The old thinking cap
The old thinking cap
I still have vivid memories of buying all those English coin-ops for a song when the coinage was changed.
Why didn't the operators simply convert the existing machines to the size of the new coinage ?
Collectors, eventually, were able to accomplish this without too much trouble.
ROGER
Why didn't the operators simply convert the existing machines to the size of the new coinage ?
Collectors, eventually, were able to accomplish this without too much trouble.
ROGER
Re: The old thinking cap
Many of them were converted Roger, but when the UK finally went decimal in February 1971, electro-mechanical machines had already established themselves and making in-roads into many arcades (1971 saw the first electronic coin-operated video game - Computer Space) and I guess a lot of operators decided it would be a good time to make a clean sweep of their existing arcade stock and get rid of the many old mechanical machines that had served them well for decades and replace them with the modern machines, many of which offered the punter far more excitement and entertainment compared with their old mechanical machines.
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Re: The old thinking cap
Payout and play cost values combined with visual references played a big part as well. As arrgee says, many were converted but they didn't really click with the player. The playing cost went up dramatically, at least in the player's mind. I was working in a cash business at the time and although people soon accepted the 1np over the 1d this meant that the most basic of conversions led to a rise of 2.5 times the cost of one play. 6d and 1/- machines lasted longer, but these needed no conversion other than the denominator sign. When the 6d finally went out of use sometime after decimalisation converting those machines meant doubling the play cost to 5p. Which did not sit well in the player's mind.
As to payouts, these changes did not sit right in the operator's mind: a 6d machine paying 10 coins = 5/- or 25np. The min upgrade of a 6d machine was to 5np and a 10 coins payout = 50np. It sounds clear to us now that there was no real difference as the operator was taking double the intake but (a) the operator found it hard to grasp that and (b) the player was still only playing the original amount he had to spend. He just played fewer times for his money. Remember those amounts look very small to us now, but were more important to people then. New machines were very much designed to convince the player that the game was worth the extra cost, something that was hard to do when one day your favourite old machine doubled in cost to play.
As to payouts, these changes did not sit right in the operator's mind: a 6d machine paying 10 coins = 5/- or 25np. The min upgrade of a 6d machine was to 5np and a 10 coins payout = 50np. It sounds clear to us now that there was no real difference as the operator was taking double the intake but (a) the operator found it hard to grasp that and (b) the player was still only playing the original amount he had to spend. He just played fewer times for his money. Remember those amounts look very small to us now, but were more important to people then. New machines were very much designed to convince the player that the game was worth the extra cost, something that was hard to do when one day your favourite old machine doubled in cost to play.
Re: The old thinking cap
It was similar to the events following North Sea Gas.
Lots of things were converted for the new, richer gas; but when it came to obsolescent gear, it was seen as a good time to renew, instead.
Most of the remaining gas lighting installations in Britain were abandoned at this time, even though they were the easiest to adapt.
Lots of things were converted for the new, richer gas; but when it came to obsolescent gear, it was seen as a good time to renew, instead.
Most of the remaining gas lighting installations in Britain were abandoned at this time, even though they were the easiest to adapt.
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