Jersey Jack Continues Growth on Location Toy Story 4, Godfather and Elton John Chart Success for JJP Starting with Guns N’ Roses, Jersey Jack Pinball founder Jack Guarnieri said his company began to see more and more of their machines on location. It was a point of pride for the longtime pinball enthusiast and former operator, who launched his manufacturing business in 2011. His Toy Story 4 machine, released in 2022, has recently been atop the RePlay Players’ Choice charts, which rank the top games on location according to U.S. operators. “That was a nice surprise,” Guarnieri said. “They’re doing…
Author: RePlay Editor
Cutting Costs by Reducing the Power Bill by Adam Pratt, Arcade Galactic & ArcadeHeroes.com Rising expenses have been the bane of our existence for the past few years and while you adapt as best you can, it’s hard not to pine for the good ol’ days when a single combo meal cost you five bucks instead of $20. One thing I like about operating video games is that they simplify my operations. For example, I don’t usually need to keep them stocked with product unless we’re talking about a card-vending game like Minecraft Dungeons Arcade. Of course, most in this…
Confirmation & The Sales Process By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why one sales representative can close more sales than another. For someone who wrote a book about selling, it feels like I should have all the answers. However, I recently had the chance to process this subject out loud with a friend. (To be clear, I always process things out loud whether I have a friend or not.) What first came to mind was the question, “Why do people buy from us?” This is an excellent question no matter what you sell. Having…
The Value of Trade Shows by Jack Guarnieri, Jersey Jack Pinball & PinballSales.com Is it worth it to attend a trade show? As I’m writing this, people who were still on the fence about going to this year’s Amusement Expo were asking themselves that question. It’s the same one I’ve asked myself since “MOA” in 1975. Back then, it was worth it because my boss paid for me to go, so it was a free trip, and it also meant that I had a few days without games to fix! It was held Oct. 17-19 at the famed Conrad Hilton…
Many, many years ago at one of AMOA’s Conrad Hilton (Chicago) fall conventions, I ran into Bert Betti while I was touring the machine showing. Bert, as most people in the business remember, was the patriarch of H. Betti Industries, more commonly called Betson Distributors. He was at the Brunswick booth, looking intently at what looked at first blush like a pool table, but this one didn’t have any pockets. Obviously, I’m referring to Air Hockey, Brunswick’s most notable contribution to the coin machine industry. While we both eyeballed the table, I said something like: “Do you think that will…
From Tanks to Tech Unveiling the Extraordinary at Drive A Tank & Arcade Arena by Barry Zelickson Spring is here and it’s time to check out more unique entertainment. Nate and our crew were able to visit two different facilities, both created by individuals who have a truly entrepreneurial spirit. First, we headed to the small town of Kasota, Minn., to meet Tony Borlum, from Drive A Tank, who ran with an idea he came across while on an overseas trip. He not only was the first to bring this idea to life in the U.S., but has been operating…
It’s “More Than Just Fun & Games” at Coast to Coast Entertainment Most readers are aware that Coast to Coast Entertainment has been providing engaging and entertaining arcade games and cranes to the amusement community for more than three decades – with popular groundbreaking titles such as Fun Zone, Prize Cube and Duck Catcher, games they boast are synonymous with both quality and impressive cashbox collections. But Coast to Coast Entertainment is also more fun than just games. They’re a leading wholesaler of plush, toys, bulk vending, tickets and other redemption merchandise, they say have all been carefully selected to…
Colorado’s Bob Burnham Getting to Know the New President of AMOA With Amusement Expo in the rearview, there’s a new AMOA president in town. Of course, that’s Bob Burnham, the route and arcade operator (oh, and distributor, too) who was already president of CAMO, the Colorado association he spearheaded in 2020. Busy as ever, Bob recently sat down to share with RePlay how he got started in the business, his involvement with AMOA and CAMO, and his plans for the national association over the next year. RePlay: Let’s start with your background in the industry. You’ve been an operator for…
Arcade Operator Now Making Games Alan-1 Holds First World Championship on Avian Knights in January James Anderson, with his lifelong love of classic arcade games, opened Flynn’s Retrocade in 2017 in Roy, Utah. It’s an arcade and soda bar that mixes more than 40 games of the Asteroids and Centipede ilk with specialty drinks. (See the full slate at www.flynnsretrocade.com.) A longtime collector, that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Anderson, who has a massive assemblage of some 700 games currently housed in an old furniture store in Tooele, Utah, which is set to become Alan-1 HQ…
High Altitude Trampoline Park Growing Kid-Friendly Entertainment to New Heights Focusing on a 3- to 12-year-old demographic, Dallas-based Altitude Trampoline Park has been carving itself a sizable portion of the jumping market since 2014. It began franchising that year as well, opening a post in Fort Worth, Texas, and quickly expanding to Louisiana and beyond. Rob Morris, the company’s vice president of development, discussed with RePlay the growth Altitude has experienced recently. They reported signing 25 franchise agreements in 2023, establishing a presence in new and existing markets including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania and even below the equator in Argentina.…