John McKenzie, Sales and Commercial Director, commented: “July and August are usually among the calmer months in our calendar, which, on occasions in the past, has meant we have been able to close the warehouse for a week or two. This year, however, it’s been running at close to full capacity throughout, dealing mainly with consignment after consignment of either Time Crisis 4 or Super Bikes.”

He continued: “The Super Bikes motorcycle simulator is certainly living up to all expectations, topping machine-income charts ahead of other video games costing three or four times as much.”

Cashbox returns from Time Crisis 4 have been equally impressive, with some sites reporting regular weekly takings of £1,000- plus. The recent arrival in the marketplace of Namco’s latest video shooter has, according to McKenzie, also had a very positive impact on its predecessor, Time Crisis 3: “Not only is TC4 generating excellent returns, but operators at many of the locations where it’s being sited are also experiencing an upturn in Time Crisis 3’s performance – to such an extent that TC3 is re-entering their top five list of earners. In turn, this is helping to strengthen the residual book value of the older game.”

While July and early August were taken up largely with the despatch of Time Crisis 4 Deluxe and Super Bikes, the company has also begun its first shipments of the Standard (28” screen) version of TC4. “Early September is an important window of opportunity for smallerfootprint video games,” explained McKenzie, “coinciding with the short buying season for college campuses across Europe. Last year’s student hit was The Fast and the Furious and all the early indicators for the coming year are pointing towards Time Crisis 4.”

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