Party Gameplay report.

[paigeoliver]

My wife and I had 6 people over for the Superbowl who really weren't all that interested in watching the superbowl. So we had 8 people playing the games total, we ended a bit early before the game was actually over. We have 22 games set up in the gameroom.

As always, I am surprised at what gets the most play and what gets ignored. I really think a lot of it comes down to game positioning and what other people play first. If two people are wailing on a game at the same time, then the games next to it will usually be totally ignored in favor of more open areas.

Category 1. Top Earners
These games were played very heavily, often 2 players at a time.

Time Soldiers
Video Trivia (This has consistently been very popular every time I have guests).
Mame cabinet (I don't run a front end, I just load things up based on requests for things that aren't already in the gameroom).
Pole Position cockpit. This was empty half the time, but everyone who got in it seemed to play 5 or 6 games before getting out.

Category 2. Solid earners.
These games racked up a decent amount of play, but not as much as the others.

Ms. Pac with Multipac
City Connection
Cabal (not popular overall, but one guy played it like an hour straight).
Touchmaster Countertop
Joust
Neo Geo with multicart (Metal Slug, Puzzle Bobble and Neo Bomberman were up at various times).
19 in 1 (Lots of playing one credit on one game and then wandering off with this one)
Cal Omega Poker (title unknown, but it has people instead of cards).

Category 3. At least it got played.
These didn't sit empty all night, but they didn't get much action either.

Megatouch upright
Contra in Candy cabinet
Clowns (only saw it get played once)
60 in 1 Cabaret (got played like 4 times, mostly Donkey Kong).
STV cabinet running Cyber Lip


Category 4. Totally ignored.
About half way through the party a breaker blew, and none of these had even been played at all, so I didn't power them back on.

Pro Tennis
Capcom Bowling
Break Thru cabaret

Category 5. Out of Order.
Roadblasters
Demolition Derby

[Zeenon]

What is the video trivia? (URL)

Z

[paigeoliver]

Video Trivia was from Greyhound electronics, they sold it from around 1984 to 1988. I have two motherboards and three sets of question cards for it.

This is normally the kind of thing that collectors deconvert or just rob for the monitor, but it sees consistent play every time I have people over.

What is the video trivia? (URL)

Z

[paigeoliver]

And I just searched around, apparently my Cal Omega poker machine is titled "Pixels".

[saint]

Pinball and air hockey were the big winners at my house last night.

[Hoopz]

Category 4. Totally ignored.
About half way through the party a breaker blew, and none of these had even been played at all, so I didn't power them back on.

Well that's ironic.   

[TOK]

Pinball and air hockey were the big winners at my house last night.

Pins win every time in mixed company. Women and older people that don't like video games are immediately comfortable with them.
Defender is my favorite game, and I have a really nice one that nobody except for me and a couple buddies will ever play. Even though anyone that comes over could play all night for free and get decent, it still intimidates.

I just got a Robotron, which I'm sure is going to be just like Defender.

Zaxxon is the game everyone says "Oh ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, you have Zaxxon!" then don't play it. Everyone remembers it, but nobody likes it.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I've noticed in my past Superbowl parties, that the Simpsons gets the most play (on my MAME machine) and of course NFL Blitz on the Dreamcast emulator.  My vertical MAME:  Galaga, Ms. Pac and of course Punch Out.

D