New Year's Resolutions...?

Has your business been shrinking over the last five years? What have been doing to shore up revenues and location accounts? What specifically do you plan to do in 2007 to grow or maintain your market presence?

Taking Stock of 2006

Heading into the holiday season, we are often inclined to take stock of the year that is coming to a close. How was 2006 for your business? More of the same? A burst of new growth from online music? Less competition from other operators as consolidation continues? A shrinking or expanding location base, depending upon your approach or locale? None of the above. Chime in and lets us know how 2006 was for your company and what you are expecting for 2007.

What are the criticisms being leveled at online games and jukes?

A friend of RePlay's recently pointed out the considerable resistance to fees for downloading jukeboxes and online games among operators. What is the objection rooted in, considering that the servers for these machines have resulted in greater functionality and therefore generally increased revenues? If fees are part of the way manufacturers maintain their networks and the way content providers receive their due share, where does the resistance lie? Is it part of the general feeling of being nickeled and dimed by too many fees already or something more specific?

Expo 2006: Was it as good for you as it was for me?

We know you were at the AMOA and Fun Expos. RePlay saw you there, roaming the aisles, inspecting product, talking shop.

So give us your impression of the shows, and don't hold anything back, least of all your honest opinion. From the looks of the product and tones of conversations, where does the industry stand today? What do we have to look forward to? Why?

Bryan Dodge: inspirational or unhinged? The souvenir show: a bigger drag for you or for them?

Let fellow readers, showgoers, blog posters and AMOA honchos know your exact impression. All those inquiring minds want to know, fellas. So spill it.

Operator Interface: Behind Bars?

How would you characterize your relationship with bar owners on the whole? How do you nurture those relationships? Do you have business dealings with them above and beyond revenue sharing? What are the issues indemic to those give-and-take bonds today?

Operator Interface for AMOA and Fun Expos and Big Kahuna West

What are your plans and special interests in preparing to go to the AMOA Expo and co-located shows in Las Vegas this September? What expectations and potential purchases do you have in mind? Any opinions on the new souvenir show, Big Kahuna West, that will also be at the civic center? Thoughts on staying at Bally's and travel logistics?

Operator Interface for August 2006

Are you required to pay license fees to the state? To local governments? To both? What about taxes on gross receipts, the purchase of games, etc.? What percentage of your gross income goes to such fees? Is your state association addressing this issue?

Operator Interface for July, part ii

What is your strategy for investing in new equipment?

Phone queries have revealed that some operators devote 30% of their revenue to new games, while others borrow generously and buy year round. Some have seen investment suffer in the past three years, while others believe the peaks and valleys in spending have averaged out.

What are your tricks of the trade? What product categories do you invest in the most? the least?

E3 Sound-Off

Did you attend Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles? What struck your eye as noteworthy in light of today's coin-op amusement industry?

Newsweek's review of the show's buzz product was, "Nintendo's Wii: a hit for both kids and Grandma. Xbox 360: perfect for the dorm room. PS3: for movie lovers with a trust fund." Is this a realistic evaluation? How does affordable, family-focused fun register on the radar?

A discussion on E3 began in a former post, with an attendee commenting the show "was interesting in that there was little media focus or attention on the violent home titles. There was more interest on new hardware (Sony's Playstation 3 and Nintendo's Wii) as well as mobile phone software. It was also nice to see coin-op equipment on the floor, but why were they pieces not available to us operators yet (Time Crisis 4 and DDR Supernova)?"

Operator Interface for July

Are you systematic in reinvesting in your operation? What percentage of your gross revenues do you normally re-invest in your business each year? Does that percentage remain the same or vary from year to year? Where does that investment money go, toward new games, other equipment like computers, vehicles, etc.?

Operator Interface for June, part ii

How much of the Family Entertainment Protection Act, which prevents minors from buying violent home video games, is a purely political exercise? Is it congressional teeth gnashing or is there genuine concern? How do you explain the phenomenon that Democrats are the main proponents of this measure, not Republicans?

Will the amusement industry ever feel the brunt of these actions, or is it all much ado about nothing?

Operator Interface for June

Are you concerned about pending video game content legislation on state or national levels expanding from the home market to the amusement industry? What are industry members in your state doing to educate lawmakers about the difference in home and coin-op games?

Operator Interface for May

What was your impression of the 2006 ASI show in Chicago? Did the new product interest you? Did you make any purchases? Why or why not?

The Impact of Gambling

Our debut Operator Interface question: "How has your state lottery and/or legalized gambling impacted your route and accounts recently? Are operators in your state working toward partnership agreements with the lottery like those in Iowa, who are now operating pull tab games for the lottery system?"

Please post your answer in the "Comment" section below along with your name, your company name and the city where you are located.

Thanks for your participation,
The Editors