With 2011 round the corner, for some operators the new year cannot come quick enough, according to CoinCascade's Gary Walker in New Zealand.

"The recovery, so long mooted from the very quiet 2009, turned pear shaped in New Zealand and this year was generally quieter than last," Walker told InterGame. "Customers had less confidence in recovery this year, despite the Rugby World Cup event taking place here next year and so spending has been tight.

"Our ‘business orientated’ government, having suffered through the main recession, worked out that it was no good waiting for companies to make a profit so they could get a share of it; better to increase our VAT rate from 12.5 per cent to 15 per cent and strangle all those businesses that have just made enough to make it through the tough times. Add to that the Christchurch earthquake and 3,000 plus aftershocks and things got a bit quiet down in Christchurch, where our head office is based. When your store is full of customers and an aftershock hits, they leave and do not come back for the rest of the day."

On a more positive note, however, for Walker the IAAPA Attractions Expo was a pleasant surprise. "There was good, different product on display and some good opportunities for next year lie ahead. One thing is for sure - our market is out there, we just have to find the product they want and communicate that fact to them and we still get good income.

"We spent a lot of time in 2010 re-looking at our basic offers and targeting our growth and so for us 2011 is going to be a good year. We will continue with the Japanese card-based games like Namco’s Animal Kaiser and Sega has some promising games and I hope to see more finished games in London next month and definitely want to play GRID again."

Commenting on the street locations in New Zealand, Walker told InterGame that the pubs have also been quiet. "The traditional AMI touchscreens and Betson’s Big Buck Hunter, as well as music and pool, all rely on customer numbers and when that’s down the income is down," he said. "Cranes are everywhere and there are more and more coming - but they take the money. The product with licensed toys has made a difference and there is something positive about quiet times. Some of those good street locations that never wanted our product are now very keen so we are picking up more locations… So, we welcome 2011."