UP FRONT
This year will mark Play Meter's eighth appearance
at the AMOA Show. Yet is seems like only yesterday
that we were running around the show floor proudly
handing out copies of our first edition. I'm almost
embarrassed when I look back at those early issues of
Play Meter. But then , I didn't come from a publishing
background. I then knew very little about the
magazine business and English was, without a doubt,
my worst subject in college. My background was the
coin machine business-four years in the full line
vending and four years in music and games. Those
eight years taught me there was a real need for a trade
publication for the amusement industry. My goal,
therefore, was not to produce a pretty magazine but a
meaningful one. Operators were desperate for more
information and Play Meter became dedicated to that
need .
Well , we've all come a long way since those early
days. The industry has grown and changed, and so
have we. I have always felt that the growth of Play
Meter closely reflects the growth of the industry. As
the industry grows and changes , so does Play Meter.
Growth and change go hand in hand, and together
mean progress for the industry. Play Meter has gotten
a lot bigger, a lot prettier, and a lot more meaningful.
Over the same period of time the industry has gotten
bigger, more respectable, and more sophisticated.
This great industry of ours is ever changing and
ever growing. And the point I am trying to make here
is that, no matter who you are or what your role is in
this industry, being able to react to change and
growth is essential to your success and the eventual
success of the entire industry. While this is true for all
sectors of this functioning industry, it is even more
vital to this industry's national operators association-
the AMOA.
A few of our readers have complained to us in
recent months about the criticism we levelled at the
operators ' national association during the past year.
These complainers were actually a very small minority
of those who responded to our series of articles on
the AMOA this past summer. But there was
something disturbing about their complaint that I
would like to address.
Curiously , even these complainers agreed the
fault we found with the AMOA was real. But they
PLAY METER , December 1 , 1981
went on to ask what was the purpose of the criticism .
Why criticize the AMOA? We heard that time and
again from those who could find no other defense for
the AMOA's foibles. Why criticize the AMOA?
Why criticize the AMOA?. Such a statement
assumes that it's not enough these days to tell the
truth. You must also have a reason to tell the truth.
That, I find distributing. But it just so happens there is
a good reason for our criticism of the AMOA. And it's
the same reason this magazine has been so outspoken
in the past, and will continue to be in the future.
If it's for the good of the industry, we'll do it every
time. That's why we criticized the AMOA. Sure, this
industry is enjoying great times, the best times ever.
The machines the manufacturer are making right now
are drawing in quarters as though there were magnets
in the bottoms of those cashboxes. But if the
operators' national association doesn't get on the ball
soon and start addressing itself to the real problems in
this industry, then we'll all be swamped by negative
public reaction and the resulting adverse
legislation-all of it because the AMOA was
somewhere else smelling the roses or tilting windmills
while there was a job to be done.
In fact, the AMOA has not been doing its job. And
even the most loyal AMOA supporter cannot deny
that. But we have to have the courage to admit to it.
Otherwise, if this industry flounders because no one
had the courage to speak up, then this industry would
be deserving of any fate dealt it.
Nobody wants to see the AMOA done in. We all want
to see it serve its true purpose.
We feel confident changes can be made to make
the AMOA responsive to the needs of this industry.
But it will require that we all get involved to affect
these changes ourselves. For our part, Play Meter will
continue to do its part in this effort.
~+-
Ralph C. Lally II
Editor and Publisher
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