PINBALL, DOCTORS AND CHARITY
The National Pinball Wizzard News, a
pinball player and collectors publication,
sponsored a contest for the best pinball
story in various classifications (being
editor of this newsletter I had an unfair ad-
vantage, so I decided to write the story for
charity). With the permission of Peter
Bilarczyk, Publisher and Editor of the Pin-
ball Wizzard News, the prize-winning story
follows.
SURGEONS PLAY POST-OP PINBALL
The 13 staff surgeons at the National
Heart Institute at the Clinical Center of
the National Institute of Health,
Bethesda, Maryland, typically end
their busy days in the operating rooms
with a friendly game of pinball in the
office of Dr. Andrew G. Morrow at the
hospital.
gave Gaucho to Dr. Morrow. As the
hard working physicians shoot the
steel ball and flip it into action, they
enjoy the pinball experience. az:id
thank the resi~ents of '74 for thell' gift
to Dr. Morrow.
TECHNICAL TIP
MIDDLE EARTH™
Symptom:
Flippers sticking on
Middle Earth™ game.
Solution:
An update switch kit is
now available from Atari
distributors (at no
charge for those who
purchased the games) to
alleviate this problem.
Included in the kit is a
set of heavy-duty open
leaf switches, two .47
microfarad capacitors
100 V, and a hardware
package including screws
and back up plates to
mount the switches. In-
structions on how to in-
stall the switches are in-
cluded in the kit.
Pinball and video games seem to
have superb therapeutic value to
relieve tension brought on by the
pressures of the professional world.
More and more doctors, lawyers and
business people are seen playing the
games after a hard day at work. The
steel ball and video action help to
alleviate the worries of the real world
for a few moments of pleasure in a
challenging game.
The $100 reward given by the Na-
tional Pinball Association for this
story is to be donated to the American
Heart Association on behalf of Atari
and Dr. Andrew G. Morrow.
Editor's Note: I want to thank Dr. Mor-
row and his staff for making this story real
and sharing it with our industry. Also
thanks to the Pinball Wizzard News for giv-
ing me the opportunity to write it for a
worthwhile cause, the American Heart
Association.
FIRETRUCK™
Symptom:
Solution:
Screeching sound in at-
tract mode.
Tie A-6 Pin 8 to a 1 K Pull
up resistor.
I
/
/
Dr. Morrow, Chief, Clinic of Surgery,
received Gottlieb's Gaucho 4 player
(1963) pinball game as an appreciation
gift from the residents completing
training under him in 1974. He placed
the game in his inner office primarily
for the use of the physicians on the
Heart Institute staff. The type of
surgery these doctors perform ~s
usually long and tedious; the game 1s
an excellent tension reliever for them.
Dr. Morrow said, ''We play the game
for rest and relaxation after those
long, hard days in surgery."
The medical staff also holds pinball
tournaments three to four times a
year. They set up a standard to~rna-
ment grid, in the first rounds trying to
match physician players of similar
skill levels. The winners of 3 out of 5
games move to the next level chal-
lenge. The competition is friendly and
adds a little extra fun and after-hours
novelty to these doctors' busy days.
Dr. Mark Hochberg is the current
champion from the last tournament
held.
A hospital computer engineer, Dr.
Kenneth Kempner, maintains the
game for Dr. Morrow and the staff.
''His father is a game distributor in the
New York area," reported Dr. Morrow.
"Dr. Kempner worked for his father
repairing games when he was younger
and now he takes care of our game, as
well as the computers we use in
surgery at the hospital''.
The pinball game is a much ap-
preciated gift. There is a plate on the
game recognizing the residents who
©
Atari Inc. 1978
OPERATORS TELL
US ABOUT PROMOTION
Atari's Marketing Services Depart-
ment conducted a survey earlier in the
year in which over 300 operators were
asked about promotion of their
businesses.
Almost half of the
operators in the survey had some type
of player promotion in the first three
months of 1978. Most of these promo-
tions were player tournaments or
prizes for high scores on games. About
12% of the operators in the survey had
advertised in local newspapers or
other media.
The majority (70%) of operators in
the sample· felt that promotion and
advertising were effective to increase
collections.
The operators in the sample repre-
sent all sizes of routes and have games
in all types of locations. There were
some indications that more large
operators have promotions than
smaller ones. However, the effec-
tiveness of promotions was the same
for ·both large and small operators.
Because of these findings it seems that
more operators should consider the
use of promotion to help increase col-
lections.
Atari's operator surveys will be sent
out two times a year from now on. To
those of you who receive them, we ap-
preciate your response. Atari learns
much about operators and the coin-op
business that helps us to continue to
manufacture better games. We will
feature some of these findings from time
to time for your interest. Thank you
again ... Marketing Services.
PROMOTION IDEA: HIGH
SCORE MARATHON
This could be a one day or a one
week promotion. Select three to five
games in the location for the high
score event. The winner is the player
whose high scores on each of the
games adds to the most total points for
all the games.
Cards can be made up for the players
to enter. Include the names · of the
games and a space for the scores on
each with a total line (see example).
An employee at the location should
verify each score with an initial to
make it fair. The player's name and
phone number should be included on
the card so the event can be extended
over time and winners can be con-
tacted.
.
You can give a prize to the highest
total. A prize could also be given for a
match number, that is, if the last 2 or 3
digits of the score match a 'mystery"
number that is selected at random and
not revealed until the end of the event.
This gives less skillful players a
chance to win and will encourage more
participation.
ATARI SCORE-A-THON
Player Name _ _ _
Phone# _ _ _
Player's High Score
1. Middle Earth™
2. Avalanche™
3. Sky Diver™
+ -----
+ ____ _
+ ____ _
TOTAL
Example Score Ca.rd