“November,1977 “4, BEL $250
& ie al
so es Pu, 4 f
. 7
a rf 2 , oat rin : & e 2s ' \ , 4 \y he, $ | ae ig dace © ca Pe ai ee: at Da x we ‘ . se. ; ‘Ags ¥
5 ~ , .
© ATARI, INC. 1977
The magic continues. The wizardry of new concepts, colorful new realism. And new profit opportunities. Pinball and video magic you've seen, and some you haven't seen. Games that are pre-tested for high earnings potential and games that include our exclusive self-test procedures. Take a front row seat. See our Magic Show at: AMOA, October 28, 29, 30, at the Conrad Hilton, Chicago, IL, in the West Room, Booths 16-23 and 26-33... and at IAAPA, November 19, 20, 21, at the Rivergate Exhibition Center, New Orleans, LA.
A.
ATARI
Fivitee-1 ait leisure
A Wamer Communications Company
PLAY MEFER Volume 3/ No. 21
November 1977
November1977,| PLAY METER
Staff @#eeoeeoeeoeeeeeee eee @ @
Publisher and Editor: Ralph C. Lally Il Managing Editor: David Pierson International Editor: David Snook Editor, Coin S/ot . Technical Editor: Robin Minnear Game Doctors Correspondents: Roger C. Sharpe Dick Welu Mary Claire Blakeman Susan Brenna J.W. Sedlak Randy Fromm Art Direction: Meyer Alewitz Staff Cartoonist: Norm Rockwell Typography: Skybird Typography Circulation Manager: Debbie Barnes Advertising Representative: Ralph C. Lally Il European Representative: Esmay Leslie
Coin Industry PLAY METER, No- vember, 1977. Volume 3, No. 21. Copyright 1977 by Skybird Publishing Company. Full editions of Coin Industry Play Meter are published monthly, the first Friday of the month. The Update news edition is published monthly, the third Friday of the month. Publishing offices: 4136 Washington Ave., P.O. Box 24170, New Orleans, La. 70184. Tel. 504/ 827-0320. Subscription rates: U.S. and Canada—$25; Europe and Ja- pan—$45; elsewhere—$50. One or- der multiple subscription: 2-9, $20 each; 10-24, $17 each; 25 or more, $15 each. Advertising rates available on request. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without express permission. The editors are not responsible for unsolicited manu- scripts. Second-class postage paid at Louisville, Ky., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send form 3579 to Play Meter, P.O. Box 24170, New Orleans, La. 70184. European Office: Play Meter Promotions, 15. Great North Rd., Brookmans Park, AL 9 6 LV, Hertfordshire, England.
por ia ecrrad
0000
OPERATORS ASSOCIATION
MEMBER
POL PEAT sccunletvatesniapaeantaiieamiiecameebasemees 18
Bird Brain may not resolve the overwhelming question of which came first the chicken or the egg, but at least it’s a game that has chances for the operator.
MR. AVERAGE AND HIS OPERATION................... » 2D
Flay Meter’s definitive poll finds the answer to questions such as what is the average free play percentage, etc.
TRANS ON SHOW acccuccteusnsetaniccsnstiantnaees .- 20
The AMOA show is here. In years to come, however, it may be remembered as the show where solid state finally came into its own.
PMUR SUA COHN cccaneyatepievawsdensaunieestedans 38
Frankie Avalon, Boots Randolph, Dave and Sugar—this year’s stage show offers loads of diversified talents.
REET PERPEUMLENNA switcrsne cents ceemanthonbane’ 42
Chuck E. Cheese has added more than pizzaz to the pizza, it's added game rooms.
DOE MLE Wecieieseeteeracinusteaturemammenansurie 45
The Book is finally on sale and while it may not be this industry's Bible, it may certainly be its Roots.
WENO WON | DO cicnerramiedvnieewindng iutwngees 04
Ernest W. Fair gives operators some good hints on how to improve that commission arrangement.
TRECMERGEN GE UP GREMLINscoiscusinbecnnaekeaeaas 66
They started out as a manufacturer of oceanographic instruments and now have blossomed into a solid state force in the industry todav.
VU THAEG YUU GEPERGNUIN ct cccerdarceedeeeanwe, 14
Roger C. Sharpe has done it again, another controversial piece, this time about three-ball versus five-ball.
TRAFFIC AND THE SUPER MALL....................000. 94
Joe Fucini points out that despite the high monthly costs, the super mall is well worth the investment.
COMMA GT TE MON oicvavenieictetioncmssesierancaeas 8 ORANG vccseviwkesekcuds xkiweeuareemecedeanseremeens 14 SG GBI iiccaccecmvcsassitiuarincenseentenisecer 4] SU GUNING ase cuuketvskdedavencantpimeasersortecensas D6 CUTIES CONE ccsavexcecteiradedacaaseeenaisnelevensads bg OW FOUTS: ioc seaaadvenncetecarseenensquseeriteas es 68 ROUIACUNNG Arial c-nncvekactwcaaterecnmabeanianeets /6 TOGHINC A TOMES. 23; thas ekaerngrgieunccvsreeeandevers B4 WITOPNAHONS OWS ccs os ccceecdddeanwetereerrnaiivieeny 96 DSSS OG cide ceacs ccna ecedaaigecteensetitatashiennns 97
FROM THE EDITOR
Setting aside the remote possibility that medical science will have come up with a method of extending the average human life expectancy beyond 100 years, one can be reasonably certain that by the year 2077 no one reading this article will be alive. Agreed that’s not a very cheerful thought to bring up, but it reminds us that the world around us and things in it will survive us all. That happens to include the coin-op amusement business and the AMOA or whatever the industry’s national association will be called in the year 2077.
This obviously conjures up the thought, what will the AMOA show be like in 2077? What will our children’s children see and hear at Expo 2077? Will the pendulum of progress swing to the point where machines are designed to play games of humanoid sports, as the cover of this month’s issue depicts?
It may not be possible to describe the 2077 AMOA show in today’s terms. An adequate description would probably be beyond our com- prehension. But it does appear that some things are certain to happen by the year 2077, and the things I’m referring to are not beyond our com- prehension; quite the contrary, I’m referring to things the industry is faced with today. Today’s problems will have been solved-- commissions, taxes, economics, security, and the like.
It is fairly certain that there won’t be any operators alive who will still be operating on a 50/50 commission structure. The Tri-Centennial operator of 2077 will have a very reasonable and workable system which I prefer to call the “Variable Commission System.” This is a com- mission arrangement whereby the commission on each machine varies. A very costly, short-lived arcade piece, for instance, might go for anywhere from five to ten percent for the location owner; and a rather inexpensive, low maintenance piece, on the other hand, might go for up to fifteen or 1 twenty percent to the location owner.
I would also venture to say that future operators won’t be wasting a lot of time counting money on location. In fact, the whole collection process will probably take a little less than five minutes. Two electronic devices both keyed differently-- one kept by the operator and the other by the location owner-- will activate a memory device on a piece of equipment. All pertinent information regarding the immediate past performance of the machine will be printed out in duplicate instantaneously, indicating total plays, replays, extended time, and of course an earnings breakdown complete with commission computation. The collector will simply make out a check payable to the location owner and leave with the money in a self-contained locked box.
The AMOA show of 2077 will no doubt be the biggest ever, There will be two shows actually-- one in March to start the arcade season which will be moved from city to city and the other in the fall,
as is the custom today, and held in the fair city of Chicago. Why will it be the biggest show ever? Because the industry will still be in a stage of growth. In fifty years this industry has been able to attract roughly six percent of the general popu- lation. By 2077 that figure will have at least tripled and have a not-so-mere 82 percent left to grow. Hence, the biggest show ever.
And will there be a NAMAMOA [National Automatic Merchandisers Amusement and Music Operators Association]? Probably not, the two associations will probably have gone their separate ways. NAMA will likely continue to have a music and games exhibit if the response from this year’s show is any indication, NAMA members who hap- pened to notice the amusement exhibit area were delighted with it because it was so interesting and it kept their children amused. The exhibitors, on the other hand, had mixed feelings on the subject. Half said they would come back next year, and the other half said they wouldn’t. Since NAMA has nothing to lose and everything to gain by having them back, they probably will.
What will the machines at the 2077 show be like is anybody’s guess. Equipment may not have evolved to the point where machines are playing each other on other machines, but it would be safe to say equipment will exist that is far beyond our wildest dreams.
What will the Expo issue of Play Meter be like in 2077? Hopefully, it will be a lot like this, only bigger and better. Because as the industry gets bigger and better, so does Play Meter.
Since this is our fourth AMOA Anniversary Issue, I would like to extend my sincere ap- preciation to all our subscribers here and abroad who have given us the loyal support over the years. I am especially grateful to the ten-plus per- cent of our U.S. subscribers for participating in Play Meter’s annual subscriber poll. I am pleased to announce that the results of the poll are in this issue. I can proudly say that it is by far the most comprehensive and most significant survey ever undertaken by a trade journal for the industry. Rather than the opinions of manufacturers and distributors, the Play Meter poll reports facts and figures reported by legitimate operators from all across the nation. We welcome anyone to challenge the poll’s findings and deeply appreciate the hun- dreds of subscriber operators who participated and helped make this survey possible.
A final note, we look forward to meeting with you at our booth [C-57] at the AMOA show in the Continental Room on the upper level. See you
there. _ | | Lex LEE GE Z Ralph C. Lally II,
Publisher & Editor
November, 1977, PLAY METER
idway Glows _
ea C¢ G AS < & \ Sq op ss Yi > Sa. Z <¢
~\
~~ MIDWAY
te Ge
Ci
MIDWAY _ MIDWAY
> thy ee oe | - fe <S Ay pO
° M-4 © 71H 100°
& 27S CK
” GUIDED missite °
..aS (he
orld “Plays.
S7_., WAY MFG. CO. —Franklin Park, Illinois 60131 phone: (312) 451-1360
A BALLY COMPANY
@ SEE US AT BOOTH NO. 151-153 @
Mailbox ....
Critic’s Corner believers
My wife and I read Roger Sharpe’s monthly “Critic’s Cor- ner” with great pleasure.
Pinball has been our personal pasttime for many years. As a hobby, we _ recondition older vintage machines, and find taking a poor, old beaten-up pinball and putting it in as nearly the original condition as possible very re- warding. It’s a toss-up which we like more, playing or repairing.
In closing, we are looking forward to Roger’s long awaited book and, of course, many additional installments of “Crit- ic’s Corner.”
Bob and Tori Ayers Denver, Colorado
Tech Editor responds
After reading Fred McCord’s response to my Breakout article in Mailbox—September, I find myself a bit puzzled. While it is true that 4016's are susceptible to static regardless of the system that they are used in, it is also a well-known fact what input buf- fer failures do to static are a very common fault in video games. This raises a few questions about Atari's intentions regarding Breakout, which I understand is still in production.
Is Breakout now produced with 4016’s or 4066's? Does Atari plan to distribute 4066’s to the people who are operating unprotected Breakouts? Will Atari alter any existing Breakouts? Will Atari
stand behind their distributors and authorize them to perform the modification?
As a method of preventing further unnecessary losses due to downtime, perhaps more effort should be made on the part of Atari to inform the owners and servicers of Atari equipment as to common faults and _ their solutions.
Robin Minnear Game Doctors San Jose, California
Logic comparator
I am interested in obtaining the complete parts for building a logic comparator board. What I would actually like are the circuit board and the logic parts needed.
Your articles in Play Meter for February and March on building the logic comparator, I felt, were
very informative. Philip Barney
Russell-Hall, Inc. Holyoke, Massachusetts
BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIALS
ALLIED Street Burner...
ATARI Jet Fighter ATARI Tank Il
ATARI Cops n’ Robbers . . 1045
CHI COIN Speed King CHI COIN Speed Shift ....
EXIDY Oldtime Basketball 795 3
EXIDY Car Polo
EXIDY Destr. Derby
EXIDY Death Race
EXIDY Attack
FUN GAMES Tankers
FUN GAMES BI-Plane .... GREMLIN Blockade GREMLIN Hustle
MEADOWS Drop Zone-4 . .595 .»-995 MEADOWS Lazer Cm’'d. .1145
MEADOWS Cobra Gun
MEADOWS Bonkers MIDWAY Gunfight MIDWAY Tornado Baseball PSE Maneater PSE Bazooka ' RAMTEK Trivia
U.S. BILLIARDS
Shark (new) CHI COIN Twin Skeet CHI COIN Rifle Gallery ....595 CHI COIN Shoot Out MIDWAY Top Gun
Cocktail Tables:
U.S. BILLIARDS Survival$ 395 DIGITAL Ping Pong
ATARI Goal-4
UNIVEX Electro Dice
FUN GAMES Take-5
BAILEY Fun-4
UNITED Video 5 Plus 2 ...1045 SEGA Tic Tac Quiz
MIDWAY Gunfight
ATARI Tank Il
Over 100 /ate model flipper pinballs ready forlocation! —__
NSM SALES, PARTS, SERVICE IN THE U.S.A.
ADVANCE DISTRIBUTING CO., INC.
2820 N. Grand Blvd Saint Louis, Mo 63107 call collect:314/652-1600
November, 1977, PLAY METER
[Ed— Because of limited response concerning circuit boards for logic comparator I will not be producing them at this time. For those who still intend on building the comparator, I have a slight change which will cause a little less confusion when reading the
LED’s. This also uses a less eben soucour expensive switch. By hooking the scars compare circuitry up in the way shown below, you no longer have to disregard the readings on the pins that are input pins. Notice
TheFinestWorldwideExportService
* GREMLIN INDUSTRIES * U.S. BILLIARDS * MEADOWS GAMES * * ATARI/KEE * STERN ELEC. * EXIDY * AMI — ROWE * MIRCO *
* SEEBURG * WILLIAMS * BALLY *
PE AAAAAA AAA AA AAAS AAA AAA AAA AAA AAA AAAI III III
EEE Ee | Ae ESS, Pe AS Fe je SL e = ow = — PHONOGRAPHS ar BT
FALE J FLIPPERS Lak 7 tou VIDEO GAMES act 7
ARCADES BINGOS ULES
* SEEBURG * WILLIAMS * GREMLIN * * ATARI * U.S. BILLIARDS * MIRCO x
AMERICA’S LARGEST EXPORTER OF NEW AND
USED
COIN MACHINES
PII IIIS III LIL LIT LIT LILI IL ITIL ILL IIT PL IL LIT LILI LILI LIT IL IL ILI III Hy
BelamExportCorp. Belam FloridaCorp. 51 MADISON AVE. 1541 N.W. 165th St. NEW YORK, N.Y. 10010 MIAMI, FLORIDA 33169 TEL: 212/689-5633 TEL: 305/621-1415
i 8 > Gy PKK KK) CABLE: BELAMEX NEW YORK
PLAY METER, 1977, November
that the switch is now a S.P.S.T. instead of a S.P.D.T. When the switch is in the output position, the two chips are being com- pared. When the switch ts in the input position, all the inputs (including the 7486's), are tted together, this will cause the corresponding LED not to light. This change, for the better, was brought to my attention by Charles Rowland of Richmond, Virginia. |
@#@eeee098000208080
AMOA’s strength
The question is asked: What gives AMOA its strength? The answer is: AMOA has the abiding interest and informed loyalty of the operator. AMOA was found- ed by operators and the bulk of its membership is made up of operators, with a strong and much-appreciated supporting membership from other catego- ries. Its purpose is service to the operator, and as long as AMOA serves the operator, it will in effect serve the whole industry, and it will prosper.
AMOA membership is open to all operators regardless of size— small, medium, large. AMOA is not oriented toward, nor domi- nated by, any particular group. Any operator member, regard- less of size, who has the will to work, may be elected to officer leadership. The small as well as the large operators feels com- fortable in the AMOA. Which is another reason why operators hold this association, their as- sociation, in such high regard.
During the past year it has been my privilege to work closely with President Garland B. Gar- rett, Sr., who was once himself a small operator. For that reason he is mindful of the operator’s problems, and it was he more than anyone else who organized the AMOA mechanics schools this year, which have served the operators so well. We all owe President Garland Garrett a warm vote of thanks for his successful efforts on behalf of the operator and the national associa- tion.
Frederick M. Granger Executive Vice President AMOA
7
Garland Garrett, Sr., president of the AMOA and this month’s Coinman, started his career in the coin-op industry back in 1986 in Danville, Virginia. Back then an area operator who was recovering from minor surgery needed a driver to chauffer him
around for a couple of weeks. Mr. Garrett, however, remained around a little longer than two weeks—about fifteen years to be exact.
There was a brief spell of 23 months in between jobs for Southern Vending Company in Danville, when he worked for a shipyard in Wilmington, North Carolina, but then a return visit to his old employer was all that was needed to get him back into the fold.
In the early 1950s he finally struck out on his own. He noticed that there were no cigarette machines on the streets in Wilmington; so he moved back there for the sole purpose of going into the cigarette machine business. He bought out a few cigarette machine vendors and quickly his business began to grow. He was also in partnership with a friend in another line of coin-op equipment and in 1955 bought him out. “From there I just continued to grow,” Garrett said. He bought out one business after another and found himself acquiring more and more jukeboxes and arcade pieces, as well as auto-photo machines.
At present his operation extends into five states—North Carolina, Tennessee, South Caroli- na, ain and Georgia (around the Augusta area).
Though he once operated about 130 auto-photos, that total is now down to 75. His cigarette machines still comprise a large part of his operation, about 140 to 150 machines. He also operates about 250 qukeboxes and, in the summertime, about 1,750 amusement games. That amusement game figure,
8
however, drops to around 1,000 during the winter months because he does good business in the summer months in the resort areas.
Mr. Garrett ts 59 years old, married (his wife's name is Evelyn). His son, Garland Garrett, Jr. works in the business with him. And his daughter, Linda Jean, lives in Danville, Virginia. In all, this month’s Coinman has five grandchildren—all boys.
He’s an avid fan of all major American sports — baseball, basketball, and football. And he’s quick to add that the Atlantic Coast Conference is “probably the strongest in the nation.” Mr. Garrett is a longtime Yankee fan who can talk firsthand about Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and all the other Yankee sluggers. He is especially fond of talking about having seen Phil Rizzuto break into the majors from the Yankee farm club in his hometown.
He’s a nine handicap golfer who belongs to two country clubs, Pine Valley and Echo Farms. His busy schedule as president of the AMOA, however, hasn’t left him any time to practice his golf swing, but he promises that come November he'll become a common sight once again on the fairways.
He is also very active in his church, The First Baptist Church in Wilmington, where he serves on the board of deacons and also on the church’s finance committee. His other activities include membership in the local chamber of commerce where he belongs to a committee that is looking for new business for the area. And he also sponsors a little league baseball team and a bowling team.
For the past year he has been right in the thick of the copyright discussions with ASCAP, SESAC, and BMI. So with the registering date of January 1 fast-approaching, we thought this would be the best place to begin our discussion with the AMOA president.
November, 1977, PLAY METER
PLAY METER: With the copyright law about to go into effect, what has the A.M.O.A. been doing recently with regard to this matter?
GARRETT: Well, we know the operators are going to have to pay eight dollars for each jukebox; the law has already determined that, but what we’ve been doing is concerning ourselves with the implementation of this law. How is the operator going to have to file? What information is he going to have to include when he files? These are important questions. According to the legislation, the operators are going to have to give their names and addresses, and either the manufacturer’s serial number for each box or else some other explicit identification of the phono record player. Now, what we are going to try to get the copyright tribunal to go by—instead of the name and address of the manufacturer and the manufacturer’s serial number is the phrase “other explicit identification of the phono record.” You see, there is no need for the name of the manufacturer, and it doesn’t make any difference if it’s a serial number or a coded number that is assigned to each box by the copyright office. We're trying to simplify this law just as much as possible so that we can comply with
It.
PLAY METER: And what do the performing rights societies want in the implementation of this law? GARRETT: To start with, they feel—in fact, they have always felt—that eight dollars a box is too low. So obviously they are going to be trying in the future to jack the ceiling up. But, to answer your question, what BMI wants from the operator is a rather lengthy list. They want the name and address of the manufacturer, the manufacturer’s serial number for each box, the name and address of the operator, the name and address of the jukebox lease (if there is one), the expiration date of that lease, the name and address of the records distributor, the number of records that are in the jukebox, the titles of the selections that are in the jukebox at the beginning of the calendar year, the additions and deletions during the course of the year, and the titles of the selections at the end of the calendar year. In addition, they also want separate certificates for each unit, instead of one certificate for multiple units. It’s just impossible to comply with a request like that. It would take a stack of records a foot high to comply with some of their wishes.
PLAY METER: Obviously, BMI is asking for quite a bit of information. But what about ASCAP and SESAC. What are they asking for?
GARRETT: Well, ASCAP didn’t ask for the same things explicitly. But to give you an idea, BMI’s list is just two sheets; ASCAP’s is maybe twenty. What ASCAP did was take each phrase of the law and break it down and give what they are asking for. PLAY METER: Do you think the final implementa- tion will be closer to what AMOA is asking or what ASCAP or BMI is asking for?
GARRETT: Your guess is just as good as mine on that. It was for that reason that we met with BMI and with ASCAP and SESAC and held lengthy discussions with them. The first meeting was with BMI, and it lasted about 21/2 hours, and I think it
PLAY METER, November, 1977
was a very worthwhile meeting. They asked many questions about our business, questions which, I think, showed that they don’t know too much about our business at all. But I think that after their meeting with us they had a better understanding of our business. And the same thing held true of our meeting with ASCAP and SESAC. After that meeting, I think they better understood our position and how our business operates. One thing which really surprised them was the number of machines that we move from year to year. I estimate that about forty or fifty percent of the jukeboxes on an operator’s route are moved in a period of a year. In my own business, for instance, about forty percent of the jukeboxes are moved within a given year. I operate in a resort area, and I might buy 20 or 25 brand new machines to cover my very best locations at the beach. They demand a new machine every year. And that new machine will stay there for about four months. And then, when the beach season closes, I bring those 20 machines in and put them on my 20 best locations, and I move the 20 machines that are on those locations to my second-best locations, and so on down the line for my third-best and fourth-best locations. The performing rights societies didn’t realize that there was this much moving going on. They are familiar with background music where you put it in and it stays there for fifteen years. PLAY METER: Do you now feel they will modify their requests somewhat?
