Play Meter

of living. The game owner must also pray that the game will last in popularity for one year and also render enough to pay for the next generation of "hot" games. Prices of our games have rocketed from $800 a few short years ago to an average of $2,500-$3,000 today. With the price and overhead factors rapidly increasing, I estimate we must take in three times the cost of the game to earn our first quarter! Also, due to the exorbitant interest rates today, we are forced to buy for cash, resulting in being able to operate fewer games without city councils trying to limit us to one or three at each location. Few of the bureaucrats in city halls have ever had to meet a payroll or pay rent. Most City Council elected officials are relatively wealthy and represent the Establishment more than the small businesses in the community. I have learned even the Chamber of Commerces do not represent small business interests; the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce once panicked when I recommended a gross receipts tax for our gamesbecause the prominent Chamber members who now pay less than $100 a year would have been severely hurt. 10 Last, but not least, businesses we serve by providing amusement games on a 50/ 50 commission basis desperately need the games revenue to keep consumer prices down, counteract rising rents, utilities, labor costs, and general overhead. Ron Rosen, owner, Rosie's Ice Cream Parlor in Arcadia-a model of small business and old fashioned service- will bluntly tell customers the games we provide have already saved him from bankruptcy. Without the freedom to operate as many games as he deems wise and prudent to his own operation, there may not be a Rosie's Ice Cream Parlor. I might add, thanks to Rosen's outstanding management, we have never had a police problem with as many as 12 games in that location. An equal number of adults as young people continue to enjoy the combination of old-fashioned service, delicious ice cream, banana splits, fat hot dogs, and thick shakes, along with the excitement of futuristic electronic games. The cycle of "We've got trouble right here in River City" has been going on since pool tables were introduced. At one time in Arcadia, when games were once banned, it was necessary to put a coin in a jukebox to activate a pool table! My hat's off to the Pasadena city attorney's office employee who summarized, "Little cities concern themselves with little issues." The games business is in the process of maturing and escalating to sophisticated, new computerized entertainment and business services. My personal vision to establish a Business and Leisure Entertainment Center, with many computerized coin-op or token machines dispensing everything from games to library services, could be severely retarded by current politicians e na cting over-reactionary laws. These laws could even retard other legitimate businesses, such as computer stores, from offering computer, coin-opped terminals as a general service. Perhaps all we'll see by 1984 is the big video screen with Big Brother beamed from City Hall. Sincerely yours , Gene Beley, president Android Amusement Corp. Monrovia, California cc: President Ronald Reagan, White House and others PLAY METER, April 15, 1982