mockery when
when you
you think
think about
about the
the impact
impact it it hasn't
hasn't
mockery
had.
It's
still
an
industry
in
which
each
operator
has
had. It's still an industry in which each operator has
to
stand
on
his
own
and
fight
for
his
rights
before
to stand on his own and fight for his rights before
better equipped
equipped and
and supported
supported governing
governing bodies
bodies
better
tired of
of all
all the
the rhetoric
rhetoric about
about the
the innocence
innocence of
of the
the
tired
coin-op
business.
coin-op business.
AMOA can't
can 't be
be exonerated
exonerated of
of its
its
Even the
the AMOA
Even
inability
to
forge
new
ground
beyond
a
ruling
on
inability to forge new ground beyond a ruling on
jukebox licensing
licensing and
and other
other operating
operating fees.
fees. What
What
jukebox
about
the
image
of
the
industry
and
the
fact
that
the
about the image of the industry and the fact that the
stigma
still
lives?
As
for
the
local
state
associations,
stigma still lives? As for the local state associations,
some have
have made
made gallant
gallant efforts,
efforts, but
but by
by and
and large
large
some
they
are
nothing
more
than
a
way
for
friends
to sit
sit
they are nothing more than a way for friends to
down
and
talk
about
the
industry
while
comparing
down and talk about the industry while comparing
war stories.
stories.
war
of money
money used
used to
to keep
keep up
up the
the
And the
the waste
waste of
And
front
and
maintain
some
minor
degree
of
profes-
front and maintain some minor degree of profes-
sionalism is is amazing.
amazing. I I can't
can't get
get it it out
out of
of my
my mind
mind
sionalism
that
the
AGMA
spent
almost
$250,000
(a
figure
that
that the AGMA spent almost $250,000 (a figure that
was
almost
common
knowledge
in
the
industry)
to
was almost common knowledge in the industry) to
commission
a
public-relations
agency
to
create
the
commission a public-relations agency to create the
definitive document
document regaling
regaling the
the virtues
virtues of
of the
the
definitive
industry
to
those
in
the
outside
world
.
Anyone
who
industry to those in the outside world. Anyone who
saw the
the finished
finished work
work would
would be
be hard-pressed
hard-pressed to
to
saw
show
that
the
industry
was
best
served
by
the
intent
show that the industry was best served by the intent
or results
results of
of the
the entire
entire affair.
affair.
or
has gone
gone with
with no
no one
one to
to take
take responsi-
responsi-
And so
so it it has
And
bility
for
understanding
what
is
needed
to break
break
bility for understanding what is needed to
through
the
resistance.
The
industry
instead
left
through the resistance. The industry instead is is left
passively
heading
away
from
its
real
potential,
from
passively heading away from its real potential, from
what could
could have
have been.
been .
what
If
anyone
doubts
what I I say,then
say, then I I pose
pose a a chal-
chal-
If anyone doubts what
lenge
to
you.
See
what
greeting
you
will
receive
in
lenge to you. See what greeting you will receive in
almost
any
area
of
this
country
if
you
go
before
almost any area of this country if you go before a a
commission or
or board
board of
of approvals
approvals for
for busi-
busi-
zoning commission
zoning
"Despite the
the industry's
industry's past
past success
success
"Despite
and changing
changing social
social values
values across
across
and
the board,
board, somehow
somehow coin-op
coin-op games
games
the
still an
an annoyance,
annoyance, an
an enterprise
enterprise
are still
are
not to
to be
be trusted."
trusted."
not
ness. See
See what
what the
the response
response will
will be
be when
when you
you tell
tell
ness.
them
you
want
to
open
up
a
gameroom/family
them you want to open up a gameroom/family
amusement center/arcade-I
center/arcade-I don't
don 't care
care what
what you
you
amusement
want
to
call
it.
See
how
willing
they
will
be
to
listen
to
want to call it. See how willing they will be to listen to
your
appeals,
and
discover
first
hand
what
they
have
your appeals, and discover first hand what they have
the coin-op
coin-op industry.
industry. Witness
Witness the
the distaste
distaste
against the
against
and down-and-out
down-and-out disgust
disgust they
they have
have for
for the
the amuse-
amuse-
and
ment-game business.
business.
ment-game
doesn't matter
matter that
that an
an Arnie
Arnie Kaye
Kaye can
can chain
chain
It It doesn't
himself to
to a a building
building in
in Westport,
Westport, Conn.,
Conn ., and
and get
get
himself
approval
to
open
up
a
gameroom.
Or
that
in
in
that
Or
gameroom.
approval to open up a
84
84
Mesquite, Texas,
Texas, a a ruling
ruling can
can be
be made
made that
that doesn't
doesn't
Mesquite,
totally
destroy
opportunities
for
an
arcade
to do
do
totally destroy opportunities for an arcade to
business.
