Atari Coin Connection
Issue: Vol 5 Num 04 - 1981 June - Page 4
ATARI Game Club Now Open
to Coin-op Game Players
Game Marathon
Pledge Drive:
High Scores for Charity
During the past few months,
numerous players have attempt-
ed to break the Atari high score
records on Asteroids™, Asteroids
Deluxe™, Missile Command™,
Battlezone™, and Centipede™.
These attempts usually generate
publicity for the location and sat-
isfaction for the player who
achieves a new high score.
However, Mr. Samuel Eng of
The Odyssey Family Fun Center,
Sacramento, Cal ifornia, and
Richard Scott, a top-notch Aste-
roids player, recently took this
event one step further. On June
21-23, 1981, Richard played
Asteroids for 51 hours, 25 min-
utes, and scored 23,274,970
points. In addition to this person-
al accomplishment, Richard's
high score raised over $600.00
for the Muscular Dystrophy
Association.
One month prior to the high
score attempt, Mr. Eng and
Richard decided that the effort
put into this event should some-
how benefit a charitable organi-
zation such as the Muscular
Dystrophy Association. They
worked with the local high
school fund-raising committee to
set up a program whereby play-
ers, businesses, and other com-
munity members could pledge a
certain amount to MDA for ev-
ery 100,000 points achieved by
Richard on Asteroids. Richard's
goal for this attempt was
25,000,000 points in 50 hours of
continuous play. The Odyssey
suggested pledges of 2 cents
per 100,000 points or $5.00 if
Richard met his goal. Mr. Eng
advertised this program in The
Odyssey's newsletter and with
posters placed in his location
and other local businesses, as
well as notifying the local news-
papers, radio and lV stations.
Players and high school students
collected pledges, with the Odys-
sey giving a prize for the most
pledges signed up and the most
money collected. Following the
event, a party was given at The
Odyssey for all the volunteers
who collected pledges.
Richard Scott's high score
achievement on Asteroids not
only provided tremendous posi-
tive media coverage for The Od-
yssey, but also worked as an ex-
citing community event to raise
funds for a worthwhile charity. In
addition, the program generated
public support for coin-operated
games at a time when many
communities view the games as
a nuisance. If you have a player
who is interested in attempting a
new Atari high score, we sug-
gest you consider setting up a
program such as this. It can be
an excellent promotional oppor-
tunity that will benefit your lo-
cation, community and favorite
charity.
on a counter, thus requiring little
of the operator's valuable space.
Players can join the Game
Club by filling out the member-
ship application and mailing it,
along with a dollar to the ATARI
Game Club, P.O. Box AGC, Half
Moon Bay, CA 94019. In return,
they will receive a wallet-sized
membership card, a membership
certificate and an expanded
eight-page auarterly newsletter,
"ATARI AgetM" . Club members
will then continue to receive the
The ATARI Game Club, origi-
newsletter on a quarterly basis.
"ATARI Age" will feature arti-
nally organized to provide ATARI
cles on both coin-operated and
home video game enthusiasts
with the latest ATARI product in- home video games, a regular list
of high scorers on both types"Of
formation and news, has now
games, and reviews of new
been expanded to include coin-
ATARI products.
operated games players in its
"We think that Coin-op's parti-
membership as well.
cipation in the ATARI Game Club
Coin-operated game players
will provide alot of advantages to
will be able to join the Game
Club through a special program operators, " commented Frank
Ballouz, Vice President of Mar-
in effect at local video game lo-
keting. "Players will be informed
cations throughout the country.
about new ATARI products, and
Operators are being encour-
this will encourage them to go to
aged to order a special free
game club materials kit. Included their local game center and
in the kit is an easel display with check out all of the new games.
We are really looking forward to
pads of tear-off membership ap-
being a big part of the ATARI
plications. Easel cards can be
displayed on the top of games or Game Club in the future. "
Centipede™ Featured
at C.A. Robinson Event
Mariann Layne and Laura
Burgess Named to New Posts
in Marketing Services
Mariann Layne has been
named Manager of Marketing
Services for the Coin Operated
Games Division of Atari, accord-
ing to Frank Ballouz, Vice Presi-
dent of Marketing for the division.
