What do motion pictures, recorded music, television , sporting events ,
books , and amu sem ent mach ines all have in common? The answer is
simple . They are all forms of entertainment that appeal to the general
public . As such , they have all become increasingly more popular over the
past decades . Some forms of entertainment have made greater strides
than others , but for the most part all have done well . Indeed a number of
interesting parallels could be observed when comparing these forms of
entertainment and a great deal can be learned .
Second question . How does the amusement machine industry differ
from these other entertainment -oriented industries? The answer here is not
so simple . One might say that the coin operated aspect of this industry is
the major difference . But realistically speaking , the method of payment the
customer uses to purchase the entertainment is rather insignificant. The
answer to this question is not as obvious as you might think , but with a little
help the answer , I think , will come clear to you .
There are literally hundreds of magazines and newspapers that regularly
publish reviews of current and soon -to-be-released motion pictures . Even
television networks have their own movie critics . The motion picture trade
press takes the matter further and not only gives ratings to the various
movies , but also print box office receipts of premier showings . And , of
course, the motion picture industry has their Academy Awards whereby
the films and film makers are distinguished .
Record magazines and radio stations all have their own methods of
receiving new releases and establishing a Top 100 or whatever. On any
given week , it's a simple matter for anyone to find out what the most
popular songs in the country are . Record charts and reviews are
commonplace in the recording industry and serve a very useful purpose .
And like the motion picture industry , the recording industry has its own
awards presentations to honor excellence.in the trade .
Where would television be without its Neilson ratings? Television
executives would never be able to determine what shows were being
watched and which were not. They would, therefore , be totally unable to
program their networks properly . Because of the Nielson ratings , television
networks can spot a bad show almost immediately . And, of course ,
television (like the record and motion picture industries) has its own system
of honoring excellence within the trade - the Emmy Awards .
Sports enthusiasts have no trouble following the progress of their
favorite teams and players . The Associated Press and the United Press
International publish weekly standings of the top twenty teams, in addition
to a plethora of statistical information . And all the awards presented to
these gifted athletes every year are too numerous to mention .
Even books , as a form of entertainment, are held under this kind of
scrutiny . Today book reviews are found in almost every major newspaper
and many magazines . National best sellers lists are maintained by the
newspapers and bookstores to keep the public informed on the most
popular books out at any particular time . And , of course, you have your
Pultizers and National Book Club Awards to boot.
By now the answer to my second question should be obvious . The
amusement machine industry has no system of reviewing , evaluating , or
even rewarding new games released on the market. So far , all we've got is
" Critic's Corner ," and that only reviews new pingames . Some say one
person 's opinion is not enough . We couldn 't agree more . But one is far
better than none , for there is an obvious lack and a definite need for this
type of information . Operators are sick and tired of buying equipment in
the dark . It's time someone turned on the light .
I fully realize that there can never be a completely foolproof system of
evaluating new games, but anything is better than what we have now .
Therefore , I urge all of you to let us know your feelings on this matter.
We'd like to hear from operators , distributors , and manufacturers alike .
Agree or disagree . It's your industry , and you can fashion it the way you
want it. If that means making more information available , so be it.
---
Ralph C. Lall y 11
Edit or and Publisher
4
PLAY METER, March,1979