Helen Fletcher caught up with industry personality James Anderson on his move from machines to prizes, following his recent appointment within Namco Europe's prize division

"After a long period working in the video games sector I saw, and still see, the market as challenging and I had been contemplating a change of focus for some time," Anderson tells me.

"As a consequence I opted to resign from my last role and had a job offer outside the amusement business with a toy company when I had a call from Namco asking me to come for a chat. After a few hours with Alan Smith (general manager of the prize division) and managing director John McKenzie I realised that by leaving the industry I would be turning my back on a life spent in the amusement business. As some people will be aware my father was in the sector and some of my earliest memories are of going to locations with him and playing the games. A few weeks later I am settled in the Namco office in Acton."

Namco Europe has evolved from a machine distribution company to handling all aspects of the amusement business, from the sale and marketing of machines, through Brent Sales and Namco, to the after sales/service and supply of ancillary parts through Brent Electronic in addition to the operation of FECs and other locations through Namco Operations Europe. And the prize division, according to Anderson, is a natural next step for the company.

"As I mentioned, the video game market has become much harder in recent times yet there has been real growth in the sales of prize machines and ticket redemption not only in the traditional FEC and arcade sectors but also in new markets such as shopping centres and bars," Anderson continued.

"Namco Europe has been one of the pioneers in these markets, handling the distribution and service of both Namco ticket redemption products like Crazy Typhoon and strong product lines from third party suppliers. It has also been at the forefront of the prize redemption market with products such as Barber Cut, Clenaflex and coming soon the much-anticipated Dunk Tank Prize machine. Brent Electronic also has the exclusive distribution rights to the Deltronic ticket to prizes machines, which should be available in early 2011. This has meant that the market has been filled with the machines and now it is time for me to fill the machines with our products."

Namco’s prize division was a natural progression for the company due to the volume of prize and ticket machines it has sold into the market and had a soft launch some 12 months ago with the purpose of supplying the leisure industry with high quality products. The division was set up with Alan Smith handling the licensing, sourcing and sales and Ashly Keane handling the product design. In the first year Alan and Ashly successfully secured some of the strongest licences in Europe including Ben 10, which is constantly a hit in the retail toy sales charts around Europe, and developed a range of high quality products suitable for the amusement and leisure markets.

"My role will be to handle the sales of the products throughout EMEA as well as feed market information back to Alan and Ashly to work on the planning for future lines," said Anderson. "In the UK, Brent Electronic has done a great job in starting to supply the market with quality products and it is the role of the prize division to expand into the European markets and beyond. It is great to be part of a small but focused team that is able to move quickly and react to the feedback and demands of the market and develop suitable products.

"The market is no longer ‘plush only’ and has evolved into a form of retail. Players are no longer interested in playing games for poor prizes. Today’s players are more interested in licensed high quality goods. It has been proven that by using the right prizes in prize machines like Barber Cut income increases dramatically. Similarly by offering a good selection of quality prizes in a redemption area it generates an uplift in machine income.

"Looking ahead we have a strong line-up for 2011, which will be shown on the Namco booth at the EAG Expo. The expanded range of products includes our licensed plush items using Ben 10, Shaun the Sheep, Big and Small and Timmy Time licences, the range of electronic goods from our lifestyle range that are perfect for redemption shops or for use in skill with prize vending machines where permitted. Finally we have a range of low cost products that can be operated on pushers with more to be announced in the new year.

"Although I have only been with Namco a short time I already feel at home and am looking forward to an exciting and prosperous future."