Play Meter

FROM THE
TiiE EDITOR
EDITOR
FROM
I I
Maybe It's
I( s Not
Not Such
Such a a Bad
Bad Idea
Idett
Maybe
inquiries to
to an
an operator
operator in
in the
the area.
area. There
There was
was a a flip
flip
you read
read your
your magazines
magazines back
back to
to front
front instead
instead of
of inquiries
f f you
side to
to this
this issue,
issue, too.
too. Joel
Joel told
told me
me how
how frustrating
frustrating it
it
the other way around, you probably already read the side
the
other way around, you probably already read the can be
to
pass
on
contacts
and
see
no
action
taken.
Joel
guest commentary
commentary on
on the
the last
last page
page by
by Maury
Maury Ferchen
Ferchen can be to pass on contacts and see no action taken. Joel
guest
one of
of the
the most
most honest,
honest, above
above board
board people
people I I have
have
defending
MMA's
position
on
exhibiting
at
location
shows. is is one
defending AAMA's position on exhibiting at location shows.
known
in
this
industry
and
is
gung
ho
for
his
product.
The shows
shows in
in question
question are
are geared
geared towards
towards certain
certain groups
groups known in this industry and is gung ho for his product.
The
He, and
and people
people like
like him,
him, are
are taking
taking their
their time
time (and
(and money)
money)
of
locations
such
as
bowling
centers,
truck
stops,
bars, He,
of locations such as bowling centers, truck stops, bars,
to
travel
to
a
show
to
promote
their
products
which
can
or convenience
convenience stores
stores which
which certainly
certainly represent
represent a a sizable
sizable to travel to a show to promote their products which can
or
help their
their operator
operator customers.
customers.
number of
of spots
spots suited
suited for
for coin-op
coin-op games.
games.
help
number
There's
a
lot
of
equipment
out there
there and
and it it is is admittedly
admittedly
Maury's comments
comments were
were in
in response
response to
to a a letter
letter from
from
There's a lot of equipment out
Maury's
difficult for
for distributors
distributors to
to promote
promote all
all of
of it it effectively.
effectively.
the Illinois
Illinois Coin
Coin Machine
Machine Operators
Operators Association
Association voicing
voicing its
its difficult
the
In
an
interview
with
Nintendo's
Frank
Ballouz,
he
stressed
concern over
over manufacturers
manufacturers showing
showing equipment
equipment at
at these
these In an interview with Nintendo's Frank Ballouz, he stressed
concern
the need
need for
for his
his sales
sales reps
reps to
to travel
travel with
with distributors
distributors
location shows
shows because
because the
the operators
operators feel
feel it it is is done
done so
so the
location
on
their
rounds.
"By
traveling
with
our
distributors'
manufacturers can
can secure
secure location
location customers
customers thus
thus bypassing
bypassing on their rounds. "By traveling with our distributors'
manufacturers
salesmen, we
we can
can explain
explain our
our product
product better
better than
than anyone,"
anyone,"
operators
and
even
distributors.
The
ICMOA
has
been
vocal salesmen,
operators and even distributors. The ICMOA has been vocal
Frank
said.
He
does
have
a
point.
Manufacturers
can't
the past,
past, one
one example
example being
being when
when AAMA
MMA decided
decided to
to Frank said. He does have a point. Manufacturers can't
in in the
rely solely
solely on
on distributors
distributors to
to promote
promote product.
product. No,
No, the
the
open its
its ASI
ASI show
show to
to the
the public
public on
on the
the last
last day.
day. ICMOA
ICMOA rely
open
manufacturers
must
find
other
ways.
sent a a caustic
caustic letter
letter strongly
strongly opposing
opposing that
that idea.
idea. Eventually
Eventually manufacturers must find other ways.
sent
like to
to make
make it it clear,
clear, though,
though, that
that I I am
am not
not talking
talking
I'd like
MMA
decided
against
it.