GARRETT: I hope so. The AMOA tried to point out to them at the meetings that all that is necessary is for the operators to be identified by name and address and then there should be a certificate number or some kind of identification number which would be issued from the copyright office. We tried to show them that, because of -the highly-mobile nature of our business, it’s just not feasible for us to list our locations. Besides, listing by location is not authorized, nor is it appropriate. Listing by locations serves no useful purpose. If we had to list the locations then, with all the changes we make with our jukeboxes every year, in addition to the initial registration of 450,000 machines, there would have to be about 225,000 more re-registra- tions over the course of the year. Obviously, such voluminous and costly paperwork can only result in a drastic reduction in the net royalties that would remain for distribution at the royalty office. Also, if listing by locations were required, then moving a jukebox from one location to another would presumably invalidate that certificate. In fact, ASCAP had a request to this effect, that the operator pay an additional eight-dollar fee each time the jukebox is moved. Our attorney, Nicholas Allen has pointed out to them in a letter that this request was “utterly unreasonable, arbitrary, and capricious.” He told them it would make the law confiscatory and destructive to the jukebox business. The primary consideration should be, quite simply, is the jukebox registered and the royalty paid? If it is registered, then the location of the jukebox is immaterial. If the box is not registered, then, obviously, it is in violation of the law. And such a result flies in the fact of the
Oldies but Goodies
Munves Mutoscope
The Munves Love Tester
Our irresistable antique reproduction of an all-time favorite
An automatic motor driven mutoscope reproduction
MIKE MUNVES_ CORP., 310 HUGUENOT STREET, NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. 10801, 914-636-5000.
We also manufacture the following: “Wheel of Love,” “Electric Chair,” “Matchoreno” roll down game, and the new “Homer” upright baseball. Write or call for details.
realities of the business and it certainly has no support in the wording or the history of the law. The law is explicit. The whole purpose of the paperwork is to identify the phono record player only. It does not authorize identifying the locations. PLAY METER: Do ASCAP and the others now understand the operators’ concern to keep knowledge of their locations to themselves? GARRETT: This is one thing we tried to get across to them. Nobody wants to have as public record the names and addresses of all his locations. If we had to list our locations, this would leave us wide open to “blue-sky” operations which would move right in and sell equipment direct to our locations. Look, someone could easily move right in and show the location owner how he could make more money if he had his own equipment. You can take a pencil and paper and a dozen eggs and if you keep on multiplying, you'll be a daggone millionnaire. Take two rabbits, and you can do the same thing. It’s very easy to sell someone on the idea that they can own their own equipment, but they don’t realize the service that’s involved. They don’t realize the records should be changed every week on the jukebox. I have never seen a location that bought its own jukebox and didn’t experience a fall in its cashbox take. When the location starts buying those records out of its own pocket, they don’t think about changing them as often as they should, and for that reason, the jukebox play falls off. PLAY METER: It’s quite obvious that there is still a lot about the copyright law that has to be resolved. Who will decide what goes into the implementation of this law?
GARRETT: The copyright tribunal which is composed of five people to be appointed by Congress will make the final determination. We've just gotten a list of the five appointees, but as far as I understand, they have not been confirmed by the Senate as of yet. I think what they are going to do is run a background check on these candidates and then confirm them. And it will be their duty to look at the law and see how it applies and study the recommendations from us and ASCAP and the others and then come up with something that, hopefully, will be satisfactory for everyone concerned.
PLAY METER: You said you have a list of the names. Could you tell us who is being considered for this assignment and what their backgrounds are? GARRETT: Sure. Those people are Tom Brennan, who is a counsel for the Senate copyright committee; Clarence L. James, Jr., a Cleveland attorney; Frances Garcia, an accountant from Austin, Texas; Douglas Culter, a Vietnam veteran from Indiana; and Mary Lou Berg from West Bend, Wisconsin, who is the former deputy chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. If confirmed, those five people will have the say-so over what transpires. Now, I might add that these people will be receiving a salary of $47,500 each per year. PLAY METER: What would happen if something near to what ASCAP or BMI is asking would come to pass? If the copyright tribunal accepted something along those lines, do you think the
November, 1977, PLAY METER
AMOA would consider taking its case to court? GARRETT: Well, here I’m not talking for the AMOA but for myself personally, but if the copyright tribunal went along with something not pertaining to the law then, yes, I think the AMOA and the operators would go to court. If they would require me to list my jukeboxes by location, I personally would go to court before I would do that. The leadership of the AMOA, by the way, did discuss this point among themselves and the consensus was that the AMOA might make it a court case if the copyright legislation was made too difficult to comply with.
PLAY METER: What are some other things the AMOA considers essential in the implementation of this copyright law?
GARRETT: For one thing, single application for multiple machines should definitely be permitted. Then if you have 100 or 200 machines, you could send in all your applications at one time. The performing artist societies are talking about in- dividual applications for each jukebox, but this again would require too much paperwork. Our whole purpose must be to make this law as easy to comply with as possible.
PLAY METER: Just one more question on the copyright law, how often will the jukebox royalty come up for review by the copyright tribunal?
GARRETT: It will come up for review in 1980, and then every ten years thereafter.
PLAY METER: How do you see the AMOA year in general as far as the membership?
GARRETT: I think that more interest has been created in the AMOA because of our mechanics school, for one thing. We have had _ several mechanics schools now on pin games, and they have been quite successful.
PLAY METER: Who’s brainchild was it to have the mechanics’ schools?
GARRET: Well, the AMOA is always looking for new services for its members, and I have always believed that before a person can fix a solid state game he’s going to have to know how to fix an electro-mechanical one. So it was my idea that we take the people that have been working with us and who were probably moving equipment around, answering a few service calls, and fixing a few minor things and give them a chance to step up. The idea was endorsed and approved by the AMOA board. They all liked the idea because everyone on the board feels like we need to bring in more peo- ple into this business. There’s a shortage of service- men, and we need to educate more people in this area. My idea was to start these men with the ABCs of mechanics, get them to read schematics, then getting them familiar with electro-mechanical and then letting them work their ways up from there. It’s the same thing as starting out in the first grade then graduating on up until you’re in solid state.
PLAY METER: How many schools have there been now?
GARRETT: We’ve had three schools in Smyrna, Georgia. Then a lady from Indiana who sent one of her men to the school liked it so much she wrote us a very nice letter and said if we would hold one in
continued on page 98
NEW FROM CwCtCco ANTI-ABUSE ALARM KIT FOR VIDEO,
ARCADE & FLIPPER
Eliminates players attempting to get FREE plays by kicking and bouncing game; also protects video games on which free plays can be generated by rapidly removing and inserting the AC cord. Provision is also made to sound alarm when machine door is disturbed or forcible entry is attempted (providing power to ma- chine has not been cut). When unit is tripped by kicking, bounc- ing, etc., kit will disconnect all power (110V) from game and produce a loud, pulsating signal for 20 seconds to quickly dis- courage further attempts to damage or enter forcibly. At the end of 20 seconds the alarm will reset and restore power to the game. Instructions provided for simple installation in about 15 minutes.
NO: 724476 cic cectecnscsedenesens Per Kit $42.95, $37.95 L/6
Only $32.95 per kit in lots of 12!
If you are tired of unnecessary damage to your machines, down-time and costly service calls, this new anti-abuse alarm kit is for you!
Ps ® HOME OFFICE Caz Ed / 6400 West Gross Point Road ; Niles, Illinois 60648 (HL
Phone: (312) 647-7500
SALES & BRANCH OFFICES
5584 East Imperial Hwy. 16 Gloria Lane Suite 410, 4560 Leston South Gate, California 90280 Fairfield, N.J. 07006 Dallas, Texas 75247 Phone: (213) 923-0381 Phone: (201) 575-0515 Phone: (214) 634-7790
13
-Born-again pinball wizard?
There’s a pinball machine in the President’s home in Plains, Georgia. Chip and Caron Carter, pinball enthusiasts and members of Ameri- ca’s First Family, recently bought the very popular Bally Fireball game and had it delivered to their home, which also happens to be the home of President Jimmy Carter.
Lee Martin, of Able Amusement Company in Macon, Georgia was the operator who sold the pingame to the Carters. With Chip Carter's permission, he was able to get excellent television coverage of the delivery of the pinball machine and of Chip playing the game. The television report incorporated the Carter pinball story with a_ story about Georgia operators’ recent successful attempts to improve their image by forming an association.
Martin said he plans to forward a copy of the local telecast to CBS’s ’60-Minutes’’ production crew. The
14
popular television documentary show recently featured pinball ma- chines on one of its telecasts and Martin is hoping that this new footage might lead into another favorable story for the industry.
After delivering the pingame, Martin said, ‘| consider this to be an important event in the history of pinball, notwithstanding the boost it will give to the present image of the industry.”
He said that Chip and Caron Carter have been pinball fans for years and that ‘’when they decided they wanted one of their own, Chip contacted me about the Fireball.
“He considers Fireball to be one of the truly great pinballs,’’ Martin said as an aside.
He continued, ‘’Naturally when he contacted me, | was only too happy to oblige. While we were setting up the machine, someone
asked Chip if there was a pinball machine in the White House. His reply was, ‘No, but if | move back to Washington, I’m taking this one with me.”
Martin was ebullient. ‘‘Can you imagine that?” he said. ’’A pinball in the White House!’’
Martin said he also delivered six Bally Evel Knievel T-shirts with the Carter peanut warehouse insignia emblazoned on the back. Chip is presently employed at his father’s peanut business in Plains, Georgia.
Chip Carter’s Fireball may well be the most inspected game in the history of the industry. Martin told Play Meter that secret service men had to check the game thoroughly before they would allow the game into the house. ‘They wanted to make sure there weren’t = any bugging devices in it,’’ explained Martin.
November, 1977, PLAY METER
Crimebuster retained
Steve Olynyk, who _ personally smashed a quarter million dollars’ worth of pinball games in a 28-year police career as a crimebuster, has been retained by the Association of
Family Entertainment Centers (AFEC) to serve as its ‘’con- science.”
Gerard Blanchette, chairman of the board of AFEC, which groups ten of Montreal’s largest companies specializing in coin-operated amuse- ment machines, said Olynyk has been given an ‘open mandate to call the shots as he sees them.”
And Olynyk, 55, who retired from the Montreal Urban Community Police Department two years ago, made clear he has no intention of “oulling my punches.
| have agreed to act as AFEC’s technical consultant because | know a number of the men involved and
PLAY METER, November, 1977
they are honest businessmen. But if | find any shortcomings in the way they operate and if they refuse to remedy them, I'll blow the whistle. And I'll be available to help the police prosecute any violation of the law, whether it involves an AFEC member or otherwise.”’
Blanchette said the former police lieutenant, who has been called “the epitome of the tough and honest cop” by the Montreal Star and by The Gazette the ‘'chief nemesis” of gambling, will be free to investigate each of the 58 centers of AFEC’s members ‘at the time and under the circumstances he chooses, without prior notice.
After each visit, he will report his observations to AFEC, and we will act on_ his recommendations. In short, he will serve as our con- science.’’
Blanchette said the hiring of
Olynyk was evidence of AFEC’s “sincerity in adopting a declaration of principles and announcing that we would self-police our operations.
“It would be impossible to find anyone more severe in regard to amusement games than Olynyk. In the days when pinball games were illegal, he personally smashed a quarter million dollars worth of equipment and buried it in what later was to become the main parking lot of Expo 67.”
Long one of Montreal’s top racket investigators, Olynyk was second in command of the Montreal police social security squad—a special unit tackling organized crime in all its facets. It investigated such major fields of organized crime as gam- bling, arson, and_ bankruptcies, protection, blackmail, pornography, and fraud.
SS Oe ee Fee ee a ae 3 « «“
15
Pinball tournament
Southern Amusement Company of Clinton, Mississippi recently held its first pinball tournament and gave away as its first place award Big Top, an electronic home pinball game from Wico.
The nine next highest pinballers in the competition also won prizes and awards in the tournament, but there were no cash awards given. Said Billy Jones, president of Southern Amusement, ‘We didn’t want the people to think we were using pinball machines for payoffs.”
He added, ‘We feel the word pinball in our area now has a different meaning. A lot of skepti- cism has been eliminated. People who had put a lot of money into pinball machines to become good players were given the opportunity to use their talents in competition.”
The tournament used a variety of fifteen flipper games and was run by tournament director Joey Aguzin. The competition took place at the Games People Play arcade in Jackson,. Mississippi.
Said Jones after the competition, “The entire tournament was a success. We are definitely going to have a bigger and better one in the near future and strongly advise other companies to do the same.”’
The winner of the Big Top pinball game was Jeff Richards, 14, of Jackson, Mississippi. Portions of
the tournament were also televised by ABC television affiliate WAPT, Channel 16.
Don Miller (center), AMOA instruc- tor, is holding ten-day service schools which cover the basics in service work.
16
~ Rock-Ola,
‘Man ofthe Year’
Another coin machine division dinner is being planned by the Music and Amusement Association of New York, in behalf of United Jewish Appeal. MAA President Irving Holzman announced that the board of directors has selected Humbert '’Bert’’ Betti of Demarest,
New Jersey, to be ’’Man of the
Year” at the gala industry fund- raiser, December third at the New York Hilton Hotel.
Betti is chairman of the board of H. Betti Industries, distributors for Automatic Products, Moyer-Deibel, Atari, Kee Industries, and Stern Electronics. He founded the firm 45 years ago, and currently they employ 100 people, head- quartered in North Bergen, New
Jersey.
Betti was born in Scotland, and came to the United States in 1927. He is married to the former Eileen Ellis. They have three children— Peter, Robert, and Susan.
“Bert was chosen to receive this honor because for many years he has been noted for exemplary professionalism in the electronic music-game industry,’’ stated MAA Executive Director Ben Chicofsky.
The Coin Machine Division-UJA Dinner Dance traditionally has been a well attended social highlight. Last year, New York City Councilman- At-Large Eugene Mastropieri was the honored guest at an affair which yielded approximately $60,000 in contributions.
AMOA’s ten-day course
Earlier this year the AMOA started offering ten-day service schools for operators to send their people to. The purpose of the schools is to give the students a fundamental know- ledge of electro-mechanics and, hopefully, to help put an end to what has become one of the industry’s biggest problems today — a shortage of qualified mechanics.
The recent AMOA service school in Indianapolis, Indiana gave Play Meter a chance to look in on the school and report firsthand what the AMOA and course instructor Don Miller are offering operators for their money.
The ten-day school means just that—ten solid days of instructions with classes running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and no breaks for the weekend. Saturdays and Sundays are regular class days; this is something which cuts down the amount of time the student is away from his job and also helps the operator as far as his other expenses for sending the student to the school.
The training program zeroes in on one of the major weaknesses in many routemen today, an inability to read schematics. Instructor Miller offers a detailed and exhaustive course on schematic reading which follows through with every circuit on the schematic and explains its
function.
His students are taught the proper shop procedures and are required as part of the course work to disassem- ble and reassemble the various units and understand how they work. In addition, approximately three days are spent doing actual trouble- shooting on the machines using the schematics to find the electrical problems and using common sense to find the mechanical problems. Some attention is also given to digital flippers and some _ video problems are also discussed. The students are also made aware of low voltage and the problems it can cause, residual magnetism, and even how to use a jumper wire.
Miller's AMOA school leaves no stone unturned. He even gets into the public and fellow relations since he points out a person can’t be just a mechanic. He must know how to get along with people. There is also time devoted to how to move machines and set them up _ in locations.
Students are required for the course to come prepared with a notebook, pencil, their own tools, and a desire to learn. The classes are limited to twenty students, an enrollment small enough to insure that every student is afforded individual attention. The enrollment fee is $150 per student.
November, 1977, PLAY METER
pinbal
New Orleans| seminar planned by Bally
Eight-Ball Tournament
With more than $10,000 in cash and merchandise prizes at stake, over 4,000 men and women pocket billiards enthusiasts are expected to compete in this year’s Third Annual Greater New Orleans Coin-Operated 8-Ball Pool Tournament, according to tournament director Bob Nims. The event got underway the week of September 19 at 32 co-sponsor- ing business establishments in the New Orleans area.
Nine consecutive weeks of quali- fying rounds at each _ sponsor’s location will determine finalists for the championship playoffs to be held at the local Marriott Hotel in late November, said Nims, who is also president of A.M.A. Distribu- tors, Inc., a New Orleans amuse- ment equipment firm which is again directing the tourney. Also sponsor- ing the event is Lucky Coin Machine Co., Inc., local operator of coin-operated amusement equip- ment.
A total of 382 cash, merchandise and trophy prizes will be awarded in the overall tourney. Included are $2,400 in cash prizes for 24 winners
and runners-up in the _ playoffs.
“Anyone can win one or more of the prizes because 8-Ball is that kind of game,”’ said Nims. He said the tourney is open to all men and women of legal age (18 or over).
Each co-sponsoring place of business is holding one qualifying round weekly for eight consecutive weeks to obtain an equal number of winners. Each weekly winner is awarded a professional ‘’Hustler’’ two-piece cue stick with a_ black leatherette carrying case. The eight weekly winners at each location will then compete during the ninth week for first place in one of three class divisions (A,B,C). The three division winners of each location will receive trophies and certificates making them eligible for the championship playoffs.
PLAY METER, November, 1977
Bally Manufacturing Corp. will sponsor a two-day seminar on its electronic flipper games in Chicago October 26 and 27, just prior to the AMOA show.
The pinball manufacturer has increased its staff and has stepped up its training program with course work being conducted by four Bally
representatives. Those four instruc- tors which will be at the two-day seminar in Chicago are Jack O’Don- nell,, Darrell Blendowski, Chuck Wellestat, and Bernie Powers.
The class size will be limited and to insure a place in the class, interested operators should contact their distributors immediately.
Michigan association discusses ordinance with Detroit Council
The Music Operators of Michigan (MOM), which has been battling a proposed Detroit ordinance which would severly restrict pinball opera- tors in that city (August Play Meter, page 14), was invited recently to the Detroit Common Council for an informal discussion on the proposed ordinance.
As expected, many Detroit opera- tors also appeared at the meeting and spoke to the council on the impact of the ordinance. But what came as a Surprise was that also in attendance at the council meeting and speaking against the proposed ordinance was a state representative from Detroit George Cushingberry who said he opposed the severe restrictions on amusement devices. He suggested instead a less drastic approach than what the city council is already considering.
The proposed Detroit ordinance would ban game machines within 500 feet of all schools in the city and reduce from eight to two the number of game machines in a location which would define a location as an arcade.
Several legal questions were raised at the meeting with the Detroit council concerning the proposed ordinance: whether Class “C’’ taverns will be exempted (they will be), and the absence of any grandfather clause which would protect any existing locations (li- censed operators will be given more time to comply, but they too must comply).
At a later meeting with the council, the state association pro- vided the council with an economic impact report which outlined the loss in jobs, wages, taxes to the city
and business to the location own- ers, machine operators, and distrib- utors. The Detroit council has not yet commented on the report.
Carl Levin, Detroit City Council president, suggested that the in- dustry set up some means of self-regulation which would be a sort of industry arm to head off trouble spots and correct any that developed. Subsequently, MOM members met to formulate a self-regulation program td submit to the council. The group finally came upon an industry watchdog com- mittee that would be comprised of two Detroit operators, one council member or a council designee, a private citizen, the secretary of MOM or his designee, and a manufacturer or a distributor or his designee. That proposal has been submitted to the council but no report has been returned on the council’s opinion of the makeup of that committee.
Walt Maner, MOM general man- ager, said that any further action on the proposed ordinance probably will not be done until after the elections in November. ‘’The out- look appears good, but we can’t let down for a moment,” he added. *’I feel reason will ultimately prevail in this matter. I’m encouraged by the good response of many businesses in Detroit. Our case has been well-received, and | think this whole matter is getting out of the emotional vein and into a more rational framework.”’ He said that there has been a_ tremendous amount of help afforded MOM by distributors and manufacturers who have taken it upon themselves to help fight this ordinance.
17
Fowl Play
A
x< b TN ea
YOU TAKE x
, SRO BRAIN TAKES “ ;
By Laura Kaufman
18
The coin clinks, the light blinks— then man and chicken engage in a unique battle of wits. The chicken punches a button in her ‘thinkin’ booth.’” An ''O” appears on the upper left-hand corner of the grid. “Your turn” flashes and the human presses a button on the scoreboard causing an ‘’X” to light up in one of the squares.
The game may be old hat but competing against a live chicken in tick-tack-toe is a new experience. These birds are experts and spend six to eight hours a day pecking buttons in an amusement machine called ‘’Bird Brains.’’ Despite the long hours no fowl language is emitted when one of them is beat.
They never are. These hens employ some bigger brains to assist them.
Every machine is equipped with a computer which actually responds to the plays of the humans. As the chicken pecks the button, the computer chooses the best square in which the chicken’s ‘0’ should appear. Although the most one can achieve now is a tie, in the new machines it will be possible to beat the bird 20 percent of the time providing the player is competent.
Making sure the birds are compe- tent contenders is the job of Mike Medeiros who is co-owner with Stan Allan of Money Making Machines of San Diego. While Allan heads the office and takes care of the administrative end of the business it is Medeiros’s responsibil- ity to train the chickens and make sure the machines are properly built.
"We start out the training by putting molasses on the _ signal light,’’ Medeiros says (In a game a signal light in the ‘’thinkin’ booth’ goes on, letting the chicken know it’s time to peck the button). ‘’The chicken will go for the smell and the taste,’’ Medeiros continues. ‘After two weeks a feeder is put in her training cage which is similar to the machine except for the lack of a scoreboard or computer.”
The feeder is a rectangular box which rests against the wall of the cage. There is a trough at the bottom just below the hole where the grain comes out. Inside the machine there is a little door which opens to discharge the feed. The chicken learns to recognize the click of the door after the game is over and to associate it with the reward of grain. She also becomes aware that the signal light goes off when the game is over.
