11 replies to this topic

[stanmarsh14]

From Bell-Fruit's news page.....

 
New technical standards came into effect on 8th November for Cat C gamingmachines.

These changes affect three main areas on machines:


-Speed of Play: Changes in speed of play have been approved, with game speed being linked to stake.

-Cashpots: A technical fix has been announced to remove an unintended restriction on the use of pots on Cat C machines.

-Game links: Cat C games may incorporate 100% holdover on non-winning games so that any features and bonuses built up can be carried forward.


The changes came about following the Gambling Commission being approached by BACTA, the trade association for the sector, which highlighted the decline in the UK gaming machine manufacturing industry along with the difficult conditions being experienced by many operators.BACTA put together a package of proposals to amend the technical standards in relation to Cat C machines with a view to increasing their attractiveness, whilst posing no substantial threat to the Gambling Commission’s licensing objectives. The proposals were designed to enable new machines to compete more effectively with legacy machines and encourage the industry to remove these from site. The Gambling Commission is hopeful that the changes which have now been implemented will result in an early substantial reduction in the number of legacy machines still in operation.

http://www.bellfruit....co.uk/news.htm

[nails]

^{its about time bacta got their finger out and introduced linked progressive jackpots}

[nails]

From Bell-Fruit's news page.....

 
New technical standards came into effect on 8th November for Cat C gamingmachines.

These changes affect three main areas on machines:


-Speed of Play: Changes in speed of play have been approved, with game speed being linked to stake.

-Cashpots: A technical fix has been announced to remove an unintended restriction on the use of pots on Cat C machines.

-Game links: Cat C games may incorporate 100% holdover on non-winning games so that any features and bonuses built up can be carried forward.


The changes came about following the Gambling Commission being approached by BACTA, the trade association for the sector, which highlighted the decline in the UK gaming machine manufacturing industry along with the difficult conditions being experienced by many operators.BACTA put together a package of proposals to amend the technical standards in relation to Cat C machines with a view to increasing their attractiveness, whilst posing no substantial threat to the Gambling Commission’s licensing objectives. The proposals were designed to enable new machines to compete more effectively with legacy machines and encourage the industry to remove these from site. The Gambling Commission is hopeful that the changes which have now been implemented will result in an early substantial reduction in the number of legacy machines still in operation.

http://www.bellfruit....co.uk/news.htm

unfortunately a huge proportion of  'decent' and entertaining games are old legacy products. 

 

I accept that a way forward is video based products, but the designers have a long way to go.

[Bencrest]

If they haven't learnt yet that it is the loss of the amusement factor that is losing customers, rather than higher, linked jackpots then they never will.

bj

 

You should be able to have some entertainment with change from a pint... without having to buy that pint with a £50 note. I don't know what the industry is thinking with pub machines, when you consider the NMW is only just over £6 and yet that can last less than 15 seconds on a pub fruity.

 

The only thing keeping the industry going now is the hardcore addict, I know bugger all 'casual' players any more.

[stevedude2]

If they haven't learnt yet that it is the loss of the amusement factor that is losing customers, rather than higher, linked jackpots then they never will.

bj

Agreed.

 

Cat C is a waste of time these days with the current stakes and prizes, and will be more so if/when the jackpots go up to £100.  People will always gravitate to the B3 games when playing at £1 stake.

 

I'd rather see much less focus on Cat C and instead have Cat D increased to 20p/£10 like the good old days when all-cash machines first came in.  This gives plenty of scope for new games and also re-releases of classic older games like Jewel in the Crown, The Great Escape and so on.

 

As Nails said in Coin Slot the other week I am sick of seeing 'new' games that just involve lighting 3 symbols on a lapper board to get into a feature that looks like Deal or No Deal, and then the drivel that follows it - 'Phenominal takes'...'Exceeded expectations'...'order books filled up in record-breaking time'...'DNA'...it absolutely drives me up the wall.

