Play Meter

has been done by this division to the
coin-op industry over the past
couple years.
I now believe, and have believed
for a long period of time, that the
home video game industry has done
more harm to those in the coin-op
industry than any other single thing.
To those that say the industry has
been helped by the home video, just
try to explain to an uninformed
adult (also known as the buyer of the
home video system) that there is a
difference between his Frogger at
home and the one that is in the
arcade.
I know that there is a difference
and you know it too. But the adult
bought this system for his kids so he
could save money by not having to
spend his quarters in your arcade.
He doesn 't realize that by the time
he bought 10 cartridges and the
main game system that he spent
more than if he had gone to the
arcade in the first place.
Now the problem is not exactly as
simple as it sounds . If these games
had been called something different
than the arcade names, the problem
would not have been nearly as bad as its current state.
I would urge all manufacturers to
it was. But the manufacturers of
these home video games learned immediately stop all licensing of
several years ago that the home arcade name video ga mes tO the
ca rtridges th a t didn't have the ho me market. Let the ho me market
arcade name on them would no t sell. come up with its o wn games. Let the
So you and I, the people that bought home m arket spend its mo ney to get
these games and exposed them to the exposure fo r its games .
If the manufacturers will just go
the pu blic, were the ones getting the
along with this o ne thi ng, the coin-
short end of the stick.
I realize that the licensing of op industry will be in much better
arcade games by the coin-op manu- shape.
I welco me your co mme nts o n the
facturers to the home video manu-
facturers is a source of added reve- subject.
Benjamin M . Mandell
nue. This additional source of reve-
Sir Goony G o lf of Charlotte
nue to the manufacturers is coming
Charlotte, N o rth Carolina
directly out of the operator's pocket.
This may not have been the intent,
but it is the effect.
Something on yottr m ind you want to
If a giant company like Atari, vent? Got a g ripe? Full of praise? Have a
which is a division of a company like question? If you have co mments on th e
coin operated entertainment indust ry,
Warner Brothers, which has sub- writ e t o Play Merer. Our "Letters to th e
stantial resources lost all of this Editor" columns are dedicated to y ou, th e
money on the home video games, it operato r/ reader.
AI/ lett ers must be sig ned; if requested,
makes me wonder why it messed
only initials will be used or the nam e
with it in the first place.
withheld f rom p rint. Please include return
If the manufacturers can learn address. (Alth ough. f or the sake of yo ur
something from this Atari venture, I p rivacy, addresses will not be printed. ) A ll
along with a lot of o perators would lett ers subject to standa rd editing. Be
conciSe.
feel bet ter about this industry given
And a full range of. products!
Ardac • Automatic Products • Bally/ Midway • Centuri
Cinematronics • Dynamo • Exidy • Game Plan • Moyer-Diebel • Mylstar
Nintendo • NRI • NSM • Rock-Ola • Stern • Universal • Valley
Mountain Coin Machine Dist.
UTAH
COLORADO
ARIZONA
NEW MEXICO
IOWA
8
3753 S. State • Salt Lake City 84115
300 W. 53rd Pl. • Denver 80216
3850 N. Van Buren • Phoenix 85009
2910 4th St. NW • Alburquerque 87107
751 E. Broadway • Des Moine 50313
801/ 262-5493
303/ 296-2060
602/ 269-7596
503/ 345-7706
515/ 282-6211
PLAY METEP., Octob•r 1. 1984