Or
that
a
video-game
character
can
be
on
business. Or that a video-game character can be on
and
in
a
children's
cereal
box.
Or
that
the
industry
and in a children's cereal box. Or that the industry
can help
help in
in the
the search
search for
for missing
missing children
chi ldren across
across
can
this
country.
Or
that
hundreds
of
thousands
of
this country. Or that hundreds of thousands of
dollars
can
be
raised
for
worthwhile
causes
and
dollars can be raised for worthwhile causes and
charities through
through arcade
arcade game
game tournaments
tournaments and
and
charities
marathons.
Or
that
local
gamerooms
work
together
marathons. Or that local gamerooms work together
with school
school boards
boards in
in rewarding
rewarding students
students for
for good
good
with
grades and
and attendance.
attendance. The
The list
list goes
goes on
on and
and on.
on .
grades
"Too many
many people
people want
want to
to see
see the
the
"Too
coin-operated amusement-game
amusement-game
coin-operated
location
go
away
completely.
To them
them
location go away completely. To
it's an
an inconvenience
inconvenience they
they want
want
it's
somewhere else-preferably
else-preferably the
the next
next
somewhere
town over."
over."
town
But in
in the
the final
final analysis,
analysis, when
when it it comes
comes to
to
But
society's
view
of
the
industry,
we're
really
no
better
society's view of the industry, we're really no better
off than
than when
when it it all
all began
began more
more than
than fifty
fifty years
years ago.
ago.
off
Sure,
there
are
more
cities
that
have
gamerooms
Sure, there are more cities that have gamerooms
(Los Angeles,
Angeles, Chicago,
Chicago, and
and New
New York
York in
in the
the 1970s
1970s
(Los
alone),
and
most
of
the
major
malls
have
opened
alone), and most of the major malls have opened
their doors
doors to
to some
some kind
k ind of
of youth-oriented
youth-oriented
their
game room attraction . But I still see remnants of the
gameroom attraction. But I still see remnants of the
witch hunts
hunts of
of the
the 1930s
1930s in
in my
my own
own back
back yard.
yard .
witch
Too
many
people
want
to
see
the
coin-operated
Too many people want to see the coin-operated
amusement-game location
location go
go away
away completely.
completely. To
To
amusement-game
them
it's
an
inconvenience
they
want
somewhere
them it's an inconvenience they want somewhere
else-preferably the
the next
next town
town over.
over. And,
And , when
when
else-preferably
some
lucky
person
gets
into
a
situation
in
wh
ich
he
some lucky person gets into a situation in which he
can
operate,
there's
always
the
gun
in
the
back
of
his
can operate, there's always the gun in the back of his
head that
that tells
tells him
him one
one false
false move-one
move-one screw-up
screw-up in
in
head
which
a
child
gets
hurt
or
drugs
are
found
or
rowdy
which a child gets hurt or drugs are found or rowdy
behavior disturbs
disturbs the
the surrounding
surrounding businesses
businesses and
and
behavior
city
fathers-will
mean
it's
all
over
but
the
shouting
city fathers-will mean it's all over but the shouting. .
It's shut-down
shut-down time.
time. Another
Another one
one bits
bits the
the dust,
dust, never
never
It's
to
appear
again.
to appear again.
So what
what about
about the
the future
future of
of this
this industry?
industry? Isn't
Isn't
So
the
answer
a
foregone
conclusion?
It's
just
a
matter
the answer a foregone conclusion? It's just a matter
of time
time before
before coin-op
coin-op self-destructs
self-destructs without
without ever
ever
of
really
tackling
the
key
problems
that
have
plagued
it
really tackling the key problems that have plagued it
always.
Maybe
it's
not
too
late
to
do
someth
ing
that
always. Maybe it's not too late to do something that
could have
have a a permanent
permanent effect,
effect, but
but I I see
see little
little time,
time,
could
energy,
and
concern
in
that
direction.
Instead,
each
energy, and concern in that direction. Instead, each
new
day
is
business
as
usual
;
everyone
is
satisfied
to
new day is business as usual; everyone is satisfied to
take
the
money
and
run
.
take the money and run.
It's too
too bad.
bad. The
The games
games and
and so
so many
many of
of the
the
It's
people who
who bring
bring them
them to
to life
life and
and nurture
nurture them
them on
on
people
the
street
deserve
more
than
to
lose
all
because
of
the street deserve more than to lose all because of
fear,
ignorance,
and
the
desire
to
fade
into
the
fear, ignorance, and the desire to fade into the
shadows in
in the
the hope
hope that
that danger,
danger, not
not noticing,
noticing , will
will
shadows
pass
by.
pass by.
PLAY METER,
METER, June
June 15,
15, 1986
1966
PLAY