IAAPA 2023 runs from 13–18 November, with the trade-show floor open from 14 November at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. For Australian arcade fans and operators, it offers a useful snapshot of the products, technologies and business direction shaping the amusement industry in 2024.
IAAPA Expo is the largest tradeshow held by the amusement industry. Although the Games and Arcade Pavilion is the natural destination for coin-operated entertainment, the event also covers inflatables, theme-park rides, industry technology and large-scale attractions. This preview concentrates on video arcades, videmption, pinball, redemption, simulators and VR.
Show-floor plans and product line-ups can change because of shipping delays, unloading damage or other last-minute issues. The following guide records the announced plans and expectations available before the event, rather than guaranteeing that every listed machine will appear.
Featured exhibitors and major arcade releases
Raw Thrills and Betson
Raw Thrills’ principal presence is expected across Betson booths #518, #615 and #818, with selected products also appearing at Bandai Namco Amusement. Its headline attraction is Godzilla Kaiju Wars VR, a large virtual-reality arcade title combining ideas associated with King Kong, Fast & Furious Arcade and Jurassic Park Arcade.
The sequel to King Kong is also scheduled to be playable. Raw Thrills will additionally show a smaller, non-motion version of Fast & Furious Arcade with two screens, a substantial Big Buck Hunter Reloaded update featuring a selectable The Walking Dead game, and other titles still in production.
TouchMagix
At booth #1629, TouchMagix is expected to highlight the redemption and videmption games Pop It! and Crazy Prize. A new licensing relationship with Pudgy Penguins will bring branded merchandise, although no game based on the partnership has been announced. The company is also expected to demonstrate Magix Pool Mixed Reality using a specially designed table intended to support the system across different felt colours.
Wahlap and Gesture Art & Design
Wahlap’s booth #202 will host the wider industry debut of Asphalt Moto Blitz DX. LAI Games is the United States distribution point for that game and Wahlap’s Dragon’s Bane pusher, while Amusement Source International and Sega Amusements are also expected to carry selected Wahlap products. Thunderbolt Shot is another new piece planned for the show.
Gesture Art & Design, a newer industry entrant, will present its first game, Food Flight, at booth #3582.
VR 360 Action
VR 360 Action will occupy booth #645 and plans to raffle an OMG Simulator valued at $30,000. The draw is scheduled for Thursday, 16 November at 1:30pm. Its display will also include other VR simulators, including designs resembling a TRON light cycle and a tank.
Arcade, redemption and pinball exhibitors
Adrenaline Amusements
Booths #1054 and #1354 will feature Drakons: Realm Keepers and NFS Heat Takedown. Some products may also appear at Bandai Namco Amusement. A surprise redemption or videmption title was possible, but no other new release was confirmed.
American Pinball
American Pinball’s booth is #109A. No complete line-up had been confirmed; Galactic Tank Force was the likely focus, although the company has previously fitted several machines into a small stand.
Amusement Source International
At booth #237, this distributor is expected to show Parkour Motor 2, Go! Hero of Robots, Junkyard Rumble, Nitto Racer, Zombie Crisis, Sky Riders DX, Super Air Blaster, Ticket Champ and Value Line. Sniper Strike II was considered likely, but was not confirmed.
Andamiro USA
Booth #1002 will include Pump It Up 2023 Phoenix, with a special event planned; Bobblehead Baseball VS Edition; Crazy Toy 31; Spider-Man coin pusher; Guardians of the Galaxy Ticket Coaster; VR Bubble Coaster; Tic Shaq Toe Basketball; and Super Star 2.
Bandai Namco Amusement
Bandai Namco Amusement will use booths #1300 and #1600, combining its American presence with European distribution activities. Products from Adrenaline Amusements and Raw Thrills are therefore expected alongside Bandai Namco releases.
- Dead Heat Unleashed
- Pac-Man Battle Royale Chompionship
- Pac-Man Power Pellets
- Pac-Man Slider
- Pac-Man Roller
- Pac-Man Baller
- Tom & Jerry Kitchen Chaos
- Looney Tunes Red Zone
- Crab Rush
- Lolly Crush
- Tata Island
Bike Dash Delivery, Goldstorm Pirates and Taiko No Tatsujin were not confirmed in the available advertising. Goldstorm Pirates appeared the most plausible of the three, while Taiko was considered unlikely.
