Classic Mode

Play Meter

Issue: 1981 June 01 - Vol 7 Num 10

Vol. 7, No. 10
June 1, 1981
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Staff
Publisher and Editor :
Ra lph C. Lally II
Editorial D irector :
David Pierson
Managing Editor:
Ra y E. Till ey
Administrative Assistant :
Valerie Cognevich
Art D irector:
Ka tey Schwark
Circu lation Manager:
Re nee' C. Pierson
Techn ica l W r it ers:
lac O liver
Rand y Fromm
Ji m Calore
Fran k Seninsky
Corresponde nts :
Roger C. 'Shar pe
Patri ck M-atthews
Dick Wel u
Irving Blackman
M ar C laire Blakeman
Tony Licata
Steve Kirk
Cla ssified Advertising:
alerie Cognevich
Advertising M anager:
David Pierson
European Repr esentative:
Esma y Leslie
PLAY METER , Ju ne 1, 1981.
Volume 7, o.10. Copyright1981 by
Skybird Publi sh ing Company. PLAY
METER (ISS
0162-1343) is pub-
lished twice monthl y on the 1st and
15th of the month. Publishing
offi ces : 320 O l d Ha mmond
Highwa y, Meta irie , La. 70005 ;
Mailing address- P.O . Box 24170,
New Or leans 70184. Tel. 504/838-
8025 . Subscription rates: U. S. and
Canada-$25 ; Europe and Japan-
$45 ; else where- $50 . M ultiple-
subscripti on orders : 2-9, $20 each;
10-24, $17 each ; 25 or more, $15
each. Ad verti sing ra tes available on
request. No part of this magazine
may be reprodu ced wi thout
expressed perm ission. The editors
are not respons ible for unsolicited
manuscripts. Second-class postage
paid at Springfield, Mass 01101 and
additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to PLAY
METER, P.O . Bo x 24170, New
Orleans, La . 70184
, ~tAY
IIIII
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Arcade Operators Survey .......................... 21
Th,e rey~nue int,a~e of arcades today and the playing
level is examined in this concluding portion of
results from PLAY METER'S first-ever arcade
operators survey.
AOE: The Operators Show ......................... 23
After the first run of the New Orleans show last year,
some exhibitors were dubious about its pull in
turnout. After the showing at AOE'81, the responses
were that it was a 'phenomenal' success. Here's a
report of the people, the firms, and the equipment
at this year's spring time show.
AOE Seminars ................................ .''i f . 33
The attendees raved about the quality of educat i o~al
sessions offered at the Amusement Operators
Expo'81. Her~'s a ..rundown of the seminars and a
look at"so.me of
people in attendance.
ine
Tokyo Huddle on 'The Copying War' ... .. .... . .... . 42
Japanese, American, and European games makers
recently hel9 a conference to work on the problem
of infringement on original games. They vowed to
pursue inter!)ati_onal action against program privacy,
as this dispatch tells.
From the Editor ................... .. ............... 4
,o Mailbox r. . . . . . . . . . . . ............. .. .......... ... . 7
Coin man ..................... -.... ... ........ .. .... 8
Equipm~nt Poll ....• : ............................. 14
News ......................................... 36-51
International · Datelines ............................ 50
T echniccil Topics .................................. 52 ~
·Frank's Cranks ...... ~ " .......... . .................. 56
Music Programming .. ~ ............................. 58
Critic's Eorner .................................... 60
New Products .................................... 63
Classified Advertising ............................ :66
News Briefs ...................................... 68
COVER . courtesy of Electronic Experie€tce . ~j/Y
amusement centers.
ir, .
European Office: PLAY METER
Promotions, '' Harescombe "
Watford Road, Northwood Middx.
England, Northwood 29244.
PLAY METER, June 1, 1981
3
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By now you are probably wondering what happened to your Update News
Edition of Play Meter this month? Or perhaps you are saying to yourself,
'Didn't I get my Play Meter two weeks ago? What's going on here,' you
may be asking. Well, worry no more. What you are holding in your hands
is the first complete twice-monthly edition of Play Meter. That's right,
from here on you will be receiving two full issues of Play Meter each
month. I realize that this change in Play Meter's frequency may have
come as a surprise to most of you, but it is an important step that we have
been working toward for quite a while now. At last, it has become a reality.
In the early days of Play Meter it was all we could do to put together a
sufficient number of ads and proportionate amount of editorial material to
come up with one issue each month. Now, all that has changed. The
industry has experienced such a phenomenal growth rate over the past
6 ~ years, something had to be done. It became obvious to us, as we were
witnessing and participating in the explosive growth period, that once a
month was simply not enough. Things are happening so quickly in this
ever changing industry that it is next to impossible for a monthly magazine
to keep pace with an industry that's growing and changing from week to '
week ...
As part of our continuing commitment to keep pace with and serve the,
industry we care so much about, we have committed ourselves to
publishing 24 full issues of Play Meter every year. Our goal is to provide
you, the operator, with the kind of information you need when you need it.
And because of our new frequency, you will be receiving thal~.rnformation
twice each month.
Thel'e is no question that we are all involved in one of the fastest growing
industries in the world. Independent research has revealed that over the
past several years, production of coin-op games has almost tripled. The
number of manufacturers has at least doubled. When we first started
publishing Play Meter-back in 1974, our mailing list consisted of some
7 ,000-plus names. Today, that mailing list totals in excess of 14,0d0 names.
The number of people receiving Play Meter each issue presently is 8,300
-60 percent more than last year alone. And that's not all. Take a look at
what equipment is costing these days. The cost of almost everything has
doubled. Operator income has been growing at a rapid rate. So has the
number of locations and players. Those are all signs of rapid growth in an
industry that is still in its infancy.
As the leading trade journal for this incredible industry, it is our primary
responsibiljty to change with the times and keep pace with the growth of
the industry. Coin-op business is becoming twice as big, twice as high, and
twi ce as profitable. In order to stay ahead, you're going to need to know
twice as much. That's why Play Meter is going to be hitting you twice a
month. As the industry gets bigger and better, so will Play Meter.
In closing, I would just like to express my sincere appreciation for the
thousands of Play Meter subscribers who have demonstrated their
continued confidence and support. I would especially like to thank those
of you who came from all parts of the U.S.A. and abroad to attend the
Amusement Operators Expo (AOE) here in New Orleans. Thanks for
your overwhelming display of confidence; the AOE was an outstanding
success.
Ralph C. Lally II
Editor and Publisher
4
PLAY METER, June 1, 1981

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