[Tropi]

A couple of quotes seem to neatly condense what hit me as the main gist of both reports.
QUOTE With 3 or 4 cars on the track you can literally drive them flat out without ever letting up on the throttle.
QUOTE We saw bone-jarring hits that would have reduced most slot cars to bits of high-velocity plastic shrapnel. We saw repeatedly that sometimes the fastest way around the track was either under or through the opposition.

This appears to be the exact opposite of what many pro-digi enthusiasts have been proclaiming to be the primary advantage of these systems, which is rather curious. While I am delighted to have well written reports available (thanks chaps - genuinely), I find the conclusions very disappointing, seeming to confirm what I have always suspected.

 

[Tropi]

With respect, no, I don't think the views of a tiny minority of enthusiasts with only very short term experience is the crux at all. It would seem that some people simply like smashing cars, but that novelty won't last long.

"Lots of fun" can be had for a short period, doing many things and there are always a few people who will rave about anything new, whatever it is, without ever looking to the long term. Strangely, one rarely reads ANY counterbalancing argument in such reviews, thus projecting a very unbalanced view. Did absolutely no one have anything negative to say?

I fully expect a short term escalation in sales, based purely on novelty value and one-upmanship, helped by major reases just before Christmas, when many parents will buy 'little johnny' just about anything when they can't think of anything better and digital will be the 'in thing' . . . for a while.

Digital success or failure isn't about "pre-conceived ideas of what slot racing 'should be'", its about what 40 odd years of history should have taught people regarding what retains staying power and what doesn't. It's quite hard to think of any 'bright new idea' in slots that has survived and there have been plenty over the years.

 

[Tropi]

Astro
QUOTE Ahhhh I see what you are saying - digital is a backwards step and a failure, but we won't see the evidence of how rubbish it is until the year 2044?
Did I say that? Let me check what I did say. . .
No, I really didn't say that - nothing like it.
Sounds like mopistry is back . . .

I think Wankel might be exaggerating a bit too with
QUOTE two years before it slips quietly away.

 

[Tropi]

Only good naturedly pulling Wankle's wire.

Actually I think his conclusions and numbers are realistic, perhaps just slightly on the high side, though it will be hard to pick clear start and end points to the life cycles.
Gestation period doesn't count.

BTW, Norway is about 20% bigger than UK - that's quite a large track!