Yes, people use your machine
more when they can get
change on-the-spot. Standard
has a dependable bill changer
for every need .
;i
tandard
Change-
Makers, Inc.
422 E. New York Street
Ind ianap-olis, IN 46202
Tel. (317) 639-3423
coin
operated
systems
•
•
•
•
•
Coin Meters
Coin Chutes
Locks
Timers
Rotary
Switches
• Custom
Designs
....
GREENWALD
INDUSTRIES
Ont._ "'.11 .. C_" ",
Of
11...0. ,
Ifo(
1340 METROPOLITAN AVE .. BROOKLYN. N.Y. 11237 • TEL. 212 45&-6900
CABLE AOORESS GREENCOINS NY
TELE X 1·228 1
64
manufacturers are going to solid state, that soon
they'll be making these things for five dollars
apiece. But it's not like a small ten-dollar calculator.
What operators don't realize is that we're dealing in
very very small quantities here. When you're
talking about calculators, you're talking about
millions and millions . But when you're talking about
pinball machines, you're dealing with a few
t housand units. I think Bally's Eight Ball unit is up
in the twenty thousand production range now, and
that's an extremely high run. In fact, I think it's the
highest run ever of any pinball machine. And yet
it's just a drop in the bucket compared to the
number of pocket calculators out. Solid state is not
t he big financial bonanza some people think it is.
But the operator is going to get a lot more for his
money in the long run . I don't think that there's any
doubt about the fact that solid state is here to stay.
But by the same token, there is still a demand for
t he electro-mechanical game.
PLA Y METER: Where do the players stand as far
as the preference of solid state or electro-mechani-
cal?
KffiK: I haven't seen any overwhelming attitude
one way or the other. It just comes down to the
game design. Solid state is like the artwork,
though, it gets the people to try the game because
it's new. But if the game doesn't have a good
design, it doesn't mean anything. I think in the long
run , though, the aspect of better reliability and
better functioning will probably influence the
player to like the solid state.
PLAY METER: And where do the players stand in
regard to three-ball versus five-ball?
KmK: My own personal preference is to make the
shift to three-ball gradually. There are some
distinct merits to three-ball games. At this point, I
think I would say that I prefer three -ball as a
player. Most of the players I know prefer three-ball
games, providing the game is worthy of it. If the
three-ball game is set up good, it is just as good if
not better than the five -ball game. In fact, I have
run three-ball games for several years on my
machines and have never had any resistance to
them whatsoever. I definitely prefer them. You
have some advantages, and of course you have
some disadvantages. The games go a lot faster. But
if the operator is willing to increase his free play
percentage a little bit on t hree-ball, the players
would be happier with it that way. After all, even
when the player wins, he's still winning only
three-fifths of what he was winning with a five -ball
game. It follows that with three-ball you can let
them win more, and that's what's appealing to
player about three ball, the proposition of winning
more often. What t he operator is selling is time.
And whether it's a three-ball game or a five -ball
game, the operator has got to make the adjustment
in there that allows only a certain amount of time
per quarter. I'd like to add that for the last several
year most of the games have been designed as
three-ball games with five-ball modifications. And
that i a distinct change from years past when they
were designed as five -ball games with three-ball
modifications. Of course, that's not true with all the
games, but it is true with a majority of them.
PLAY METER, February, 1978