Play Meter

= = PLAY R METE MAILBOX MAILBOX MISSED OPPORTUNITY MISSED OPPORTUNITY For many years manufacturers and For many years manufacturers and distributors of coin-operated equipdistributors of coin-operated equipment have been listening to operators ment have been listening to operators "singing the blues." Equipment prices "singing blues." Equipment are too the high, finance rates are prices too are too high, finance rates are toonot high, depreciation is ridiculous, high, depreciation is ridiculous, not etc., enough equipment on the market, enough equipment on the market, etc., etc., etc. The list goes on, with many etc., etc. The list goes on, with many operators pointing the finger at everyoperators pointing the finger at everyone but themselves. one In butthe themselves. first quarter of 1997, four In thetrade first publications: quarter of 1997, major Play four Meter major trade publications: Play Meter and Street Beat in February and Vendand Street Beat in February and Vending Times and RePlay in March reporting and RePlayfrom in March reported Times on a gentleman Iowa named ed on a gentleman from Iowa named Walter Day and his company Twin Walter DayMr. andDay his was company Twin edGalaxies. the assistant Galaxies. Mr. Day was the assistant itor in charge of video game scoresedfor itor in charge of video game scores for the U.S. edition of the Guinness Book the U.S. edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. He had announced ofplans World Records. He had announced for a Video Game & Pinball Video Gameto&bePinball a for plans Masters Tournament held for the Masters Tournament to be held for the United States and Canada. United States and Canada. For $17 5 operators were sent proFor $175 operators were sent promotional materials, score cards, motional materials, score cards, posters, entry forms, and a toll-free entry forms, and a toll-free posters, number to call in the scores and check number to call in the scores and check the standings on an hourly basis. Eight the standings onUnited an hourly basis. Eight States participatarcades in the arcades in the United States participated. Yes, only eight! This pure lack of ed. Yes, only eight! This pure lack of operator interest is helping to dismanoperator interest is helping to dismantle this industry. tle this industry. Power Play Amusements decided Power Play Amusements decided to roll the dice and selected one of to roll the dice and selected one of our arcades, Cool World Family Fun our arcades, Cool World Family Fun Center, located in Wilmington, N.C., Center, located in Wilmington, N.C., to hold the tournament. We decided to hold the tournament. We decided to charge a $5 entry fee with the to charge a $5 entry fee with the players paying for their own games players for their own duringpaying the competition. We games also during the competition. We elected to donate the entryalso fees to elected to donate the entry fees to our favorite charity which enabled us our favoritefree charity which enabled us to obtain advertising from radio to obtain free advertising from radio and television stations in our area. and television stations in our area. Radiostations stationsannounced announcedthis thisasasaa Radio PLAY METER PLAY METER Public Service Announcement for Public Service Announcement for one week prior to the tournament. one to the TVweek crewsprior arrived on tournament. the day of the TV crews arrived on the day of the tournament and filmed players in tournament and filmed players in heated competition. heated competition. For a mere $17 5 investment, we For a mere $175 investment, we had TV and radio spots, a full parking had spots, a full parking lot, TV andand the radio eyes of Wilmington on us. lot, and the eyes of Wilmington on us. We even made the 6 P.M. news! SevWe even made the 6 P.M. news! Several players even found our Web page eral even 300 found our to Web page andplayers drove over miles compete. and drove over 300 miles to compete. How much press can you purchase for How much purchase for $17 5? Anypress way can you you analyze this pro$175? Any way you analyze this promotion, we turned out to be the real motion, we turned out to be the real winners. winners. Tournaments and promotions Tournaments and promotions should be an ongoing activity for any should an ongoing any arcadebe doing businessactivity today. for Cool arcade doing business today. Cool World Family Fun Center hired a new World Family Fun Center hired a new arcade manager named Leo Daniels. Leo Daniels. named arcade He's amanager diehard game player whose He's a diehard game player whose reputation proceeds him. He has held has held He him. proceeds reputation dozens of different world records on dozens of different world records on arcade games including a 48 hour and arcade gamesrun including a 48 hour and 10 minute on Asteroids. Needless 10 minute run on Asteroids. Needless to say, he was not a welcome sight at tomany say, he was not at arcades as aa welcome teenager. sight One quarmany arcades as a teenager. One quarter could last all day! ter could last all day! Tournaments are run by Leo four Tournaments are run by Leo four nights a week at Cool World and have World and have Cool at week a nights resulted in a definite increase in revresulted in a definite increase in revenue. When the kids go back to school enue. thepoorest kids gorevenue back to school fall, our generin theWhen inating the fall, our poorest revenue period begins. Not so thisgeneryear. ating period Notrelated so this year. We are waybegins. up. Game merWe are waysuch up. as Game related mer-etc. chandise T-shirts, posters, chandise such as T-shirts, posters, etc. are available from some manufacturare available from some manufacturers. Sega GameWorks even sent out a ers. Segawith GameWorks evenparaphernasent out a catalog tons of game catalog with tons of game paraphernalia. Kids love this type of merchandise lia. Kids love this type of merchandise and it can be awarded as prizes for and it can be awarded as used prizesatfor your tournament winners or