8 replies to this topic

[turboshandy]

hi guys

i live near the sea and most of the arcades near me are full of fruit machines but i find lately that they are empty on the sea front we have a casino full of them and that place is virtualy empty most of the time i go to brighton a lot 2 and most of them are not as busy as they used to be

are fruit machines a dying breed?

any comments?

[Zoltar]

When I was younger, sea front arcades on the east coast of Yorkshire would close for the off-season period. Only a basic few would remain open, like those with dual businesses. Cafe's, bars and bowling lanes inside their arcades.

I was always under the impression that those arcades that closed for the winter, would set their machines on the lowest (70%) setting so as to cover their closedown costs. These places would open again 6 months later equipped with an array of whole new machines, so they must have made a few bob in just a few months.

The arcade that opens all year round must lose a fortune in winter. They must make up for losses on winter running costs on summer trade. These too must have shitty percentages too. This in collaboration with the state and standards of modern gaming machines make people stay away.

The actual words 'amusement arcade' must be a rarity now as most call themselves 'Entertainment Centres' and try to cater for so many other things to try and catch custom. A lot of seaside 'holiday season' employers must be finding it harder and harder to recruit staff now that everyone has a car and can commute to the cities. Maybe all year round arcades are a means of securing worthwhile and dependant staff. As fruit machines get more and more unfriendly, these places get more and more empty of customers. Even our seaside towns have closed down arcades in the summer months as the demand for this type of entertainment drys up.

Compost

[f00n]

fruit machiens are already dead in my mind as far as playing real ones go......i'll play the emu but never will a penny of my money enter a UK AWP as long as they are illegally operating.

This is a blessing in disguise for me.....but i will miss em

[Steinman]

8)
When I used to play machines a lot (Early 1980's-1990 apx) yes there were loads @ seaside. Some of the arcades did stay open through the winter. But from my memory the ones I visited did ok. There were your video games in there as well. Pac-Man addicts like myself were there. 8O Thing is though they would only open til apx 6 or 7pm. Not 10/11pm like in Summer season. Thinking of my then local ones on Hayling Island (Hampshire)open all yr, there was 1 open @ Beachlands (by fairground) & another 1 or 2 @ Creek road (sort of mini- Blackpool strip/Las Vegas). Within same street was snooker club, cafe's etc.
Was not much else for teenagers to do!
Since the late 80's-90's though I personally have noticed a switch away from amusement arcades @ seaside to ones in city/town centres. they seem to be springing up in every high steet now where retail shops used to be. Within this new breed of arcade the fruit machine has edged out the video game & it's wall to wall fruities. Usually the same!
These places are open 7 days a week all yr.
The 'fun' element of going to the sea-side & playing a fruit machine is dying, but with it the 'easy access' fruit machine has arrived. (Not including pubs- coz always been there)
I myself am guilty of losing £ in the late 80's/90's when I was 95% addicted to them. I got a girlfriend & it was either go out with Paula (Thanks Paula- you didnt know it but you turned my life around) or play the fruits - not enough money for both!
Now look @ me today. Up late playing Emulators & writing my life history!

[Jez_Shaw]

In my opinion, I do think the fruity as we know it is a dying breed, however a lot of the blame has to be placed firmly at the door of the manufacturers. Their current policy of machines which suck you dry mercilessly for days at a time in order to give a streak for about 10 minutes is diabolical. This is driving away the casual player, and preying on the hardened addicts. I first started playing fruities in the late seventies/early eighties and in those days virtually anyone could play a machine and have a reasonable chance of walking away a couple of quid in profit (remember the cost of one game was 10p). Today's machines have taken the 'Amusement' out of AWP. I rarely play fruities now, as there is absolutely no enjoyment in them for me any more. Gone are the days when I would happily spend £10 on a fruity and see how long it would last while having fun - If I happened to hit a streak & walked away in profit this was a bonus. Anyway that's the macine issue addressed.

The problem with arcades is a different matter altogether. These establishments seem to attract the less savoury characters in society. I have stopped visiting arcades for the following reasons. Some or all of which may apply to other people.
1. Machines 'chipped' so that the payouts are nowhere near the percentages displayed on the cabinet.
2. 'Sharks' that cruise around looking for the machines which are about to drop. Nothing pisses me off more (apart from point 3 below, maybe) than having somebody leaning on a nearby machine watching my every move.
3. Dickheads who come up to you giving unsolicited advice (which may or may not be accurate) and then expect a cut.
4. Snotty attendants who are quite keen to take your notes in exchange for pound coins, but are loathe to change them back again on the rare occasion when you win ("Ooh sorry luv, I've just had to cash the notes in so we can't get at them"). So you end up leaving with £60-£70 in coins in your pockets, walking around like a deep sea diver.

Now I'm not saying that this is the case in every arcade, but until the industry sorts itself out voluntarily, or the government ever gets it's act together (heaven forbid), then the decline will continue.

[buzzin_nutta]

Yeah what is the deal with not chaning coins back??

Arseholes :/

[Steinman]

It's coz they want you to spend um again in the arcades.
Once left arcarde with £78 in coins, coz "end of day luv, no notes!".
Still I actually made a profit then!
Also quite agree about the point made about seeing how far £10 would go.
These days it seems 2 mins! Old days (70-80's) on 10p a go quite a while.
Glad I stopped playing in the arcades. :wink:

[Jez_Shaw]

It's coz they want you to spend um again in the arcades.

That may be the case, but you can't tell me that if you went to an attendant and asked them to change your pound coins into notes and they said 'no' that you would then proceed to put them all back in!

[spa]

That's always been like that with the coins. I very rarely change up coins these days just take them all home with me. Live and learn, change up too much and you could get banned.... I did.

£368 pound coins are quite heavy though


Loads of arcades are open all year round in Hunstanton. They open through the week til 7ish and weekends 10pm.