IEUIS BRIEFS
I
IU Dawn IMrna
Williams Electronics Inc. President Michael Stroll said that the
company anticipates revenues and earnings for its third quarter ended
June 30, 1983, to be 20 percent lower than those of the same period
1982. Revenues and earnings will also be lower than both the first
and second quarters of this year. One possible cause for the earn-
ings drop is that unit sales of Sinistar and Bubbles did not reach ex-
pectations. Williams also announced it plans to 1ntroduce two new
games in mid-August ................................................... .
ShowBi~ Pizza Place Inc. has begun installing Cinematronics' Dra-
gon's Lair in its 140 locations nationwide. As of July 5, the company
installed the laser disc game in Atlanta, Athens, Cincinnati, Houston,
New Orleans, Mobile, Seattle, Denver, Fort Collins, Dallas, Fort Worth,
and all its Florida sites ............................................. .
Operators in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, decreased the number of
their amusement machines after the city imposed a $100 flat fee on
ea ch mechanical device in June. The city's original ordinance asked
f or a 10 percent gross receipts tax. But, although there were almost
500 machines in the area, the city collected only $10,000 in taxes--
about $2 0 per machine. According to James F . Cooney, city finance dir -
ector, the honor system did not work, so the city came up with the
flat fee on amusement machines ........................................ .
Head instructor Randy Fromm, of Randy Fromm's Arcade School,
announced changes in the 1983 class schedule because "it is increas-
ingly impractical to spend so much time on the road." The five-day
training course in electronic game repair will reinstate its monthly
classes in San Diego. Sessions will now be held August 8-12, September
12-16, October 3-7, November 7-11, and December 5-10. For informa-
tion, call 619/286-0172 ............................................... .
The Family Arcade Operators of Arkansas Inc. elected officers in
February . Officers include Lowell Chrisco, president; Cliff Wright,
executive vice president; Larry Koehler, vice president; and Ben Rice,
secretary/treasurer. Group members were successful in killing anti-
token legislation in the Arkansas Senate after it had passed the House
76- 2 . (Play Meter, June 15, p. 132) ................................... .
Video Music International Inc. has signed contracts with IRS Rec-
ords, the Welk Music Group, and the ATV Music Group to use their com-
po si tions and software on VMI's Startime Video Jukebox ................ .
Warner Communications $283.4 million second quarter loss reflected
problems with its Atari divison, company officials said. Warner pre-
dicts a profitable second half, however ............. : ................. .
The French Senate voted to make illegal the manufacture, distribu-
tion, a nd operation of allgaming devices before it adjourned June 30
for summer recess. The ruling includes all slots, video card games,
and AWP machines. An estimated 65,000 games in existing locations will
be removed, causing the unemployment of approximately 15,000 people ....
100
PLAY Mffift.. Septemb..- 1. 1983