Classic Mode

Play Meter

Issue: 1979 April 15 - Vol 5 Num 7

LAY
Voi.S, No.7
April15, 1979
••••••••••••••••••••••
Staff
Ill
• ••••••••••••••••••••••••
Trends In Shopping Center Developmenb
and How They Affect the
Publ isher and Editor:
Ralph C. Lally II
Amuaemertt lndll8try . ...................... • ...... 18
David Pierson
Many of the older shopping centers are expanding, and
that can mean good news for those operators who are
looking for a good location for their amusement centers.
Also, some helpful leads that might help you buttonhole a
developer or two.
. Managing Editor:
Marketing & Research :
Beau Eurell
Intern ational Editor:
David Snook
Editor, Coin Slot
Technical Editor:
Zac Oliver
Correspondents:
Roger C. Sharpe
Robin Minnear
DickWelu
Tom Howarth
Mary Claire Blakeman
Art Direction :
Katey Schwark
Administrative Assistant :
Valerie Mitchell
Typography :
Vickie Lofton
Circulation Manager:
Gloria Dering
Advertising Representative:
Ralph C. Lally II
European Representative :
Esmay Leslie
PLAY METER, April 15, 1979.
Volu me 5, No. 7. Copyright 1979 by
Skybird Publishing Company . PLAY
METER ( ISSN 0162-1343) is publish-
ed twice monthly on the 1st and 15th
of th e month . Publishing offices: 112
North Roadway, New Orleans, La.
70124, P. 0 .
Box 24170, New
Orleans, 70184 . Tel. : 504 / 282-0261 .
Subscription rates: U. S. and Cana-
da - $25; Europe and Japan - $45;
elsewhere - $50. One order subscrip-
tion : 2-9, $20 each; 10-24, $17 each;
25 or more , $15 each . Advertising
rates available on request . No part of
this magazine may be reproduced
without expressed permission. The
editors are not responsible for
unsolicited manuscripts . Second-
class postage paid at New Orleans
7011 3 and additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to
PLAY METER, P. 0. Box 24170,
New Orleans, La . 70184 .
You'll Rnd Pinball In Your Dairy c ... ,
and Fooeballln the Meat Counter . ............•.... 28
Managing Editor David Pierson has some suggestions on
game placement in your amusement center. The trick is
to treat your amusement center like a grocery store.
Using Your Bualnaaa Balance Sheet
for Inflation Managem81'1t • ..•••••••....••••••••••• &3
Louis Hohenstein, in the first of a two-part series, gives
some tips on how to use your business balance sheet for
your own benefrt.
Overcrowded Schools,
But No One wu Complaining ..............•..•... 18
It was an overflow crowd that attended this year's
AMOA-Notre Dame business seminar series, and PLAY
METER was on hand to file an exclusive report.
Headllnaa and Bahlnd-tha-Scanaa News
from Dick Walu ........................•.•......• Ill
We've all suspected for some time that Dick Welu might
have a touch of insanity in him. But after reading his
latest contribution, you might just start to wonder who's
sane and who's cuckoo.
CleMing House .................................. 84
Roger C. Sharpe has some words about the.sad shape of
many arcades in operation today.
From tile Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . 4
Mailbox . ......................................... 1
Colnman of the Month . ............................ 8
Operating . ................•..........•.•••...•.• • 18
Dl8'trlbU'tlrag. . . . . . . . . . . . • • . • . . . . . . . • • • . • . . . . . ...•• 24
Manufacturing . ...........••............•.......• 33
European office: PLAY METER Pro-
motions, " Harescombe" Watford
Road , Northwood Middx. England ,
Northwood 29244.
Western Regional Office: P. 0 . Box
692, Chatsworth , Ca ., 91311 . Tel. :
213/ 882-4005.
Music Research Dept.: Dennis Dan-
ko, Mgr.; Bonnie Focazio .
PLAY METER, April , 197l:f
Mualc Programming . ..•..•..••••...............•. 31
T ecltnlcel Toplca • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • &1
Critic' a Corrter ..•••••.••••.•••••••....••••••••••• •
New Products • ••.••••.•••••...•••••••••••.••••••• '70
Claulftad .....•.................................. 7&
3
In the few short years since Play Meter has been published , the arcade
segment of this industry has come a long way . For one thing , the success
of the arcade business has shown exactly how much money an operator
can make with his amusement machines .
And with inflation, taxes , and all those other nightmares - mi'lny
arcade operators are amazed at how street operators can survive while
giving away half (and sometimes even more) of their income to location
owners .
Arcade operators have prevailed and flourished , I think , mainly
because they are not burdened with fifty / fifty commission arrangements .
That extra income has enabled them to beef up their businesses with the
finest equipment and set it in the most attractive atmosphere possible .
Perhaps there is a lesson in all this for the street operator, even if he has
no intentions of ever opening up an arcade . Of course, every operator
can't be in the arcade business . Arcade operations today require vast
amounts of capital and locations are indeed limited . The arcade business
has therefore become a specialty business with its own set of particular
problems and procedures . Nevertheless , the street operator should start
thinking like them .
For instance , imagine each one of your locations as a mini-arcade , a
theme park , even if the location has only one machine . With a little
imagination and a bit of improvising on your part , you can make the
atmosphere in that location more attractive and thus stimulate more
business for both you and the location owner .
What I'm saying is that you should tailor your equipment to suit each
and everv location possible . Let's try this example : I've never seen a
coin -op game in a M cDonald's restaurant . But suppose some
enterprising operator approached a local M cDonald's store with a
typical Clowns video game or a cocktail pinball game set inside an
enclosure that resembled the M cDonald's clown or one of the other
. McDonald cartoon characters . It would make the concept of a coin -op
game in their store vastly more appealing . What's more you could sell
concepts like th is to new locations without having to mention a fifty / fift y
split. The reason is you 're an innovator in this new territory ; you're off the
beaten path . What you have to do is present the idea to these types of
locations as a service to their customers , an inexpensive form of casual
entertainment during their visit. Tell them your specialized equipment will
enhance the atmosphere of the entire location and would serve to
stimulate more repeat business for them .
Y ou may just find that the piece of equipment vou have in there will
outlast that same piece in any arcade . That's what I call gettinq the most out
o f your equipment - getting everything that drops in the cash can for the
longest period of time possible .
It's certainly no secret. The arcade operators have done it successfully .
Th ere's no reason why street operators can't. It's like the wise man said
'Y ou can't do anything by doing nothing .' So get to it!
Ralph C . Lally II
Editor and Publish er
PLAY METER, April , 1979

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