Medeiros says that The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals investigated the facilities and gave them a clean bill of health.
“There's nothing detrimental as far as the box goes,’”’ he states. ‘The only stipulation was not to work the birds more than 12 hours a day.”
Medeiros explained that ‘‘When the bird is fully trained, you can leave her idle two, three, or four weeks and she'll still play when you put her back in the box.
Only female chickens are used in “Bird Brains.’’ Medeiros contends that roosters are too tempermental and can’t work as long or as fast.
Because each ‘’Bird Brain’’ ma- chine is custom-made, Medeiros commissions specialists to work on each part. He hires carpenters to construct the wooden box which is painted rustically in shades of brown and yellow. An electrician is enlisted to hook up both the signal light in the ‘’thinkin’ booth” and the lights on the outside which illuminate the scoreboard. The computers are handled by an electronics man. A silk screener does all the ‘’chicken scratchings’’ which include the scrawling of ‘’Bird Brain’ on a large oblong sign with artificially corroded edges.
Although it’s rumored if the birds lose they'll be sent to Kentucky Fried Chicken, none have become “extra crispy’ yet. It they do go up to that ‘big bucket in the sky” it won't be for five or six years as they are all certified by a vet who says that’s their average life expectancy.
With the chicken’s unique ability to draw a crowd, “Bird Brains” are placed in all kinds of situations. One is roosted in an amusement park. A company is renting out a machine as a promotion for their sale giving each person that beats the chicken a 10 percent discount on their mer- chandise. Other hens are visiting fairs and exhibitions around the country.
Why does ‘’Bird Brains’’ enjoy so much success?
“People love to watch an animal perform,’’ Medeiros says. ‘’Where else can they see one perform for 25 cents? Almost everyone knows it’s a computer, but they'll still play
because they want to watch the chicken.”
November, 1977, PLAY METER
Parks exhibit space sold out
The Parks show is a sellout. The International Association of Amuse- ment Parks and Attractions Exposi- tion (IAAPA) at the Rivergate in New Orleans November 19-21 has already sold out all its exhibit space for this year, according to exhibits and trade show chairman Robert K. Bell.
Bell reported that roughly 300 companies will be represented in exhibits at this year’s show. The demand for exhibit space was so great this year, Bell reported, that IAAPA added dn outside exhibit area of 16,000 square feet. This is in addition to the 13,000 square feet of exhibit space inside the Rivergate complex. Last year’s show was contained within the New Orleans exhibition center.
Among those that will be repre- sented at this year’s show will be delegations from five countries— Great Britain, West Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Canada. The Great Britain delegation, with 18 com- panies represented in the show, will be the largest foreign delegation in attendance.
Among the new products the British will feature at the Parks show will be coin-operated money push- ers, kiddie rides, and a shooting gallery.
Alfred Crompton Machines Ltd. will
Amusement present the
Dudes Canyon
By London Coin Machines Ltd.
Indianapclis Super 400 By London Coin Machines Ltd.
PLAY METER, November, 1977
Copper Canyon money pusher, available in free-standing, two-play- er and counter models. Equipped with an anti-tilt device, the machine has an attractive movement and offers high earning power in a small space. The player’s winnings are automatically converted to tokens.
Two machines that dispense winnings in tokens to make them suitable for the United States will be displayed by Dennis Jezzard Ltd. The Tap A Coin is a single- or three-player machine which gives three chances to win with each coin. The Ding A Bell, for one, two, or eight players, challenges the player to slide coins down a field into holes of varying sizes and values.
Exhibiting for the first time in the United States will be Whittaker Bros. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of kiddie rides in Europe. On display will be two coin-operated rides, one with a swingboat movement and fitted with eight-track fairground music, and the other a fiberglass car. Another first-time exhibitor from Great Britain will be London Coin Machines Ltd. The London firm will show two driving games and the Dudes Canyon Amusement Machine, a_ four-player moving target shooting gallery with sound effects.
Coin Controls Ltd. will highlight
Sn
2p Z Z
\\
' a, Toe h
KW) Hu
its coin acceptance and selector mechanisms. Also at the exposition will be casino-style slot machines and amusement devices by Bell- Fruit Manufacturing Company, coin pushers by Alca Electronics Ltd., and coin-operated radio-controlled amusements by Space Age Elec- tronics.
In conjunction with the trade show, there will be a convention featuring a series of workshops from November 17-20. Some of those workshops and their times are as follows: smaller facilities workshop, November 17, 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.; a marketing workshop, November 18, 3 p.m.; an entertainment workshop, November 18, 8 p.m.; a safety and security workshop, No- vember 18, 8 p.m.
In addition, there will be a special tour for the ladies of the IAAPA—a tour of the King Tut exhibit which is on display at the New Orleans Exhibit of Art. The annual banquet and show will be held November 20 with New Orleans entertainer Al Hirt as the featured entertainer.
Convention chairman for the Parks show is Truman B. Wood- worth of Mariott’s Great America in California. The exhibits will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on November 19; 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 20; and from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 21.
WHEL
ia
Swing Boat By Whittaker Bros. Ltd.
19
Mr. Average
and his
operation
When it comes to measuring one’s success in penetrating a market, there is probably no better standard than checking how Mr. Average is doing. Thus, after an exhaustive Play Meter survey (we polled thousands of our _ paid subscribers and received a response of better than ten percent), Mr. Average in the coin-operated a- musement industry has emerged as someone who operates about 200 pieces of equipment in 75 locations.
He is, for the most part, still old-fashioned in his pricing struc- ture, but seems to be changing with the times when it comes to electro-mechanical versus _ solid state.
One-third of the equipment he operates is pinball machines, and one-fourth is phonographs. Arcade pieces and pool tables follow in that order, with foosball tables, air hockey tables, shuffle alleys, wall games, and other amusement de- vices making up about 15 percent of his entire operation.
Mr. Average, it turns out, is a troubled soul. He bought more in 1977 than he did in 1976 (60 percent of the operators bought more phonographs and 69 percent bought more games), but he seems to be enjoying it less.
COMPLAINTS
His Number One complaint is the competition which he almost always refers to as ‘‘cutthroat.’’ One of the Play Meter respondees described his competition as ‘greedy. Some operators,’’ he said, ‘’will do almost anything to get a location, and that includes paying the locations, giving
20
loans, and changing the commis- sion split.”
The second most heard complaint among operators concerns. the locations. Said one northwestern operator, ‘Many location owners feel they are doing you a favor by letting you put your machines in their place.”
Other operators complained that, because of this feeling, many locations demand loans and a better split.
The third most frequent com- plaint dealt with new equipment— its high cost and dependability.
Said one eastern operator, ‘’The high cost of new equipment and the rate at which it has increased in the past three years is not only high, but the equipment is too flimsy to last.”’ This operator also complained that, as a result, the operators’ net is decreasing every year. ‘’Changing the split,” he said, “is not the solution because that will only encourage locations to buy their own equipment.”
Another operator echoed the eastern operator’s remarks about the dependability of the new equipment. Said he, ‘’A lot of the games do not have the workman- ship quality in them they used to have. Buy a new piece of equip- ment, and it does not function properly and you have a lot of service calls on it.”
A third operator had his own theory about game designs: *’! think a lot of the games are designed on Monday mornings when the engi- neers are still hungover from the weekends.” He also complained that “many machines require you to
have midget hands for servicing, are poorly designed, or are designed not to be serviced at all.”’
Still another operator rattled off a litany of all the operators’ com- plaints: ‘’What | like least about the operating business is the new operators who would rather plow your ground than loom for new fields. Prices are rising ridiculously. Locations want 101 percent. Direct sales. Home games cost half of what | have to pay for coin-op pins. Home video games that kill what | have left in my older coin-op video games, and sky-high local licenses.”’
Interestingly, sky-high local li- censes and concern about the image of the industry ranked very low among operator concerns. It seems that the operator is more concerned with the day-to-day bread-and-butter worries of the industry rather than the problems outside of the industry. This attitude may possibly explain why many operators are not joining their trade associations, which focus in on unfair taxes and a good industry image.
PRICING AND FREE PLAYS
Mr. Average still has his pin games set on five balls per play, two plays per quarter, though he’s beginning to show signs of moving toward two games at three-ball play. His phonographs are all set on two plays for a quarter, though a few operators still have three plays for a quarter.
And only eight percent of his games are set on fifty-cent play, though 13 percent of his operation is pool tables and air hockey tables (prime candidates for fifty-cent play).
The free play on pin games averages nationwide at between 30 and 35 percent of the total playing time on the machines. And the second largest ratio of free plays to total plays is in the 30-percent-and- below category. Also, an estimated 14 percent of the operators operate add-a-ball features rather than free plays.
Mr. Average buys 3.24 records for each of his 50 jukeboxes (though no one yet has been able to explain how he buys .24 of a record). The breakdown of the music in his phonographs is as follows: rock, 48 percent; country, 25 percent; easy listening, 12 percent; rhythm and blues, 11 percent; and other types, four percent.
GAME BREAKDOWN
Of the 200 machines he owns, 66 are pinball machines, 50 are phono-
November, 1977, PLAY METER
graphs, 30 are arcade pieces, 24 are pool tables, 10 are foosball tables, four are wall games, four are shuffle alleys, and two are air hockey tables.
Of those thirty arcade pieces of his, twenty are solid state, and the other ten are electro-mechanical. Only one out of every ten of his phonographs is new.
As far as his earnings for each game, the phonographs are still at the top of the heap, with an average earning of $46 per week. Pinball machines and arcade pieces gross just a little less than that, $44. Pool tables are steady earners at $41, foosball tables are at $39, wall games at $33 per week, and shuffle alleys take in $29.
BUYING NEW EQUIPMENT
Mr. Average bought nine new video games this year, 13 new pinball games, five new phono- graphs, five new foosball tables, three new non-video arcade pieces, and two other amusement pieces. In addition, he bought six used phonographs and 13 used games.
Although Mr. Average complains about the high cost of new games, he considers that of secondary importance when he is_ buying. What concerns him most of. all when he goes shopping for new equipment is the distributor's repair service, how good is it?
Price is only his second consider- ation, and then only barely, because the value-conscious operators have rated as almost equal the price of the game and the distributor’s parts department. In fact, out of more than 900 votes cast on this topic, the difference was only one vote.
The manufacturers that a particu- lar distributor represents was also an important consideration, but it was not as high as the top three— a good repair service, the price, and a dependable parts department.
Mr. Average says he is indifferent to sales personnel, the location of the distributor, and the distributor's word on what to buy and what to avoid.
And Mr. Average doesn’t seem to care at all about how the games look on the distributor’s showroom floor or what are the distributor's financ- ing terms.
FAVORITE MANUFACTURERS His favorite manufacturers are
Seeburg for phonographs, Bally for
pinballs, Atari for video games,
Midway for non-video arcade games, Valley for pool tables, Tournament Soccer for foosball
tables, Williams for shuffle alleys, and Gremlin for wall games.
Play Meter Poll Results
% Total
Equip. Pinball 33% Phonographs 25% Arcade Pieces 15% Pool 12% Foosball 5% Wall Games 2% Shuffleboards 2% Air Hockey 1% Others 5%
*Not computed
Pricing All Games
2/25 cents
25 cents
Pricing Phonographs
3/25 cents
6%
2/25 cents 90%
25 cents 4%
Breakdown of Arcade Equipment
Electro- Mechanical \
35%
Avg. No. Pieces
Weekly New Gross’ Purchases
$44 13
$46 5
$44 12
$41 *
$39 5
$33 1
$29 1
PREFERRED MANUFACTURERS
Gremlin All Others
Williams Chicago Coin All Others
Seeburg Rock-Ola Rowe-Ami All Others
Bally Gottlieb Williams All Others
Atari Midway All Others
Midway Chicago Coin All Others
Valley
U.S. Billiards U.B.I.
Irving Kaye Dynamo American Fischer
All Others
Wall Games 89% 11%
Shuffle Alleys 74%
20%
6%
Phonographs 38%
29%
28%
5%
Pinball 53% 23% 22%
2%
Video Games 59% 31% 10%
Non-Video Arcade 56% 25% 19%
Pool Tables 57%
10%
8%
7%
5%
4%
3%
6%
Foosball Tables
Tournament Soccer 31% Dynamo 27% Deutsche Meister 13% Mirco 9% Garlando 7% Rene Pierre 7% Irving Kaye 3% All Others 3%
PINBALL
3-Ball v.s. 5-Ball 5-Ball 59% 3-Ball 41%
NEW PHONOGRAPH PURCHASES
Bought More 60%
Bought Same 6%
Bought Less 34%
NEW GAME PURCHASES
Bought More 69%
Bought Same 4%
Bought Less 27%
ELECTROMECHANICAL VERSUS SOLID STATE
Preference For
Earnings Solid State 65% Electro-Mechanical 35% Preference For Service
Electro-Mechanical 54%
Solid State 46%
Montreal’s squeaky: clean image
The Association of Family Enter- tainment Centres, which groups ten of Montreal’s largest companies specializing in coin-operated amuse- ment machines, has been granted letters of patent by the Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs in Ottawa. And as its first public action, the AFEC will engage in self-policing to insure that its member-centers—and, if possible, the industry as a whole—observe wholesome standards of operation.
Gerard Blanchette, chairman of the board of the association, said that while association members now represent roughly one-seventh of all Montreal amusement center opera- tors, they, in fact, control 58 centers and some 3,325 machines— roughly 20 percent of the overall amusement machine business in Montreal.
“With a growing number of amusement centers now opening in Montreal, we feel it is the duty of the industry itself to guard against fly-by-night activities which might be harmful to the community and which would reflect on all of us,” Blanchette declared.
Various Montreal newspapers have carried major articles in recent months about the resurgence of coin-operated amusement = ma- chines. The Montreal Star, for example, carried a full-page feature in February which headlined the ‘’squeaky-clean image’”’ of the fami- ly entertainment centers.
“They are clean, well-lit, intoler- ant of loiterers,’’ added The Star.
La Presse, in a similar full-page feature last year, proclaimed: ‘For those over 30 years of age, the invasion recalls good old memo- ries.’
Also, the Ottawa grandfather of nine wrote The Gazette to say that amusement centers are ‘’an asset to the community and by far the safest place for teenagers to be, off the streets and having clean fun with
their friends. And their parents know where they are. “Today's pinball is a_ highly
engineered piece of equipment that helps youth coordinate their re- flexes, relieves their tension and boredom, and keeps their minds off ways to get into trouble,’’ wrote the man.
Le Journal de Montreal, for its part, reported that the amusement machines are ‘increasingly rallying to their cause the passionate love of
numerous recruits.”
Harvey Fitleberg, president of the Association of Family Entertainment Centres, said its members together employ some 225 persons, including a sizeable number of pensioners. The total annual payroll amounts to almost $1.7 million.
In various taxes, the Association's members pay nearly $5 million a year to the three levels of govern- ment. The federal government collects duties on the machines— the machines held by association members are valued at $4 million— as well as 12 percent sales tax and corporate income tax for a total of $1.9 million. The Quebec take from association members is’ roughly $658,400, consisting of the eight percent sales tax and $255,600 in corporate income tax. The munici- pal share totals $2,235,400, repre- senting permits and business and water taxes.
Each amusement center whose owner is a member of the associa- tion displays a decal which acknowl- edges the association’s ‘‘responsi- bility to the public.”’
Among those ethical standards adopted by the association, each member pledges to: conduct him- self in accordance with the public interest; support efforts designed to enhance the contribution of the industry; be guided in his activities by the generally accepted standards of good taste and fair dealing; denounce any activity within the industry which tends to denigrate amusement centers as a whole; take an active interest in the civic, social and moral welfare of the communi- ty; maintain clean, well-illuminated premises; engage only mature, qualified employees of good reputa- tion; insure his equipment is in good operating condition; correct promptly any justifiable complaint, whether it involve staff or equip- ment; adhere faithfully to provisions of the Association’s Code of Ethics; and cooperate with fellow-members in upholding and enforcing the code.
Members of the Association are directly involved in a number of other businesses, including real estate, amusement rides, electron- ics, retailing, restaurants, etc.
Directors of the Association, in addition to Blanchette and Fitle- berg, are Jack Lerner, Louis Zucker- man, and Marvin Tanner.
November, 1977, PLAY METER
ATARI
Innovative attics
© A Warner Communications
The ultimate high...
min
redielerclimeveluonr
avlecmyn Vile merelaalieleny a\iaele)ealcwa\ucele(c main cM ele aed sWorcmelaclect-lacemecatumcre)iencitelce reliable 4-player flipper that’s stealing the show everywhere.
SM avchuck-meiclaclcmuclalclita ie): every type of player. Skill shots dotel am ante) .ccmaca p)tclUmlaneri(ialel (es
A “Spinner-Kicker? a “Bonus Kicker Lane” that catapults the ball to the top of the playfield: A-I-R-B-O-R-N-E A-V-E-N-G-E-R spellout targets that achieve “Same plaver shoots again: The
eye-catching “Captive Ball” feature awards i Yo yalerwateltclalecr am uuiae am Bleltlel(-N ste aleme (crn tures rounding out the hi@h scoring challenges. Wale mpale)acne) eicle- lke) me) plaleleimePaee)com caucl ie PLeiiecciecle)(cmastebaraeteieame actelta (circle mrelbacchactall mi) olexei fel cfamrele (ere elel | Mecelehtcia-jle emo melalcenecc on Oe aerolt lave melare mane nce Nate melelmce ColleKiiucmeleliielemcllmccmltciccian LCMULOLOMletieclelditmelalcrel @itulceaccmel lie) lucmelare ey plaLesal mee em eelce) ple MmUUldalelelmaciserelularemeate areluicemeltenie Matciachcm alcatel mm elercia ire Me relontcmil ccm anitmercielcc inelanmelaeiecere lame tell mcomuelll ma lrclam Oil icelellivey: Cole tclUane) amere)alecle mello) miacl(chucclitcl mal rcl al elem |WActem eie)uacletcl-Wra\Ucemtelllelaltazel (cme @va Wiel (Ololel (408) 745-2500.
EMIS
ESCITEALNT
Can be found throughout the world at these fine distributorships:
UNITED STATES:
Active Amusement Philadelphia, PA Advance Automatic San Francisco, CA Advance Distributing St. Louis, MO
All Coin Equipment San Antonio, TX Atlas Novelty Pittsburgh, PA Belam, Florida Miami, FL
Bilotta Distributing Newark, NY
Bilotta Enterprises Newark, NY
Birmingham Vending Birmingham, AL Brady Distributing Charlotte, NC
Central Distributing Omaha, NB
Cleveland Coin Cleveland, OH Columbus, OH
Coin Machine Dist. Peekskill, NY Commercial Music Dallas, TX Continental Divide Denver, CO
Culp Distributing Oklahoma City, OK Dunis Distributing Portland, OR Empire Distributing Chicago, IL
Detroit, MI
Grand Rapids, MI Green Bay, WI Indianapolis, IN
H. A. Franz & Co. Houston, TX Godwin Distributing North Little Rock, AR Greater Southern Atlanta, GA
Lew Jones Dist. Indianapolis, IN Lieberman Music Minneapolis, MN Litsey Distributing Louisville, KY
S. L. London Milwaukee, WI
Now proudly shipping
ROBOS BOWL
Lovell Company Albuquerque, NM Lubbock, TX
McKee Distributing Portland, OR
Monroe Distributing Cleveland, OH Dayton, OH
Music Vend
Seattle, WA
New Orleans Novelty New Orleans, LA
Peach State Atlanta, GA
Philip Moss & Co. Des Moines, IO Kansas City, MO Omaha, N
Robert Jones Int. Dedham, MS Syracuse, NY
C. A. Robinson & Co.
Los Angeles, CA Roth Novelty Wilkes Barre, PA Royal Distributing Cincinnati, OH Runyon Sales Springfield, NJ
New York, NY S&H Distributing Shreveport, LA Sanders Distributing Nashville, TN Southern Music Orlando, FL
State Music
Dallas, TX
Struve Distributing Salt Lake City, UT
CANADA:
Alouette Amusement Montreal, Que.
New Way Sales Toronto, Ont.
Rowe International Burnaby, B.C.
Dorval, Que.
Malton, Ont.
EXPORT:
R. H. Belam New York, NY
@, iy DO) A ~ ee wy
” =
fsVal Wa. G, diXe) Xo) me
-66- 16 @: .66-
s \ewme/ pa.
ie See our
surprises at the
A.M.O.A. Show Booths 44, 45, 46, 47
Conrad Hilton Chicago Oct. 28-30, 1977
in upright and cocktail table models
EXIDY, INC.
2599 Garcia Avenue, Mountain View, California 94043
Phone: (415) 968-7670
Telex: 348-329
Captain Fantastic, Sea Wolftop poll
Play Meter has determined that Bally’s Captain Fantastic was the top earning pinball game for opera- tors over the past twelve months, and Midway’s Sea Wolf was the top earner among the video/arcade/ novelty games.
Play Meter’s evaluations come after an extensive survey (see related story) which, among other things, asked operators to list according to earnings their top three pinball games and their top three video/arcade/novelty pieces.
The final tabulations also provid- ed Play Meter with its first opportu- nity to evaluate the ratings of its fearless pinball critic, Roger C. Sharpe, who has been rating pinball games for Play Meter since July, 1976. And the returns indicate he did well.
His rating system awards #### for an excellent game, ### for a good game, ## for an average game, and # for a fair game.
Only two of the top ten games were not reviewed by the Play Meter critic, Bally's Wizard and Williams’ Space Mission/Space Odyssey; and that was because those two games made their debut before Roger started rating games for Play Meter’s readers.
To date, he has given an average rating (##) to 22 of the 48 games he has reviewed, and only one of those games made it to the top ten. The rest of the top earning games were also top-rated games.
It should be noted that the one average-rated game which made it to the top ten was Williams’ Aztec. When Roger Sharpe gave the game its ##% rating, he wrote that he subtracted a %-point because he didn’t like the artwork. So much for Roger Sharpe, art critic.
