Table Hockey Heaven

[johnbenej]

"Thoughts"? At the risk of sounding obsequious I hope this post lives to see the light of day . . . you never know on this uptight/upright message board (is this not a message board, after all?)

To answer your question, which is frankly ridiculous because it will add nothing to your enjoyment of the benej game, that depends on what YOU mean by the word "hobbyist." The distinction you make is totally useless. Here's why.

You got this game. You are still trying to figure it out. Why ask people you don't know, most of whom have never played the benej game, and the ones that have you probably never will, a question whose answer will never contribute to your enjoyment of said game? Are you serious?

Here is the BEST way to figure this $600 game you bought, out:
Invite a bunch of guys to come over and play on it. Then invite another bunch of guys to come over and play on it some other night/day. Repeat this technique until you figure out FOR YOURSELF the features and drawbacks of this $600 game you bought.

If you live in the NYC area, you are welcome to come over here and I will invite some of the folks I play with, many of whom are top players on the benej game, and together we can discover the features and drawbacks of the game BY PLAYING ON IT.

I hope this helps.

aloha

[Kacher]

John,

The question was asked not from the angle of whether or not the product is fun. It was asked from the angle of whether or not it's a mass market product. I'm not sure why you think that's a ridiculous question. I am looking forward to playing it.

[Hoop27]

Rick and I talked about this a bit when I interviewed him. The reason this product would fall away from the 'mass produced' side is for two main reasons.

A)The price even mass produced would be a significant investment. Best case scenario in mass production a game like this would retail for $300-$400 because of the quality. That is a lot of money for a lot of families, so it doesn't fall into the impulse purchase range to where a Stiga at toys r us is between $80-$100 and most parents would consider that as a reasonable present price etc.

B) Video games, and the fact that Stiga is so entrenched in the market would make a new product no matter how much better tough to sell if the price point is not close. And most kids would rather play a video game so it's a small market.

Any table game is a niche market now. Regardless of Table Hockey, Subbuteo, Electric Football etc. The only way that changes is if the demand for these games goes up to the way it was in the 70's and 80's.

[Jim Rzonca]

[PensFan]

Kacher,
I have a benej , the OVTHL would love to have you over to play.
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IT'S A GRATEFUL DAY FOR HOCKEY

LET'S GO PENS
2009 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

[NJDevils4]

I just received my new Benej Table. I found this site searching for information to help determine if a Benej was the right table to purchase. The comments were very helpful in making my decision.

I am thrilled with my purchase. The table exceeded my expectations. I am blown away with the attention to detail. Everything from the packaging of the product to the board (ice) surface itself.

I am not a handy person, but had little trouble setting up the table. The toughest part was attaching the little shelf that goes under the handle to hold the pucks. The holes did not line up exactly. Easy fix by widening the holes just a little bit.

It takes a couple tries to get proficient at attaching the players to glides and springs. The tips on this site helped along with Rick's game care video. The key is not to over tighten the set screws. The system works amazingly well once you get the hang of it. You just need to take your time.

I love the large playing surface. The speed of the puck is perfect. It reminds me a bit of using a heavy marble on the old Coleco boards in my younger days.

I recommend the Benej for anyone interested in purchasing a high end table. You will not be disappointed.

After only one day, I am interested in obtaining custom teams. I would love to add one of the Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders as well as the 1980 USA and USSR Olympic teams. Any information on how to obtain or instruction on how to create is greatly appreciated.

[slickster]

i going to add a benej to my collection also, i have the big first model, but from the comments, the new one sounds intersesting. any benej tournaments around the corner or in the near future?

[Old Timer]

Hi Slickster

There are many Stiga tournaments around (here and worldwide) to wet your appetite when not playing Coleco. Not sure about Benej

Ron
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Old Timer