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A real life experiment into how the general public likes pinball


Koops

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Or not.

 

So a few weeks back i'm at work (a tech company) and one of the marketing girls (in a cubical just near me) was taking to someone quite loud on the phone about hiring something fun for an event we're having like arcade games or ....pinball machines.

 

"Ohhh I better listen to the rest of this". So they are getting prices to hire some for an event we're having. She's getting a list of the machines.

 

So she finishes up and I walk past and mention I have some at home so I could have a look at the list and see if any are worth hiring. She asks what ones do I have so I show some pictures.

 

"I could bring a couple in if there is interest".

 

Next thing you know Im now on the hook for bringing pins to work. Oh well perhaps I'll get paid to play for a few hours.

 

Hmm what ones to take...

 

I decided on a mix.

 

NBA Fastbreak (because it needed to be out of my house)

Twilight zone (pretty classic 90's)

Hobbit (lcd attracts spectators)

Stern Star Trek (now with colordmd!)

 

f7b617d248d002edd1e09eda41caeda0.jpg

 

A mix of generations and game play styles.

 

Over a two week period I pack them up and bring them into work.

 

People keep asking me things about them and it feels like they'll be popular. I did leave them off as people need to actually do some work.

 

In an office and our team is around 120 or so staff so odds would be good that someone would like pinball right?

 

Edit: on Friday I had one of the shittest work days in 15 years. **** it ... I'm turning the machines on!

 

I had the machines on for two hours on Friday arvo after 3pm ..... I got 6 people including myself.

 

So 5% interest, so 95% uninterested. not quite the 99.9999% that I'd heard before but still.

 

Eh.

 

Casualty list so far is 2 flipper springs, a few leg bolts and their threads and my tz clock.

 

We'll see how the actual event goes next week.

 

Serves me right for eavesdropping I suppose.

 

Hopefully I haven't wasted my time. :/

Edited by Koops
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Or not.

 

So a few weeks back i'm at work (a tech company) and one of the marketing girls (in a cubical just near me) was taking to someone quite loud on the phone about hiring something fun for an event we're having like arcade games or ....pinball machines.

 

"Ohhh I better listen to the rest of this". So they are getting prices to hire some for an event we're having. She's getting a list of the machines.

 

So she finishes up and I walk past and mention I have some at home so I could have a look at the list and see if any are worth hiring. She asks what ones do I have so I show some pictures.

 

"I could bring a couple in if there is interest".

 

Next thing you know Im now on the hook for bringing pins to work. Oh well perhaps I'll get paid to play for a few hours.

 

Hmm what ones to take...

 

I decided on a mix.

 

NBA Fastbreak (because it needed to be out of my house)

Twilight zone (pretty classic 90's)

Hobbit (lcd attracts spectators)

Stern Star Trek (now with colordmd!)

 

f7b617d248d002edd1e09eda41caeda0.jpg

 

A mix of generations and game play styles.

 

Over a two week period I pack them up and bring them into work.

 

People keep asking me things about them and it feels like they'll be popular. I did leave them off as people need to actually do some work.

 

In an office with about 120 or so staff so odds would be good that someone would like pinball right?

 

I had the machines on for two hours on Friday arvo after 3pm ..... I got 6 people including myself.

 

So 5% interest, not quite the 99.9999% I've heard before but still.

 

Eh.

 

Casualty list so far is 2 flipper springs, a few leg bolts and their threads and my tz clock.

 

We'll see how the actual event goes next week.

 

Serves me right for eavesdropping I suppose.

 

Hopefully I haven't wasted my time. :/

Early days. Sounds like a large organisation, takes time for people to reailes that the games are onsite and free to play

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I've found that people who weren't exposed to them in their youth are rarely interested.

 

Well, for folks 40+ anyway.....

Yep. Kids are interested, parents are not interested in their kids being interested when they learn of the cost.
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A real life experiment into how the general public likes pinball

 

I've found that people who weren't exposed to them in their youth are rarely interested.

 

Well, for folks 40+ anyway.....

 

Well that's the thing.

 

I'd say the majority are 40-50yo male.

 

The most interested was a new guy that just started recently. 20's indian and had never played a single machine before in his entire life.

 

Started him on the hobbit and within the first ball gets a mystery awarded Smaug multiball lol!

 

Hmm, i wonder how big the Indian market is ;)

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The most interested was a new guy that just started recently. 20's indian and had never played a single machine before in his entire life.

 

Started him on the hobbit and within the first ball gets a mystery awarded Smaug multiball lol!

 

Hmm, i wonder how big the Indian market is ;)

 

He'll probably crack the highest score within a week!

