Talk:Itbox

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[edit] Overseas Version

In Australia we have itbox but it is called Barry. It is pretty similar to itbox but with slightly different games. Should this be mentioned in the article? Raph89 (talk) 16:02, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't think so. itbox refers to a specific brand made by Leisure Link. if Barry is made by someone else it should go on the quiz machine article 88.105.134.43 (talk) 14:50, 8 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Variable Difficulty

I've noticed that not all itboxes ask questions of the same difficulty... For instance, ones in student unions tend to be significantly more difficult than ones long distances from universities, one in peterhouse college bar at cambridge even asked a question "how fast does the earth go around the sun in miles per second?". I am an astrophysics graduate and do not know this and don't think many people who don't know it could calculate it within the 10 second time limit (18.5 mps is the answer). Perhaps this needs more investigation. 82.46.179.159 10:37, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

That would be original research unless you can find a published source with a study. --Stlemur 15:40, 16 March 2007 (UTC)
I've heard this happens also. University machines are often harder than pub ones, and not just itbox brand. I've also noticed the phenomenon where a newly installed machine is very easy, and within a day or two becomes much harder.

So yeah, if you want to empty an itbox, go with some friends to a pub away from the uni. M0ffx 15:38, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Advert template

I added the template for the following reasons:

1. When this page was first pointed out to me, it was by a few friends of mine who work for the company that makes itboxes. They told me the page read like one of their managers had written it; I am inclined to agree that, whoever wrote it, some of the style choices come across as NPOV, especially:

  • "...Leisure Link-made terminals, as market leader..."
  • "This game has been so successful that it can be argued that it has led to the nostalgic resurgence of old quiz programmes back onto television, including the original Bullseye, unfortunately without the iconic Jim Bowen."
  • "Considered by many gamers to be one of the 'benchmark' itbox games..."
  • "This caused a major stir in the itbox community once it appeared..."
  • "...the famed 'Swing On'"
  • "Now with added Hee-Haw!"
  • "A hugely popular new addition..."
  • "Classic past games..."
  • "...the dedication of quiz machine players..."
  • "The players travel the length of the country with this sole aim..."
  • "...it has affectionately become better known as..."

2. The amount of detail included in the article goes far past any degree of notability and into fancruft, in the sense of being unencyclopedic.

3. The section on itbox slang is, at best, a set of dictionary entries and, at worst, a list of unverifiable neologisms. --Stlemur 12:01, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

i wrote the original article from a position of neutrality. if it has been hijacked by industry insiders, there seems to be little anyone can do but re-edit obvious puff. i do agree that the itbox slang section is unencyclopaedic, perhaps if this were redirected somewhere it would add more authority to the page. i have been meaning to generate equivalents for the other pub quiz machines on the market but so far time has disallowed this. i do however still think that this page is a useful destination for people wanting to find out more about SWP as most people use the word 'itbox' to mean what we understand as SWP gaming. i was user UP before getting a new PC if anyone cares and most certainly not a manager of leisure link or any affiliate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.45.45.23 (talk • contribs)

I have followed the development of this article for the last 3 or 4 months and have watched the decrease in quality levels and the increase of Fancruft material. I had always attempted, at some point, to wade in and prune the excesses, but never got around to it. I can see there is a little bit of PR talk in there, but nothing too overboard (the bits can and should be removed, but it isn't near as bad as the typical case that the ad. tag is used for, which are normally just articles that are just near cc's of press releases) - the fancruft made up junk section is the area that I am concerned about. There has been another 'typical' fancruft edit just today from a Cam Uni IP. I appreciate that folks are just having a laugh, and that is fair enough, but I would like to see this article (and the Word Up article) remain here on WP - and if an editor who has never heard of (and never will hear of) an itbox browses by this page and sees a page full of a load of "that machine has a pimped game on it and is a tart but there is a bullock standing beside it" chatter - funny as that is - they may believe that the article is just a load of fancruft BS and so nominate it for deletion - that would not be good. How the cull of all the fancruft is made is a matter for debate - either it can all go, or just leave one or two "example" phrases to communicate the point that the machines have a small fanbase who have made up their own phraseology while playing. Either way some changes need to be made to the article, and the folks who are adding the fancruft should be made aware that all the slang stuff isn't really acceptable for a WP article. SFC9394 00:00, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I'm inclined to agree with the above assessment. I don't think anyone's talking about deleting the article. It just needs to be made more encyclopedic. Any pop-culture article will suffer from an accumulation of irrelevant bits (look at the "cultural references" section for any hit song from the 80's) and needs a degree of policing. We just have to remember to stay focused and, what would really help this article I think, tie things back to relevance for the broader community. It occurs to me that this article is a bit UK-centric, for example; I've never really seen games machines anywhere else in pubs or bars. --Stlemur 00:35, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
Ok I have culled a fair amount - feel free to remove/add any other bits and bobs which should/shouldn't be there. Some more could be culled out, but I thought I would make a first run over it to remove the overt content. I have left in a few examples of slang - perhaps the rest could go as well, but I provisionally left in the few most relevant to the actual machine. SFC9394 00:06, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
"...answering trivia questions in order to advance to a cash round in which a maximum prize of £20 is easy to obtain and a minimum of 10p even easier" - Seriously, give me a break! I'm not going to embarrass myself by admitting I've never so much as won 10p, I just want to point out that that's advertising in its most blatant form right? And 'easy' is very subjective. B'ah! --Burlster 16:05, 06 November 2007 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.26.45.121 (talk)

[edit] Removal of slang

I propose that the Name and Slang sections be removed as they are unverified and (IMHO) unencyclopedic. I for one have never heard any of those slang terms but know of some other, unmentioned memes. Thoughts? --Jmptdc 10:57, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

i'd tend to agree with that, i find chocolate money amusing but has anyone ever actually said this?

I agree with the sentiment, but I think it puts a smile on my face which is partly what the internet is for so I think it should stay --anewman 21:40, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

That's not what Wikipedia is for. The Internet, meanwhile, is for porn. --Stlemur 21:56, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

Remove them! Mdcollins1984 10:25, 7 August 2006 (UTC)

I agree. There was a similar list of supposed slang terms on (IIRC) the Quiz Machine page a while back which again was essentially just a list of neologisms coined by one small group of fans. Grecian 12:05, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

Done! The removed sections are below for reference. Jmptdc 12:50, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Name

"itBox" was named as such, (after there was a problem with the original name "Showtime") in what its makers meant to be a clever play on words, and believed that it would become better known as "hitBox". Whilst not being a specific comment on the gaming terminal itself, it is also known as "Shit Box" by some of the gaming community.

[edit] itbox Slang

Some gamers have developed a slang language in order to communicate objectives quickly and efficiently whilst playing. Slang terms can include:

  • Good Bonī - An expression used to indicate that the bonuses for a particular game are favouring the player.
  • Blank It - A tactic involving the deliberate choosing of an incorrect answer in order to secure further bonii.
  • Duds - Games that have a consistently low payout rate or simply do not give cash prizes.
  • Guernsey Quid or Chocolate Money- A coin that fails to be accepted by the itbox.
  • Pintbox - Consuming alcoholic beverages whist playing the itbox.
  • Pregnant - When the machine seems desperate to payout no matter what you do.
  • Salad Days - a brief but profitable period in which a new game or machine is easy to win on, before it is tightened by the operator.

[edit] Picture

the picture is in very bad taste and should be replaced by one showing a whole ITbox and in much better taste!!!