RePlay Magazine is a monthly trade publication for the amusement route and family entertainment center owners and operators. This blog is intended to foster dialogue between professionals at all levels of the amusement industry. The site will pose a monthly question of critical importance to operators (and other members of the trade) in hopes that the sharing of our readers’ respective experience will help foster solutions and create a greater awareness of the industry’s common bonds.
Monday, March 20, 2006
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?
20
comments:
Anonymous
said...
I do not believe any operator can complain about a lack of new exciting equipment available for the upcoming summer season. While most pieces may be on the pricey side their predecessors have already proven to be long term earning pieces (i.e., Dance Dance Revolution, Time Crisis, etc.). I firmly have one piece in each buying category (dedicated game, driving game, redemption piece, merchandiser, and conversion kit) and can't wait for the summer now. My favorite new product was the "Let Me Dance" from Photo-Me although I think it will need some refinements to make it practical for the US marketplace.
As an exhibitor (on the bottom floor nonetheless) I was disappointed with what appeared to be thinner crowds on our lower level as opposed to the crowds on the top floor. I am pleased that the show is returning to Las Vegas again. We had some issues with union staffing with our booth set up and I had heard that others also had issues; these types of issues have never happened in Las Vegas.
Sorry guys, I hate to be the one that told.... you get the picture.
We ran in The Stinger Report last year all this, and voted with our feet on what was coming. And when we were proven right we now become the number messenger victim.
The one thing that is flaming me right now, is that ASI should abridge Nightclub and Bar, and now it looks like we will have to spend a whole week in Vegas, because certain individuals are unhappy that they were proven dead WRONG about ASI in Chicago.
As an exhibitor of both the ASI and AMOA every year for many years, I feel we only need one show. Our industry has shrunk but the amount of trade shows have not. These shows do not warrant the cost of attending. At least if their was one main show a year as a manufacturer we would almost always have new product to show. And if the Operator knows they will see new product they may put more effort in attending. Unfortunately their are organizations that depend on these shows for support.
Sorry for the confusion Replay Editor - it is the handle I always use on the boards.
The idea of one show, as was said above would negate the associations and operations that feed off of a five show structure and will fight too the death to keep that.
The dream of the ASI/AAMA/NCB show in March would float my boat, though the operators mingling with the manufacturers seems to be the big sticking point (other than one pot up for grabs).
Were you even at this show "Editor"? The ASI had quality buyers and good sales for all that had good product to sell. Do you have any knowledge of the last time ASI co-located with N&B? It was a disaster. All of coin-op's best ignoring the coin-op show and walking around in a drunken stupor oogling models at N&B. You need to understand an issue before commenting on it. But then again, why start now, you never researched an issue before printing it in the Stinger either.
Oh, we have an angry and 'anonymous' contributor. Well, nice to see a subscriber with some hard feelings - or are you one of those non-subscribers who uses their super powers to guess what we run in the Stinger!
Just for the record, I did not attend ASI'06 - that would be the first time I missed a ASI in the last ten years! (I put my money where my mouth is this year – though TSR had three contributors on the floor – as you will read in next months issue) Oh and yes I did know the reaction to the NC&B mix back in 2003 - I follow the two shows VERY closely waiting for the inevitable.
As you hide behind your 'anonymous' status I can't ask if you may have a vested reason to play up the ASI show this year. I remember the bashing the Stinger got for stating the feeling for a move back to Vegas only for that to be admitted at the end of this show!!
And just to prove that 'some' research is carried out - NC&B saw a 15% increase in attendees that claimed to be interested in the coin-operated and amusement activities. And as has been reported in the excellent and impartial RePlay web service, ASI confirmed attendant changes.
But let’s not let allow open discussion in a free society stop some personal insults and accusations based on anonymity!
Oh here we go again – another individual announces the immanent death of arcade!
So I heard this when the market drowned in 1997; I heard this after Midway left coin-op; when Nintendo invested in TriForce. I heard this when SEGA merged with Sammy, after Bandai merged with Namco; Square with Taito (weird)…and we are still here!
We are such a dead market that Namco had to create an arcade version of Soul Calibur 3 due to public demand; that Sega has increased amusement dev and suspended conversions and saw a over 10,000 ship on OutRun 2 (when everyone told me that 5,000 sellers were never going to happen again!). That Konami, Taito and SEGA are reporting increased coin-op business, and that at Amusement Showcase International we had over ten new videos (including the arcade appearance of Half-Life 2, Counter Strike, Aliens, NASCAR, and Far Cry in dev).
