by Jack Guarnieri, PinballSales.com & ShuffleAlley.com

Are You Ready for Console Planet?

Editor's Note: According to the developers of Console Planet as well as other firms that have developed systems for LAN Gaming centers past and present, there is no inherent restriction on using most console games in commercial settings. A number of national chains rent these games without additional licensing, and arcades have been known to offer console entertainment on a time basis. However, some companies that also market games to the arcade, like Namco for instance, have put restrictions on the use of their games in such systems. As with any such matter, check with other experts including manufacturers, distributors, other operators and even your attorney if you have more questions or concerns.]

Is it OK to take a home videogame, put it into a commercial coin-op cabinet and operate it on location? Well that's what's happening up and down the shore from Maryland to New Jersey this summer with great success.

About two months ago "Bagel Bob" Goodman and Ryan Miller came to my office. They explained what they were doing, and I was a bit skeptical. A little background on Eagle Scout Ryan Miller: at 42, he is a former telecom whiz kid that made his bones with towers in the 90s along with some major network infrastructure innovations.

He started and sold a couple of successful companies, but his real passion is console gaming. He spent almost four years developing, testing and protecting the Console Planet gaming concept. Ryan tells me that his intellectual property is thoroughly covered with a broad patent pending.

Bob Goodman is a lovable and smart sales guru most recently with TLC Industries. Bob wanted to move closer to home and said, "What we have here is an old-fashioned case of the firstest with the mostest." Console Planet will never become obsolete and will only increase in revenue generation as the titles constantly become better and the tournament participation keeps growing. They have about 30 games out now.

 Ryan and Bob may be pioneers in a new and accepted method of delivering home games to commercial location players. If this works, and it seems to so far, this will change the industry as we know it. Console Planet could be the hit of the decade especially if they are able to attract a broader market with better demographics and no learning curve. It won't take years, just months for this to catch on because 80% of all American households have one or more console games. People are intimately familiar with the titles and game play. Console Planet just takes the experience from the house to the street, satisfying the unfulfilled need for social gaming and public competition. That's what tournament play is all about.

The commercial console gaming market is practically untouched and represents the largest segment of casual gamers. Console Planet is the first video platform that provides the infrastructure to mine this market through the cashbox, multi-location online tournaments, online advertising and on-premise promotional events. It never becomes obsolete and taps into the social gaming needs and competitive desires of every generation.

I caught up with a very busy Bob Harzer who runs operations in shore towns of Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights, N.J. Bobby has three of the prototype games and says they are earning very well. Customers like them, and they may provide other ways to promote and generate revenue as time goes on. I have known Bobby for a long time, and he does not buy anything extra. He is a very wise operator always concerned with value and returning the most bang for the buck. If he bought three of these, that says something big!

Important features of the game are:

· 42" hi definition LCD game monitor in detachable head

· XBox 360 with PS2, PS3, Wii options

· Premium sound with high output studio speakers

· 17" LCD display screen

· Mars 2600 dba

· Windows XP operating computer with full Internet capabilities for financial reporting

· Dazzling LED and ELF cabinet lighting effects

Their website is www.fragisle.com, and they plan on attending both AMOA and IAAPA. After I saw them in action with players piled, I am no longer skeptical about if they can work and generate money. This is something worth looking into for sure.

Jack Guarnieri started fixing electro-mechanical pinball machines in 1975 and has been involved in every phase of the coin-op game business since then. He operated a substantial game route in Brooklyn, N.Y., developed amusement centers and was called in as a consultant to manage Mondial Distributing and State Sales in New Jersey. In 1999, he founded PinballSales.com to sell coin-op to the home market. In 2002, he founded ShuffleAlley.com and released the Parker Bohn III Pro Bowler game, reviving the shuffle alley. His positive attitude, honest insights and opinions have made him a popular figure in the trade. While managing and growing his businesses, he still consults inside and outside the industry, and his marketing, promotional and business management expertise are widely sought. He's very active in his church, community and charitable causes as well. You can learn more at his websites (www.PinballSales.com and www.ShuffleAlley.com) or by phoning him at 866/323-JACK. Email is Jack@Pinballsales.com.