itbox

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itbox is a networked gambling games terminal which is found in thousands of pubs, leisure centres and amusement arcades in the United Kingdom. Classified as a SWP (Skill With Prizes) machine, each itbox terminal typically includes 25 different games. Each game costs 50p or £1 to play and lasts between 10 seconds and several minutes. From most of these games it is possible to win modest cash prizes. Although strictly the name 'itbox' refers only to Leisure Link-made terminals, however the name is often being casually applied to other SWP terminals such as Paragon SWP, Gamesnet, ind:e and Fatbox.

An itbox, displaying a game of Hangman 2 in progress
An itbox, displaying a game of Hangman 2 in progress

Contents

[edit] Games

The games on itbox are largely question-and-answer based where the player will need to answer a varying number of questions (often from a range of subject categories) correctly before he or she can opt to collect a small prize (normally £1) or gamble for a chance to win a larger prize by answering further questions.

[edit] Question-and-answer based

  • Bullseye - This game is based on an old television programme of the same name. It became, and remains, one of the more popular Question and Answer games on the itbox. Players must skillfully throw darts into a dart board to achieve points towards their target score. If this score is achieved, then the player is entered into the prize round, where they are able to throw darts into a "prize" board to gain cash prizes.
  • Pub Quiz - The game consists of a total of six rounds of 4 or 5 questions each, with prizes ranging from £1 (usually on completion of the third round, but occasionally after the second round) to a £10 jackpot. The player starts with one "try again" and a "change category" option, and can gain bonuses such as "pass" or "cheat" (which automatically reveals the correct answer" during a bonus round. Occasionally a cash prize can also be won in this way. Pub Quiz differs from most Itbox quiz games in that once a prize is attained, it cannot be lost and does therefore not need to be "collected". Pub Quiz also often features comedy answers which will be obviously wrong, especially in the first round.
  • Every Loser Wins - Has a similar format to Pub Quiz, but requiring players to answer questions wrongly rather than correctly. Players start with a "change category" option but no "try agains", though an "extra life" option is available during the bonus round, along with "change category" and, occasionally, a cash prize. Unusually, the 2/3 odds given on each question means players can make good progress simply by guessing their way through the game.
  • Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? - Based on the popular television programme, Millionaire enables gamers to sit with Chris Tarrant in order to win £20. The completion of the Fastest Finger First round opens up bonuses such as 'Ask the Audience' and '50:50', which can be invaluable in helping the player reach the payout questions. A recent 2006 edition has been launched, with less time available to answer individual questions but improved odds of gaining Fastest Finger bonuses, as well as more video footage of Chris Tarrant.
  • Monopoly - The latest "Hot Property" edition of this game requires players to attain a points target (usually between 5000 and 6000 points) and then play and endgame to win money. Points are accumulated by landing on properties, getting bonuses from "Chance" and "Community Chest" cards, and playing mini-games. Once a property has been landed on, a house is won (unlike in previous versions of Monopoly where a full set needed to be owned for houses to be available) and its points value increases to its base value plus its rent value with one house (hotels give a similar bonus). Collecting all 4 stations awards a cashpot prize. The endgame requires a player to choose three random properties from those accumulated during the main game. The game then offers a prize based on those properties, or the player can pick one and win its cash equivalent instead.
  • Deal or No Deal - A popular new addition to the Itbox selection. Presented by Noel Edmonds, the player must choose boxes and answer trivia questions to accumulate enough points to play a final cash round. The points target can range from 10000 to 90000, but is usually between 30000 and 60000, depending on how likely the Itbox is to pay out. The final cash round has no questions and requires to play, essentially, a very small-scale version of 'Deal or No Deal' with prizes ranging from 10p to a £20 jackpot. In some pubs the game has proved so popular that the minimum play is £1 and not 50p.
  • Deal or No Deal - No Questions - A new version of the game for Itbox. Presented by Noel Edmonds, the player is presented with a succession of box values, and must light up all the boxes by accepting the values that appear and discarding the ones that don't within a given time limit. There are also bonus boxes that give more time or an extra box value. If all the boxes are lit, the player progresses to the same final cash round as in the original Deal or No Deal.
  • Take It Or Leave It - A relatively new game, launched in October 2007, in which the player must answer 10 questions to get to a final cash round. The questions each come with an answer, and the player must "take it" (if they believe it to be correct) or "leave it" (if it is incorrect). In between each question is a round which decides the total prize value. Players are presented with a selection of 20 "vaults" containing values from 10p to £3, and two "booby prizes". Players choose two vaults, then must decide which one to take based on the amount revealed in the first vault. The total prize accumulates through 10 such rounds. In the final round, players are presented with 6 "vaults", one of which contains the prize. They can either attempt to choose the right vault, or answer 5 questions correctly to eliminate empty vaults. Any incorrect answer ends the game.
  • 1 vs 100 - Based on the 'National Lottery' programme of the same name, this game involves 100 "contestants" which players need to eliminate by answering questions. Each correct answer eliminates a number of "contestants", usually between 3 and 10. Players have two "dodge" options, similar to a pass, and one "double" option, which doubles the number of "contestants" eliminated by one correct answer. Once all the "contestants" have been eliminated, the player progresses to a cash round and can win a prize from 25p to £20 by eliminating 9 of the 10 prizes offered.

