STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Digital jukeboxes and imaging kiosks gain special notice during gaming and entertainment show in London.
January 31, 2002
LONDON - For entertainment-oriented operators and patrons, this year's ATEI show in London offered a little bit of everything.
During the three-day show that ended on Jan. 24, visitors could find the latest in video arcade games, touchscreen games, payment acceptors, cash and coin sorters, virtual reality simulators, and laser tag equipment. Just about anything you could imagine being installed and used in a bar, arcade, theme park, bingo parlor, or betting establishment was on display.
Every year there are new ideas that try to break through into the conservative world of entertainment operators and this year's show was no exception.
Last year, the focus was on the Internet; methods were displayed for using the Web or proprietary dial-up networks to run multi-site game tournaments, send e-mail, surf, and refresh content. This year, digital jukeboxes and digital imaging led the charge of new products.
The Internet was still big, but there seems to be several different tactics emerging, with the concept of finding a younger audience and convincing them to play games gathering steam.
"The Internet attracts a younger generation of player, they sit down at the bar, check their e-mail on Hotmail and then stay there to play games," said Otto Kraus, general manager for Austrian-based electronic games manufacturer AMUsys. "Without the Internet, this younger player may never have the impulse to play."
Above the din
Last year, four companies displayed digital jukeboxes, though two of the companies displayed hybrid machines that also included games, music, and other features.
This year saw new products from the four companies - TouchTunes of Canada, EuroEngineering of Croatia, and Sound Leisure and Leisure Link (with Ecast) of the UK - plus new entrants NSM Music, Key Technologies, Rowe and a slick wall-mounted product developed by kiosk industry veterans ePoint Ltd. of Scotland and Touch Point Solutions of Canada.
Many different features were available with this year's models, including downloadable content via the Internet or private networks, combination music and video, karaoke, and MP3 or CD quality music. The key benefits of digital are the simpler maintenance of the jukebox and the flexible, multimedia search and selection.
"The Internet attracts a younger generation of player, they sit down at the bar, check their e-mail on Hotmail and then stay there to play games. Without the Internet, this younger player may never have the impulse to play." Otto Kraus |
The ePoint/TouchPoint unit is the result of a new focus by the two companies on specific vertical markets, with ePoint supplying the hardware and TouchPoint the software with its Catapult development platform. The system is being deployed by Kunick, the second-largest amusement machine operator in the UK.
"We are focusing on vertical applications now because there is a defined market and revenue streams (where leading-edge kiosk technologies can be applied)," TouchPoint representative Shamira Jaffer said. "A jukebox in the UK typically earns (about $350 American) per week."
The industry in Europe is still struggling to determine how to efficiently license digitally formatted music for pay-per-play. Most manufacturers steer clear of this issue by saying it is up to the operators to figure out licensing issues.
Digital imaging enters the picture
Two kinds of digital imaging kiosks made an impression at the show: next generation versions of the traditional passport-photo-while-you-wait booth and video e-mail kiosks.
The new takes on standard photo booths came from UK-based Snap Digital Imaging Ltd. and Photo-Me International PLC. Snap has been installing booths in UK post offices over the past year and recently won a contract to install its photo-personalization booths in all Safeway supermarkets. All of their booths are based on printing with dye-sublimation technology. Their latest products allow printing of photos on real stamps (at the UK post office), on snap-on plastic backs for mobile phones, and recording video on a Minidisc.
Photo-Me displayed a variety of new digital-based photo-vending booths and a brand new digital photo printing kiosk. Designed for retail use, the kiosk allows the user to plug in any type of digital photo media and get while-you-wait prints on real photo paper.
"The consumer was confused," said François Defreitas, Photo-Me marketing manager.
Video e-mail made its first appearance at ATEI. French gaming manufacturer Sisteme SA featured new bar top models and webcams with video e-mail. Millenium Star Ltd. of Israel showed a dedicated device for video e-mail. Both the Sisteme and the Millenium Star devices worked quickly and easily, which company officials said was part of the device's attraction.
"What could be simpler and faster than typing in only the e-mail address and saying a few quick words into the camera," said Uzi Gellman, Millenium Star managing director.
To surf, or not to surf
Last year, nearly all games manufacturers were either a.) touting their new tournaments and surfing/e-mail features using the Internet, or b.) defending why they did not offer those functions.
After a year of experience, there are some new views and some hardening of the old views. For example, Bensalem, Pa.-based Merit Industries Inc. has decided not to offer Internet/e-mail access on its machines, taking a similar tack to Photo-Me.
"Faced with too many choices, the player usually makes none," said Bob Mills, Merit director of network business.
However, officials from Sisteme, AMUsys, TAB Austria GmbH, Amatic Industries GmbH, and funworld AG all say that Internet access is being demanded by the bar owners and has become a must-have feature for new games.
All of these companies admit that Internet access and e-mail does not get the same pay rates as games do. A popular trivia or card game will bring in about $3 per minute. Typing and sending an e-mail or browsing does not attract the same pay rates and carries additional costs for the network connection and hardware.
AMUsys, funworld, and Sisteme also revealed products that looked more like conventional kiosks than games, as they pursue strategies to install terminals in non-traditional locations, such as hotels. Internet access is again key to this strategy, but the games still represent a key revenue stream.
