Merit Entertainment this week advised operators that the newest software released by TouchTunes, Gen3, does not support the industry standard link between TouchTunes jukeboxes and Merit's Megatouch games.
According to Merit, TouchTunes has chosen to discontinue support for the current interface, and has left operators without an option to connect Merit games to current-release TouchTunes jukeboxes. Many operators were unsuccessful in their attempt to upgrade to the new Gen3 software, and were forced to either revert to Gen2 or switch music networks.
The decision was met with astonishment by those at Merit. "We are stunned that TouchTunes would turn its back not only on our long-standing relationship, but also on their operators," said Colin Higbie, Director of Marketing at Merit. Mike Maas, Merit's CEO added "Since we know music earnings increase by 15% when linked to a Merit countertop, I cannot imagine why TouchTunes decided to eliminate the feature in Gen3,"
Merit has stated that their software will remain unchanged, and that they will continue to fully support the existing link. This includes providing seamless connection to Gen2 TouchTunes jukeboxes, as well as state-of-the-art Rowe/AMI jukeboxes. However the Merit link will only remain fully functional for older TouchTunes systems if TouchTunes decides to continue support for Gen2 software.
More information regarding the technical implications of this change for TouchTunes and Megatouch operators can be found
here
