, as I see it, is nuanced. While the steps of service can certainly be taught, truly great service goes beyond the mechanics. It stems from something deeper — a genuine desire to serve, which cannot be easily faked or forced. This revelation became crystal clear to me during a recent trip to New Orleans. The city is known for its vibrant culture, rich…
Author: RePlay Editor
Painting the Room With Light The Latest Developments in Immersive Enclosure Development by Kevin Williams, International Immersive Technology Special Correspondent This feature was inspired by a well-received presentation I made during the VR Arcade Game Summit during this spring’s Amusement Expo, entitled “Get in The Box: Gaming Room Revolution!” The purpose was to provide a history and overview for a panel discussion of the application of immersive enclosure systems, designed to offer the next element of extended reality (XR) deployment into our industry’s out-of-home entertainment spaces. To understand how XR is hoping to supersede the more common deployment of VR,…
This issue marks RePlay’s 49th birthday…49 years since we published our very first issue (that’s its cover above) and brought it to that year’s MOA (Music Operators of America) show in Chicago to hand out to conventioneers. We also mailed a slew of them to an operator list derived by a combination of Wurlitzer’s and Rock-Ola’s rosters. (A lot of mail came back, but most stuck and subscriptions started coming in … and nicely, by the way.) During this nearly half century, so much has changed with the rise of video games, digital jukeboxes, the FEC business and widespread prize…
UNIS & emoji Introduce emojiPlanet Intercard CEO Shares His Vision for the Sector and His Company by Matt Harding Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, UNIS is making its latest industry splash with the emoji brand. The two companies have been working on games with each other since fall 2022. Now, they’re exclusively developing emoji-branded entertainment centers under the name emojiPlanet with locations coming stateside in early 2025. UNIS explained that the family entertainment industry is increasingly shifting toward IP-based centers and that “emojiPlanet enters this competitive landscape with a unique edge – leveraging the global popularity of emojis to…
RePlay’s 2024 Spotlight on Cashless Payment & Software Systems It’s time to take a look at cashless. RePlay’s annual report on the latest industry innovations gives operators a rundown on what’s what in payment and software systems. We’ve gone far beyond simple credit card and play card transactions. Today, QR codes, tap-to-play readers and so much more blanket the “coin-op” industry. In arcades, all-in-one kiosks are another popular mainstay. Just swipe or tap to play! Keep reading for an A-to-Z look into what the top players in cashless technology are doing in their own words. Click the page image or…
The Best Thing that Ever Happened (To the Arcade Business) By George McAuliffe, President, Pinnacle Entertainment Group Are you ever reminded that you’re getting old? If not, just wait. It will happen. I was in a meeting the other day where I tossed out a reference to Get Smart, a famous TV show from the 1960s and ’70s, and nobody knew what I was talking about. (If you don’t either, go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Smart.) What does that have to do with cashless card systems? Well, it used to take two people six hours just to get our weekly sales numbers, the…
From Smash to Splendor WreckIt Rage Room & The Mess Hall by Barry Zelickson This month we are highlighting two very unique and FUN locations. First is the WreckIt Rage Room in Savage, Minn., a great place to release some stress while having a great time and then, we continue our adventure by heading to Hopkins, Minn., to The Mess Hall to create some original art and, yes, get messy. So, sit back and enjoy as I share these amazing experiences with you. Also, remember to check out all of our episodes at www.youtube.com/ @funacrossamerica. WreckIt Rage Room…
Parties and “Gifts” By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment What is the significance of gift-giving at parties or celebrations? I’ve always been the kind of mom who gives each child a gift when one of my children’s birthdays comes around. Of course, the birthday boy or girl gets showered with gifts, but I also like to include the other two children with a little something as well. I know, I know – I’m from the generation that gives everyone a trophy! Sue me. Gift-giving can be a wonderful expression of appreciation and gratitude. It’s a way to thank the host or…
Much Ado About Stuff! by Jack Guarnieri, Jersey Jack Pinball & PinballSales.com Stuff. I’m talking about the many things we buy and collect. According to the Los Angeles Times, there are 300,000 items in the average American home. NPR reports that the average size of the American home has tripled in size over the past 50 years. This ties into a bit that famed comedian George Carlin did on stuff years ago. (If you saw it even once, you’ll remember it. If not, be sure to YouTube it.) He claims a house is just a place to keep all your…
I just got a call from Richie Berger, Harry’s son and the last game dealer standing on 10th Avenue, Metropolitan New York’s fabled coin machine row. As expected, the call quickly verged into reminiscing about those “great old days” when so-and-so did such-and-such. Ancient coin-op personalities with names like Lipsky, Simon, Parkoff, Lowy, Miniaci, and, of course, Berger emerged from the dustbin of coin machine lore. (Richie’s father used to run pinballs in Cuba before Castro showed up; Richie himself hires out private jets today.) It’s always fun to reminisce, but as the sage says, it ain’t real. What was…