NEWS
llltEfS
. . . . . The opening days of spring gave PLAY METER's first ever
Amusement Operators Expo a warm reception in New Orleans March 20-22.
New games for the year debuted, and some trends for the new decade
were indicated. Attendance was marked from a wide area of the United
States, Canada, and abroad.
Fifty-five exhibits occupied 140 booths in the Imperial Ballroom
of the elegant Fairmont Hotel. Each pinball manufacturer took the
wraps off a new game, including Williams with Firepower; Stern with
Ali; Gottlieb, Circus; Game Plan, Super Nova; and Bally, Space
Inv'Clders.
Top videos at the show were headlined by Rip Off by Cinematronics--
as well as Astro Fighter by Data East (licensed to Gremlin in the
upright configuiation), Universal's Cosmic Alien, Exidy's Bandido,
and Taito's Lunar Rescue.
"It was an operators' show, which was our aim," said PLAY
METER Editor and Publisher Ralph C. Lally II. Interest in seminar
sessions, he noted, was very high.
A total of 400 operators took advantage of the seminar program
that was offered. Topics of high interest included depreciation,
negotiating commissions, business forms and record keeping, shopping
center leasing, marketing tactics for the arcade operator, technical
trouble shooting, token operations, business methods, and promotional
ideas.
Lally announced that the AMusement Operators Expo for next year
will again be staged in New Orleans because, as he said, "the response
of attendees to the show was overwhelminqly in favor of returning
to this city for the next show." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. .. . . Unconfirmed reports indicate ASCAP has set down en masse on
jukebox operators in the Midwest. According to at least source,
several operators who are not in compliance with the existing jukebox
copyright law have been hit with large lawsuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . A measure has been introduced in the state of New York to allow
c i t i e s " h a vi n g a p o p.u l at i on o f one m i l l ion o r m o r e " the p r i vi l e g e
of taxing coin-operated amusement devices $250 per year per
machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.. . .. Maine vot€rs in a statewide referendum March 10 rejected the
use of electronic slot machines in bars and clubs to benefit charitable
groups. The vote upheld a ban passed in 1979 by the legislature .
. . .. . A three percent price increase on Atari's Asteroids went into
effect February 22. The reason for the price increase, .according to
Atari officials, was because of "price increases at the supplier
level. " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
01 /\V ~~I=TI=D
M""
1QAI'I