Dave & Buster’s has always been an ideal place to hang out with adult friends, whether it’s watching the big game in its restaurant/bar area or playing a number of its exclusive arcade games, such as Star Wars: Battle Pod and Jurassic Park Arcade. But the chain doesn’t want its customers to stop playing there.
VentureBeat has reported that the entertainment chain has launched a series of mobile games today based on some of its more popular ticket-producing arcade games. These games include the sensor-hitting Speed of Light, the spin-for-prizes Big Bass Wheel and the tricky balancing game Tippin’ Bloks. These free-to-play games provide plenty of entertainment, as well as a unique twist.
Players can enter their Power Card info from their Dave & Buster’s cards and earn tickets as they play, then turn them around and purchase real goods from any of the participating locations.
Kevin Bachus, who previous worked with Microsoft on the original Xbox years ago, helped put together the mobile games for the company, after joining them in 2012 to help expand its arcade experiences.
“We wanted to enhance our in-store experience by providing a virtual experience,” said Bachus, senior vice president of entertainment and games strategy. “Now guests can keep the Dave & Buster’s fun going even when they’re not at our restaurant. They can download these new mobile games and win tickets to redeem for prizes on their next visit.”
However, that doesn’t mean every arcade game will translate into a mobile experience. Licensed titles probably won’t make the transition, but simple ones that provide tickets make for a good experience. “We didn’t just put an arcade game on your phone; we made these games feel ‘native’ to mobile,” added Bachus. “These games are about more than winning tickets – these are really good, really fun games you will want to play.”
Canada-based Sarbakan and Robosoft Technologies helped put the games together, and Dave & Buster’s easily put together the program where players could redeem cyber-tickets for their favorite goodies. “Clients turn to us for complex marketing and gaming solutions when an app needs to be spot on with capturing the essence of a brand,” said Rohith Bhat, the CEO of Robosoft Technologies, in a statement. “This is just the type of project that Robosoft loves to work with – where strategy, design, and engineering have come together beautifully. Dave & Buster’s recognizes that mobile apps are already enriching people’s lives, so finding a creative solution to extend the Midway fun anywhere consumers want and provide them with rewards is a perfect extension of what makes them successful.”
The video below shows the game Big Bass Wheel in action, to give players a better idea of what to expect.
Users can download the games at the following links, including Big Bass Wheel, Speed of Light and Tippin’ Bloks.
