nEWS BRIEFS
au MIMe Shaw
Williams Electronics will withdraw from the Amusement Game Manufactur r Associa tion
because it doesn't believe the association is accomplishing what it wa intend d to do, said Williams'
Ron Crouse . Williams has been perturbed ov r th growing budg t at AGMA and is also uneasy with
the association's decision to hold a trade show within a cou pl of w ks of th Amu ement Op raters
Expo. Williams now joins Mylstar (formerly Gottlieb ) as major coi n-op gam manufactur rs who are
not members of AGMA . More details will app ar in th
ovember 15 Play M ter.
--·--
Operators in Delaware, Ohio, will save $10,000 in taxes in 1983 due to the elimination of a 5
percent gross receipts tax on all coin-operated amusements. City Attorney Robert Coldren said the
tax , in effect since 1950, was on shak y legal grounds becau se "so me " onsid r it an income tax , and
the city can legally establish only up to a 1 percent incom tax without a vot of the populace.
When asked if operators had requested rebate s of th tax e th
have paid ince 1950, Coldren
said " no." When asked if the operators might have a legal right to su h r bat , Coldren answ red
" no co mment. "
--·--
--·--
--·--
--·--
--·--
--·--
--·--
Banner Technical Trade School will off r a co ur eon the operation and maint nan ce of Ia er
disc units within its Electronic Game Repair our , a fiv -day em inar and workshop cur r ntl y off r d
throughout the Eastern United States. James Calor , th d esigner of th
our e, is publi her and editor
of Star Tech journal, a technical monthly for the amusem nt indu try.
Peter J. Curnin ha s b en appointed executive vic pre sid nt of Di gi tal ontrol , th e orcross
Georgia , countertop video game manufacturer. Curnin p nt 23 y ars with IBM . H i expected to add
expertise in the areas of corporate planning and finan ce .
The Warren Corporation of Stafford Spring s, Conne cticut , has b gun mark ting billiard fabri c.
To move the new product, the firm has hired Don Canfi ld Jr. who held a imilar posi tion with J. P.
Stevens & Company si n e 1972.
The Federal Aviation Agency has approved video game " trays" for u during comm rcial
flights , clearing the way for airlines to begin offering gam tra ys to pa
ng r in arly 1984 for in-
flight entertainment. The games will use liquid crystal di splay unit (LCD ) lik thos in pocket
calculators. Canadian Pacifi Air has completed in-flight t ting of th sys t m and i r port dl y
prepared to incorporate it in its package of custom r services.
The latest gimmick being marketed by the man who populariz d the pet ro k is a Vid o Game
Smasher, a plastic hamm r with an accordion-like h ad that do sn 't au
damage , yet provides an
unskilled player with a way to vent hi s frustrations . The produ c t is a r ation of Br tt Kingston , author
of the Student Entrepreneur' Guide. Kingston sa id the hammer might r pia
yo uth ' curr nt practic
of " whacking away at the machines."
The Yankee Group , a Massachusetts market tud co mpan y, pr di ts th r will be 28 .5 million
video game consol s in operation in Ameri ca by 1985. Tw lve p r ent of tho will be quipp d with
telephone modum for two-way communication.
130
PtA Y MITER. November 1. 198J