(Topic ID: 230074)

What pins are earning well right now?

By V8haha

5 years ago


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  • 349 posts
  • 113 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 months ago by LTG
  • Topic is favorited by 67 Pinsiders

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There are 349 posts in this topic. You are on page 3 of 7.
#101 4 years ago

I love how mario is a top earner everywhere......

theme is ALL that matters on route.

#102 4 years ago
Quoted from Looprunner:

How is JP doing on location for you guys?

Placed Wonka and Jurassic Park on location the same day. First two weeks JP was king, after that Willy Wonka has beat it every single week and is the current top earner among a row of 15 pins. Really puzzled by JP's performance, too. I personally enjoy playing JP, yet looking at the earnings curve since new it is a below average performer as compared against other new Sterns in their first four months, YMMV.

#103 4 years ago

It is not an intuitive game for casuals. Then again neither is wonka.

#104 4 years ago
Quoted from BrianBannon:

Placed Wonka and Jurassic Park on location the same day. First two weeks JP was king, after that Willy Wonka has beat it every single week and is the current top earner among a row of 15 pins. Really puzzled by JP's performance, too. I personally enjoy playing JP, yet looking at the earnings curve since new it is a below average performer as compared against other new Sterns in their first four months, YMMV.

this is interesting. I could not stop playing JP and it was all I could do to get through 1 3 ball game of wonka.

#105 4 years ago
Quoted from woody76:

this is interesting. I could not stop playing JP and it was all I could do to get through 1 3 ball game of wonka.

Agreed. Every time I play Wonka, I want to gouge my ears with forks. JP is a great game.

The location we last played said AFMr has been their top earner for quite some time and they've got about 25 games.

#106 4 years ago

It seems like the non-pinhead crowd are attracted by the big screens of JJP games. My personal favorite screen is that on The Big Lebowski. I enjoy that aspect ratio.

#107 4 years ago

I just played a Munsters premium on location and boy was it a fun game. Was surprised since all the hate I had heard.

I’m trying to figure out the next game for my location. There are very few pinball players locally, so most these people are just random folks who play, hardly any of them are getting even close to the manually lowered replay score. So I am trying to think of a game that is painfully easy and fun for non-pinheads.
Something to get a pinball scene started

#108 4 years ago
Quoted from Isochronic_Frost:

I just played a Munsters premium on location and boy was it a fun game. Was surprised since all the hate I had heard.
I’m trying to figure out the next game for my location. There are very few pinball players locally, so most these people are just random folks who play, hardly any of them are getting even close to the manually lowered replay score. So I am trying to think of a game that is painfully easy and fun for non-pinheads.
Something to get a pinball scene started

I'm not a fan, but South Park seems to be a good earner with non-pinheads.

#109 4 years ago
Quoted from V8haha:

Also another good question for people. At what point do multiple pinball machines start having diminished returns.

Stuff in games until your gross doesn't change. That is the number the location will support.

Quoted from V8haha:

We all know they compliment each other and having 5 will earn better per machine then having 2.

HaHa. Good one. If the location will only support 2 games. 3 more will just spread the same amount of money farther.

The internet can't tell you what a location will or won't do. The cash boxes in the machines there will. Cash boxes don't lie.

LTG : )

#110 4 years ago
Quoted from Isochronic_Frost:

I just played a Munsters premium on location and boy was it a fun game. Was surprised since all the hate I had heard.
I’m trying to figure out the next game for my location. There are very few pinball players locally, so most these people are just random folks who play, hardly any of them are getting even close to the manually lowered replay score. So I am trying to think of a game that is painfully easy and fun for non-pinheads.
Something to get a pinball scene started

I have a Metallica and it plays really long games that my non-pinhead friends love. And the theme attracts both young and old visitors. It's super easy with a lot of bashing.

15
#111 4 years ago

Here is a 6 month audit on games at Tilted Arcade Bar
$1.00 games
ACDC-1930
GOT-2594
Iron Maiden-2045
TWD-2009
Spiderman-1316 (on location for 3 months)
Avengers-1930
Aerosmith-1648
Deadpool-2828
Munsters-2506
Star Wars-2064
Ghostbusters-2651

.50 Games
Nascar-1142
Monopoly-1474
RBION-891 (4 months location)
BBH-2064
STTNG-2981
Taxi-2068
HD-2392
Jurassic Park DE-4058
Hook- 2500
LW3-2300
Big Guns-1921
The Simpsons DE-3620
Playboy Stern-2123
Flintstones 1149 (4 months location)
Slugfest 2954

57,178 games played in 6 months.

