The amusement games industry will invest in new equipment if the suppliers will go the extra mile to provide something really different, says Jack Cook of Bob's Space Racers, one of the principal manufacturers of novelty games to the international community.
Cook, speaking at his company’s booth during this week’s giant IAAPA trade show in Orlando, said that the amusement games market in 2010 had actually shown some upwards movement after a bad 2009.
"The market is slowly coming back, but throughout this depressed period, the operator will still buy if the game is right - and that has always been the case in our industry."
Cook’s company had its own recipe for relief for the operators in BSR’s new water shooting game Stinky Feet, a very novel multi-player game. "Every mom will relate to that game; we all know about kids and their trainers!"
It isn’t enough, said Cook, to come up with a new game, or a new twist on an old game. "Bells and whistles can add something, but bells and whistles alone are not enough to rejuvenate an old idea. The industry needs innovation, not just the addition of a tower, or a clock or a wheel. There must be novelty, fun and built-in value.
"All of the games in an arcade or FEC will sit on the floor and plug in; it’s what you do then that counts. You have to market the games and the location to get customers through the door and then they have to have a good time, go away with a positive feeling and some prizes. We all need fresh thinking!"
