Play Meter

COIN INDUSTRY PLAY METER July 22, 22, 1977 1977 July Volume 3/ 3/ No. No. 13 13 Staff Publisher and and Editor: Publisher Editor: Managing Editor: Managing Editor: International Editor: Editor: International Technical Editor: Editor: Technical Correspondents: Correspondents: Art Direction: Direction: Art Typography: Typography: Ralph C. C. Lally LallyII II Ralph David Pierson Pierson David Snook, David Snook, David Editor, Coin Slot Editor, Coin Slot Robin Minnear Minnear Robin C. Sharpe Sharpe Roger C. Roger DickWelu Dick Welu Mary Claire Claire Blakeman Blakeman Mary J .W. Sedlak Sedlak J.W. Randy Fromm Randy Fromm Meyer Alewitz Alewitz Meyer Skybird Typography Typography Skybird Circulation Manager: Manager: Circulation Carolyn Desmond Desmond Carolyn Advertising Representatives: Advertising Representatives: Don Randon Randon Don European Representative: Representative: European Esmay Leslie Leslie Esmay Coin Industry Industry PLAY PLAY METER, METER, July July 22, 22, Coin 19n. Volume 3, 3, No. No. 14. 14. Copyright Copyright 1977. Volume 19n by by Skybird Skybird Publishing Publishing ComCom1977 Full editions editions of of Coin Coin Industry Industry Play Play pany. Full pany. Meter are monthly the the first first Meter are published published monthly month. The The Update news Friday of Friday of the the month. Update news published monthly, monthly, the the third third edition is is published edition of the the month. month. Publishing Publishing offices: offices: Friday of Friday 4136 Washington Washington Ave., Ave., P.O. P.O. Box Box 4136 24170, New New Orleans, Orleans, La. La. 70184. 70184. Tel. Tel. 24170, 504/827-0320. Printing Printing offices: offices: Gibbs Gibbs 504/827-0320. Inman Co., Co., P.O. P.O. Box Box 32030, 32030, Louisville, Louisville, Inman Ky. 40232. 40232. European European Offices: Offices: Play Play Ky. Meter Promotions, Promotions, 15 15 Great Great North North Rd., Rd ., Meter Brookmans Park, Park, AL9 AL9 6LB, 6LB, HertfordHertfordBrookmans shire, England. England. Subscription Subscription rates: rates: shire, U.S. and and Canada-$25; Canada-$25; Europe Europe and and U.S. Japan-$45; elsewhere-$50. One Japan-$45; elsewhere-$50. One order multiple multiple subscriptions: subscriptions: 2-9, 2-9, $20 $20 order each; 10-24, 10-24, $17 $17 each; each; 25 25 or or more, more, $15 $15 each; each. Advertising Advertising rates rates available each. available on on request. No No part part of of this this magazine magazine may may request. be reproduced reproduced without without express express permispermisbe sion. The The editors editors are arenot not responsible responsible for for sion. unsolicited manuscripts. manuscripts. unsolicited Application to Application to mail mail at at second second class class postage rates postage rates is is pending pending at at New New Orleans, La. other mailing Orleans, La. and and other mailing office. office. form 3579 Postmaster: Send Postmaster: Send form 3579 to to Play Play Meter, P.O. P.O. Box Box 24170, 24170, New New Orleans, Orleans, Meter, La. 70184. 70184. La. AMUSEMENT & MUSIC AMOA OPERATORS ASSOCIATION member member letter writing writing campaign campaign to to the the city city letter councilmen. Spaniolo Spaniolo added added that that councilmen. the Detroit Detroit Chamber Chamber of of Commerce Commerce the has come intb the fray to lend lend a a has come into the fray to hand to to the the operators. operators. hand could The Detroit Detroit ordinance ordinance could The spread statewide. statewide. State possibly spread possibly State Representative Dennis Dennis Hertel Hertel of of Representative Detroit last last month month introduced introduced HB HB Detroit 4986 4986 which which would would ban ban pinball pinball machines within within 500 500 . feet feet of of any any machines school in in the the state. state. That That bill bill is is still still school pending and and will will probably probably be be pending considered when when the the state state legislalegislaconsidered ture reconvenes reconvenes in in the the fall. fall. ture For more more detailed detailed informatio information, For n, look for for Play Play Meter's Meters August August issue. issue. look Airhockey hockey championships championships set setfor forHouston Houstonin in August August Air Rolf Moore Texas Rolf Moore of of Houston, Houston, Texas the first first seed seed for for the the captured the captured USTA. USTA. The national national championship championship tournatournaThe Playland Arcade Arcade in in State State College, College, Playland national air-hockey air-hockey championships. championships. national which has has been been tentatively tentatively ment, which ment, scheduled by by the the United United States States scheduled ' Table Table Hockey Hockey Association Association (USTA) (USTA) for August August 11 in in Houston, will be be an an for Houston, will will probably have open event and open event and will probably have an entry fee of of $25. $25. entry fee an won the the first first seed seed by by Moore won Moore winning aa national national preliminary preliminary tourtourwinning nament in in Houston Houston earlier earlier this this nament month. Phil Phil Arnold, Arnold, the the secondsecondmonth. place finisher finisher in in the the Houston Houston place preliminary, earned