#112 4 years ago
Quoted from Leachdude:

Here is a 6 month audit on games at Tilted Arcade Bar
$1.00 games
ACDC-1930
GOT-2594
Iron Maiden-2045
TWD-2009
Spiderman-1316 (on location for 3 months)
Avengers-1930
Aerosmith-1648
Deadpool-2828
Munsters-2506
Star Wars-2064
Ghostbusters-2651
.50 Games
Nascar-1142
Monopoly-1474
RBION-891 (4 months location)
BBH-2064
STTNG-2981
Taxi-2068
HD-2392
Jurassic Park DE-4058
Hook- 2500
LW3-2300
Big Guns-1921
The Simpsons DE-3620
Playboy Stern-2123
Flintstones 1149 (4 months location)
Slugfest 2954
57,178 games played in 6 months.

Thank you for sharing! That’s very helpful

#113 4 years ago

Our primary location is a brewery with about a dozen games. We're having a similar experience with JP. It started out hot for a month or two but has cooled off. GOTG and Wonka have consistently been top earners the last 6 months. SP and SMB get a lot of play among casual players. GB and SW have been steady and EBD has done surprisingly well.

#114 4 years ago
Quoted from Leachdude:

Here is a 6 month audit on games at Tilted Arcade Bar
$1.00 games
ACDC-1930
GOT-2594
Iron Maiden-2045
TWD-2009
Spiderman-1316 (on location for 3 months)
Avengers-1930
Aerosmith-1648
Deadpool-2828
Munsters-2506
Star Wars-2064
Ghostbusters-2651
.50 Games
Nascar-1142
Monopoly-1474
RBION-891 (4 months location)
BBH-2064
STTNG-2981
Taxi-2068
HD-2392
Jurassic Park DE-4058
Hook- 2500
LW3-2300
Big Guns-1921
The Simpsons DE-3620
Playboy Stern-2123
Flintstones 1149 (4 months location)
Slugfest 2954
57,178 games played in 6 months.

Not sure if I'm more impressed about the numbers the DE games are putting up or that System 11's are still solid performers after all these years, LCDs and DMDs be damned.

#115 4 years ago
Quoted from slicknick13:

Not sure if I'm more impressed about the numbers the DE games are putting up or that System 11's are still solid performers after all these years, LCDs and DMDs be damned.

DMDs are cool but don’t actually make it play any better. LCDs can pull in spectators tho.

#116 4 years ago
Quoted from BrianBannon:

Best earning game--Wizard of Oz, if it was more reliable I would still have it.

Brian,

Interesting you say that WOZ was your top earning game. You should consider a yellow brick road even though they took out the monkey mod. The game has their latest systems, no more big bulky computer, everything is perfected. I have one and its working perfect.

On another note we have escape rooms and a haunted house with pinball games. The #1 game for us is Ghostbusters, after that I would say good games are Deadpool, Guardians. I will say Black Knight has done really good, and I think its because no one really bought the game so you play it on a location.

Just my opinion but a lot of pincades all have the same games like all the new Sterns mostly. I think its good to have games other places don't have. Just an opinion. Either way the games that do the best are the themes people know and enjoy like Ghostbusters, Wizard of Oz, etc. When I was in Chicago I went out of my way to go to a pincade that had Aliens as an example. I think all pincades should try to snag at least one game old or new that no one else typically has.

#117 4 years ago
Quoted from Isochronic_Frost:

I just played a Munsters premium on location and boy was it a fun game. Was surprised since all the hate I had heard.
I’m trying to figure out the next game for my location. There are very few pinball players locally, so most these people are just random folks who play, hardly any of them are getting even close to the manually lowered replay score. So I am trying to think of a game that is painfully easy and fun for non-pinheads.
Something to get a pinball scene started

I would typically say Addams Family. It’s not the best bang for the buck, but casuals seem to always pick it. However, if you don’t have locals that “played it when they were a kid”, then it’s existence isn’t special.

