FROM THE
THE EDITOR
EDITOR
FROM
TECHHOlOGY,
TECH
NOLOGY,
OUR MAP
MAP
OUR
Tl THE
THE FUTURE
FUTURE
TO
The open
open society,
society, the
the unrestricted
unrestricted access
access to to knowledge,
knowledge, the
the unplanned
unplanned and
and
The
uninhibited association
association of
of men
men for
for its
its furtherance
furtherance--these
are what
what may
may make
make a a
uninhibited
-- these are
vast, complex,
complex, ever
ever growing
growing ever
ever changing
changing ever
ever more
more specialized
specialized and
and expert
expert
vast,
technological world,
world, nevertheless
nevertheless a a world
world of
of human
human community.
community.
technological
-:J.
Robert
Oppenheimer--
-- J. Robert Oppenheimer --
W
W
hen Orville and Wilber escaped the boundaries of
Then
Orville and Wilber escaped the boundaries of
imagination and did what no one thought possible,
imagination and did what no one thought possible,
the idea
idea of of man
man flying
flying became
became stark
stark reality
reality instead
instead
the
of
frivolous
speculation.
When
man
broke
the
sound
of frivolous speculation. When man broke the sound
harrier with
with unbelievable
unbelievable speeds,
speeds, space
space flight
flight was
wJs in in the
the
barrier
realm
of
possibility.
The
day
the
first
horse
went
into
realm of possibility. The day the first horse went into
cardiac arrest
arrest at at the
the sight
sight and
and sound
sound of of early
early automobiles,
automobiles,
cardiac
man's
future
of
automobile
transportation
had
begun.
man's future of automobile transportation had begun.
We now
now take
take it it all
all for
for granted.
granted. Meetings
Meetings held
held at at the
the
U We
other
side
of
the
country
are
not
only
possible
other side of the country are not only possible
commonplace thanks
thanks to to the
the Wright
Wright Brothers;
Brothers; a a man
man on
on
commonplace
the
moon
is
no
longer
the
exclusive
subject
for
science
the moon is no longer the exclusive subject for science
fiction writers,
writers, thanks
thanks to to man's
man's perseverance
perseverance in in the
the face
face of
of
fiction
impossibility;
and
cars
...
well,
what
would
we
do
without
impossibility; and cars ... well, what would we do without
them! All All because
because someone
someone faced
faced the
the impossible
impossible with
with a a
them!
gleam in their eye and an idea in their mind and
gleam in their eye and an idea in their mind and
combined it it with
with available
available technology.
technology.
combined
The coin-op industry is certainly no different. The
The coin-op industry is certainly no different. The
industry began with simple machines, pinballs based on
industry
began with simple machines, pinballs based on
pure luck. A game designer named Harry Mabs working
pure luck. A game designer named Harry Mabs working
for D. D. Gottlieb
Gottlieb & & Company
Company invented
invented flippers
flippers in in 1947
1947 for
for
for
a game called Hump!}' Dumpty Pinballs, for this reason ,
a game called Humpty Dumpty. Pinballs, for this reason,
are sometimes
sometimes referred
referred to to as as flipper
flipper games.
games. Technology
Technology
are
continued to influence flipper games as electro-mechanical
continued to influence flipper games as electro-mechanical
games were replaced hy "new-technology" solid state
games were replaced by "new-technology" solid state
games in in the
the 70s.
70s.
games
During that decade another technological advance was
During that decade another technological advance was
being conceived by an man named Nolan Bushnell. He
being conceived by an man named Nolan Bushnell. He
utilized a relatively new technology and placed simple
utilized a relatively new technology and placed simple
action on
on a a black
black and
and white
white monitor
monitor and
and gave
gave us us Pong.
Pong.
action
He
broke
the
harriers
of
what
could
and
what
could
not
He broke the barriers of what could and what could not
he
done.
His
technological
breakthrough
changed
the
be done. His technological breakthrough changed the
coin-op industry more drastically than anything ever had
coin-op industry more drastically than anything ever had
before.
before.
