IR Top Page > Developer Interview 2009 > vol05.Yoichi Egawa
- - First of all, I was wondering if you could give us an overview of the current pachinko and pachislo industry.
- "Egawa"
The overall market environment is nothing to be excited about. Over the past year the number of parlors has decreased. Fortunately, this downward trend has not really caused the number of installed pachislo machines to decrease, thanks in large part to the fact that parlors themselves have become much bigger. While the change in regulations has caused the number of installed pachislo machines to decrease, the easing of other regulations has lead to an increase in pachinko machines.
- - What would you consider to be a successful sales figure for pachislo machines?
- "Egawa"
Given the current environment, I would say a product is successful if it sells more than 10 thousand units. That’s the figure we aim for as a manufacturer.
- - Do you think regulations governing pachislo machines will be eased in the future?
- "Egawa"
Industry associations are lobbying the National Police Agency to ease regulations. However, because the fourth model (the model before regulations were tightened) caused far too many people to get into gambling, I am afraid it’s going to be awhile before regulations are relaxed again. For the remainder of 2009, we are going to have to develop products in compliance with the current regulations.
- - What regulations have been imposed on your business?
- "Egawa"
One of the provisions states that "no more than the regulated amount of medals can be released within a short time". As a result, all the machines produced by different vendors tend to look the same. That's why they try to use the originality or payout of their machine as a major selling point.
- - So does that mean each vendor must create their own strategy.
- "Egawa"
That’s right. All vendors strive to maximize payout. But in reality, this makes it difficult to pass the exam held by the Security Electronics and Communications Technology Association (SECTA). Because no units can be sold until the model passes the exam, a delayed release can have a substantial impact on the business results of listed companies.
- - Does using the popular titles and characters created by Capcom give your machines an advantage?
- "Egawa"
Actually, I still think payout dictates the popularity of game machines. No matter where you go, no one wants to play on a machine that doesn’t pay out a lot of coins. People always line up at the machine that pays out the most. However, as long as payout is strictly regulated, I feel the popularity of our titles and characters can add a lot of value to our products. This is clearly evident when you consider vendors, including Capcom, that have released a number of pachinko and pachislo machines featuring licensed characters. In that regard, well-known and popular characters and brands created by Capcom are sure to grab people’s attention. In addition, I believe there is a large overlap between the home video games customer base and that of pachislo. One reason is that the core pachislo user base is made up of mainly people in their 20s and 30s. Second, pachislo machines require a greater level of skill than other game machines, making them difficult for elderly people to get into. Third, because the specifications for each machine are different, users need to figure out how to beat each one.
- - So you use these popular titles to generate interest and get users to play on your pachislo machines.
- "Egawa"
Just as you said, it’s all a part of promoting the machine. Playing a pachislo machine isn’t the same as playing your typical home video game. In addition to featuring Capcom’s characters, our pachislo machines need to entertain pachislo users in a way that's original. While I don’t think that using a well-known title is enough to make a machine popular, it helps to get people playing on our machines. We can’t get people interested in pachislo machines if they don’t play our products.
- - What is it that makes pachislo machines so entertaining?
- "Egawa"
Each model features its own specifications, which we can design. Ultimately, it’s that interactive feel that gives players a sense of achievement, that satisfaction of knowing that "I mastered it all on my own." One thing that draws people in is the rising tension that gets them wondering, "When’s that jackpot coming? I should’ve hit jackpot by now." One of other things that gets people into our machines are the videos and sounds used for the jackpot stage effects. That's what we're really good at.