Now, if you can get a modern Stern on the used market for the price of an TAF AND there isn’t much of a pinball history in your area, I’d say get a Stern with the most popular theme and forgiving gameplay you can find.

Or, Attack From Mars. I really like mine and it’s easy to explain, fun to shoot, and has a ball save. Not a cheap game, but lots of good things going for it.

3 weeks later
#118 4 years ago
Quoted from Leachdude:

Here is a 6 month audit on games at Tilted Arcade Bar
$1.00 games
ACDC-1930
GOT-2594
Iron Maiden-2045
TWD-2009
Spiderman-1316 (on location for 3 months)
Avengers-1930
Aerosmith-1648
Deadpool-2828
Munsters-2506
Star Wars-2064
Ghostbusters-2651
.50 Games
Nascar-1142
Monopoly-1474
RBION-891 (4 months location)
BBH-2064
STTNG-2981
Taxi-2068
HD-2392
Jurassic Park DE-4058
Hook- 2500
LW3-2300
Big Guns-1921
The Simpsons DE-3620
Playboy Stern-2123
Flintstones 1149 (4 months location)
Slugfest 2954
57,178 games played in 6 months.

GOT and JP DE always go good

#119 4 years ago

Our top 10 games for 2019 (by average amount of money per machine day):

1) Willy Wonka SE (by a large margin)
2) JJP Pirates SE
3) Hobbit LE (was #1 most of the time before we got Pirates)
4) Medieval Madness
5) Game of Thrones Premium
6) Wizard of Oz
7) Ghostbusters Premium
8 ) Iron Maiden Premium
9) Star Trek Premium
10) Indiana Jones (Williams)

We have 37-38 games at any one time so there's a wide variety of games and eras represented...

Kevin

#120 4 years ago

Ghostbusters pro is always my top earner

#121 4 years ago
Quoted from drfrightner:

I will say Black Knight has done really good, and I think its because no one really bought the game so you play it on a location.

Surprised me as well, it usually gets 3rd or 4th place on a 17 bank. AFMR is almost always 1st or 2nd since I got it (dependent on the new title)... was contemplating getting another for the other location.

#122 4 years ago

My last collection was:

DP & JP (essentially tied)
Star Trek
AFM
GOT
GB
TAF
IMDN
TWD (1/2 of top earners)
sizeable gap
Seawitch
Mousin Around (1/3 of top earners)

-1
#123 4 years ago
Quoted from ryanwanger:

My last collection was:
DP & JP (essentially tied)
ST
AFM
GOT
GB

ST is Stranger Things?

#124 4 years ago
Quoted from DNO:

ST is Stranger Things?

Fixed that. It's Star Trek. Tomorrow I'll find out how Stranger Things has done. Only been out 8 days though so far.

#125 4 years ago

thanks for everyone who shares in this thread. I'm fascinated by the data that comes out of locations and seeing where people put their money into.

#126 4 years ago
Quoted from cait001:

thanks for everyone who shares in this thread. I'm fascinated by the data that comes out of locations and seeing where people put their money into.

There are quite a few intangibles other than title which can make a machine earn better in one location compared to another. One thing that makes me not put more money in machines is the setup. A location near me has a new Elvira. It is set up to be an outlane drain monster with a tight tilt, and really wasn't fun to play. This location is also $1pp, no 3 for $2. If I can actually feel like I can get my $1 worth out of a JP or ACDC more easily than the Elvira sitting next to them...guess what I am putting $5 bills into?

#127 4 years ago

Here are my top 5 for 2019 for totals

1. Deadpool
2. Monster Bash
3. Ghostbusters
4. Medieval Madness
5. Black Knight SOR

To make it fair since not all games were there all year this is top 5 via avg weekly earnings

1. Star Wars Comic Prem
2. JP pro
3. Road Show
4. AC/DC Prem
5. Black Knight SOR

3 weeks later
#128 4 years ago

I will say Stranger things is doing well but monster bash LE is by far the top earner.

