Brian Smolik and Ed Pellegrini in the factory.
Team Play Looks Toward Hot 2024: Moves to Bigger Production Facility
Team Play’s Ken Fedesna
A lot has been happening over the past few months for the folks at Team Play. To meet their increasing production needs, the company moved into a larger facility in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, that accommodates an additional 6,000 sq. ft., plus an off-site building that adds an extra 10,000 sq. ft. and includes a second production line.
“We are still settling in, but production has greatly improved with both lines up and running,” said Ed Pellegrini, the company’s CEO.
No stranger to change, Team Play is mostly comprised of video game long-timers who’ve been in the industry since the 1990s – some dating back to the ’70s.
The company itself started back in 2001, launching with their Classic Arcade Series, which brought Centipede, Millipede and Missile Command into one cabinet. That was followed by Star Trek: Voyager, based on the hit TV show.
the years, they introduced more classics to the modern world and brought original titles to market like Police Trainer and Crossfire. Since then, they’ve also jumped into redemption with games like Line It Up, Match It, Prize Hoops and big hits like Fishbowl Frenzy, Launch Code and one of their latest Carnival Wheel. Additionally, they’ve created a line of photo booths called Fun Stop Photos.
At NEP Electronics, Team Play’s offsite production facility, are team members taking a break from putting Carnival Wheel games together for this photo. From left to right are: Jose Arredondo, Olga Castillo, Aurora Aguilera, Jolia Lopez, Liliana Garcia and Yova Coka.
New for this year, in fact, is the Pixel Pix Gen 4 photo booth (measuring 45.5 in. long, 33.5 in. wide and 103 in. high or 80 in. without the camera topper). Now shipping, the cabinet is filled with state-of-the-art design elements, the company said, and electronics that bring a whole new experience to the sector.
“Operators have asked for more ways to customize their booths and we have delivered with custom rear and side panel LED screens that allow for unique ads and eye-catching animations,” explained Team Play’s development director Brian Smolik.
“The initial reaction has been great, and the new screens really make the booth stand out anywhere. We also have a whole new user interface with multiple languages added in that patrons can choose on the fly.”
The deluxe version of the photo booth comes with dual printers for reliability and efficiency. If one printer runs out of paper or happens to jam, the booth automatically changes over to the other printer. The company says that for operators who are tired of wasting an end roll of media because they don’t want to run out over a busy weekend, the dual printers allow running to the end of the roll, then changes over to the second printer, which saves a lot of money over time.
Team Play said another exciting addition to their lineup is the Fun Stop Photos Gen II upgrade kit. “Since Mitsubishi exited the dye sublimation printer space, it’s getting harder to repair old printers and nearly impossible to buy a new one,” Pellegrini said. “Our new upgrade kit comes with everything you need to change our older Gen II booths over to new DNP printers that we use in our Pixel Pix and Photomotion machines. The kit also includes upgraded cameras to provide the best picture possible for the end user and a worthy upgrade to operators.”
Speaking of, Smolik reported that the Photomotion kiddie car-photo booth combo is doing phenomenally well in both FECs and street locations. “It has truly been the sleeper hit of 2023 and we expect 2024 to be a huge year for the piece.” (The kiddie car measures 7 ft. 2 in. long, 3 ft. 10 in. wide and 5 ft. 6 in. high.)
New for this year on Photomotion is another color – candy purple. That product is also shipping now. “Operators can’t believe how much it’s earning and when we tell them to give it a try and see for themselves, a few weeks later we get a call that it’s their number one street piece, or in the top 10 at their FEC,” Pellegrini said.
Added Smolik: “We owe its success to allowing operators to raise the price per play for a kiddie ride because it also gives the player a great photo keepsake. It’s priced right, and with affordable media to the operator it’s a win-win for everyone.”
Production assistants Noelia and Julio Rumbo with the Photomotion kiddie car-photo booth combo in its new candy purple color.
Photomotion media is also compatible with the Pixel Pix photo booths, making it even more convenient for operators who already own the photo booth.
Team Play’s hit game, of course, is none other than Carnival Wheel, which they say continues to amaze both players and operators. “It’s truly a must-see-in-person piece,” Pellegrini touted. “When we meet people at shows, the first thing they tell us is, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize how amazing it looked compared to a video or ad.’”
Smolik said replay value on the machine has been through the roof and operators are loving it as much as players. “Once players realize there are eight different themed wheels in one wheel, with all different values and outcomes, they want to keep playing over and over to see what other themes and excitement they bring. “
We love hearing from operators who call and tell us it’s jumped to the number one spot in their game room, or that they need a second or third wheel because there is a line at the game.” (The centerpiece attraction measures 9 ft. 4 in. long, 3 ft. 1 in. wide and 11 ft. 2 in. high with a full marquee and 8 ft. 7 in. high with the mini marquee.) Team Play also recently released a free software update that operators can download; they highly recommend updating to the latest version as it brings new features and fixes a few small issues.
Visit their webpage, www.teamplayinc.com, or give their tech support line a call if you need assistance updating at 847-952-7533. Also note that their new address is 1450 Arthur Ave., Suite B, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007.