 

Yes, interesting indeed. I am having about 20 of my wife's work colleagues over in a few weeks and I'm sure my machines will be turned on. I'll be interested in who is keen for a game. There's a mix of ages too, from early 20's through to 50. Like Mike stated, unless they played or were exposed to them when younger, they may not show interest. Will be interesting indeed.

 

Good luck with your pins at work, and great line up indeed.

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I find that most people who never played them when they were popular are actually scared of them in a way. Too scared to push cabinet buttons in case they break something. Too scared of the noises they make (especially knockers). Too scared to try and understand what is going on on a playfield. It's a weird mindset but it's just as you say - much easier to get younger people into it than the older guys.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Aussie Arcade

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I think you need some easy to play and understand machines to crack into an unknown market.

 

While your machines look outstanding, the two late models are way to complex for the newb to go anywhere near and miles to complex for them to know what to do and the two Williams /Ballys are really not that far off.

 

If you want to break into that market I would say something like a T2 or Getaway or even an early 80's Bally or even an EM and if you want something pretty new I'd say Total Nuclear Annihilation.

 

TNA just looks like a simple 80s style game although I doubt it actually is but being a single layer game and clear of crap, it gives that impression.

 

To put it in an analogy easier to understand, to test out to see if you can drive for the first time would you jump in a Toyota or would you jump straight into the Ferrari?.

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I think you need some easy to play and understand machines to crack into an unknown market.

 

While your machines look outstanding, the two late models are way to complex for the newb to go anywhere near and miles to complex for them to know what to do and the two Williams /Ballys are really not that far off.

 

If you want to break into that market I would say something like a T2 or Getaway or even an early 80's Bally or even an EM and if you want something pretty new I'd say Total Nuclear Annihilation.

 

TNA just looks like a simple 80s style game although I doubt it actually is but being a single layer game and clear of crap, it gives that impression.

 

To put it in an analogy easier to understand, to test out to see if you can drive for the first time would you jump in a Toyota or would you jump straight into the Ferrari?.

 

Totally agree with that. I know people who will play EM's or early solid states for hours, but turn their noses up at anything with ramps etc.

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I think you need some easy to play and understand machines to crack into an unknown market.

 

To put it in an analogy easier to understand, to test out to see if you can drive for the first time would you jump in a Toyota or would you jump straight into the Ferrari?.

 

I'm not trying to crack a market. I think I didn't make it clear enough that this was fun and not profit.

 

Machines are all on free play.

 

Oh and a Ferrari everyday. No if's, no buts, no coconuts!

 

It's weird you use that analogy as one of the other things we had here was a tesla for "joy rides".

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When I worked at FX Channel they firstly had a Walking Dead Pro and then when that was given away as a prize a Walking Dead Premium was brought into the breakout room of the office of about 50 people.

 

Problem was that it needed to be switched off between 9am and 5pm. I was the only person who would play it. I would usually come in at 8am and have a few games before most of the other people arrived at work. Even with all the audio levels turned right down the sound of the pop bumpers was too loud for people to be able to do their work.

 

When we had Friday drinks I could sometimes get people to play but usually they would only play 1 game and then walk off. Interestingly any time I would get a danger warning they would think that was cheating :) Or that getting a tilt was cheating.

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When I had the new shed party here with the local farmers, some had never seen a Pinball machine & had a game to be polite but you could tell they had no understanding of what to do. A wife of one farmer got so hooked on Pin*Bot that she had sore wrists the next day. So how is it that the male farmer didn't click with it but his wife went ballistic. So it's a hard egg to crack knowing who's in & who's out.
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It doesn't matter what title you have, if somebody is not interested in the premise of the pinball machine, they won't play it.

 

Interest has to be there from the start or it will always be respected but not played.

 

You went to alot of effort getting those machines into work, sadly your workplace must have too many stiffs in it to warrant it.

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Well I have read every comment,on this post. Do I agree with some yes and there are other I don't.

But that is not what is it about.

I.D.4 is probably the best user friendly machine I have found for less experienced player.

The reason simple,easy layout,makes plenty of noise and scores big points,new players want to feel the have achieved something.

How do I start a new player, Press the red start button,tell them how to plunge a ball and how to use the flippers and the biggest thing watch the ball.

I will stand back let them play the first two balls. If they are struggling to hit the aliens head, I wait until ball three and ask can you just hit the aliens head and if they say I am not sure,I will ask can I hit it for you and I will hand it back. When I have hit the aliens head and i know multiball is coming I give it back and say now watch the ball,then turn around and walk away. When I do this over 90% of new player scream what do I do,just go for the flashing lights but remember hit the ball with the flippers.

You may look at this and go yes that's simple but remember keep it simple.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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WCS94 is the most attractive game for beginners in my experience. Straight away they get that they have to score a goal, that's all they care about and are quite content just doing that, it's a great reward when they do. And the game looks beautiful; it's a theme women aren't afraid of. .
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