VOLUME 7, NUMBER 20/ NOVEMBER 1, 1981
Publisher and Editor:
Ralph C. Lall y II
Editorial Director :
David Pierso n
Managing Editor:
Ray E. Tilley
Administrative Assistant:
Va ler ie Cog nevic h
Art Director:
Katey Schwark
Circu lation Manager:
Ren ee' C. Pi e rson
Typographer:
Sha ron McCall
Technica l Writers:
Randy Fromm
Zac Oliver
Frank Seni n sky
Correspond e nts:
Patric k Matthews
Roger C. Sha rpe
Mike Shaw
Cha rles C. Ross
Stephen Czetli
Robert Ro se nhouse
jane Peterson
Marion C utl e r
Classified Advertising:
Valerie Cognevich
Advertising Manager:
Dav i d Pierso n
European Representative:
Esmay Leslie
Illustrator:
Bob Gi uffria
PLAY METER, November 1, 1981.
Volume 7, No. 20. Copyright 1981 by
Skybird Publi shi ng Company. Play
Meter (ISSN 0162-1343) is publi she d
twice monthly on the 1st and 15th of
the mon th. Publishing offices: 508
Live Oak St., Meta irie, La. 70003; •
Mailin g address: P.O. Box 24170,
New Orleans 70184, U.S.A.; tel.:
504/838-8025. Subscript ion rates:
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$100 , air mail on ly. Multiple -
subscription orders: 2-9, $20 each;
10-24, $17 each; 25 or more, $15
each. Advertisi ng rates are available
on request. No part o.f this magazine
may be reproduced without
expressed permission. The editors
are not responsib le for unsolic ited
manuscripts. Second-class postage
paid at Metairie, La. 70002 and
addit ional mailing offices. Post -
master: Send Form 3579 to PLAY
METER, P.O. Box 24170 , New
Orleans, La. 70184.
Eu ropean Office: PLAY METER
Promotions, "Ha re sco mb e"
Wat ford Road, Northwood Middx.
England, Northwood 29244.
PLAY METER, November 1, 1981
~I.AY
EYEm
Th e Twice M o nthly Publica tion for the Coin Operated Entertainment In dustry
BPA C irc u lation Audit ap plied for
9
14
46
Th e Attack on Coin-Op Games
The almost mythologi ca l fear of amusement dev ices
co ntinu es tod ay in the government sector. In our
lead art icle on the subject, Roger Sharpe analyzes th e
rampant co n fu sion. A related article by Managing
Ed itor Ray Till ey g ives some g uidan ce on using t h e
press to favorable advantage. Other arti cles i n t his
issu e also re late to the probl ems of rep ressive
legislat io n and how a bet ter image ca n be attained by
operato rs.
Location Contracts for th e Industry
Walt Bohrer looks at th e operator's need for a
co ntractual agreement wit h h is loca tions. Fro m the
b asics of what shou ld be included, what makes a
co ntract lega l, an d why you may n eed one, Bohrer
goes on to exp lain what th e co ntra ct doesn't do. To b e
concluded in Play Meter, December 1 issue.
Viewpoint on Video
Returing to these pages are video rev iew co lumns, b y
popular request. We begin again with th is pair of
rev iewers-a na lyz in g new games from the distinct
p erspec tiv e of the p laye r .
Messers. Robert
Rosenhouse and Rob ert Karp make their Play M eter
debut.
COVE R CREDIT: Fireworks over · l!asca, Illinois
symbolize the fr iction generated for the co in industry
by local politicians, as r eported in this issue. Th e real
occasio n o f the sparklers on the cover, however, was
the recent gala meeting at Itasca for Bally dis tri butors,
on Bally's 50th anniversary . Photo courtesy of Bally.
DEPARTMENTS
4
Up Front
7
Mailbox
8
The Idea Bank
13
News
19
Equipment Poll
36
40
The Arca de School
42
Music Programming
48
Critic's Corner
51
New Products
55
Classified Advertising
Frank's Cranks
62 News Briefs
3