#129 4 years ago
Quoted from Deez:

Here are my top 5 for 2019 for totals
1. Deadpool
2. Monster Bash
3. Ghostbusters
4. Medieval Madness
5. Black Knight SOR
To make it fair since not all games were there all year this is top 5 via avg weekly earnings
1. Star Wars Comic Prem
2. JP pro
3. Road Show
4. AC/DC Prem
5. Black Knight SOR

Surprising to see ghostbusters over medieval madness

Good to know!

#130 4 years ago
Quoted from V8haha:

I will say Stranger things is doing well but monster bash LE is by far the top earner.

Monster Bash SE is our top. And because of the amount of play, commands the most service calls! Leaving one on it now.

8 months later
#131 3 years ago

Monster bash is still doing well however TMNT LE took the first spot last month.

Just put a MM on route excited to see how it does.

How’s AFM do for everyone? That’s next on my list.

I also added a Star Trek pro. Which is out earning most of the newer sterns.

Does South Park really do that well? I’m interested in picking one up if the rumors are true.

#132 3 years ago
Quoted from V8haha:

Does South Park really do that well?

Yes

#133 3 years ago

Year to date is:
Ghostbusters
Metallica
Iron Maiden
AFM
Stars
Funhouse
Taxi
High Speed
Future Spa

This is the order from my location that is open. The top 2 are $28 apart and then it drops off a significant amount. After the drop from 2 to 3 it mellows out quite a bit. Point being GB and MET are my top 2 and I have two players that drive that as those are their favorite games. One for GB the other for MET even though they both play everything.

#134 3 years ago
Quoted from V8haha:

Does South Park really do that well?

Probably. It bombed at one of my locations but was #1 at the other two. Casual players love it.

#135 3 years ago

My Guns and Roses has exceeded my hopes.

LTG : )

#136 3 years ago
Quoted from V8haha:

How’s AFM do for everyone?

AFMR always goes back to the top 3 for out of 19, been that way since I got it. Deadpool is the same. Black knight (pre/LE) really surprised me, not a top 3 but usually a consistent 4th or 5th.
And doubly surprised by JP, I personally really like that game but it fell off to average territory real fast.

Just goes to show theme doesn't always mean everything, but.... usually its a safe bet.

#137 3 years ago
Quoted from hocuslocus:

AFMR always goes back to the top 3 for out of 19, been that way since I got it. Deadpool is the same. Black knight (pre/LE) really surprised me, not a top 3 but usually a consistent 4th or 5th.
And doubly surprised by JP, I personally really like that game but it fell off to average territory real fast.
Just goes to show theme doesn't always mean everything, but.... usually its a safe bet.

It’s funny because my AFM typically is below most of not all of my other modern games. My player base is mostly experienced players. I’ve asked them about it and several have said the same thing. They love the game, and enjoy playing it in tournaments and league, but don’t feel the need to practice on it outside of that because it’s so familiar.

#138 3 years ago
Quoted from desertT1:

It’s funny because my AFM typically is below most of not all of my other modern games. My player base is mostly experienced players. I’ve asked them about it and several have said the same thing. They love the game, and enjoy playing it in tournaments and league, but don’t feel the need to practice on it outside of that because it’s so familiar.

Usually once a game drops to average territory for 2 consecutive months, its fair game for a swap. I'd like to swap it eventually but the people at that location keep it up there, so I guess it's gonna stay forever. I have a medieval right next to it that gets a little over half the plays so IDK. Maybe because it's darker?
I know tournament players spend most of their time on the newer sterns. Casuals, usually find the game they like and play it a million times. (never seems to get old to them)

#139 3 years ago

Guns N Rose's. Get one now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#140 3 years ago
Quoted from tlsbryan:

Guns N Rose's. Get one now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is this doing well for you or just a guess?

Standard or LE?

I’d be curious to know. I’ve got an AFM LE on my list next

2 months later
#141 3 years ago

Update

I have a MM royal and AFM LE i put on location at the same time. AFM is ok but MM is doing 3 times what any other game in the line up is bringing in.

Just pulled JP it’s never been a good earner. Iron Maiden pro will be replacing it. Not expecting maiden to do any better but i enjoy it a lot more.

How’s guns and roses doing? I’m interested in picking up a SE I’ve heard of to many problems with the LE on location. To much to go wrong.