A complete list of Roger’s ratings is as follows (games listed as unrated predated Roger’s column with Play Meter); Captain Fantastic, #H##H#; Night Rider, ###%: Evel Knievel, ####; Space Mission/ Space Odyssey, unrated; Aztec, ## %; Royal Flush/Card Whiz, ###: Grand Prix, ###%; Freedom, ### %; Wizard, unrated; Jacks Open, ####; Target Alpha/Solar City, ####; Surf Champ/Surfer, ###%: Bow and Arrow, unrated; Old Chicago, ##%; Aladdin's Castle, ###%; Blue Chip, ##'2; Volley, unrated; Ship Ahoy/ Buccaneer, ##%; The Atarians, ##;: and Gold Strike/El Dorado, unrated.
PLAY METER, November, 1977
Top pin games
fn @r-] 0) ¢-] a ar-] alt= |-) elem @of-1/14)
. Night Rider (Ba//y)
. Evel Knievel (Ba//y)
. Space Mission/Space Odyssey (Williams)
. Aztec (Williams)
. Royal Flush/Card Whiz (Gottlieb)
. Grand Prix (Williams)
. Freedom (Ba/ly)
Mee A'A4-1 00 MW 1-1/4)
mare y= (01,48 ©) 01-10 a Clayed//-y6))
. Target Alpha/Solar City (Gottlieb)
. Surf Champ/Surfer (Gottlieb)
. Bow and Arrow (Bally)
fs ©) (0 @t al lor-le eM U>1-1/4%4)
. Aladdin’s Castle (Ba//y)
. Blue Chip (Wi/liams)
. Volley (Gettlieb)
. Ship Ahoy/ Buccaneer (Gottlieb)
. (tie) The Atarians (Atari)
Gold Strike/El Dorado evel ae/{-16))
Others mentioned (in alphabetical o}ge[=]am oh amaat-lalehiclon del a-ak VAY /[{-10 eee Malelave(=igele))t Bally—Hokus Pokus, Flip Flop, Flicker, Hang Glider Chicage Coin—Cinema/ Hollywood, Jukebox Gottlieb—Big Hit, Jungle Queen/ Jungle Princess, Bronco Mustang, Spirit of ‘76, Soccer, Pro Pool, Fast Draw, Pioneer
_ Playmatic— Speakeasy, Fiesta,
PAN oF [eal Segasa— Prospector, Super NS) dg-](e] a) om Or-lalalcicwmm li Lelalelere) Stern— Rawhide/ Stampede Willlams— Liberty Bell, Big Deal, Little Chief, Satin Doll, MUlel avaiat-lale,
Top arcade games
. Sea Wolf (Midway)
. Sprint-2 (Atari)
. Breakout (Atar/)
. Le Mans (Atari)
. Gunfight (Midway)
Night Driver (Atar/)
. Death Race (Exidy)
. Tornado Baseball (Midway)
. 280Z2ZZ — AP (Midway)
nbd) m=] (0101.4<[0 1-1 e-¢0)//4))
Indy 4 (Atari)
. F-1 (Namce)
. Stunt Cycle (Atari)
. Boot Hill (Midway)
. Tank Il (Atari)
fn DY- Waco) at- nol 0, ON -1///-1¢ ma MAY? / 42)
. Shooting Trainer (Nintendo)
. Road Runner (Midway)
. Hit Me (Ramtek)
. (tie) Hustle (Gremlin) Flying Fortress Games)
Bazooka Gun (P.S.E.) Junk Yard (American)
SOMDNAMARWNH—
pe ee ee a ee | OO CONDO W PY
NO >)
(Electra
Others mentioned (in alphabetical ol ge (simu oh’amoat-lalent-leacelacian Allied Leisure—F-114 Atari—Sprint 8, Steeple Chase, Triple Hunt, Drag Race, BTeyaatiatess (Of eT[or-To[ommm OF 6)/¢ keen @1=1 0010) |1410)0 mm O1-18 0)'a ii c-]emeyarele) Exidy— Car Polo Gremlin—CoMotion, Play Ball Meadows — Bonkers, Bombs Away, mileamm (clan Midway — Checkmate, Maze Mirco —21 Ramtek— Barricade, Trivia Quiz Sega—Plinker’s Canyon U.S. Billiaards—\ideo Pool
Editor's Note: Critics of the critic take heed. Though “’Critic’s Corner’ j[Ulefel=XM cal-mer-laat-iom-lorere) cel iave ico me cal=y1i play appeal, there seems to be a close relation between the ratings and the game’s earnings potential. Play Meter’s own rating of its critic’s first full-year performance is ###%.
There’s
gele)anmmn ie)
improvement,
Roger, but over all a fine effort. Be
well and prosper.
Transl
The coin industry’s once-a-year showcase is here. But instead of the usual preview—with references to this being ‘the biggest show ever’ (which it is) and of this being the most exciting show yet (which it probably will be)—what should distinguish the 1977 show from all the previous shows is that it will feflect more than ever before an industry in transition.
The 1977 AMOA show (which in years to come may become known as the “Transition Show’’) should establish, finally, that solid state not only has a place in the coin-op industry but that it might well be its future.
As proof, it seems that almost everyone is coming out with solid state equipment this time around. Jukeboxes have been solid state for some time, and video equipment is, of course, on the increase. Play Meter’s survey (elsewhere in this issue) shows that in the average American route operation 65 per- cent of all the arcade pieces are solid state video games.
And now even pinball, the old electro-mechanical stand-by, seems to have gone the way of the others. All major American manufacturers will be displaying solid state games at this year’s show. For Bally and Atari, that’s nothing new. But Gottlieb, Williams, and Stern will also be on hand with solid state pinball games. And the word is some foreign manufacturers might surprise a few people with some solid state entries of their own. Intrigue is in the air.
What to look for?
Bally won’t be content with displaying its latest solid state pinball game, Eight Ball. Look for Bigfoot of NBC-TV fame, to make an appearance at the show. Bigfoot is presently being billed as the world’s largest pinball and may be Bally's next effort.
Gottlieb’s historic solid state effort will be Cleopatra, a four- player game. It’s historic for two reasons. It’s Gottlieb’s first solid state game, of course; but it’s also Gottlieb’s first appearance at the AMOA show.
Williams also will unveil its first solid state pinball, and in addition will be featuring after a long wait another arcade piece, this one a
26
a H H i] H 4 ts a] ee
=
video game called Road Champion.
Stern will re-introduce its four- player pinball game, Pinball, this time in a solid state configuration.
And Atari has come out with its best effort yet in the pinball market. Atari’s four-player game, Airborne Avenger, should be attracting more than its share of attention at this year’s show. We also understand a real life magic show will be featured in the expanded Atari booth this year.
As far as phonographs, Rowe- AMI, the solid state latecomer, seems to have added an interesting twist of its own. Besides an entirely new cabinet design, Rowe’s box comes equipped with a unique solid state popularity meter that gives an accurate measure of record selec- tion. It enables the operator to measure accurately his overplay. The digital readout gives’ the operator an accurate readout of how many times each record has been selected. A simple touch of the button does it.
And look for NSM’s latest, a jukebox which will be controlled by a central microprocessor. Wurlitzer will have its usual variety of phonos including a ten-button solid state 100-selection phono, and a unique compact juke that plays casette tapes. |
In arcade equipment, Midway will be showing its Laguna Racer and two other new games which are sure to delight the convention-goer. Laguna Racer, we understand, is an improved version of Midway’s ear- lier success, Wheels. Meadows will be displaying its new upright bowling game; and take a look-see at Exidy’s latest product, Super Death Chase, an obvious sequel to the notorious Death Race.
Mirco will unveil its Formula M Vrooom which is believed to be the first sitdown video driving cocktail game. Allied Leisure will be showing its new non-video electro-mechani- cal sitdown projection target game, which is an updated version of its former winner, Rapid Fire. Other things to be on the lookout for include Cinematronics’ Space Wars game and Elcon Industries’ Magic Trolley (an arcade on wheels), and a new electro-mechanical arcade piece by Americoin, makers of last year’s success Junkyard.
November, 1977, PLAY METER
And U.S. Billiards will be there with a new two-player video game called Space Battle. U.S. Billiards will also be introducing Silver Falls, a hybrid arcade piece that is a non-video penny falls-type game. In
ae ape : : +. * e hopper addition, U.S. Billiards will also . payout Oni preview a new lock cash box at the . how currencies . . served
It's not enough to say that this year’s show will be the biggest ever. By comparison, last year’s ‘’biggest ever’ show had a total square footage of 53,781. This year that figure is 78,635. Three large rooms have been reserved for the exhibi- tion—the East Room and the West Room on the lower level and the Continental Room, which is one level up from the West Room by escalator. The Continental Room will be the scene of special activity including AMOA service booths for mechanic training, consultation on tournaments, arcades, manage- ment, plus scheduled audio-visual presentations on the industry. And there will be a registration room in the North Room of the Conrad Hilton Hotel.
There will be two entrances to the exposition, one into the East Room on the lower level and another into the Continental Room on_ the second (or lobby) level.
There will be a ladies luncheon the first day of the show in the Normandie Lounge. Mrs. _ Irene Hughes, internationally-known psy- chic, will address the luncheon. This most unusual lady has put her psychic talents to wide use by helping police solve a great number of crimes, including baffling murder cases. Her predictions of well- known major events have been amazingly accurate.
The opening days of the conven- tion will also feature an industry seminar. Notre Dame _ associate dean of graduate study, Dr. John Malone, has been engaged by the
exposition seminar committee to THE 1977 BELL RINGER SPECIAL address this year’s seminar. His is NOW IN PROGRESS!
topic will be ‘’Salesmanship: The Road to New Business Develop-
ment.”’ Hospitality suites will be open Unheard of bargains on all your favorite
Friday evening, and the _ exhibit billiard and amusement supplies. hours will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The second day of the show will | 800-255-4368
feature a general membership meet- Toll Free Except Kansas
| : : Inc. Coin Control Units Available Exclusively from jee es
ing at 11:30 a.m. Hospitality suites will again be open in the evening EEX and the exhibit hours will run from VENGUARD Accessory-Supply Dept 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. . : The final day of the show will | CY ® 10500 Barkley feature a gala banquet and a stage Overland Park, Kansas 66212 show (see related story). Exhibit 913/341-1300 hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. PLAY METER, November, 1977 27
Amazing Memory & Recall
MAKES
(scly. EIGHT ©B8ALL
greatest pinball pool table in history
CONVERTIBLE To ADD-A-BALL
Ask Your Distributor
Solid or Striped Ball Competition
.
Be Price Wise! 1 PLAY 1 QUARTER 3-BALLS PLAY
See Distributor or write (lly 2640 Belmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
he 1977 AMOA
T F Exhibitor List
PIPE LY o eies ete waddendseeediaesesieues C-13 P.O. Box 1826, Sparks, Nevada 89431 (702) 358-1260
AICO BGs. 0cckose waves keudkweeeesentaeees 12-A 6212 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, Illinois 60053 (312) 965-1500
ADVERTISING POSTERS CO. .............. 51-52 1500 North Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois 60622 (312) 642-1300
ALCOHOL COUNTERMEASURE
Sy SLES Web ohh ec ceeds bee ees ches cheees 85-86
501 Water Street, Suite A, Port Huron, Michigan 48060 (313) 987-7400
ALLIED LEISURE INDUSTRIES, INC.....P-13 & 14 245 West 74th Place, Hialeah, Florida 33014 (305) 558-5200
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS ..... 70-A 3708 Abrams Road, Dallas, Texas 75214 (214) 823-1131
AMERICAN SHUFFLEBOARD CO., INC. .. 126-129 210 Paterson Plank Rd., Union City, New Jersey 07087 (201) 865-6633
PANE CAIN idee ian etenda ke oan cones 1&1-A 700 Virginia Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204 (414) 272-4323
AMUSEMENT ELECTRONICS SERVICE....... C-9 6900 Okechobee Blvd., W. Palm Beach, Fla. 33411 (305) 686-1600
AMUTECH LID. .5i+é40scstenadeneedeeows C-52-54 150 Bellam Blvd. #230, San Rafael, California 94901 (415) 457-7313
Mali
The Henry W.T. Mali & Co. Inc 25/ Park Ave. South
New York, NY 10010
(212) 475-45 60
Toll Free: (800) 223-6468
PLAY METER, November, 1977
ARUAC, UNGs (6cksenereendenesieebasceas 114-115 4860 East 345th Street, Willoughby, Ohio 44094 (216) 951-3440
ARKUSH ELECTRONICS INC................ C-33 305 Laurelwood Rd., Santa Clara, California 95050 (408) 988-3773
ARROW INTERNATIONAL CO................. 82 4909 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44102 (216) 961-3500
ALTARL ING. cb scndeeasenedavecusavs 16-23 & 26-33 1265 Borregas Ave., Box 9027, Sunnyvale, Ca. 94086 (408) 745-2500
AUTOMATIC PRODUCTS COMPANY ..... 101-102 75 West Plato Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55107 (612) 224-4391
AUTO-PHOTO COMPANY ................ C-7&8 350 Lear Avenue, Costa Mesa, California 92626 (714) 540-8082
BALLY MANUFACTURING CO............ 146-150 2640 Belmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60618 (312) 267-6060
R.H. BELAM COMPANY, INC. ...... 187A-187-188 51 Madison Ave., New York, New York 10010 (212) 689-5633
BRUNSWICK CORPORATION, BRIARWOOD DIVISION............ 64-66 & 73-75 One Brunswick Plaza, Skokie, Illinois 60076 (312) 982-6000
CEB INDUSTRIES, INC. .................... C-62 P.O. Box 831, Hawthorne, California 90250 (213) 644-2291
Billiard Cloth
Style 820—Plain, Style 920—Backed
Fabrics developed specifically for coin-operated tables.
Available through your distributor.
JOHN W,CALER occecccsccdsane dentessawadus C-77 7506 Clybourn Avenue, Sun Valley, California 91352 (213) 765-1210 (213) 789-3741
CALIFORNIA COMPUTER GAMES....... C-748&75 6325 DeSoto, Woodland Hills, California 91367 (213) 703-0465
CAROUSEL INTERNATIONAL CORP........ 24-25 P.O. Box 307, Eldon, Missouri 65026 (314) 392-7122
CHAMPION BILLIARDS, INC. ............... C-12 900 Andre Street, Bay City, Michigan 48706 (517) 686-4000
CINEMATRONICS INC.................. C-588&59 1044 Pioneer Way, Suite B, El Cajon, California 92020 (714) 440-2933 COIN ACCEPTORS, INC................. C-50&51
4946 Daggett Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110 (314) 664-5550
COIN MECHANISMSINC. ................... 132 817 Industrial Drive, Elmhurst, Illinois 60126 (312) 279-9150
CORPORACION SONATA, S.A. ............. C-79 Carretera Mex. Pachuca, KM. 52, Tizayuca, Hidalgo, Mexico (771) 62139/40/41
COUNTRY INTERNATIONAL RECORDS ..... P-10 315 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019 (212) 581-5516
D & RINDUSTRIES,INC................... P-1&2 7111 North Capitol Drive, Lincolnwood, Illinois 60645 (312) 677-3200
DEUTSCHE WURLITZER GMBH .............. P-9 Wurlitzerstrabe 6, Hullhorst, Germany NRW 4971 05744-1001 DIVERSE PRODUCTS INC................ 116-117
198 River St., Box 727, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701 (201) 842-7554
DYNAMO CORPORATION................ W-1W6 1805 South Great Southwest Pkwy., Grand Prairie, Texas 75051 (214) 641-4286
EBONITE CORPORATION BILLIARD AND GAME DIVISION 109-1108121-122 14000 NW 57 Court, Miami Lakes, Florida 33014 (305) 821-0150
ELCON INDUSTRIES .................... C-27-29 3285 Hilton Road, Ferndale, Michigan 48220 (313) 543-6373
EMPIRE DISTRIBUTING, INC............. 154-157 120 South Sangamon Street, Chicago, Illinois 60607 (312) 421-5200
Columbia Pictures Industries Company 165 W. Lake Street - Northlake, Illinois 60164 Phone: 312/562-7400 Telex: 72-8463
~~ pS
30
November, 1977, PLAY METER
BING: ccaeecswinsedceuercoustausuusex 44-47 2599 Garcia Avenue, Mountain View, California 94043 (415) 968-7670
FISCHER, DIVISION OF QUESTOR . . 13-15&34-36 P.O. Box 50, California, Missouri 65018 (314) 796-3116
J.F. FRANTZ MFG. CO. .................. 191-193 1936 West Lake Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612 (312) 829-2399
D. GOTTLIEB & COMPANY ................ C-81-86 165 West Lake Street, Northlake, Illinois 60164 (312) 562-7400
GREMLIN INDUSTRIES, INC......... 70-72&88-90 8401 Aero Drive, San Diego, California 92123 (714) 277-8700
H.C.E. MFG, & DIST. CO., INC... oc cece vcecaes 186 P.O. Box 340, Madison, Mississippi 39110 (601) 856-8874
THE HOME FUN COMPANY .............. C-37-40 5710 Des Plaines Place, Gurnee, Illinois 60031 (312) Just Dial: PINBALL
IMPERIAL BILLIARD INDUSTRIES.......... 48-49 550 Industrial Road, Carlstadt, New Jersey 07072 (201) 935-9330
min
CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-525-8078 i R@eltel Tis oka Viele |. imaeltl ia
PIII KKK IKK KK KKKKKKKKK
YY OO
PLAY METER, November, 1977
INTERF LIP SAio cc ok ho bob vee beasdawensees C-41 Rufino Gonzalez, 25, Madrid-17, Spain 204 99 10
INTERNATIONAL BILLIARD CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY si.icraseccastoets tpeeees C-15-16 1216-42 South Avenue, Plainfield, New Jersey 07062 (201) 757-6950
INTERNATIONAL BILLIARDS, INC............ C-6 2311 Washington, Box 7693, Houston, Texas 77007 © (713) 869-1524, (800) 392-2209 (Texas
INTERNATIONAL VIDEO SYSTEMS CORP. ..C-30 6949 Washington Avenue South, Edina, Minn. 55436 (612) 941-6655
J-S SALES COMPANY, INC................. 40-41 24 South Third Avenue, Mt. Vernon, New York 10550 (212) 324-3830, (914) 668-8051
IRVING KAYE COMPANY, INC. .......... 158-165 48 Union Street, Stamford, Connecticut 06906 (203) 348-1800
KEY INDUSTRIES LTD................... C-10-11 8821 SE 17th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97202 (503) 231-5664
LOEWEN AUTOMATEN GMBH & CO.KG ..... P-7 Im Tiergarten 20-30, P.O. Box 168, 6530 Bingen/Rhein, Western Germany (6721) 15202
ipQa0 9.9. 9.9.9.0. 9.0.9. 2.0 0 0 0 0 6 0 6 0 6 6 0 6 oo oo oo 4
VAKEKLOOK | AT THIS!
Our NEW 250 page Catalog of Billiard and Coin Machine Parts is now available. To receive your free copy, Call TOLL FREE 1-800-525-8078
In Colorado Call 751-4851 Collect.
Same Day Shipment Guaranteed.
Open Saturdays
For Your Convenience.
2075 so. valentia st. denver, colo. 80231
AMVDKMAN,
Se EMPORIVM 7
Div. of Excelsior Enterprises, Inc.
Cy
Orcas
FLOOR PLANS FOR AMOA’S 1977 INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION
AMUSEMENT
& MUSIC
OF GAMES AND MUSIC AYN A 4 CONRAD HILTON HOTEL, CHICAGO SSS OCTOBER 28-29-30
SUMMARY SPONSOR:
Amusement and Music Operators Association WHAT: 35 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601 1977 AMOA International Exposition and Trade Show (312) 726-2810
WHERE: Contact: Fred M. Granger, Exhibit Manager
East, West and Continental Rooms, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
ATTENDANCE:
WHEN: Over 5,000, including delegations from 25 foreign countries.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, October 28-29-30, 1977
ExMAUST VERT a
7 oF
qe ear 3g—-——— a _imcaint . Jester lesleelorles ollodeuk
Croce exferenicafenlcaen
a a & —s _ cafeadeaaleslestiesfess : om
edealceessjestesles ro) edeaaleeealeales
EscaiAree comes Ur Frem Weor > Fanibir Hann
REGISTRATION
senferlestenfenlented = ve vie eo <—§— Knreanc® Fil -pohokslekokekete) “fy: a eolotetotekekelce (T= | _°
a B = civ a ae T Ts TPE | oorapaeeapacol ae FEE
All Booths 1OXIO Uniess Otherwise Inaicoted Ss e
CONTINENTAL ROOM
LOWER LEVEL LOBBY
SuPeim, = 800u
6'-8" CEILING HEIGHT
— A MT Te ae ce ee O
~ Ga ——S ee tt
Fan
Fa iS lk
~ co ~
A 10-2" CERING HECHT Q Pe I. | : gate ase | . 5 a | '@ ress Gee ¢ oh 70 | ‘tele [fo lrlllelrefo lef — = : ; | PIPE CLEARANCE 9-2" H ; ", Ad . i eo Be to 3 |-73hl 78 ‘ a ' Ss f =s== N bi aay C1maus rim _——-——4 4 Selalelalelelola | Pate Th = pe > 3+ [92] 95 5435 [96 ]97|95]99 fect fae = EE vi : — COLUMNS 24' x 26' UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED pt os L ee ee ee ee
alt] sA ey 94 Aad] od|oFlod oot dla? au » “Puy ee |e ArzkciA _
WEST ROOM LOWER LEVEL : Ot EAST ROOM All booths 10' x 10' except where noted. aaa tl booths 1OxlO except where noted. ~————S CONRAD HILTON HOTEL
Cricoge, ILL
32 November, 1977, PLAY METER
® a i Segasa “db.a.” SONIC is pleased to introduce
2 2 2 3 2 7
-
SF
+ ~. Piha oN
XA»
OHO000
. tae 3 pep ap targets secmed Sime Rights EETEA BALL bene . the 3 pep op larprte thire thee Nights SPECIAL tenes ant
Distributor:
CITT ERALY 2-100
Playing features:
e Hitting the 3 pop up targets first time lights DOUBLE BONUS lane and B-U-T rollovers.
e Hitting the 3 pop up targets second time lights EXTRA BALL lane and T-E-R rollovers.
e Hitting the 3 pop up targets third time lights SPECIAL lanes and F-L-Y rollovers.