I just wonder now that we are seeing a down-turn in consumer game sales; closures of prominent studios, and a sudden decrease in publisher new product development - if we in the Out-of-home leisure entertainment sector will be hearing a lot more people claiming we are dead to divert attention (or because they are blinkered to the facts… we are hot)
Coin-op is dead – long live the Out-of-Home leisure entertainment, tournament and credit card based, interactive amusement sector!
As an exhibitor I feel the show was pretty well visited. The location in downtown Chicago with all the traffic jams, weather and parking problems should be avoided in the future. There is a new exhibition building going up in Schaumburg, IL that should be of interest to the ASI organization in the future. Good location from O’Hare, good parking, good Restaurants and Hotels in the area. Keep Illinois as one of the stops, but keep it away from Downtown Chicago. The Coin-Op(Amusement) industry is far from dead just re-aligning itself for a brighter future.
If there were 10,000 Outrun 2's shipped, how many were shipped in the US. Not that the Outrun 2 is a bad game, but it is kinda funny that there are probably only 700-1000 here in the US.
We are concerned about he state of the industry here, but you are giving facts for the world.
editor said... >Oh here we go again – another >individual announces the immanent >death of arcade!
*new anon poster*
It may not be dead, but there's little life left to it. Not to recognize that is absurd. I worked for manufacturers from 87-200?. Even when I started back in '87 the sales guys would talk about the "good old days" when everything sold in 100K (unit)increments.
It's been a long painful dying. It may never die completely, but comatose isn't much of an alternative is it?
Are there still opportunities? I imagine so, but they seem to becoming fewer and fewer don't they?
I enjoyed the industry and regret it's decline, but don't pretend it hasn't.
Off topic.... How long has it been now since Malibu Grand Prix on El Camino and Wolfe Rd was THE testing site for the industry?
El Camino and Wolfe? Wasn't that always just Sunnyvale Golfland? They still test equipment from what few manufacturers are remaining in the Silicon Valley.
20 comments:
I do not believe any operator can complain about a lack of new exciting equipment available for the upcoming summer season. While most pieces may be on the pricey side their predecessors have already proven to be long term earning pieces (i.e., Dance Dance Revolution, Time Crisis, etc.). I firmly have one piece in each buying category (dedicated game, driving game, redemption piece, merchandiser, and conversion kit) and can't wait for the summer now. My favorite new product was the "Let Me Dance" from Photo-Me although I think it will need some refinements to make it practical for the US marketplace.
As an exhibitor (on the bottom floor nonetheless) I was disappointed with what appeared to be thinner crowds on our lower level as opposed to the crowds on the top floor. I am pleased that the show is returning to Las Vegas again. We had some issues with union staffing with our booth set up and I had heard that others also had issues; these types of issues have never happened in Las Vegas.
Sorry guys, I hate to be the one that told.... you get the picture.
We ran in The Stinger Report last year all this, and voted with our feet on what was coming. And when we were proven right we now become the number messenger victim.
The one thing that is flaming me right now, is that ASI should abridge Nightclub and Bar, and now it looks like we will have to spend a whole week in Vegas, because certain individuals are unhappy that they were proven dead WRONG about ASI in Chicago.
Hey, all's well we will be in New Orleans 2009!
Ok, is it my imagination or is the "editor" post completely nonsensical? what in blu blazes are you trying to say? Spit it out boy!
Separated by a comon language.
What I am saying "why not have the two shows (Nighclub and ASI) at the same time rather than sulk over the failure of ASI Chicago".
Easy enough for you now?
As an exhibitor of both the ASI and AMOA every year for many years, I feel we only need one show. Our industry has shrunk but the amount of trade shows have not. These shows do not warrant the cost of attending. At least if their was one main show a year as a manufacturer we would almost always have new product to show. And if the Operator knows they will see new product they may put more effort in attending. Unfortunately their are organizations that depend on these shows for support.
Note: The user logging in as editor is not the RePlay editor but the editor of The Stinger Report.
Sorry for the confusion Replay Editor - it is the handle I always use on the boards.
The idea of one show, as was said above would negate the associations and operations that feed off of a five show structure and will fight too the death to keep that.
The dream of the ASI/AAMA/NCB show in March would float my boat, though the operators mingling with the manufacturers seems to be the big sticking point (other than one pot up for grabs).
