IEUIS BRIEFS
au Dawn Adorno
Bensar Co . Inc . of New Richmond, Ohio, distributor and jobber ,
closed its doors June 15 . Bensar President Clifford Rydell was u n-
available for comment ...... . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sega ' s Astron Belt has become the top game in Japan , according to
the Amusement Press~he game was released in Japan and is being read -
ied for the Amerlcan market . Namco ' s Pole Position has dropped to
Number Two on the poll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The U. S . District Court of Providence , Rhode Island , issued a tem -
porary restraining order in May on Eagle Conversions ( also known as
Glak ) . The order enjoins Eagle from the sale , distrib u tion , and oper -
ation of Mr . Do ! conversion kits , dedicated games , and all Mr . Do !
gr aphic materlal , i . e ., title header, monitor marq u is , control panels ,
and cabinet side graphics .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fewer jukeboxes were licensed this year in Ohio , according to
Ohio ' s Copyright Office ' s Licensing Division. Wh ile 181 operators
licensed 9 , 1 7 2 jukeboxes in 1982 , only 115 operators registered 6 , 939
jukes in 1983 . The Ohio Music and Amusement Association said t h at a
" confiscatory assessment is causing the demise " of j u keboxes ..... .... . .
Inn - Room Video Games Inc ., a California firm , has put video game
consoles in rooms in 15 hotels nationwide . The system is leased to
the hotels which then rent game cartridges to guests , generally for $5
per day .... . ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
While most video game companies are coping with financial set -
backs , home game producer Coleco Industries Inc . anno u nced its first
quarter profits and sales have more than tripled since the first quar -
ter last year . First quarter earnings in 1983 were $16 . 2 million or
$1 . 01 per share . This compares with 1982 first quarter earnings of
$4 . 5 million or 2 9 cents a share .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Citizens in Shreveport , Louisiana, helped defeat a proposed ordi -
nance to ban children 17 and under from playing video games d u ring
sc h ool hours . Area residents called the proposal unnecessary and unen -
forceable . Harold Rossbottom , owner of Automatic Amusement and Games ,
pointed out that a Louisiana state law allows children 16 and older
to decide whether they want to attend school . ...... .......... .... . .... .
International Game Technology has been named e x cl u si v e world wide
distributor of Fun Casino, a coin - op game designed and man u fact ured by
Stat u s Game Corporatlon . The game concept offers se veral games program-
med into one unit and was designed to allow for f u ture con v e r sion s as
new programs are developed . . ... . ....... . ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PLAY METER. August 1, 1983
107