AWP's : A dying breed?

[Scott]

I have only just recently noticed this here in leicester but so many bookies and pubs around here that used to have upto 3 machines each on average only have the one now and a few of them SWP's machines (pubs) or the betting terminal things with roulette and the like (bookies).

Are these machines over taking fruities in other cities as much as here?

I have only really started to see this happening so much over the last few months and its sad to see them go. Of course we will always have amusement arcades but these are not the same as streaking some machine in the local pub....

[deejaybee]

Most of the Ladbrokes near me have either gone all-FOBT, or else they have just one AWP ( usually a BFM, or similar garbage) I would imagine that the other big bookies will follow suit asap.

Some of my local pubs have gone from having 2 AWP,s to 1 AWP & 1 SWP, but the big chain pubs JDW, Arena etc have as many AWPs as ever.

I do think we are nearing a watershed for pro/semi-pro players though, many must be surviving on bits & drabs of decent stuff, but the more new garbage that comes out makes the decent stuff even rarer.

I know that many have said "the end is nigh" before, and then some profitable machines have emerged, but i think this time could well be the real turning point.

[fray]

Think ladbrokes been clearing out for ages, all FOBT's now, and yeah most pubs bar chain ones seem to be cutting down on fruities - SWP or nothing the trend now - is this determined by lower cash box, or just general change in trend in market? Because I always hear how no-one plays them anymore, but back in England where I played, the m/c's were always heavily played, and this was in 20-30 pubs.

[bonesey2000]

is it not just because pubs want to look trendy and people dont think they are 'gambling' but 'playing' when they use an IT box, and bookies make more money off FOBTs?

Still they are becoming very popular, annoyingly!

bones

[T599128]

Don't know what all the fuss is about to be honest. AWP's in pubs are as popular as ever in my area (and most areas) with the number of AWP's in a premesis ranging from 1-4. Fair enougth, bookies are cutting back a bit, but I certainly can't see how this relates to machines apparently 'dying' Rather premature if you ask me.

I think the reality is that people are struggling with the latest releases, so therefore have it implanted in their heads that machines are finished etc. This game already has too many players, and if you ask me - it can only be a good thing if masses are put out of business and info becomes rare. Not been nasty, just realistic.

[Slotterman]

The bookies are dropping them,the arcades are ditching hi-techs for lo-techs-I don't think we can pretend that HiTech AWPs aren't on the way out.
You'd be silly to bank your future on them.

[Topthelot]

the home of hi-tecs AWPs is arcades, sorry, used to be arcades

over the last 5 yrs arcades have noticed declined revenues from hi-tecs and have corrspondingly switched to lotecs. the manu have followed suit, which is why dozens of new lo-tecs are released each year including many novel and original concepts

in comparison, the hi-tec scene is characterised by reglasses, clones and endless variations on a theme - COZ THERES LITTLE MONEY IN THEM!

it also explains why pubs have become the biggest venue for hi-tecs. Arcades & bookies dont want 'em, so they are dumped on pubs, which are about the only place where your casual punter still resides i.e. targetting the few dimwitted (for which read semi pissed) enough to think theres a realistic chance of profit

[T599128]

The above comment about how hi-tecs have been ditched in favour of lo-tecs in arcades over the past 5 years is simply not true, well not the ones I go in anyway. I started visiting arcades about 10 years ago and the situation is almost identical to how it is now. In the likes of nobles, royals, etc, the ratio of lo-tecs to hi-tecs has been the same for the last decade, a rough estimate 5/6 lo-tecs for every hi-tec.

We all know about reglasses and clones, and some of them Im very fond of, but these are nothing new. They been around for years so why do people suddenly start complaining about it now? Because it's killing fruit machines? I think not.

Bookies have cut back to having 1 machine or none at all simply because fobt's make a whole lot more money, to an extent where profit's have increased 50% with certain firms. If bookies dump machines, so what, we are back to where we were 7 years ago.

AWP's won't be around forever, but they they aren't going to go anywhere for a while yet, regardless if you can manipulate them or not. Im not saying this because im banking on them for my future, but just being realistic.

[Totty2]

Yeahh blahhh blahhh bleerrr.... As my right honourable friend stated...