Quoted from LTG:

The ones the players there like.
You may have to put some games there, and rotate non earners out until you figure out what the players like.
LTG : )

Quoted from Mbecker:

OP I think you can mark this as resolved- the consensus is in!! Summary:
Get a variety of pins and manufacturers but different eras with different themes and not certain manufacturers or themes or eras.
Get some classic 90s themes like baywatch, but don’t get baywatch cause it’s a dog on location.
Get all music pins, but don’t get any music pins cause you might not be able to hear them and people won’t play them.
Get a few jjp, stern, and wms games but don’t get any jjp games, get all modern games and have a good line up of classic wms games.
Make it kid friendly but get more adult themes cause kids and adults will be playing.
Also make sure you put in a bunch of the shittiest pinballs (from pinheads perspective) like south park, Mario and street fighter to bring in the cash but don’t put any of those in cause you wanna attract players.
Def put in a an IM cause players and casuals will both like it except people’s children will shit their pants when they see it and everyone will then leave the bar.
Clear as mud????? Lol

Quoted from DanDanDAN:

>cough<
i think you know what I am going to suggest

Quoted from Rackleye:

I was going to ask. You planning on getting a change machine, bill acceptors or just using the bartender.
I ask because I’ve been to a couple breweries that had pins but no change machine so you had to get change at the bar and the bartenders were frequently less than helpful. They made no money off getting you quarters and could care less if they ran out of change. I went to one bar where they said they had run out of quarters weeks ago and didn’t have any. That operator wasn’t making much on those machines (and it included some nice machines like MMr Addams Family and Creature). Just wanted to see what your plan for quarters was?

Quoted from delt31:

Coz - best of luck to you buddy!
Theme Theme Theme and lay off the JJPs. I hate to say it but they're super expensive, have issues when played a TON and wherever I go, they seem to be the least played. They belong in the collectors home IMO.
I would hit up stern pros ALL DAY. JP, GB, SW, etc.
Good luck!

Quoted from tonedef131:

DO NOT count on people getting change from the bar staff. You absolutely must have an automatic way for people to convert paper money into pinball currency. You need people to be able to play impulsively and with maximum convenience. If they have to wait in line or interact with unenthusiastic bartenders, they would rather just not play. You also don't want the staff to be annoyed by the machines. It's important the establishment feels like the machines are drawing new customers in, or causing current customers to stay longer and drink more beer. As soon as they have to sit there and dish out change instead of pouring drinks and earning tips, you'll be on their shitlist. If you do a split that can keep the proprietor happy, but you want the wait staff to feel like the machines are a good thing so they can report problems, clean the glass and maybe if you're lucky even play the machines. I always chat up the staff when I'm in playing or servicing the machines and ask them specifically if the machine are causing them any problems. I also hook them up with free credits and tip very generously, this all gets paid forward.
Change machines are great, especially if they accept large bills, but they take up space and when they run out and people are counting on them you're in trouble. They work great in arcades where coin drop is the business and someone is always there when they run out to fill it up. You won't always be there and if that thing runs out in the middle of a busy weekend night your earnings will take a serious hit. I have zero interest in stopping in and checking change levels on a machine multiple times a week and making constant trips to the bank for change. One of my breweries asked specifically for a change machine even though every table has a DBV. I bought them one under the condition that they keep it full and all the money inside of it is theirs. I don't even have a key to it, so they are soley responsible for keeping it stocked. If it runs out, I don't care because the games all take bills.
My recommendation, put a bill validator on every single game. If it doesn't have a slot for one, it's too old for location use. Even if you bulletproof an old game and get it reliable, you can't charge as much per play and they just don't make enough money on route.

Quoted from Blu:

Personally I think you are polling the wrong audience. I picked new stern, not because that would draw me there, but I suspect that is what people will want to play, and will probably have the least amount of work needed to keep them running.
Now if was something to draw me to play, I’d say a little bit of everything, EMs, solid states, Williams and Bally, early 2000 sterns, JJP, some of the remakes that are flowing through... personally, anything BUT Raven will bring me to a place to play pinball

Quoted from LTG:

Another thing to consider when people like a pinball machine or report long lines to play it.
Is it on coin play or free play ?
That can make a huge difference on what games get played in your location or not.
And your concern is the cash box, not games you like. You are working towards pins that earn.
LTG : )

Quoted from cjmjmm2006:

We have some amazing line ups at multiple breweries. I think you can pull it off COZ!