The purpose is to use them for advertisements. The location can promote events, tournaments, food/drink specials, etc... Anything really.

I created an animated gif of each of my machines spelling out "HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM PRIDE PINBALL". Each machine had a different word. Unfortunately, it's saved on another computer. I might have posted it in the EHoH thread. I don't remember.

I saw these in an ad for an STTNG a few years ago:

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And I did this on my RFM to advertise a smaller local show at another larger show:

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One of my favorites years ago was when Mark Ritchie sold his personal Diner. He put "Owners Name is my new daddy". It was a couple weeks before the new owner discovered it.

LTG : )

You can do this on some Williams arcade games as well.
I know Sinistar is one that has it.

At one point we had a message that popped up on ours that said "I hunger for Cinnabons".

Wasn't a custom message. I hope you went and got him some.

LTG : )

LOL, yes it was a custom message.

I added "welcome to hell" for AC/DC.

My Funhouse, bought for me for Xmas in 2008 by my wife who died tragically in 2010 (in 8 days it will be 10 years), has the message

DEDICATED TO KAREN

Well, today's the rueful anniversary, handling it okay, and thinking about how I didn't mean to be a buzzkill for this thread, so please, let's hear what other cool custom messages y'all have on your games!

Your Wife is still loved and remembered.

Not a buzzkill. We often need to be reminded of what is important and what we really love.

LTG : )
Disclaimer : I haven't kept up with custom messages on my games. In the past I advertised local players groups or the group that had games at the state fair. Right now only Breakshot has a message. It came in with one. Welcome to an Arcade. Which I changed arcade to SS Billiards. I guess I better start the custom messages up again.

Buzzkill ? C'mon man.
Hope you have a nice remembering day.

My wife thought Scared Stiff was kinda easy, so I put the message "Laurie Thinks I'm Too Easy" on it, and it was MONTHS until she saw it while she was just hanging out in the game room.

She goes "Did that just say I think it's too easy???" I'm not sure she knew you could customize them, but it was funny as shit.

Most of mine welcome you to my arcade with some slight variations. The Tee'd Off originally was in my "clubhouse" and the message is the name of my backyard golfcourse with an image of the logo golfball for the course. The "Just say no..." that comes after was a replacement of the original Just Say No to Drugs message. The Addams Family is a game I bought for my daughter since it was her favorite. So she welcomes you to her family
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I showed my daughter how to enter a custom message on my ST pro. She put in her name and something like "super grand champion" with a ridiculously huge number. She cares zip about pinball but had fun doing this. After selling the pin and it trading hands a few times, I saw pictures of it on facebook with that same custom message. It amuses me to think someone might take that message seriously or not even notice it at all. That or maybe just too lazy to change it lol.

I did something similar when I owned my Pin*Bot.... my wife and I were at an auction and I was looking over the row of pinball machines, my wife leans into me and says "Buy one with a ramp" (at the time all I had were EM's and early SS), I surprisingly won it and when I finally set it up my custom message was "Chrystal said buy one with a ramp"

Now my three games that do custom messages just say Welcome to Rolling Meadows Arcade.... but I might have to steal @jawjaw's daugthers idea and fake a few friends out lol

Big hugs to you my friend. I never noticed the message on your Funhouse, but that is a very nice touch. Take care, and know you are loved!

My Monday Night Football says “Support your local Silverball! Play Saratoga Pinball!”
And I thought the message didn’t take so I put in another that said “LOVE Silverball <3” so now it kinda reads like the machine is leaving you a love letter!