Benchmark’s Monster Drop Games ‘Error 4’
(Dave Forlano, Alpha-Omega Super Tech)

Error 4 can be caused by a number of different communication errors, but the most common symptom I come across is from the Benchmark triple ticket dispensers. I often discover a broken pin on the communication connector that sits on the bottom of the ticket dispensers and is mounted to the ticket pcb. The broken pin is most often caused by human error with sloppy ticket refilling. The solution is a simple fix that takes only a couple of minutes.

The first step is to cut off most of the remaining part of the broken pin on the black surface mount but leave 1/8th inch of the exposed pin remaining.

I like to “pre make” connectors about 3 inches in length that I simply solder one end onto the 1/8 inch of the pin. Then splice the other end to the associated factory plug (typically blue and gray wires that go to the ticket dispensers). DON’T mix these wires up. Conform to the other stations wiring code.

NOTE: This is not the 4 pin ticket dispenser standard connector with power, notch and enable wiring.

ALWAYS REMEMBER: NEVER PLUG OR UNPLUG THESE COMM CONNECTORS WHILE GAME IS POWERED UP.

Result: No More “Error 4”

Multi-Color Dreaming LED Strips Help Increase Game Revenues
(Jason Franicevich, Laser Tag of Metairie)

Installing dreaming LED strips is as easy as replacing the rope lighting except the strips are plugged into a controller that allows the colors to flash and change in multiple patterns that attract customers from far across the room. All it takes is about $200 in parts (slightly more if dreaming strip length is more), a little soldering skill, and one hour of labor:

• 2 dreaming LED strips @ $75 ea (length?) $150
• 1 controller $ 20
• 1 power supply 8-10 amps $ 28
• 1 Y splitter $ 2

Feed the strips through the path the rope lights followed inside the game. There is usually a hole at the bottom of the cabinet. Then connect or solder the appropriate strip wires to the controller. Glue the strips into the channel where the old rope lights were and cut off any overflow at the top.

Finally mount and connect the power supply to the controller and select a pattern for the LED lights. I like using different patterns for different games so they all look unique and special to the guests.

Pictured right is the result of what one of my cranes looks like with the LED strips.

Ordering the Correct Part the First Time
(Dave Forlano, Alpha-Omega Tech)

Game manufacturers often react to game design problems after a game has been operating in the real world that were not noticed during testing. Often times new modifications and upgrades, such as heavier duty motors and solenoids to name a few, are used to replace original equipment parts due to high failure rates. Sometimes parts are changed during production runs. Even cosmetics on the outside are routinely revamped into a more durable product. That in conjunction with multiple models of different sizes of the same game often relate to different parts components for the same game titles.

Now you can understand why when calling your favorite parts department they have questions for you. They need to know not only the game name and model number, but the game serial number as well.

Also serial numbers are important in determining if your game is under warranty. Did you know most manufacturers have different warranty limitations concerning mechanical and electronic components? Some do not warranty lighting at all. Some distributors also extend warrantees beyond the manufacturer’s warranty periods. Most manufacturers supply (for free) updated parts and components when they see high failure rates in their games.

Also you may be surprised to learn that the part numbers in your service manuals are not always current and that when distributors order parts they often need to use a different part number.

Getting the correct part the first time can be accomplished by having good two-way communication with an experienced parts person who knows about all of the modifications and parts changes made by the different manufacturers. Sometimes sending a close-up picture of the part needed can help in making an accurate description where words can be misunderstood.

A new redemption attraction machine is set to roll out at 29 Chuck E Cheese locations where players grab and collect ‘virtual’ tickets using the Rift head-mounted display developed by Ocuus VR Technology. Since Facebook purchased Oculus VR in March for $2 billion, this is the first reported consumer use of the Oculus technology. There are currently 80,000 virtual reality goggles sold, the majority as development kits, to companies throughout the world to develop more uses for the head sets.

As reported in the coin-op industry, this marks the first time that a location has developed a game from a new technology. It was noted by Vending Times that a CEC official stated that ‘The initial investment in the game was relatively modest with the purchase of 30 sets of the goggles and software development.”

What this could mean
Congratulations to Chuck E Cheese for developing this new game. Our industry originally established itself and grew during the video boom because the public knew that new games and new technologies always were introduced to coin-op before they went to consumer. Those days ended and our industry has been on the decline ever since.

