Thoughts wanted on newer machines

[Danos880]

Hope everyone is well and safe.  I have a small collection of machines.  2 WMS Dots, an a plain IGT.  I have had plenty of spare time lately to think about what I would like next.


Thinking about getting away from reels and going with something newer.   Would like to get opinions on pluses and minuses of WMS vs IGT.  I like the idea of being able to just change software for a new gaming experience. I see price range wise they are fairly close.  Just wondering about game choices, ease of making changes/working on them, and parts availability.
I'm not very tech savvy with software/hardware so if you think a certain system is easier for newbies I like to hear.  If you're as bored as I am and have a few moments to leave your thoughts, I would love see them.  Thanks!

[rickhunter]

In my opinion WMS BB1 and BB2 games are very entertaining and easy to find.  The only caveat is like your older fashioned games, you can typically only have one game loaded in the machine at once, there are multi-game themes that allow for 6 games to be in the system at once and you select from a menu, but there about only 8 I believe of such game sets.  Most of the time you will clear, load and setup a particular game and play that until you want to move to the next one, similar to what you do with you stepper games.  The newer IGT platform IGT AVP, when retrofitted with a specific show bios, will allow you to simultaneously load a bunch of games, typically 50 or even 60, depending on how much memory each games uses and can be selected by menu.  They also have a multi-level display option which allows for some games that were designed to emulate a 3D type effect my moving the image from the lower layered LCD to the top layer LCD, these are called MLD displays (Multi Level Display), IGT calls it Reel Depth.  They use the technology to also emulate steppers by having the "reels" be on the bottom layer and the typical slot glass in the top layer, the effect is quite good if you have ever seen it. Personally I find the WMS games to be much more entertaining to play than what IGT has to offer, but it sure is nice to have a machine with 50 to 60 games loaded at once.

[The laneman]

I agree with Rick about the AVP.You can load so many games on one machine.If you are limited on space or only want a few machine this is the way to go.There are plenty of enjoyable game with this platform.If you can get the one with the MLD,thats a even better choice.

[Danos880]

Good stuff, lots to consider.   I agree I often play the Williams games when I make it to a casino.  I tend to enjoy the games more.  Some of the classic IGT games with a new spin get my attention to though.


I really enjoy the fact IGT can have so many options though.  There is also a gentleman selling a G20 with 30 games and also a SMLD for a slightly lower price with 40 games already loaded.  I have tried doing my research but am not certain of the difference between the two.   Is there questions I should ask as far as 3.0 I believe that I read somewhere?  The machines are located a few hours away so that helps sway my choice out of convenience and his prices seem fair as long as the hardware is good.  I'm usually more of a bargain slot hobbyist so this would be a big purchase for my collection.   


Any thoughts on long term reliability of the two? 

[rickhunter]

The SMLD is the older cabinet style.  The G20 replaced it, but there are G20's with MLD displays and standard displays.  If you get the G20, make sure it has the MLD display on it.

[Simple Sam]

Aren't the clear chips very expensive for the IGT models?


50 games sounds great; do they come bundled or do you have to buy each game separately (that sounds expensive!)?

[rickhunter]

When you buy your machine from the dealer, you can ask for which games you may want, and the price would change accordingly.  I cannot tell you how much each additional game will cost because each dealer will ask differently.  The only other things that are crucial are a diagnostic key and an ekey7 (or equivalent set) in order to be able to recover from errors an such.  The ekey is selling between around $350 on average, sometimes higher and sometimes lower if you are lucky.