InteGame looks at how operators can make the most of a product considered evergreen by many in the industry

Sports games are an evergreen product in the amusement business. Few, if any venues would be complete without at least one. So what is it that makes them so successful? And, as pubs and bars continue to face harsh trading conditions are there still the opportunities out there for them to succeed?

For John Crompton, regional sales manager at Brent Sales in the UK, a sports game’s strength is in its simplicity. Take the NBA Hoops from ICE, which combines a strong and recognised licence with one of the most basic formats around.

"The competitive enhancements that have been introduced to the game, such as the 40-second game clock located behind the backboard, deliver the drama of beating the buzzer," said Crompton. "If you are trying to attract sports fans it is crucial to deliver an authentic player experience so attention to detail in terms of branding and features such as the inclusion of an NBA sized hoop are actually very important. Get the details accurate and sports games such as NBA Hoops will be among an operation’s most valuable products."

The introduction of innovative features is something that can be applied to most, if not all sports games. Take air hockey tables for example; UK-based Sam Leisure has introduced a ‘silent system’ which can be fitted to its tables as an upgrade, allowing for the product to sit in locations where they might have previously been kicked out of because they were considered ‘too noisy’ by members of staff.

According to Sam Leisure’s managing director Gary Drage, air hockey also lends itself to ticket redemption very easily and this is something the company has quite recently started looking into. "As air hockey tables are already powered up to the mains ticket redemption becomes a good concept for the product as operators can set the payout so that even the losers win something - this is an added incentive to play," he told InterGame. "This feature can be added as an upgrade to existing tables but we feel it doesn’t function quite as fully as the newer tables so have been doing quite a lot of part exchanges with operators keen to incorporate this feature."

Sam Leisure’s Fast Soccer air hockey table has been its most successful product to date and for Drage the reason behind this is simple. Air hockey itself lasts a long time in a location and appeals to a broad audience, but the soccer theme makes players care more about the result if they are representing a team.

Continuing along the line of innovative thinking, Sega Amusements Europe has launched a new air hockey table, which allows four-player competition as opposed to the traditional two-player set-up.

Sports games such as pool, air hockey and foosball tables have always had a strong association with the pub sector. But with more and more pubs and bars closing does this remain as important to the product as it once did or are manufacturers having to add features such as ticket redemption and four-player action to appeal more to family locations?

"The pub sector is still very important and essential to the industry," Drage told InterGame. "A lot of pubs have jumped on the bandwagon of ‘let’s do food’ and the market is becoming over-saturated - people still want to be entertained and go out and have a few drinks rather than just eat. Pubs need to provide something unique along the lines of interaction - presented to a high standard - but because of the economic situation a lot of operators have cut back massively. This in effect is driving down the pleasure and experience for the consumer - it only costs a relatively small amount of investment to maintain a high standard. A small spend guarantees the most amount of income - it is a huge benefit to the retailer to maintain their product."

However, Drage did tell InterGame that it had been difficult to convince retailers to invest as pubs are driven by the brewery which are more concerned with beer sales. "I know of one location that had three pool tables all making around £300 a week each and the location owned the tables outright so all the takings were profit. Then the brewery told the landlord to reduce the price of play to zero as beer sales were down - the location did see an improvement in beer sales when they made the change but it was only about £8-900 a week and it wasn’t clear profit so the location was actually worse off. The landlord could see it from our point of view but once the brewery decides to go down the route of looking for the cheapest spend it is a downward spiral."

For Drage the path amusement operators and pub landlords should be going down is American pool - particularly in these difficult trading times as the game play is shorter so they can get more games in over English pool and it is also a lot easier to play so is better for novice players just looking to pot balls.

"Pool is a game where people feel like they’re being watched and judged so if you’re able to make the game play easier then more people will be inclined to play and come back and play," he said. "Location owners know they should have US tables in their locations but in the current economic climate they are looking to save money - before the downslide they were more willing to have a go at things."

