NEW NEW NEW!

The long-awaited increase in stake and prize levels has now come into effect for Category C and Category B4 machines. The new legislation came into effect on 15th January and Cat C machines saw their maximum prize increased from £70 to £100, although no increase in stake level was forthcoming. Cat B4 machines, sited in members clubs, had their maximum prize increased to £400 from £250, and the maximum stake was also changed from £1 to £2.  

When it comes to Category C you get what you pay for!

Currently celebrating its 50th year in the UK coin-op industry, Bell-Fruit Games has been taking stock of the manufacturing landscape, with a specific focus on the significant contribution the company makes to the health and vitality of the Category C AWP sector. While Bell-Fruit is quick to acknowledge the challenging aspects facing the C variant, it is equally swift to emphasise that there is currently no other manufacturer in the country as committed to delivering consistently strong, brand new product to the market place.

According to sales and marketing director John McLoughlin when it comes to Cat C, you “…really do get what you pay for”, particularly in the case of BFG which has vast expertise of producing high-earning, top quality licensed titles. The downside of being at the high-end of the market, however, is that products can appear more costly than those of your peers.

McLoughlin countered that view, saying: “We have always been insistent on the highest levels of quality in our products. That’s evidenced by the amount of investment that goes into developing new games and cabinet styles. While we strive to keep prices as low as possible, all this innovation places huge demands on resource. Hence our Golden Anniversary slogan; ‘Invested in Innovation’.”

He added: “Another example of the ‘quality versus cost’ dilemma can be seen in our licensed games. It’s no secret that we have the strongest licences available, yet this can be a double-edged sword. They deliver brilliant cashbox returns for the retailer, but there is a significant cost levied by the licence holder.”

One of Bell-Fruit’s core strengths is its seemingly relentless output of desirable new games. McLoughlin explained: “We are committed to launching 20 brand new models every year. By doing so, we can ensure that retailers and operators have constant access to great games which, in turn, enables them to keep their operations invigorated and fresh. Furthermore, our machines are switchable to Cat D – that’s something that not all manufacturers can offer.

“A fact that’s often overlooked is that during that process a number of games that are tested don’t always live up to our expectations. Bell-Fruit is prepared to meet the cost of those failed test machines. We don’t charge for our test machines and I don’t think there’s currently any other manufacturer that offers that level of service.”

With 50 years’ trading under its belt and parent firm NOVOMATIC adding valuable support, the firm is predicting a confident outlook with regard to its Cat C lineage. That view has been reinforced by some interesting data culled from the industry’s own machine performance figures. They show, on average, that Bell-Fruit Cat C games earn longer and more consistently than many other competing models. “We are in this for the long-haul,” concluded McLoughlin. “And that is reflected in the quality of the games we build and their sustained earning power.”

 NEW NEW NEW!

Party time as fruit machine company marks 50 years in city

As she stood in front of an original 1963 fruit machine, Helen Nelson recalled her first day working at Bell-Fruit.

"When I first started we used to come down the production line and play the games," she said. "It's been fun working here. I've seen a lot of changes over the years."

Helen joined Bell-Fruit Manufacturing, as the firm was known then, as a 15-year-old administrator after leaving Cottesmore Girls School, in Lenton, in 1968.

Fast forward 45 years and Helen, now 60 and living in Beeston, is its longest-serving employee. She said:

"It's always been like a family. There weren't many people at first, but it's grown and grown."

The company threw a party for around 200 employees at its headquarters in Leen Gate, Lenton yesterday, to celebrate the anniversary, with some dressed in 1960s clothing for the occasion. Videos of life at Bell-Fruit over the years were screened, while a specially recorded video of Deal or No Deal host Noel Edmonds singing Happy Birthday was also played. The TV show is among the host of games adapted for Bell-Fruit's machines that are played in pubs, arcades, bookmakers, and motorway service stations up and down the country.

The assembly area at the factory was also taken over by games of a different variety for the day, as staff queued up to play crazy golf, basketball, and take part in Space Hopper races.

