LAI Games International

The show was a definite improvement on last year and visitor numbers were good on all three days. We noticed more international visitors this year – a very positive sign, and it was also pleasing to see a greater interest in redemption product from UK visitors. We wrote up some good orders, and our hits at the show included:

Mega Stacker: Following on from the success of Stacker, Mega Stacker has a huge 9ft cabinet with eye-catching mega-sized LED play field, stylish surround lighting, dynamic sound effects, illuminated eye-catching metal platform and five spacious prize doors. Mega Stacker combines ticket and prize redemption so that players get the best of both worlds.

Stack ‘N’ Grab: This new hybrid prize-redemption game gives twice the fun. Before grabbing their chosen prize with the crane, players try to win a shortened version of LAI’s Stacker block game. If they successfully stack the blocks to the top, they use a four-pronged crane claw to grab their guaranteed prize.

Catch ‘N’ Grab: Catch ‘N’ Grab uses the same crane prize delivery as Stack ‘N’ Grab, but the game is different. Instead of Stacker, the player wins a game of Drop Zone by attempting to catch a stack of blocks, much like the children’s game of dropping a ruler between your hands. If players are successful they select their prize with the crane claw.

Willie Wheels: Gives children a licence to drive…literally! Players choose a driving course from among three worlds of varying difficulty. They then meet a colourful cast of characters while testing their driving skills and at the end of the game they receive their driver’s licence – a high-quality, collectable card featuring one of 24 Willie Wheels characters.

Sam Billiards

Sam Billiards presented at EAG Expo a selection of its wide range of pool and air hockey tables, together with the Linares babyfoot.

The English pool tables on show from Sam included the 7ft Balmoral Champion with white lacquer finish, and the 7ft Atlantic, with Zebrano finish. The 7ft Magno, with Borneo glossy finish, is a standard pool table, while Sam also had several air-hockey tables on display including the 220, Mini, Yukon, and Baby.

The Black Yukon was originally designed for a domestic customer, and the all-black table picked out with electric blue flashing lights around the top rail made quite an impression on show visitors.

The new white finish of the White Balmoral makes the design of the traditional wood English pool table contemporary again.

On the air hockey front, in Fast Tennis the classic face-to-face confrontation across the net is a perfect theme. It also enables use of some basic rules of play, in serving to alternate sides, for instance.

Pan Amusements

The world’s leading manufacturer of electronic shooting galleries, Pan Amusements had an extremely successful show across its whole range of products at EAG London. The company again benefited from strong representation on two stands – its own with a Wild West-themed gallery, and that of distribution partner Sega with its new Repair Shop gallery and Sideshow, a compact three-gun mini-gallery.

“There is no doubt that Sideshow is a gallery for the times,” said Pan managing director Paul Whittaker, “as some operators have their eye on a smaller investment with a rapid payback. Yet we are also seeing a strong revival in our standard and bespoke galleries.”

At the show Pan sold two Repair Shops, one of them to Italy; two pirate-themed galleries to Brazil; a Hillbilly to Norway; and three further galleries to operators in the UK.

Repair Shop is the latest of Pan’s themed galleries and the flagship for its commitment to constantly improving both the animation and electronic control of its galleries. Whittaker added: “It’s great that not only do operators want our galleries but they also want them quickly. So we now have a very busy period over the next few months to fulfil these orders. However, as an independently-run company with a very flexible and committed workforce, we will be able to meet these commitments.”

Formula K

At EAG this year Formula K exhibited its range of Traxters – 24V battery-operated children’s coin-op fun cars including a mini quad bike, a Grand Prix car, a farmyard tractor and a mini Rascal go-kart.

Designed for the 5-12 age group, all the cars have a tight turning circle ideal for use within compact areas. Younger children now do not need to miss out on the fun as each model in the range has a secondary parent seating area to enable an adult to assist a younger child to ride.

All of the models are fitted with an operator-programmable control system which allows simple menu control over the many electronic features, including simulated noise, security ride counter, speed, auto-stop safety system and coin validator functions.

These mini-cars are currently selling extremely well to many applications including indoor soft play centres, malls, hotels, FECs, major amusement parks, travelling attractions and smaller standalone operations.

After an excellent show in the EAG at Excel, Formula K plans to continue its long-standing participation at Deal Dubai, the Euro Attraction show at Olympia and finally IAAPA Orlando.

Gameart

Established in 2000 and headquartered in Hong Kong, Gameart has become one of China’s leading suppliers, exporters and operators in the amusement business.

