We haven’t had many updates on game content to discuss as of late, as most titles have been stuck in development hiatus hell thanks to the pandemic. Today seems to be showing a shift on that however, making for a busy Monday to start off with. For anyone wondering “Who on Earth is buying games right now?,” I have been in contact with a couple of people in distribution who has said that while things are slow, they are still working with clients who were able to save capital and are looking for equipment (that said, there are a lot of used games popping up out there).
Here’s what is going on:
Nitro Trucks (Raw Thrills)
Let’s start with a game that was supposed to launch back in April, but ‘unprecedented, challenging times, yadda yadda’ lead us to today. I’ve confirmed that: “Nitro Trucks goes into production this month and will start shipping this month, so all good there.” Here’s the most recent video I’ve got of this one, taken at Amusement Expo 2020. I can’t imagine that it’s changed very much since, although George Petro did mention that there would be a few more changes to the cabinet put in place for the production run:
Heavy Metal (Stern Pinball)
If you forgot that Stern Pinball had a Heavy Metal themed game in the works, then no one can blame you. The game was teased back in February, so we’ve heard little about it since. It was intended as a limited release which received less attention than their mainstream releases anyways, enough that the game did not appear at Amusement Expo 2020 in March. Here’s a teaser video showing it off; Stern also issued an email this morning to mention that this game is only available through Incendium.com, and it can be ordered now.
Hot Wheels (American Pinball)
For a pin that you are far more likely to come across, American Pinball re-revealed their game Hot Wheels this past weekend, which also had the unfortunate timing impact it’s release. Dead Flip provided an updated and full gameplay reveal (as shown below) and This Week In Pinball has an extensive “deep Dive” for you to rummage through here. A major complaint that was received on the video I’d shot of it at Amusement Expo was the spinning car; As you can see below, that has been changed (reduced in frequency) to be more interactive with what is going on:
ValoClimb, Mixed Reality Climbing Wall Releases Hullaballoon
I must have missed news on this one before, as I received a press release about ValoClimb, an interactive climbing wall today that sounds like it has been around for a while. Regardless, they have launched a new game experience for their system, which also touts “ValoVision” – a feature “that allows more precise tracking of player’s movement and poses.” ValoClimb offers projection mapped climbing walls, turning such attractions into a more interactive experience than one typically gets from such walls. The walls also appear to stay relatively low, so that you don’t have to get each player hooked up to a safety harness. The game also comes with a special birthday party feature, making it appealing for kids as well as adults. Read more about it here; Looks like they will be at IAAPA 2020 (assuming there is no cancellation of that event between now and then)
Fozzy Football
Over a year ago, AH ran a story on an interesting new EM game that detailed Fozzy Football, a concept that blends American football with shuffleboard. While the concept was initially made for coin-op use, this 30 second spot below shows a brand new home table version. The Fozzy Facebook page hadn’t been updated in a long while, so I do not know if the coin-op version is still in the works or not.
SCALE-1 Portal Unveils Two New Games For Voxel Arena
It’s also been a little while since we heard about the Voxel Arena, a Mixed-Reality game room designed to offer VR-like games to play, but without the burdensome headset. We’ve been following this one since the early days, but it has changed a lot since then. It also has two new games to play through the Summer 2020 update called Guns & Dust and Sep’s Diner. Check them out:
ICE Begins Shipping Monopoly Roll-N-Go
Also debuting at Amusement Expo 2020, then having to wait to release, ICE has officially begun shipping their latest videmption piece, Monopoly Roll-N-Go.
That’s all for now – Which of these games interests you the most?
Those “Nitro Trucks” look like gliding on ice. That’s no off-road feeling. I can have the same driving expirience on my tablet. Update please.
Fozzy Football is alive and well. You are absolutely correct, we are taking a different path to market with our first product. The first will be the Mini Fozzy Football game board. It is a coffee-table sized table top game that has all of the features and functions of the large bar-sized table but it is portable. It can easily be taken to a tailgate, a picnic, a backyard party, or even be played in the comfort of your own family room, dining room or at the kitchen table. We’ve renewed our diligence on keeping up our social media – search for Fozzy Football and be sure to follow us for exciting updates!