#142 3 years ago

There was a big regional roller hockey tournament at my location this past weekend. Between my 10 pins and my Super Chexx I wonder how many pins will have to be combined to get to the total in Super Chexx. That is, assuming SC didn’t go down and nobody reached out. I have labels with contact info on most of the games, but have never had a stranger reach out.

#143 3 years ago
Quoted from desertT1:

There was a big regional roller hockey tournament at my location this past weekend. Between my 10 pins and my Super Chexx I wonder how many pins will have to be combined to get to the total in Super Chexx. That is, assuming SC didn’t go down and nobody reached out. I have labels with contact info on most of the games, but have never had a stranger reach out.

How reliable are the super Chex? Also do you find they earn well? Outside of having a tournament?

#144 3 years ago

I'm super impressed on how well Stranger things has been earning. Walking dead on the other hand.... Gotta go.

#145 3 years ago
Quoted from Tiki_Pinball:

I'm super impressed on how well Stranger things has been earning.

Mine did pretty well early on. I would say "great" but not "incredible".

Quoted from Tiki_Pinball:

Walking dead on the other hand.... Gotta go.

This earned well when it was new. But when it came back into the lineup a year ago, it was a complete dud.

Quoted from V8haha:

Standard or LE?

Is there really any way to tell if a premium/LE is worth it from an operating standpoint? I guess you'd have to have a standard/pro in the same spot for long enough that the earnings level out, and then replace it, in the same spot, with a higher tier model.

#146 3 years ago
Quoted from V8haha:

Just pulled JP it’s never been a good earner. Iron Maiden pro will be replacing it. Not expecting maiden to do any better but i enjoy it a lot more.

Blue line is the game. Red line is an average machine at that same location.

Screen Shot 2021-01-19 at 6.57.34 PM (resized).pngScreen Shot 2021-01-19 at 6.57.34 PM (resized).png

Maiden (above) was great initially and dropped pretty quickly.

Screen Shot 2021-01-19 at 6.56.55 PM (resized).pngScreen Shot 2021-01-19 at 6.56.55 PM (resized).png

JP (above) had a slightly weaker start, but more consistently above average in the long term.

#147 3 years ago
Quoted from ryanwanger:

Blue line is the game. Red line is an average machine at that same location.
[quoted image]
Maiden (above) was great initially and dropped pretty quickly.
[quoted image]
JP (above) had a slightly weaker start, but more consistently above average in the long term.

Wow very cool! Love the statistics. Your location definitely has more experienced players then my customer base. JP was fun I’m sure maiden won’t be an improvement but I’ll put more time on it at least. I’m a sucker for a maiden pro it’s #1 for me!

#149 3 years ago
Quoted from V8haha:

How reliable are the super Chex? Also do you find they earn well? Outside of having a tournament?

I’ve only had it for 4-5 months or so. It’s probably still in the honeymoon phase, but that’s lasted longer than pins normally do. My location shut down from Dec 23- Jan 4th or so. So the early collections this year were expectedly low. Couple that with Covid being in play the whole time I’ve owned it and who knows how it will be doing in a year.

However, if it was a pin, it would likely be my number one earner. It was 5th compared to my pins last year and I’d only had it almost 4 months by the time the year was over. If that was 12 months, it might have been number one.

Hockey is a big part of the rink, but Saturdays are soccer all day. When I have my pinball league, which is one Saturday a month, I will see soccer parents and kids playing bubble hockey, which wasn’t what I was expecting.

Mine is used and from the serial number was made in 2000. I did have some parts to replace, the puck, one gearbox, the red lenses on the scoreboard, and after discovering a poor repair on the ice surface, a new one of those too. They are fairly simple designs and once cleaned and all fixed up should be pretty low maintenance for a while. I make sure to play a practice game when I’m there just to see that everything is working as it should.

I’m happy with the purchase. Based on ROI it should pay for itself before 2021 is over. That would obviously vary by location. It’s not crushing it, but is something I have wanted since I was a kid and if it can supplement pinball buying with its coin drop that works too.

Once covid is over I want to try a quarterly tournament to try to get some additional interest going.

#150 3 years ago

Are you running an SE or LE? Also it’s doing better then your average new pin? What -% would you say it’s up over a normal new game for your location.

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