Play Meter

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this industry and not against it . The
Pinball Book is only the beginning
step in getting society to recognize
and accept the worth and place of
pinball in our culture. M y task w ill
not be complete until I've done all
that I can to accomplish these ends .
The purpose of this column?
Well , honestly speaking I thought
that it might be fun for all of you.
I've spent upwards of $20,000,
much of it from my own pocket to
travel to the arcades and factories of
the United States and Europe, col -
lecting material to research my
project . In many ways I felt that this
intensive venture qualified me as
somewhat of an informed source
regarding the past, present and
future of pinball. Some may doubt
this , thinking that I lack the years to
set myself up as a historian or
well-informed source . But realize
that this is all fresh, new and
exciting to me . I dove into it
completely and retained and ab-
sorbed as much as I could wherever
I went .
But why review machines you ask
shaking your head negatively . Why
not? Others have tried in the past
and have succumbed to the pres-
sures inherent in undertaking such a
task . I viewed it as another avenue
by which to tell a story . Have Judith
Crist, Rex Reed , Vincent Canby and
others alienated people in the film
industry with their reviews? Probab-
ly .
Now this is not to say that I want
to think of myself in the same light
as these people; rather I wanted to
try something that I thought could
peak people's interest and get them
more involved . Obviously, I've
succeeded . The purpose of review-
ing games was to give just one
man' s opinion of them - mine. All I
wanted to do was to comment on
the state of the art, to give each of
you an idea of the features and how
they worked on the games, and
where it was applicable to tell you
where the feature may have appear-
ed before. And let' s face it, there's
not that much to say negatively
about the games being produced
these days.
Gottlieb is coming out with some
of the best games they have ever
produced . One , Surf Champ, which
is still a prototype and which I
reviewed last month, and have
played many times since , is going to
be a real winner when it' s released
later this fall. Bally has come out
with some sensational games that
are bold graphically with strong play
features . Williams has had some
consistent results this year, and the
rest of their production calendar
shows that this will continue -
Aztec which is now being re-
leased on the east coast should
prove to be quite a nice game for
them . Even Chicago Coin has come
up with some 'sound' play appeal to
gather up their own share of the
market . Allied Leisure has gotten
some great results from their initial
efforts and Thunderbolt should
continue the good prognosis for
them . Playmatic is making their own
moves . So all in all the pinball revival
is indeed in full swing .
Prosperity is being shared by all,
and deservedly so . Now, my re-
views were not designed to detract
from this . I wasn't rating games
against each other, but rather on the
basis of what each company was
capable of doing . A game rated
#### vs. ### was an arbitrary
process that took into account
everything from play action to
graphics .
Some have suggested that one
man cannot review games and
remain objective, or that my views
were stilted . Well , if I were to report
what I've heard from players I've
interviewed concerning today's
games, the reactions would be far
harsher than my words . Players are
upset over the difficulty of today's
games (no longer can they rack up
12 free games) ; they complain about
three ball games being a rip-off;
,
NSM
Phonographs
~
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2 820 N. Grand Blvd .
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~
some games are too easy .... it's the
same old story, you can't please
everyone . But take what I say with a
grain of salt . I have tried to
substantiate my own views and
feelings. It is an individual view
backed on the average by an
expenditure of between $15 to $25 a
week on pinball (and that's with two
games of my own). I play everyday,
on all games because I'm hooked .
To me every game has it's own
appeal and merit that makes that
game unique . They're all beautiful
to my eyes - some more so than
others - but they will all get the
action they deserve .
Will Critics Corner continue? Only
if you want it to . If you want me to
modify it, let me know . I'd like to
see a poll of opinion telling me what
each of you think . If you like the
idea of games being reviewed or
don 't like it, write in your views .
Personally, I think the idea of the
column is a valid one. I' m not going
to step on any toes; and if I do brush
against some, take it in stride and
weigh the value of what I have to
say . Some of it makes sense,
honest. And I'll always try to remain
impartial; even though I will always
have my own preferences, I will try
to tell the facts the way I see them .
Trust me . Believe in me . And
know that I' ll always be there when
any of you need me . There remains
a long journey to travel before
pinball reaches its destiny of respec-
tibility . Let me help the cause with
all the power of my convictions and
talents
backing
it .
Reviewing
games? If you can enjoy it, enjoy it.
Don 't look at the numbers and
compare games between manu-
fa cturers ; it's not a measure and
never was meant to be . Buy games
(if you operate them) from what
your instinct tells you . If I can tell a
story of where a feature has evolved
from , how it was successful once ,
then you can gauge it and see if you
want to try it again . But buy them
all ; support the industry with your
enthusiasm, interest and willingness
to make pinball machines a viable
commodity in today's society, one
that is not frown ed upon or looked
down on , but one which stands as a
measure of excellence for a group of
people who believe in an ideal and
strive for excellence no matter what ;2
their endeavors may be .
~
To all of you , I wish only the best . •
May you be well and prosper now ;
and always .
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