Bay Tek, Chicago Gaming and Coastal Amusements
Bay Tek’s booth #1015 will feature Hot Shot Basketball, Toilet Bowl Toss, Tundra Toss and Big Bass Wheel LED. QB Throwdown, previously seen on test, remained a possibility.
Chicago Gaming Co. will appear at booth #206. Its expected line-up included Pulp Fiction and Cactus Canyon pinball, with home arcade systems such as Arcade Legends 3 and Class of 1981 also possible.
Coastal Amusements will occupy booth #1315 with Bullseye Crack Shot—now revised to two guns on one screen—Dinosaur Era in its non-water format, Surf League, Wild Thing Wipe Out, Hot Shots, Raccoon Rampage and Showtime. Other distributed products could also appear.
Elaut USA, exA-Arcadia and ICE
Elaut USA’s booths #606 and #806 will feature Benchmark Games’ BGI Pro Boxer & Kickboxer and Superman Worlds United; Coast-to-Coast’s King Size Duck Catcher; Boxblaster’s VRX Arcade with Gold & Mace; Funky Beats Curved Air Hockey; Superman Air Hockey; and Wizard of Oz Emerald City Edition. A video or videmption surprise was possible, while VRX Arcade had appeared again on Betson’s site.
exA-Arcadia will not have its own booth because of an apparent floor-layout conflict. An exA Arc-1 cabinet will be at AVS Companies booth #1619, although its games were not confirmed. Five games, including four fighters, were expected to be announced at or shortly after the show.
ICE will be at booths #1606 and #1806. Its promoted feature is a new marquee treatment for the existing World Football Pro, with popular titles such as Dodgeball and other sports games also expected.
IGPM/Kalkomat, Jersey Jack Pinball and JET Games
Polish boxing-machine specialist IGPM/Kalkomat will use booth #415 for Wheel of Boxing, MMA Boxer and Hit The Green.
Jersey Jack Pinball’s booth #829 was expected to include Elton John, alongside recent titles such as The Godfather, Toy Story 4 and Guns N’ Roses, although the exact line-up was not announced.
Daytona Beach’s JET Games will present Big Shot, Cannonball Drop and Quick Toss at booth #1131. The company had repeatedly promoted Big Shot’s production progress, making comparison with Coastal’s Bullseye Crack Shot especially interesting.
LAI Games and PLAYMIND
LAI Games will be at booth #731 with Air Strike, Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade VR, Asphalt Moto Blitz DX, Cosmic Spire, and Dragon’s Bane. The company had also launched a complete site redesign.
PLAYMIND’s booth #429 will showcase the revised PLAYBOX multi-game ball-toss system. Any additional product was expected to be a surprise.
Other arcade and amusement exhibitors
Really Big Crane Co. will be at booth #640 with Zombie Jam, and may add another video or videmption title to its crane range.
Retro Arcade LLC, at booth #104A, created the Ice Cold Beer Remake and had discussed remakes of Zeke’s Peak, Atari’s Food Fight and Warlords. The company had been quiet after the remake’s expected February shipping period.
S&B Toy/St. Louis Game Co. will be at booth #1700 and is expected to introduce Happy Racing, described as a video or videmption game.
Sega Amusements’ booth #1006 will centre on Apex Rebels, alongside Hyper Cross, Zombies Ready, Deady, Go!, Storm Rider 2, VR Agent, Skill Fall Revolution, Allstars Air Hockey, Ballzania, Capto Cranes, Sync Pong and Pirate Captain.
Smart Industries, booth #1818, will feature JJ Bot: The Avatar, a crane machine using a robotic arm, prize-grabbing gameplay and an interactive robot-avatar screen.
Step Revolution’s booth #440 will showcase StepManiaX and its latest software. A new cabinet beyond the previously launched DX model was possible but not confirmed.
Stern Pinball, booth #815, confirmed Stranger Things Vault Edition, Venom, Jurassic Park, James Bond 007 and Avengers Infinity Quest. Foo Fighters and the Insider Connected system were also expected.
Team Play Inc., booth #2012, will return with Carnival Wheel and the Photo Motion kiddie ride. Triotech’s booths #1058 and #1357 will focus on large attractions, with smaller products including Qube and Storm VR.
UNICO USA’s small booth #8260 will provide an opportunity to discuss its 4:3 LCD monitors and Neo Geo MVSX. UNIS, at booth #1031, will debut Bigfoot Mayhem, Dynamic Orbs, Fantastic Prize Mini, Godzilla Vs. Kong, Lane Master Xtreme, Raccoon Rampage!, Time Out and Toy Box; Over The Edge and Emoji Frenzy were also possible.
