GameCraft Arcade opened its doors to the public earlier this month in Southington, Conn. The new arcade bar has a mix of about 40 video games and pinball machines – from classics to modern favorites. Among them, according to their website, a 2-player Asteroids (1979) cocktail table, the arcade bar staple Ms. Pac-Man(1982), Konami’s early 90s must-have, The Simpsons (1991), Stern’s Game of Thrones (2015) pinball machine and Atari’s Pong (2019). They operate with their own custom tokens and have specials like Token Tuesday, where they recently offered 20 percent off tokens all day. They also have an eclectic selection…
Author: Matt Harding
Christina Long and Mike Tipton have taken over the day-to-day operations of Redemption Plus, according to the company, sharing the CEO title. “Having a succession plan has been my 5-year plan for the last 15 years,” remarked outgoing CEO Ron Hill. “I believe Christina and Mike’s combined experience and strengths provide a balance that will help us execute at a higher level for our customers and employees. This is really the job they’ve already been doing throughout 2019. We are just making it official.” Long, previously the “chief culture & people officer,” now goes by chief operations development officer. She’s…
Hologate recently won an Aurea Award at the second annual conference event that honors excellence in VR and AR entertainment. They took home the prize for their Blitz motion simulator attraction. Held at Europapark in Rust, Germany, the event shares innovative, cutting-edge products, and immersive technology and entertainment. The conference also includes workshops and talks, plus networking opportunities. Learn more at www.hologate.com and www.aurea-award.com.
The ATM Industry Assn.’s executive director David Tente has put to rest a persistent urban legend. While reporting on the recent uptick in ATM crimes in the Chicagoland area, a caller into John Williams’ morning talk show on WGN Radio repeated the myth that ATMs were engineered to shred the cash in a cassette if tipped over or stolen. Tente busted that myth during a 16-minute segment that covered a wide range of topics, including crime and consumer-related issues. Listen here.
Chris and Melissa Marquette of Sunbury, Pa., have been pinball distributors for 10 years with their Coin Taker business. Now, they’ve decided to open part of their space along Route 61 as a pinball arcade with about a dozen machines available to play. According to the Daily Item, the pin bar only has soda at this point, but the Marquettes are pursuing a liquor license. In addition to the pinball machines, they have a seating area with a fireplace and two TV sets in their homey environment. “It’s a comfortable and cozy feel,” Melissa said. “We didn’t want the typical…
Launch Trampoline Park in Framingham, Mass., recently installed a 22-player Helios2 laser tag system with an abandoned warehouse themed arena, according to manufacturer Zone Laser Tag. One of the most recognized brands in trampoline parks, Launch’s Framingham location opened with not only trampolines and laser tag, but basketball, dodgeball, tumble tracks, an indoor playground, arcade and more. “People of all ages love laser tag and we wanted to offer it to introduce even more excitement to our attraction mix,” said Georgine Ioannidis, owner of Launch Framingham. She noted their facility attracts children, teens and adults. “Zone’s customer service has been…
To celebrate its 40th anniversary this season, VNEA is sharing glimpses into the association’s past by posting and emailing old photos and historic articles. January has featured the 1980s, February will feature the 90s, March the 2000s and April the 2010s. Recently, they shared some pages from the 1985 Championships at Hacienda Hotel in Las Vegas, including a page featuring that year’s tournament committee and officials. To keep up with the celebration ahead of May’s main event tournament (details here) at Bally’s Hotel & Casino, visit them online at www.facebook.com/VNEA or www.vnea.com.
A month early and weighing in at just under 4 pounds, Logan James Smith was born Jan. 20 to Morgan and Amy Smith. Morgan is the son of Sega Amusements International’s Marty Smith, who reported that “Mom and baby are both doing well.” “I could not be happy for my son Morgan, and his wife and their growing family,” Marty shared. “We love this tiny little boy and look forward to watching him grow up. I am one proud Papaw.” Congratulations to the happy family!
With more than 1 million plays under its belt, Virtuix continued sharing data recently that shows esports drive repeat play at FECs and attracts a new audience of gamers that may not be visiting the venues today. The company’s Omni Arena has ongoing weekly and monthly esports contests where the top 10 teams each month win more than $5,000 in cash (the total prize pool for 2020 is more than $100,000). Of all nationwide plays on the platform, 32 percent are repeat plays, according to Virtuix. They also say that rate increases over time, as evidenced by their longest partner…
Four Texas men were recently brought up on federal charges of transporting stolen money and conspiracy to transport stolen money. According to law enforcement, the charges stem from a multi-state ATM crime spree that happened in December 2018 and January 2019. According to KATV, the defendants are Dallas residents Antonio Few, 34; Christopher Burns, 31; James Miller, Jr., 32; and Steven Williams, 39. They were charged in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas by a grand jury in an indictment handed down on Jan. 7. As detailed in the indictment, the defendants rented vehicles to drive…