The Cyber Scoop
This month we caught up with Kristen Hixon, Cyber Quest Arcade Manager at Treasure Island Resort & Casino, to give us the inside scoop on her arcade. Kristen is a longtime employee who knows her stuff after years of experience with both Kids Quest and Cyber Quest.
Kristin, what do you think makes Cyber Quest different than other arcades?
The arcade I played in when I was growing up never had a social element to it. The people behind the redemption counter just weren’t that enthusiastic or interactive. Unfortunately, that’s often the case today in other arcades. At Cyber Quest, interacting with guests makes us stand out, and brings guests back. Parents also appreciate our patience with little ones and the connections we make with the entire family when they visit us.
How do children react when they enter the arcade? Their eyes get really big, they get an extra burst of energy, and they just can’t wait to get their hands on that club card to start winning tickets!
Considering so many families have game consoles at home, as well as online streaming available to them, why do you think some people still like to visit arcades? You can’t win tickets or prizes at home on a gaming console. You also can’t get the same type of social interaction you enjoy by visiting a Cyber Quest arcade.
In your personal opinion, what is the most popular game right now? That’s a tough one—they’re all fun! Younger kids love anything with a “ticket bundle” for a prize. Fruit Ninja, Crossy Road, and Flying Tickets are popular with the 8-12-year-olds. Teenagers love playing Down the Clown or NBA Hoops, and adults flock to the Wizard of Oz. The popularity really depends on the age of the person playing it.
What games do you feel appeal to all ages? Everyone loves any version of Skee Ball. Down the Clown is another one; little kids love throwing the balls, and the bigger kids/adults love challenging one another to get the high score, and then of course Air Hockey, it’s a classic.
Do you find Cyber Quest to be a more social arcade? As I said, CQ teammates are much more in touch with their customers than the staff at other arcades. For example, we try to remember the names of our guests and their prize zone interests—that makes a solid connection. In addition to that, our regulars eventually became friends and it’s great to see those relationships form. When people leave my CQ arcade, I hope they remember the positive experience they had with us at Cyber Quest and share it with their friends and families.
We hope you enjoyed this look inside a Cyber Quest arcade. If you haven’t visited one of our many Cyber Quest locations, we highly recommend you do so soon. There really is a difference at Cyber Quest!