Optional feature when hitting pop up targets a fourth time to give replay directly.
ADJUSTABLE FOR 3 or 5 BALL PLAY REPLAY or EXTRA BALL
6 DIGIT SCORE UNITS - MATCH FEATURE POLYURETHENE PLAYFIELD
Instructions Manual with each Game Place your orde, now thru your closest distributor.
ES sonic
Manufactured by - Fabricado por: SEGASA “‘d.b.a.”’, Sonic Apartado, 16117 - MADRID (Spain)
Telephone: 232 66 40
Cable Address: SEGASTAR
MEADOWS GAMES INC............ 37-38 & 57-58 181 Commercial Street, Sunnyvale, California 94086 (408) 732-8110
MIRCO-MAGNETIC INDUSTRIES, INC. ....... P-4 981 Commercial Street, Palo Alto, California 94303 (415) 321-5520
MIDWAY MANUFACTURING COMPANY.. 151-153 10750 Grand Avenue, Franklin Park, Illinois 60131 (312) 451-1360
MIDWEST COIN MACHINE, INC............. C-34 36367 Groesbeck, Mt. Clemens, Michigan 48043 (313) 792-1850
MILL CHEMICAL COMPANY .................. 69 103 Diggs Avenue, Milbank, South Dakota 57252 (605) 432-6785
MIRACLE RECREATION EQUIPMENT CO. . . 67-68 P.O. Box 275, Grinnell, lowa 50112 (515) 236-7536
MIRCO INCORPORATED ................ 133-135 10888 North 19th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85029 (602) 997-5931 MOBILE RECORD SERVICE CO. ...... 186A-186B
2716 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222 (412) 391-8182
it
my
NATIONAL VENDORS................... 130-131 5055 Natural Bridge, St. Louis, Missouri 63115 (314) 383-3000
NEVADA GAMING SCHOOLS ................. 87 3100 Sirius Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 (702) 873-2345
NU-LOOK PRODUCTS...................... C-14 P.O. Box 6255, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19136 (215) OR 3-3355
Oy Dy. oxede mane eaesewseeueedastouivebes 5-6 2522 Irving Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75207 (214) 630-8004
OIG Se Pets beeeesatneeeuly deeereseauens 9-10 Via Masetti, 56 4100 Ganaceto— Modena, Italy (059) 386042 PEABODY SING is cs sasvcdnnencvessxdaises 11-12
P.O. Box 163, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23458 (804) 422-2900
PENN-RAY INTERNATIONAL CORP. ..... 112-113 1705 Winchester Road, P.O. Box 390 (215) 638-4720
PHOTO MACHINE CO. OF CHICAGO. . C-63&C-78 625 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611 (312) 642-6684
" ELECTRONIC =, AMUSEMENT
SERVICE
The Repair Center for the Games Industry
EAS is a complete service agency organized to help the video games operator and distributor solve the service problems that plague many of today’s sophisticated electronic games. EAS provides
you with:
e a fast, reliable, and inexpensive alternative to buying expensive test equipment.
e =the /atest in testing equipment.
e experienced technicians.
e athorough repair and testing of all logic boards (including microprocessor circuits).
e a 24 hour turnaround on video logic boards and monitors. Looking forward to serving you, Bill Bolton, President _ a) _ ELECTRONIC [~ —, —, AMUSEMENT Lot J_ISERVICE
modification of older equipment for better play appeal, dependability, and pricing versatility.
a 60 day warranty program on all work.
personalized service and customer follow-up.
free telephone consulting on chronic service problems — we are here to help you at any time.
1555 Minnesota Street ¢ San Francisco, California ¢ 94107 ¢ 415-282-9900
PLAY METER, November, 1977
35
PLATT LUGGAGE, INC, .occcecvivsxecesesasuens 39 2301 South Prairie Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60616 (312) 225-6670
PLAY MASTER, INC................. 62-638&76-77 5909 Paris Road, Columbia, Missouri 65201 (314) 474-8591 PLAY METER MAGAZINE ................... C-57
P.O. Box 24170, New Orleans, Louisiana 70184 (504) 827-0320
POLAND MANUFACTURING CO., INC. ... 189-190 P.O. Box 1168, Forrest City, Arkansas 72335 (501) 633-2205
POLAROID CORPORATION................. C-80 549 Technology Square, Cambridge, Mass. 02139 (617) 864-6000
PROJECT SUPPORT ENG.,INC...... 2-4&C-68-73 750 North Mary Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94086 (408) 739-8550
RAMTEK CORPORATION.......... C31-32&45-46 292 Commercial St., Sunnyvale, California 94086 (408) 738-4422, (800) 538-1733
REDONDO GAMES INC....................- C-44 123 So. Harbor Dr., Redondo Beach, California 90277 (213) 379-8510
R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO............. 53-54 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27102 (919) 748-7417
ROCK-OLA MANUFACTURING CORP......... P-8 800 North Kedzie Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60651 (312) 638-7600
ROVI CARTOON THEATRES CORP.......... C-35 485 Madison Ave., Suite 1910, N.Y., N.Y. 10022 (212) 753-0698
ROWE INTERNATIONAL, INC. ............... P-5 75 Troy Hills Road, Whippany, New Jersey 07981 (201) 887-0400
SAFEGUARD COIN BOX..................008: 43 101 Clinton Road, Fairfield, New Jersey 07006 (201) 575-0040
THE SEEBURG PRODUCTS DIV., THE SEEBURG CORPORATION .............. P-6 1500 North Dayton Street, Chicago, Illinois 60622 (312) 642-0800
SEGA OF AMERICA. ccccceonsivawdesanes P-15-17 2550 Santa Fe Avenue, Redondo Beach, Cal. 90278 (213) 772-0833
SEGASA D.B.A. “SONIC” . osc cccsscevecseesc 140 Apartado 16117, Madrid, Spain (213) 550-7608 (American Rep.)
SKEE BALL. UNG. ou ds cusdcatew dinnsiueneeeas P-11 8th & Maple Street, Lansdale, Penn. 19446 (215) 362-0300
SKYHIGH AMUSEMENT OF CANADA LID. .occéaccxwarcedunesvesawes C-42-43 72 C Brunswick Ave., Dollard Des Ormeaux, Quebec, Canada H9B 2C5 (514) 684-8422 or 26
SPINDEL INSURANCE AGENCY, INC......... 139 3700-174th Court, Suite 11A, Box 515, Lansing, Illinois 60438 (312) 895-1900
STANDARD CHANGE-MAKERS, INC. .... 119-120 422 East New York Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202 (317) 639-3423
STERN ELECTRONICS, INC.............. 141-145 1725 West Diversey Parkway, Chicago, Illinois 60614 (312) 935-4600
SUNBIRD CORPORATION ........ C-60-618&64-65 7557 Washington Ave. So., Minneapolis, Minn. 55435 (612) 944-1437
SUTRA IMPORT CORPORATION ....7-8&103-105 485 Brown Court, Oceanside, New York 11572 (516) 536-6770
TAPE-ATHON CORPORATION ............... P-3 502 South Isis Ave., Inglewood, California 90301 (213) 776-6933
TEC VIDEO ELECTRONICS, INC............. C-36 3010 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara, California 95050 (408) 246-5428
TOMMY GATE MANUFACTURING CO. ....... 111 Bus Brown Drive, P.O. Box 8, Woodbine, Iowa 51579 (712) 647-2050
TOURNAMENT SOCCER............ 59-61&78-80 7930 Occidental Ave. So., Seattle, Washington 98108 (206) 763-1211
TRU-CHECK COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC. ..... 50 250 East Hartsdale Avenue, Hartsdale, New York 10530 (914) 472-9030
LS ep Is cawseews den kedenndededeasuees 173-178 51 Progress Street, Box 37, Union, New Jersey 07083 (201) 686-7030
U.S. BILLIARDS, INC. ......... 169-172 & 179-182 243 Dixon Avenue, Amityville, New York 11701 (516) 842-4242
UNITED GAME Sine 5 bedi vaweessiccsecaces C-55-56 7831 S.E. Stark Street, Portland, Oregon 97215 (503) 255-8042
UNIVERSE AFFILIATED INTL.,INC........ C47-49 609 North Union Avenue, Hillside, New Jersey 07205 (201) 686-5163
November, 1977, PLAY METER
THE VALLEY COMPANY Subsidiary of
Walter Kidde & Co., Inc. ......... 106-108&123-125
333 Morton Street, Box 656, Bay City, Michigan 48706 (517) 892-4536
MENGUAR ns oben tadeswndessunene concedes 83-84 10500 Barkley, Overland Park, Kansas 66212 (913) 341-1300
VENTURE LINE ING. scsi cecicccnsencenes C-66-67 2207 South 48th Street, Tempe, Arizona 85282 (602) 967-5914
WICO CORPORATION.............--202- 136-138 6400 Gross Point Road, Niles, Illinois 60648 (312) 647-7500
WILDCAT CHEMICAL CO.,INC................ 42 1349 East Seminary Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76115 (817) 924-8321
WILLIAMS ELECTRONICS, INC. . 166-168&183-185
3401 North California Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60618 (312) 267-2240
Frockvell
Frank’s right . . .all kinds of spare parts available for
* AMUSEMENT GAMES * JUKEBOXES
* BINGOS
Wh
PLAY METER, November, 1977
SPARE PARTS * UPRIGHTS * SLOTS
We have the part you’ve been looking for!
Send Today for FREE Catalogue
SUZO TRADING CY. C.V. - SCHONEBERGERWEG 85-87 ROTTERDAM 3006 - NETHERLANDS - PHONE 010 - 766848
37
AMOA Stage Show: A star-studded lineup
From top, Frankie Avalon, Jeanne Na- poli, Nick Nixon, and Boots Randolph.
This year’s AMOA stage show, October 30 at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago, has a sprinkling of diversified talent which runs the gamut of music. entertainment. Boots Randolph, Dave and Sugar, Frankie Avalon, and the Sunshine Express are all part of the big show that is set for the closing night of this year’s exposition.
The country music trio, Dave and Sugar, has hit upon a winning combination, blending tight vocal harmonies with a dynamic stage presence. Whether it is doing a Hank Williams standard, an Elvis Presley favorite, or an Olivia-New- ton John tune, the trio is always in perfect harmony.
Although Dave and Sugar have a sound that could reach the cross- over market, the trio seems content with its country label. ‘’You’ve got to have your roots somewhere, and ours are in country music,’’ explains Rowland.
The trio’s hits include ‘Queen of the Silver Dollar,’” ‘“The Door is Always Open,”’ “l’m Gonna Love You,”’ and (its latest release) ‘’Don’t Throw It All Away.”
Boots Randolph, otherwise known as Mr. Sax, will also be performing at the AMOA exposition banquet stage show. Boots, who is perhaps best known for his hit "Yakety Sax,’’ was at last year’s show and really ignited the crowd with his performance.
The Teenage Idol, only slightly grown up, will also be performing at this year’s show. Frankie Avalon is an entertainer whose career spans all phases of the entertainment business— motion pictures, televi- sion, records, concerts, stage, and nightclubs. Currently, he is one of the busiest nightclub performers in the country. He has played in the nation’s finest supper clubs and has headlined top Las Vegas Hotel mainrooms.
He has made more than thirty motion pictures and is perhaps best known for his beach party pictures which include ‘Beach Party,” “Muscle Beach Party,”’ ‘Beach Blanket Bingo,”’ ‘‘How To Stuff A Wild Bikini,’’ and others.
Also performing will be the Sunshine Express, a group of nine young entertainers who will be doing pop, country, and soul music from the forties and fifties.
The Sunshine Express is one of the hottest groups in show busi- ness, and there were many requests for a group such as them to perform at the AMOA stage show.
Also featured at the AMOA show will be Del Reeves, an_ actor, country music singer and song- writer, impressionist, and television personality. Though he is_ best known as a songwriter, he has recorded some hits himself and has earned himself a permanent spot on the Grand Ole Opry.
Del’s back-up band, The Good Time Charlies, are now _ being heralded as superb entertainers in their own right.
Jeanne Napoli, an international singer, has also been engaged for the show. Currently she has a hit record in French on the London label entitled ‘‘Est Toujours Temps Pour Partir,’” which is the French version of ‘’Never Can Say Good- Bye.”
She is also recording in Tagalog (the Philippine language) for the Philippines and is presently doing an album for Vigor Records here in the United States.
Another entertainer who will be on hand will be Ray Griff, who got his big break when Johnny Horton recorded his song, ‘Mr. Moon- light.’” Ray’s hits include ‘“You Ring My Bell,”’ “Your Lily White Hands,”’ “Darlin’,”’ “Morning After Baby Let Me Down,” "It Rains Just the Same in Missouri,’ and his latest ‘If | Let Her Come In.”
Frankie Randall, a jazz pianist from an early age, has recorded seven albums and countless sin- gles—among them ‘’Bewitched,’’ “Spanish Flea,”’ ‘Hello Vegas,”’ “| Can’t Believe It’s Over,”” and “Loving You.”
He has starred in cabarets and is presently working on a musical television series.
And Nick Nixon, a former opti- cian, started his professional career in music when a singer friend of his invited him up to the stage to perform ‘Swinging Doors.”
While still an optician, he formed his own band, The Country Souls Band, and followed with a string of singles which include ‘I’m Too Used to Loving You,” ‘’She’s Just an Old Love Turned Memory,”’ “Neon Lights,’’ ‘“Rocking In Rosa- lee’s Boat,’’ and his current song,
November, 1977, PLAY METER
QL Le ew wwe EEE lt! lCéC
Pool Tables will be Great in ’78!
For extra profits, the sensational, all new,
‘Love Songs and Romance Maga- zines.’’ All those songs are on his first album.
The master of ceremonies will be
Jerri Cox who has emceed the show Revolutionary before. Jerri is more than an emcee, AMERICAN CLASSIC Il she’s a comedienne, vocalist, in- strumentalist. Featuring Since 1928 the simple, rugged, most efficient + DROP COIN MECHANISM on the market. SAfmerian SHUFFLEBOARD CO. Write for details on this new money-maker dihiareie ac ierecy GOR? as well as our complete line of shuffleboards. (201) 856-6633 y/, YUM3F
“ AGAIQAA
7] SSTisanew generation in Air Cushion Hockey *{ Games. It’s durably built to outlast all : others and is designed to replace existing
games in top locations. SST is faster than other conventional Air Cushion Hockey Games and includes fea- tures that operators want for service-free operation. It’s truly built to last forever.
JF. FRANTZ MFG. CO.
1940 W. Lake St. Chicago, Ill. 60612 Tel. (312) TAylor 9-2399
Welcome MOA!
Visit Us In Booths 191 & 192
2 MODELS & SIZES SST-7: 91” x 44” — 375 lbs.
SST-8: 103” x 50” 77, 450 Ibs. .
(516) 842-4242
PLAY METER, November, 1977 39
Ten Tips
1. Go to the Exposition with the intent of learning as much as you possibly can, especially about new equipment. Attend educational ses- sions such as the AMOA Seminar. Visit AMOA service booths on the exhibit floor. Keep an open mind.
2. If possible, attend the Exposition with someone from your own comipany. Then you will be able to discuss, on the spot, the merits of the products you see. Or you may wish, at least some of the time, to split up and each concentrate on different parts of the show and then compare notes later.
3. Use your AMOA Exposition Program and Directory of exhibitors complete with floor plans. Then you can check off names of exhibitors you may have visited or may wish to visit again. Make sure to visit every exhibitor. The one you miss might be the one who could do you the most good.
4. Ask questions. Be _ inquisitive. Exhibitors cannot always display everything they have, nor can they publish all of their technical informa- tion and know-how. So, ask questions.
5. Discuss your particular problems with exhibitors. In this show most exhibitors will have technical people on hand to help you. Read the exhibitors’ literature. Collect what you think will be helpful and take it home with you.
6. Get in the habit of making notes. Amidst such a large display of coin-operated equipment you will find it impossible to remember everything. So carry a notebook in which you can jot down names, products, manufacturers, ideas— whatever might be helpful. Don’t trust anything to memory.
7. Keep on the move. The AMOA Exposition is a wonderful opportu- nity to talk shop with others in the coin machine business. Sometimes informal conversations can yield a gold mine of valuable information.
8. Meet new people. Introduce yourself. Your badge gives you the right to approach new people, most
40
of whom will be glad to meet you. Eat with someone different at every meal. Circulate at parties and receptions. The member you haven’t spoken to may help you the most.
9. Ask for help. If you don’t know who can aid you with a particular problem, consult one of the AMOA officers or directors. They will usually know who is most qualified or experienced to help you. Or consult members of the trade press who are very knowledgeable and will be glad to help you. If you are from: another country, you can get help from AMOA’s International Visitors Booth.
10. Finally, to get the most out of the show, work it systematically. Spend as much time on the exhibit floors as possible. Check the floor plan from official directory, the trade magazines or the enlarged floor plans posted throughout the show. Work the show carefully, thoroughly. The AMOA Exposition is a very special, high quality show. It only happens once a year. Get the most out of it.
vice
—Fred Granger, executive
president, AMOA
CALENDAR
October 28-30 Amusement and Music Operators Association, annual convention and trade show, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois. —
November 19-27 International Association of Amuse- ment Parks and Attractions Exposi- tion, Rivergate, New Orleans, Lou/- siana. |
January 13-15 The Music Operators of Minnesota, annual meeting and trade show.
January 20-27 Oregon Amusement and Music Operators Association, annual con- vention, The Embarcadero, New- port, Oregon.
January 24-26 Amusement Trades — Exhibition (A. 7.E.), Alexandra Palace, North London, England.
March 3-4 A.M.0O.A. regional seminar, O'Hare Hilton, O'Hare Airport, Chicago, Mlinois.
March 31-April 1 Music Operators of Michigan, fourth annual convention, Michigan Inn, Southfield, Michigan.
SNDOSe,
A. M. A. DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
Welcome AMOA aud IAAPA visitors! When in Hew Onleons for the Parks Show, conte by and visit owr showroowts. ust minutes fom the Rivergatel Exclusive distributor for Rock-Ola, Midway, Brunswick, ond Fischer.
AWA. Distributors, Suc. (711 St. Charles Avenue, ew Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Phone: 504/529-2315
OPERATORS
Association ZY
MEMBER
November, 1977, PLAY METER
Save Your Table and Your Back .. . Move It The Easy Way With
THE
EAZY MOVER
Poland Pool Table Handling Device
yy Complete unit is plated with a du-
rable, rustproof finish.
yy Strong, nylon safety straps with quick-release buckles are perman- ently attached....No hunting for safety straps. 1,000 Ib. test composition type wheels will not mark floors.
yy Completely adjustable.
>: Protects cabinet and slate.
’: Easily attached to table.
“y Fits virtually all pool tables and
Visit usin booths 189-190 A.M.O.A. Show in Chicago
air-hockey tables. “: Remarkably easy to handle.
THE
EAZY MOVER is strong, versatile and easy to use.... Cost of Unit .... $495
We can show you how to move a pool table or air hockey table with one hand...steering through narrow doorways, around tight corners and up or down curbs or steps easily. With THE EASY MOVER you can load and unload your carrier vehicle with a minimum of time and _ labor.
Oe USI
OXON
OPERATORS ASSOCIATION
To order your own EAZY MOVER, visit your nearest
distributor or call or write:
POLAND MANUFACTURING, Inc. ee P.O. Box 1168, Forrest City, Ark. 72335
(501) 633-2209 . a ss ‘or export orders contact BELAM EXPORT CORP., 51 Madison Ave., New York, WILL LAST FOR YEARS! 05° io Cuius“tistaex NEW york 7 Mauarn Ave New Yor
atin - 7 yee,
Will building a better peopletrap beat a path to Atari’s new Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theater in San Jose?
Early indications indicate Atari has another innovative winner in its mouse-mascot-themed __ entertain- ment center. And it’s a true test, because the restaurant appears to be in a poor location, not fronting any major street. It is located in the Town and Country Shopping Center near Highway 17 and Stevens Creek Road in San Jose. This open type center is different because it pur- posely appeals to a_ high-level income, sophisticated market—a disadvantage perhaps for a new entertainment center and_ pizza restaurant, admits Gene Landrum, General Manager.
Despite such handicaps, people are beating a path to the door of Pizza Time Theater. Landrum said they are '’25 percent ahead of our Original financial projections.”’
“The reason | selected this site
42
aa By Gene Beley
was we needed 6,000 square feet and, after looking almost four months, | couldn’t find a suitable building. This was the closest we could find—5,000 square feet.”
Aside from the Disney-like at- tractions, the success formula may be that Atari leaves the cooking to professional restaurant people and sticks to the computer animated characters and games. Play Meter’s taste test can attest to good food as well as outstanding games and decor.
There have been rumors that some restaurants across the country have been offended by Atari's entering the restaurant business and ordered amusement operators to remove Atari games from. the restaurants in question. ‘They quickly learned that Atari games make money, though,’’ chuckled one distributor in Los Angeles, indicating the boycott was _ short- lived.
The experimental restaurant en- tertainment center, which opened May 16, combines pizza with pizzaz. Computer animated characters sur- round the walls, just below the ceiling area, and are ona time clock. Periodically in this dining area, the star of the show, Chuck E. Cheese, MC, opens the show and introduces his show biz pals. Crusty the cat, Jasper T. Jowls, the country hillbilly dog, and The Warblettes, provide an old-fashioned Saturday matinee, vaudville type show.
Although it may seem dull stuff by Disney standards, the pioneering effort is laudable and appreciated by the Sesame Street set.
| think it is an expensive place to go for dinner,’’ commented Phyillis Greenlee, a mother from Cuperinto, but she didn’t mean the food was expensive.
“The food was good and not overpriced,’’ she added. ‘’Once you bring a kid here, he just wants to do everything.”’