Chuck E Cheese has shown us that it is sometimes not that difficult to adopt a new technology to coin-op. Virtual reality headsets have not made it in coin-op in the past but when a new technology is being shown off, it makes sense that children will be curious to try it out. Obviously Facebook believes that adults will not have a problem using the virtual reality headset in their homes.

It has not been determined if Chuck E Cheese will make the game available to the coin-op industry or keep it as a proprietary game. Either way, it is refreshing to have a new technology introduced into coin-op. It is a good thing for the entire industry. It is a good thing for the public to notice.

Here’s the Ticket

I am a big fan of noticing new technologies and how they can be used in our industry and more importantly how they can affect our industry, both positively and negatively. Here is a brief summary of those that caught my eye over the past two months.

Mobile Wallet Update

The concept of mobile wallet (cell phone or wearable) contactless payment is moving forward in several directions from order ahead at coffee cafes to avoid lines to fast food restaurants to vending machine purchases and rewards programs, and even to bus transit systems. There have been some setbacks along the way but acceptance is slowly and steadily growing each month.

The Isis Wallet is one that we should pay attention to. The base is being set up for success. Isis Wallet ‘SmartTap’ is supported by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless (combined customer base of 200 million) on 68 mobile device types and now comes preloaded on 14 different models of smartphones. It is accepted nationwide at more than 200,000 locations where contactless payments are available. USA Technologies currently has 62,000 locations supporting the Isis Wallet along with 12,000 vending machines. TRR #22 reported that there are already more than 1 billion chip enabled credit and debit cards worldwide (higher security than magstripe cards) and over the next few years the US will be only using contactless payment. The Isis Wallet has an app that is free.

What This Could Mean
Isis is just getting started with 20,000 activations a day reported last month and the road is wide open. Another mobile wallet company, Square Wallet, is supported by Star Bucks but has halted its original concept as people did not readily abandon their credit cards when it came time for payment. Instead Square found traction in its ‘order ahead’ app Square Order where users can order ahead and pay using their mobile device and just ‘pick up’ their coffee and other food items, for example, and avoid waiting in line.

Technology is changing so fast but our industry needs to be aware of the fact that every business out there is continually trying to capture the attention of our already small customer base. FEC’s strive to capture less than one third of the available population within 5 minutes travel time to attend once per year. Only a few percentage points of the walk-by traffic stop to play an amusement game in what we refer to as a street location.

Imagine a time in the near future when merchants, vending machines, and hopefully amusement games will be able to recognize when a mobile device it recognizes gets into range and can reach out and interact with that device (person) and offer an incentive to induce that person to claim the reward? Imagine that the game knows who every player is and can make the experience more exciting to increase repeat play on that game and other games within the location. In addition the game can know each player and send them a text at any time no matter where the player is located. This is known as ‘social vending’ and the vending industry is already hard at work at it. According to an Apriva executive, ‘A smart device might help you find a vending machine—and it might enable a vending machine to find you.”

For the past ten years my company and its clients have worked very hard to establish VIP loyalty programs in our debit card facilities. This has been very productive and still is but I see a trend that further supports that mobile wallets will be the future. The trend is that the percentage of VIP’s that forget to bring their VIP cards when they visit or say that they lost them has been slowly increasing. Even if we charge them for replacing their VIP card, the trend does not reverse. How many times do we forget our shopping loyalty cards and are permitted to just punch in our phone number (or someone else’s phone number-no one has yet checked) to get the discounts? What this tells me is that the trend is to carry less loyalty cards. Eventually all we will carry is our mobile device (or wearable device for certain conditions) and perhaps have one credit card as a backup in case the mobile device needs charging.

The amusement industry may be sitting back and assuming that the bill changer and debit card kiosk manufacturers are in charge of making sure that people will always have a way to pay to play our games. This is not an incorrect assumption but if other businesses are steering our customers away from our games, the future bleak outcome just may motivate more in our industry to play an active role in its future.

