Amusement Expo 2024 brought together major arcade, redemption and pinball manufacturers, with plenty of new releases and returning favourites on display. This first booth-tour report covers Team Play, Raw Thrills, Bandai Namco Amusement America, Sega Amusements International, LAI Games and two major pinball manufacturers.
These tours do not represent every booth filmed at the event. A second report will follow once the remaining footage has been completed. Pinball fans can skip ahead to the final two sections, while video viewers can subscribe to the video channel for earlier coverage.
Team Play Inc.
Team Play’s presence at the expo was unfortunately affected by a serious transport accident. The semi-trailer carrying the company’s equipment crashed on the way to the show, leaving its exhibition space empty. Brian from Team Play explained that the incident caused substantial financial losses, including damaged equipment and missed sales opportunities.
The company had planned to debut the fourth generation of its Pixel Pix photo booth, as well as the newest Photo Motion interactive kiddie ride. A detailed preview of those products is available here. Operators considering photo booths can also learn more about Team Play’s equipment.
Raw Thrills
Raw Thrills had one of the more substantial displays at the show, introducing three products that had not appeared at IAAPA: T-Rex VR Safari, Marvel: Contest of Champions and Minecraft Dungeons Arcade 2-Player. The Marvel title had previously been a five-year Dave & Buster’s exclusive.
The company also received a major industry honour during the AAMA awards held at the end of the expo’s first day. Raw Thrills won Manufacturer of the Year.
Bandai Namco Amusement America
Several games previously seen in testing were not present, including Goldstorm Pirates, Bike Dash Delivery and Taiko No Tatsujin. Bandai Namco Amusement America nevertheless had a broad selection of products, with a particular emphasis on redemption titles that had already been promoted.
The redemption line-up included the renamed Tower Island, formerly known as Tata, from Arccer, along with Lolly Crush and Crab Rush from TKM. On the video-game side, the company presented Animal Kaiser Plus, confirming the series’ return to Europe and the United States after its January EAG announcement. The booth also featured the new Class of 1981 edition of Pac-Man’s Pixel Bash and a charity edition of the game.
A longer feature on Animal Kaiser Plus is planned. In the meantime, this video provides an early look.
Sega Amusements International
Sega Amusements International presented a more compact version of its IAAPA stand. Earlier products such as VR Agent, Storm Rider 2 and Drone Racing Genesis were absent, while fewer cabinets from the remaining line-up were installed.
The display included a two-player setup of Apex Rebels, although it was not running the release build with the Motorland Sakura track. Coverage of that version will come later. The smaller booth allowed Sega to concentrate on its current priorities, including redemption products led by the UK R&D team’s in-house title Zombies! Ready, Deady, Go!
During a brief conversation at the show, Marty from Sega Amusements International said the company was continuing to experience record-breaking sales.
LAI Games
LAI Games took a different approach to its booth design this year. The large brick-façade walls used around parts of the stand in recent years were replaced by a more conventional open layout.
The game selection was broadly similar to IAAPA, with one notable addition: SMASH DX, an off-road combat racer developed by Superwing. A dedicated video offers a closer look at the game.
Stern Pinball
Stern Pinball’s stand also departed from its usual layout, taking on an irregular shape resembling a collection of interlocking blocks. A distinctive arch feature was installed above the reception desk.
JAWS was the centrepiece, supported by Venom, Foo Fighters, James Bond 007, Avengers: IQ and Stranger Things. A dedicated video covering JAWS is planned.
American Pinball
American Pinball displayed most of its games without enclosing booth walls. The only absent title was Oktoberfest, which can be seen in this video.
The major attraction was the new Barry O’s Barbeque Challenge, represented by four playable limited-edition machines. American Pinball had recently attended the Texas Pinball Festival, so the company was working through a demanding event schedule and did not add barbecue-grill props to the stand.
The booth also provided an opportunity to play the distinctive Signature Edition of Galactic Tank Force. It was consistently in use during the visits covered here, with a separate video planned for the following week.
Amusement Expo 2024 coverage continues
This first selection of booth tours highlights the range of new video games, redemption machines and pinball tables shown at Amusement Expo 2024. Further coverage will follow as the remaining footage is completed.
For readers comparing commercial releases with home setups, the RETROCADE Arcade Blog covers the wider arcade industry, while the arcade machine buying guide can help with cabinet decisions. Racing fans can also explore racing arcades, and pinball enthusiasts can browse virtual pinball machines.
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