We don’t often get sales numbers for arcade titles but Betson has sent me a press release where they are highlighting the success of one of Raw Thrills’ most recent games, Guitar Hero. With 2000 units sold in three months, it’s nothing to shirk at in the arcade sector – 10,000 units (in total sales over the lifespan of the product)  is generally the magic number in arcade sales and it looks like GH is well on it’s way to reaching that. The release highlights that the game has been a success at Coinstar units in Wal-Mart stores across the country and that many operators have also begun to capitalize on the contests that can be done with the game.  Hit the post break for the release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Guitar Hero™ Arcade

#1 Video Attraction Surpasses 2,000 Units

CARLSTADT, NJ – June 9, 2009 – Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix are thrilled to announce they have shipped over 2,000 units of the mega blockbuster hit “Guitar Hero™ Arcade” since production started 3 months ago.

As reported by Raw Thrills Distribution Network, Guitar Hero™ Arcade is turning in some really big collections in Arcades all across the country. The popularity of Guitar Hero™ Arcade is so strong, that many of the regional and national amusement facilities (movie theaters, FEC’s, LBE’s, bowling centers, amusement parks, big box retailers) have covered all their locations with at least one game and have doubled up in many others. Coinstar, the largest operator in Wal-Mart stated that the game set a benchmark that all other manufacturers are trying to emulate. “Guitar Hero™ Arcade is by far our number 1 collecting video game in all of our Wal-Mart stores.”

Capitalizing on the popularity of the game, operators have been successfully promoting local Guitar Hero™ Arcade Contests with players competing for prizes and top honors as the Best of the Band! Brown University radio station, WBRU, is running weekly Guitar Hero™ Arcade Contests on campus to offer a much needed break from the rigors of collegiate academia. More and more arcade events are beginning to pop up all over North American Amusement Centers.

“The current pipeline of orders for Guitar Hero™ Arcade is growing daily and we have not experienced this type of excitement for a video game in a long time,” said Bob Boals Executive Vice President of Betson Enterprises.

North America is not the only country where Guitar Hero™ Arcade is a success. Spain, Italy, Germany, England, France, Singapore, Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, India, Middle East, Africa, China and Canada are also enjoying tremendous success with this product. Music is truly the universal language.

• • • • Guitar Hero™ Arcade is currently available through a special finance program being offer by Firestone Financial.

• • • • The Raw Thrills / Play Mechanix team would like to thank everyone for their support, not only with this release but with all Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix products. Betson Enterprises would also like to take this opportunity to thank its distributor network for supporting the release of Guitar Hero™ Arcade so wholeheartedly and for helping to drive sales in their individual markets.

• • • • About Raw Thrills

• • • • Former Midway game designer Eugene Jarvis founded Raw Thrills Inc. in 2001 to create the next generation of arcade game entertainment. After creating content for IGT, Raw Thrills has gone on to design and release the best selling titles Target: Terror, The Fast and the Furious, The Fast and the Furious Super Bikes and The Fast and the Furious Drift.

About Play Mechanix

George Petro, a former game designer for Midway Games founded Play Mechanix in 1995. In a little over a decade, Play Mechanix has created over 30 titles for the Arcade, Bar and Casino industries including the best-selling video hunting series Big Buck Hunter, Big Buck Safari, and Deal or No Deal. Play Mechanix is currently creating an on-line tournament system for use with Big Buck Hunter Pro and beyond. Play Mechanix recently merged with Raw Thrills.

About Betson Enterprises

Headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, Betson Enterprises is the leading coin operated distributor of amusement and vending equipment, coin operated parts, and service in the United States. With over 75 years of experience and leadership in the coin-operated industry, we will help you make informed decisions that are best for your business.

Betson offers entertainment and vending solutions for your business through our relationships with the operator community. For locations looking for a simple and profitable solution or vendors looking for equipment that fits any situation, Betson Enterprises can help you. Betson Enterprises has an industry proven reputation for quality and customer focus

For more information on Guitar Hero™ Arcade, please contact at 800-524-2343 or visit our web site at www.betson.com