Skee-Ball New Vs Old

Skee-Ball New Vs Old

A repetitious rumble can be heard in arcades across the Grand Strand as players roll heavy, round balls in hopes of winning a bounty of prizes.

But look closely because the machines are a tad fancier than the classic Skee-Ball alleys with their wooden balls and simple white rings marking off point values. Instead, game players now practice their aim at new versions such as Fireball, Basket Fever, Bug Bash and Scat Cats (pictured).

The concept is still the same as traditional Skee-Ball, which was invented almost a century ago. The object is to roll a ball up a 14-foot alley and pitch it into one of several openings. A cross between bowling and pinball, Skee-Ball awards more points the further away you land your ball. The new machines look sleeker with more lights, sounds and themes.

"They've got to make some changes for the new generations to come out and play," said Mike Rudowicz, president of the American Amusement Machine Association. "There are four or five different versions, and some have these real fancy lights, black lights, and some have roll down alleys where you try to knock down stuffed animals."

The Garden City Pavilion Arcade has both the new and old versions of Skee-Ball. A few older machines are downstairs beside their more modern, flashy cousins. Upstairs, the older models have a row all to themselves.

"Most of what people want to play is downstairs," said pavilion owner Georgie Martin.

People come to the arcade to win tickets they can redeem for various prizes, she said. Some of the new Skee-Ball models award more tickets than the older ones. Scat Cats, where the player knocks down plastic animals sitting on different levels, awards 50 to 150 points. Traditional Skee-Ball ranges 10 to 100 points.

Sally Sullivan of Conover, N.C., watched her 10-year-old daughter Megan win 219 tickets playing Skee-Ball, Scat Cats and Fireball at the Garden City Pavilion.

"I grew up on Skee-Ball," Sullivan said. "I like the old one better, but the new one gives more tickets."

Skee-Ball, Inc. in Chalfont, Pa., estimates that there are about 100,000 machines throughout the world, including new and classic versions, according to marketing director Eilleen Graham. The game, whether played with fancy orange plastic balls and flashing lights or wooden balls and worn alleys, will likely be around for a while, Rudowicz said.

While traditional video arcade games have been hit hard by the popularity of home devices such as the Play Station and Xbox, Skee-Ball and its spin-offs are still popular because they award tickets that eventually translate to prizes.

"The key to that is probably the instant gratification," Rudowicz said.

Hannah Parker, 10, of Huntersville, N.C., was the lone player at a row of classic Skee-Ball alleys on a recent night at the Garden City Pavilion. She was aiming for a teddy bear worth 200 tickets, but said she didn't care about getting fewer tickets from the older machines.

"I like the old because it's just original," she said. "It's more fun."

SOURCE: The Sun News.