Fans of the Mortal Kombat universe can look forward to the upcoming Premiere Props auction on Dec. 10, which will feature the largest collection of props and costumes from the franchise’s various films and television shows. The auction will be livestreamed featuring Chris Cassamassa, the actor who portrayed Scorpion in the films, and Mortal Kombat producer Larry Kasanoff. Among the items up for bid: Shang Tsung’s leather jacket (worn by the Demon Sorcerer); a war mallet of The Emperor of Outworld used by Shao Kahn; and the iconic round doors to Outworld.
Author: Matt Harding
The Bavarian Inn Lodge will soon have Michigan’s largest indoor water park and family entertainment center when the expansion to more than 140,000 sq. ft. is completed in 2024. The business will break ground on the new expansion during a Dec. 13 ceremony. The $80 million project will add more than 20 new attractions, including water slides, a wave pool and an adult swim-up bar. The full expansion will open to guests in the spring of 2024, while some of the new FEC areas will open in fall 2023. Bavarian Inn’s current FEC will remain in operation throughout the project.…
Creative Works won a Brass Ring Award at IAAPA Expo for its Limitless VR attraction, which was first unveiled at last year’s show. This marks the second year in a row the company has won a Brass Ring Award; the previous was for their mini-golf attraction Lucky Putt. Limitless VR “represents a new level of innovation in free roam virtual reality with its unique arena tracking technology,” Creative Works said. The turnkey attraction comes in 8-player and 16-player models. Learn more at www.thewoweffect.com. In other Creative Works news, the company has moved to a new address after 25 years at…
For those who couldn’t join ICE at IAAPA Expo, the company is sharing their interactive digital product catalog (available here) featuring all of their current offerings. The catalog features gameplay videos, game dimensions, parts and service contact information and more. The company also showed off their newly-licensed air hockey game NHL AIR FX. It can be customized to feature any of the 32 NHL teams. “As the NHL brand continues to grow globally, ICE took orders at the show in Orlando for both domestic and export customers and is looking forward to promoting the game at future U.S. and international…
Sacoa Cashless exhibited once again at IAAPA this year. Sacoa USA CEO Sebastian Mochkovsky said of the experience: “IAAPA Expo covered our expectations. Super busy show, mainly during the first three days. We received quality traffic at our booth of determined buyers during show time.” During the week, Sacoa celebrated its 30 years in the cashless business with a dinner with friends and customers from across the globe. In the booth, the company showed its K4 Kiosk, Kiosk Shopping Cart feature and QR code scanning functionality. Learn more at www.sacoacard.com.
Topgolf will open its second Utah location on Friday, Dec. 2, following opening its new Boise, Idaho, location earlier this week on Nov. 28. According to KSLTV, the Utah location in Vineyard features 72 outdoor hitting bays, a mini-golf attraction, an outdoor patio and more. The company previously opened a location in the state in Midvale. The Boise location features 60 outdoor hitting bays, a nine-hole mini-golf course, a full-service restaurant, bar and more. Learn more at www.topgolf.com.
Alberto Zamperla, second-generation president of amusement manufacturer Zamperla Group, passed away suddenly on Nov. 17. He was 71. Zamperla was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame in 2019 after a long and impressive career in the industry. Born in Italy in 1951, according to Planet Attractions, Zamperla left for the United States in 1976 to create innovative rides and attractions. He developed hundreds of rides that would end up at Disneyland Paris, Universal, Paramount and Six Flags. In 2010, he relaunched Coney Island’s historic Luna Park. Alberto is survived by his wife Paola, his sons Antonio, Alessandro and Adriano…
Apple Industries welcomed NASCAR’s Cole McGinnis as the keynote speaker at their 9th annual IAAPA Expo breakfast. The Face Place photo booth maker recently announced the licensing partnership with NASCAR, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2023. “The brand is in a good place,” said McGinnis, NASCAR’s senior manager of licensing and consumer products. “It’s going beyond the traditional NASCAR to become a lifestyle brand.” Added Apple Industries’ president Scott Avery: “We are always looking for famous brands that are expanding. With NASCAR we are leveraging the horsepower of a multi-billion-dollar IP brand so that as they accelerate, we gain…
Amusement Products was recently awarded a 1st place 2022 IAAPA Brass Ring Award for Best New Product in the “Product or Service Used by Facilities” category for their VirTech Virtual Technician. VirTech is a computerized self-diagnostic AI system built into the company’s electric go-kart operating system. The built-in VirTech feature reduces go-kart downtime, the time it takes to resolve a kart’s issues and time-consuming tech calls, the company says. Learn more at www.amusementproducts.com.
Tomorrow, Nov. 29, is the deadline to nominate someone for the 2023 AAMA Lifetime Achievement Award. Click here to submit your nomination. The nominee must have a minimum of 15 years of service in the amusement industry. Past winners include Bob Geschine, Ralph Coppola, Larry Treankler, David Cohen, John Schultz, Gary Stern, Rick Kirby, Al Kress, Dave Courington and Jon Kleinman. Learn more at www.coin-op.org.