What do prize merchandisers bring to a location and, as some territories look to crack down on expensive prizes, what does the future hold for these machines?
UNDOUBTEDLY one of the industry’s more recent successes, the launch of prize merchandisers has helped to broaden the appeal of amusements to include players of all ages. With steps to curtail prize values in the US, however, have we reached a point where this category of machines will no longer be able to offer blockbuster prizes?
For an industry that continually strives to discover “the next big thing,” the emergence of prize merchandiser machines has been a “real shot in the arm,” said Justin Burke of Sega Amusements, a company that has found enormous success with its Key Master game – a machine found in markets throughout the world.
“They’ve opened up new avenues, new revenue streams and have done wonders for the cash box,” he said. “They’ve also attracted a new audience in terms of bringing in players that are not your typical arcade players.”
Merchandisers bring the excitement of an instant win, explained Matt Bland of United Distributing Company, which has enjoyed strong sales of Benchmark’s Trap Door game. “Players can see what they can win right in front of them,” he continued. “There’s no need to save up tickets for a particular prize because it’s right there waiting. They also allow smaller operations where ticket redemption would be unsuitable to provide prizes to customers.”
Trap Door features an automatic claw grabber that picks up plush items from inside the cabinet and places it on the trap door that the player tries to open. A more recent game offered by UDC is Blackout by Adrenaline Amusements. This, explained Bland, is a “technically sophisticated” machine boasting a transparent video touchscreen that the player swipes in order to win the prizes inside.
Read the full article in the January issue of InterGame.
