News briefs .... news briefs .... news I
Coin.:..op game machines may be introduced in the near future with
holography in their progranming. Already Atari, Inc. has developed a
home video model with holographic features, and that game was featured
by Atari at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. An Atari
spokesman responded to the question of an arcade model using the laser
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optics ~only by saying that "no model is at this point in production.
The technology of holograms for amusement game application has been
fined-tuned for some _time. For a report, see PlAY METER, December 15,
1980, page 120: "Arrazing Optics Will Enhance Coin-Op Games." ... '!:.,, ••
. . . . . Minnesota operators 'Were coming to grips with "gray area" gaming
equipment in early April. A written opinion was to be forthcoming from
the state attorney general's office on the borderline gambling equipment
at the request of the Music Operators of ·Minnesota, ·a spokesJIBn for
MOM said. A report will follow in PlAY METER. . ..................... .
. . . . . Jack LaHart, northern New York State operator for the past 3 0 yea'r'S ,
died suddenly on March 30. He had been an active prorroter of coin-op
games for a number of years, having launched the Northern New York
Eight'-Ball Tournament (the rrost recent outing of which was held April
3-4) five years ago, and being instrumental in providing games for
free play by athletes in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.
That locality is the base of operations of LaHart' s Upstate Vending
Service. LaHart, 58, was an Arm:! Air Corps veteran of World War II,
after which he entered a .vendiryg firm in his home area of upstate
New York. He and the surviving Mr>s . LaHart had three sons and three daugh.,..
ters. Son Bill LaHart will be Upstate Vending's president ...........•.••
. . . . . Centuri, Inc. has entered into a licensing agreement with Tehkan
International of Japan to manufacture Route 16, a new video driving
strategy game. On this game, accordipg to Centuri ~ident Ed Miller,
an "elite" version will add to Centuri 1 s product line, which now
includes upright and cocktail sizes, as well as its 2001 jukebox.
Deliveries of Route 16 in uprights were set to begin 1n April .........•
..... Mrs. , Anwar Sadat, wife of the president of Egypt, recently played
an American pingame in Chicago. The occasion was her visit to a
rehabilitation facility in Chicago for the handicapped. She saw
derronstrated the "sip and puff" game adaptation which enables handi-
capped persons to play the game ........................................ .
..... Bally Manufacturing Corp. served as an official sponsor of the 1981
Women's Avon Tennis Tournament held in Chicago January 26-February 1,
Bally and Midway games were placed in the tournament competitors'
dressing room for their enjoyment. A private tournament was held on
the games to derronstrate skills in amusement games as well as tennis .••.
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PLAY METER, June 1,1981