Play Meter

Issue: 1976 May - Vol 2 Num 5

[continued from page 23 ]
Visibility? You bet! Even
with room light bright, it
keeps on earning .. . for you!
Delivery now! Call :
O kl ahoma City
(405 ) 232 -9591
CULP
DISTRIBUTING CO.
See Ad Page 4
Visibility? You bet! Even
with room light brigh t, it
keeps on earning ... for you!
Delivery now! Call :
Los Angeles
(213 ) 380-5850
~LE
~~NATIONAL
See Ad Page 4
56
REVOLUTION . The tv screen --we
had all been used to watching
soap-operas, medical shows, police
always winning and those wonder-
ful commercials on how to put body
in your hair--was suddenly put in a
tall cabinet with a coin slot . This
monster represented what we ele-
ctronic engineers call the "State of
the Art" -- literally translated : "Ain't
nobody else figured out as yet what
we've done ."
The video game was a revolution -
ary event . There was no opportunity
for the industry to prepare for its
introduction and even more unfor-
tunate, practically nothing was done
by the manufacturers after its
introduction.
The pin mechanic's tool box , his
work area , his knowledge, all be-
came obsolete overnight as far as
the new technology was concerned.
I saw the first video games in
Hawaii . Upon return to Dayton in
late 1973, I began to investigate for
Kurz - Kasch and its Center for
Technical Development the possibil -
ity of our filling the gap of test
equipment and training that seemed
needed in your industry. Many
conversations with MOA, a few
distributors, a manufacturer and
some operations quickly led Kurz-
Kasch to the conclusion that here
was a segment of the industry in real
trouble--and we were in a position
to do something about it. Here' s
what we did :
1. Joined forces with A TAR I
(who started the revolution) to
conduct free schools for service-
men and mechanics to remove
the fear of the new technology
and to teach them the basics of
digital logic .
2 . Developed specialized test
equipment to remove as much
decision-making from the trouble-
shooting.
3. Taught the use of this test
equipment and troubleshooting
techniques.
We .are now on our own with the
seminars, not sponsored or tied to
any manufacturer . This is good
because we can meet any problem
in anyone's game head-on without
any conflict of interest .
WHAT'S NEXT
Just look inside a pinball mach-
ine, the staple of the amusement
industry . The re, hiding their silver
palladium contacts under layers of
dust are the same stepping relays
and electromechanical logic that has
been used in these machines for
over 30 years . Printed circuits and
Ie's, like the video games use, have
not been used -- until now .
Every pin manufacturer now has
or is about to have a digital
pin -- Come the second revolution.
You as operators, servicemen , or
distributors are not going to survive
unless you learn digital technology
and acquire the tools and test
equipment required to service these
new games .
I contend , and I' ve proven it many
times over, that a pin mechanic,
properly motivated , trained and
equipped, can troubleshoot and
repair video games and will be able
to handle the new pins in a
minimum of time .
For four years many of us have
buried our heads in the sand,
waiting for digital electronics to go
away . This technology has not gone
away and in fact , it is with us more
now than ever. Keep your head in
the sand and you'll smother . Get
with it and you 'll survive .
I apologize for this bluntness, but
unfortunately its true .
Player-against-player, or
player-against-computer.
Either way, it's action
... for you!
Delivery now! Call:
San Francisco
(4 1 5 ) 864-0400
~
~~'U'fOM1lTIC SAtES co.
ADVANCE
See Ad Page 4
[continu d from pag 41 )
dimes to quarters? From nickels to
dimes?"
" But don't forget ," added De-
Selm, " three-ball games come with
a liberal extra ball , so your average
game will be four or five balls . A
five -ball game is too long for the
money." The average game today
runs two minutes and 20 seconds
compared with one minute and 20
seconds, the average length when
Williams began the company in
1945.
Williams officials foresee another
change in the pinball industry, an
increasing dominance of four-player
machines and they believe that's
good . At present, W illiams exports
four-player and some two-player
machines. All single player mach -
ines are for domestic markets only .
" One day," predicted DeSelm ,
" there will be nothing but fourplayer
machines in the U .S . It' s the best
game . With the higher prices, you
get more merchandise . The price
warrants the highest quality gim-
micks . "
Besides manufacturing pinball
machines at the Chicago plant,
Williams also produces slot mach-
ines under the Seeburg label. The
company is behind Bally in sales; it
only entered the market in 1973, but
Williams officials claim they can
convert to large-scale production of
the slots if demand picks up .
Next to the pinball department are
the shuffle alleys. Dozens are pro-
duced each day under the United
label, the company which introduc-
ed shuffle alleys in 1949.
Williams has plans to manufact-
ure arcade games . At present, their
production is limited to the pins,
slots and shuffle alleys, but the area
is not new to Williams. In the past
Williams has produced baseball ,
arcade games and novelty items
including a paperback book vending
machine .
Because of competitive consider-
ations, Williarrls officials are vague
about the games they plan to
produce or when they might go on
the market . It may be in six months,
but nothing appears definite, at
least to an outsider .
Whatever the new games, if they
perform nearly as well as Williams'
present pinball machine, it will be
another successful mission for the
company.
.
•••
• ~~
--
/-------
.;:;:---
---
'til it

'mf;(.t;'
"Well, this proves there's intelligent life here. "
Its electronic anti -cheat coin
circuit keeps profits coming
. .. for you!
Its built-i n, auto matic
advertising sequence will
coax lots o f qu a rters
... for you!
Delivery now! Call:
Delivery now! Call:
Jacksonville (F L)
(904) 356-0 256
Miami (FL)
Min neapol is
(612 ) 887-5300
(305) 625 -83 0 7
Tampa (FL)
(8 13) 251 - 180 1
~
Rowe international, inc.
See Ad Page 4
t:::)PIEBERMAN
~MUSICCO.
See Ad Page 4
57
~

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