At present it has ten fun centres in Hong Kong, as well as two factories and a sales office in Guangdong, China. Products and services range from mechanical rides, redemption machines, air hockey, and pinball machines, to theme-park decoration, management software, and so on.

The customer base includes operators in the UK, Italy, Spain, Greece, the U.S., Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

At EAG, sales manager Frankie Wu exhibited the new quick coin redemption machine Travel of the World.

At the panel of this game, there are several country names standing for different tickets. When a player inserts a coin,

if the coin hits a target, the player will get certain tickets. The game received many inquiries at and after the show, Wu said, and the blinking lights, world-travelling themes, and high payout had successfully attracted many visitors to stay at least five minutes at Gameart’s booth.

Kalkomat

Every company wants to launch new machines at shows such as EAG – and Kalkomat, the Polish manufacturer of coin-operated boxing machines, every year does just that.

This year, two new machines were presented to visitors: Boxer Win Cash and Boxer Fire. Both machines use state-of-the-art technology, being both functional and modern.

Boxer Win Cash, despite its attention-catching look, issues capsules with cash prizes only after a record is broken, so it falls into the SWP category. This machine can therefore be used in countries like the UK where regulations allow winning small cash prizes in skill games.

The second machine, Boxer Fire, is equipped with an extra shock-absorbing system which makes this machine super-silent while in use. It also has an extra secured cash box to provide even more security for the money collected in the machine, and is being offered at a great, competitive price.

Both machines have more than 200 music themes, tournament game mode for up to six players, four game types (power, speed, reflex, tournament), free-play mode, and halogen lamp indicators, and can have additional functionalities like banknote reader, ticket dispenser, thermal printer or even double bill or coin acceptors.

Lotelle

With many thousands of units sold to leading operators in the UK and overseas, Lotelle’s TheWon is proving to be a winner. It has a proven track record with an unsurpassed fully automatic, self-adjusting crane processor which readily fits to existing cranes.

TheWon is easy to set up and even easier in operation – guaranteed to make cranes more profitable through improving play. Convincing sceptics with a free-trial offer has proven to be highly successful.

Lotelle also remains responsive to needs in the amusement and leisure industries, and is constantly developing new solutions. For example, one of its latest products is the Mammoth Kit. This enhances the existing crane and increases revenue while improving the operation of the notoriously difficult Mammoth Crane.

Exhibiting at EAG, Lotelle unveiled the Upgrade Kit, a crane processor kit for Elaut Intelligrab Cranes. Based on TheWon’s verified technology, this offers enhanced performance and easier settings in operation, all serving to increase profitability.

Lotelle also designs and manufactures LED illuminated dance floors, and has installed bespoke LED dance floors in major leisure venues including sites in London’s West End and the Tiger Tiger chain. These dance floors create that extra pizzazz that makes customers tell their friends about the venue and keeps them coming back for more.

Northern Leisure/Kiddy Rides

Northern Leisure Group, trading as Kiddy Rides, this year celebrates 25 years in business and successfully launched two new coin-operated rides at EAG.

The Swing Boat is seated on a brand-new base design, which has been developed to give a smooth steady swinging motion, making it completely different from anything that’s been done in recent years. The ride swings smoothly from side to side, and slowly comes to rest back at its starting position via self-levelling technology. The gel-coated ride seats two children, and features nautical-style steering wheels, interactive push buttons, and crystal-clear stereo sounds, playing a themed classic children’s nursery rhyme.

The Scalextric Car, meanwhile, is based on the Start series by Scalextric, and available in electric blue or red-and-white. A 10.4-inch monitor is located in the windscreen area showing the slot car video, while interactive push buttons with MP3 sound all enhance this fabulous-looking vehicle.

Also at the show Kiddy Rides exhibited the extremely popular Peppa Pig car, its three-seater rides The Big Red Bus and The Runaway Train Carousel, and a small-footprint ride – The Interactive Ice Rider, complete with video game.

Valley-Dynamo/Champion Shuffleboard

Valley-Dynamo and Champion Shuffleboard had a substantial stand at EAG. Both companies’ products are known for consistent quality, tournament-tested toughness, top-line earnings, player preference, and long-term durability. Indeed, these products are known to last 20 years or longer under heavy commercial use.

Both companies are pioneers in their market segments, with continuing significant industry innovations throughout their histories. Valley invented the coin-operated pool table in the 1940s and owns a 90 percent share of the U.S. market. Champion Shuffleboard is the largest manufacturer of shuffleboards in the world and also has a huge market share.

