Atari Coin Connection

Issue: Vol 5 Num 06 - 1981 October

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 6
OCTOBER 1981
ATARI® Introduces Tempest™
with New QuadraScan™ Color
TARI introduces a whole
new dimension in video
games. Tempest is a vision
of the future with the new ATARI
OuadraScan Color monitor, a spec-
tacular visual experience of dazzling
color and incredible 3-D realism.
Tempest challenges players con -
tinually with changing playfields and
increasingly persistent enemy
attackers.
A special "Super Zapper" control elimi-
nates all invaders on the screen. Used a
second time in the same skill level, the
Super Zapper is only partially effective,
destroying one randomly selected invader.
If the fire button is pressed continuously, it
will shoot short bursts of fire at the enemy
targets. The High Score Table reflects the
scores and initials of the top eight players
and retains the top three when power is off.
continued on next page
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Players are situated at the top of a tube,
looking down at various invaders who
threaten to shoot up the corridors of the
tube and destroy the player. The player
controls a Blaster which can be maneuvered
around the perimeter of the tube to shoot
and destroy the advancing enemies before
they eliminate him.
There are 16 different geometric playfield
configurations. Each time the player elimi-
nates all of the monsters in one playfield he
is transported immediately to a new playfield
and a higher skill level where there are
faster, more hostile invaders. The action
and player challenge never let up.
With the new ATARI Skill-Step TM feature
players may choose from 28 different skill
levels once they have entered the game. As
long as a player has successfully completed
a skill level, he can begin a new game at
that skill level rather than returning to the
beginning skill levels of the game.
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The Upcoming AMOA Show: Preparations are Underway
The AMOA Show is less than a
month away. Here at ATARI, two
departments have been particu-
larly busy preparing for the Show:
Marketing Services and Market
Research.
Marketing Services is already
starting to put together literature
packages for the Show. All of the
information on the latest games
from ATARI, like Centipede TM and
Tempest TM wil l be available. They
will be running a high score con-
test similar to the one held last
year and rewarding the winners
ATARI INC.
with ATARI T-shirts. Other
and will be at the Show with
responsibilities include organizing Mariann and Laura.
the distributor cocktail party, and
Market Research is also pre-
working with Tournament Games, paring for AMOA 1981 . As they
have for the past few years, they
Inc. on the cocktail party being
will be conducting a Tellus TM
held for operators as a part of
Survey, asking operators to tell
the ATARI $50,000.00 World
Championships.
them about their operations. They
Who is Marketing Services?
are interested in what types of
Mariann Layne is Manager of
locations ATARI operators
the department, Laura Bur-
run, what their product mix
is, and what they would
gess is Coordinator and
like to see in future
Linda Summers is Assis-
~an~. Linda has recently
A TAR 1® ATARI games. After they
101ned the department
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compile the information
1265 BORREGAS AVENUE
gathered at the AMOA they are
better able to anticipate future
operator needs. The results of the
Survey are also published as ···oid
You Know?" research tips in the
Coin Connection every month.
Market Research has also
added another person to their
staff. Mike Friedman, Market
Research Assistant. has been
with ATARI for about four months,
and he will be attending his first
AMOA, helping Mary Takatsuno
and Linda Butcher conduct the
Tellus Survey.
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA 94086
Tempest™ Promotional Materials Available
Tempest has inspired a new
selection of promotional materials
illustrated with the same exciting
and colorful graphics that high-
light the game itself. Available for
promotional giveaways, prizes
and incentives are dramatic
Tempest posters and T-shirts.
The T-shirt is a durable 100%
cotton with the Tempest art dis-
played on the front of a bright
red shirt. The poster measures
24" x 36" and would be an at-
tractive addition to any location.
Atari is also offering a promo-
tional kit that includes a full color
data/fact sheet, two different 60-
second radio scripts specially
prepared to emphasize the excit- \
ing Tempest game play (also
available on a pre-recorded cas- \
sette for a nominal fee), a radio
tip sheet advising you how to
place ads to hit your target group
most effectively, and other infor-
mational materials to help you
reach all your potential players.
The Tempest promotional kits
are available through Marketing
Services at 1215 Borregas Ave.,
Sunnyvale, CA 94086. T-shirts
and radio cassettes, at a nominal
fee, and posters can be ordered
from ATARI Coin-op Customer
Service, 1105 N. Fairoaks Ave.,
Sunnyvale, CA 94086.
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Promotion for Profit
If your location is near one or
more fast-food restaurants (ham-
burger or hot dog stand, pizza
parlor, taco stand, etc.) you can
use the following joint promotion
idea. Designate one of your
games as the "pizza parlor" ( or
other restaurant) machine. When
a player beats the high score on
this game, award him with a
coupon good for a free pizza or
soft drink at that restaurant. Ask
the local restaurant to use tray
liners containing coupons for free
games at your location or to give
a flyer containing coupons for
free games with each purchase.
If you have an idea for the
Promotion for Profit column, send
a description of the idea, along
with your name and address of
your location, to the Editor, Coin
Connection , 1265 Borregas Ave. ,
Sunnyvale, CA 94086. We'll send
you a free gift if your idea ap-
pears in the Coin Connection.
POSITIVE PUBLICITY
ATARI Featured in
Smithsonian Article