Were you even at this show "Editor"? The ASI had quality buyers and good sales for all that had good product to sell. Do you have any knowledge of the last time ASI co-located with N&B? It was a disaster. All of coin-op's best ignoring the coin-op show and walking around in a drunken stupor oogling models at N&B. You need to understand an issue before commenting on it. But then again, why start now, you never researched an issue before printing it in the Stinger either.
Oh, we have an angry and 'anonymous' contributor. Well, nice to see a subscriber with some hard feelings - or are you one of those non-subscribers who uses their super powers to guess what we run in the Stinger!
Just for the record, I did not attend ASI'06 - that would be the first time I missed a ASI in the last ten years! (I put my money where my mouth is this year – though TSR had three contributors on the floor – as you will read in next months issue) Oh and yes I did know the reaction to the NC&B mix back in 2003 - I follow the two shows VERY closely waiting for the inevitable.
As you hide behind your 'anonymous' status I can't ask if you may have a vested reason to play up the ASI show this year. I remember the bashing the Stinger got for stating the feeling for a move back to Vegas only for that to be admitted at the end of this show!!
And just to prove that 'some' research is carried out - NC&B saw a 15% increase in attendees that claimed to be interested in the coin-operated and amusement activities. And as has been reported in the excellent and impartial RePlay web service, ASI confirmed attendant changes.
But let’s not let allow open discussion in a free society stop some personal insults and accusations based on anonymity!
how come everyone is anonymous?
What was the original topic?
coin-op is a dying business, fellas.
Oh here we go again – another individual announces the immanent death of arcade!
So I heard this when the market drowned in 1997; I heard this after Midway left coin-op; when Nintendo invested in TriForce. I heard this when SEGA merged with Sammy, after Bandai merged with Namco; Square with Taito (weird)…and we are still here!
We are such a dead market that Namco had to create an arcade version of Soul Calibur 3 due to public demand; that Sega has increased amusement dev and suspended conversions and saw a over 10,000 ship on OutRun 2 (when everyone told me that 5,000 sellers were never going to happen again!). That Konami, Taito and SEGA are reporting increased coin-op business, and that at Amusement Showcase International we had over ten new videos (including the arcade appearance of Half-Life 2, Counter Strike, Aliens, NASCAR, and Far Cry in dev).
I just wonder now that we are seeing a down-turn in consumer game sales; closures of prominent studios, and a sudden decrease in publisher new product development - if we in the Out-of-home leisure entertainment sector will be hearing a lot more people claiming we are dead to divert attention (or because they are blinkered to the facts… we are hot)
Coin-op is dead – long live the Out-of-Home leisure entertainment, tournament and credit card based, interactive amusement sector!
As an exhibitor I feel the show was pretty well visited. The location in downtown Chicago with all the traffic jams, weather and parking problems should be avoided in the future. There is a new exhibition building going up in Schaumburg, IL that should be of interest to the ASI organization in the future. Good location from O’Hare, good parking, good Restaurants and Hotels in the area. Keep Illinois as one of the stops, but keep it away from Downtown Chicago.
The Coin-Op(Amusement) industry is far from dead just re-aligning itself for a brighter future.
Pat
Hey editor,
If there were 10,000 Outrun 2's shipped, how many were shipped in the US. Not that the Outrun 2 is a bad game, but it is kinda funny that there are probably only 700-1000 here in the US.
We are concerned about he state of the industry here, but you are giving facts for the world.
editor said...
>Oh here we go again – another >individual announces the immanent >death of arcade!
*new anon poster*
It may not be dead, but there's little life left to it. Not to recognize that is absurd. I worked for manufacturers from 87-200?. Even when I started back in '87 the sales guys would talk about the "good old days" when everything sold in 100K (unit)increments.
It's been a long painful dying. It may never die completely, but comatose isn't much of an alternative is it?
Are there still opportunities? I imagine so, but they seem to becoming fewer and fewer don't they?
I enjoyed the industry and regret it's decline, but don't pretend it hasn't.
Off topic....
How long has it been now since Malibu Grand Prix on El Camino and Wolfe Rd was THE testing site for the industry?
El Camino and Wolfe? Wasn't that always just Sunnyvale Golfland? They still test equipment from what few manufacturers are remaining in the Silicon Valley.
>El Camino and Wolfe? Wasn't that >always just Sunnyvale Golfland?
DOH! Of course you're right.
>They still test equipment from >what few manufacturers are >remaining in the Silicon Valley.
Let's see, Capcom, until recently Namco, oh yeah, that simulator group and I think maybe one more?
I didnt find thing that i need... :-(
msn
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