UP FRONT:
This report pleasing to present
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The annual issue on the state of the industry has been special for us since
the first one in 1977. Play Meter's founder , the late Ralph Lally , would spend
weeks compiling the figures , double check ing them , and finally releasing them
to the editors to write the report . After the report was written , he would become
a recluse as he pondered each word , again double checking the figures . Ralph
loved the coin-op industry and was never happier than when he was reading
the survey forms returned by operators . It amazed him how many operators
took the time to complete the four-page form .
As the numbers clicked , Ralph would proclaim excitedly that a suspected
trend indeed was verified by the survey . His ability to decipher the numbers
was uncanny. In his editorial in last year's state-of-the-industry issue , Ralph
said it was the first time he was not happy to present the results . The year had
devastated the industry. There seemed to be no reli ef in sight. The prognosis
was grim .
Ralph would have been pleased to present this year's report . Though the
journey has just begun on the road to recovery , at least the industry is headed
the right way- up instead of down .
The pencils and legal pads have been replaced this year by computer, and
the weeks of labor have been reduced to days, but Ralph 's spirit has been with
us all the way. Each statistic was checked and double checked , each survey
was scrutinized for accuracy, and the results were analyzed pa instakingly.
As in past years , the annual report ver ifies industry trends . This year was
rewarding because all figures point to a reviving industry, healthier operators ,
and a brighter future . But the numbers do not indicate fully the rejuvenation
because the survey was sent out in August and doesn 't reflect completely the
upward trend taking place now.
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Nonetheless, the report is encourag ing . All signs attest to balance in the
industry. Operators are finding the right mix of equ ipment concentrating on
pinballs , phonographs , novelty pieces , electron ic darts, and , of course , video ,
but in perspective .
A surprising aspect of t hi s year's report is the comparable averages of all
kinds of equipment . It's th e first year weekly gross averages of the main
equipment types have been so close . Videos , pins , phonographs, pool tables ,
and electronic darts all are earning well , and with fewer operators , most are
increasing their profits .
We are pleased to present this year's state-of-the-industry issue and the
hope and encouragement that goes with it.
Valerie Cognevich
Editorial Director