Valley-Dynamo, booth #2000, will present the latest Jet-Pong, combining a video game with beer pong, along with its newest air-hockey and pool tables. Zooom Studios, booth #443, will show prize, crane and redemption equipment, including a rotary pusher that recalls Zombie Snatcher but awards duckies instead of ticket rolls.
AR, mixed reality, VR and simulator systems
These exhibitors focus on larger, higher-cost attractions rather than conventional arcade cabinets. Their products illustrate how location-based entertainment is expanding into free-roam VR, projection mapping, motion platforms and immersive simulation.
Amega Entertainment to Creative Works
Amega Entertainment, booth #536, will show its E-Racing Container: a modified shipping container containing four 2DOF moving VR rally simulators, monitoring screens, a café-bar and seating.
Amusement Products LLC, booths #4664 and #4863, will present the VEX Solutions Free-Roam VR system, including Adventure and Arena formats, plus kart and bumper-car systems.
Arcade Arena, booth #284, has shifted from its earlier product and identity to a QBIX-like system using LiDAR sensors, projection mapping and multiple games. Barron Games International, booth #240, will show Birdly World VR, Galaxy Collision QuadAir and Koliseum VR Foosball. Birdly World is designed to let players fly over more than 2,500 real-world locations, while Koliseum gains an overhead headset gantry.
Captivr, booth #6009, appears focused on software for capturing VR video from roller coasters. CXC Simulations, booth #858, specialises in professional-grade, full-size simulators. Creative Works, booth #3078, will bring Limitless VR, VAR Box, Lucky Putt and Black Light Laser Tag.
DOF Robotics to Immersive Gamebox
DOF Robotics, booth #1362, will display its medium- and large-scale attractions, following the earlier Grave Digger VR ride. Hero Zone VR, booth #457, offers a more affordable free-roam VR arena with several games, although a new title was not confirmed.
Hologate, booth #4273, planned to celebrate the 20-millionth play on its systems and launch the non-VR Hyper Golf. Several designs exist, and it was unclear whether all would be displayed.
HTC Vive, booth #254, is appearing at IAAPA for the first time, promoting headsets for future arcade and attraction applications rather than announcing a new arcade product. Immersive Gamebox, booth #5638, previously known as Electric to Immersive, will present its immersive entertainment concept; the UK company also has United States installations.
Immotion, booth #1086, creates educational VR experiences for museums, zoos and similar venues. Inowize, booth #3473, will show the two-station Arkadia VR setup and the latest software for its QBIX game-room platform.
Kat VR to VRsenal
Kat VR, booth #1680, will demonstrate its VR omni-directional treadmill. Rilix, booth #447, is a Brazilian company with successful United States installations and may announce a new game. SPREE Interactive, booth #4028, is known for adventure-focused free-roam VR arenas and has expanded into VR bumper cars and playgrounds.
Talon Simulations, booth #2772, is behind Dave & Busters VR installations including the previous year’s Top Gun Maverick VR experience, while also supplying products and services to other family entertainment centres.
Valo Motion, booths #4678 and #4879, will promote motion-led experiences, including its flagship Valo Arena, which combines motion tracking with projection mapping. A new game was believed possible. Virtuix, booth #840, will bring its omni-directional treadmill and Omni Arena, though no new product was confirmed.
VRcave, booth #252, specialises in VR escape rooms using different headsets and experiences. VRsenal, booth #258, was selling a more robust headset replacement for Virtual Rabbids. A QBIX-like hologram platform and a controller-free version of Synth Riders were mentioned as possible developments, but neither was confirmed for the show.
What IAAPA 2023 means for arcade operators
The preview points to a broad market: licensed redemption games, competitive sports, driving cabinets, pinball, crane machines, mixed-reality attractions and free-roam VR. Traditional cabinets remain central, while motion, projection mapping and location-based experiences continue to grow.
For Australian venues or home collectors comparing formats, the practical considerations remain familiar: cabinet footprint, servicing, parts access and the type of play that suits the audience. RETROCADE’s arcade-machine buying guide is a useful starting point, while readers can browse racing arcades, virtual pinball machines and arcade parts for more focused information.
IAAPA features many more exhibitors than those covered here, but not all are focused on arcade video games, pinball, redemption or immersive attractions. The show nevertheless provides a valuable guide to the equipment and ideas likely to influence amusement locations during 2024.
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