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STAR*TECH JOURNAL/JULY 1982
CONTROL PANELS* VIDEO GAME ADJUSTMENTS
By Todd Erickson, Summit Amusement, St. Paul, MN
Control Panels
The control panel on a video is probably the source of
most service calls. The majority of these problems can be
prevented or eliminated by proper shopping of the game or
visual inspections while the game is on location.
Our first case is any new game. Most operators will
install the game on location without any inspection. All
pal nuts on the Wico fire and start buttons -should be
checked for tightness. If the panel is wood or wood
backed, the wood may shrink, thus leaving the mounting
screws loose. All joystick screws must be tightened. If the
game is going out any distance, I feel the joystick mounting
nuts should be changed to aircraft locking nuts. Check all
wires for cold solder joints that may come off from
vibration. Games that have slip-on connectors must be
checked to be sure the connectors are tight.
Games to be shopped will require a little more work.
All buttons that have burns or scratches should be
replaced with nylon or lexan buttons. Lexan buttons by
Wico, I feel, are the best in the industry. I think the
translucent colors look good also. Fire and other high
usage buttons should be replaced because nylon will get
brittle with age. This can save a service call. A close look
at all riveted points would show if they are loose in the
blade and may eliminate an intermittent problem. If the
points have a lot of dirt on them, chemical cleaner will help
eliminate a call.
On Midway games, the lug on the points should be
checked for cracks, especially on older PM games. Check
all blades for cracks. Paint should be touched up if needed.
New overlays from the manufacturer or Wico may help in
many cases. Making the game look new will help it earn
more money. Atari games that have the old short bezel
should be replaced with the new tall bezel. They can't be
unscrewed from the outside. All joysticks should be
inspected for wear of parts. Midway joysticks should have
all old white parts replaced to newer red plastic parts.
There should be a washer to protect the joystick from
being forced down and bending the blades. The rubber
center should be checked for the center separating from
the rubber. The Wico joystick must also be checked.
Points becoming unriveted or cracked, the rubber center,
and having a metal washer are the most important to
watch. Older Wico joysticks should be upgraded to new
units with the large handle. This is especially true on the
units with the long handles. The low price of the new unit is
the reason I feel this way. Spare parts can then be used off
the old unit. Old joysticks like "Polaris" /"Crazy Climber"
that are worn are best replaced with a new Wico. Try to
mount them as close to the metal panel as possible, using
carriage bolts. This way you don't need the long handle.
The longer the handle, the more wear you get on the
joystick.
Games on location should be visually checked every
few weeks to a month to eliminate problems. The further a
game is from the shop and the more play the game gets
dictates how frequently it should be checked.
Video Game Adjustments
The player of a video game today must feel he received a
fair return for his quarter. The operator, however, can't
have people playing an hour or two for a quarter. The
games of the future, for the most part, will have adjustable
software. The operator will not have to buy a "speed-up
kit" to protect his investment. There are a few games
today that have these options, but not as many as will be
coming in the future ( as we get cheaper memory and the
new 16-bit processors).
One game that was just released by Williams that has
many adjustments is "Robotron". As with their past
games, they have many game adjustments. They have a
difficulty setting from 1 to 10 with 10 being the hardest.
Early games were shipped at 5, which, I feel, may be too
hard for many locations. I like to see average game time at
least 90 seconds to about 2 minutes. The setting I
recommend is either 2 or 3 now. This may change after the
game has been out a few months.
There is no way that I feel the program should be the
same in the average bar and average arcade. The 12- to
18-year-olds are much faster than the 25- to 40-year-olds.
I also like being able to adjust the difficulty of the game
without it being obvious. In " Robotron", the men can be
adjusted from 1 to 9. The point value when an extra man is
added is from 15,000 to 30,000. This function is very
critical on the lower value; a good player may be able to
play a long time without helping the weak player. Adding
an extra man or two in a location where there are poor
players will help the poor player reach the bonus level, but
not after that. The good player is winning extra men every
X points so the extra man doesn't mean as much to him as
to the poor player. The difficulty level should be set so that
it is comfortable to play for the location.
It is surprising to see the number of operators I have
told that a game is adjustable, and he informs me he is a big
operator and doesn't have time. With the games costing
almost $3000, the operator that will be here tomorrow is
going to be the one who reads the instructions with the
games. Williams was good enough to give the operator a
speed-up or down kit (game adjustments) so that he will
get maximum life/earnings from the game.