Play Meter

The crossroads crossroads between between the the The past luture ure past AND fut AND FROM THE EDITOR I "Butman manmust must "But lightfor forman man light Thefires fires no no The othercan' can' other his Andfind findininhis And own eye own eye VVherethe thestrang strange Where e crossroads lie. lie." crossroads t was just 3 0 years into the new century when t was 30 years into the"I've newgot century Coward proclaimed, those when weary oeljust Noel Coward proclaimed, "I've got those weary 20th century blues." Now nearly 70 years later, 20th century blues." Now nearly 70 years later, I think a whole nation could shout Mr. Coward's I think a whole nation could shout Mr. Coward's words from the rooftops. words fromanticipating the rooftops. We're a new century with unspo- Som e think so. We are being consumed by imSome think so. We are being consumed by images on a screen and the mindboggling array of ages on a screen theseemed mindboggling of to needarray before. information we and never ken promises we only hope to see. No one living The world is moving much faster and we're The world is moving faster and we're pace. Imaginaadapting to living in it atmuch a hectic adapting to living in it at a hectic pace. Imaginations used to run wild , while now those crazy tions used to run wild, while now those crazy dreams are the reality waiting just around the dreams are the reality waiting just around the corner. H.G. Wells fantasized about man going corner. H.G. Wells fantasized about man going to the moon. I'm sure he was told that he had a to the moon. I'm sure he was told that he had a vivid imagination. Certainly he wasn't looked vivid uponimagination. as a realist. Certainly he wasn't looked upon as a realist. Looking at the littl e Rover four-wheeling Looking at the little Rover four-wheeling of Mars is somewhat surreal. around the surface around the surface of Mars is somewhat surreal. And thinking of man someday doing his own exAnd thinking man someday doing his ownbut ex- I ploring of theofred planet seems perplexing, ploring of the red itplanet seemsWhen perplexing, butthe I we saw think we expect to happen. think we expect it to happen. When we saw the space station in the movi e "2001: A Space space station ininthe movie A Space Odyssey" back 1969 who"2001: would have enviOdyssey" back in 1969 who would have sioned Space Station Mir needing repair enviwork. sioned Spacewas Station Mir needing repair work. "Star Trek" the ultimate science fiction just "Star Trek" was the ultimate science fiction just 30 years ago. Everyone is walking around with 30 years ago. Everyone is walking around with a portable communication device now. We call athem portable communication device now. We call cellular phones. themAmid cellular phones. the stretching of our concepts of reality, stretching of ourisconcepts of wake reality,of our industry riding the weAmid knowthe that we know that our industry is riding the wake of this wondrous, mysterious focus on technology. this wondrous, mysterious focus on technology. We've seen the ferocious quest for more, better, We've seen the ferocious quest for more, better, bigger, faster, and challenging. But there's a dark bigger, and maybe challenging. But there's a dark not exactly dark but cerside tofaster, this. Well, side to this. Well, maybe not exactly dark but certainly enigmatic. It's a potent mixture of an unsattainly enigmatic. It's a potent mixture of an unsatisfied group of young people craving all the thrills isfied group young people craving theanother thrills they can getofand wanting even more,alland they can get and wanting even more, and another group of baby boomers struggling to adapt to the group boomers struggling to adapt to the statusofofbaby middle age and the overwhelming onstatus of middle age and the overwhelming on-fit slaught of technology. Where do games really slaught technology. do gamesplaying reallyinto fit theiroflifestyle? HowWhere is the Internet inin their lifestyle? How is the Internet playing into theirschedules? schedules? their Family entertainment centers address a deFamily entertainment centers address a demand for quality time between kids and parents, mand for quality time between kids and parents, especially those who don't live together. Parents especially together. Parents want thatthose warmwho and don't fuzzylive feeling they get when want that warm and fuzzyhaving feelingfun, they getthe when and kids seeing their youngsters seeing their youngsters having fun, are andwilling the kidsto parents love having a place their love having a place their parents are willing to take them. It's no longer enough to bake a cake take no longer enoughparty. to bake a cake friends to a birthday Now it's a and them. invite It's and invite friends to a birthday party. Now a matter of what new exciting place the it's child matter ofhave whathisnew exciting place the child wants to party. wants tojust have his party. I've recently passed into my 21st year in I'vecoin-op just recently passed my accepted 21 st year the in the industry and into quietly the coin-op industry and quietly accepted the fact that I'll