 

The trouble is, the £70 jackpot really does stifle gameplay; few people play at £1 so the normal punter is getting 1/140 or 1/280 as a stake/prize ratio when playing at 50p or 25p respectively, and a soul-destroying experience much of the time.  How is this problem going to be helped when the jackpots go up?

 

Cat D on 20p/£10 with an occasional run between £30-50 is the way forward - a lot of games already take more money on Cat D than their Cat C counterparts in any case.  It would be a chance to sell decent volumes once more and bring some classics back in their original guise.

[stanmarsh14]

Agreed.

 

Cat C is a waste of time these days with the current stakes and prizes, and will be more so if/when the jackpots go up to £100.  People will always gravitate to the B3 games when playing at £1 stake.

 

I'd rather see much less focus on Cat C and instead have Cat D increased to 20p/£10 like the good old days when all-cash machines first came in.  This gives plenty of scope for new games and also re-releases of classic older games like Jewel in the Crown, The Great Escape and so on.

 

As Nails said in Coin Slot the other week I am sick of seeing 'new' games that just involve lighting 3 symbols on a lapper board to get into a feature that looks like Deal or No Deal, and then the drivel that follows it - 'Phenominal takes'...'Exceeded expectations'...'order books filled up in record-breaking time'...'DNA'...it absolutely drives me up the wall.

 

The trouble is, the £70 jackpot really does stifle gameplay; few people play at £1 so the normal punter is getting 1/140 or 1/280 as a stake/prize ratio when playing at 50p or 25p respectively, and a soul-destroying experience much of the time.  How is this problem going to be helped when the jackpots go up?

 

Cat D on 20p/£10 with an occasional run between £30-50 is the way forward - a lot of games already take more money on Cat D than their Cat C counterparts in any case.  It would be a chance to sell decent volumes once more and bring some classics back in their original guise.

 

Indeed, CAT D is now our main focus, and there has been talk that when the tri-anual review is done, that CAT D will become £10 / 20p, which to us means a big possibility of our generation of games re-appearing, and I do hope this happens.

For the casual punter though, when faced with a choice of CAT C or B3, they will drift towards B3 now..... CAT C is basically dead now, with it's current and proposed levels of price of play and JP's.

 

CAT C should have NEVER gone above £50 / 50p, especially when you look at what is permitted under CAT B3

Edited by stanmarsh14, 24 June 2013 - 10:57 AM.

[Magz]

 

You should be able to have some entertainment with change from a pint... without having to buy that pint with a £50 note. I don't know what the industry is thinking with pub machines, when you consider the NMW is only just over £6 and yet that can last less than 15 seconds on a pub fruity.

 

The only thing keeping the industry going now is the hardcore addict, I know bugger all 'casual' players any more.

 

"without having to buy that pint with a £50 note" - still laughing at that one. I put £20 in change in at the services the other week. 1st play in 5 or 6 years. Does that make me a casual player?

[killcrazy]

For me fruit machines lost all enjoyment and playability as soon as they moved from 30p/£25 to 50p/£35.  I'll never forget throwing away £20 on a fruity in the Trafford Centre in what was literally less than 2 minutes.

 

This actually caused me to kick my habit without even realising!  Only struck me about 6 months later when I realised I hadn't played a machine for that long!

Edited by killcrazy, 24 June 2013 - 02:59 PM.

[policematrix]

 

 

I accept that a way forward is video based products, but the designers have a long way to go.

i hate them and would not play them all my friends are the same , if we see these in a pub we hit the question machines , its just not the same , ill stick with my old emulators =D

[nails]

long live killcrazys epoch emulator ??????

[jaybee]

Some of the classics are just as dull!

 

Pumped £50 into the Project Fortune Wheel layout for about £12 return. Went just as fast as a DOND on 25p I'd say. Yawn!

 

Not dissing the layout, just some of us look at the golden days and try not to remember that machines were just as boring back then. They could take your weeks wage just as quick. Bear in mine I was lucky to earn £100 a week late 80's!

Edited by jaybee, 24 June 2013 - 05:08 PM.