Ms. Layne's appointment is ef-
fective immediately.
As Manager of Marketing Ser-
vices, Ms. Layne will be respon-
sible for organizing advertising
and promotional functions such
as the trade shows (AMOA, ATE,
etc.) and tournaments like the
ATARI $50,000.00 World Cham-
pionships currently under way.
She also provides operators and
distributors with promotional ma-
terials and information, such as
the recent Astrodata Kits and
Centipede information kits.
Joining Ms. Layne is Laura
Burgess, appointed Marketing
Services Coordinator. Ms.
Burgess will assist Mariann in
helping operators and distri-
butors learn how to promote a
business or location. She will
also provide support in other
areas of promotion and trade-
show coordination .
Frank Ballouz, Vice President
of Marketing, commented that
··Marketing Services is a very
crucial part of the total market-
ing effort at Atari . This group
serves as the interface arm of
the marketing department, pro-
viding operators with methods of
more effectively selling the
games to the players. I'm glad
that Mariann and Laura have
taken on the responsibility for
this very important marketing
function.'·
-
... •
Frank Ballouz and Mariann Layne of Atari Marketing with Sandy
and Adrea Bettelman, Hank Tronick, and Leah and Al Bettelman of
C.A. Robinson at special Centipede introduction.
ATARI Marketing executives
were in attendance at an invita-
tian only Open House for opera-
tors held July 1 at the show-
rooms of C.A. Robinson in Los
Angeles.
Several hundred operators
previewed ATARl 's sensational
new Centipede: Frank Ballouz,
Vice President of Marketing,
Mariann Layne, Manager of Mar-
keting Services, Bob Harvey,
Regional Sales Manager and
Russ MacDonald, Atari Field
Service demonstrated Centipede
and discussed the latest news
about ATARl 's very hot World
Championships program.
. .
•
•
to Coin-op Game Players
Game Marathon
Pledge Drive:
High Scores for Charity
During the past few months,
numerous players have attempt-
ed to break the Atari high score
records on Asteroids™, Asteroids
Deluxe™, Missile Command™,
Battlezone™, and Centipede™.
These attempts usually generate
publicity for the location and sat-
isfaction for the player who
achieves a new high score.
However, Mr. Samuel Eng of
The Odyssey Family Fun Center,
Sacramento, Cal ifornia, and
Richard Scott, a top-notch Aste-
roids player, recently took this
event one step further. On June
21-23, 1981, Richard played
Asteroids for 51 hours, 25 min-
utes, and scored 23,274,970
points. In addition to this person-
al accomplishment, Richard's
high score raised over $600.00
for the Muscular Dystrophy
Association.
One month prior to the high
score attempt, Mr. Eng and
Richard decided that the effort
put into this event should some-
how benefit a charitable organi-
zation such as the Muscular
Dystrophy Association. They
worked with the local high
school fund-raising committee to
set up a program whereby play-
ers, businesses, and other com-
munity members could pledge a
certain amount to MDA for ev-
ery 100,000 points achieved by
Richard on Asteroids. Richard's
goal for this attempt was
25,000,000 points in 50 hours of
continuous play. The Odyssey
suggested pledges of 2 cents
per 100,000 points or $5.00 if
Richard met his goal. Mr. Eng
advertised this program in The
Odyssey's newsletter and with
posters placed in his location
and other local businesses, as
well as notifying the local news-
papers, radio and lV stations.
Players and high school students
collected pledges, with the Odys-
sey giving a prize for the most
pledges signed up and the most
money collected. Following the
event, a party was given at The
Odyssey for all the volunteers
who collected pledges.