Recently Champion appointed Rego Shuffleboards as its European distributor, and Geir Oterhals brought a fabulous innovation to the shuffleboard tables, displaying at EAG a 22ft Champion Limited Edition shuffleboard.

This is a fascinating game that is over 100 years old in the U.S. Found mostly in pubs, the game is addictive and is nearly always played by folks who enjoy drinking. Though the table can be fitted with coin operation or note acceptors, Rego fitted this model with a credit-card reader. You swipe your card and buy a certain amount of time. The display shows a phone number that the player can call to add more time or to transfer money to his card.

This cutting-edge technology is now rampant throughout Scandinavia and is spreading to the rest of the continent. There are huge advantages as well for the operator. One of those is that there is no need for on-site collections – revenues are all handled electronically.

Even more important than that, the operator can manage his entire route from his PC. The software allows you to see every game and how much play it is getting, tells you if the game is not playing properly or has broken down, and much more. From his PC the operator sees these things in real time. He can reset a game remotely or even put free plays on it. It handles all the accounting features and does much more. Wireless Internet connection is made via a small unit with antenna attached to the shuffleboard.

E-Service

E-Service is the highly specialised technical service company created more than eight years ago to provide UK gaming, amusement and vending operators with efficient and cost-effective spare parts, electronic repairs and support.

EAG was very positive for E-Service, which showcased a range of new components including the 26-inch and 42-inch LCD retrofit kits. The 42-inch kit simply replaces a 50-inch rear-projection monitor and the 26-inch replaces 30-inch CRT monitors. The picture quality on both units is outstanding, and retrofitting eliminates expensive repairs on old equipment and regenerates the complete machine.

E-Service also announced at the show that it is now exclusive service provider for Thomas Change Machines. This news was very well-received, particularly when E-Service explained that it offers a full advance replacement service on most Thomas Change machine components and a comprehensive and knowledgeable field service team offering both ad-hoc and service-contract agreements.

Along with new product launches and exclusive service agreements, E-Service has continued to expand its ever-growing van-run service in the UK – which is now nationwide, covering more than 400,000 miles per year – as well as its advance replacement service, under which 98 percent of orders are shipped out same-day.

E-Service also showed a compendium of JCM products, including the VEGA, with its recycler unit holding up to 30 notes. Once again, E-Service was pleased to highlight that it is the exclusive UK service centre for JCM.

Luca

Luca presented its products at EAG together with its representative for UK, All Things Nice Vending.

Luca is an Italian company that produces and markets capsule-vending machines, which present balls containing gadgets and little toys. It also builds tattoo vending machines; kiddie rides; redemption games; and many other products.

It offers its customers high-quality vending machines with innovative design, always on the cutting edge and developed to match evolving market requirements. In the last few years it has diversified its business both in Italy and internationally, developing its product range and a European network for vending machines.

The principal products on show at EAG included the redemption game Go-Goal, a vending machine with mechanical game attached. This product can work in several different ways, for example by allowing the player to win every time and have the chance at also winning a second product, or introducing the risk of losing, depending on the skill of the player. A new lights option has been added, with the attractive appearance giving a greater value to the machine.

Also at the Luca stand visitors could see the vending machine La Meraviglia/The Wonder, a classic also updated with the lights option, and the new Mini 3L station, which provides quality, reliability and the best performance ever but in a Mini version at a price that can be affordable for all. This product can also be provided with lights, as can all Luca’s vending machines.

Innovative Technology

Innovative Technology Ltd. (ITL) kick-started 2011 with a bang, exhibiting at both London shows: ICE and EAG.

Payout solutions were the company’s focus this year, and EAG was the ideal venue for the UK launch of the new NV11 Validator + Note Float. Aimed at amusement operators, the NV11 attracted substantial interest at the shows, with more than 70 percent of enquiries relating to this product.

The NV11 combines an NV9 USB bank note validator with a note payout unit, utilising notes to aid operators in the battle against coin starvation. The NV11 can be used in any AWPs to keep machines running.

ITL marketing executive Dayna Patterson said of the London shows: “The number of positive enquiries from EAG was very encouraging, so much so that we are investigating stand possibilities for 2012. This year we took our three innovative payout solutions to London – the Smart Hopper and Smart Payout, which when combined can pay out any combination of mixed notes and coins, and the new NV11, an ideal companion in the fight against AWP coin-hopper starvation. 2011 looks set to be an exciting year for Innovative Technology exhibition-wise, with numerous dates in the diary.”

