What can fruit machine companies do to save the idustry

Drpepper · Post by **Drpepper** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 9:00 am

Hi

As i wandered round my local arcade and saw an ever dwindling number of Cat C machines, pubs removing fruities and quizzies due to lack of revenue, companies abandoning the AWP and general apathy towards machines from punters, it left me feeling a bit sad as something i used to do so much seems on its arse. My question is what can companies do to carry on and increase interest in the industry?

I'm thinking about ideas around jackpot size, gameplay, diversification, interaction with smartphone etc, there has to be something? I don't expect we'll ever see one in a bookies again for example but surely there are quick wins and more long term projects.

AMK · Post by **AMK** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:31 am

Get rid of all gaming categories and just allow B2 bookie terminals in all locations.

quizard · Post by **quizard** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 12:08 pm

Yes that is the measure that the government could have taken that would have saved a lot of pubs that have now closed. The anti-gambling lobby would have gone mad though.

Boulderdash · Post by **Boulderdash** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 1:17 pm

quizard wrote:Yes that is the measure that the government could have taken that would have saved a lot of pubs that have now closed. The anti-gambling lobby would have gone mad though.

And rightly so. I don't want my pub turning into Aussie style bars where people get drunk and fight because they've they've lost hundreds or more in the pokies.

Actual AWP with a £25 jp might be a good compromise for people that play for fun. You need to win occasionally otherwise the brain works out what it says on the front - you'll lose.

buzzer · Post by **buzzer** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 2:02 pm

switching from token jackpots to all cash machines had a devasting affect on the industry, particularly in the arcade business.

IMHO the £100 awp jackpot is having a similar affect with pubs.
todays machines seem to be set up to relieve you of every penny available as quickly as possible.

lower jackpots and lower pop's would help.

fsiling that, inventing time travel and killing Noel Edmunds before he started the DOND franchise (which is bornig the industry to death) might help..

Oscar · Post by **Oscar** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 2:43 pm

The simple truth in my opinion is that nothing can be done. Advancements in technology have rendered the arcade industry obsolete. You can now play slots and video games at home, or even on your mobile device on the way to work, so why bother going to the local arcade? Most arcades are soulless places these days i'm sad to say, no variation, few customers etc, no real reason to visit.

S2's was where the rot set in. Arcades couldn't get the randoms in quick enough, and began fleecing the sheep rather than merely shearing them. All the punters went skint and suddenly you have no customer base.

FruitPlayer · Post by **FruitPlayer** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 8:55 pm

Drpepper wrote:Hi

As i wandered round my local arcade and saw an ever dwindling number of Cat C machines, pubs removing fruities and quizzies due to lack of revenue, companies abandoning the AWP and general apathy towards machines from punters, it left me feeling a bit sad as something i used to do so much seems on its arse. My question is what can companies do to carry on and increase interest in the industry?

I'm thinking about ideas around jackpot size, gameplay, diversification, interaction with smartphone etc, there has to be something? I don't expect we'll ever see one in a bookies again for example but surely there are quick wins and more long term projects.

I feel and can relate to you 100% on this buddy. For example, I went to Great Yarmouth and Hemsby last summer and was hugely disappointed, so many AWP Hi Tech machines had gone. There were still a lot of AWP Hi Techs about but when I was there around 2 years ago they used to have loads and loads. Now they are just flooded with Lo Techs and a lot of the arcades only had a very small amount of AWP Hi Techs. It is very sad, as we have all grown playing AWP Hi Techs now to have our Amusement literately taken away. As others have mentioned in your thread and as you know, the latest machines have zero Amusement and are just designed to rob you in the smallest amount of time possible and the playability, design and features etc of the latest games are just mind numbingly boring. I just keep telling myself and keep praying like you are that the Amusement factor picks up, hopefully and a big hope is as the latest machines are just no fun at all and as they are just getting worse and worse then the majority of people won't bother with them and manufacturers will realise we want our AWPs back. However this leads me onto questioning myself "will I stop playing altogether once all AWPs completely disappear from every location and there's nothing apart from these new completely terrible robbing pieces of rubbish with zero Amusement" My honest answer and what I keep thinking and getting lured into is Just the "come on, every machine has to pay out at some point, you will play anything in the future" That may sound stupid but I just know I am going to lose big amounts of cash one day in the future as machines are just getting worse and worse.

All we can do is pray buddy, bring back our AWPs! This is an excellent Thread I can relate to so much.

I

FruitPlayer · Post by **FruitPlayer** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 8:56 pm

Big apologies to Admin here, somehow I replied twice with the same reply, hope this sorts it out.

Oscar · Post by **Oscar** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 9:40 pm

Nothing will ever bring back the atmosphere of arcades in the 80's and 90's, and we should all just be grateful we were alive at that particular time, and not getting into playing fruit machines now, because the industry is dying and it is too late to save it. Not only is there no long term benefit financially from playing machines these days, there is also almost no amusement, unless you suffer a mild form of autism, or are just simple-minded.

bubbles · Post by **bubbles** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 2:58 am

mmmmmmmmm!

JG · Post by JG » Tue Mar 29, 2016 2:01 pm

The big money is in the ticket machines. That is where it is headed. Reels will be dispensated with and in place you'll have garish coloured balls that fully grown adults will need to throw at the wobbly clown that will dissipate some marbles through a maze of trapdoors into the pants of Mr Tumble who will trampoline through the night garden tilting over Peppa Pig's pickled pot of poppadums into the chutney river where a panel of miniaturised computerised judges will assess the taste and texture of the resulting Indian snack. People can vote over whats app over apps Apple Macs iPads apple pies David Bowie LPs colour TVs from a mush in Shepherd's Bush and applets before the final decision is made and a ticket of a nomination no less than 10 and no greater than 1000 is printed which can be exchanged for anything from a small eraser to, if you've got a lot of tickets, a giant eraser with an ink erasing section to the eraser on the back of the eraser and a link to download the less popular Arnold Scharwzenegger film 'Eraser' which will erase all memory of this posting. You have been erased. Films.

Boulderdash · Post by **Boulderdash** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 2:52 pm

Nurse!

JG · Post by JG » Tue Mar 29, 2016 3:18 pm

I've heard that 'nurse!' before. Often uttered in response to some of my more esoteric efforts. It's a throwback to Arcadia days. JG super sleuth on the case. Possibly Ann Robinson or resigner. I will ponder over that, see if I can get to the bottom of this sudden influx of posterers moaning about dead £5 lo techs and the like.

Matt Vinyl · Post by **Matt Vinyl** » Wed Mar 30, 2016 11:51 am

That's Justin Credible, JG

messiah · Post by **messiah** » Sun Apr 03, 2016 8:44 pm

Topical, what with Wrestlemania this evening.