If it all does end

[silent g]

im bored of it now,
i get 1800 a month without playing so with getting barred a few time recently i havent been out much.
i will come back when something excellent is out and wont bother with small time machines anymore.

ive got a cluedo in woolwich and 2 red piggys and a hilo in a pub with piggy in plumstead if anyone wants them.
theyre ready every week and not covered.

[blackmogu]

Fair point Neil, and dont think we can whine about not having the capital. Problem is tho, thinking up a good idea in the first place!

You don't even need much capital or a good idea. Most new businesses are doing something that someone else does already. You make money by doing your business better than the others (this takes hard work and dedication).

Some on here have an interest in cars. Start up an independent repairs/mod shop. That's one area that is definitely wide open for the taking.

Got a background in computing ? Find a piece of widely used software, such as Zimbra, and offer hosted services with support to businesses.

Really, all you need is the will to do it, and the patience to see it through.

[betchrider]

Good thread sir rath and I for one will glad to see a few squirm when potless. But we wait and see what the future holds eh?

[AMK]

Good thread sir rath and I for one will glad to see a few squirm when potless. But we wait and see what the future holds eh?

I can forsee the future...

1 nudge next.

[redlinesman]

What would you do?

A gap on a cv, or lack of qualifications will scupper most peoples ambitions of employment, and even if you can get a job, will it really pay the bills?

The average wage is something like £20k which equates to about £300ish a week after deductions. How the fuck can you live on that? I know I couldn't. No way.

Make no mistake, without any new rips/methods, this game is ending. And that's without taking into account the doom mongers posting on the other thread about legislation changes etc. You have about 6 months (2 machine changes basically) and you will not have enough for a full route. I'd estimate about 5% max of machines sited are decent playables to non top boys (if indeed top boys have anything) which makes for some pretty disheartening checking trips.

And even if something does come out, is this really a great life?

I suppose most people aim for £1k per week, which doesn't give a lot of scope for savings if you have a house to pay for, kids, bills, whatever. You get constant grief and are viewed as scum by an awful lot of people, rightly or wrongly. Is that a price worth paying for the money?

I don't care what anyone says, unless smart investments have been made, or you are a tooler, you won't have walked out of this game a millionaire. And most people won't even have a tenth of that.

If you want my advice, I'd work on something else because you'll be glad for it next year. I am. Unfortunately it takes time and investment, but I'm hoping it will pay off. Problem is, when you're running around like a blue arsed fly trying to get to pubs to earn money to pay for a lifestyle then time is something a lot of people, myself included, don't have.

cracking post. It's not actually legislation changes that is the worry but it's on par with it.

[trayhop123]

a cracking post indeed , tells it like it is ,,,,,,,, the state of play is truly shocking at the mo

but ratty m8 ,,,,,,, as much as i love and respect you bud ,,,,,,,,, i think you/we have been very spoiled m8 ,,,,,,,,, and you dont live in the real world with the two quotes below

The average wage is something like £20k which equates to about £300ish a week after deductions. How the fuck can you live on that? I know I couldn't. No way.


I suppose most people aim for £1k per week, which doesn't give a lot of scope for savings if you have a house to pay for, kids, bills, .

you cut your cloth ,,,,,,,,,

anyone ,,,,,,, can manage perfectly on 500 a week

my circumstances are different to yours granted ,,,,,,,,, but if i had to i could live on 250 a week from a regular job,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,, sure it would mean an awful lot of sacrifices ,,,,,,, losing the car , hardly any treats, no holidays , no cable/sky etc etc ,,,,,,,, but the important necessities would be covered ,,,,,,,,,,, regulating the money , scrimping and budgeting like normal folk

you must have took on a large mortgage ,,,,,,,,,, if out of a grand a week ,,,,,,, you cant save anything ???


you couldn't have thought that the gravy train would last indefinitely ,,,,,,,,,, so if you've got yourself into high mortgage repayment schemes etc ?????


i sympathies m8 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but ,,,,, cmon ???

[redlinesman]

I think its going to be a case of some people will be scrapping for every last pound coin. then there'll be those who find themselves going out less and less until they stop completely. I think the jackpot increases £35 and £70 have does us no favours even if it was better money in the short term. The concept of working hard for your wage was fine by me even when you were only making 15-20 a pub. The smoking ban was a massive blow simply because the industry (including players) needs pubs to be sucessful.

I must say even though it is about to end, it hasn't particularly felt like it in anyway over the last 18 months. When the £70s were released it was just one thing after another and a guy who I respect a lot said to me 'the money's going to be rolling in for us over the next 12 months but after that, were done and dusted in this game' Like someone mentioned on this board we've been living off £35 conversions and you can only do that for so long. I must say I didn't believe my man at the time but surely enougth, it's coming true. There seems to be a bit of a dry spell but this time there is a big reason for the dry spell that I don't believe we will come out of.

Come on guys, you don't see any farmers in a desert but I believe many of us will be strong and move on to pastures new. Those with families, be brave, stay strong and make sure you don't get left to rot in the arcades or bookies, you've got responsibilities. I've got 2 kids myself, both in private education so I'll have to make sure Im living within my means. I'll have to start trading my Moncler jackets in for something from M&S and maybe downgrade my vehicle. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty in the coffers, but a long period of not earning soon draws on your resources if trying to maintain your previous lifestyle.

I think those with big savings won't be fretting that much, it's those that are still relying on their weekly beans that will suffer. In 2002 my main man got hold of me and said 'you can spend what you want but make bloody sure you're saving 75% of your wages' Advice that I religiousle followed and still stick to which will stand me in good stead in these harsh times.