Astrosystems

Astrosystems enjoyed a very busy and productive EAG, with much interest in the Microcoin range of electronic coin acceptors.

The Microcoin range is designed to provide the best mix of security, speed and reliability. Microcoin SP is already specified by a significant number of UK and European jukebox and pool table OEMs as the default coin acceptor, while the Microcoin QL is a popular choice in the gaming industry.

“EAG provided the ideal platform to present the Microcoin SP to the UK and European amusement markets. Its unique reject mechanism eliminates the need for costly service call-outs, therefore reducing the cost of ownership immensely,” said sales manager Steve Priest.

Following EAG, the distribution agreement between Astrosystems and Eurocoin for the GBA product range has been dissolved and a more customer-focused service is being offered by AstroSystems.

Said Priest: “Feedback from customers and potential clients has highlighted the preference to deal directly with the manufacturer. However, we will continue to work with service agents in key territories, providing the customer with valuable local support, should they choose.”

The star of the show on the Atronic stand was the brand-new Oxygen product family, which enjoyed its international premiere in Earls Court. Visitors saw exciting new multi-game links and an impressive line-up of core games, as well as innovative systems solutions and features. The Oxygen upright and slant-top cabinets feature Atronic’s new Sensys EP platform.

Server-based gaming specialist Inspired Gaming Group experienced its “most successful ICE to date”. Said CEO Luke Alvarez: 
“People were queuing to see how real Virtual Sports in 3D can be and place a few bets on our international sports betting terminals.”

Novomatic presented a range of new products for 2011, including 14 new Coolfire II games and 15 new Novo Line games, for both VLT and GDS (Games Download System) applications. Austrian Gaming Industries (AGI) also had a brand-new community gaming novelty, Bank Blaster.

The standout on the Suzo Happ stand was the RGB slot machine handle – simple but incredibly effective. It doesn’t require any space inside the cabinet; it simply attaches to the outside of the machine.

Amatic’s headline act was the new Performer C22 slot machine, an attractive and ergonomic cabinet with 22-inch dual-screen setup that is all the more appealing when you add in Amatic’s games packages. New games on show in the cabinet included Bells on Fire, Casanova and Wild Shark.

One of the great surprises of the exhibition was DRGT and its cashless solution for slots, which genuinely opens up cashless gaming and all the savings that implies for a fraction of the usual outlay. This makes it attractive for smaller venues or operators with older slots.

Bulgarian slot manufacturer EGT launched its new multi-level progressive jackpot system, Cat 4 Cash, alongside the new 3D animated P-Series games, new platform Exciter II, and new games and mixes for the established Vega Vision line.

Another great-looking stand from Interblock, populated with the interesting and exciting products that the company is well-known for. Organic Island was a real draw; it’s a multiplayer, multi-game experience.

Since the company has streamlined operations, Aristocrat’s clear focus seems to be paying off. The new Viridian WS widescreen cabinet was on show with more than 30 titles available.

Quixant launched two new boards for the international market – the QXi-200 and the QXi-100. The 200 features the AMD Fusion APU for extremely high graphics performance, and dual DVI connectors for superb quality on two game screens, including HD potential.

The standouts of Merkur’s line-up continue to be its multi-game selections, but the cabinets are striking too.

Unsurprisingly, JCM’s iVizion was its highlight, with Contact Image Sensor technology that, the firm says, scans 75 times more data points than any competitor products. Banknotes are optically centred regardless of width so there’s no need for mechanical centring, and there’s an anti-stringing device too.

Slot giant Bally had another absolutely full stand at ICE, with so much product it was dizzying. Highlights included the Alpha 2 Pro Series cabinets, which give a really immersive experience to the player with surround sound, HD video and slick 3D animations. They come in slant-top, spinning wheel, and upright forms and also in configurations with digital, wheel and hammerhead top displays.

From IGT this year we saw the stunning Dark Knight, American Idol, the excellent Ghostbusters (very popular with ICE visitors), the beautifully-put-together Dirty Dancing, and the evergreen Star Wars.

The hero product for MEI was the Cashflow SC Advance, a bill validator with an improved recognition system, where transmissive sensors are used to see right through a banknote; MEI also says it has faster bill-to-bill speed, so transactions are quicker and players are happier.

WMS has added to its great cabinets, brilliant sound, and solid game licences with the wonderful Godfather game. Also of note was Alice, the Alice in Wonderland-themed Transmissive Reel slot with the wonderful Goldfish-style 3D top box. It’s not ready to order yet, but when it is, expect it to fly.

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