The coin-op amusement industry should be encouraged by small signs of improvement according to GameWorks' Cory Haynes.

Speaking with InterGame at the Amusement Expo in Las Vegas last week, Haynes said while the past 12 months had been up and down, with the spring period being "brutal", improved business in the run-up to Christmas was encouraging and most of the operator’s locations had been up by two per cent.

"The party and corporate side of our business really picked up in the run-up to Christmas as we will tend to use the games as a hook, offering discounted cards, unlimited play time and so on," said Haynes.

"We have also worked hard on our family package deals over the past 12 months and launched a brand new food menu in August, turning the entire menu around. It is important to offer an all-inclusive deal to customers, especially when they are planning a family day out. It makes it much easier for them to know what they’re going to spend on food and entertainment up front - we have even seen some customers re-charge their play cards with more credit."

Another initiative GameWorks locations have implemented to encourage mid-week spend is Play Your Way Thursday, which offers unlimited play from 9pm onwards, as well as Unlimited Video Play.

Commenting on trends within the industry in general, for Haynes there is no doubt that redemption is driving all of the business. "There has been a total flip in the business from video to redemption and while video will always have its place in a location, it is getting smaller and smaller," he said. "What we’re trying to do with Gameworks is to offer something different and we’re known for our fighting games, bringing games from Asia that have a strong following and aren’t just about the casual player. We’ve also had great success with Japanese music games - it is amazing how well they do. It is important to us that we differentiate ourselves from other locations."

Games that have performed particularly well for Haynes over the past 12 months include Terminator Salvation, Wheel of Fortune, Deep Sea Treasure, Super Monkey Balls and Heat Up air hockey, which allows the player to handicap the game should they wish to, making it ideal for parents to play against their children.

"People in the industry are still being very cautious with their money and are testing machines more and more before buying," continued Haynes. "But I am encouraged by the signs of improvement going into the summer months. We made a purchase at the end of the fourth quarter - something we’ve never done before, so the product will be in the stores in time for spring."

New games that have impressed Haynes include Space Balls from Jennison, which has tested very well, DDRX 2, Frogger, Price Is Right Shell Game and Treasure Quest.

"I would like to see continued innovation from the manufacturers going forward," said Haynes. "More so on the redemption side - Coastal has got a great product in Crazy Clock, but as far as I know there’s no production schedule in place yet. For video, there has to be some sort of cool attribute attached to it and interaction remains very important, as does value for money."