Richard Scott's high score
achievement on Asteroids not
only provided tremendous posi-
tive media coverage for The Od-
yssey, but also worked as an ex-
citing community event to raise
funds for a worthwhile charity. In
addition, the program generated
public support for coin-operated
games at a time when many
communities view the games as
a nuisance. If you have a player
who is interested in attempting a
new Atari high score, we sug-
gest you consider setting up a
program such as this. It can be
an excellent promotional oppor-
tunity that will benefit your lo-
cation, community and favorite
charity.
on a counter, thus requiring little
of the operator's valuable space.
Players can join the Game
Club by filling out the member-
ship application and mailing it,
along with a dollar to the ATARI
Game Club, P.O. Box AGC, Half
Moon Bay, CA 94019. In return,
they will receive a wallet-sized
membership card, a membership
certificate and an expanded
eight-page auarterly newsletter,
"ATARI AgetM" . Club members
will then continue to receive the
The ATARI Game Club, origi-
newsletter on a quarterly basis.
"ATARI Age" will feature arti-
nally organized to provide ATARI
cles on both coin-operated and
home video game enthusiasts
with the latest ATARI product in- home video games, a regular list
of high scorers on both types"Of
formation and news, has now
games, and reviews of new
been expanded to include coin-
ATARI products.
operated games players in its
"We think that Coin-op's parti-
membership as well.
cipation in the ATARI Game Club
Coin-operated game players
will provide alot of advantages to
will be able to join the Game
Club through a special program operators, " commented Frank
Ballouz, Vice President of Mar-
in effect at local video game lo-
keting. "Players will be informed
cations throughout the country.
about new ATARI products, and
Operators are being encour-
this will encourage them to go to
aged to order a special free
game club materials kit. Included their local game center and
in the kit is an easel display with check out all of the new games.
We are really looking forward to
pads of tear-off membership ap-
being a big part of the ATARI
plications. Easel cards can be
displayed on the top of games or Game Club in the future. "
Centipede™ Featured
at C.A. Robinson Event
Mariann Layne and Laura
Burgess Named to New Posts
in Marketing Services
Mariann Layne has been
named Manager of Marketing
Services for the Coin Operated
Games Division of Atari, accord-
ing to Frank Ballouz, Vice Presi-
dent of Marketing for the division.
Ms. Layne's appointment is ef-
fective immediately.
As Manager of Marketing Ser-
vices, Ms. Layne will be respon-
sible for organizing advertising
and promotional functions such
as the trade shows (AMOA, ATE,
etc.) and tournaments like the
ATARI $50,000.00 World Cham-
pionships currently under way.
She also provides operators and
distributors with promotional ma-
terials and information, such as
the recent Astrodata Kits and
Centipede information kits.
Joining Ms. Layne is Laura
Burgess, appointed Marketing
Services Coordinator. Ms.
Burgess will assist Mariann in
helping operators and distri-
butors learn how to promote a
business or location. She will
also provide support in other
areas of promotion and trade-
show coordination .
Frank Ballouz, Vice President
of Marketing, commented that
··Marketing Services is a very
crucial part of the total market-
ing effort at Atari . This group
serves as the interface arm of
the marketing department, pro-
viding operators with methods of
more effectively selling the
games to the players. I'm glad
that Mariann and Laura have
taken on the responsibility for
this very important marketing
function.'·
-
... •
Frank Ballouz and Mariann Layne of Atari Marketing with Sandy
and Adrea Bettelman, Hank Tronick, and Leah and Al Bettelman of
C.A. Robinson at special Centipede introduction.
ATARI Marketing executives
were in attendance at an invita-
tian only Open House for opera-
tors held July 1 at the show-
rooms of C.A. Robinson in Los
Angeles.
Several hundred operators
previewed ATARl 's sensational
new Centipede: Frank Ballouz,
Vice President of Marketing,
Mariann Layne, Manager of Mar-
keting Services, Bob Harvey,
Regional Sales Manager and
Russ MacDonald, Atari Field
Service demonstrated Centipede
and discussed the latest news
about ATARl 's very hot World
Championships program.
. .
•
•
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).