I only expected to get 2 years out this and I've had 15 so maybe plenty of us should just be grateful.

[jeffvickers]

I've had 5 years of no "real job". I've enough savings to see me through 12 months, assuming I never play a machine again. I just manage to break even each week, covering the necessaties, the luxuries & holidays have to come out of the savings. Blowing £3000 on a Summer trip to the states was a bit of a bad idea financially in all honesty. I'm hoping I can scrape a bit of clear profit over Christmas to bugger off to Tenerife for a week in the new year.

[clarkey1984]

Well, i suppose that i am somewhat of a minority on here really, in that i do not play machines in order to make a living so to speak, i play this and that, and now and again, purely for fun and nothing more, dont get me wrong, i do love a huge raise on the (rare!) occasion it happens for me, but i dont rely on the fruits.

I have, what some would regard as a crap 15k a year job, and i suppose if the truth be told, it is quite boring and mundane, i work for jewson, selling materials to the builders of this world, is it a fun and exciting job? no way, it never could be, there is the sum total of fuck all excitement about selling bricks blocks and cement, its far from an enjoyable days work, but at least it is a constant income once a month, which in my own opinion, something that fruit playing can never be, no guarantees on a bandit is there...

[jeffvickers]

I used to be a bus driver, I still get people on the streets saying to me "Still driving' buses?"

10 years from now, I'll be maybe settled down in another way of life/work etc, I'll have folk saying to me "Still robbin' bandits?"

[sir ratholer]

I used to be a bus driver, I still get people on the streets saying to me "Still driving' buses?"

10 years from now, I'll be maybe settled down in another way of life/work etc, I'll have folk saying to me "Still robbin' bandits?"

I actually do get that!

Something you brought up earlier is true for me, and that is stress. Now I don't care that much if I'm barred from a pub, and can have it out with the best of them, but lately when it's ontop for me I can feel my heart beating fast in my chest. I know that sounds funny, but it's true. The only thing I can think of is that the pub means so much to me financially that being barred is such a worrying thing, because it's usually a huge hit, and there aren't that many of them at the moment...

As for living, lee I don't even have a mortgage but rent is a reasonable amount, i do have a nice house. But even if I scrimped it would be hard to
live on £500 a week, definitely. What with going up to Norwich etc...and don't forget my friend the cost of living down here is higher :-)

Hopefully it won't come to any of this but I fear it will. And is a wage in the
£500-£1500 range really anything to boast about? Or be proud of? I'm
not sure. I think a lot of people can level with mcstreak about feeling
like they've done nothing with their life. But I suppose many people in an office feel the same. I suppose it's because, whilst there definitely is many scumbags in this game, some people are actually highly intelligent and probably feel like they've wasted ten years or so. Maybe if lives patterned a little differently, some of us could be running highly profitable businesses etc...

On a slight side note, I'm setting the over/under on my barrings for next week at 3.5. Haven't had any for a while but it's so ontop for me in some places purely as I'm hitting them so hard due to a lack of machines. If I'm struggling on the barring front I can always boost the figures by trying to get in again for the dig it in a pub run by pakis that hate me, should be fun. And that, my friends, is what it is coming to. If things get even worse i'll have to resort to going to the isle of sheppey!

[Glendale]

Good to see ive returned to joy and happiness! As ive said if it ends tomorrow who really cares? If you haven't saved money after years in the game then you should quit anyhow! Im no top boy but ive done quite well through staying out of bookies, Banking money each week and being sensible! I dont enjoy doing this crap but the money is amazing!I

[mr lugsy]

i'm going to say this one more time and then i'm not going to say it again until next time i say it.


leaner times for a while........yes

the end is nigh..........this a matter of opinion based the chatter of certain industry people whose jobs are not as safe as they once were.

while there is a demand for reel based percentage controlled awp it will be serviced.simple as that.

anybody who thinks awp will disappear over night has mental health issues. even if there were plans to have them phased out of pubs(AND THERE ARE NOT)it would take years .

..............and then you come to the plethora of agc's fec's etc. which make the government a tidy whack of revenue every year. somehow i'm unable to comprehend a way in which the government could phase an entire industry out. the knock on effect to the leisure and tourism industries would be staggering.

the outcome would reach far further than a few hundred pro players that's for sure.


if had the money i would take any bets on feck all of any consequence happening.

if people want to come on here posting cluey pessimistic pointers in the direction of the overnight death of a multi billion pound industry on the back of a tipsy chat with an industry pal,then they'll need to back it up with a government white paper befor i'll take a blind bit of notice.

everybody is entitled to their opinion, but it is just that....an opinion.

[BFK]

Good to see ive returned to joy and happiness! As ive said if it ends tomorrow who really cares? If you haven't saved money after years in the game then you should quit anyhow! Im no top boy but ive done quite well through staying out of bookies, Banking money each week and being sensible! I dont enjoy doing this crap but the money is amazing!I

Sensible?? What's that??!!!!

Why should you quit the game if you haven't saved anything????

I try and earn money, so I can spend it. Besides, it's only a matter of time before some landlord kills you anyway and then you'll never get to spend it!!!!

Just enjoy the now!!!

Agree with lugsy, AWP's are here to stay.

[Glendale]

More to the point bfk why would you want to play if you havent saved money? To me this game is about making more than i would working! Its a shit lifestyle, crap hours and all you get is moaned at! I am in it for the money, end of!