Everything includes more than 30 coin-operated electronic games in five different game rooms. The restaurant ‘primes the pump” by giving each customer a_ special token that activates a game. The number of tokens received depends on the price of the purchase, or
A better
peopletrap
special promotions.
Atari has made a major break- through by obtaining special coin mechanisms from Germany to ac- complish this advantage. Either their special tokens or quarters work in the machines. And the Pizza Time Theater tokens will not work in other operator’s machines as they are too large to get in a coin throat.
Mrs. Greenlee said she would bring her family again to Pizza Time Theater ‘because it was different.”’
“Most pizza parlors are boring,”’ she commented.
She particularly liked the ani- mated show.
"A friend recommended it. This is really neat for younger kids.”
Interestingly, Atari features other manufacturer’s games as well as their own. Included are Midway’s Sea Wolf and Boot Hill.
Upon entering, on the left is an oversized, fiberglass, hollow cheese replica for kids to crawl through the holes. On the right is a Puppy Pong, a small video Pong game with controls geared to the height of a three-year-old child. That game is on free play, but, with what Atari earned on Pong, that won't deter- mine the financial success of Pizza Time Theater.
One glassed-off eating area had custom-built tables with Atari games imbedded. Landrum, who now heads Atari’s Restaurant Oper- ating Division, observes he _ is getting play on those games from many older people waiting for pizzas that might not otherwise play the games.
Game Room #2 featured Sprint 2, Night Driver, Indy 400, Boot Hill, Breakout and Dominos. Room #3 features Sea Wolf, Junkyard, Pool Shark, Drag Race, Starship, Quiz Show and Witchhunt. Room #4 has a Sega large-screen Wild Gunman and some air hockeys. Presently, Atari is operating the games and maintenance on the audiotronics.
Atari plans to build several more, then assemble a franchise package.
The animated audiotronics are built by Atari with consultant help from a small firm in Southern California called Fantasy Forest, Landrum said.
November, 1977, PLAY METER
black Magic
For those locations that promote the excitement of living now, Black
Magic provides the accent. The new jukebox posture with shapeup. = ed profits:
Black Magic invigorates. And life begins. For you: more play, more profits.
Arvuanran nacion at of +e é
SS eau Cane { ; titted (obs aoe © GS 7 WJ ‘ Pid. ae ‘ is C3) wa hallaimili muvacrma GLUE ii Wei Ge GOLIG
1977 PHONOGRAPH LINE ie } ae . : x 5
WU RUNIZEr "
et a
wy
a)
_— -, - -—
WURLIIZER
ask your nearest agent for more information or Deutsche Wurlitzer GmbH
Book review
There's a new book out, it’s called Pinball! That's right, Roger C. Sharpe’s long-awaited book has finally arrived.
The — stunningly-colorful book from E—.P. Dutton is a_ visual celebration of the phenomenon surrounding pinball. The photo- graphs depict the ubiquitousness of the game—in lounges, in drug stores, in arcades, in tourist shops, in cafes, in liquor stores, in airports, in college hangouts, even in washa- terias. It’s pictured in all sorts of decorum, from chandeliers to graf- fitti-covered walls. It’s even juxta- posed with flowers on a table. It’s an altogether different view of a game which for too long has labored under the sleazy image that it’s a game strictly for hoodlums.
The photography by James Ham-
PLAY METER, November, 1977
iiton shows the game penetrating every segment of human life—with both young and old playing the game.
In an interview with Play Meter following the release of his book, Sharpe acknowledged that one of the shortcomings of the game of pinball is that, for some reason, adults have felt intimidated by the game (Operators, for the most part count 14-year-olds as the largest part of their clientele.)
Said Sharpe, ‘Look in many arcades. There are cartoon figures and child heroes depicted on the walls. In some, the decor is strictly schoolroom, with bulletin boards and the like. This in turn, intimidates many adults who want to play the game but feel put off by the surroundings. As a result, many
adults have come to think of pinball as being the hallowed grounds of kids, but that’s not so. | hope my book raises the awareness level of this game. Adults will see that this is a game not just for kids, that there’s something here for them too.”
Roger Sharpe’s text is written with the layman in mind. It outlines the history of the game, from bagatelle through the contributions of men like Harry Williams, David Gottlieb, Bill Gersh, Roy Parker, and others. There’s some space devoted to the pinball court cases, but not much.
"| wanted Pinball! to be a document or a chronicle of the evolution of the game,’ said Sharpe. “| didn’t want to get too heavy with this book. | wanted it to be understandable to someone outside the industry. For that reason, | didn’t get too much into the court decisions surrounding the game.”
The book does, however, give a good overview of the industry, with some explanation of the rationale behind some of the innovations in the industry. And, of course, there’s a lot of those little-known facts which should enliven the text for those who are already familiar with the history of pinball.
There’s also a section entitled "How to Play Pinball.’’ In addition, Pinball! contains a glossary of terms for the layman, and a list of the games manufactured from its ear- liest days through the book’s publication date in early 1977.
“It's a game that has become a part of our history,’’ Sharpe told Play Meter. ‘It's an American success story. How many other industries can say they were started by energetic men in their late twenties? The car industry and maybe the movie industry, but that’s about it. Pinball is like that. This is Americana.”
For all of Sharpe’s insistence that pinball is essentially American, there seems to be a preponderance of photographs of pinball in European countries. We asked him about that.
Here in the United States we're more geared to pinball in arcades and lounges and coffeeshops,”’ said Sharpe. ‘’But in Europe it’s more a part of their lifestyle. It's not a part of our lifestyle yet, but it will be. You see, pinball is a game Euro- peans have picked up on,”’ contin- ues Sharpe. ‘It's a European game that has come from the States.”’
Perhaps Pinball! will be able to show the American reading public the versatility of the game, it’s wide acceptance and popularity. The book does show the game in a good light. There are pictures of parents
45
enfolding their children who are
J () IN TO [) A Y playing the game. There are pictures of happy groups of people playing the game, and of solitary figures
> pounding away at the game.
Frccncr For the operator it could well
pee pe become a practical guide to differ-
(A) (i) ent types of arcade motifs to try. By
0 flipping through the book, an ss A operator can become exposed to
countless types of decorum for his games. And, surely the book is an ideal gift to give to someone in the industry or for someone in the
AMUSEMENT industry to give to someone outside & MUSIC the industry.
It may sound brash, but the book has all the earmarks of becoming the Roots of the pinball industry. Possibly, it can provide the industry
OPERATORS with an identification, a recogniz- ASSOCIATION ability, a camaraderie. As Sharpe puts it, ‘It’s reassurance that there’s nothing wrong with the industry. Through the game's’ checkered past, it has persevered, and now it has become a part of our history.”’ AMUSEMENT
& MUSIC For those who would like to see (i) () firsthand, they are invited to gee
Play Meter booth at the A ASSOCIATION show in Chicago. Roger Sharpe will ZB be on hand to discuss his book and
any specific questions you may have about it.
FLIPPER GAMES MANUFACTURE IN STOCK asle Gottlieb Hot Shot 4 pl. BILLIARD Jacks Open 1 pl. STRESSING
Big Brave 2 pl. MOOTHNESS Fast Draw 4 pl. Smo
Spirit of ’76 4 pl. Target Alpha 4 pl.
Williams Dealers Choice 4 pl.
Strato Flite 4 pl.
Bally
Air Aces 4 pl.
Captain Fantastic 4 pl.
Wizard 4 pl.
VIDEO TV GAMES
Steeple Chase
Stunt Cycle
Bazooka
Bi Plane
Avenger a SPECIAL STRESSING Quadrapong all 7 only as is FIRMNESS POOL TABLES in Chi Dynamo 3 ¥4 x 71/2 19 Close out (New) pepe be rhea is iui Dynamo 31/2 x 7 4 Close out (New)
NEW WILLIAMS ARGOSY 4 pl. NOW IN STOCK e ik NEW WILLIAMS HOT TIP 4 pl. NOW ON ORDER 1525 AIRLINE HIGHWAY FIBRE CO., Inc.
Operator Sales ee U.S.A. 2003 W. FULTON ST.@ CHICAGO, ILL. 60612
46 November, 1977, PLAY METER
PLAY MEQVER
Everything You Expect From A Trade Publication...
And More...
“Congratulations on your publication Play Meter. It is really most impressive and very well done. Good work!”
Frederick M. Granger Executive Vice President A.M.O.A.
nnn 60” = 6
“Our office staff enjoys reading Play Meter very much. We were impressed with not only the writing style but the layout technique as well. We hope to continue reading your informative magazine in the future.”
Jeanne Werner Communications Director
“We believe the money for a subscription to Play Meter is well spent. You understand our industry.
Frank Balles Garden State Distributors Sewell, N.J.
“I must compliment you on the articles that are written regarding various organizations and I appreciate the fact you are calling the shots as you see them.
I assure you I! am going to recomend to our membership that they subscribe to Play Meter because I think it carries a lot of very
“Congratulations on your monthly column Critic’s Corner by Roger C. Sharpe. I have hoped for years that some way we operators might have this service available. | certainly hope you will continue to offer us a review of the new games each month. Also, Technical Topics is, | think, very worthwhile.
Information of the nature we get from monthly features like this help make Play Meter a very valuable book for our industry.”
Ted Nichols
Past President
A.M.O.A.
Owner
Automatic Vending Service
valuable information for an operator, regardless of what area he operates in.”
o——_—_$<____“—“_-«e
“Recently my boss and I have been doing a great deal of studies
Wisconsin Music Merchants Association
—_—*_"""3
“T have just started in business and find that Play Meter ia a must if I’m to run a successful operation.”
David Lampf President Blip Electronic Games Ind.
—_—_—_——_—__——""""""—_?
“As a newcomer to this business, I am most indebted to Play Meter for making available to me a great deal of information about this complex and exciting industry that would otherwise have been difficult, if not impossible, to obtain.
...the way we in the industry can best show our gratitude is through our subscriptions and regular advertisements.
Thank you for an entertaining and informative publication.”
Rivington F. Hight Export Manager Taito Corp. Tokyo, Japan
George A. Miller Past Executive Director
California Music Merchants
Association
o—_—___—“-
“After reading trade magazines such as Marketplace, Billboard, Cashbox..., | must congratulate the editors and staff of Play Meter for publishing such an excellent trade magazine. Play Meter is the finest magazine in its field. It has long been overdue.
Edward J. Elum Attorney
Elum Music Co. Massillen, Ohio
“Enjoy your magazine 100%. A real asset to our industry.”
W.W. Kenison Owner
Kenison Music Co. lowa Falls, Iowa
on pinball with the use of a computer. We have compared the different features of a machine with the income it earns over a period of time. Also we have studied the playing habits of individuals and what they like in playing different pinball games. It is surprising how they correlate with your magazine. Keep up the good work.”
Dan Dever Helix Enterprises, Inc. San Marcos, Texas
: Ee,
“Congratulations for the most useful Technical Topics section of what we consider “Our Magazine”. We have subscribed to-Play Meter since the first issue in 1974, and we consider it a “must” for every operator in the trade.
Ramon Rodriguez
President
Raymond Amusement Corp. Gaynabo, Puerto Rico
PLAY MEWERB: p.o. Box 24170, New Orleans, LA 70184
Now, from the TJM Corporation...
| a 3 yh ae ast) ke <ee BN!) yw ss a ~~ — {x iy <y + 4 Ss “ capt 5 ‘eis = ny y “aw ant x es y 04 nes é “4 , noes STs a be. & ; ras bY . eC 4 -S See y , ety ya TEN 2 SDN a RS tee f 0 Ce ee A 2 NA meee ‘ x as 8 2 gt. s A ea i r >. ¥, Sve + ae oe 4 : : e *: - <3 ae ae ; >» Z < ; Spar Vor ong ues } R van ‘Ah ate 3 } / » f ‘ cae \ £ . ‘ ee Foe } xa ‘e aT. pee RS BF CMs WY * SN = ES \ ¥ % ss . Yo Ts *. "wr >i SC > J A “Mie } 4 > $e » 3 ‘te > *, oe SAG Oe ee itp Py “ Reages x ? bar ie at 2. , bj ’ 4 23 S ~
*
...the Preferred Full-Line Sources for Profitable an Reliable Gaming, and Amusement Machines
JENNINGS slot machines, easily identi: © JENNINGS/MILLS/KEENEY — pio-
fied by the familiar Indian Head insignia, _ neers since the earliest days of the gaming have been paying off for their owners and amusement machine industry—are (ff © Wyo since 1906. now developing machines to match the
In 1931, JENNINGS introduced the increasingly sophisticated preferences of first electrical slot machine and 20 years tomorrow’s players. later unveiled the first multi-line machine.
Today, JENNINGS’ solid-state electron- ically controlled machines give casinos - everywhere the same profitable and . = a reliable performance that has character- ea ized JENNINGS products for more than 70 years.
Bo Electronic Slot MILLS BELL-O-MATIC developed the
first commercially successful slot machine
in 1889. Today, MILLS machines contain & (oe
the built-in benefits only 90 years of le,
progressive experience can assure. , ———
Credit-Only
KEENEY has been a leading designer Remote Control Amusement
and manufacturer of popular and enor- mously profitable vending and amuse- ment machines since 1916.
" Mills Model M
Mechanical Slot
Token Vendor
For more information, descriptive literature and a free copy of our new four-color catalog of the world’s most profitable and reliable gaming and amusement machines, contact Robert H. Breither, Sales Manager
TJM CORPORATION 5 Walnut - Elgin, IL 60120 - (312) 742-5620 Telex 72-2416
Credit-Only Free-Play Amusement
Re WORLD
TITLE, ARTIST. Label, Number, (Distributing Label)
Ost. WKS. ON Hi 4 YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE DEBBY BOONE Warner/Curb WBS 8446 (WB) 8 2 2. KEEP IT COMIN’ LOVE KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND/ T.K. 1023 17 3 1 “STAR WARS" THEME/CANTINA BAND MECO/Millennium MN 604 (Casablanca) 12 WZ 25“ NOBODY DOES IT BETTER CARLY SIMON/Elektra 45413 13 5 3 THAT'S ROCK 'N’ ROLL SHAUN CASSIDY/Warner/Curb WBS 8423 (WB) 12 7 «BOOGIE NIGHTS HEATWAVE/Epic 8 50370 12 7 6 BEST OF MY LOVE EMOTIONS/Columbia 3 10544 18 8 8 COLD AS ICE FOREIGNER/Atlantic 3410 13 9 9 1 JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING ANDY GIBB/ RSO RS 872 (Polydor) 26 BE} 12 1 FEEL LOVE DONNA SUMMER/Casablanca 884 1 11 10 WAY DOWN ELVIS PRESLEY/RCA PB 10998 16 12 13 THE KING IS GONE RONNIE McDOWELL/Scorpion SC 0543 6 15 BRICK HOUSE COMMODORES/Motown M 1425F 8 14 11 SWAYIN’ TO THE MUSIC (SLOW DANCIN’) JOHNNY RIVERS/Big Tree BT 16094 (Atlantic) 17 RE} 18 it’s ECSTASY WHEN YOU LAY DOWN NEXT TO ME BARRY WHITE/20th Century 2350 7 16 14 DON'T STOP FLEETWOOD MAC/Warner Bros. WBS 8413 15 17 16 TELEPHONE LINE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA/Jet 1000 (UA) 18 EE 24 DON'T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE CRYSTAL GAYLE/ United Artists XW1016 12 19 20 SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED (I'M YOURS) PETER FRAMPTON/A&M 1972 8 20 21 JUNGLE LOVE STEVE MILLER BAND/Capitol P 4466 1 21 17 ON AND ON STEPHEN BISHOP/ABC 12260 17 22 23 CAT SCRATCH FEVER TED NUGENT/Epic 8 50425 12 23. 19 DON'T WORRY BABY B. J. THOMAS/MCA 40735 14 EZ] 31 “BABY, WHAT A BIG SURPRISE CHICAGO/Columbia 3 10620 3 42 )«WE'RE ALL ALONE RITA COOLIDGE/A&M 1965 6 26 28 IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG RONNIE MILSAP/ RCA PB 10976 13 32 JUST REMEMBER | LOVE YOU FIREFALL/Atlantic 3421 7 28 29 HEAVEN ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR PAUL NICHOLAS/ RSO RS 878 (Polydor) 9 29 30 SHE DID IT ERIC CARMEN/Arista 0266 8 30 25 (YOUR LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER & HIGHER RITA COOLIDGE/A&M 1922 24 31 34 HELP IS ON THE WAY LITTLE RIVER BAND/Harvest P 4428 (Capitol) 12 32 33 1 BELIEVE YOU DOROTHY MOORE/Malaco 1042 (T.K.) ‘12 33. 36 DO YOU WANNA GET FUNKY WITH ME PETER BROWN/ Drive 6258 (T.K.) 7 39 DUSIC BRICK/Bang 734 7 35 35 1 WOULDN'T WANT TO BE LIKE YOU ALAN PARSONS PROJECT/Arista 0260 10 36 22 FLOAT ON FLOATERS/ABC 12284 17 44 WE JUST DISAGREE DAVE MASON/Columbia 3 10575 7 38 26 HANDY MAN JAMES TAYLOR/Columbia 3 10557 18 39 27 STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 BROTHERS JOHNSON/ A&M 1949 15 40 38 EASY COMMODORES/Motown M 1418F 21 41 45 SURFIN’ USA LEIF GARRETT/Atlantic 3423 8 42 43 LITTLE DARLIN’ (1 NEED YOU) THE DOOBIE BROTHERS/ Warner Bros. WBS 8408 12 43 37 DAYTIME FRIENDS KENNY ROGERS/United Artists XW1027 12 EZ 57 How DEEP Is YOUR LOVE BEE GEES/RSO 882 (Polydor) 3 50 DO YOUR DANCE (PART 1) ROSE ROYCE/Whitfield WHL 8440 (WB) 4 TJ 53) THE LOVE THEME FROM “ONE ON ONE" (MY FAIR SHARE) SEALS & CROFTS/Warner Bros. WBS 8405 6 55 CHANGES IN LATITUDES, CHANGES IN ATTITUDES
JIMMY BUFFETT/ABC 12305 4
48 49
m ~ o o o Uw
THE SINGLES CHART
DAYBREAK BARRY MANILOW/Arista 0273
| JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU FOGHAT/ Bearsville BSS 0319 (WB)
ISN'T IT TIME BABYS/Chrysalis CHS 2173
8 3 BLUE BAYOU LINDA RONSTADT/Asylum 45431 5 THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL GEORGE BENSON/Arista 0251 13 DEVIL'S GUN C. J. & COMPANY/Westbound 55400 (Atlantic) 11 DOCTOR LOVE 1ST CHOICE/Gold Mind 4004 (Salsoul) 5 THEME FROM “STAR WARS"/CANTINA BAND LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/20th Century 2345 14 UNDERCOVER ANGEL ALAN O'DAY/Pacific 001 (Atlantic) 26 DA DOO RON RON SHAUN CASSIDY/Warner/Curb WBS 8365 (WB) 23
IT'S SO EASY LINDA RONSTADT/Asylum E 45438 2
SEND IN THE CLOWNS JUDY COLLINS/Elektra 45076 4 A PLACE IN THE SUN PABLO CRUISE/A&M 1976 4 YOU AND ME ALICE COOPER/Warner Bros. WBS 8349 25 GONE TOO FAR ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY/ Big Tree BT 16102 (Atlantic) 3 (EVERY TIME | TURN AROUND) BACK IN LOVE AGAIN LTD/A&M 1974
COME SAIL AWAY STYX/A&M 1977 | GO CRAZY PAUL DAVIS/Bang 733
5 a 8 SHAKE IT WELL DRAMATICS/ABC 12299 3 BABY COME BACK PLAYER/RSO RS 879 (Polydor) 3 FAIR GAME CROSBY, STILLS & NASH/Atlantic 3432 3 THUNDER IN MY HEART LEO SAYER/Warner Bros. WBS 8465 2 YOUR SMILING FACE JAMES TAYLOR/Columbia 3 10602 2
CHARTMAKER OF THE WEEK
71
SWING TOWN STEVE MILLER Capitol P 4496
@ bes)
3 28 @ #-.) oc aoaooakicin NNBIBS be © an OF oO ND — OFT) ms OU PSR FX
CALLING OCCUPANTS OF INTERPLANETARY CRAFT CARPENTERS/A&M 1978
GOIN’ PLACES THE JACKSONS/Epic 8 50454
SENTIMENTAL LADY BOB WELCH/Capitol P 4479
LOVE GUN KISS/Casablanca 895
LITTLE QUEEN HEART/Portrait 6 70008
SERPENTINE FIRE EARTH, WIND & FIRE/Columbia 3 10625 SLIP SLIDIN’ AWAY PAUL SIMON/Columbia 3 10630
STONE COLD SOBER CRAWLER/Epic 8 50442 SILVER LADY DAVID SOUL/Private Stock 163 TIME BOMB LAKE/Columbia 3 10614
GEORGIA RHYTHM ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION/Polydor 14432
oan —~— = Wah NW WD
AVENGING ANNIE ROGER DALTREY/MCA 40800 DRAW THE LINE AEROSMITH/Columbia 3 10637
SHE'S NOT THERE SANTANA/Columbia 3 10616 BABY LOVE MOTHER'S FINEST/Epic 8 50407
HERE YOU COME AGAIN DOLLY PARTON/RCA 11123
HARD TIMES BOZ SCAGGS/Columbia 3 10606 YOU'RE MOVING OUT TODAY CAROLE BAYER SAGER/ Elektra 45422 NEEDLES & PINS SMOKEY/RSO 881 (Polydor) YOU CAN’T TURN ME OFF (IN THE MIDDLE OF TURNING ME ON) HIGH INERGY/Gordy 7155 (Motown) 4 FROM GRACELAND TO THE PROMISED LAND MERLE HAGGARD/MCA 40804 2 SMOKE FROM A DISTANT FIRE SANFORD-TOWNSEND BAND/Warner Bros. WBS 8370 17 ANOTHER STAR STEVIE WONDER/Tamla T 54286F (Motown) 10 RED HOT ROBERT GORDON WITH LINK WRAY/ Private Stock 156 6
—=— —- AP ~~ WN WwW
@ &»
BARRACUDA HEART/Portrait 6 70004 21 GIVE A LITTLE BIT SUPERTRAMP/A&M 1938 21 WE NEVER DANCED TO A LOVE SONG MANHATTANS/
Columbia 3 10586 8&8
JUST A SONG BEFORE | GO CROSBY, STILLS & NASH/ Atlantic 3401 20 LADY OF MAGIC MAZE WITH FRANKIE BEVERLY /Capitol P 4456
Top Country Hits
Top Soul Hits
Now Was
HEAVEN’S JUST A SIN AWAY KENDALLS/ Ovation OV 1103
DAYTIME FRIENDS KENNY ROGERS/United Artists XW102/
Y'ALL COME BACK SALOON OAK RIDGE BOYS/ABC Dot DO 17710
I'VE ALREADY LOVED YOU IN MY MIND CONWAY TWITTY/MCA 40754
EAST BOUND AND DOWN JERRY REED/RCA PB 11066
| GOT THE HOSS MEL TILLIS/MCA 40764
I'M JUST A COUNTRY BOY DON WILLIAMS/ABC Dot DO 17/17
WE CAN'T GO ON LIVING LIKE THIS EDDIE RABBITT/Elektra 45418
WHY CAN'T HE BE YOU LORETTA LYNN/MCA 40747
IT’S ALL IN THE GAME TOM T. HALL/Mercury 55001
DON'T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE CRYSTAL GAYLE/United Artists XW1016
THE KING IS GONE RONNIE MCDOWELL/Scorpion GRT 0643
SILVER MEDALS AND SWEET MEMORIES STATLER BROTHERS/Mercury 55000
SHAME, SHAME ON ME KENNY DALE/Captiol 445/
THE DANGER OF A STRANGER STELLA PARTON/Elektra 45410)
ONCE IN A LIFETIME THING JOHN WESLEY RYLES/ABC Dot 17698
IF IT AIN'T LOVE BY NOW JIM ED BROWN & HELEN CORNELIUS/RCA PB 11044
THE OLD MAN AND HIS HORN GENE WATSON/Capitol 4458
TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH | BILLIE JO SPEARS/United Artists XW1041
HOLD ME BARBARA MANDRELL/ABC Dot DO 17716
Now Was
IT'S ECSTASY WHEN YOU LAY DOWN NEXT TO ME BARRY WHITE/20th Century TC 2350
BOOGIE NIGHTS HEATWAVE/Epic 8503/0
KEEP IT COMIN’ LOVE KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND/T.K. 1023
BRICK HOUSE COMMODORES/Motown M 1425F
DUSIC BRICK/Bang 734
DO YOUR DANCE (PART |) ROSE ROYCE/Whitfield WH1 8440
FLOAT ON FLOATERS/ABC 12284
WE NEVER DANCED TO A LOVE SONG MANHATTANS/Columbia 3 10486
WORK ON ME O’JAYS/Phila. Intl. 2S8 3631
STRAWBERRY LETTER 23 BROTHERS JOHNSON/A&M 1949
DO YOU WANNA GET FUNKY WITH ME PETER BROWN/Drive 6258
BEST OF MY LOVE EMOTIONS/Columbia 3 10544
(EVERY TIME | TURN AROUND) BACK IN LOVE AGAIN LTD/A&M 1974
DOCTOR LOVE 1ST CHOICE/Gold Mind 4004
THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL:
GEORGE BENSON/Arista 0251
EASY COMMODORES/Motown M 1418F
| BELIEVE YOU DOROTHY MOORE/Malaco 1042
SHAKE IT WELL DRAMATICS/ABC 12299
JUST LET ME HOLD YOU FOR A NIGHT DAVID RUFFIN/Motown M 1420F
| FEEL LOVE/CAN’T WE JUST SIT DOWN (AND TALK IT OVER) DONNA SUMMER/Casablanca 884
November, 1977, PLAY METER
REEDOM OF CHOICE
That's what reading magazines is all about. You choose what you want to read, when you want to read it. You have the freedom to properly assess what you like in these pages at your leisure.
