Mr Gloves' Sunday Surgery
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:01 am
So how many of you actually play Lo Tecs ?
Now, before you all change channel or hit 'post reply' with a sentence of abuse already forming in your mind, let me plant my tree as it were.
Let's look at the location aspect first. Invariably you have to play Lo Tecs in an arcade. This will already alienate a good few players who I know don't like playing in arcades but in my view, if there is profit in it the location should be the last worry. I've read so many posts along the lines of 'would you go into a gay bar for a decent machine' where the general consensus is yes they would. The same logic must apply here. The downside to playing Lo Tecs is no siting of them in pubs, which to be honest I've never ever understood.
If the industry is aiming at getting throughput from the masses, then it makes sense to offer a game that is simple to play. Put stake in, win x amount out after pressing start and maybe having to deal with a hold or a few nudges at best. This would appeal to the masses rather than put stake in, when offered a board, try and work out what is going on then get shafted on 2nd go, higher than a 2 etc and wonder why you were so unlucky. The distinction I make here is if you get no win on a Lo Tec, Joe Public will accept the loss much more than if they get a board on a Hi Tec and lose on a good number or 2nd move because they are blissfully unaware of the bar/dead state of the machine.
I know most on here would greatly oppose the siting of Lo Tecs in pubs because of the boredom aspect, it will never happen but I would be very interested in the results of a pub/chain of pubs trying it out. There are tentative moves in that direction with some of the new video multi-fruits but I don't think they will be a game of choice given the other Hi Tec options that people are so used to.
Let's rule out section 16 Lo Tecs here straight away, the potential profit I'm looking for in a Lo Tec has to be from the traditional legacy machines.
So, given you find yourself on one, what can you expect ? Well the positive side is speed of throughput, without all those feature boards slowing you down, the cyclic profile will speed round so much quicker and your streak, or enhanced period will be got to in a shorter period of time so you can play more machines.
Don't get me wrong, you can have absolute nightmares also, being caught in a dead zone on a Lo Tec can see you punting it for well over 3 hours and this does require some yoga like mental techniques to see you through.
There is also an 'a' list of Lo Tecs that should be played, a 'b' list that might be played given the right circumstances and a 'c' list that should almost never be played, just like our Hi Tec friends.
Knowledge of machine/profile is key and contrary to popular belief, there are far more signs than people think as to when to play a Lo Tec or get off one.
I do enjoy playing them on the whole, just as much as Hi Tecs but I feel the time/profit ratio is in my view higher in an arcade situation than on the Hi Tecs, which by nature of how arcades work these days have about 1 tenth if that of Hi Tecs and so are much more likely to be burnt.
Some might say 'it's a ratio of 10 to 1 on the Lo Tecs because they take so much money', which is very true, but if they are taking so much money, then they are getting played and that also means there are far more chances, given the right signs to step on and make a few quid.
My pub runs are still profitable by and large and not being a full time player I really enjoy going out and playing, so I remind you again that I do like playing the Hi Tecs but just wanted to make my views known that the bar x in the corner is not the bland beast it seems on the face of it.
Now, before you all change channel or hit 'post reply' with a sentence of abuse already forming in your mind, let me plant my tree as it were.
Let's look at the location aspect first. Invariably you have to play Lo Tecs in an arcade. This will already alienate a good few players who I know don't like playing in arcades but in my view, if there is profit in it the location should be the last worry. I've read so many posts along the lines of 'would you go into a gay bar for a decent machine' where the general consensus is yes they would. The same logic must apply here. The downside to playing Lo Tecs is no siting of them in pubs, which to be honest I've never ever understood.
If the industry is aiming at getting throughput from the masses, then it makes sense to offer a game that is simple to play. Put stake in, win x amount out after pressing start and maybe having to deal with a hold or a few nudges at best. This would appeal to the masses rather than put stake in, when offered a board, try and work out what is going on then get shafted on 2nd go, higher than a 2 etc and wonder why you were so unlucky. The distinction I make here is if you get no win on a Lo Tec, Joe Public will accept the loss much more than if they get a board on a Hi Tec and lose on a good number or 2nd move because they are blissfully unaware of the bar/dead state of the machine.
I know most on here would greatly oppose the siting of Lo Tecs in pubs because of the boredom aspect, it will never happen but I would be very interested in the results of a pub/chain of pubs trying it out. There are tentative moves in that direction with some of the new video multi-fruits but I don't think they will be a game of choice given the other Hi Tec options that people are so used to.
Let's rule out section 16 Lo Tecs here straight away, the potential profit I'm looking for in a Lo Tec has to be from the traditional legacy machines.
So, given you find yourself on one, what can you expect ? Well the positive side is speed of throughput, without all those feature boards slowing you down, the cyclic profile will speed round so much quicker and your streak, or enhanced period will be got to in a shorter period of time so you can play more machines.
Don't get me wrong, you can have absolute nightmares also, being caught in a dead zone on a Lo Tec can see you punting it for well over 3 hours and this does require some yoga like mental techniques to see you through.
There is also an 'a' list of Lo Tecs that should be played, a 'b' list that might be played given the right circumstances and a 'c' list that should almost never be played, just like our Hi Tec friends.
Knowledge of machine/profile is key and contrary to popular belief, there are far more signs than people think as to when to play a Lo Tec or get off one.
I do enjoy playing them on the whole, just as much as Hi Tecs but I feel the time/profit ratio is in my view higher in an arcade situation than on the Hi Tecs, which by nature of how arcades work these days have about 1 tenth if that of Hi Tecs and so are much more likely to be burnt.
Some might say 'it's a ratio of 10 to 1 on the Lo Tecs because they take so much money', which is very true, but if they are taking so much money, then they are getting played and that also means there are far more chances, given the right signs to step on and make a few quid.
My pub runs are still profitable by and large and not being a full time player I really enjoy going out and playing, so I remind you again that I do like playing the Hi Tecs but just wanted to make my views known that the bar x in the corner is not the bland beast it seems on the face of it.
