(Topic ID: 178259)

How do Operators make money?

By BlackKnight3000

7 years ago


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  • 48 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 7 years ago by Mike_M
  • Topic is favorited by 7 Pinsiders

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    #32 7 years ago

    Pinball is today a tiny niche, and nowadays pinball players play at home. If you like pinball, you find all sort of information online. We are the pinball players. We have machines at home. Some people cannot afford it or do not have the space, but I do not think anyway people will start dropping lots of quarters again in pinball machines. There are so many other games available for free. People after the digital revolution want things for free, or anyway cheap. Yes the real thing is so much better than the virtual one. But still people do not want to spend decent amount of money in pinball. People with deep pockets interested in pinball, buy one. People with little money potentially interested, do not even consider spending tens of dollars in pinball machines. Or they get organized, and realize that its better buying a machine, play it to death, and sell it for about the same price. People obsessed by pinball spent a lot in the past, now they buy machines. So operating Machines you can break even at best, so its not worthed, unless you do it for pure passion. Its similar to certain music niche markets: producers, musicians just survive becuase of passion, but there is no real business there.
    The only business left in pinball is building new machines and sell them to rich people to play at home. Or sell replacements, mods and tools online. Those are sound businesses.

    #47 7 years ago
    Quoted from FlippyD:

    Anyone with kids or nephews has seen how today's children will watch ad after ad after ad while playing their free phone/tablet apps.
    Why not try this model with a pinball machine? Ad sponsored. Game is free to play. Have to watch a 5-15 second ad in between each ball, then a 30-60 second ad in-between games.
    Sounds crazy and I'm sure nobody in the business would be willing to give it a try. Would require a massive push on a massive title. Something like Star Wars. I'm sure operators wouldn't mind getting direct deposit from the ad agency instead of dealing with all the quarters each week.

    Sounds like a good idea really! Well, in order to bring back pinball I mean of course. All lights should be off in attract mode: a non-attractive attract mode, only showing ads.. The ads stops when you begin playing. And as you said ads between balls and a minimum amount of time between games. Or even after 3 lock, before multiball starts. Ads coulb be custom made and somehow slightly linked to what's going on during the action! So you could make ads "interesting". It could be also done as in JM, where you are told some code or numbers (during the ad), that need to be remembered to achieve certain things during gameplay. And probably still the dear old coin slot for ad-free play..

    Wow.. Great idea!

    #58 7 years ago

    Of course without ads is much better, no question. But we are talking about extreme measures to bring back pinball to new generations. Lets stop thinking as old players, and think like new players: they are used to fremium, its ruling, so it means that it appeals to the MAJORITY of people. The sophisticated minority or old school type (like me and you) can drop a coin and play ad free.

    #59 7 years ago

    One problem can arise: precedence. How many free games before letting the game to another player? Anyway, queues of people standing in front of a pinball machine would be exactly what we are looking for.

    #61 7 years ago

    No, I make it sound like kids get away with ads if they can play for free.

    #62 7 years ago

    Anyway, is some producer is listening: why dont you just try the idea with an existing machine? Its needed to write some extra code and test the result on few locations. No need at all to create a new machine. Some work to be done, but not that much. It may be worthed trying and see what happens.

    #66 7 years ago
    Quoted from IdahoRealtor:

    For the extreme amount of wear and tear a pins are subject to on free play it wouldn't be worth it unless the ad revenue was in the $400-$500/mo neighborhood. Who would pay that much for ad space on a pinball display? I could be wrong, but this doesnt sound realistic to me.

    Thats the point, its needed to check the numbers. The idea may work, but also the numbers have to be reasonable. No idea how much it could be asked for this rather unusual type of advertising. Although in some locations it could work. Of course this is just an idea, but maybe worthed exploring.

    #67 7 years ago

    Another idea, with or without ads: pinball happy hours. From 18 to 20 free play.. People get the taste... Then you pay.

    #69 7 years ago
    Quoted from oohlou:

    A number of pinball locations do this type of thing regularly. It usually isn't a happy hour but a specific night of the week / month.

    And does it help the location? Does it expand the number of people going to play dropping quarters?

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