I'd
AAMA decided against it.
about
or
defending
those
manufacturers
who
sell
direct
truly admire
admire ICMOA
ICMOA for
for taking
taking the
the time
time to
to express
express about or defending those manufacturers who sell direct
I I truly
behind their
their distributors'
distributors' backs,
backs, nor
nor am
am I I talking
talking about
about
its opinions.
opinions. ICMOA
ICMOA represents
represents operators
operators and
and its
its job
job is
is behind
its
distributors
who
sell
direct
to
locations
behind
operators'
to keep
keep on
on top
top of
of the
the issues
issues affecting
affecting operators.
operators. In
In fact,
fact, distributors who sell direct to locations behind operators'
to
backs. Unfortunately,
Unfortunately, it's
it's true
true there
there are
are some
some that
that do
do and
and
it
should
be
a
number
one
priority
of
ALL
state
associations.
it should be a number one priority of ALL state associations. backs.
even
more
unfortunately,
there
will
always
be
some
who
But that's
that's not
not really
really the
the point
point I I would
would like
like to
to address
address even more unfortunately, there will always be some who
But
are less
less than
than ethical
ethical but
but there
there is is the
the same
same problem
problem in
in
here.
here.
are
any
industry.
What
I
am
saying,
though,
is
that
MMA's
have been
been to
to several
several of
of the
the location
location trade
trade shows
shows any industry. What I am saying, though, is that AAMA's
I I have
pulling out
out of
of trade
trade shows
shows sure
sure isn't
isn't going
going to
to stop
stop those
those
in
which
MMA
personnel,
several
manufacturers,
and
even pulling
in which AAMA personnel, several manufacturers, and even
people
but
it
may
help
others.
an operator
operator manned
manned the
the booths,
booths, exhibited
exhibited equipment,
equipment, and
and people but it may help others.
an
For years
years. there
there have
have been
been suggestions
suggestions and
and the
the hope
hope
talked
with
attendees
about
the
coin-op
industry.
I
have
For
talked with attendees about the coin-op industry. I have
that
someone
would
begin
a
campaign
to
promote
the
also seen
seen other
other manufacturers
manufacturers who
who have
have bought
bought their
their own
own that someone would begin a campaign to promote the
also
coin-op industry.
industry. Although
Although exhibiting
exhibiting at
at location
location shows
shows
booths to
to exhibit
exhibit equipment
equipment which
which isn't
isn't at
at all
all a a new
new idea.
idea. coin-op
booths
may
not
be
exactly
what
was
in
mind,
it
seems
like a a
Manufacturers
have
been
exhibiting
at
these
shows
for
Manufacturers have been exhibiting at these shows for may not be exactly what was in mind, it seems like
start, a a step
step in
in the
the right
right direction.
direction. AAMA's
MMA's David
David Weaver
Weaver
years. The
The only
only difference
difference is is that
that now
now it's
it's being
being done
done start,
years.
said
at
one
of
the
shows
that
he
would
love
to
see
operators
through
the
manufacturer's
association.
said at one of the shows that he would love to see operators
through the manufacturer's association.
participate. Maury
Maury Ferchen
Ferchen echoed
echoed the
the thought
thought by
by inviting
inviting
But
one
thing
stood
out,
and
that
was
that
none
of
But one thing stood out, and that was that none of participate.
the manufacturers
manufacturers or
or AAMA's
AAMA's Bob
Bob Fay
Fay or
or David
David Weaver
Weaver
the
were making
making any
any effort
effort to
to make
make deals
deals with
with locations.
locations. Their
Their
were
purpose
was
clear--to
promote
coin-op
games
and
the
purpose was clear -- to promote coin-op games and the
coin-op entertainment
entertainment industry
industry which
which they
they did
did very
very well.
well.
coin-op
In
fact,
Rowe
had
its
own
booth
at
the
truck
stop
In fact, Rowe had its own booth at the truck stop
show where
where I I chatted
chatted with
with Joel
Joel Friedman
Friedman for
for quite
quite some
some
show
time
on
this
very
subject.
He
knew
that
operators
felt
time on this very subject. He knew that operators felt
the manufacturers
manufacturers were
were out
out of
of bounds
bounds by
by showing
showing product
product
the
to
locations
but
he
assured
me
that
he
was
referring
all
to locations but he assured me that he was referring all
PLAY METER/July
METER/July 1987
1987
8 8 PLAY
AMOA to
to include
include operators
operators in
in the
the booths
booths during
during shows.
shows.
AMOA
Operators participating
participating in
in the
the AAMA
MMA exhibits
exhibits could
could be
be a a
Operators
surefire
way
of
assessing
the
true
value
of
the
shows
surefire way of assessing the true value of the shows
and convince
convince operators
operators that
that the
the intentions
intentions of
of the
the
and
manufacturers are
are honorable.
honorable.
manufacturers
~~~,,,,~(
h
enic
rie Cogn
Vale
Valerie Cognevich
Cognevich
Valerie
Editor
· · Editor