Play Meter

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE WEEKLY GROSS COLLECTIONS BY THE TYPE OF MACHINE TYPE OF MACHINE 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 Pool Tables $ 71 $ 84 $142 $ 76 $ 81 $ 83 $ 60 $ 61 $ 58 $ 63 $ 58 111 101 105 140 136 177 191 266 • • • Electronic Dart Games 46 50 39 62 45 49 73 44 57 55 • Video Games • • • • • • 64 57 57 53 70 Dedicated 95 89 95 73 78 92 • • • • • Kits 88 69 53 85 62 68 • • • • • 56 44 42 60 37 36 35 33 21 50 • Pinball Games 128 81 63 61 70 54 60 51 52 41 38 Phonographs • • • • • • 69 55 47 40 50 Standard 44 63 67 73 62 59 • • • • • 174 138 158 139 125 128 • • • • • Shuffleboards 42 30 43 39 43 33 45 • 31 30 • Foosball 46 35 39 36 30 35 28 • 25 26 • Pokers 290 188 275 185 161 • • • • • • Redemption 261 137 121 252 • • • • • • • Cranes & Rotaries Kiddie Rides CD Interestingly, that number was just 60% the previous year when the majority of interested states were vying to have them legalized. It's hardly difficult to understand the popularity of the devices when you consider that the average weekly gross from each machine is $289. But before anyone decides to make video poker their game of choice, remember that getting caught operating illegal gaming machines can have disastrous results. Video games As always, video games are the predominant equipment category in the coin-op industry. Close to 95 % of all operators have video games on their routes; about 56% of those games are kits. Although the majority of operator comments this year centered on the high cost of video games, operators still bought about 232,000 of PLAY METER them. Those purchases were Operators reported just over a down slightly from 250,000 the million video games on location, down slightly from the 1.2 million year before . What changed significantly was last year. the average weekly gross of video There was so much media games. Last time we reported attention on violence, from televidedicated video games outearn- sion programs to our own video ing kits $89 to $69 per week. This games, that we decided to ask time the average weekly gross operators if they felt that video earnings of kits inched even clos- games were too violent. Even with er to that of dedicated games- the focus placed on violence, only $89 for kits compared to $95 for 39% of the operators said they felt dedicated games. games were too violent . When Of course, it was only five years asked if they had decided not to ago that we separated dedicated operate video games with violent video games from video game themes, nearly 80% said they kits because of the obvious differ- would not stop operating them. ence in collections. In reviewing Pinball games the responses this year, we feel that we should consider separat1993 was a good year for pining the virtual reality games next ball. The industry was treated to time. Many operators comment- some of its best from all of the ed on the return on investment manufacturers. Operators didn't for these expensive purchases fail to notice and 'reported makand look to much higher earn- ing over 30,000 new purchases. ings. Close to 60% of operators said 10 1994 DIRECTORY