John Lowton started out on the production line at Bell-Fruit 33 years ago. The 58-year-old, of Woodthorpe, is now the company's operations director. He said:

"My older brother, Bill, was working here at the time and he said I should come along. My first job was testing the machines and I've progressed from there over the years. My younger brother, Dave, and son, Sam, now also work here for our other company, Mazooma Interactive Games. People ask me how I can stay at one business that long, but it's always changing. The games industry is always reinventing itself. I'm proud we've reached this milestone."

At the height of its manufacturing pomp in the 1970s, Bell-Fruit had around 800 workers going through the doors of its factory at the former tannery in Leen Gate. The company is now based across the road from its original site, and owned by Austrian gaming giant the Novomatic Group.

Bell-Fruit managing director John Austin, 65, of Hucknall, first joined the company in 1969 and has spent three spells working for the company. He said:

"I first joined as a design draughtsman, making fruit machines and manufacturing jukeboxes. This is a major milestone for our company, whose association with the city of Nottingham goes right back to the very beginning of the business.Our workforce is incredibly loyal and long-standing. More than 22 per cent of our employees have been here over than 25 years."

Of the future, he added: "We're now starting to see a real move towards digital machines". Technology is always changing and the next big thing is games online and on mobile phones. It's something we are looking at."

It’s a Deal! - Astra Group extend gaming’s most successful brand licence

Astra Group, which comprises some of the leading companies in UK gaming, including Bell-Fruit Games, has made a major investment in the sector, securing a two year exclusive agreement to use the hugely successful Deal or No Deal licence across all of its analogue gaming products.  The agreement which was signed with Endemol Games, owners of the Deal or No Deal Licence, also includes shared rights for use on digital gaming products.  The contract has been secured for an undisclosed but substantial sum and will extend Bell-Fruit’s association with Deal Or No Deal to eight-years, making it the most successful brand licencing agreement in UK low-stake gaming.

John Austin, Managing Director of Bell-Fruit Games said: “This agreement scotches any doubt about our firm commitment to analogue gaming and I am naturally delighted that our new owners have committed what is a substantial amount into the future of the manufacturing brands within the Astra Group.  They share an enthusiasm for gaming and have a vision for the development of the sector which is fantastic news for everyone who is associated with the company including employees, suppliers and our customers.

“When Bell-Fruit produced the first Deal or No Deal game in August 2006 few observers could have predicted the huge success that we have enjoyed. Achieving volume sales of 40,000 units in what has been a depressed market is phenomenal.  Whilst the brand clearly resonates with players it’s also important to recognise our games designers who have succeeded in applying their skills to this brand.  The gaming industry is littered with examples of seemingly strong brands which have failed to transfer into the gaming space.  It is the marriage between brand and games designer which determines the success or failure of a game.  Following the acquisition Bell-Fruit has a clear development strategy and this is just one very important example of how we will be investing in the future of UK gaming.”

Simon Knight, Business Development & Licensing Manager at Endemol Games confirmed: “The relationship we have enjoyed with Bell-Fruit over the last six years has beenexcellent and we can now look forward to the next exciting phase in that relationship. We are very excited about the potential for new additions to the range of Deal or No Deal products under this new deal. The cooperative way in which Bell-Fruit have applied their skill set whilst being absolutely true to the brand has been a major factor in the commercial success of the Deal or No Deal brand in this space. We are all very proud that Deal or No Deal is a brand which is now synonymous with pub gaming.”

ASTRA ANNOUNCES DANOPTRA DEAL COMPLETION

New Category C Gaming Machine Technical Standards

New technical standards came into effect on 8th November for Cat C gamingmachines.

These changes affect three main areas on machines:

-Speed of Play: Changes in speed of play have been approved, with game speed being linked to stake.

-Cashpots: A technical fix has been announced to remove an unintended restriction on the use of pots on Cat C machines.

-Game links: Cat C games may incorporate 100% holdover on non-winning games so that any features and bonuses built up can be carried forward.

The changes came about following the Gambling Commission being approached by BACTA, the trade association for the sector, which highlighted the decline in the UK gaming machine manufacturing industry along with the difficult conditions being experienced by many operators.BACTA put together a package of proposals to amend the technical standards in relation to Cat C machines with a view to increasing their attractiveness, whilst posing no substantial threat to the Gambling Commission’s licensing objectives. The proposals were designed to enable new machines to compete more effectively with legacy machines and encourage the industry to remove these from site. The Gambling Commission is hopeful that the changes which have now been implemented will result in an early substantial reduction in the number of legacy machines still in operation.

