I just thought I'd pop in to wish you all the very best of times this Christmas and in 2010.
I haven't posted for a few weeks, although I do still read all the posts, simply because I haven't been able to think of anything that isn't entirely negative. We all have opinions and mine is that the current state of all the main cabinets on the market is either at rock bottom or heading that way, in terms of what they offer to serious (as opposed to recreational) players. The Gamesnet and ItBox in particular are as poor as I can ever remember.
I do still try to remain hopeful that better games will emerge but 2009 has been such a poor year for new product (and for the removal of better, older product) that I now expect each new game to be a dud, rather than hope it will be worthwhile.
I do have some sympathy for the machine companies, in that they are working against a very difficult background:
- the general downturn in the pub trade
- less disposable income
- increased competition for that spare cash from all the myriad other games (particularly roulette and poker) that simply weren't around 5-10 years ago
- a need to recoup losses caused by software faults (whose fault those are being a different discussion)
This has made them all I think very nervous of releasing Q&A games that might offer decent rewards to better players and has encouraged the release of so much dross that ends up being of no interest to anyone (punter or player). Whoever put together Family Guy, Rocket Money and all of the new Battleships games, for example, ought to be ashamed of themselves - those games would never have seen the light of day even 5 years ago.
However I will put my happy hat on for a sec and wish that there are better things on the horizon. Something might come up to surprise me. If not I will have to start looking out for those special retirement homes for old players - what do they say: quizzers don't die, we just run out of answers...
Keep well guys.