Kids today
today are
arc sometimes
sometimes referred
referred to to as as living
living in in the
the
Kids
computer generation. Computers are an advanced
computer generation. Computers are an advanced
technology in itself, and yet, like cars and airplanes, they
technology
in itself, and yet, like cars and airplanes, they
are pretty much taken for granted. The possibilities of
are pretty much taken for granted. The possibilities of
these complex machines boggle the imagination. An IBM
these
complex machines boggle the imagination. An IBM
representative once told us that a computer could do in
representative once told us that a computer could do in
five minutes what it would take over 20 employees to do
five minutes what it would take over 20 employees to do
in a work week! And this technology is at the core of our
in a work week! And this technology is at the core of our
coin-op entertainment industry. The technological possibilities
coin-op entertainment industry. The technological possibilities
Pl.A Y METER/March
METER/ March 1987
1987
6 6 PLAY
are limitless
limitless but
but are
are limited
limited only
only through
through the
the human
human
are
imagination.
When man's
man's imagination
imagination lets
lets loose
loose and
and combines
combines with
with the
the
When
latest
technologies,
the
games
born
of
that
marriage
will
latest technologies, the games born of that marriage will
boggle
our
minds.
just
look
how
laser
technology
was
put
boggle our minds. Just look how laser technology was put
to
use.
Although
it
didn't
do
what
we
had
hoped
for
the
to use. Although it didn't do what we had hoped for the
industry, its its applications
applications were
were amazing,
amazing, the
the games
games
industry,
extraordinary. The
The technology
technology goes
goes far
far beyond
beyond what
what the
the
extraordinary.
coin-op
industry
saw
or
may
see
for
a
long
time.
But
that
coin-op industry saw or may see for a long time. But that
technology
is
being
refined
and
we
may
see
it
reappear
technology is being refined and we may see it reappear
some day
day more
more spectacular
spectacular than
than we
we can
can picture
picture even
even in in our
our
some
wildest
dreams!
I'm
in
awe
of
the
new
home
games
that
wildest dreams! I'm in awe of the new home games that
will allow
allow players
players to to interact
interact with
with the
the TV
'IV screen
screen by
by shooting
shooting
will
images
with
a
special
gun.
And
it
leaves
me
wondering
images with a special gun. And it leaves me wondering
where it it will
will all all end.
end. However,
However, I I then
then realize
realize that
that it it doesn't
doesn't
where
really
have
to
end
anywhere
as
long
as
man
has
the
really have to end anywhere as long as man has the
unrestricted access
access to to knowledge
knowledge and
and the
the uninhibited
uninhibited
unrestricted
association of of men
men for
for its its furtherance.
furtherance. That
That truly
truly is is what
what
association
makes for a vast, complex,ever growing, ever changing, ever
makes
for a vast, complex,ever growing, ever changing, ever
more specialized
specialized and
and expert
expert technological,
technological. world.
world.
more
As you study the new games at ACME '87, you will be
As you study the new games at ACME '87, you will be
seeing equipment
equipment that
that is is the
the latest
latest in in technological
technological
seeing
advancement; the
the product
product of of man's
man's ability
ability to to combine
combine
advancement;
technology and imagination--games to spark the player's urge
technology and imagination -- games to spark the player's urge
to become a part of modern technology.
to become a part of modern technology.
Technology is advancing beyond man's imagination but in
Technology
is advancing beyond man's imagination but in
the future, when imagination catches up with the
the future, when imagination catches up with the
technoloi,'Y--watch out! But this is really a misnomer because
technology
-- watch out! But this is really a misnomer because
when man's imagination catches up to current technology,
when man's imagination catches up to current technology,
the technology will, once again , be one step behind the
the
technology
will, imagination.
once again, I be envision
one step someone
behind reading
the
soar
boundless imagination.
soar of of boundless
I envision someone
reading
early issues
issues of of our
our magazine
magazine and
and wondering
wondering how
how we
we could
could
early
have
been
so
primitive;
and
I wonder what the industry will
have been so primitive; and I wonder what the industry will
like beyond
beyond the
the future
future we
we are
are experiencing
experiencing now.
now.
be be like
imagination.
Va ~ich~
leria Coqueich
Valerie Cognevich
Editor
Editor