ly 25 ,000 pool players participated in
this event in the U.K. - surely an
overwhelming response for any
tournament held in the U .K. in its
first year ."
Farley alleges that the tournament
is "very much alive" and that only
P. P . I. can make the decisions
regarding the international competi-
tion and not Herpol Ltd . or W .O.
and H .O . Wills .
"There has simply been a time
change made to the world finals
being held in Hong Kong because of
legal formalities in the U .S .A. The
world finals will take place in
mid-1979 and the U.K. winners will
be invited to playoff against winners
from other parts of the world . The
U.S .A. section of the tournament
known as the "Las Vegas Open" is
due to commence shortly after a
great deal of time and expense . We
now , after nearly twelve months,
have the appropriate approvals from
government departments to com -
mence ."
He ended : "I trust you will convey
to the pool players in the U.K. that
there is very much going to be a
world final in Hong Kong and the
singles and doubles winner will be
invited to compete."
Herpol Ltd ., however , as British
organizers had heard nothing from
Farley apart from receiving a copy of
the letter to the British press. Chris
Albrow of Herpol said : "We are just
as confused as everyone else . We
were given to understand that there
were serious difficulties over the
American stage of the competition ."
He added that it had proved
impossible to contact Farley as the
telephone number and address on
his notepaper in Los Angeles had
proved to be out-of-date .
A B.B.C. radio program "Check-
point" - a topical news-discussion
program - took up the subject with a
series of interviews with players ,
location owners , co-ordinators , Her-
pol and the National Pool Council
which brought out a great deal of
criticism of the tournament and its
organization .
The B.B.C . investigator had
managed to contact Farley in
California by telephone during the
program and Farley confirmed that
the tournament was to continue, that
there was to be world finals in
mid-1979 and that he would
personally see to it that the British
stage was completed with the
winners taking part in the world
finals .
A week after that program ,
however Herpol said that they had
still not managed to contact
Farley- and the whole issue remains
just as confusing .
16
A pinball game
is its best
advertisement
By Louis Boasberg
It distresses this writer that manu-
facturers have neglected a part of a
flipper game , a video game , and a
shuffle alley that could be put to
better use . I refer to the door of the
back light box . Here is an empty
space that could be used to better
advantage than being just a blank
space , for example , a clever adverti-
sing message or motto which may
attract potential players or even
potential operator customers.
I believe the manufacturers have
neglected the rear of a pinball game
and other games as they believe that
the majority of games are operated
with their backs to a wall , and for the
most part , this is true . However ,
there are thousands of games
operated with the back of the game
in full view of the public , and it is not
a very aesthetic view to say the least.
Here are some suggestions for
lettering that could be screened or
stenciled on the back doors of the
back boxes on all flippers , video
games , and shuffle bowlers .
l. "Another famou s Bally (or
Gottlieb or Williams or ~tern or Alan)
flipper game"
2 . "Another famous (or exciting or
new) flipper game by Bally (or
Gottlieb or Williams or Stern or
Atari) "
3 . "Play flipper games for clean fun
and amusement"
4 . "Play flipper games for fun and
recreation"
5 . "For fun and skill play flippers "
6 . "A famous Bally (or Gottlieb or
Williams or Stern or Atari) flipper
game"
7 . "Play flippers for fun "
8 . "A Stern (or Bally or Gottlieb or
Williams or Atari) game"
9 . "Electric excitement- play flipper
pinball games"
10 . "For solid state fun - play
pinball"
Maybe manufacturers will scream
"high cost, unnecessary , ridiculous ,"
and they may be right, but anyway ,
it s only an idea .
CALENDAR
November 6-7
IEEE Chicago Fall Conference on
Consumer Electronics , Ramada
O'Hare Inn , Rosemont , Illinois
November 10-12
Amusement and Music Operators
Association , annual convention and
trade show , Conrad Hilton Hotel ,
Chicago , Illinois
January 14-15
Music Operators of Minnesota ,
annual convention , Holiday Inn ,
Minneapolis, Minnesota
January 19-21
Oregon Amusement and Music
Operators Convention , annual con -
vention , Valley River Inn , Eugene ,
Oregon
January 23-25
Amusement
Trades
Exhibition
(A.T.E.) annual trade show , Alexan-
dra Palace , England
February 2-4
South Carolina Coin Operators
Association, ann ual convention ,
Carolina Inn , Columbia , South
Carolina
May 11-12
Oh io Music and Amusement Asso-
ciation, annual convention and trade
show , Columbus Hilton Inn , Colum-
bus , Ohio
PLAY METER , October, 1978