the second seed preliminary, earned the second seed in the 22-player event. Jess Douty in the 22-player event. Jess Douty John Moon Moon are are presently presently tied tied and John and for third third seed. seed . Douty Douty won won the the for UST A's other national preliminary in USTA's other national preliminary in Philadelphia, and and Moon Moon was was the the Philadelphia, third-place finisher finisher in in the the Houston Houston third-place event. event. Philadelphia The Houston Houston and and Philadelphia The events are presently the only only events are presently the double-elimination national national prelimiprelimidouble-elimination nary tournaments tournaments sanctioned sanctioned by by the the nary The Houston Houston preliminary The preliminary was held held at at Damians, Damians, and and the the was Philadelphia tournament tournament was was held held at at Philadelphia Pennsylvania . Pennsylvania. Winners shares shares in in Winners both tournaments tournaments were were covered covered by by both the entry entry fees. fees. the Phil Arnold, Arnold, director director and and founder founder Phil of the the UST A, told Play Meter of USTA, told Play Meter that that the USTA USTA preliminaries preliminaries are are held held the only in in Houston Houston and and Philadelphia Philadelphia only because they are the hotbeds for air air because they are the hotbeds for hockey activity. Interest in the hockey activity. Interest in the level, he he game at at the the tournament tournament level, game indicated, has has all all but but died died out out in indicated, in citieslike like Chicago Chicagb because because of of lack lack of of cities support. He draw aa parallel support. He tried tried to to draw parallel between the between the USTA USTA tournaments tournaments at the the and air air hockey hockey activity activity at and Said Arnold, "Whenever arcades. arcades. Said Arnold, "Whenever we hold hold aa tournament, tournament, there there is is we always an an incre'ase in air-hockey air-hockey always increase in activity in in that that area area preceding preceding the the activity event. event. USTA has has been been sponsoring sponsoring The USTA The for the the past past four four the tournaments tournaments for the years. years. Gremlin whirlwind tour nets$1.5 nets$1.5 million million Gremlin Industries Industries Vice Vice President President Gremlin of Marketing, Malcolm Bains, Bains, now now of Marketing, Malcolm back at the San Diego headquarters back at the San Diego headquarters reports sales sales in excess of of $1.5 $1 .5 in excess reports million as as aa result result of of the the recent recent million whirlwind jet-hopping jet-hopping trip trip introducintroducwhirlwind ing three Gremlin coin-operated ing three Gremlin coin-operated games. games. . Said Bains, both "Distributors both Bains, "Distributors Said here and and abroad abroad were were amazed amazed by by here volume of of sales sales that that were were the volume the generated during during the the shows. shows. U.S. U.S. generated response response operators operators machines machines to Hustle Hustle resulted resulted in in to insisting on on taking taking the the insisting off the the floor, floor, and and EuroEurooff pean orders orders were were for for immediate immediate pean shipment by by air." air." shipment Bains was was accompanied accompanied by by GremGremBains lin Girl Girl Sabrina Sabrina Osment. Osment. The lin The traveling duo their road road traveling duo opened opened their show in in New New York York with with Hustle, Hustle, the the show latest video video game game in in the the Gremlin Gremlin latest family, as as the the headliner. headliner. The The game game family, plan went went like like this: this: Beat the the plan Beat Gremlin Girl Girl two two out out of of three three and and Gremlin win $100. $100. win The competition competition took took place place at at The distributor-hosted operator distributor-hosted operator parties parties Chicago, Columbus, in Minneapolis, in Minneapolis, Chicago, Columbus, Boston, St. St. Louis, Louis, Dallas, Dallas, Houston, Houston, Boston, Miami, Los Los Angeles, Angeles, San San Francisco, Francisco, Miami, Seattle. and Seattle. and Receptions abroad were were cocoReceptions abroad hosted by Alea, London; hosted by Alca, London; E.N.V., E.N.V., Berlin and and Frankfurt; Frankfurt; Kopriwa, Kopriwa, Berlin Stockholm; Von Malder, Brussels; Stockholm; Von Malder, Brussels; and Bussoz, Paris. On the European and Bussoz, Paris. On the European circuit Hustle Hustle was was jointly jointly introduced introduced circuit with Team Team Football, with Football, an an animated animated table-top game, game, and table-top and CoMotion, CoMotion, aa two- or or four-player four-player cocktail-table cocktail-table twovideo game. video game. Individual purchases purchases abroad abroad avavIndividual eraged six figures and came at a eraged six figures and came at a time when when the the European European buying buying time season had had already already ended. ended. Based Based season factor Bains Bains anticipates anticipates that that on this this factor on "the European market may well "the European market may well grow to 50 percent of Gremlin's grow to 50 percent of Gremlin's gross sales. sales."" gross