Another sports game generally associated with the pub sector is Incredible Technologies’ Golden Tee golf game, which continues to be very popular with players. The quality of the game has resulted in a loyal band of players who play tournament golf week in week out and, according to Electrocoin\‘s Kevin Weir, which distributes the game in the UK, the relationship between the trackball and the graphics has been the key to the longevity and ongoing player participation. However, for Weir it is important not to get lazy and it is essential that the game is kept fresh. He told InterGame: "Incredible Technologies launches a new version of the game every 12 months and the 2011 edition is ready for release at EAG Expo this month. Subtle changes have been the secret to its success - not to completely change the game is important, but continually develop a proven formula appears to be the key to success."

Sports games are one area of the coin-op amusement sector that don’t put as much emphasis on branding or licensing, although it can sometimes enhance a product - such as the ICE basketball game already mentioned and Sega Amusements’ Sonic Allstar range, which features basketball games and air hockey - a good example of how creating a strong product identity or brand can make a product stand out from the crowd in a location.

For Barron Games in the US, product customisation is a very important aspect of the company’s structure. Greg Bacorn told InterGame:
"We pride ourselves on being the best in product customisation for our customers, dedicating our efforts into the project and providing outstanding 24-hour customer service with high quality products. We have the ability to customise all parts of our air hockey tables from custom design of any colour, logo, to creating specific music playing in attraction mode.

"Sports games customisation is crucial in larger FECs as a form of brand recognition and focal point in a game room. Sega is a very important customer for whom we manufacture the four-player Sonic air hockey table that is part of its new Sonic All-Stars series. The large Sonic the Hedgehog on the white playfield has a worldwide recognition and popularity, as well as the incorporated music from the actual Sega Sonic video games."

The domestic market, or one-off specific requirements is where branding is more commonly found on sports games. Garlando foosball tables, which are distributed by Lifestyle Leisure, for example, can be supplied branded if the client should require it. According to Stan McKenna of Lifestyle, branding is a great way of promoting your business and companies buy from him to offer branded tables as incentives to their customers, and sometimes, sales staff. "Drinks companies have also branded tables as a way of promoting new drinks for instance," he said.

"The beauty of Garlando is that they will happily brand a single table or specific quantity depending on customer needs."

It is clear sports games aren’t about to go anywhere and a location owner could quite easily get away with ‘dumping’ a pool table, air hockey table or foosball table in a corner and leave it to get on with it. But it is those operators who realise the added opportunities associated with sports games that will really make the money. As with all areas of the coin-op amusement industry, the manufacturers want the operators to invest in their product, while the majority of operators want to save money. When it comes to sports games it is about getting the right product for your location and then investing what you can in it. It isn’t rocket science - if a table looks tired and scruffy it won’t appeal to players who are increasingly used to high-end products and up-market surroundings.

"Football tables have for too long been seen as a filler product or often installed after pressure from the pub," said Lifestyle’s McKenna. "Given that football is a national sport in the UK and other countries I believe that football tables could be re-launched given the correct price of play structure and some positive promotion. Football tables are a mechanical product and as such are low maintenance and a great operating tool."

"Any location should have a fun, interactive air hockey table that is considered a staple product in most FECs," added Bacorn. "Especially having an air hockey sports table as a redemption piece would make the ROI higher and a more valuable piece, which has been supported by statistics reports. The only restriction with most air hockey tables is space requirement and footprint. We have overcome this obstacle by offering our customers five different sizes of air hockey tables to choose the best one for their game room. Locations with larger game room areas will be able to accommodate the four-player table models and smaller locations would prefer the two-player tables, which have a narrower body to conserve space.

"Operators can make the most of our air hockey tables and sports games by placing them near the entrance or most popular areas, making the sports game not just another game in the location, but a centerpiece. Also, utilising our customisation feature would really make the game stand out in an FEC and be associated with brand name recognition. It will be the first and final game a customer plays, that way remembering it for next time."