Play Meter

UP FRONT
The 'NATIONAL PLAY METER' needs you!
I' m sure you have noticed the new equipment
poll, the " National Play Meter," and are probably
pleased about its changes . The biggest change is the
name of the poll itself. The appearance of the poll is
also different. Since the poll has been expanded to
two pages, we now have room to gauge pins and
videos' average weekly gross over a period of several
months.
The " National Play Meter" also features more
detailed information-the reason for the poll's over-
haul. For instance, conversions and lasers have
separate categories now, and they are ranked in street
and arcade locations.
The format of the questionnaire sent to operators
every two weeks has also been changed. It' s easier to
complete now, and operators give more specific
earnings information.
Though we compile the information that appears
on the " National Play Meter," you, the operator, are
the key to its success . Your participation has been
appreciated more than you may realize and it is
critical to the " National Play Meter. "
When someone tells me that the poll isn ' t
accurate or is misleading, I ask them if they partici-
pate. The responses vary. " No, because my operation
is too small to make any difference." " No, because I
don't have the top rated games." "No, because the
poll is fixed so that only the top manufacturers' games
are listed ."
STOP RIGHT THERE! These people are wrong on
all counts. The " National Play Meter" is ONLY, I
repeat ONLY, a compilation of information operators
supply . The magazine or anyone invol ved doesn 't,
has never, and will never even consider listing a game
that operators don ' t choose to be on the poll.
If only large operators or only small operators
responded to the survey, it would be a lopsided poll.
Every operator is invited to participate. We don ' t
expect to get the same respondents every time, but
we would like every operator to regularly take a few
minutes to complete the survey. We need every
response we get. In fact , we would like to get more
responses than we receive now.
Every operator who has looked at the " National
Play Meter" and said, "My games aren ' t doing that
well ," owes it to himself and to the industry to mail his
response. We don ' t ask for your name-only for
information that is used to let those in the industry
know what operators are buying or are having success
with .
There are always those who figure that the other
guy will do it. They tell themselves, " I' m not that
important. Who really cares what I think? " State asso-
ciations have put up with this attitude since they were
formed.
Please take the time either to look at the survey
that comes to your office or call or write to have your
name put on the list to receive the survey. I'll be
waiting to hear from you .
(Operator/ readers who want to participate in the
survey should write Play Meter, " National Play
Meter," P.O . Box 24170, New Orleans, LA 70184 .
Telephone: 504/ 488-7003 .)
~~
Valerie Cognevich
Editorial Director
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6
Pl.A Y METER. September 1 . 1984