 | ||
Bar-X is an Amusement With Prizes (AWP) model of slot machine created in 1981 by Electrocoin, a company founded in 1976. The idea behind its creation was to create a machine that was easily operable, delivered a good ‘hit’ frequency, and allowed the user to feel in control. The first rough concept was named OXO.
In 1982, it went into full production with the Japanese gaming company Universal Entertainment Corporation. The first versions were produced in Japan, and the game appeared under the OXO Americana Cabinet brand name and Super OXO in a casino style cabinet.
For the Bar-X, one-hundred machines were built at the company factory in Ferry Road, Cardiff, with a new style of payout technology and cabinet.
By 1983, Bar-X had become established as ‘an essential part of the furniture’ in UK arcades. The same year, Big 7 was added to the range, and since then the Bar-X ‘family’ has been a permanent fixture in almost every major gaming outlet in the UK. Several top gaming industry figures have described it as the best machine of all time, and a ‘benchmark for many AWPs on the market.’ As a result of the increase in production, Electrocoin moved to larger premises in Cardiff and split to form Electrocoin Aftersales and Service Ltd. to manage demand and service & support. By early 1993, sales of Bar-X had passed the 20,000 mark.
Bar-X continues to produce new games. To celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2016, it released the Bar-X Deluxe App for the iPhone and iPad, appealing to a new generation of players while retaining its classic user format. Bar-X Card Crazy is the latest addition to the line, offering “the most comprehensive and genuine fruit-machine gameplay experience on a mobile.”