Set for a Feb. 22 grand opening, the new NQ64 retro arcade bar in Manchester will be giving away 50 free drinks each night during its inaugural weekend – served up alongside a lineup featuring vintage pinball machines, games and video consoles. Located in the city’s Northern Quarter, hence the name, NQ64 is a back-alley basement bar with a smattering of neon and graffitied walls, according to the Manchester Evening News. The classic games span the decades: from Space Invaders(1978), Pac-Man(1980) and Galaga(1981) to Double Dragon (1987), Mortal Kombat (1992) and Time Crisis II (1997). “Some of these machines were…
Author: Matt Harding
An amalgamation of a vending machine and amusement game, meet inventor Steve Shoemaker’s Kan Krane – a “vending game” that combines the two traditional industry staples. With the object of vending an item “with some fun,” the Kan Krane combines your favorite canned beverages with a vacuum suction cup. A skill-based game, the difficulty never changes. As long as players are able to navigate the suction cup directly over the bottom of the aluminum can, they have no way of losing the item. For more information about the patent-pending product, visit www.kankrane.com.
A new card-vending video game has launched at Dave & Buster’s, exciting fans who will be able to play Marvel: Contest of Champions at the FEC’s 122 North American locations. A one-on-one fighting game from developers Kabam and Raw Thrills, Contest of Champions allows players to fight as one of their favorite Marvel superheroes like Wolverine, Groot or Spider-Man – either against one of their friends or the computer. There are currently more than 70 champion cards to collect, with more being added soon. According to Kevin Bachus, senior vice president of entertainment and games strategy for D&B, the game is exclusive…
The National ATM Council (NAC) and the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) will pursue a joint campaign aimed at ending what is widely viewed as an epidemic of unwarranted bank account closures and new account denials of ATM independent operators. The two organizations recently signed a memorandum of understanding that paves the way for them to share resources, ideas, information and plans to combat this issue in a segment of the domestic U.S. market that accounts for well over half the ATMs currently deployed throughout the nation. The bank account closure and denial crisis has continued in the wake of the…
Secret Location, a distributor of premium immersive experiences, recently announced a collaboration with Inflight VR and SkyLights to bring such experiences to travelers around the world, starting with The Great C. The Philip K. Dick story was adapted last year into a longform cinematic VR experience and will now be featured on Inflight’s entertainment system throughout multiple Paris Star Alliance lounges at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Fiumicino Airport in Rome, with a larger rollout expected later this year. Secret Locations pact with SkyLights will bring The Great Cto business and first-class passengers of Air France, as…
Grant Martin, who developed one of the first pilot tests of in-flight virtual reality, says that the technology isn’t ready yet. A big reason? Technological hurdles. In-flight VR is still in its infancy and Martin wrote that trials showed the difficulties of displaying content on the headsets because they have to be pieced with third-party hardware. Martin also noted business hurdles, such as the liability of passengers effectively immersing themselves into another world, which could cause potential issues during an emergency. The FAA has not issued direction on whether VR headsets are safe for in-flight use.
Pinball perks are just a few clicks away, as Stern Pinball recently announced that registration is open for their newly-created Stern Insider program. Offering behind-the-scenes access to the company, membership includes exclusive limited-edition merchandise, special admission to Stern-sponsored events, and private access to webinars, videos and interviews with game designers, programmers and artists. Sign up for $29.99 a year and also receive a membership kit that includes a T-shirt and other surprises. Those interested can visit www.sternpinball.com/stern-insider to register.
The 6th annual Events & Amusement Expo will be held from Feb. 27-March 1 in Tokyo this year. It claims to be the largest B2B amusement exhibition in Japan. Buyers can find products and services relating to theme parks, playground equipment, design, decoration and more. The Events & Amusement Expo will be co-held with the Live Entertainment Expo and Sports Business Expo. For more information, visit www.eventexpo.jp/en-gb.html.
For U.K. “operators of FECs, adventure zones, play centers, arcades, amusement parks and visitor attractions,” the first InterFun Expo will be held in Leeds April 30-May 1. Organized by InterGame’s FEC-focused publication InterFun, the Expo will feature products like laser tag, paintball, trampolines, arcade games, soft play and many others. Bandai Namco Amusement Europe was the first to book a booth and take a chance on the new trade event. “Bandai Namco clearly saw the benefits of a show dedicated to the play sector and we are extremely pleased that they have supported us with such a big stand,” said…
Sometimes, kids just can’t wait to win prizes at the arcade. Toddler Ezra Ingersoll is certainly one of them. Ezra, 2, decided to take matters into his own hands at the crane in an Alabama arcade – recently crawling into its prize door and getting stuck, according to Fox 10. Unfortunately for Rotolo’s Pizzeria in Fairhope (near Mobile), there was no key on site and the machine had to be disassembled by the city’s police and fire departments. About 20 minutes later, Ezra emerged unscathed. Mother Kelsey Ingersoll said Ezra is “very much the adventurer, but he hasn’t quite done…