[edit] Skill / card games

Some games on itbox do not involve questions at all; examples of these are:

  • Word Soup - (a new name for Word Up.) Here the computer generates a "random" matrix of letters with different point values based upon the machine's 'willingness' to pay out, players must form English words from adjoining letters in order to reach a predetermined prize target which ranges from 450-2100 points. '
  • Triple Towers - A card game in which a random sequence of playing cards are dealt face down in a tri-pyramid pattern. The player is then dealt 24 cards with which he must clear all the pyramid cards within a set time by creating sequential runs (in this game Ace is both high and low)
  • Trickshot Pool - A computerised simulation of 8-ball pool. Players must pot a pre-determined number of their own colour balls (between 4-8). If successful the player has a chance to win a cash prize by completing a trickshot by potting an awkwardly positioned black ball determined by the computer. (Standard 8-ball pool rules apply with the exception that potting the 8ball off the break is considered a foul.) Recent modifications appear to have reintroduced more skill into this title by tweaking the CPU player's shot choices.
  • Crystal Maze - A game where the player must use various skills to win crystals and proceed to the 'Dome', in the same way that contestants did on the hit TV show - The Crystal Maze. Presented by Richard O'Brien, the player must torpedo ships, connect pipes and re-arrange words amongst mini-games to gain access to the final round where the amount of crystals collected translates as time. To win the prize the user must collect gold tickets whilst missing silver, which are deducted from the final total. (This title has been largely superseded on later itbox releases.)
  • Itbox Soccer - A test of knowledge based on the sport of football, Itbox Soccer is a word based game where players must fill in the blanks to complete the name of a player or other soccer-related term.

The amount of money won is determined by the number of points the player accumulates by successfully answering questions and filling in the missing letters.

  • Cluedo - A game where the player has a choice of rolls on a dice to choose from. The aim is to find out the suspect, the weapon and the room the murder took place. If this is done, the player wins £20. You can also win money for landing on all 6 suspects for £5 or the amount of rooms entered- The amount of rooms before money can be collected varies, it can be the 2nd to the 5th room entered. You must be in the correct room and guess the murderer and weapon correctly to win £20.

Past games that are no longer available, except on older machines, include The Two Towers, and Dungeons and Dragons.

[edit] Tournament games

In early 2006 a new style of game was introduced to itbox terminals. These tournament games pit players playing on different terminals around the country against each other for larger cash prizes than the stand-alone games. The national high score tables are reportedly updated in real time.[1]

[edit] Prizes

In accordance with gambling legislation the machinces are fixed minimum payout as with all fruit machines. SWPs are typically set to a payout percentage of 30% although operators can elect to set this at 40% or 50%. Many of the terminals were actually set as low as 27%, in an attempt to boost revenue. Each game has a prize structure which varies according to whether that game has recently paid out more than it should have according to the fixed payout percentage. Most games have a nominal jackpot of £20 although attaining this requires considerable skill from the player and cooperation from the software. Occasionally the operator underestimates the dedication of quiz machine players, or the software on a particular game is defective. When this happens, fast-acting players can empty machines of the jackpot with minimum difficulty.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Leisure link itbox sales sheet retrieved 27 February 2007 (PDF)

[edit] External links