VR Coaster and HolodeckVR have banded together to produce what they say is the world’s first VR bumper car attraction, due to hit Erlebnispark Schloss Thurn, an amusement park and fun center near Nuremberg, Germany, at their seasonal opening April 13. The Steampunk VR Scooter takes visitors to a Wild West-style arena where they compete in retro-futuristic steam engines, driving their fantastical vehicle in the real world and digitally, according to VR Focus. “With this world’s first VR Bumper Cars Attraction, we will once again open a new chapter in location-based VR,” said Thomas Wagner, managing partner of VR Coaster.…
Author: Matt Harding
Arachnid’s BullShooter Tour made its second to last regional stop March 8-10 in Georgia and its final stop March 22-24 in Nebraska. The regional tour culminates with the BullShooter 34 World Challenge of Champions May 23-27 in Rosemont, Ill. Results from the Georgia tourney included Men’s Doubles and Men’s Cricket Doubles wins by Kevin Nelson and Nathaniel Colston (pictured at left). Players came from Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia, Mississippi and all over Georgia to compete. More information about the tournament is available at www.bullshooter.com.
Black Knight: Sword of Rage, the third game in the Black Knight franchise, will soon be released by Stern Pinball, according to a recent press release. While the machine, which will be available in pro, premium and limited-edition models, is not on display at the Amusement Expo, it is expected to begin shipping in the next couple of weeks, according to factory’s marketing director Zach Sharpe. In the new pin, players will get to “explore, discover and unlock the secrets of the Black Knight universe” by navigating through its realms and uncovering “foes, demons, riches and secrets in their quest…
An indoor/outdoor entertainment center in South Asia recently adopted the Semnox cashless system for its gaming operations. Torq03 in Bengaluru, India implemented the change. The facility features an indoor arcade, laser tag, bowling, simulation cricket and a go-kart track, among other attractions. The Semnox system enables cashless operations in the arcade and laser tag arena, which enables Torq03 to track membership details and use loyalty management programs to reward customers. Standalone card readers have been installed at the bowling and go-kart attractions. For more information about Semnox, visit www.semnox.com.
As this Instant RePlay was going to press, the trade was gathering at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the official ribbon cutting of the 10th Amusement Expo International at 10 a.m. While the exhibit hall opens today for its two-day run, many operators got an early start yesterday, March 26, at the Westgate for the convention’s traditional “Education Day.” Among the programs was the popular operator roundtable which was held twice this year (once in the morning and again in the afternoon), and attendees seemed most excited to discuss “What’s Hot” with Tim Zahn of American Amusement Arcade (pictured…
The ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) has announced the results of its 2019 IAD Cash Settlement Account Closure Survey. The recently-released report, which sought to quantify the epidemic of bank account closures of ATM operators, got feedback from independent ATM operators across the country via an online survey. An overwhelming number of respondents (85 percent) have loaded ATMs with cash from a settlement account held by a bank or credit union, now or in the past. An even greater number of people have had ATM-related accounts closed at least once by a financial institution (88 percent). As the association noted, despite…
Amusement Expo International organizers made a massive mistake in planning this year’s virtual reality Education track: they mislabeled it. The back-to-back, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. sessions were more of a bootcamp, dealing with far more than just VR and delving into the most relevant issues in location-based entertainment with some of the most forward-thinking thought leaders in the industry today. Though VR was far from the only focus of the sessions, pioneering technology and its myriad, unfound uses kept speakers and attendees both engaged. Longtime anti-Luddite Bob Cooney led the seminars, mentioning early on that he decided to forego…
With a new 30,000-sq.-ft. facility, In The Game in Peabody, Mass. had a lot of space to work with. They have a nearly 100-game arcade, mini bowling, virtual reality gaming, a climbing wall and more – including a sleek laser tag arena. The 3,560-sq.-ft. arena was designed by Lasertron and is a multi-level LED interactive and programmable arena that included 24 new LT-12.5 pro vests. In The Game Peabody general manager Randy Schneider said he expects the attraction to be a cornerstone of the facility for years to come. More information about the companies is available at www.lasertron.us and www.peabody.inthegame.net.
Stop by Booth #335 for The Munsters, Star Wars and other new pinball machines from Stern. They’ll have their pro and premium models of The Munsters, as well as The Beatles, Deadpool, Iron Maiden, Star Wars, Star Trek and their custom FEC Pinball Alley topper. On hand will be Gary Stern, John Buscaglia, Zach Sharpe and Patrick Powers to answer any questions prospective customers may have. Visit www.sternpinball.com for more information about the company.
All set for the Amusement Expo March 26-28 in Las Vegas, Bay Tek Entertainment will debut its latest redemption game Connect 4 Hoops HD, a smaller version of their popular basketball title. One or two players shoot baskets and watch as their 7” basketballs “magically fall into place on a 65” high-definition screen,” according to the press release. The first player to align four balls on the augmented reality playfield wins. Assembled, the new, smaller game is 9’ tall x 5’1” wide x 9’4” deep “The most noticeable difference is the game is 2 ½ feet shorter than the original…