Sport has traditionally had a strong presence within pay-to-play amusements, whether that’s in video game content or football, hockey or pool tables. Here, Simon Liddle takes a look at the links between sport and coin-op and what makes it such a powerful combination.
COMPETITION is a fundamental element within the amusement experience. Challenging players to achieve an objective in the quickest time or when competing directly with each other has formed the basis of a host of games that have become staple attractions in a diverse range of locations. In the same way that cranes and pushers are now thought of as classics of the genre, sports games are considered equally as essential to a balanced amusement offering.
“Sports are always attractive to players because they are about skill and are aesthetically appealing,” said Pablo Madariaga of Billares Sam, a company that manufactures billiards and pool tables, air hockey and soccer tables. Unlike other forms of amusement, which some consider to be in the same bracket as gambling, sports games are family friendly and can, in the case of billiards and pool, for example, become activities that can be seen “as part of a lifestyle as some players keep practicing them all their life.”
From bars and bowling complexes, to family entertainment centres and outdoor attractions, sports games consistently attract players and fill cash boxes. They can create a lively, jovial atmosphere that immediately attracts attention. Their popularity, it seems, crosses generations and demographics.
“What makes these types of sports games so popular in the coin machine industry,” said Valley-Dynamo’s Link Pendley, “is the fact that players compete against each other instead of against the game. The game is only a tool they use to compete. It comes down to who is the best player. This sort of competition is very addictive to players, as they strive to practise to become better players in order to have better outcomes against their competitors.”
Read the full article in the April issue of InterGame