In the September issue of
"Smithsonian" magazine there is
a 12-page article which focuses
on ATARI and video games and
the effects they are having on
today's youth. One of the major
points of the article is that the
young people playing the games
are not only acquiring skills in
manual dexterity and spatial co-
ordination, but they are also
learning that computers are not
necessarily large and impersonal
dispensers of bills and junk mail.
A new sequence in the self-
test mode displays valuable oper-
ator information such as the total
number and average game times
for one and two player games.
Operator-selectable bonus levels
are available, as well as an
operator-selectable setting for
"easy", "medium" or "hard"
game difficulty. The cocktail and
Cabaret ™ versions of Tempest
feature the separate coin door
and locking cashbox, and all
three cabinet versions offer 256
coinage options and four differ-
ent language selections.
"Tempest is a really exciting
new game, a play experience
that goes beyond any previous
video game concept. The Oua-
draScan Color display system is
unique, a technological break-
through that offers the player a
spectacular visual event, and
Skill-Step™ allows players of all
skill levels to be challenged no
matter how long or how much
they've played the game," said
Frank Ballouz, V.P. of Marketing
for the Coin-op division. "We feel
that this game will set a prece-
dent for all future video games."
Play New At•rl T•m~.st.

Since the video games respond
to players by playing back, the
players get'a much more per-
sonal feeling from the games.
The article is very positive on
video games and their applica-
tions to the future. The possibili-
ties created when video games
are used to educate and train
are exceptionally va ried. And by
exposing kids to video games,
they become familiar with com-
puters and computer logic in a
friendly way.
ATARI
Introduces
Tempest continued
It Pays to Deal with
Authorized ATARI Distributors
Recently our Field Service
department has received some
c~lls from operators who need
games serviced. While Field Ser-
vice technicians can answer
specific questions over the tele-
phone, the technicians working
for your authorized ATARI dis-
tributor can come right out and
take a look at the game. They
are trained to service ATARI
games quickly and efficiently.
There are other reasons why
you should give your local ATARI
distributor a call. He can offer
you the complete line of ATARI
promotional items such as T-
shirts and posters for Tempest™
or Centipeder .. _ During the ATARI
$50,000.00 World Championships
contest, your authorized ATARI
distributor was the one to provide
you with the Tournament Kit
order cards.
Only an authorized ATARI
distributor can take care of all
your needs. You can always
recognize him because he'll be
displaying his authorized ATARI
distributor plaque. Look for the
plaque - it's the sign of good
quality and good service. If you
need the number or address for
your local authorized ATARI
distributor, just call ATARI Coin-op
Marketing at 408-745-2500 and
they will refer you.
Did You Know?
In 1980 operators reported an
approximately equal number of
videos (both standard uprig ht and
cocktail table models) and pin-
balls in their ba r and tavern loca-
tions. In the average bar site,
video games out-earn pinballs by
$10-$15 per week. This is one of
many findings from the ATARI
Tellus ™ Survey that was con-
ducted at the AMOA in 1980.
We expect that the next Tellus
survey will show an increase in
the number of videos, especially
cocktail table models, in bars and
taverns in 1981 .
Tell us what you think. The
Marketing Research group will be
conducting another survey at the
ATARI booth at the 1981 AMOA.

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