Reading Play Meter also gives you the freedom to compare product information from the coin-operated amusements manufacturers and service companies. If you would like to learn more about our advertisers and their products or services, feel free to find them in this alphabetical listing, then circle the corresponding number on our Reader Service Card, between pages 10 and 13.
1. Advance Distributing Company........... 6,73 27. Mike Munves Co., Inc........0000e0eeeneee 10 2. Alcohol Countermeasure. ...........0000005 96 28. Nevada Gaming Schools. .........:20:00085 65 3. A. MLA. Distributors ..o.cccccccscessraneanee 40 29. Nova Enterprises. ........0000eceeenenennes ab 4. American Shuffleboard..........0.00000005 39 30. Operators Sales. .........0ccceenneenennees 46 S.. AMNGS WKktg. INCL csccckecciacvecescenweew es 95 31. Peach State Distributing. ...........000000: 80 6. Amusement Service Company..........+:: 98 Se. PISVINSUG ccc ieddsdcneeendws eeasewrs eres 101 Fe DOA Grace ecatavietatinedewsesaces 2,23 33. POLY VONE siedki ceeceanscceedsweveuncnanes 41 8. Bally Manufacturing Corp..........0000000 28 a4. Robinson, C.Asccccccvsscvaveavcssscosnwns 78 9. Belam Export Corp.........0cceceecuccncnues 7 35. Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corp............ 102 10. Compunetic Devices..........00000enunees 85 36. Rowe International ...........20020000: 43, 62 Th. Elcon Indust, cicccssassivavewisciesvase 98 37. Shaffer Distributing. ...........00000neeees 87 12. Electronic Amusement Service............ 35 38. Standard Change Makers. .........000s0055 99 16, ERIN, ING ispeveeccdeuns cecesoniaswawawede 24 39. Standard Metal Typer.........0..2eeeen00s 86 14. Frantz Mif¢. Co., SF cacccccavsscaneveunes 39 40. Sunbird Corp.....ccssccnccesessceuesausecu 79 16. Game DOCtOIS .6cscvcccccnesesneweanawenas 77 41. Suzo Trading Co......cccccecsccsnnccczeuns 37 16. Gottlieb and Co., .D. w..cccsccaccsnnaccecnns 30 42. Taito American Corp. .......:000e0eeeennee 61 17. Great Amusement Emporium, The......... 31 £3. TM GOniscc asin cdiotinnseeratvenéncaeneas 48 18. Greenwald Industries ...........02s00e0e 100 44. Tournament Soccer.........2000e0eees 52,53 19. Imperial Billiards..........000se00ceenaeaes 86 45. Tweeten Fibr@s ..scscncennsccenectaseensas 46 20. International Billiards ..........0.00se00005 ag C6. VW. Bil. (Gs cccusiwncaseenseweeaddaxeaaews 100 21. International Sales Mktg..........0000000: 60 Af. U.S, Biller cccccccscccavsusesscens 27, 39, 87 22. Key Industries........2.0000eeeeeeeenes 80, 81 48. Venguardd....ccvcceccstcaventnsaseevenne ss 27 23. Lowen-Automaten.......2.:2seeeeeenenaes 82 2... Wied Cons cic ccciaceeseasiassewnsecancees 13 24. Mali and Co., Henry W.T.......2.0000eenee 41 50. Worldwide Distributing. ..........00000088: 63 25. Meadows Games, Inc.......22220eeeeeneees 55 51. Wurlitzer GmbH ... 1. eee c cence ccasncecese 44 26. Midway Manufacturing...........02+e0000 5 52. Wildcat Chemical Co...........20020eeeees 93
JOIN US IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE AT _— THE SCHLITZ
000 TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP FOOS
SOCCER WORLD
We'll be there with Tournament Soccer, sponsors of the biggest foosball event of 1977. The most spec- tacular competition on the $500,000 World Champion- ship Pro Tour. And we invite you to step into the future ...into the new profit circle!
Tournament Soccer began in 1972.
Since then, the sport has blossomed into a professional tour that has over 13,000 people competing for $500,000 in prize money in cities throughout the country.
And most of the players have qualified to go in locations like yours!
Atari and Foosball... natural profit partners.
This year we’ve teamed up with Tournament Soccer to demonstrate this exciting, highly profitable new merchandising combination. It’s a chance for you to see how Atari and Tournament Soccer can help you gain a competitive edge over other
locations, please your present custom-
ers more, and create new business. We'll be there with our own foos-
Atari and Tournament Soccer. Changing the way the world plays.
© ATARI, INC. 1977
. ball fireballers, we'll be hosting a
special Atari Player Appreciation Buffet Dinner, and we'll be there with games! In our own arcade!
Games that continue to revolu- tionize the industry and make profit magic in locations everywhere. There’s Starship 1!” the fantastic video game that brings space war action to life. And Super Bug’ a video rally race featuring a yellow modified “Bug” speeding through city streets; Sprint 2’ the 2-player video motor racing game that offers players 12 different tracks, to name just a few.
And the new flipper games that feature wider playfields for more ball action, more replay, new sounds. And that utilize solid-state and micro- processor technology for greater reliability, and more options. Games like Time 2000™ and high-flying Airborne Avenger™
FESTIVAL.
Gateway Convention Center ot. Louis, Missouri November 3-6, 1977
Reliability comes standard. Solid-state electronics, built-in self-test systems,
more operator- selectable play options for more profit also come standard.
We’re playing your game.
So join us in the new Winner’s Circle. For more information about the Tournament, call Tournament Soccer toll-free at 1-800-426-8897. For more details about Atari products, talk to your local Atari distributor, or contact us for referral at 1265 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. (408) 745-2500.
See you in St. Louis.
When 50/50
won’tdo
By Ernest W. Fair
The lifeblood of any coin machine business is in the commission arrangements made with location owners. In many cases the chance for business survival can depend upon them. But how does the Operator negotiate for better com- mission arrangements? Here are some suggestions from actual prac- tice today:
Sell the deal as a partnership proposition. Profit has to be made by both parties to guarantee con- tinued revenue from any machine. So talk this ‘partnership’’ every time; get the location owner to thinking in those terms.
Show him exactly what you can do for him with the better commis- sion arrangement. Talk in specifics,
54
not generalities. Immediate service to eliminate downtime on a ma- chine, is one appeal. Another is to assure him he'll be getting the latest equipment or the proven money- makers.
Tie in commission figures with the placement spot in his location that he gives you. In the number one spot, you can take a little less. If your units have to be placed in less desirable floor space, then your commission must be larger. That’s an argument easy to put across to any location owner.
Have something extra to give him in return for a better commission. What this may be will depend upon his business. The use of a little imagination can develop something of this nature to fit any location.
It's a matter of ‘You do this for me, and I'll do that for you.” It’s just old fashioned horse trading, and that’s something all of us like in our business contacts.
Make the commission arrange- ment a flexible one when the machine is brought in. Start off with
- the way he wants it. But tie better
commission arrangements for your- self to increased revenue over the Original, for the future. This is a more acceptable program to the average location owner. It beats attempting to sell a higher commis- sion at the start.
Put the major emphasis on the dollar revenue he will receive. Keep this as the theme of your sales effort. With strong enough empha- sis, it can make many individuals forget all about commission per- centages.
Push the commission arrange- ment you desire as being only a trial arrangement for a month. If profit for him falls below his expectations, you can assure him that it will be lowered or the unit replaced by another.
Once this initial commission is established, it will be easier to maintain than if the deal has not been made. And if the machine has the potential you believe it has, he will not be apt to ask that the Original commission be_ lowered.
Pick the right time for your presentation. The individual with a good business day is more apt to be receptive than where a bad one is present. The location owner in a pleasant frame of mind is in a better mood for your effort than the man who is not. No negotiation for that better commission arrangement is ever desirable unless you have everything going for you.
Do more ‘‘educationa work among location owners on your
‘hie
own costs of doing business. Most of them have only the barest conception of your overhead costs. Nearly all consider them well below what they actually are. This is a subtle thing to be handled with finesse. But if you approach it right, it can put a lot of location owners on your side.
You should avoid being too ‘slick’ in your approach. Keep your commission arrangements flexible. Otherwise, the location owner will find you following set patterns, and if this happens, it will be very difficult to negotiate a_ better arrangement. Like everyone else, location owners don’t like to feel that someone is trying to ‘put something over’’ on him.
Hold down your eagerness to place your machines in his business. That invariably puts your own firm in a bad bargaining position. The program calling for a_ straight business deal that can be of mutual benefit is a lot easier to sell and do so on a better deal.
“Why should he give me a better commission?’’ That’s a good ques- tion to ask yourself BEFORE a contact is made. When you then come up with answers from his viewpoint, you have excellent argu- ments to give that specific location owner for a_ better commission arrangement. It is advance prepara- tion that will definitely pay off.
Try for a better commission each time you replace an old machine within any location. The individual knows the cost difference is great. In most cases he can see that your maintenance cost will be larger.
Keep in mind, also, that he definitely wants the replacement. If he is made to believe a larger commission determines whether or not the new machines go in, you have something going for you. It
need not be expressed as a condition of replacement, only implied.
Your business calls for you to come up with promotions et.al. time to time. Use each of these occa- sions as the time to propose a better commission arrangement. The loca- tion owner sees each of these as additional benefit for himself. He is going to get more than before; so he'll be more amenable to this suggestion than he would earlier.
Negotiate each such effort as being the policy to be applied to all locations and not just his own. That removes the objection that he should grant you no better deal than you are getting from his competitor down the block.
November, 1977, PLAY METER
IV cadouws Games, Ine,
181 Commercial Street @ Sunnyvale, California 94086 ® Telephone (408) 732-8110
Memo From Harry Kureks Desk
SUBJECT: ADVERTISING -- AMO A SIAAPA LILA 3
| know you've been selling MEADOWS games. Now this year why don't we tell operators all over the world what we put into every game MEADOWS builds and ships out our backdoor!
RELIABILITY + QUALITY + SERVICEABILITY = MORE $$$ IN THE CASHBOX LONGER LIFE ON LOCATION ($$$) LESS TIME IN THE SHOP ($$$)
Tell them .... IN OUR EFFORT TO PROVIDE ALL THE OPERATORS WITH THE VERY
BEST COIN OPERATED GAMES - AND - MAKE OUR DISTRIBUTORS PROUD T@ 'WAVE THE MEADOWS BANNER', THIS IS THE WAY WE STARTED WITH FLIM FLAM AND WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD ALL GAMES BY MEADOWS ----
Can you FIGURE OUT SOME WAY IN THIS AD HOW WE AT MEADOWS CAN TELL ALL OPERATORS THAT WE DESIGN EVERY GAME WITH THE OPERATOR FOREMOST IN MIND. TELL ALL THE OPERATORS AND DISTRIBUTORS THAT THE ONLY WAY WE CAN CONTINUE TO GIVE THEM GAMES THAT THEY WANT, AND HOW THEY WANT’ THEM, IS WHEN THEY TALK TO US AND TELL US WHAT THEY WANT. MEADOWS WANTS TO HEAR THEM!!!
INVITE EVERYONE ATTENDING THE A M O A _ IN CHICAGO, AND THE | AAPA (PARKS SHOW) IN NEW ORLEANS TO COME BY TO VISIT WITH US AND PLAY OUR
NEW GAMNED<i.4c+dsbeeeeee sane es (WE'LL BE IN EMPIRE DISTRIBUTING'S AWARD- WINNING BOOTH AT THE PARKS SHOW, WON'T WE?).
MEADOWS 3-D BOWLING ™ & MEADOWS INFERNO ™ mn :
OCTOBER 1977 - OUR gr YEAR \ WJ
storage system
The American contingent at the Wurlitzer distributer meeting checks out the latest phonograph from the German manufacturer.
Wurlitzer
distributors meet
At the international Wurlitzer meeting October 3-4 at the Holiday Inn in Malaga, Spain, W.N. Herle- man, president of Wurlitzer (who
has been with Wurlitzer for 17
years), welcomed the truly interna- tional gathering.
He stated that Wurlitzer set a new sales record and commended every-
one for their sales effort over the past year.
G.Seidel, chief engineer, said that
a salesman should be familiar with
the technical and competitive ad- vantages of his equipment, and gave a brief rundown of the
fundamental elements of the Wurlit-
zer phonograph.
He emphasized that the record is based on the principal that dust obviously collects
faster on records stored horizontal-
ly. Wurlitzer stores them vertically even though it requires a bit more space and more of a cost for the
manufacturer.
He said that 15 to 20 years ago the main attraction of the jukebox itself was with the mechanism. Now, however, that fascination is gone and the appeal is for the phono- graph’s style and illumination. Wurl- itzer is now marketing eight differ-
ent models because of the different needs at different locations.
There is no such thing as a totally
56
electronic phonograph, he pointed out, since the record-playing mech- anism is basically mechanical. The best place to go all-electronic is in the area of control and storage (credit system). This enables the new Wurlitzer to play selections in sequence of their selection rather than their order in the placement in the magazine.
He also stressed the importance of carrying space for quick repair. In years to come, he said, phonos of both solid state control as well as electro-mechanical will be available.
Klaus Telgheder had the honor of introducing Wurlitzer’s latest in- novation, a casette tape playing juke.
The casette player, he pointed out, is not to be misconstrued as a successor to the jukebox but rather each has its own place. The new Wurlitzer unit, he added, can also be operated in a coin-op version, though it can also replace sound systems and free-play-type loca- tions.
The C-4 is a coin-op casette box with a non-coin-operated selective device. Wurlitzer says it will replace a non-stop music installation for background music, though they reiterated that it is not in direct competition with the bigger jukebox market which is continuing to grow.
Parts catalog
The Great Amusement Emporium has completed its new 250-page catalog of parts and supplies for the coin machine industry.
The catalog, which can be obtained free of charge by calling 1-800-525-8078, contains parts and supplies for billiards, foosball, video equipment, jukeboxes, and pin games.
Simon, Lott win tourney
The team of Steve Simon and Johnny Lott captured first place in the prestigious doubles event in the $25,000 Eastern States Foosball Championships which was _ held September 2 through 5 in Colum- bus, Ohio and sponsored jointly by Shaffer Distributing and Tourna- ment Soccer.
For their efforts, they shared first place money in the open doubles bracket of $4,000. Second place finishers in the competition were Jerry Knowles and Bob Thorud. With their prize money, Simon and Lott moved into second and third places respectively among the lead- ing money winners in the pro foosball tour this year. Simon has won $8,600 and Lott, $6,850. They are both far behind the $21,900 total of the leading money winner Doug Furry, who is the reigning Super Singles champ.
In the mixed doubles competition, it was the team of Dan Kaiser and Karin Gililland which shared the first place money of $1,000. In the singles competition, Mike Bowers defeated Dan Kaiser to claim the first place money of $1,000 in that event.
Other tournaments which were held as part of the four-day Eastern States Championships were the championship women’s doubles, novice open doubles, novice mixed doubles, novice singles, novice women’s doubles, women’s singles, rookie competition, and a pro-am event.
November, 1977, PLAY METER
Pinball schools
Empire Distributing Company will sponsor back-to-back full-day pin- ball service schools November 7 and 8 at the Midway Motor Lodge in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
According to Bob Rondeau of Empire Distributing in Chicago, the two schools are being presented in this way so that operators will have an option on which day they can do without their servicemen.
Two instructors from Bally Manu- facturing will be represented at the schools and will be assisted by Empire Distributing personnel. Those interested in registering for one of the full-day schools should call 414-468-5200.
Ed Shaffer (center) met recently with Matt Russ (left), who is the senior
. Jere Fe
vice president of marketing for Rowe International, and Joe Barton, a former president and now a consultant for Rowe. Shaffer is a distributor of Rowe music and vending equipment in the Ohio, West Virginia, and
Kentucky area.
Rowe meeting.
th he
oe ers itl.
fee a 4
Paul Huebsch, Rowe’s general sales manager, addresses the gathering at the annual distributor’s meeting.
At the Rowe annual distributors’ meeting September 29 and 30 at the Sheraton National in Arlington, Virginia, Rowe introduced its new- est phonograph, the R-82.
Merrill Krakauer, general manager of Rowe’s Whippany, New York distributorship, delivered the wel- coming message to those attending the meeting and set the tone for the meeting by announcing that Rowe fully intends ‘’to re-establish its position as a dominant force in the marketplace. ’’
He cited the fact that Rowe experienced an improved growth rate over the past twelve months and added that Rowe’s latest phonograph, the R-82, is a 100 percent change in the evolution of the Rowe product line.
Krakauer noted that Rowe has invested more than $2 million toward the goal of improving its product line with an eye toward strengthening its engineering de- partment and its research and development department, which would make the Rowe line more reliable and, therefore, more com- petitive.
He pointed out the success of Rowe’s unit for last year, R-81, which was the company’s first solid state unit, and he added that this year's phonograph marks a sub- stantial change in styling and adds some _ interesting new features.
He said that there is plenty of opportunity in today’s market for
Rowe to increase its profits sub- stantially not only because of the excellent new Rowe phonograph but also because of the uncertainty surrounding the games business. “The money,’’ Krakauer said, ‘’will start seeping back into the phono market.”’
Paul Huebsch, general _ sales manager for Rowe, pointed out many of the new additional features in the Rowe phono, for instance, the pin wheel popularity meter has been replaced by an entirely new solid state computer called Memo- rec. The digital readout lists in either ascending or descending order the number of times each record has been selected since the last reset.
He also noted that the R-82 has an auto-play unit which can be set to play a random selection after a pre-uetermined period of no-play. This, Hutch pointed out, should invite interest and stimulate more play in the jukebox. He noted that this auto-play system has already been tested for quite some time and has not yet gotten any complaints. Other new features include a completely new cabinet change and a sealed chamber which houses the amplifier.
There were two workshop ses- sions on the first day of the meeting. And the guests were treated to cocktails and a banquet that even- ing. The second day of the meeting started with a breakfast meeting for Rowe distributors and that after- noon there was a general meeting.