be eligible to join the Half Century fact that I'll be eligible to join the Half Century Club in just a few short years. But seeing an inClub in just a few short years. But seeing an industry evolve from very humble beginnings to dustry evolve veryhas humble to the magic it'sfrom become been beginnings a treat. I can't the magic it's become has been a treat. I can't wait to see what the next 20 years will bring. wait to see what the next 20 years will bring. But I won't be surprised at anything! • We're anticipating a new century with unspo- ken promises we only hope to see. No one living 1900 could have imagined the wonders that inin1900 could have imagined the wonders that would take place during the century. The awe of would take place during the century. running The awewaof airplanes, automobiles, electricity, airplanes, automobiles, electricity, running water in every hom e, and telephones must have ter in every home, and telephones must have been wonders to behold. Television changed the been wonders to behold. Television changed the world . I had the pleasure of knowing a gentleworld. I had20 theyears pleasure of knowing a gentleago who was 80 at the time man about man about 20 years ago who was 80 at the time His and a youngster at th e turn of the century. and a youngster at the and turnheofchuckled the century. His were sharp when he memories memories were sharp and he chuckled when he told us stories of the rogue he had been, streaktold stories town of theatrogue he had been, streaka whopping 15 mil es per ing us through ing through at a whopping 15 miles in his town new horseless carriage as theper old hour hour in his new horseless carriageand as the old people shrieked their disapproval shouted people shrieked their disapproval and shouted that he was going way too fast! that he wassaw goingshow way too fast!the humble beginonce about I Ionce saw aashow about the humble beginnings of the automobile with serious then, laughDavidMcCord McCord nings of the automobile with serious David werelaughtravelable now rules. For instance, if youthen, (1950) able now rules. For instance, if you were travel(1950) ing down a road in a car and saw a horse-drawn ing down a road in a car and saw a horse-drawn carriage approaching, you had to jump out, blancarriage approaching, you had to jump with out, blanket the entire vehicle some 11 0 / ValerieCognevich Cognevich Valerie Editor Editor ket the entire vehicle with some sortofofcover, cover,and andwait waitfor forthe the sort horse to pass. Even more unbehorse to pass. Even more unbelievable was the rule about meetlievable was the rule about meeting a horse-drawn carriage at an ing a horse-drawn at an If the carriage horse wouldn't intersection. intersection. If the horse wouldn't move past the car, the owner move past the car, the owner would have to dismantle it, let the would have to dismantle it, letit!the horse pass, then reassemble horse pass, then reassemble it! But the turn of the century genBut the turn of the century generation couldn't possibly have eration couldn't possibly have imagined the inventions, or in imagined thedreams inventions, or the in pictured their wildest their wildest dreams pictured the live. lifetheir theirdescendents descendentswould wouldlive. life As we approach the 21st centuAs we approach the 21 st century, we're much different than the than the different we're much ry, that crossed into the generation generation that crossed into the 20th century. We are prepared 20th century. We are prepared for anything. Trips to the moon for TripsMars to the andanything. photos from aremoon things and photos from Mars are things Cars we accepted with grace. we accepted with grace. Cars that drive themselves along a highway sensor that drive themselves a highway system seem logical foralong the near future. sensor system logical the near future. Weseem are eager forfor spectacular new inventions Weinnovations. are eager for spectacular new would inventions and The only surprise be if and only the surprise be ifif theyinnovations. weren't rightThe around corner.would I wonder they weren't around theanymore. corner. ICloning wonderhas if we can reallyright be astonished we can really be astonished anymore. Cloning has been depicted in dastardly fashion in past horror been depicted in dastardly fashion in past horror movies, but now it's real. But are we particularly movies, butShould now it's real. ButToo are late we particularly ask. stunned? happen? stunned? Should itithappen? Too late totoask. And what about the Internet? We are in a And what about the Internet? We are in a frenzy expanding it beyond the boundaries of frenzy expanding it beyond the boundaries of sanity. Is it the end of society as we know it? sanity. Is it the end of society as we know it? PLAYMETER METER PLAY 14 14 information we with never seemed need before. We were busy other thingstolike visiting our We were busy with other things like visiting our neighbors, working in our yards, or spending neighbors, working in our yards, or spending time with family. time with family. But I won't be surprised at anything! SEPTEMBER1997 1997 SEPTEMBER