 QR Codes...they are more than just strange shapes on BFG machines

Another first as Bell-Fruit Games introduce new QR Codes. Take a look at the very latest Bell-Fruit machines and you just might notice something different to what you have seen in the past. That’s because the company has introduced QR codes onto the game artwork. What’s a QR code? It’s a square block with an array of dots that can be read by a smart phone and that then gives access to a dedicated web page where you can find out more information about the company or product.
Bell-Fruit’s Sales and Marketing Director, John McLoughlin, commented, “As far as we are aware we are the first company in the gambling industry to introduce QR (Quick Response) codes into our game artwork. If a player clicks on the code with a smart phone it will immediately call up a brochure for the game he is looking at, and then by clicking on the television icon in the brochure he can access a video demonstration of the game with a full explanation of how the game works. We feel this is a real bonus for the core player but also takes some of the mystique out of machines for those people who only play more casually.”

If all this seems a bit far-fetched then click on the QR code here and see for yourself!

Deal or No Deal - Cops And Robbers is the latest cat-c launch from Bell-Fruit Games. This game combines the key elements of the Deal or No Deal brand with Bell-Fruit's own iconic Cops And Robbers theme to great effect. Collecting three box symbols activates the Super Board in which every spin adds money to the Swag meter, and as usual the Banker’s Bonus button gives the player a handy hint.

Yet another great deal from Bell-Fruit Games!!

more game info...

Deal or No Deal - Live the Dream is the latest cat c launch from Bell-Fruit Games. In this new multi-stake game when playing £1, any three phones in view open the Deal or No Deal Super Feature, whilst three phones on the win line opens the Super Board as well.

Live The Dream squares increase the values contained in the LED's during the super feature and can take you all the way to the jackpot.

In addition, you can collect three Noels for the no lose super board which gives you access to cash, features and hyper shots.

Yet another cracker from Bell-Fruit Games!!

more game info...

Deal Or No Deal - The Perfect Deal is another Cat C winner from Bell-Fruit Games, having achieved approvals from the major retailers

By lighting a row or a column in the matrix the player can access the feature board and by completing the whole matrix the Deal or No Deal super feature is activated.
The Red Alert square turns the Deal or No Deal boxes red to give bigger cash offers along with a guaranteed repeat when the box is won. Hearts complete the special trail that award extra lives and playing on the maximum makes all eight winlines active.

Yes, this really is the Perfect Deal from Bell-Fruit Games!

more game info...

It's the Biggest Deal Yet!

Mega Deal or No Deal  is one of our latest Cat C blockbusters. This game, which has already attracted quite a number of approvals and has been a big hit!

The Player can clim up the trail to access the Deal or No Deal super feature or go higher still for Super Deal or No Deal.

Getting right to the top activates the Mega Deal or No Deal, where both awards are offered if the player chooses to deal.

Yet another MEGA offering from Bell-Fruit Games!!!

more game info...

 Get your share of the Banker's Bonus!

Deal or No Deal Banker's Bonus is our latest Cat C release. This great new game, which is currently attracting approvals from major pub retailers, offers three new bonuses that can be used when playing the feature:

Bank It allows the player to bank an offer when playing the Deal or No Deal feature and carry on in the game; the machine then pays the banked amount if this is higher than the prize awarded by the feature.

Message from the Banker can increase your offer as well as offering helpful hints as you go round the feature.

Swap Box allows you to swap your box at the end of the Deal or No Deal feature for the final value on offer, but only if you’re quick about it!

Another hot property from the Bell-Fruit Group, see if you can get the Banker's Bonus!

more game info...

Deal or No Deal Play It Again is our latest successful test game. It's already received approvals from most of the major retailers.

Start the feature game with 3 phones, but collect a fourth phone to activate play it again. Now you can replay the Deal or No Deal feature and have another go at winning the big values!

It's another cracking Deal or No Deal game!

click for more game info...