It's that time of year again, show and tell at all the coming conven- tions. In fact, this column is going to tell you about some games to be on the look-out for; as well as show you some of the latest entries into the old pinball market.
Before | get to that though, | want to relate some information concern- ing the old book. First off, thanks for the incredible response so far. | am pleased beyond belief at the positive reactions so many of you have had. In terms of availability, the book is here— should even be at the AMOA. But for orders beyond this date, | want to give you all the information you'll need.
Don’t: | repeat. Don’t send me the money (I love getting it, but it’s too much of a hassle to change funds over to the publisher). Instead, flood E.P. Dutton with your orders. Specifically, send all ques- tions and checks, etc. to the following person: Leslie Elliott, E.P. Dutton, 201 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003, (212) 674-5900. |
If there’s any special inscription you want on the book, let her know and she will in turn let me know. This doesn’t mean that | don’t want to hear from any of you regarding your feelings about the book, | do, and welcome letters and calls whenever they come. | may not answer each letter as soon as | get it, but | promise to get in touch as soon as | can.
Once again, thanks for the positive reactions to the book. I’m glad that the last three and a half years produced a work that’s so complete in its coverage of the pinball phenomenon.
But now, let’s get back to the AMOA show. In fact, many of you are probably reading this column at the Hilton or back in your hotel room. Well, here are some names to roll around in your mind as you’re walking the convention floors— Cleopatra, Power Play, Butterfly, Stingray, Hot Tip, Space Gambler, Vulcan, Golden Arrow and Wipe Out. There’s more to see, but with these | think you'll see some surprises. In fact, try to match the manufacturer with the game.
Solid-state seems to be every- where, and make sure to check those hospitality suites for some late
58
breaking news. Set aside your time to allow for visiting with old friends and «u.so enough leeway for playing the machines you want to get a better fix on. You'll be surprised by much on the floor, whether it be pinball machines, video games or even pool table breakthroughs. With the addition of D. Gottlieb & Company, the show is even more representative of what's going on in the design rooms across the world.
So get your walking shoes ready. There’s much to see and do. And when you're done with the show, let a native son of Chicago give you some spots to check out. For pizza, a late night snack, the likes of which you'll never have anywhere else, try Uno’s or Duo’s which are nicely situated between the Hilton and the Continental Plaza just two blocks west of Michigan Avenue. For something slightly special, try Sheraton’s Kon-Tiki Ports, which offers great oriental food and is only three blocks north of the Wrigley Building. Try the Bakery on North Lincoln Avenue, for some true Chicago famous cuisine. Besides these few places, the loop and near north side offer some great dining places. But man doesn’t live by food alone.
See the sights of this great city, architecturally one of the grandest in the world. Take a drive up Sheridan Road, through the north shore to set your sights on the Gold Coast. Check out New Town and of course, the Rush Street area for some of the city’s best night spots. If you get the time, make a point to see the Museum of Science and Industry on Chicago south side. It is well worth the visit and is truly a remarkable experience. The art museums in the downtown area are also something to see, whether it be the place of the “‘lions’’ on Michigan Avenue or the Museum of Modern Art that’s closer to the Hancock Building.
| could go on and on about my city, but suffice it to say that Chicago is far more than just a convention city. Go around and take in the sights of this lake-front metropolis. It is truly a great city that’s worth looking at and experi-
encing. But what about this month's games you're asking. Well, I'll show
Show and Tell
you some surprises and also tell you about some developments in this the eleventh month of ‘77. Here goes...
Williams’ ARGOSY
This four-player offers a departure in design from recent Williams’ efforts such as Grand Prix and Aztec. There’s a great deal of open space and some different shooting angles. But let’s take the game from the top. |
One lane and two _ roll-over buttons (which advance the bonus points) begin the action. The center lane is anything but an easy shot and the top right kicking rubber is also tied into the spinner, making it lit or not lit. As Williams calls them, the sling-shot stretched rubber rebounds are at the top and mid-right of the playfield, with the latter also adding out-hole bonus points.
Two thumper bumpers finish off the top, which is really a nudger’s paradise if anything is to happen in the way of action and scoring. In fact, actual playfield scoring on this machine is low, everything is tied into the out-hole bonus, which can mean 200,000 points and the drop targets. In this respect, the game is very similar to Big Deal which also didn't offer too many ‘playfield points.”’
Anyway, the spinner on the right, when lit, can mean points in excess if the velocity of the ball is great enough to keep the old spinner spinning. The drop targets on the left, four in all, can also mean good things if you hit them all down, time and time again.
A kick-out hole at mid-right of the field is really the secret to points, since it controls double bonus, extra ball lane and also specials, depend- ing upon what's been hit and what's lit. The Gottlieb bottom offers little or no nudging possibilities, but does feature a left side gate that’s opened once you go through that top solitary lane.
In terms of play the game is a little off balance in relation to previous Williams’ games of late. ‘’Argosy’’ does have some good skill shots, with most players going for the targets at the left or the spinner and kick-out hole at the right. The play is quick, as is the case with Williams
November, 1977, PLAY METER
machines; and since the game is a bit more open, players are going to get very few points, or a lot of points depending upon how good and lucky they are.
Graphically, Argosy is in_ ship- shape with a period piece that lavishly displays subtle tones and pastel images. It’s a difference from the days of Space Mission, but also striking enough to get people’s attention.
Allin all, the game is pretty good, not great, but a good standard
Williams’ effort. Something new
that | want to start is the following: Argosy is fine for three-ball play, just as long as it’s set with three limits (somewhere in the 300,000; 600,000 and 8 to 900,000 point range). If a player can’t get what he wants to get in three balls, he won't do it in five balls. Besides, there isn’t that much to aim for on any one ball, especially with only ten steps on the bonus build-up.
Rating: ## % PLAY METER, November, 1977
Atari’s AIRBORNE AVENGER
Get ready for Atari’s first pinball machine. Actually their first two weren't that bad (from a playing standpoint), but this four-player has it head and shoulders over its predecessors. For the first time, Atari has something that’s less novelty and more pinball machine.
Additionally, the extra width is finally utilized in a way that benefits the play of the game as well as the layout of the features. All in all, it’s a giant leap in the right direction,
although there are still flaws, but less glaringly than before.
The top offers two narrow lanes at the center with sloping rubbers toward the left and right. At the top right one finds a little kick-back kicker lane worth 1,000 or 2,000 points; just below it is a lane that advances letters (three in all), but we'll get into this later.
Two thumper bumpers are also at
By Roger C. Sharpe
the top which supply most of the action in this area. A kick-out hole is at the left which is more a rebound shot rather than a straight flipper shot. A center roll-over neatly guarded by some posts offers another build-up for letters. At the right near the top there’s also another kick-out hole with the same metal strip behind it that frustrated so many players of Gottlieb’s Spirit
of ‘76. Finishing off this right side, one finds another thumper bumper, a number target (3) just above, and
é
: gn >
(cae 25: oo 3 at
three lower lanes—the far right returning the ball back to the plunger, the middle sending the ball down to the out-hole, and the left sending the ball to the right flipper.
The left side features a spinner setup with yet another kick-back kicker lane that can mean bonus points depending upon how many of the A, B, or C targets have been hit. Just below this entrance is another numbered target (1), and finishing off the side are yet three
59
more lanes. The far left sends the ball down to the out-hole; the middle features a gate which can be open to salvage the ball; and the right lane sends the ball down to the left flipper. Last, but not least, a center captive ball lane rounds out the action. There’s more to the features than just this rundown, but
you have to play the game to get the ©
feel’ of what is going on.
Playing Airborne Avenger is a test unto itself since it’s really two games in one. Remember when | mentioned letters a while ago? Well, this game offers you the chance to spell out A-I-R-B-O-R-N-E A-V-E-N- G-E-R, which is a mouthful without having to spell it as well. But letters alone is not the game if you want to score points. For the latter, one
needs to hit those things that.
increase the out-hole bonus value. Things such as the A-B-C targets which give you double bonus.
The best shots in fact are those to the spinner at the left and to the C kick-out hole and three-letter ad- vance lane at the right. By segment- ing the game this way, you have a better than even chance to ‘’beat’’ it; otherwise it can boggle the mind since there is so much to digest on the field. One of the problems of playing the game is that you run the risk of having a ball bouncing around, but not scoring any points.
There are also some _ inherent dead spots on this machine, where the action just isn’t there. The center captive ball offers side rubbers that don’t really do anything for a ball once it comes in contact with it. Some of the angles are also too steep for juggling the ball into better position.
The top right with the kick-back kicker and corresponding lane just below, can be sluggish at times. The same holds true when one is trying for the number 2 target and its complementary kick-out hole at the top left, since the incline from this to the flippers can mean instant death (for the ball; not the player). The bottom holds some good nudging possibilities which more than offsets tne top, where either you get it in the lanes or you don’t. But at least the attempt has been made to optimize the available space in a better fashion than was evidenced on either The Atarians or Time 2000. Once again, this game plays far better.
Although the game, as I’ve played it, is set for three-ball play, one for a quarter—it would do better as a five-ball game since there is so much going on. The big factor to consider with this will be repeat play where someone keeps coming back,
60
not transient play where everyone tries it once or twice and then leaves. The game has the potential to be a real winner if players were given more time to adjust to it. Even two three-ball plays wouldn’t solve it, although it would be a step in the right direction.
The big thing is to try it. | think the earnings would increase sub- stantially over what the game is already doing. And isn’t that the name of the game for all of you “avengers?”
Rating: ###
Stern’s “PINBALL”
Remember this game from the September issue where | reviewed it? Well, it bears taking another look because, if the picture is clear enough, the back glass shows that this is Stern’s first solid-state effort. And on this game, it makes a big difference in the play and action. The thumper bumpers are more powerful, as are the flippers, making Pinball a far better effort than it once was.
In terms of the logic, if you notice a similarity with Bally, there’s good reason. It’s the same_ system, something that can only benefit this company in its attempt for wider acceptance and a new recognizabil- ity. Also, check out their tune which plays just before the game begins, it's pretty cute.
When setting this machine, three- ball play is in order. It works better this way, since it can be a high scoring game and has limited features and shots for players to hit. This last fact incidentally adds to the repeat play that I’ve noticed in two separate locations where the game seems to be drawing quite well.
For a new, updated, solid-state rating—Stern’s ‘PINBALL’ gets bumped up another %. Because for them, the game is a good one, and an indication of their desire to become more of a factor in the industry.
Rating: ###
That’s really it this time around. Next month look for the beginning of AMOA games on review and additional advice on how the games should be set to maximize player enjoyment and earnings potential. Until then, | look forward to seeing many of you at the show; and hopefully autographing books wher- ever | can. So rest easy. Keep those games in good working condition. Talk to the players and find out how they feel, and lastly...Be well and prosper.
Pete Petropoulos, Jr. Jackie Barnett
My 32 years of sales and market- ing expertise with a proven rec- ord and image second to none for vending, soft drink bottlers, military bases world wide, music and games, parks, malls, shop- ping centers, attractions, depart- ment stores, OCS, fast food out- lets, hotels and motels, and all phases of the coin-operated in- dustry speak for themselves.
PETE PETROPOULOS
Add proven successful sales and marketing techniques that will build profits and stimulate a qui- cker method. Pete Petropoulos has always cut through red tape, and will produce.
e©e0e Inquire about our special depart- ments covering shopping centers, malls, game rooms, department stores, distributors, music, game and vending operators and nat- ional accounts. The proven sales products suppliers, brokers, dea- lers and management of well known companies have helped many down through the years.
eeo0ec
International Sales Marketing & Management Consultants
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES James Taylor Chris Odom
MAIN OFFICE 1340 South Ocean Blvd. Pompano Beach, FL 33062 305/942-8054
SOUTHEASTERN OFFICE 1354 Vernon North Drive Atlanta, GA 30338 404/393-3819
November, 1977, PLAY METER
THE PARK SHOW BOOTHS 108-110
J Sf
: " vee _ ATION
hh, M4
OTS CSaXr Uy) SN. Nilcnigen BVenus. Chicege, Illinois GOGan \
G Vel. Si2 Soi SX 25-3200 cable ey CEO
‘ey
a LS STR STERES Re SELECTIONS
es
lle
—
ae amet ey
« °°
ee
> .
e*% *, See ee ee
+ * eo © + ¢
*-¢
woodhue
For those locations with character that promote sociality, the Woodhue presents liveliness with eminence. A new stand-up-and- be-counted shape.
Woodhue impresses. And causes good things to happen for you. More play, more profits.
Kowe”
Advanced design. . . increased profits: your return on our investment.
$295.°° SALE
A SELECT GROUP OF QUALITY GAMES PRICED FOR QUICK SELL-OUT!
We’re only a few minutes away from the AMOA-- come on out and look ’em over!
ONLY $295 EACH
WHILE THEY LAST RECONDITIONED-- REFINISHED-- GUARANTEED
Location proved money makers
ARCADE GAMES as TV GAMES eh Williams GRIDIRON FOOTBALL - Nutting COMPUTER SPACE Samco CHAMPION HOCKEY (Fiberglass cabinet)
Sega GRAND NATIONAL Brunswick ASTRO HOCKEY
Allied DRAG RACES Meadows FLIM FLAM
Sega KILLER SHARK C.C. SUPER FLIPPER Williams PRO HOCKEY (4) Williams PRO TENNIS (4) Midway BALL PARK
FOOSBALL GAMES e BASEBALL GAMES a
Irving Kaye SUPER SOCCER - C.C. BASEBALL CHAMP Rene Pierre FOOSBALL C.C. MINI BASEBALL Garlando FOOSBALL
Deutscher-Meister FOOSBALL
sieteteteteteresess
AMUSEMENT GUNS a
Allied TWIN KNOCKOUT GUN =: .; Femme? ff, ARES en were eee ee eee. | eee Write for list: 1/3 Deposit, C.C. BIG TOP TWIN’ RIFLE games, phonos,
Bal. Sight Draft C.C. TRAPSHOOT GUN vending F.O.B. Chicago ce ae
Quantities limited-- order now!
W =3RLD WIDE olstributors co.
—_____. aw GQ 4 DIV OF AMERICAN RECREATION GROUP
2730 W. FULLERTON AVE., CHICAGO, IL 60647 Phone: 312/384-2300 e OF) ») (-ban C71.) oor OF a LL O71 670)
What is ’’success” in the coin-op industry?
Success starts with S,
Like Steve. Or Shoemaker.
Steve Shoemaker, owner of the 30,000-square-foot Redondo Fun Factory pier arcade in Redondo Beach, California, grosses more on some single games annually than some operators in a total arcade. Many operators that visit the Redondo Fun Factory, or hear about it, wonder about the secrets of Steve’s success. Is it all just the location?
Super-casual Steve, who usually looks like one of the local beach bum natives, rather than a former "Young Man of the Year’ in Redondo Beach, injects his philos- ophy. And he’s well-qualified to philosophize, having majored in philosophy and literature at the University of Illinois.
| looked at kids’ rooms” began Steve, commenting on his funky decor that features everything from baby shoes to a tombstone and casket adorning the premises. “What do kids like?’’ he asked himself.
right?
64
Kids like to collect old signs, Shoemaker concluded.
And Shoemaker already had an ample supply. Prior to becoming an amusement machine operator, he owned the Sea Inn at the same pier location. The Redondo Sea Inn was a famous tavern because of thou- sands of relics hanging on the walls, ceiling, and anyplace where one could be nailed. License plates, signs, and other donated relics from customers were the foundation of that business, too, since it provided a chain reaction like word of mouth advertising. A person would bring a buddy to show him all the crazy things at the tavern and the buddy would bring another buddy.
“When a person donates a sign,’ feels Shoemaker, ‘’they develop a sense of belonging. If they feel they belong, they will be less disruptive, too.
“This principle has worked out very well in’ my Redondo Fun Factory. Everything here is donated. | don’t buy signs and nothing is for sale.”
The Redondo Beach Pier has
been rapidly developed within the past five years from just a pier to a major entertainment, social, restau- rant, and tourist complex. Shoe- maker is quick to emphasize he took an area that was a loser and turned it into a moneymaker— as well as an asset for the city’s objectives to promote tourism. The Redondo Fun Factory, he states, has also cut down on vandalism.
| would have to agree with Shoemaker that he has improved the area,’”’ said Bob Riley, Redondo Beach city manager. ‘’And he has improved the entire Pier area by providing entertainment. | have nothing but praise for his operation. He is there every day and on top of everything.”
Mayor Dave Hayward said they have had no police problems and praised Shoemaker’s contributions to the community.
Mayor Hayward cited Shoemak- er’s serving as a-former president of the Chamber of Commerce and board of directors member. He also recalled the amusement operator recently sponsoring an international
November, 1977, PLAY METER
table tennis tournament at the Redondo Fun Factory and sending the winner, a local young woman, to Canada, where she won in her class.
“We also appreciate how he hosts students from our sister city in LaPaz, Mexico, when they visit our city,’’ Mayor Hayward stated.
What would the mayor recom- mend to mayors of other cities having to decide on a game center license application in their city?
“It's not the game center that should be an issue,’’ Mayor Hay- ward began.
‘Get an operator that cares about the community and maintains high standards to make it a truly family entertainment center.”
“Opponents of arcades say ‘It will attract the wrong kind of person.’ ” Shoemaker adds, ‘’but the converse opinion of mine is an arcade, properly operated, will give kids with nothing to do, something to do, thereby keeping them from becoming the wrong kind of people.
“This proved to be true in Redondo Beach. My place has had a great effect in keeping them out of mischief. A well-lighted, well-run arcade-game center is an asset to any community where the kids are, or might be a problem.
Shoemaker began originally with only 1,500 square feet and 35 machines. After a short (one week) trial period of leasing machines from another operator, he decided to buy his own, which thrust him into the business up to his shirt-sleeves.
When he first began, he could be seen every night wheeling his tool cart around, fixing machines, keep- ing them fully operational. He also carried the operator’s usual back- breaking load of monthly payments when he first started, although he now has a reputation for paying cash (and buys nearly every ma- chine that comes on the market).
Now Shoemaker employs three managers, one fulltime technician, and about nine other employees.
The 1500-square-foot ‘’baby’’ has matured to 30,000 square feet with more than 400 machines. He also has a_ Tilt-a-Whirl carnival ride, bumper cars, skee balls, and such attractions as Penny Falls games from London. The latter grossing $9,000 its first month led Shoemak- er to make some innovations, apply for patents, and build his own version called Gravitation, which he is now selling and leasing to other operators.
Asides from the Penny Falls qualifying as his most successful game, what does Shoemaker con- sider the other best deals he’s bought?
PLAY METER, November, 1977
“Outhouse pitch,’’ he laughs, explaining that is the toilet bowl game he made that cost him $57 in electronics and junk parts. ‘It took in $358 the first week!”’
The Atari F-1 is the best arcade game he’s ever seen. The best pinball is the new Atari Airborne Avenger, which he location tested for the factory.
When a game is great, Shoemak- er usually buys several and features them together. And to emphasize how great the new Atari Avenger is in his opinion, he rates Evel Knievel solid state pinball as “the greatest multiple game we've used.”’ Shoe- maker featured six Evel Knievels lined up together at the Fun Factory.
Shoemaker tests games for all the major manufacturers, which is a good trend, he agrees, for them to test in operator’s locations. ‘’Many of them seem to make a mistake in having their equipment tested in their own locations, like Bally’s Aladdin Castles.
“Then they are asking an employ- ee to be critical of their boss’s merchandise. As a result, | still detect production’ errors _ that shouldn't have occured.”’
Shoemaker doesn’t like games that require the customer to push a button to start it, or have special knowledge to play it. ‘Ten percent of my customers don’t know what ‘Insert Quarter’ means,’’ he chuck- led.
Some Japanese tourists visiting the Fun Factory put a quarter in Midway’s Guided Missile. They didn’t press the button, but thought they were playing the game, because the visuals made them think they were playing it, until they saw the score was zero at the end.
“The best games are the ones
where you drop in a quarter and it 9
works,’’ Shoemaker repeats.
‘| also believe in buying the best and most expensive games,’’ Shoe- maker continues. ‘It took awhile to convince myself that an $8,000 game was a good buy,” he grinned, “but if you buy a game new, keep it in top condition, used games will retair their value amazingly well in most cases.”’
The best operating tip he feels he’s learned to pass on to other operators is ‘put a fan in every game you get.”
“| won't plug in a game until | make sure it has a fan,” he said. "’| use a squirrel cage type fan with no screen in front of it. Keep the air moving.
Bally's new solid state pinballs are running hot because of the electronics in a confined space.
“The best solid-state manufac- turer thus far is Midway. I’ve never had a board out of a Midway game. They've been very reliable.”
The best financial step forward, Shoemaker believes, was ‘’chang- ing all pinballs to one play, one quarter.”’
“It eliminates complaints that a customer didn’t get his second game and makes that game worth more to the customer. It also promotes less abuse on the games.”’
Shoemaker continues to develop his Fun Factory and hopes to add three more major carnival-type rides. ‘’The rides are a tremendous asset to an arcade,”’ he revealed. “The rides increase traffic. People will go greater distances to ride a ride:‘than to play pinball.”
How about advice to other operators that hope to obtain a lease agreement with a redevelopment agency or city?
“You have to be patient in dealing with cities,” advises Shoemaker. “They don’t make up their minds fast. They don’t deal on profit-and- loss statements, but the long-term effect of what it will do for the city ten, twenty, or fifty years from today.”’
COIN MACHINE TRAINING FOR REPAIR | MAINTENANCE Trouble Shooting
° SLOTS
° PINBALLS
° ELECTRONIC AMUSEMENTS ° ARCADES
° BINGOS
° VIDEO ELECTRONICS ‘. $ ° MUSIC and VENDING ~%
“Your future ts our business.”
Nevada Gaming
Schools, Inc.
3100 Sirius Road Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 Tel: 702/873-2345
Certified BALLY trainong school sixth year
The emergence
of Gremlin
In two short years, the game industry has become a technological leader rather than a follower. And during that time, Gremlin Industries has emerged as one of its major innovators.
The San Diego-based company started out