Here’s the Ticket

As games are getting larger and purchase costs are also increasing, operators are under a lot of pressure to increase price per play. My company, Alpha-Omega Amusements, recently set up a 90 piece FEC and there were long discussions about how to price each game. Originally there were 1 game at $3/play, 2 games set on $2/play, 15 set at $1/play, 5 at 75 cents/play, and the rest at 50 cents/play with only a few games set at 25 cents/play. What we were concerned about was having too many high priced games and the guests would spend their money too quickly and not have a great experience.

We decided to offer more games at 25 cents/play and offer more discount packages and free bonus game plays to add more value which extends the time of stay. When all of the discounts are added together (including VIP’s receiving 10% off and 5 free game plays for each visit) a 15% average discount will apply. At our other locations the total discounts are not as high. In a couple of weeks we will see how this all works out and if this will be the new normal.

Here’s the Ticket

Recently a bill to ban video sweepstakes cafes has passed the Colorado House and will be taken up by the Senate committee when the legislature begins its next session. Illegal gambling is defined as offering a prize by ‘offering or providing the use of a simulated gaming device in exchange for any type of consideration, whether the consideration is technically classified as the price of using the device, the price of admission to premises, …or the purchase price of an associated product or service.” A simulated gaming device is defined as a mechanically or electronically operated machine.

What This Could Mean
Once again a state in its attempt to shut down sweepstakes cafes has used language that may have adverse effects on amusement games. Defining a simulated gaming device is not easy. It would make more sense to define what is permitted and what is prohibited. Courts in several states have interpreted that if the product or service being purchased has no value to the customer, then receiving a try in a sweepstakes game is gambling. Colorado has attempted to narrow the language so that it would not be necessary to prove what products are of no value, which opens up loopholes and makes it easier for sweepstakes cafes to survive. A better approach may be to concentrate on defining all of the types of products and services that are not permitted and not having to worry if they have an incidental value or not but that they are measurable. A few legal sources suggested adding language that covered prohibiting devices with internet access and prohibiting any purchase of credits or free points of anything measurable for an opportunity to win additional credits or points or other measurable units that are redeemable. Note that this language would be needed to not only protect amusement games but also to protect cell phones, tablets or computers which might be illegal under the definition of a gambling device as they can be used to access sweepstakes websites.

Hopefully, members of the amusement industry will be successful in having the Colorado Senate language improved and perhaps state what types of amusement games are permitted. All of the states need to avoid what has happened in Florida and what may happen in Maryland and California.

Here’s the Ticket

The hottest current legal topic is the proposed new regulations drafted by the Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Agency (MLGCA) for all amusement games in the state of Maryland. These regulations were drafted despite significant opposition input from MAMOA. Some of the key regulations would require every game operator to register all of their skill-based redemption and merchandiser games operated in Maryland and receive a tag with MLGCA, report every time a machine is to be moved and receive a new tag, has a $30 maximum prize limit, and by unintended consequences may even prohibit any one under age 21 from playing redemption-related amusement games, as amusement games would also now fall under federal gaming laws. And of course in the near future there will be fees for registration and tags as well as submitting games for Agency approval.

The next phase is a public hearing on the proposed regulations that takes place on June 27. Larry Bershtein, MAMOA President and MAMOA have put a lot of time and effort into going through all of the issues that these regulations present and why they are broad and over-reaching and are not what the legislators intended when they ambiguously placed the regulation of amusement games under the Lottery and Gaming Agency.

What This Could Mean
MAMOA has done an excellent job of submitting a well thought out legal and logical response. I was very impressed. The comments start out: “The regulations for Electronic Gaming Devices should not be enacted as written. The regulations are confusing, in places internally contradictory, unduly burdensome to an already troubled industry, and not at all in line with the legislative intent of the enabling legislation.”

MLGCA has previously heard many of the amusement industry objections and they still went ahead and even expanded the regulations. It would appear that they are on a mission to put together a huge Agency that will require a huge budget to hire the manpower necessary to cover the many street and FEC locations. The money will need to come from associated fees paid for by game operators who simply cannot afford it. We are all hopeful that common sense will prevail and are glad to see that MAMOA is doing its best on the industry’s behalf. We are all awaiting the outcome of the hearing.

I hope that every amusement game operator, FEC, amusement park and arcade owner will take the time read the response and understand why the draft regulations as they are proposed are a disaster waiting to happen.

To read the full MAMOA Comments on Proposed Regulations Title 36, Subtitles 06.02 and 06.02, click here.