The mania for arcade games will never completely go away. Arcade games are about speed, skill, fun and rewards for exceptional play. In fact, they are also about combo strings and racking up points by mastering the game’s mechanics. In the mid-1980’s arcade boom in the US saw an increase in the popularity of games like billiards, air hockey, and bowling due to high consumer engagement and interest in these sports.
Air hockey, a popular arcade game, was developed between 1962- 1972 and targeted players of all ages. Most of the latter enjoyed the game as it required less skill and knowhow. This ultimate retro game offers great entertainment value at malls, house parties, mass events and movie theaters whilst helping the organizers play the perfect hosts. The Air Hockey Players Association (AHPA) was formed to unite people that are passionate about playing air hockey, offering them resources and structure to transform a simple time-killer into a well-respected, and competitive mainstream sport.
Evolution of Game Rooms Push the Air Hockey Brigade
The increase in disposable income of consumers, which led them to invest in leisure and entertainment activities also aided the growth of the global air hockey market. Customers in the Americas and Europe are transforming spare rooms at their homes into fully loaded game rooms and stacking these rooms with such novelties as foosball, billiards, snooker, and air hockey tables. Thus, several manufacturers of game tables including manufacturers of air hockey tables have started to focus on innovating compact tables that will fit into small areas of the house.
Things to know before buying an air hockey table
- The weight of the table – if the table is going to be stable and sturdy enough during active play. Air hockey can get quite rowdy and the table often suffers the brunt of the excitement.
- The Motor – if the motor is quiet or noisy? A quieter motor is less distracting and lasts longer.
- The Puck – if the puck floats completely across the table surface easily? The puck needs to smoothly move across the table without dragging or stopping anywhere.
- Is the puck flying off the table a lot? It gets quite annoying to bend down and look for the fallen puck every few minutes. A well-engineered table takes care of this.
Branded products available in the market are expensive. However, many local players offer products at lower prices. Thus, the bargaining power of the buyers is a threat for the manufacturers. Insights such as this are pulled up by Technavio and help the vendors better understand their market. The expert market research report on the global air hockey market gives you a comprehensive look at the industry conventions, innovations and the factors that impact the demand for air hockey tables across the world.
