ATEI - Report
My view of ATEI 2008
Well , I just got back from 2 exhausting days at ATEI, so I am ready to give my opinion on this years show.
Slots players , your days are numbered, there was very little new on offer in the HI-TECH awp range, in fact I would say that this sector will be finished by next year and every pub chain will have video slots installed in next 12 months the way it is looking.
Barcrest stand was a waste of time, with a couple of old REDS and a couple of old BARCRESTS on it , nothing new or exciting. I asked if I could have a look at the new PCB2 , only to be told it was still on test and they hadnt bothered to bring it to the show!
Bellfruits only offering was "skill DOND" which they seemed to have about 10 of on display, seeemed rather proud of this effort, despite the fact that it is a blatent rip off of SKILLBALL BINGO, just to rub more salt in the wound they have also released a 3 player "SKILL BINGO" machine under the QPS brand which was even more of a blatent copy of NOVAS patented idea.
A HANGMAN game based in an old AWP cabinet that was on show, I think from Empire Games was quite a fun , interesting game to play.
Electrocoins stand displayed as usual dispayed various versions of their successful BAR X format , and as usual the ever freindly Mr Stern was to be found on this stand demonstrating his new pinball offerings.
Project showed nothing new, had some fun with their REPS though asking them if they could give me locations of any unchipped CHIP AND SPINS.
Nova were the only company to display anything that could be described as interesting and innovative, with their BIG TONY POKER game. This is a fantastic game and I can see people queueing to play this when it gets sited in pubs/arcades. Had a good long chat to their rep, NOVA have spent 4 years developing this game and it plays true skill and will pay 102% if played to perfect strategy. NOVA deserve all the success they can for constantly freshening up a stagnant market with their games, despite other companys constantly ripping their ideas off.
Well the rest of the time at the show was spent drinking, cocktails at TAB stand, beer and wine at IGT , NOVOMATIC and others. By 6.15 when the usual power turned off message came through I was truely hammered.
Managed to get an invite to IGTs after show party at Planet Hollywood on Tues night, which was, as usual a great night. It is possibly the best after show party to goto. FREE BAR all night , roast beef dinner and sweet, and disco till 2am.
One dissapoinment this year was that BALLY did not bring the playboy bunny girls over for the obligitory polaroid photo. I have been collecting these for years and this is the first year theyve not been there.
All in all , a quieter than usual show , the industry is suffering from the loss of section 16/21s and the smoking ban and buyers seemed less willing to spend.
Returned home with tired legs and blistered feet , ready to do it all again next year.
Pat
Slots players , your days are numbered, there was very little new on offer in the HI-TECH awp range, in fact I would say that this sector will be finished by next year and every pub chain will have video slots installed in next 12 months the way it is looking.
Barcrest stand was a waste of time, with a couple of old REDS and a couple of old BARCRESTS on it , nothing new or exciting. I asked if I could have a look at the new PCB2 , only to be told it was still on test and they hadnt bothered to bring it to the show!
Bellfruits only offering was "skill DOND" which they seemed to have about 10 of on display, seeemed rather proud of this effort, despite the fact that it is a blatent rip off of SKILLBALL BINGO, just to rub more salt in the wound they have also released a 3 player "SKILL BINGO" machine under the QPS brand which was even more of a blatent copy of NOVAS patented idea.
A HANGMAN game based in an old AWP cabinet that was on show, I think from Empire Games was quite a fun , interesting game to play.
Electrocoins stand displayed as usual dispayed various versions of their successful BAR X format , and as usual the ever freindly Mr Stern was to be found on this stand demonstrating his new pinball offerings.
Project showed nothing new, had some fun with their REPS though asking them if they could give me locations of any unchipped CHIP AND SPINS.
Nova were the only company to display anything that could be described as interesting and innovative, with their BIG TONY POKER game. This is a fantastic game and I can see people queueing to play this when it gets sited in pubs/arcades. Had a good long chat to their rep, NOVA have spent 4 years developing this game and it plays true skill and will pay 102% if played to perfect strategy. NOVA deserve all the success they can for constantly freshening up a stagnant market with their games, despite other companys constantly ripping their ideas off.
Well the rest of the time at the show was spent drinking, cocktails at TAB stand, beer and wine at IGT , NOVOMATIC and others. By 6.15 when the usual power turned off message came through I was truely hammered.
Managed to get an invite to IGTs after show party at Planet Hollywood on Tues night, which was, as usual a great night. It is possibly the best after show party to goto. FREE BAR all night , roast beef dinner and sweet, and disco till 2am.
One dissapoinment this year was that BALLY did not bring the playboy bunny girls over for the obligitory polaroid photo. I have been collecting these for years and this is the first year theyve not been there.
All in all , a quieter than usual show , the industry is suffering from the loss of section 16/21s and the smoking ban and buyers seemed less willing to spend.
Returned home with tired legs and blistered feet , ready to do it all again next year.
Pat
I still think this would be a logistical nightmare to program. Mind you I haven't seen the parameters the game operates around. More details please. Do you just feed your buy in into the slot and play heads up from there? Surely this presents more complications with stake per event legislations. Is this seriously a NL poker game?!? Wowser! Must be fixed limit I would think. Even fixed limit is full of nuances and is no walk in the park to program a heads up FL opponent. When will Showboat get this next to the Golden Games?
-
betchrider
- Senior Member
- Posts: 4417
- Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:01 pm
-
INVINCIBLE
- Senior Member
- Posts: 315
- Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:08 am
- Location: Yorkshire, England, UK
Someone that comes in the pub where I work was telling me about the big tony thing. He actually works in a casino (Grosvenor) but plays in the other one in town - he seems to think it's pretty straight up & has had some good results, albeit with some losses. Said it's perfectly possible to bluff etc with sod all, and 'Big Tony' will fold. Sounds interesting to me.
Big Tony
I played BIG TONY for about an hour and a half at ATEI and it seems to play very fair, you can bluff and he folds , you can slow play him , re raise , etc, but if you do it too often he will have a go, its a cracking game and I cant wait to see it sited. I think TONY [plays basd on his hand and youre style of play , I do not beleive for one second this is fixed and he knows your hole cards.
Pat
Pat
-
betchrider
- Senior Member
- Posts: 4417
- Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:01 pm
-
jeffvickers
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2069
- Joined: Wed Nov 08, 2006 12:05 pm
- Location: North of England
Well, we'll see I guess. I've got to say if I was a programmer, during s16 I would have made games truly random (actually let's not go there), but a 'Big Tony' concept - I'd say ..."come on guys, this one will get the arcade chairs airbourne". There will be some big drift swings with heavy gamblers ponying up £500 a pop on a fair game. Will operators be happy doing five refills a day? Maybe so if they get the 10k box the next day. A few close all ins which don't run smooth. It's just way different to anything which has gone before. A cracking idea and one that has crossed my mind way before all this, but if I was programming it, I'd want some control. That's why I say if it's truly fair and a challenge and it brings in a big box - Kudos. We shall see.