tournament winners or used at your redemption center. This is advertising redemption for all of us.center. This is advertising for all of us. Arcade operators in today's market Arcade operatorsininorder today's market must get involved to get their must get involved in order to get theirof customers involved. The popularity customers involved. Theown popularity your arcade is in your hands. of your arcade is in your own hands. There is spectacular product available There is spectacular product available that will generate real excitement for that will generate real excitement for today's game players. Get with the players. Get with the game today's Promote!Promote!Promote! program. Promote! Promote! Promote! program. For information regarding the upFor information regarding the upcoming 1998 Video Game & Pinball coming Video Game & Pinball Masters1998 Tournament, contact Walter Masters Tournament, contact Walter Day at (515)472-3882. Day at (515)472-3882. Steven Siegel Steven Siegel Power Play Amusements Power Play Amusements Wilmington, NC Wilmington, NC [Editor's note: Steven's experience [Editor's note: Steven's experience may sound just a little too good to be may soundajust a little to begot a true-for mere $175too hisgood company true-for a mere $175 his company lot of advertising and publicity. Butgot it'saa lottrue of advertising and publicity. But it's a story. Steven cannot believe that op- true story. Steven cannot believe that op1212 erators would look at an opportunity like erators would at pass an opportunity this one and look simply it up while like at this and simply pass itabout up while at theone same time moaning how bad the same time moaning about how bad business is. This isn't the first and it business is. This isn't the first and it won't be the last time that operators won't be the last time that operators don't look beyond the horizon of an idea. don't look beyond the horizon of an idea. Yes, it's too bad. Our industry is a critiYes, it's too bad. Our industry is a critical group, too often willing to let an idea cal group, to leta an idea pass themtoo by often ratherwilling than take chance. pass them by rather than take a chance. We see that attitude concerning other We see that attitude concerning other things like leasing games or the Intel things like leasing games or the Intel proposal. Sometimes you just have to be proposal. youthejust have to be willing toSometimes give an idea consideration willing to give an idea the consideration it deserves.] it deserves.] A SMILE WORKS WONDERS When people walk into an enterWhen people walk into an entertainment center they just go in to have tainment center just in of to them have a good time. In they doing so go a lot ahave goodtotime. In doing so a lot of them deal with the people working have to deal with the in these centers, not people just theworking change inmachines. these centers, not just the change From personal experience I machines. Fromthat personal experience have learned a greeting, some- I have learned that a greeting, sometimes asking a customer how they are times a customer how they and are or if everything's all right, doingasking doing or if everything's all right, and an occasional smile make the visit to an occasional smile make the visit to the center more enjoyable. Many centhe center more enjoyable. Many centers I've visited lacked the personal ters I've visited lacked the personal touch. The place I frequent the most is touch. The place I frequent the most is the place that has employees that the place employees greet methat withhas a smile and a that friendly a friendly and smile a with me greet "How are you doing?" This place is "How are youpacked doing?"with Thiscustomers place is also usually also usually packed with customers with smiles. When it comes down to it, with smiles. When it comes down to it, isn't it all about repeat business? isn't it all about repeat business? RobertRendon Rendon Robert Houston, TX Houston, TX [Editor's note: Robert, you couldn't [Editor's note: Robert, you couldn't have said it better. As a customer you are have said it better. As a customer you are keenly aware of the difference the emkeenly aware the to difference the employees can of make a location's success. ployees can make to a location's success. There have been numerous seminars at There have been numerous seminars at trade shows emphasizing that sometimes trade shows experience emphasizing thatimportant sometimes is less a person's a than person's experience is less important his personality when it comes to than his personality whenUnfortunately, it comes to dealing with the public. dealing with the public. Unfortunately, some employers emphasize the mechansome emphasize thelittle mechanics ofemployers the job and put far too value icsonofthe theemotional job and put far too little value needs of customers on the emotional needs of customers through the employees. Yes, it's true that through the employees. Yes, it's true that many family entertainment centers hire hire centers entertainment family many teenagers and all the nuances that go teenagers and all the nuances that go along with those hires. And they use that along those use that as a with reason the hires. needs And of thethey customers as a reason the needs of the customers are not always met with satisfaction. It's are always it's metan with satisfaction. It's notnot a reason, excuse that should not a reason, it's an excuse that should not be tolerated. The successful locations not be tolerated. The successful locations are ones that don 't try to buy a Lincoln are ones that don't try to buy a Lincoln with a Volkswagen budget. In other with a Volkswagen budget. In other words, to keep customers coming back, words, keep coming budgettofor thecustomers Lincolns out thereback, even if budget for the Lincolns out there even if it means cutting back elsewhere in areas it means cutting back elsewhere in areas not affecting your customers' visit.IA.A. A SMILE WORKS WONDERS not affecting your customers' visit.] FEBRUARY 1998 FEBRUARY 1998