Letters to
the editor • • •
Legal conversions
The time has come to speak of many
things ... Manufacturers have been asking
us to support their copyright rights. Your
magazine has pushed for legality ... and
many of us have supported the industry in
this way .
A year or so ago, legal conversions \'.ere
introduced by Gremlin as "Convert-a-
Games." Since that time, Gremlin hc.s only
released their second-rate games as
convert-a-games. Frogger did not appear
under the convert-a-game package and
neither did Zaxxon. I am sure that Gremlin
would answer with some type of non-
interchangeability problem, but you and I
know that any game can be switched to any
game by any technician with the exception
of X-y monitors.
We have attempted to buy as few
Gremlin pieces as possible. It is time that
the operator got his share of your copy-
right battle.
Larry Salganek
Videomonsters
Santa Fe,, N.M.
[Ed. Note: The following letter is a reply
from Duane M. Blough, president of
Gremlin Industries .]
Mr. Salganek brings to the fore several
issues which have significant bearing on
the well-being of our industry.
Copyright protection for originai design
video games is vitally important, not only
to the designer I manufacturer, but to the
distributor, operator, and video game
player, as well. Copyright protection
assures us all of a steady stream of creative,
new game concepts which can find their
way to an enthusiastic player-base within
the framework of an orderly market for
original new games.
As much as new technology is the "life
blood" of our industry, new technologies
alone are not the key to sustained market
development. A second and equally
important factor is the need to satisfy the
industry's ultimate customer, the video
PlAY METER. October 15. 1982
game player, with a continuing stream of
innovative new games. Only in this way
can Mr. Salganek, or any other operator,
continue to enjoy a high level of earnings-
and with these cash box earnings have
sufficient capital to purchase the new
equipment needed to maintain player
interest at its current high level.
Sega introduced its Convert-a-Game
and ConvertaPak concept in June 1981, in
response to what Sega foresaw as a funda-
mental economic requirement of operators
conducting business in a maturing market-
place. Within the 12 months following
June 1981, Sega introduced three Con-
vertaPak models- one for Sega's raster
monitor system and two models for Sega's
Colorbeam X- Y vector monitor system.
That none of these games was a block-
buster hit is certainly as disappointing to us
at Sega as it is to Mr. Salganek .
Frogger and Zaxxon were not released
as Convert-a-Games due to technological
incompatibility with Sega's Convert-a-
Game electronics system . Sega's Convert-
a-Game concept requires , for ease and con-
sistency of conversion, that both the old
and new games use a highly sophisticated
"universal" electronic system .
We believe it is important to emphasize
that Sega is committed to its Convert-a-
Game and ConvertaPak concept as an
economical way for operator"s, such as Mr.
Salganek, to acquire the latest new games
Audio VisuQI
Amusements
Offering the finest
new and used
equipment
REPRESENTING LEADI NG FACTORIES
• SALES, PARTS, SERVICE •
ARCADE PLANNIN G
SPECIALISTS
Every new and used video
in stock at all times
YOU'VE TRIED THE REST,
NOW TRY THE BEST
WE'RE EAGER TO SERVE
1809 Olive Street
St. Louis, Missou ri 63103
(314) 421 -5100
For further inform ation, call Pete Entringer
(co lle ct)
11